Phantom Float
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 129, Issue 5
Abstract
This paper presents a resource-constrained critical path method (RCPM) technique that capitalizes on and improves the existing critical path method (CPM) and resource-constrained scheduling (RCS) techniques. A traditional CPM schedule is not realistic, because it assumes unlimited resources, some of which are highly limited in practice. Although traditional RCS techniques can consider resource limitations, they do not provide the correct floats and critical path, as the CPM does. The difference between the theoretical remaining total float and the real remaining total float is referred to as “phantom float” in this study. Work sequence in a resource-constrained schedule could also be considerably changed with a schedule update, resulting in high costs to reorganize it. This is because in addition to technological relationships, a resource-constrained schedule contains resource dependencies between activities that are neglected in traditional RCS techniques. This study proposes a step-by-step RCPM procedure to consider those resource-constrained relationships. Hence, the method can identify real floats and correct critical paths considering both technological and resource relationships, making late start and late finish times more meaningful. In addition, because of identified resource relationships, the RCPM also provides a certain level of stability with a schedule update.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Ahuja, H. N. (1976). Construction performance control by networks, Wiley, New York.
Badiru, A. B.(1993). “Activity-resource assignment using critical resource diagramming.” Proj. Manage. J., 24(3), 15–21.
Bartholomew, S. H. (1998). Construction contracting: Business and legal principles, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Boctor, F. F.(1990). “Some efficient multi-heuristic procedures for resource-constrained project scheduling.” Eur. J. Oper. Res., 49, 3–13.
Bowers, J. A.(1995). “Criticality in resource-constrained networks.” J. Oper. Res. Soc., 46(1), 80–91.
Callahan, M. T., Quackenbush, D. G., and Rowings, J. E. (1992). Construction project scheduling, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Clough, R. H., Sears, G. A., and Sears, S. K. (2000). Construction project management, 4th Ed., Wiley, New York.
David, E. W., and Patterson, J. H.(1975). “A comparison of heuristic and optimum solutions in resource-constrained project scheduling.” Manage. Sci., 21, 944–955.
Fondahl, J. W.(1991). “The development of the construction engineer: past progress and future problems.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 117(3), 380–392.
Hegazy, T.(1999). “Optimization of resource allocation and leveling using genetic algorithms.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 125(3), 167–175.
Just, M. R., and Murphy, J. P. (1994). “The effect of resource constraints on project schedules.” AACE Transactions, DCL.2.
Kelley, J. E., Jr. (1963). “The critical-path method: resource planning and scheduling.” Industrial scheduling, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 347–365.
Liberatore, M. J., Pollack-Johnson, B., and Smith, C. A.(2001). “Project management in construction: software use and research directions.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 127(2), 101–107.
Melin, J. W., and Whiteaker, B.(1981). “Fencing a bar chart.” J. Constr. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 107(3), 497–507.
Moder, J. J., Phillips, C. R., and Davis, E. W. (1983). Project management with CPM, PERT, and precedence diagramming, 3rd Ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Primavera Systems, Inc. (1998). RA help system, Concord, N.H.
Wickwire, J. M., Driscoll, T. J., and Hurlbut, S. B. (1999). Construction scheduling: preparation, liability, and claims, 2001 cumulative supplement, Aspen Law & Business, New York.
Wiest, J. D.(1963). “Some properties of schedules for large projects with limited resources.” Oper. Res., 12, 395–418.
Wiest, J. D.(1967). “A heuristic model for scheduling large projects with limited resources.” Manage. Sci., 13(6), B359–B377.
Willis, R. J.(1985). “Critical path analysis and resource constrained project scheduling—theory and practice.” Eur. J. Oper. Res., 21, 149–155.
Woodworth, B. M., and Shanahan, S.(1988). “Identifying the critical sequence in a resource constrained project.” Int. J. Proj. Manage., 6, 89–96.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 129 • Issue 5 • October 2003
Pages: 507 - 517
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 22, 2002
Accepted: Jul 24, 2002
Published online: Sep 15, 2003
Published in print: Oct 2003
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.