Thesis--Carnegie Institute of Technology. / Bibliography: p. 113-115.

Ph.D thesis 1970 from the Dept. of Computing Science, University of Adelaide / 134 leaves : ill., graphs, appendices / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.

M.S.

Det finns stora besparingsmöjligheter i byggbranschen genom effektivare kommunikation och planering. Examensarbetet har genomförts på tre av Q-gruppens byggarbetsplatser i Stockholmsområdet. En ombyggnation/ nyproduktion av lägenheter och lokaler i Saltsjöbaden, en nyproduktion av lägenheter och förskola på Södermalm samt en ombyggnation av lokaler i Folksamhuset på Södermalm. Kvalitativa intervjuer, deltagande observationer och en omarbetning av en befintlig Gantt tidplan till en LoB (Line of Balance) tidplan visar hur situationen med kommunikation och planering i byggbranschen upplevs av platsledning och yrkesarbetare samt hur det kan förbättras. Examensarbetet omfattar två delar där kommunikation mellan platsledning och yrkesarbetare på byggarbetsplatsen är den ena och användning av LoB planering är den andra. Examensarbetet visar att de som arbetar i produktionen gärna ser en kombination av planeringsmetoderna Gantt och LoB. Samtliga intervjuade är överens om att en väl fungerande kommunikation och planering är väsentligt för att projekt ska fortlöpa smidigt. Kommunikationen bidrar till en gemenskap och känsla av delaktighet som är viktig för viljan att utföra ett bra jobb. Därför är det angeläget att sätta den sociala arbetsmiljön centralt, mår man bra gör man också ett bra jobb. / There are significant saving opportunities in the construction industry by having an effective communication and planning. The degree project has been conducted at three of Q-gruppen AB construction sites in Stockholm. A renovation/ new construction of apartments and premises in Saltsjöbaden, a new construction of apartments and nursery school in Södermalm, and a conversion of premises at Folksamhuset in Södermalm. Qualitative interviews, participant observations and a reworking of an existing Gantt schedule to a LoB (Line of Balance) schedule shows how the situation with communication and planning in the construction industry is experienced by site management and skilled workers as well as how it can be improved. The degree project comprises of two parts where communication between site management and skilled workers on the construction site is one and the use of LoB planning is the other. The degree project shows that a combination of the two planning methods Gantt and LoB would be prefered. All interviewees agree that a good communication and planning is essential to make sure that the project proceeds smoothly. Communication contributes to a community and a sense of belonging that is important for the willingness to do a good job. Therefore, it is essential to put the work environment centrally, if you feel good you will also do a good job.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:40:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KARINE GOMES BEZERRA DE ALCANTARA.pdf: 5389542 bytes, checksum: dc9ede65ba065fe001b67486f091d942 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-09-13 / Despite the construction sector being one of the largest sectors in the economy, it has its own specific characteristics with abundant movement of financial resources and absorption of labor. Even though its importance, it has major flaws regarding the planning process for residential development. There are few techniques that assist in production schedule aimed at producing vertical and horizontal sequential works.The CPM method, by utilizing heuristic rules of programming, enables the manager to view constructive scenarios. This technique associated with the concept of resource leveling remedies common problems of construction delays and excessive use of resources for project execution. Also, line of balance, a technique used in this study, displays the flaws and gaps in production, reducing the idleness of labor and the leveling of the rate of production. The objective of this study is to compare planning techniques of vertical sequential works, in order to get better performance based on the reduction of time and resource optimization. This study developed analysis and demonstrations of the effectiveness of tactical and operational planning of four enterprises with particular characteristics and differentiated from each other in order to test and process the data obtained by the work scenarios of executive managers, showing the best alternative of execution for the type of enterprise studied. Therefore it is concluded that the proposed techniques are easy to use, have specific performance, feature complementary graphical visualizations and proven to be very effective in making decisions. Both associated techniques generate excellent results for works of a repetitive nature. / O setor da construção, apesar de ser um dos maiores setores da economia, tem características próprias em especial pela grande movimentação de recursos financeiros e absorção de mão de obra. Apesar de sua importância, apresenta grandes falhas quanto ao processo de planejamento de empreendimentos residenciais. Existem poucas técnicas que auxiliem na programação de produção direcionados a obras verticais e horizontais seriadas. O método CPM, por utilizar regras heurísticas de programação, possibilita ao gestor a visualização do cenário construtivo. Essa técnica, associada ao conceito de nivelamento de recursos permite sanar problemas comuns de atrasos de obras e uso excessivo de recursos para a execução de projetos. A linha de balanço, técnica também empregada, permite visualizar as falhas e folgas de produção, reduzindo a ociosidade de mão de obra e o nivelamento do ritmo de produção. O objetivo deste trabalho é comparar técnicas de planejamento de obras horizontais seriadas, para a obtenção do melhor desempenho produtivo com base na redução de tempos e otimização de recursos. Neste estudo, foram desenvolvidas análises e demonstrações da eficácia do planejamento tático e operacional de quatro empreendimentos com características particulares e diferenciadas entre si, visando a comparação e o tratamento dos dados obtidos pelos cenários executivos dos gestores das obras, demonstrando assim a melhor alternativa de execução para a tipologia do empreendimento de estudo. Conclui-se que as técnicas propostas são de fácil aplicação, possuem desempenhos específicos, possuem visualizações gráficas complementares e mostraram-se muito eficazes no processo de tomada de decisões, gerando excelentes resultados para obras de natureza repetitivas.

In construction industry Gantt charts, network methods and Line of Balance (LOB) methods are generally used for planning and control of projects. Networking techniques such as Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) require technical knowledge and could be difficult to implement without proper scheduling background. Gantt charts and LOB techniques are usually easier to implement, however, similar to network techniques these techniques lack visualization. A graphical based scheduling and progress control method could improve existing techniques with visualization so that schedule information could be understood easily by the project participants. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be helpful for improving the traditional scheduling methods by utilizing spatial information. In this study, a prototype Global Positioning System (GPS) and GIS based LOB method is proposed. To illustrate the benefits, the proposed method will be applied to a pipeline project.

This research endeavor investigated the possibility to combine the visual advantages of both graphical schedule visualization methods, the Linked Gantt Charts (LGC) and Flowline graphs (FLG), derived from the activity-based and location-based scheduling systems, to help resolve some of their shortcomings by capitalizing on their combined strengths. In order to accomplish the goal of the research, a graphical representation system that combines these two scheduling visualization methods, LGC and FLG, is developed. Afterwards, the research attempted to empirically validate the ability of the proposed tool to visually communicate and combine logical and spatial relationships between scheduled activities. This is compared to comprehending the same information by looking at a stand-alone LGC or FLG. The accuracy and time, of deciphering various details of a sample project schedule, are used as parameters to evaluate the proposed scheduling visualization tool, and compare it to the existing LGC and FLG systems. The Hybrid Graphical Representation (HGR) is the tool developed by this research to combine Linked Gantt Chart bars from the activity-based scheduling approach, and flow-lines from the location-based scheduling approach. The HGR concept is founded on the basic idea that both LGC and FLG share a common X-axis, Time. The only difference is in a LGC the Activities are listed on the Y-axis, while the FLG shows Locations on the Y-axis. This research proposed adding a third dimension to the FLG, listing the project Activities on a Z-axis. Viewing the HGR 3D graph from the top, the user will observe the Gantt bars with Time on the X-axis and the Activities listed on the Z-axis. Observing the schedule from the front view, the user will see the flow-lines developed from the location-based scheduling approach with Locations on the Y-axis and Time on the X-axis. After conducting a series of online surveys measuring the time and accuracy of using a prototype HGR schedule, it was found that the users were able to reap the benefits of both scheduling approaches (LGC and FLG), and visually link and communicate information concerning the activities' logical relationships and spatial relationships. However, it took the participants a relatively longer time to achieve that higher accuracy utilizing the HGR tool.

Inom byggbranschen är förseningar i byggprojekts leveranser vanligt förekommande och utgör ett utmanande problem. För att övervinna detta problem krävs en utvecklad och noggranna tidsplaner som följs av alla berörda parter. I dagsläget använder sig byggindustrin huvudsakligen av aktivitetsbaserade tidsplaner, som representeras av Critical Path Method (CPM) och dess Gantt-schema. Trots att en annan tidsplaneringsmetod, baserad på lokalitet, visar lovande potential för att effektivt hantera förseningar i leveranser, har den inte fått samma uppmärksamhet. Line of Balance (LOB) är en metod inom location-based scheduling (LBS), där platsen behandlas som en dimension i produktionsprocessen och den har visat sig vara effektivare alternativ än Gantt-schema. I stället för att endast fokusera på aktiviteter fördelar LOB-metoden aktiviteter på lokaliteter där de ska genomföras, vilket underlättar för alla parter att följa en tydlig plan och övervaka arbeten på ett enklare sätt. BIM-verktyg har visat sig vara effektiva för att förbättra och effektivisera LOB-tidsplaner genom att tillhandahålla specialiserade verktyg som underlättar skapandet av sådana tidsplaner. CPM-metoden utgör grunden för många programvaror som används för att skapa LOB-tidsplaner såsom programmet Vico Office. Dessutom kan användning av BIM-verktyg möjliggör tillämpning av Lean-tänkande som bidrar till att förbättra arbetsflöden och öka kvalitet. Detta arbete undersöker hur tidsplaner påverkas vid övergången från aktivitetsbaserade- till lokalitetsbaserade tidsplaner, med hjälp av BIM-verktyget Vico Office. Vidare undersöks hur tillämpningen av Lean-principer såsom ”Visual Management” och ”Reduced Batch Size” påverkar lokalitetsbaserade tidsplaner. Gantt-schemat som analyserades i detta arbete är specifikt för byggföretaget NCC och omfattar utförandet av Hus A, Hus B och en förskola. Dock var endast detaljerad information om aktiviteterna som ingår i Hus A tillgängliga. För att konvertera Gantt-schemat till en lokalitetsbaserad tidsplan användes aktiviteternas varaktighet och lokaliteter från Gantt-schemat. För aktiviteter som saknade lokaliteter användes logiskt tänkande och erfarenhet för att fördela dem i lämpliga lokaliteter. Dessutom användes byggritningar som tillhandahölls av Karlstads kommunen för att tillämpa Lean-principen ”Reduced Batch Size”. LOB-diagrammet som genereras av Vico:s Schedule Planner är i enlighet med Lean-principen ”Visual Management”. Det har visat en förbättrad förmåga att upptäcka tomma områden, kollisioner och diskontinuerliga aktiviteter jämfört med Gantt-scheman. Dessutom användes Lean-principen ”Reduced Batch Size” för att minska väntetiderna mellan arbetsgrupper. Trots att byggprojektets ledtid överskreds med två veckor, resulterade konverteringen i en lokalitetsbaserad tidsplan som främjade ett kontinuerligt arbetsflöde, en effektivare arbetsrytm och en förbättrad uppföljning av byggprocessen. / In the construction industry, delays in project deliveries are a common occurrence. In order to overcome this problem, a developed and accurate schedule is required which is followed by all parties concerned. Currently, traditional activity-based Gantt charts are primarily used. However, another scheduling method based on location shows promising potential for effectively managing delivery delays but has not received the same attention. Line of Balance (LOB) is a method within location-based scheduling (LBS), where the location is treated as a dimension in the production process, and it has proven to be a more efficient alternative than the Gantt chart. BIM tools, such as Vico Office, have proven effective in improving and streamlining LOB schedules by providing specialized tools that facilitate the creation of such schedules. Additionally, the use of BIM tools can facilitate the application of Lean thinking, which helps improve workflows. This study investigates how schedules are affected by the transition from activity-based to location-based schedules using the BIM tool Vico Office. Furthermore, it examines how the application of Lean principles such as “Visual Management” and “Reduced Batch Size” affect location-based schedules. The Gantt chart analysed in this study belongs to the construction company NCC and contains detailed information on the activities in House A. The LOB diagram generated by Vico's Schedule Planner aligns with the Lean principle of “Visual Management”. It has demonstrated an improved ability to detect empty areas, collisions, and discontinuous activities compared to Gantt charts. Additionally, the Lean principle of “Reduced Batch Size” was utilized to minimize waiting times between work groups. Despite the project exceeding the allotted time by two weeks, the conversion resulted in a location-based schedule that promoted continuous workflow, enhanced efficiency, and improved monitoring of the construction process.

[pt] Projetos de renovação ferroviária apresentam características de projetos complexos e repetitivos, dado seu grande número de recursos e fatores de influência e atividades repetitivas para determinadas unidades de produção. Neste contexto o presente trabalho buscou aplicar conceitos relativos a gerenciamento de projetos desse nicho e desenvolver uma forma integrada de trabalhar com a incerteza nesse ambiente. Foi aplicada a metodologia de planejamento de projetos chamada Linha de Balanço, utilizando informações do projeto em fase de concepção em uma empresa ferroviária. Em sequência foi desenvolvido um protocolo para obtenção da opinião de especialistas em informações críticas para o processo e obtidas as distribuições betas que melhor representam as informações elicitadas. A partir dessas entradas, foi desenvolvido um modelo de simulação das atividades do projeto para analisar o seu funcionamento em um ambiente virtual e livre de riscos e usar como ferramenta para aprimorar seu planejamento. Como resultados são apresentadas e analisadas as principais saídas do modelo e propostas formas de controle que possam auxiliar na retroalimentação do planejamento com informações do andamento do projeto após iniciado. / [en] Project Planning known as Line of Balance (LoB) was applied, using information from a project in the conception stage of a railway company. Next, a protocol was developed to obtain expert opinion on critical information for the process and beta distributions that best represent the elicited information. From these inputs, it was developed a simulation model of the project activities in order to analyze their operation in a virtual and risk-free environment and optimize their scheduling. As a result, the main outputs of the model are presented and analyzed, in addition with the suggestion of methods of control that can assist in the feedback of the planning process with status information of the ongoing project.

The objectives of this thesis are to evaluate scheduling methods and most common construction project management software (CPMS) which are Primavera and MS Project, and to determine most widely used project scheduling techniques and CPMS with a survey. The thesis focus on project scheduling since it is very deterministic for project success. Evaluation results indicate that, Gantt Chart Method and PDM are useful for small to medium projects, CPM is for complex projects, PERT is for uncertain projects, and LOB Technique is for repetitive projects. The comparison between Primavera and MS Project show that Primavera is more robust, professional, and detailed while MS Project is cheaper and easier. The survey was completed with 22 participants from construction companies in the US and Turkey and the results demonstrate CPM and Gantt Chart Method are the most common methods. Also, MS Project is the most widely used CPMS followed by the Primavera.