Technical Papers
Nov 12, 2011

Impact of Crew Scheduling on Project Performance

Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 18, Issue 1

Abstract

Contractors have responded to the growing pressure from owners to shorten project duration by employing a variety of crew-scheduling techniques. Unfortunately, only a limited knowledge base exists for determining the impact of different crew schedules on project performance in terms of cost, duration, productivity, and safety. Standard crew schedules include those that require crews to work 40 h per week, including five 8-h days, four 10-h days, or a second shift. Overtime schedules are also common, which require crews to work additional hours beyond the standard 40 h per week. These overtime schedules include five 9-h days, six 8-h days, or five 10-h days. In addition to the standard and overtime schedules, several other crew-scheduling techniques have been used successfully by contractors. This paper presents the results of a study on the impact of crew-scheduling techniques on overall project performance. The paper identifies the proper application and conditions for successful use of various crew-scheduling techniques and provides a comprehensive comparison that outlines a variety of crew-scheduling options, along with their impact on labor efficiency, project duration, worker safety, and project cost. Contractors can use the results to aid them in the selection of a scheduling technique to best meet the specific requirements of a project.

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Published In

Go to Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 18Issue 1February 2013
Pages: 35 - 44

History

Received: Aug 19, 2011
Accepted: Nov 10, 2011
Published online: Nov 12, 2011
Published in print: Feb 1, 2013

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Authors

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Awad S. Hanna, F.ASCE [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison, 2314 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706 (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Aviad Shapira, F.ASCE [email protected]
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel; formerly, Visiting Professor, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706. E-mail: [email protected]
Mounir El Asmar, M.ASCE [email protected]
Assistant Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ 85287 E-mail: [email protected]
Craig S. Taylor [email protected]
Former Graduate Student, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706. E-mail: [email protected]

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