Civil and Environmental Engineering

CIVE 585, CIVE 685, ENMG 698

Construction Planning & Scheduling
Course Syllabus

Instructor: Farook Hamzeh, Ph.D.
Lectures: M, W 3:30 5:00 pm, RCR
Office: 406E Bechtel
Office Hours: TBA
Email: fh35@aub.edu.lb


NOTE: (1) All email correspondence must contain CIVE 585-685, ENMG 698 in the Subject line.
(2) No cell phone use (including texting) in class.

PRE/ CO-REQUISITE(S): CIVE 584 or with instructors permission.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Through the course students will develop a working knowledge of current planning and scheduling
techniques. Students will apply industry-recognized scheduling methodology to construction projects
through the use of case studies and other assignments and exercises. Emphasis will be placed on the
students ability to professionally analyze and communicate project schedules in written and oral
presentations. The course is designed to enable students to meet the course objectives both individually, as
well as members of a team, in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/GOALS:

Upon completion of the course students shall:
o Generate project activities based on the work breakdown structure
o Assess and critique project schedule constraints
o Generate a project network with precedence relationships
o Determine schedule parameters based on CPM methodology
o Evaluate impact of limited resources on the project schedule. Emphasis is placed on practical
and applied procedures.
o Assess the benefits and limitations of existing scheduling methodologies and software
o Analyze and communicate effect of schedule changes on original project plan and goals

TEXTS:
o Mubarak, S. (2010). Construction Project Scheduling and Control, 2/E. John Wiley & Sons Inc.,
Hoboken, NJ.


Civil and Environmental Engineering
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED RESOURCES:

o Readings as posted on Moodle

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS:

o MS Excel
o Primavera P6
o Vico Control
o MS Project

METHOD FOR EVALUATION/GRADING:

Student performance shall be evaluated based on the following criteria:

o Homework/attendance 15%
o Group project 25%
o 2 Exams/Drop Quizzes 40%
o Final exam 20%


ADDITIONAL CLASS INFORMATION

o In general, home works will be due on Wednesdays and projects on Mondays.

o Homework and Paper Policy: Homework assignments may be typed or neatly hand-written on Engineering
Paper. Show all work. Answers must be boxed. All assignments are due at the beginning of class period on the
due date listed. Late homework will be accepted up to 4:30 p.m. on the date it is due with a 50%
reduction in grade. No homework will be accepted after 4:30 p.m.

o Policy on Plagiarism and/or Cheating: Unfortunately, occasional violations necessitate the following policy:
Any student who uses the work of another and attempts to claim the work as their own without giving credit to
the originator is in violation of the plagiarism policy. Copying homework is considered cheating. Similarly,
any student who cheats by dishonestly acquiring information on exams, projects, etc. or providing such
information to another student is in violation. Any student who violates these policies may receive a zero and be
dropped from the class. Additional measures will be taken in keeping with university policy regarding academic
dishonesty.

o Attendance and Participation: Punctuality, class attendance, participation and preparation are a reflection of
your professionalism. All required reading must be done prior to lecture. Pop quizzes will be given in lecture
and will be part of your homework grade. No make-ups will be allowed. Occasional class activities will
be scored and will be part of your homework grade. No make-ups will be allowed.

o Make-up Policy: Exams and homework cannot be made-up. You will be expected to complete all requirements
in a timely fashion.

o Group Project: Each student team will develop and analyze the schedule for a project of your choice. Your
project should be presented in a professional manner as each assignment will be graded in-part on
professionalism. Detailed instructions for the project will be provided later in the semester.

o Cell Phones: Shall be turned off in class. No texting. Phones will be collected during exams.


Civil and Environmental Engineering

Tentative Course Outline/ Weekly Schedule

Week One: Introduction/Network Logic
o Reading: Mubarak Chapters 1 , 2, & 3. Pages: 1-8, 14-18, 29-35
o Handout HW#1 Network Logic & Gantt Charts due WK#2

Week Two: Critical Path Method (CPM)
o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 4. Pages: 44-52, 54-71
o HW#1 Due
o Hand out HW#2 CPM due WK#3
o Handout Group #1 Introduction due WK#4

Week Three: Precedence Diagramming & Intro to P6

o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 5. Pages: 83-105
o HW#2 Due
o Hand out HW#3 Precedence Diagramming due WK#4

Week Four: Schedule Updating, Resource Management

o Reading: Mubarak Chapters 6. Pages: skim 112-135
o Group #1 Introduction Due
o Hand out Group#2a Preliminary Schedule due WK#6
o HW#3 Due
o Handout HW#4 Activity Codes & Updating due WK#5

Week Five: Sequencing / Collaborative Planning

o Reading: External (see Moodle)
o HW#4 Due

Week Six: Resource Management, Priority Rule Leveling

o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 7. Pages: 139-175
o Group#2a Preliminary Schedule Due
o Handout Group #2b Final Schedule due WK#8

Week Seven: Leveling in P6, Exam #1 (covers Weeks 1 6 and HW# 1 4)

o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 6. Pages: 112-135
o Hand out HW#5 Leveling & Priority Rules due WK#8

Week Eight: Earned Value

o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 7. Pages: 176-183
o HW#5 Due
o Group #2b Final Schedule Due
o Hand out HW#6 Earned Value due WK#9
o Hand out Group #3 Resources due WK #9



Civil and Environmental Engineering
Week Nine: Schedule Reduction Methods

o Holiday
o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 8. Pages: 189-210
o HW#6 Due
o Group #3 Resources due
o Hand out Group #4a Preliminary Schedule Reduction Due WK#10
o Hand out HW#7 Schedule Reduction due WK#10

Week Ten: Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

o Holiday
o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 11. Pages: 263-280
o HW#7 Due
o Group #4a Preliminary Schedule Reduction Due
o Hand out Group #4b Peer Review Due WK#11
o Hand out HW#8 PERT due WK#11

Week Eleven: PERT contd, Interim Presentations

o Reading: Mubarak Chapter 11. Pages: 281-288
o Group #4b Peer Review Due
o Hand out Group #4c Final Schedule Reduction due WK#13
o HW #8 Due
o Hand out HW#9 LOB due WK#13

Week Twelve: Exam #2 (covers Weeks 5 10, HW # 5 7) Interim Presentations


Week Thirteen: The Last Planner System
TM


o Group #4c Final Schedule Reduction Due
o HW#9 Due
o Hand out HW#10 Vico Control due WK#14
o Hand out Group #5a Scheduling History due WK#14
o Hand out Group 5b Presentations due WK#15

Week Fourteen: Group Project Presentations


o Holiday
o Reading: External Reading on Moodle
o HW#10 Due
o Group #5a Scheduling History
o Hand out HW#11 MS Project due WK#15

Week Fifteen: Group Project Presentations

o Holiday
o HW#11 Due
o Group #5b Group project presentations

Week Sixteen [TBD]: Final Exam (emphasis on Weeks 10 15 and HW # 7 11)