Week 7

Question 1

What is a Linear Activity?

Answer 1

A general definition of a linear activity is an activity that progresses along a physical path.

1. Continuous Full-span Linear - CFL,
2. Intermittent Full-span Linear - IFL,
3. Continuous Partial-span Linear - CPL, and
4. Intermittent Partial-span Linear - IPL

Question 2

What is a Continuous Activity?

Answer 2

a linear activity that is expected to be in
continuous operation from the time it
begins until the time it completes.

Question 3

What is a Intermittent Activity?

Answer 3

a linear activity that is not expected to be in continuous operation, but rather starts and stops to pace a preceding continuous activity.

An example of an intermittent activity would be a grade preparation activity that follows a concrete removal activity on a highway reconstruction project.

Question 4

What is a Full-span Activity?

Answer 4

an activity that covers the entire course or span of the project or planning area.

Question 5

What is a Partial-span Activity?

Answer 5

an activity that covers only a portion of the project or planning area.

Question 6

What is a Bar Activity?

Answer 6

A bar activity, represented by a vertical bar on the linear schedule represents an activity or group of activities that occur at a particular location.

The area occupied by the bar activity is small with respect to the area of the project.

Typical activities represented by bars on a linear schedule include bridges, culverts, and storm sewer intakes.

Question 7

What is the Least distance/time interval (LTI)?

Answer 7

The least time interval (LTI) identifies points where the buffer between activities is at a minimum

Question 8

What is the Least Distance Interval (LD)?

Answer 8

The shortest distance between any two adjacent activities that lies within the coincident duration and intersects the least time interval.

Question 9

What is the Least Time Interval? (LT)

Answer 9

The shortest time interval between any two adjacent (consecutive) activities.
The interval will always occur at a vertices of at least one of the activities.

Question 10

How do you identify the controlling activity path (CAP)?

Answer 10

The determination of the critical path is the fundamental concept that makes all of the analysis provided by CPM possible.

The development of the CAP in the linear scheduling model makes CPM-type analysis of linear schedules possible.

Controlling activities: have no float.
Non-controlling activities: have float.

In linear schedule, the predominant factor determining duration is productivity (production rate).

The concept of float needs to be redefined.

Question 11

Define Controlling activity path

Answer 11

The controlling activity path is defined as the continuous path of longest duration through the project and defines the sequence of activities that must be completed as planned to finish the project within the overall planned
duration.

Question 12

What is the goal of the Upward pass?

Answer 12

The goal of the upward pass is to determine which activities or portions of activities could potentially be controlling.

Question 13

What is the purpose of the Downward pass?

Answer 13

The purpose of the downward pass is to determine which portions of the potential controlling segments are actually on the controlling activity path.

Question 14

What is a Delay?

Answer 14

A Delay is the action or condition that results in finishing a project later than stipulated in the contract.

Question 15

What are the causes of delays?

Answer 15

• weather
• covid
• machinery issues
• lack of issues
• labour shortage
• ground conditions

Some important notes:
• Most modern construction contracts include a fixed completion date.
• In commercial contracts at least, this will frequently be coupled with liquidated damages for late completion

Question 16

What is an excusable delay?

Answer 16

An excusable delay entitles the contractor to additional time for completing the contact work.

Excusable delays usually stem from reasons beyond the contractor’s control.

Question 17

What is a non-excusable delay?

Answer 17

Typically, a non-excusable delay is any delay that is either caused by the contractor or not under normal conditions but should have been anticipated by the contractor under normal
conditions.

A non-excusable delay does not entitle the contractor to either a time extension or monetary compensation.

Question 18

What is a concurrent delay?

Answer 18

A combination of two or more independent causes of delay during the same general time period may be considered to be concurrent delays.

There are two types of concurrent delay:

 The first arises where “two or more delay events occur at the same time, one a Client Risk Event, and the other a Contractor Risk Event, and the effects of these events on the project are felt at the same time”. This is known as ‘true concurrency’.

 The second arises where two or more delay events occur at different times, but the delay effects of each overlap. This has the clumsy title of ‘concurrent effect of sequential delay events’. It is the more common variety of concurrent delay.

Question 19

What does it mean to accelerate a project?

Answer 19

Accelerating a project means shortening the normal duration of the project schedule without reducing the original scope of work. It also called schedule compression.

Question 20

What is normal duration?

Answer 20

The amount of time required to finish the project under ordinary circumstances without any deliberate acceleration or deceleration.

Question 21

Why is there a need for time reduction?

Answer 21

• Recover schedule and meet important project target dates.
-Failure to meet contractual time requirement will put the contractor in breach of contract

• The contractor may desire an earlier completion date.
-Adverse weather, free workers and equipment for other projects

• Early completion bonus

Question 22

How can project duration be shortened?

Answer 22

Revisit or study the schedule thoroughly to find any errors or unnecessary logic or constraints.

Question 23

What are mandatory dependencies?

Answer 23

Mandatory dependencies are those that are legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work.

Mandatory dependencies often involve physical limitations, such as:

• on a construction project, where it is impossible to erect the superstructure until after the foundation has been built.
• on an electronics project, where a prototype has to be built before it can be tested.

Mandatory dependencies are sometimes referred to as hard logic or hard dependencies.

Question 24

What are discretionary dependencies?

Answer 24

Discretionary dependencies are referred to as preferred logic, preferential logic, or soft logic.
Discretionary dependencies are established based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area or some unusual aspect of the project where a specific sequence is desired, even though there may be other
acceptable sequences.

For example,
During construction, the electrical work should start after finishing the plumbing work.

This order is not mandatory and both activities may occur at the same time (in parallel), but performing the activities
in sequential order reduces the overall project risk.

Question 25

What is normal cost?

Answer 25

Normal cost is the cost of a project that is performed within the normal duration.

Question 26

What are direct costs?

Answer 26

A direct cost is the cost that can be directly tied to the production.

• Labour
• Materials
• Equipment
• Subcontractors

Question 27

What are indirect costs?

Answer 27

• Project overhead
• General overhead
• Contingency fees

(Rental fees, telephone, water, electricity costs, etc.
General cost items or expenses)

Longer duration, more indirect costs.