Construction Project Planning: Task Sequencing and Dependencies

This document presents a comprehensive solution to a construction planning assignment, focusing on task dependencies and scheduling within a building project. It outlines various construction activities, categorizing them into major and minor tasks, and explains dependency types such as Finish to Start (FS), Start to Start (SS), Finish to Finish (FF), and Start to Finish (SF). The solution includes a detailed table mapping tasks, sub-tasks, predecessors, and dependency types, effectively illustrating the sequence of activities from site investigation to project completion. The assignment also references the importance of project planning in minimizing time wastages and ensuring seamless project execution. This solved assignment is available on Desklib for students seeking to enhance their understanding of construction planning principles and practices.

1Running head: CONSTRUCTION PLANNING
CONSTRUCTION PLANNING
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
Whenever a project is about to commence or is taking place, there must be some
sequences set to ensure that the project goes on seamlessly without any hitch. When project
activities or contract administration period, no one would want to lose time. Time wastages are
detrimental to projects in that there will be cost incurred, unpredictable weather pattern that
might spoil the areas already made, delay payment and inflationary costs might come up, among
other reasons (Atchison Construction, 2018). This is why any one who would want to build, will
need a project manager or at least some one like a construction manager to stand in as a project
manager and steer the project in the right direction. In a construction of a building, just like any
other project, there must be planning, this is key since other parties will be coming to exercise or
practice their trade and enhance the development of the building. This part of the paper, deals
with the project planning, where there are sequences or what are known as dependencies. The
paper shall list all the project activities, then have them simulated by Ms. Project. Then prepare a
precedence diagram. This diagram shall link all the SS, FS, FF and FS.
The Construction Activities
In construction of a house/building, there are two sets of activities, those that are
major ones, and the other activities that depends on the major jobs. Table 1 shows the major
project activities, those under those activities and the ones that depends on them. There shall be
the use of SS, FS, FF, and SF, before we know what they mean, it is prudent to know what is
meant by predecessor and a successor. A predecessor is that task that precedes/going before the
other task, and a successor is a task that follows the other. Successor and predecessor relate by a
way of making sure dependencies are available (Peterman, 2016).
FS – stands for Finish to Start, it is the most familiar approach, it where the predecessor must end
totally then the successor begins. Each team member’s progress and effort must be monitored
keenly for the target of the project to be met.
SS – stands for Start to start, this dependency approach is where the predecessor progresses and
must not be complete for the successor to start, it can start when the predecessor is underway.
FF – stands for Finish to Finish, this is where there’s a simultaneous progress of tasks, where
both the predecessor and the successor progresses and ends at the same time.
SF – stands for Start to Finish, this is where the successor cannot be complete unless the
predecessor commences. This approach is most uncommon due to complexity and
complicatedness it makes the project to be in
Consider the following illustration, figure 1, showing how the four approaches relates and how
they are.

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Figure 1: An illustration showing the four approaches of dependencies (Peterman, 2016)
The activities
Property acquisition – at this stage, the property where the project would be built on is
organized and purchasing is arranged. At this stage the resources are the client, the local
authority, and the agents selling the land
Preparation of plans – this stage involves the preparation of drawings by the architect,
according to what the client envisions. The people involved at this stage are the architect, and the
client.
Approval stage – the printed drawings are presented for approval by the local authority who
must approve and give permits for construction to go on. This stage the resources are the client,
the local authority and the architect.
Professional services – the structural designs the structures of the building, calculating the load
bearing ability of the building and incorporating that in their design. Electrical engineering,
designs the power reticulation and other services pertaining electrical in the building, and the
mechanical engineer designs the water reticulation, or plumbing of the building.
Project’s Quantity take-offs – this is where the designs of each professional are translated into
money. Starting with the Quantity surveyor who takes the overall estimates of the building.
Other professional mentioned also takes off their quantities or estimates.
Tendering process – this stage of the project, the quantities taken are compiled together with the
contract document and specifications and they are presented to the invited companies to fill in
the blanks and return them later for evaluation and finally award. After award of the contract, the
contract is formerly signed by the consultants, the client and the contractor.

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Task number Main Tasks Sub Tasks Sub Sub Tasks Predecessors Depend
1.0
Preliminaries
Site investigation FF
2.0 Site Establishment 1 FS
3.0 Surveyor Works 2 FS
4.0 Capping beams 3 SS
5.0 Bulk excavation 4 SS
6.0 Piles Cleaning 4,5 SS
7.0 Geocell 6 FS
8.0 Shot concrete works 7 FS
9.0 Anchors 8 FS
1
0.0 detailed Excavation 5,7 SS
1
1.0
Footing works and
pads 9,10,8 SS
1
2.0
Erect tower crane and
base 10,11 FS
1
3.0
Substructure Basement Level
Columns &
structural walls/lifts 11,12 FF
1
4.0 Reo (cages) 13 SF
1
5.0 Formwork 14 FF
1
6.0 pour 13,15 FF
1
7.0
Electrical services in
ground 16 SF
1
8.0 Hydraulics in ground 17 FF
1
9.0 Pour slab on ground 18,19 FF
2
0.0
Structural Upper GL/First &
Second floor Setout grids 19 FF
2
1.0 Erect scaffold 20 FF
2
2.0
Front/Reo/Pour Core 21 FF

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2
3.0 Form Desk 22 FF
2
4.0
Stand columns &
walls of upper GF 24,22 SF
2
5.0
Form/pour columns
& walls 24,23 SF
2
6.0
Place Beams &
bottom steel 25,24 SF
2
7.0 Services decking 26 FF
2
8.0 Place stressing ducts 27 FF
2
9.0 Place top Reo 28,27 SS
3
0.0 Form hobs 29 SS
3
1.0 Pour slab for floors 30,29,28 FF
3
2.0
Roof level
Setout grids 31 FS
3
3.0 Erect scaffold 32 FF
3
4.0 Form/Reo/Pour core 33 FF
3
5.0 Form Desk 34,33 FF
3
6.0
Stand columns &
walls 35,34,33 FF
3
7.0
Form/pour columns
& walls 35,36 SF
3
8.0
Place Beams &
bottom steel 37 SF
3
9.0 Services decking 38 SF
4
0.0 Place top Reo 39 SF
4
1.0
Form hobs & clean
deck 40,30 FF
4
2.0 Pour roof slab 41,40 FF
4
3.0
Finishes Basement Services Rough-in
stage 2 FF
4
4.0
Services rough-in
Final stage
43 FF

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4
5.0
Upper GL
Wall set out 44,43 FF
4
6.0
Hydraulics riser
work 45 FF
4
7.0 brickwork 46 FF
4
8.0 paint brickwork 47 FF
4
9.0
Louvre. grilles,
Mechanical grills 47,48 SF
5
0.0 Install glazing 49 SF
5
1.0
Install High level
services 50 SF
5
2.0
Internal frames to
walls & ceiling 51 SF
5
3.0 Rough-in services 52 FF
5
4.0 Plumber tests 53 FF
5
5.0 White set 54 SS
5
6.0
Pre-sheet
checklist/sign off
5
7.0
Sheet/set, sand walls
& ceilings 56 FS
5
8.0
Waterproofing to
balconies & wet
areas
5
9.0
External paint to
balcony ceiling 1st
coat
58 FS
6
0.0
Bedding to balconies
& wet areas 58,59 SS
6
1.0
Internal paint 1st &
2nd coat FS
6
2.0 Kitchen installation 61 FS
6
3.0 Tiling to balconies 58,59 FS
6
4.0
Tiling to bathroom,
laundry & living
6
5.0 PC fit off 64 FS
6 Robes installation 65 FS

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6.0
6
7.0 Screens Installation 61 FS
6
8.0
Fix
out/Glazing/Joinery 50 FS
6
9.0 Initial cleaning 61,64,65 SS
7
0.0
Internal Paint-final
coat 64,67 SS
7
1.0 Fittings 61,67 FS
7
2.0 Silicon 64 FS
7
3.0 Carpet 64,69,70,71, FS
7
4.0 Final Cleaning 62,64,69, FS
7
5.0 Roof level
Service stage 2
7
6.0 Service final Stage 75 FS
7
7.0
External works Roof floor
waterproofing
including pebbles
75,76 SF
7
8.0
Dismantle Tower
crane SF
7
9.0 Brick clearing SF
8
0.0 External painting 49,50,51,59 SF
8
1.0
Balustrades,
Handrails, screens 49,67, SF
8
2.0 Dismantle scaffold 78 SS
8
3.0
Storm water and
services connections
8
4.0
Footing to planter
boxes
8
5.0
Civil works for
carpark 83 FS
8
6.0 lighting first phase 17 FS
8
7.0
Waterproofing to
planter boxes and
external areas
84 FS

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8
8.0
External tiling and
cladding 79,80,82 FS
8
9.0 lighting final phase 86 FS
9
0.0
Landscaping and
irrigation 83,84,85 FS
9
1.0
painting final coat to
ground floor 80 FF
9
2.0 external cladding 90 FF
9
3.0 completion items SF
9
4.0
final testing and
commissioning 93 SF
9
5.0 project completion 94 FF
Preparation of the site – after the contract is signed, the contractors of respective trades are
handed over the site, or they are introduced to the site. This time is also the time when ground
breaking is taking place. At this stage, the site is prepared where other structures in the site are
constructed, like the storage facilities for materials, site office where meetings will be held and
other official matters, security office is built together with the security personnel is employed.
This is where water and electricity is brought to site. At this stage the resources are the
contractors, client, the consultants, and security personnel is introduced to site.
Sub-structure – this is where the early stages of construction takes place, foundations, and at
this stage the electrical and mechanical (plumbing) contractors lay down their services before the
concrete slab is poured, so that they are concealed in the slab at that stage.
Super structure – this is the general building stage where walls are up until roofing stage takes
place. At this stage, electrical and mechanical contractors put in their pipes and wiring concealed
in the slab and walls of each floor, the builder’s contractor pours slab on the floors, construct
walls and coordinates with other contractor at each stage.
Finishing – this include finishing of the floor, walls, where painting is involved, after plastering,
windows and doors fixed, and the electrical fittings are put in place mechanical sanitary wares
are fixed.
Exterior finishes – this is where external finishes are done, like removing the wastages like the
broken pipes, the dried excess concrete etc. in readiness for pouring of red soil and manure for
the grass and tress where appropriate. This stage can take place at the same time finishing is
taking place.
Site Handing over – this is where the site is handed over to the client, they are presented with
the keys to the doors officially. This happens after cleaning has taken place and snagging for
each service. This is where the defects liability period commences, this happens for six months
minimum.

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Table 1:Major and Minor tasks the project
References
Atchison Construction. (2018, December 17). Building Construction Process Start to Finish.
Retrieved from AC-Atchison Construction: https://atchisonconstructioninc.com/building-
construction-process-start-finish/
Peterman, R. (2016, November 22). Understanding Task Dependency Types in Project
Management. Retrieved from Project management.com: Ultimate reference for project
management: https://project-management.com/understanding-task-dependency-types-in-
project-management/

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