Questions and Answers
What is the primary factor that determines the method used to establish the duration of an activity?
How can a scheduler estimate the duration of an activity without detailed analysis?
What is the effect of increasing the crew size on the duration of an activity?
What is a significant portion of time devoted to in short duration activities?
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What is the primary purpose of analyzing the S-curve in project management?
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What is the primary consideration in determining the duration of a hand excavation task?
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What factor should be considered when determining the material inflow rate?
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How can a scheduler determine the duration of a drywall installation task?
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What is the primary concern when scheduling certain activities in a construction project?
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What is the effect of reducing the crew size on the duration of an activity?
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What is the significance of selecting scheduled dates in a construction project?
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What is the benefit of using past project performances to estimate the duration of an activity?
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What is the main benefit of developing a realistic schedule in a construction project?
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What should be examined when scheduling major activities in a construction project?
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What is the significance of the S-curve in project management?
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What should be reflected in the initial schedule of a construction project?
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What is the primary reliance of developing and using schedules in project management?
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Why is it essential to accurately determine activity durations in project planning?
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What type of estimates are prepared by architects, engineers, or consultants to approximate project costs?
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What is the primary reason for preparing conceptual estimates in project planning?
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What is a key factor in preparing accurate conceptual estimates?
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Why do private owners require an estimate of project costs?
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What is the relationship between activity durations and schedule accuracy?
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When is conceptual estimating typically done in a project?
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Study Notes
Estimating Durations
- Estimating durations depends on the size and accuracy required for the activity.
- A significant activity, such as excavating 375,000 cubic yards of material, warrants considerable investigation.
- Past project performances can be used to make duration estimates without detailed analysis.
- A rough estimate can be made by visualizing the work being done at a given pace, such as installing drywall at a rate of four rooms per day.
Factors Affecting Durations
- Crew size can affect durations, with increases resulting in shorter durations and reductions resulting in longer durations.
- Mobilization allowances can take up a significant percentage of time for short-duration activities.
- The "lazy S-curve" presents the full range of options open to the project manager, including actual cost data compared to predicted.
Scheduling Considerations
- The schedule should reflect significant concerns related to materials, such as storage space and installation rates.
- Material inflow rates should be based on available storage space and installation rates.
- The schedule should anticipate the need for precautionary measures, such as guarding against rain, snow, and temperature extremes.
- Major activities should be examined to determine the time of year they are scheduled to occur.
Importance of Scheduling
- A realistic schedule is desirable despite the relative uncertainties inherent in construction projects.
- Arrangements made for materials' deliveries, subcontractor start dates, and contract-specified milestone dates suggest the initial schedule is important.
- Selecting scheduled dates may include considering the likelihood that the assumptions of the network model will not hold true.
Determining Activity Durations
- Activity durations must be developed with a certain amount of accuracy for the schedules to be valuable.
- The accuracy and usefulness of the schedule are directly related to the accuracy of individual activity durations.
- Conceptual estimates are rough approximations of anticipated costs, prepared by architects, engineers, or consultants.
- Conceptual estimates require a clear understanding of the owner's wants and a good "feel" for probable costs.
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Description
This quiz covers the methods used to establish the duration of an activity in project management, including using past project performances and detailed analysis.