RESOURCE

ALLOCATION &
OPTIMIZATION
Literature Review
Guided By Mr. Keyur Shah
Prepared By Ms Krati Airan, UC1512
Title and Content Layout with List

Introduction Background
Limitations Of The Aforementioned Techniques
Impacts of Undesirable Resource Fluctuation on Project Performance
Models Developed to Get the Solutions
Research Need
Aim & Expected Outcome
Research Design
References
Aim
Preparation of detailed project schedule with estimated resources (labour),
using standard Manpower Output Constants, for each activity. The peak
units required for a project day by day will be defined using Resource
(labour) Histogram.
Analysis would be done as per actual resources (labour) available at site by
optimized resource levelling and observing its time-cost implication .

Expected Outcome & Usefulness of the Finding

An optimized Resource Constrained analysis can be done obtaining the
effect in terms of Cost (%).
Finding out best combination of resources to be used in each activity for
minimal time & cost, under given constraints.
Methodology Used Will be Mixed i.e. Qualitative & Quantitative both.
 Identifying
of all the
Events/
Introduction - Background Tasks in its
smallest
possible
units
Associate
the task
Revise &
Resource managementis the Optimize
with its
Resource
efficient and effective Type
deployment and allocation of an
organization'sresourceswhen
and where they are needed. A
resource is an entity that
contributes the accomplishment Identify the
of project activities such as Duration in
which the
manpower, material, money, Assigning of
task
Resources
equipment, time or space. will/should
be
completed
At the start of the project the
details of the project are
typically unknown, therefore
Check the
knowing the type & duration of Analysis of
availability
so
resources required is not always developed
of Resource
as per
possible. Project
constraints
Schedule
(if any)
Limitations Of The Aforementioned Technique
Impacts of Undesirable Resource Fluctuation on Project
Performance

Troublesome hiring and releasing of workers in short term basis, which is

inefficient and costly,

Unemployment compensation cost occur due to hiring and releasing of

labours,

It needs time to readjust to the working conditions of a particular job when

hiring new labours,

There is a possibility that once released workers might find another job and
not be available upon recall,

High-idle cost occurs when employing high-cost resource units,

It produces disruption in the learning curve effects, and thereby decreases

productivity.
Models Developed to Get the Solutions

1. Resource Utilization in Multiple Shifts,

2. Assignment and Allocation Optimization of Partially Multi skilled

Workforce,

3. Time Constrained Resources Levelling,

4. Binary Resource Levelling Model: Activity splitting Allowed

1. Resource Utilization in Multiple Shifts

Advantages
Enabling the number of weekly
work- hours to be almost
doubled or tripled,
Benefiting from the fact that
the premium cost of an evening
or night shift is often lower than
that of overtime hours,
Minimizing overtime
productivity losses that are
often encountered during
Disadvantages
Leads to additional costs that are required for shift premiums,
night time lighting, quality control, and safety measures.
It affects the circadian rhythm of shift workers who often struggle
with adapting to new sleep cycles.
The utilization of evening and/or night shifts is reported to cause
productivity losses due to workers fatigue, health disorders,
social life disruption, lower morale, and higher accident rates.
The risk of injuries and accidents on evening shifts is higher than
day shifts, and they also found that night shifts have the highest
risk of injuries and accidents among the three shifts.

overtime hours due to workers

fatigue and site congestion.
2. Assignment and Allocation Optimization of Partially
Multi- Skilled Workforce

Multi skilling is a workforce strategy that has been shown to reduce indirect
labour costs, improve productivity, and reduce turnover.
A multi skilled workforce is one in which the workers possess a range of
skills that allow them to participate in more than one work process. In
practice, they may work across craft boundaries.
This research investigated the mechanics of allocating a multi skilled
workforce and developed a linear programming model to help optimize the
multi skilled workforce assignment and allocation process in a construction
project, or between the projects of one company.
It is concluded that the model will be most useful in conditions where full
employment does not exist; however, it is also useful for short term
allocation decisions.
3. Time Constrained Resources Levelling

They deal with the establishment of initial resource profiles for construction
project, resource levelling of the schedule, analysis of resource usage
versus assumed levels, and the adjustment of resource profiles based upon
this analysis.
The uses of management considerations as well as early start/ late start
resource curves in the establishment of the initial resource profiles are
discussed.
Several methods for resource levelling and a measure for judging the
effectiveness of resource levelling techniques are presented.
4. Binary Resource Levelling Model: Activity splitting
Allowed

In these studies and the resulting solutions, there exists a common

element, which is once an activity is started, it cannot be stopped and
restarted again. That is, it cannot be split.
In many instances in actual construction, there exist activities that can be
stopped and restarted. However, not all activities have this restart.
This splitting of activities results in improvement to the levelling solution
that is traditionally achieved when splitting is not permitted.
Example has been taken and the results are beneficial to construction
professionals who may be unaware of the impacts of using activity splitting.
Research Design

Project
Preparation of Manpower Project
Attributes &
Estimates Required Scheduling
Summary

Study of
Calculating ERF
Forecasting of Resource Un-optimized & IRF for the
Resources Allocation Resource same
Usage

Comparing
Optimization of Cost variation
Resources before & after
optimization
Project Attributes

The Case Study The 3rd Narmada Bridgeis anExtra dosed bridge,
inBharuch,India.
Name of the Project Six Laning of km 192.00 to km 198.00 between
Vadodara to Surat section of NH-8 including Construction of a new four lane
Extra dosed Bridge across river Narmada in the state of Gujarat on EPC mode.
Type of Project Road and Bridge Infrastructure Project
Client - National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
Contractor - L&T Construction Heavy Civil Infrastructure (HCIC)
Project Value Three Hundred and Seventy Nine Crores Only (379 Cr.)
Duration of Project 30 Months (30th March 2014 January 2017)

Planning and Design Schedule Based Project

Preparation of Estimates
Manpower Requirement

It would be calculated based on standard Manpower Constants and the

quantity derived from Project Estimates.

Total
Required Resources = Quantity
Productivity x
Duration

Duration is estimated based on past experience of similar projects.

Resource pool will be created as per availability of resources.
Resource allocation to each activity would be done, to gain more accuracy
in the project schedule.
Study of The Un-optimized Resource Allocation

The fluctuations in the demands will

be carried out,
The cost estimate will be prepared
corresponding to the un-optimized
resource usage.
Corresponding ERF & IRF calculations
will be made
Un-optimized Resource Histogram
Resource Utilization Ratios

The two resource utilization ratios, named Effective force ratio (EFR) and
Ideal Force Ratio (IFR), are defined for a given resource loaded schedule.
EFR and IFR can be used to evaluate how efficiently deployed resources can be
utilized if a specific resource constrained project schedule is executed.
The higher EFR value, the lower IFR value, and the higher resource utilization
during project execution. On that basis the following formulas are created.

Total Force = (Maximum resource required for day)* (Project

Duration)
Effective Force = Summation of all resources required for the
project.
Ideal Force = Total Force Effective Force
Resource Utilization Ratios

Effective Force
Effective Force Ratio =
Total Force

Ideal Force
Ideal Force Ratio =
Total Force

This formulas will be applied in project before resource levelling and after resources
levelling. And the difference between them will be concluded.
The EFR and IFR should be calculated for all resources and the average ratio should be
taken for the result
Optimization of Resources

Optimization of labours is
carried out by rescheduling the
non-critical activities within
available slack i.e. by changing
the duration of a particular
activity or shifting the start date
of a particular activity or by
Un-optimized Resource Histogram
increasing or decreasing the
magnitude of manpower.
In some cases critical activities
also to be rescheduled, but total
project duration may be
increased, that must be within
exceptional value.

Optimized Resource Histogram

Cost Implication Of Optimization For Fluctuation In Resources

The time and cost are directly dependent on the availability of resources
such as manpower, material, money and equipments.

The time required may be determined by dividing the productivity

associated with the resources used on the activity into the defined quantity
of work for the activity.

The best combination of resources to use for performing a construction

activity is based on contractors ability to identify the interdependencies of
the various resources.
The un-optimized plan will be optimized to get the reduced manpower cost.
The outcome will be compared by the % reduction in cost, with the ERF &
IRF ratios for the same, before and after the optimization.
References

Optimizing construction planning by virtual prototyping enabled

resource analysis; Li Heng;Chan, Neo;Guo, H.L.;Lu, Weisheng and
Skitmore, Martin; QUT Digital Repository 2009
Impact of labour factors on workflow; Lee, Hyun-Soo,Yu, Jung-Ho, Kim,
Sun-Kuk; Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 2004, vol
130
Resource Management in Construction Projects a case study; By
SK. Nagaraju, B. Sivakonda Reddy, Prof. A. Ray Chaudhuri IRACST
Engineering Science and Technology: An International Journal (ESTIJ), ISSN:
2250-3498, Vol.2, No. 4, August 2012
Assignment and Allocation Optimization of Partially Multiskilled
Workforce; Gomar, Jorge E. Haas, Carl T. Morton, David P.; Journal of
Construction Engineering and Management 2002
THANK YOU!!!!!