Proactive Productivity Management at Job Sites: Understanding Characteristics of Assumptions Made for Construction Processes during Planning Based on Case Studies and Interviews
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 140, Issue 3
Abstract
During planning and execution of construction projects, project planners and managers make various assumptions with respect to execution of construction activities, availability of resources, suitability of construction methods, and status of preceding activities. However, not all of these assumptions are explicitly documented and verified before the construction activities start. Decisions made based on invalid assumptions can negatively impact the outcomes of construction projects, such as rework, activity delays, and extra material cost. To address the problems caused by invalid assumptions, this paper proposed to develop a formal approach to capture and represent assumptions and proactively verify assumptions to reduce the uncertainties associated with construction projects. To develop such a formal approach, an initial step is to identify characteristics of assumptions. The research team conducted two detailed case studies (i.e., a bridge rehabilitation project and a research lab renovation project) and seven interviews with construction professionals who have experience between 12 and 50 years. This paper provides a detailed discussion on the assumptions identified from case studies and interviews. The developed categorization of assumptions and the general characteristics of assumptions can serve as the foundation for a formal representation of assumptions, which helps construction professionals to proactively verify assumptions so as to avoid negative impacts of invalid assumptions on construction planning and execution.
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Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology under Grant 60NANB9D9197. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The authors also wish to thank Dr. Lucio Soibelman for his early efforts on this paper.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 140 • Issue 3 • March 2014
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 15, 2013
Accepted: Oct 30, 2013
Published online: Nov 28, 2013
Published in print: Mar 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Apr 28, 2014
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