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JEROME JORDAN F. FAMADICO March 25,2011Construction Planning, ch!"uling, Esti#atingFri"a$% &'( PM

ADVANTAGES OF THE CRITICAL PATH METHOD

)h! Critical Path M!tho" is a *lanning an" sch!"uling #!tho" +hich utili !s an!t+or- "iagra# to sho+ all o/ o*!rations in th! s! u!ntial ashion n!c!ssar$ oror"!rl$ co#*l!tion. An" accor"ing to Engin!!ring Author, Richar" . Clough, 3)h!n!t+or- "iagra# *ortra$s, in si#*l! an" "ir!ct or#, th! co#*l!4 ti#! r!lationshi*an" constraints a#ong th! arious s!g#!nts o a *ro !ct6. It has th! tr!#!n"ousa" antag! o !asil$ acco##o"ating #o"i7cations, r!7n!#!nts, an" corr!ctions. It*ro i"!s *ro !ct #anag!r +ith th! ollo+ing in alua/l! ti#!'control "! ic!s8 1.9Pro i"!s a #!an to *r!"ict +ith r!asona/l! accurac$ th! ti#! r! uir!" or o !rall*ro !ct co#*l!tion. 2.9 Ma-! *ossi/l! th! i"!nti7cation o thos! acti iti!s +hos!!4*!"i!nt !4!cution is crucial to ti#!l$ *ro !ct co#*l!tion. :.9 !r !s as a gui"! or*ro !ct short!ning +h!n th! co#*l!tion "at! #ust /! a" anc!". ;.9 Pro i"!s a/asis or th! sch!"uling o su/contractors an" #at!rial "!li !ri!s to th! o/ sit!. 5.9

!r !s as a /asis or /alanc!" sch!"uling o #an*o+!r an" construction ! ui*#!nton th! *ro !ct. &.9 Ma-!s *ossi/l! th! ra*i" ! aluation o alt!rnati ! construction#!tho"s. or"s a /asis or ! aluating th! ti#! !>!cts o construction chang!s an""!la$s.

?s!s o CPM@s in Clai#s

CPM@s ar! !s*!ciall$ h!l* ul or clai#s an" chang! or"!rs arising ro# ti#! r!lat!"*ro/l!#s, such as "!la$s, sus*!nsions or acc!l!rations. Chang!s that a"" or"!l!t!9 +or- #a$ also ha ! a ti#! i#*act on th! contract. )o /!st anal$ ! th!!>!ct o such situations th! CPM is th! #ost o t!n us!" tool to #!asur! th! r!lati !i#*act o "i>!r!nt ti#! actors. )h! us! o CPM@s as a ali" ra#! o r! !r!nc! is

r! u!ntl$ acc!*t!" /$ th! /oar"s an" courts, so long as th! *articular CPM has/!!n !sta/lish!" as r!alistic.

CPM sch!"ul!s ar! n!c!ssaril$ groun"!" in *rag#atic consi"!rations +hich go !rnall acti it$ in th! r!al +orl" o construction. )h!$ #ust th!r! or! /! ! aluat!" onlight o c!rtain /asic *rinci*l!s +hich a>!ct #a or construction *ro !cts. o#! o th!s! *rag#atic consi"!rations ar!8

1. A CPM is onl$ goo" as th! in or#ation it is /as!". )h!r! +as a t!n"!nc$ "uringth! !arl$ "a$s o CPM to i!+ this sch!"uling "! ic! as a guarant!! that th! *ro !ct+oul" /! /uilt on sch!"ul!. Contractors ha ! l!arn!" through !4*!ri!nc! that

allacious logic or "uration !sti#at!s +ill not /! trans or#!" into corr!ct logic or!sti#at!" si#*l$ /!caus! th! ar! contain!" in a co#*ut!r *rintout.

2. On #ost /uil"ing construction th! +or- s! u!nc! o th! arious tra"!s occurso !r an" o !r again throughout th! *ro !ct. Furth!r , sinc! ollo+'on tra"!s "o not+ait or th! initial tra"!s to co#*l!t! th!ir +or- or th! !ntir! /uil"ing *rior to

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co##!ncing th! ollo+'on +or-, "i>!r!nt ar!as o th! *ro !ct ar! at "i>!r!nt stag!sco#*l!tion +ithin th! s! u!nc! o +or-.

:. On #ost #a or construction *ro !cts th!r! ar! !ss!ntial installations +hich #ustr!c!i ! !4tra att!ntion ! !n +h!n th!s! installations ar! not r!B!ct!" on th!critical *ath

;. )i#!l$ co#*l!tion o #ost *ro !cts r! uir!s th! !sta/lish#!nt o Bo+ an"#o#!ntu#. )h! s*!!" o th! installation o arious tra"!s is su/stantiall$ a>!ct!"/$ th! rh$th# o a *ro !ct.

)h! !4a#*l!s o *rag#atic consi"!rations "iscuss!" a/o ! *oint out that th!contractor #ust !4!rcis! goo" u"g#!nt in int!r*r!ting th! in or#ation r! !al!" ona CPM sch!"ul!.

O/stacl!s to us! o CPMs

Contractors ha ! historicall$ r!sist!" CPMs, not /!caus! th!$ 7n" ault +ith th!th!or$, /ut /!caus! o nu#!rous a"#inistrati ! *ro/l!#s. First, it orc!s th!contractor to stu"$ his o*!ration in "!tail +ith car! ul *lanning o s! u!nc!s.

!con", sinc! CPM is a logical s! u!nc!, an" sinc! it "!tails tas- "urations, o/ ious!rrors can !asil$ /! s*ott!". )hir", a +ritt!n sch!"ul! *uts th! contractor@so*!ration 3on th! lin!6 or all to s!!, an" +hat +as co#*os!" as an 3!sti#at!"6sch!"ul! /!co#!s a tool or +!a*on or s!l 's!r ing *ur*os!s o all in ol !".

A**lications to Clai#s

Mor! o t!n than not, th! CPM sch!"ul! +ill ai" th! *ro !ct #anag!r +h!n h! #ust7l! clai#s. A goo" CPM is +orth a thousan" *ictur!s an" t!n thousan" l!tt!rs. CPMsar! r!cogni !" /$ o+n!rs, !ngin!!rs, contracting o c!rs, /oar"s an" courts. It is"i cult$ to count!r th! gra*hic "is*la$ o "!la$s on a CPM "iagra#. Onc! a "!la$ is*lott!" on th! CPM, its i#*act can /! s!!n on all su/s! u!nt acti iti!s. At this*oint, th! cost an" ti#! i#*acts r!sulting ro# a chang! or"!r, sus*!nsion, "!la$ or"isru*tion can /! co#*ut!". )his is th! ti#! to anal$ ! an" *ric! all or!s!!a/l!i#*act or a chang! or"!r, as it is incr!asingl$ #or! "i cult to r!c!i ! *a$#!nt ori#*act onc! a chang! or"!r is n!gotiat!".

A**lication' Construction o th! CPM

A CPM shoul" /! "ra+n u* *ru"!ntl$. h!n th! contractor #a-!s u* his sch!"ul!,h! shoul" /! as r!alistic as *ossi/l! in *lanning. 1.9 )h! original sch!"ul! inaccor"anc! +ith th! #il!ston! "at!s in th! contract "ocu#!nts. 2.9 An !arli!st*ossi/l! 7nish "at!. :.9 For#ulat! #!tho" o #!asur!ing *rogr!ss. !t u* an"organi ! acti iti!s into #!asur!a/l! *ac-ag!s.

Pit alls to a oi"

)h!s! gui"!lin!s not onl$ ai" goo" construction #anag!#!nt, /ut also ar! o gr!atalu! or succ!ss ul clai#s "ocu#!ntation. A/nor#al +!ath!r, chang! or"!rs,

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"!la$s, stri-!s, an" oth!r o/ i#*acts ar! *lott!" on th! CPM. Failur! to *r!*ar! orus! th! CPM *ro*!rl$ can /! caus! to in ali"at! its us! in su/stantiating a clai#.

CPM *r!s!ntation o th! o/ is th! 3singl! #ost i#*ortant actor in "!t!r#ining th!acc!*ta/ilit$ o th! Contractor@s CPM /as!" clai#.