The vast majority of researches in the scheduling context focused on finding optimal or near-optimal predictive schedules under different scheduling problem characteristics. In the construction industry, predictive schedules are often produced in advance in order to direct construction operations and to support other planning activities. However, construction projects operate in dynamic environments subject to various real-time events, which usually disrupt the predictive optimal schedules, leading to schedules neither feasible nor optimal. Accordingly, the development of a dynamic scheduling model which can accommodate these real-time events would be of great importance for the successful implementation of construction scheduling systems. This research sought to develop a dynamic scheduling based solution which can be practically used for real time analysis and scheduling of construction projects, in addition to resources optimization for construction enterprises. The literature reviews for scheduling, dynamic scheduling, and optimization showed that despite the numerous researches presented and application performed in the dynamic scheduling field within manufacturing and other industries, there was dearth in dynamic scheduling literature in relation to the construction industry. The research followed two main interacting research paths, a path related to the development of the practical solution, and another path related to the core model development. The aim of the first path (or the proposed practical solution path) was to develop a computer-based dynamic scheduling framework which can be used in practical applications within the construction industry. Following the scheduling literature review, the construction project management community s opinions about the problem under study and the user requirements for the proposed solution were collected from 364 construction project management practitioners from 52 countries via a questionnaire survey and were used to form the basis for the functional specifications of a dynamic scheduling framework. The framework was in the form of a software tool fully integrated with current planning/scheduling practices with all core modelling which can support the integration of the dynamic scheduling processes to the current planning/scheduling process with minimal experience requirement from users about optimization. The second research path, or the dynamic scheduling core model development path, started with the development of a mathematical model based on the scheduling models in literature, with several extensions according to the practical considerations related to the construction industry, as investigated in the questionnaire survey. Scheduling problems are complex from operational research perspective; so, for the proposed solution to be functional in optimizing construction schedules, an optimization algorithm was developed to suit the problem's characteristics and to be used as part of the dynamic scheduling model's core. The developed algorithm contained few contributions to the scheduling context (such as schedule justification heuristics, and rectification to schedule generation schemes), as well as suggested modifications to the formulation and process of the adopted optimization technique (particle swarm optimization) leading to considerable improvement to this techniques outputs with respect to schedules quality. After the completion of the model development path, the first research path was concluded by combining the gathered solution's functional specifications and the developed dynamic scheduling model into a software tool, which was developed to verify & validate the proposed model s functionalities and the overall solution s practicality and scalability. The verification process started with an extensive testing of the model s static functionality using several well recognized scheduling problem sets available in literature, and the results showed that the developed algorithm can be ranked as one of the best state-of-the-art algorithms for solving resource-constrained project scheduling problems. To verify the software tool and the dynamic features of the developed model (or the formulation of data transfers from one optimization stage to the next), a case study was implemented on a construction entity in the Arabian Gulf area, having a mega project under construction, with all aspects to resemble an enterprise structure. The case study results showed that the proposed solution reasonably performed under large scale practical application (where all optimization targets were met in reasonable time) for all designed schedule preparation processes (baseline, progress updates, look-ahead schedules, and what-if schedules). Finally, to confirm and validate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed solution, the solution's framework and the verification results were presented to field experts, and their opinions were collected through validation forms. The feedbacks received were very positive, where field experts/practitioners confirmed that the proposed solution achieved the main functionalities as designed in the solution s framework, and performed efficiently under the complexity of the applied case study.

Not available / text

Not available / text

Not available / text

According to a recent study, about 30 percent of U.S. real estate projects are canceled midstream, while more than half run up to 190 percent over budget and 220 percent over the initial time estimate. The reasons for this are manifold but poor decisions during the initiation and early planning of the project can be pointed to as main causes. Most poor decisions stem from lack of information, bad judgment, and lack of communication and transparency between what the client expects and what the project team can deliver. Proper project planning procedures and methods will lead to proper contingency planning, management of partner relationships and contracts, management of dynamic change and associated risks that can, and most probably will, occur in the course of the project. The role of the owner cannot be overstated in all of these targets. Historically, the owners of healthcare facilities have a once in a lifetime involvement in the planning, design and construction (or major renovation) of their facility. The interaction with planners, public bodies, architects, engineers, and other entities is a daunting prospect for which an owner will seek help from specialized firms that represent the owner. This guide may serve as a healthcare project planning guide for owners, and in particular CEOs, to navigate the process. It will prepare the owner to recognize the major tasks and decision steps throughout project planning, while keeping the focus on the desired outcome. Any owner should recognize that the slogan: if you dont know what you want, you will not get what you need is as true today as it ever was. This guide will include research, best practices from industry experts, and a case study on the New Orleans public healthcare planning process post-Hurricane Katrina.

This dissertation compares and analyzes the relationship of design-build (DB) and design-bid-build (DBB) project delivery methods with performance metrics of large highway projects. Project performance is measured in terms of cost, schedule, safety, change orders, and quality on these two types of highway projects. The performance benchmarking methodology used here is derived from work done on a Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) study of the State Highway (SH) 130 Project. Because SH 130 is the first DB highway project in Texas and is being built under a new contractual concept called the Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA), this dissertation establishes a framework for evaluating the performance of large DB highway projects. The CDA approach is an innovative form of the DB project delivery method that allows the contractor to simultaneously undertake right-of-way acquisition, utility adjustment, design, and construction activities. Because this approach is being used for the first time on a state highway project in Texas, it is beneficial to track highway project performance in order to assess whether this project delivery method is a better alternative for building high priority highways. The main objective of this dissertation is thus to compare the performance of large recent DB highway projects (in the context of SH 130) with similar on-going instate DBB highway projects. The research hypothesis is to determine whether there is a statistical difference in mean performance between DB and DBB highway projects. For large, recently built DB highway projects (Federal Highway Administration, Special Experimental Project Number 14 & Cost > US $ 100 million) and four of the largest, most recently built in-state DBB highway projects are identified for comparison purposes. This dissertation provides a detailed methodology to collect data and gives the results of performance benchmarking of these large DB and DBB highway projects. It also investigates associations or relationships between project characteristics (input variables) and project performance (output variables) of large highway projects. While previous analyses of DB and DBB methods have included a wide range of construction projects as varied as buildings and industrial facilities, this dissertation isolates the analysis of these two delivery approaches for large highway projects. It also helps to develop a method to collect data for benchmarking of large highway projects. This research should help TX DOT choose the appropriate delivery method for large future highway projects. / text

No description available.

For organizations such as state departments of transportation, other public agencies, or private companies, adopting a new approach to procure services for delivery of construction projects requires significant organizational changes; modifications to both their work processes and existing organizational structures may be needed. These adjustments, encompassing many different aspects of the organization's interests, must occur for the change initiative to be successfully put into practice. In this research, the adoption of integrated project delivery methods within the transportation project sector is investigated to better understand the dynamics of this change. In the context of this study, an Owner's project delivery strategy is defined as the set of project delivery methods that are adopted for delivering capital projects. This dissertation presents findings from a study of Public Owner organizations that have implemented the designbuild method for delivering highway projects. Using as a case study the new $1.3 billion SH-130 tolled expressway project in Central Texas, the author analyzed project documentation and conducted many interviews with individuals affiliated with owner, legal, engineering consultants, and contractors. Findings suggest that project representatives institutionalize practices and routines connected to the new approach by adapting to new challenges, rather than "overwriting" previously existing practices. Similarly, the institutionalization of innovative approaches to project delivery happens concurrently with a deinstitutionalization of the previous approaches. Building upon these findings, a conceptual framework is presented for helping Owner organizations implement change in their project delivery strategy. The proposed conceptual framework is based upon both existing published literature and interviews with managers involved in implementing a strategic change in project delivery strategy. This framework was further refined by making a comparative study of four transportation projects in the United States. In addition, a detailed implementation framework was validated and further developed through a Delphi study with representatives from several organizations whose major responsibilities and experiences include the management of change in procurement approach. Findings from these studies, including application to the construction industry and other industries are presented.

The building sector is in need of enhanced efficiency. The methodology behind Building Information Modeling, BIM, which is being used increasingly in extent, has shown to improve the efficiency of the flow of information in projects. The concept of 4D is based on the working method and methodology of integration between BIM and a time schedule. This can under certain circumstances further improve the efficiency of the planning phase of building- and civil engineering projects. Today there are not many companies that have begun to use this method and methodology, even though it has been shown to be effective for some conditions. This report addresses this dilemma, why and how companies can implement the work and process of 4D.

Sedan mitten av 90-talet har byggkostnaderna ökat drastiskt i Sverige samtidigt som konkurrens från utländska entreprenörer ökat vilket gör att de svenska entreprenörerna måste hitta nya lösningar för att få ner produktionskostnaderna för att vara fortsatt konkurrenskraftiga. En stor kostnadspost är slöseri i form av stillestånd och dåligt utnyttjande av resurser som är en risk kopplad till bristfällig planering. Vid vägprojekt är masshanteringen en central del och står för ca 25% av den totala kostnaden vilket gör det till en attraktiv fråga att hantera i projektet och söka alternativa lösningar och optimeringar för att få ner kostnaden. Detta examensarbete har därför inriktats mot att undersöka hur digitala projektstyrningsverktyg kan bidra med att minska kostnader och risker för entreprenörer vid schakt & fyllnadsarbeten i vägprojekt. Detta genom att införa verktyg som massoptimering baserad på linjär programmering samt tidlägesplanering i vägprojekt. För att undersöka detta har tre forskningsfrågor tagits fram   FF 1: Vilka metoder finns tillgängliga för att produktionsplanera vägprojekt och hur kan de implementeras? FF 2: Hur kan digital massoptimering och tidlägesplanering minska kostnaderna för entreprenören? FF 3: Hur kan digital massoptimering och tidlägesplanering minska riskerna för entreprenören?   För att besvara forskningsfrågorna har en litteraturstudie inom massoptimering och tidlägesplanering samt en fallstudie av ett vägprojekt i Segersta som består av en 850 meter lång ny vägsträcka samt en vägport under befintlig järnväg genomförts. Fallstudien har huvudsakligen gjorts med hjälp av dataprogrammet Dynaroad och består av tre huvudsakliga delar vilka är datainsamling, en Dynaroad-modell baserad på den ursprungliga tidplan som gjordes inför projektet samt en optimerad modell som sedan jämförs mot anbudskalkylen och den ursprungliga tidplanen.   Resultaten från fallstudien påvisar att förbättringspotential finns på en mängd punkter såsom Tidsplanering, Resursplanering, Massoptimering samt granskning av anbudskalkyl inför produktionsstart.     Fallstudien visar att kostnaden för dumprar i projektet kan minskas med ca 20% jämfört med anbudskalkylen. Kostnaden för produktionsresurser, som exempelvis grävmaskiner och vältar, kan minskas med 30% jämfört med vad den ursprungliga tidplanen hade kostat vilket motsvarar en total besparing på 12% sett till schakt & fyll-aktiviteterna i projektet. Med dagens mjukvara blir det möjligt för entreprenörer att på ett enklare sätt implementera metoder som Line of Balance & Massoptimeringar och på så vis förbättra sin produktionsplanering på ett betydligt enklare sätt än vad som varit möjligt tidigare. Genom att modellera upp en tidplan med verktyg som Line of Balance kan entreprenören snabbt se förbättringsområden såsom produktionskrockar och aktiviteter som kan behöva fler eller färre resurser. Detta ger entreprenören en större kontroll över utförandet vilket kan bidra till att produktionen håller den budget som är uppsatt i anbudskalkylen. Kombinerat med en massoptimering levererar det två starka verktyg för att förbättra dagens produktionsplanering som bör ha en central roll i framtida vägprojekt. / Since the mid-1990s, construction costs have increased drastically in Sweden, meanwhile competition from foreign entrepreneurs has increased, which means that Swedish entrepreneurs must find new solutions to lower production costs in order to remain competitive. Here unnecessary costs associated with inadequate planning emerges in the form of downtimes and poor utilization of resources. Earthwork operations in road construction, which accounts for about 25% of the total construction cost, provides opportunities for optimizations and alternative solutions to lower the construction cost. This master thesis are therefore focused on examining how digital project management tools can contribute to reducing costs and risks for contractors in cut & fill activities in road projects using mass optimization and location-based time planning methods. Three research questions have been posed:   RQ 1: What methods are available for production planning of road projects and how can they be implemented? RQ 2: How can digital mass optimization and time planning reduce the costs for the contractor? RQ 3: How can digital mass optimization and time planning reduce the risks for the contractor?   To answer the research questions, a literature study in mass optimization and time-planning has been carried out along with a case study of a road construction project in Segersta, Sweden. The case study consists of an 850-meter-long new road section and an underpass below the existing railway. The software Dynaroad have been used to plan the road construction in the case study. The case study was divided in three main steps; (1)  data collection, (2) a Dynaroad model based on the original time schedule that was made prior to the project and (3) the optimized model was then compared against the bid calculation and the original schedule.   The results of the case study show that the potential for improvement exists in a number of points, such as Time Planning, Resource Planning, Mass Optimization and examination of bid calculations prior to production start. The case study shows that the cost of dumpers in the project can be reduced by about 20% compared to the bid estimate. The cost of production resources, such as excavators and rollers, can be reduced by 30% compared to what the original timetable had cost, which corresponds to a total saving of 12% in terms of the cut & fill activities in the project. Today's software makes it possible for contractors to implement methods such as the Line of Balance & Mass optimization to improve their production planning in a much simpler way than previously possible. With Line of Balance schedules the contractor can quickly see improvement areas such as production clashes and activities that may need more or less resources. This gives the contractor greater control over the execution, which can contribute to keeping the budget set in the bid calculation. Combined with a mass optimization, it delivers two strong tools to improve today's production planning that should have a central role in the planning and execution of future road projects.