"Introduction to Scheduling" - Tuesday, 11/11, 1:00 pm Hill Hall 202

Please join us for the Construction Engineering Professor of Practice Candidate Academic Lecture by Dr. Christian Brockman.

ABSTRACT: Scheduling is one of the core knowledge areas for construction. Others are estimating, scope and quality management, safety, as well as construction technology (means and methods). Design takes a fuzzy idea of the owner and turns it into precise presentations in form of drawings, the focus is on the product (what). Construction starts with drawings and ends with the handover of a completed structure; the focus turns to processes (how). Processes always have a time dimension.

When creating a schedule, engineers analyze the contractually defined scope and create a work break-down structure with all activities required for the construction process. The resulting list of activities for a specific project is the first step in creating a schedule. Next, a duration must be estimated for each activity. This is often done by using productivity rates (h/unit). Resources such as labor and equipment are also considered when using productivity rates. Finally, the activities with their durations are put in a sequence considering technical and resource dependencies. The final schedule organizes the construction process from start to end.

An introduction to scheduling addresses students who have not been exposed to the topic before. Besides a sound theoretical background, practical advice will be offered.