Precedence and Arrow Networking Techniques for Construction

By Robert B. Harris

Book Overview

Two important scheduling techniques for modern construction management--the precedence technique and the arrow technique--are developed and analyzed. The parallel treatment of these two applications presents a basis of theory and practice for the civil engineering student and the practicing project manager.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471041238
• ISBN13: 9780471041238
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

One of the best construction scheduling books in term of quantitative analysis

This book is one of the best construction scheduling books in term of quantitative analysis. The book does a good job on explaining the fundamental concepts of construction scheduling and further the concept to calculation part. Every concept is presented with examples and solutions, which are very useful. The contents of the book are: 1. Introduction. This chapter gives readers background in general about construction scheduling (such as resources, network, bar chart, and schedule). 2. Project Breakdown. This chapter is about deciding, preparing and organizing information (such as level of detail, activity data and constraints). 3. Basic Arrow Diagramming (or Activity On Arrow, AOA). This chapter is all about how to construct an arrow network (activities are represented by arrow shapes). If you don't plan to do manual calculation, he might want to skip this chapter. Moreover, commercial software these days does not use arrow diagram (AOA) anymore. However, redundant link, dummy activity (which is very tricky for AOA) and how/when to use dummy activity are well explained in this chapter. 4. Basic Precedence Diagram (or Activity On Node, AON). This chapter presents how to construct Precedence Diagram (AON) and show step-by-step how to eliminate redundant link. 5. Establish Activity Durations. This chapter is 5 pages long. However, I never read it. :P 6. Scheduling Computations for Arrow Networks (AOA) and 7. for Precedence Networks (AON). These chapters focus on the calculation of both types of the networks. The author shows how to use network diagrams (drawings) and how to use table (like spreadsheet but manually calculate) to calculate activity properties (such as early start date and floats). Formula for the calculation is well explained along with many examples. In both chapters, four types of floats and their formula are presented according to the type of the network (AOA and AON). In addition, the concept of using matrix (another kind of table) to update total float (TF) and free float (FF) is presented in the chapter 7. This matrix becomes handy when manual calculations of updating TF and FF are required. (You better get familiar with this matrix if you want to study one of the unlimited resource leveling concepts called Minimum Moment Method, explained later in chapter 11) 8. Communication the Schedule. This one is more like "How GUI of scheduling software (such as report format and bar chart) looks like 30 years ago". Surprisingly, nothing has changed much from today software. What a shame. 9. Project Control. This chapter discusses level of control, setting target scheduling, monitoring project, evaluating and forecasting project, control period, and updating project progress. This chapter shows you what can be done in term of project management and scheduling according to the knowledge discussed in previous 8 chapters. Moreover, it also guides readers to a new topic, Time-Cost Tradeoff. 10. Time-Cost Adjustments. This chapter present

Ultimate Textbook for Construction Scheduling

This is one of the best, perhaps the best, construction scheduling books available in the market. The book contains all important contents in this issue. The book is very easy to understand, therefore ones without knowledge in scheduling can understand readily. Moreover, it contains several advanced topics in scheduling, including PERT, overlapping networks, and time-cost tradeoff. The author, Robert Harris, is a well-known pioneer in this field and has been a professor teaching scheduling classes at the University of Michigan for many decades. I strongly recommend this book for everyone who wants to own an excellent scheduling book.