Construction Scheduling Techniques

Topic: Construction Scheduling Techniques

The four project scheduling techniques widely used in construction projects are:

1. Bar Charts and Linked Bar Charts
2. Network Analysis and Critical Path Method
3. Line of Balance
4. Q Scheduling

1.Bar Charts and Linked Bar Charts;

Bar Charts are the easiest and most widely used form of scheduling in construction management. Even with other scheduling techniques the eventual schedule is presented the form of a bar chart. A typical Bar chart is a list of activities with the start, duration and finish of each activity shown as a bar plotted to a time scale. The level of detail of the activities depends on the intended use of the schedule.

The linked bar chart shows the links between an activity and its preceding activities which have to be complete before this activity can start.

The bar charts are also useful for calculating the resources required for the project. To add the resources to each activity and total them vertically is called a resource aggregation. Bar charts and resource aggregation charts are useful for estimating the work content in terms of man-hours and machine hours.

2.Network Analysis and Critical Path Method;

Practically network analysis offers little more than a linked bar chart, though its protagonists claim, with some justification, that the self contained steps of a network are more applicable to complex operations than the bar chart, and that the greater rigor imposed by the logic diagram produces more realistic models of the proposed work.

The steps in producing a network are:
i- Listing of activities
ii- Producing a network showing the logical relationship between activities.
iii-Assessing the duration of each activity, producing a schedule, and determining the

start and finish times of each activity and the available float
iv- Assessing the required resources.

There are now two popular forms of network analysis in construction management practice, activity on the arrow and activity on the node, the latter now usually called a precedence diagram. Each of these approaches offers virtually the same facilities and it seems largely a matter of preference which is used.

3- Line of Balance

The line of Balance is a planning technique for repetitive work. The principles employed are taken from the planning and control of manufacturing processes greatly modified by E. G. Trimple. The basis of the technique is to find the required resources for each stage or operation so that the following stages are not interfered with and the target output can be achieved. The line of balance technique has been applied in construction work mainly to house building and to a lesser extent to jetty work and in conjunction with networks to road works.

4- Q Scheduling

The Q Scheduling is a new technique, though getting rapid popularity among contracting firms. It is the only scheduling technique that reveals a relation between the sequence of doing a job and the cost to be incurred. The Q schedule is similar to the Line of Balance with some modifications made by A. R. A. Z. A in 2004, to allow for a varying volume of repetitive activities at different segments or locations of the construction project, thus the model produced is closer to reality.

Civil Engineering Expertise

Some projects consist totally of civil engineering. All of our projects have at least a civil engineering component. We have civil engineers registered in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. We also employ technicians who are cross-trained in a number of disciplines, proficient in advanced land surveying techniques, design, cost estimating and drafting. We have expertise in all the key disciplines, relating to infrastructure, environmental engineering, water supply analyses and engineering, regulatory issues such as zoning and land use, erosion control, floodwater analyses and studies, and hydrology.

History of the civil engineering profession

Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence. Civil engineering might be considered properly commencing between 4000 and 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia when humans started to abandon a nomadicexistence, thus causing a need for the construction of shelter. During this time, transportation became increasingly important leading to the development of the wheel and sailing. The construction of Pyramids in Egypt (circa 2700-2500 BC) might be considered the first instances of large structure constructions. Other ancient historic civil engineering constructions include theParthenon by Iktinos in Ancient Greece (447-438 BC), the Appian Way by Roman engineers (c. 312 BC), the Great Wall of Chinaby General Meng T'ien under orders from Ch'in Emperor Shih Huang Ti (c. 220 BC)^[6] and the stupas constructed in ancient Sri Lanka like the Jetavanaramaya and the extensive irrigation works in Anuradhapura. The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulae, harbours, bridges, dams and roads.

Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil engineering and architecture, and the term engineer and architectwere mainly geographical variations referring to the same person, often used interchangeably.^[7] In the 18th century, the term civil engineering began to be used to distinguish it from military engineering.^[5]

See also: History of structural engineering

The Archimedes screw was operated by hand and could raise water efficiently.

The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton who constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse.^[4][6] In 1771 Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical meetings, it was little more than a social society.

In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London, and in 1820 the eminent engineer Thomas Telford became its first president. The institution received a Royal Charter in 1828, formally recognising civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as

the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man, as the means of production and of traffic in states, both for external and internal trade, as applied in the construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal intercourse and exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and lighthouses, and in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and application of machinery, and in the drainage of cities and towns.^[8]

The first private college to teach Civil Engineering in the United States was Norwich University founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge.^[9]. The first degree in Civil Engineering in the United States was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835.^[10] The first such degree to be awarded to a woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905.^{[citation needed]}

Civil Engineering Services

Basic Engineering has provided civil engineering services to a wide range of clients requiring imaginative, quality solutions to their problems. Our strong commitment to quality shows in every project.

Basic Engineering has the staff and tools to bring the customer’s project to a successful completion. Whether it is engineering for a land development project, a water resource project, the review of a plan set for a municipality or CAFO drainage designs, BASIC Engineering’s staff offers down to earth engineering approaches that meet or exceed our clients expectations.

BASIC Engineering fosters a work environment that encourages hard work and creativity to reach technical solutions to civil engineering challenges.

Civil Engineering Services

Site Design Comprehensive utility design Roadways/ Street Design Sustainable Site Design Municipal Consulting Comprehensive Site Plans Permit expediting/Assistance Land Use and permitting support Site feasibility Due diligence Reports Grading Plans

Storm water quality Site Renovation Redevelopment Drainage Studies, Analysis, and Design Erosion Control Subgrade Design Construction Support Services Land Development Project Management Lift Station Design Lagoon Design

Revit and Civil 3D

Modeling for building design and civil engineering with Revit and Civil 3D.

Autodesk recently announced that the number of users of its 3D model-based software has passed the one million mark. Although 3D software for mechanical design, such as Autodesk Inventor, has been standard in the manufacturing industry for many years, the one-million-users milestone couldn't have been reached so soon without the growing adoption of 3D in the form of building information modeling (BIM) across the AEC industry.

With this growing adoption, architectural and engineering teams using BIM are seeking partners in related disciplines who can support this way of working. Take civil engineering, for example. The Revit family of products, purpose-built to support BIM for building design, doesn't directly support civil engineering design needs for building sites, subdivisions, roads, utility systems, and similar projects. How can civil engineering businesses best support design projects using a BIM workflow?

AutoCAD Civil 3D is the answer. Through an integrated, dynamic model that links design and documentation, Civil 3D delivers consistent, coordinated, computable information about civil engineering projects very much as Revit does for a building project. This month's "1-2-3 Revit" installment explores the synergies between BIM and civil engineering.

BIM and Civil Engineering Working Together
Model-based design isn't new to civil engineering by any means; consider the prevalence of coordinate geometry (COGO) and digital terrain model (DTM) applications. What is new is the concept of linking the civil engineering model environment (the design) and the drafting environment (the documentation).

Through this dynamic model, Civil 3D automatically coordinates the design and the drawings. When one aspect of the design changes, other related parts of the design -- including labels, annotation, and other documentation items -- automatically update to reflect that change. For example, when the elevation of the surface model changes, the contours and profiles for that surface update automatically, as do the contour labels, reporting, and spot elevations relating to that surface. This capability will be familiar to BIM adopters -- change management is at the heart of BIM.

Let's look at an example of a BIM workflow using Revit and Civil 3D: an office building project that could be potentially derailed by two major changes.

Revit and Civil 3D in a BIM Workflow -- Early Design
In our Revit and Civil 3D example, the architectural and the site designs are brought together early in the process -- enabling both firms to better visualize and coordinate their designs. Design data is exchanged between Revit and Civil 3D by using DWG files.

For example, the architect exports early conceptual building shapes from Revit in DWG format and sends it to the engineer, who xrefs them into the Civil 3D model. The resulting building envelope and preliminary site model is easily communicated back to the architectural firm for schematic design by sending the Civil 3D model (as a DWG file), which can then be imported back into Revit.

Design data is exchanged between Revit and Civil 3D by using DWG files. Above, a Revit model is exported to an AutoCAD DWG file. Below, a building model is xrefed into a Civil 3D model.

In our project example, the owner has an aggressive schedule for the new building and wants to fast-track the project, so the engineers create a preliminary design with all the site grading based on the location of the building envelope. The preliminary site design is nearly complete when the first major project change occurs. The owner needs to increase the building size, which affects both the building envelope and preliminary site design.

The architect using Revit revises the building information model, and all the documentation automatically updates. The revised building information is exported to a DWG file and sent to the civil engineer, who simply refreshes the xref to see the revised building and then updates the site model and grading design to accommodate the larger building. Like Revit, Civil 3D automatically coordinates the design and the documentation, and the affected drawings automatically update.

Civil engineering firms using Civil 3D can work in concert with a building team using Revit to quickly update and reconcile design changes, such as the increased building footprint shown here in this before and after sequence. Note the original building footprint is shown in blue in the top two images, and the revised footprint is shown in orange.

Revit and Civil 3D in a BIM Workflow -- Detailed Design
As the project moves into detailed design and then construction documentation, coordination between the architect and engineer becomes particularly important. The engineers create their construction documents using the architectural backgrounds and vice-versa. When the MEP engineers begin their work and need to tie the building mechanical systems into the preexisting town services (water, sewer, drainage, and electric), the coordination becomes even more critical. The high-fidelity model information from Revit and Civil 3D is easily shared among all these participants through the use of DWGs.

Remember that this project is fast-tracked, so the construction document (CD) set for the site excavation is issued while the rest of the project is still in design. That's when the second major project change occurs. Early site excavation reveals a large amount of contaminated material that must be removed and hauled offsite -- in more than 200 truckloads! But, the owner wants to forge ahead with this particular site, so the engineering firm decides to slightly lower the elevation for the whole site (generating additional excavation material so the owner doesn't have to purchase and haul in new material). Time is crucial at this point, as the contractor is charging the owner for downtime while the site is being reengineered.

The engineering firm uses Civil 3D to quickly rebalance the cut and fill for the site and calculate how much they need to lower the entire site. When the Civil 3D design model is updated, all the related objects and annotation are updated as well. All the contours, the spot elevations, the building's finished floor elevation, , the utility profiles, the pond volumes, and the earthwork volumes -- they are all updated without manual intervention, producing a consistent, coordinated site design and documentation set. In turn, that high-fidelity site information can be communicated back to the architect easily via a DWG file for incorporation into the building information model to vertically coordinate the architectural design on the revised site.

Revit and Civil 3D Together
The core concepts of BIM apply similarly to building design and civil engineering. Through the creation and use of coordinated, internally consistent, computable information, BIM is revolutionizing how technology is used throughout the AEC industry and transforming drawing-based processes to model-based processes. Civil 3D supports this way of working for civil engineering, resulting in faster design, higher quality, better coordination, and ultimately a better performing project.

What Does Civil Engineer do

A civil engineer's job involves designsing and supervising construction projects such as airports, bridges, channels, dams, railroads and roads. He/She also estimates material, cost and personnel needs. Preparing proposals and esatblishing completion dates are also part of a civil engineer's job. To get a decent civil engineering job requirements are a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from a recognized university with a GPA of 3.0 and above and/or 0-2 years of experience in the field of related area. A most general job description for any civil engineer is to use civil engineering concepts and procedures with pre-established guidelines to complete the assigned task. Usually works under the supervision of a supervisor or manager an hence does not include independent decisions on different projects. Theaverage base salary range for THa civil engineer in USA is $50k. The average base salary for other places are as follows:
New York, NY $61k
Dallas, TX $53k
Boston, MA $57k
Los Angeles, CA $59k
Again the actual salary depends on several factors like
experience
Type and Size of industry
Responsibilities in the job
Location of the job ( An employee would be paid more in New York than in St. Louis)

Civil Engineering Scope

According to the results of a recent survey by the American Society of Civil Engineers, median income for civil engineers hit $78,000 this year. Median pay in 2007 was $77,000. The society said it was “obvious” that the job market for civil engineers is strong, but that in order to “maintain a pipeline of qualified civil engineers,” salaries must continue to rise. This article in Worcester Business journal gives the details of job market and area of specialization to go for if you are a civil engineering grauduate. The top 10 cities to be in for a civil engineer are as follows:


CITY Median Income
1. Syracuse,New York US$121,950
2. Brazoria, Texas US$113,440
3. Houston,Texas US$108,500
4. San Jose, California US$105,000
5. Santa Fe, New Mexico US$ 105,000
6. Jersey City, NJ US$ 104,750
7. Lowell, Mass/N.H US$103,500
8. Oakland,Calif US$ 103,000
9.Trenton,N.J. US$101,355
10.Portsmouth,
Rocehester,NH/Maine US$100,650

Source:American Society of Civil Engineers 2008 salary survey


Women civil Engineers
source: http://blogs.citypages.com/pscholtes/2006/06/

These numbers might look a little misleading because these numbers are not for fresh graduates with no experience as there is no way that they would be offered US$100k.

To give you a better idea here is another fact from the survey: Those respondents of the survey with a prfessional engineering license earned a median salary US$92,000, Those with an additional proffesional registration earned the highest with US$106,00 and the ones with no proffesional licensing or certificate earned a significantly less of US$86,000. Read the complete article here

Civil Engineering Advantages

Engineering is a term applied to the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is applied to the efficient use of the materials and forces of nature. Engineers are the ones who have received professional training in pure and applied science.Before the middle of the 18th century, large-scale construction work was usually placed in the hands of military engineers. Military engineering involved such work as the preparation of topographical maps, the location, design, and construction of roads and bridges; and the building of forts and docks; see Military Engineering below. In the 18th century, however, the term civil engineering came into use to describe engineering work that was performed by civilians for nonmilitary purposes.

Civil engineering is the broadest of the engineering fields. Civil engineering focuses on the infrastructure of the world which include Water works, Sewers, Dams, Power Plants, Transmission Towers/Lines, Railroads, Highways, Bridges, Tunnels, Irrigation Canals, River Navigation, Shipping Canals, Traffic Control, Mass Transit, Airport Runways, Terminals, Industrial Plant Buildings, Skyscrapers, etc. Among the important subdivisions of the field are construction engineering, irrigation engineering, transportation engineering, soils and foundation engineering, geodetic engineering, hydraulic engineering, and coastal and ocean engineering.

Civil engineers build the world’s infrastructure. In doing so, they quietly shape the history of nations around the world. Most people can not imagine life without the many contributions of civil engineers to the public’s health, safety and standard of living. Only by exploring civil engineering’s influence in shaping the world we know today, can we creatively envision the progress of our tomorrows.

Teaching aims and objectives

The following are the teaching aims and objectives for the MEng programmes:

Aim

To produce graduates who have the potential to become future leaders of the profession.

Objectives

• To attract the most able students from the UK and overseas.
• To inculcate a deep understanding of engineering principles.
• To develop the ability to apply these principles within a multi-disciplinary context.
• To develop an advanced design capability.
• To develop an integrated understanding of sustainability.
• To develop a practical understanding of health, safety and risk management.
• To produce systems thinkers able to translate user needs into effective engineering solutions.
• To develop the appropriate professional skills for future progression to chartered status.
• To develop the capacity for independent study and lifelong learning.
• To provide the extra dimension of international study to a selected minority of students.

Study Abroad

MEng in Civil Engineering with Study in Continental Europe (H201)

The growth of multi-national construction companies has brought an urgent need for graduates with good language skills. We have been running a European MEng degree to meet this need for over fifteen years and our graduates are highly sought after.

The first two years are similar to the regular MEng (H200) except that language instruction in French, German, Spanish or Italian is mandatory (according to your choice of country for your year abroad). The third year is spent at a European university studying and taking exams in the language of the country. At present we have student exchange agreements with a large number of European universities including Grenoble, Lyon, Toulouse, Hannover, Innsbruck, Vienna, Barcelona, Valencia, Perugia, Benevento and Gothenburg.

In the fourth year, European MEng students take the same core fourth year units as H200 students, plus other third year units to complement your studies during your year abroad. You will do either a major design project or an investigative project in your final year, depending on your project work abroad.

(You can apply for the H201 course directly through UCAS or you can transfer to H201 from H200 on arrival at Bristol).

Study Abroad Outside Europe (H202 - via transfer from H200 or H201)

We are expanding our Study Abroad programme to allow well-qualified students to spend their third year in North American or Australian universities. At present we have exchange arrangements with the University of California at Berkeley, San Diego, Irvine and Davis; the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign; Purdue University in Indiana; the University of Washington in Seattle; McGill University in Montreal, the University of Toronto; the University of Sydney; and the University of Western Australia in Perth.

Civil Engineering BEng

he three year BEng satisfies the new UK requirements for chartered engineer status if it is followed by further learning equivalent to a year at university. The BEng degree is particularly attractive to overseas students, many of whom do not require a four year MEng degree to qualify as professional engineers in their own countries. It is also attractive as an entry route for home students who do not initially want to commit themselves to a four year degree programme.

Model of a sustainable building

The BEng degree essentially comprises the first three years of the four year MEng (H200) degree. By the time BEng students graduate, they will have covered all the core elements necessary to work as a graduate engineer, enabling them to move towards the next stages of professional qualification. The BEng is of the same high quality as the MEng degrees and students are allowed to transfer between programmes if they wish.

Civil Engineering MEng

The basic principles of engineering analysis and design are covered in the first two years. These include structures, hydraulics, geotechnics and mathematics. Surveying is taught in the first year and includes a field course during the Easter vacation. Computing skills are taught from scratch together with an introduction to the most useful applications packages.

Design is the mainstream of engineering education at Bristol. Early in the first year you will be introduced to creative design of a civil engineering structure. The design course in the second year includes steelwork, reinforced concrete and geotechnical design. A water resources group project, in which you have to design a water supply system including a large dam in mid-Wales, is the highlight of the third year. There is a group design project in the fourth year based on real design problems which have emerged through our links with industry. This is the most important element of the fourth year and will occupy much of your time and creative effort. Many students have entered their designs in national competitions, with outstanding success.

The opportunity to study a specialist area in depth is provided in the third and fourth years through a wide range of optional courses which include Earthquake Engineering, Environmental Management and Slopes and Dams. Freedom of choice is broadened in the third year when you can also select a course from a department outside the Engineering Faculty if you wish. There is a major investigative project in the third year in which you can choose to tackle a problem closely related to one of the research areas of the department. This may involve experimental work, theoretical analysis and computing. It is the most important activity of the third year.

Courses in Professional Studies will widen your knowledge of the business, management and legal sides of the construction industry. Emphasis is placed on developing a range of transferable skills which will be of use to you throughout your career, including presentation skills, team-working and project leadership. You can also choose to study a European language as an optional course during your time at Bristol.

All our four year MEng degree programmes satisfy the UK requirements as leading directly towards chartered engineer status.

What Do Civil Engineers Do

Civil engineers are involved in the design and construction of bridges, tunnels, roads, railway, dams, pipelines and major buildings. The infrastructure for transport, energy, industry and commerce is the result of civil engineering. Our society would not function without civil engineering products.

Civil engineers are usually found in one of the following organisations:

*Contractors - who traditionally manage the construction work on site, develop and design construction processes and techniques and supervise a professional team.

*Consultants - who are concerned with the design and planning of projects and their effect on the environment.

*Public service organisation and utilities - who investigate the need for roads, bridges, tunnels, etc and then maintain and manage the structures once they are there.

There are three kinds of civil engineer:

*Engineering technician, who has basic knowledge of engineering principles and vital technical skills.

*Incorporated engineer, who uses technical knowledge and good management skills to lead project teams.

*Chartered engineer, who is an innovator at the forefront of design solutions.

Civil engineering: highways

Highways civil engineering is concerned with improving, designing and maintaining roads of all sizes (from motorways to B-roads), in all sorts of location.

Civil engineering: transport

Chartered engineers specialising in the transport sector focus on the design, construction and maintenance of structures, supporting transport networks, such as bridges, tunnels and railway tracks.

Civil engineering: water and marine

This area of civil engineering encompasses all kinds of coastline developments including jetties, piers, harbour work, docks and flood protection, plus any other structures used for carrying, storing or distributing water and wastewater.

CIVIL ENGINEERING FOR KIDS

Welcome to my first web page which answers the question WHAT IS CIVIL ENGINEERING FOR KIDS? Civil engineers work with structures. They design and supervise the construction of bridges, highways, dams, building, airports, harbors, flood control systems and vast array of projects that affect the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. Civil engineers today are designing methods and facilities to cope with many of our planet's most serious problems. In the face of foul air; decaying cities; roadways, and bridges; clogged airports and highways; polluted streams, rivers and lakes, the civil engineer is being called on to design solutions that are workable and cost-effective. It is a good,creative and profitable proffesion.

Department of Civil Engineering

Department of Civil Engineering, one of the centres of higher education, is imparting knowledge in the fields of Water Resouces Engineering, Hydraulic Structures, Highway and Transportation Engineering and Environmental Engineering at Under Graduate, Post Graduate and Doctoral level.

Civil Engineering Department is one of the oldest departments offering professional education for Graduate course in Civil Engineering and Post-graduate courses in

1. Environmental Engineering,
2. Highway and Transportation Engineering and
3. Hydraulic Structures.

The department is actively working in the thrust areas like hazardous waste management, air pollution and monitoring, waste water treatment, environmental audit and impact assessment, Surveying, transport systems, Hydraulic and hydrologic analysis, ground water flow and pollutant transport, water conservation practices and simulation and modeling of water resources systems.
The Department has various laboratories like Surveying Laboratory, Environmental Engineering Lab, Transportation Lab, Fluid Mechanics Lab that are well equipped with the instruments required for various analysis and experimental work. Department has completed various projects involving testing, research and consultancy worth about Rs. 15.00 lakh in last five years.
The department has improved computing facilities and laboratories for testing, research and consultancy.