Work Density Method for Takt Planning of Construction Processes with Nonrepetitive Work
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148, Issue 12
Abstract
A new method is presented for construction process planning. It is based on the concept of work density and called the Work Density Method (WDM), two terms coined for use in this context. Using the WDM, planners create one-piece workflow by dividing work space into zones while assigning each zone exclusively for each trade to complete their work, with trades working in consecutive process steps, each one taking up to the same fixed amount of time. The method supports development of a plan (using takt or not) for repetitive as well as nonrepetitive work thanks to work density serving as the common unit to describe workload. The WDM is an iterative method using work structuring to decide a sequence of process steps, zone the work space while lowering the peak of the cumulative work density (i.e., workload peak), determine a lower bound on the takt that can be met, and verify this meets customer requirements. The method was developed experimentally on a live project. This paper rationalizes the use of work density in planning, illustrates the WDM using examples, presents a paradox, and suggests method enhancements. The contribution to knowledge is the formulation of a new planning method that augments existing planning methods.
Practical Applications
On construction projects where speed is of the essence, activities must get scheduled in parallel and take place in multiple locations simultaneously. Those locations must be clearly demarcated in order to avoid the detrimental impact of trade stacking, and activity completion times must be strictly adhered to in order to avoid cascading delays. The WDM presented in this paper offers a systematic approach to determine such locations and to set a time limit within which activities must be completed. This new method is intended for use by superintendents together with their trade partners to develop an execution strategy so that they will be able to reliably hit milestones shown on their project master schedule. Some planners may already be familiar with the notion of work density and be using it intuitively when considering options to shorten a project’s duration. In this paper, a new, formal method is presented. It is illustrated by various examples. The use of computational support tools is suggested for practical implementation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
It has taken years for ideas about the Work Density Method to gel and try out, and to compile this document. I am much indebted to many people I had the opportunity to collaborate with on research, including industry practitioners, colleagues, and students, and others who generously shared their thoughts. The development of the Work Density Method was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. CMMI-1563511 and in part by in-kind and monetary contributions received from members of the Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL—p2sl.berkeley.edu) at UC Berkeley. I am grateful for all support received. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of NSF or members of P2SL.
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Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 148 • Issue 12 • December 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 21, 2021
Accepted: Jun 29, 2022
Published online: Oct 6, 2022
Published in print: Dec 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Mar 6, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Aerospace engineering
- Business management
- Client relationships
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Construction methods
- Construction sites
- Engineering fundamentals
- Lean construction
- Management methods
- Methodology (by type)
- Practice and Profession
- Project management
- Research methods (by type)
- Scheduling
- Space colonies
- Space structures
- Verification
- Work zones
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- Vishesh V. Singh, Iris D. Tommelein, Visual Workload Leveling and Zoning Using Work Density Method for Construction Process Planning, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-13377, 149, 10, (2023).