CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

3.5.2 Preparation of LoB
The steps in preparation LoB as follows:

Step 1
• Determine the work activities

Step 2
• Estimate activity production rates

Step 3
• Develop an activity sequence to determining logical

relationships
Step 4

• Adjust production rates by draw an inclined straight line
in a graph for each activities.

• Add buffers if needed to avoid interference and clashes.

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /90

LoB graph are drawn on two perpendicular axes:
1) Y axis - represents the location of the activity at any

point in time.
2) X - axis depicts time measured in hours, days or

months.

Let’s discuss the example to produce the LoB graph.
Table 3.8 is the list of activities and its production rate of
1,000ft of pipe installation in sequence.

Table 3.8: Activities and Production Rate of Installing
1,000 ft. of Pipe

Activity Production Rate
Excavating a trench 100 lf/day
Laying a subbase of gravel 125 lf/day
Laying a concrete pipe 75 lf/day
200 lf/day
Backfilling 150 lf/day
Compacting

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /91

Next, find out the duration of each activities as in Table
3.9.

Table 3.9: Duration of Installing 1,000 ft. of Pipe

Activity Production Rate Duration

Excavating a 100 lf/day 1000/100 = 10 days
trench 125 lf/day 1000/125 = 8 days
75 lf/day 1000/75 = 13.33 days
Laying a subbase
of gravel

Laying a concrete
pipe

Backfilling 200 lf/day 1000/200 = 5 days

Compacting 150 lf/day 1000/150 = 6.67 days

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /92

Then, draw an inclined straight line of each activities as
in Figure 3.14. Assuming that there are 2 days of buffer
between the activities to avoid clashes. To allocate the
buffer, its depends on the speed of the activities or the
duration of the activities. If there is slower speed which is
the long duration, so add the buffer at the beginning of
activity. If there is high speed which is shorter duration, so
add buffer at the end activity. In Figure 3.14, we can conclude
that the total duration for installing the 1,000 ft. pipe are 25
days. (10 +2 – 8 + 2 + 13 + 2 – 5 + 2 +7 = 25 days )

Figure 3.15: LoB Graph for Installation of 1,000 ft. pipe

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /93

3.5.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of LoB

The 1. A better understanding of the amount of
advantages work taking place at a certain time in a
of using the specific place.
2. Optimized resources for a large number
LOB of repeated work activities.
technique

are:

3. Allows easier cost and time optimization
analysis.

4. Easy to modify, update and change the
schedule.

4. Better management of subcontractors
and resources.

5. Identifies issues in advance.

But, LoB method is only suitable for projects that have
the same repetitive units. Therefore, this method is rarely
used.

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /94

3.6 S - CURVE
An S-curve is a mathematical graph that shows

significant cumulative project data, such as cost or man-
hours, plotted against time. The graph's characteristic shape
resembles an irregular, shallow “S," hence the name “S-
Curve“. In project management, the S-curve is frequently
used to monitor a project's development. In the fast-paced
business world of today, keeping a project on schedule and
under budget is essential to its success.

The project management programme can make use of a
wide range of s-curves. These are listed below:

1) Target S-curve
2) Costs versus Time S-curve
3) Value and Percentage S-curves
4) Baseline S-curve
5) Man-Hours versus Time S-curve
6)Actual S-curve

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /95

3.6.1 Usage of S-Curve
The usage of S-Curve:
1) As a tool for project healthy status.
2) As a tool for control and scheduling and cost.
3) To measure the progress of the project.
4) To evaluate the performance of the project.
5) To forecast the cash flow of the project, showing the

distribution of your budget over time
6) To measure the number of materials for a certain

project.
7) To schedule the range of possibilities.

3.6.2 Preparation of S-Curve
When using an S-Curve, only three variables are
needed to create a construction expenditure forecast, these
are construction price, start date, and duration.

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /96

The steps to do the S-Curve are as follows:

Step 1 Prepare simple bar chart

• Prepare a simple bar chart to get the sequence and
duration of the activities throughout the construction.

Step 2 Plot a graph

• Plot a graph x-axis vs y-axis.

Step 3 Joining the point

• Joint the point until you create an s-curve

Let’s discuss the example in preparation for the S-
Curve. Table 3.10 shows the list of activities and their
predecessor, duration, and cost/day of a project.

Table 3.10: Activity, Predecessor, Duration and Cost/Day
of a Project

Activity Predecessor Duration Cost/Day
(Days) (RM)
A- 400
BA 2 600
CB 4 600
DB 3 300
ED 2
200
4

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /97

First, prepare a simple bar chart for the project the
total duration, sequence of activity, and cumulative cost of
the project as in Figure 3.15.

Activities Duration (days)
A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

B

C

D

E

300 300 400 400 400 400 400 400

Cost/Day 200 200

100 100 100

Cumulative cost 300 600 1000 1400 1800 2400 3000 3500 3600 3700

Figure 3.16: Bar Chart of a Project

Then, plot a graph of cumulative cost versus duration as
in Figure 3.16.

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /98

Then, plot a graph of cumulative cost versus duration as
in Figure 3.16. From this figure, we can conclude that, the
total cost of the project is RM3,700 and the total duration is
10 days.

Figure 3.17: S-Curve of a Project

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /99

3.6.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of S-Curve
The advantages of the S-Curve as follows:

Track Project Progression

• S-curve graphs allow project managers to add current
data and visualize the progression of the project in the
context of the project timeline.

Possibility of Project Slowdowns
• Analyzing an s-curve graph that shows how a project is

progressing may allow project managers to correlate
slowdowns in production with specific events.
• Understanding which events in a system cause the
overall production to drop allows project managers to
prepare for them or avoid them altogether.
Creating Projections
• Understanding the scope of a project is important for
project managers because it allows them to allocate
resources and time appropriately.
• S-curve graphs can help project managers predict when
they may need an increase in funds or labor.

CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /100

But, not all projects are suitable to use the S-Curve,

sometimes S-curves don't always reveal what causes

deviations from forecasts. The S-curve only highlights the

cost-to-time divergence. It does not link time or cost to task

completion. As a result, when a variation is found, it is

unclear whether the project is on track in terms of physical

advancement (whether work is being completed on, ahead

or behind the anticipated time and budget). Managers might

speculate the bad about the project's progress if they don't

know what caused the discrepancy.

In order to conclude, there are two things that are

difficult and become a problem in this systematic project

planning. First, the difficulty in determining the amount of

resources needed such as workers, materials, and plants

and the difficulty in determining the rate of output or the

total duration of the project. This only can be solved in two

ways, that is to gain a lot of experience or through certain

studies. The second problem is to constantly monitor the

progress of the work whether it is according to the plan or

not. Monitoring and control is very important to implement

and any differences need to be recorded, while changes

need to be made to the plan throughout the construction

period. CHAPTER 3 : PLANNING TECHNIQUES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT /101

QUESTIONS
&

ANSWERS

QUESTION 1
Define what is management?
ANSWER
Management principles are therefore the means by which
you actually manage, i.e. you get things done through others,
as individuals, in groups, or in organizations.
QUESTION 2

List FOUR (4) functions of management process.
ANSWER
1. Planning and Decision Making: Determining Courses of

Action,
2. Organizing: Coordinating Activities and Resources,
3. Leading: Managing, Motivating and Directing People,
4. Controlling: Monitoring and Evaluating activities.
QUESTION 3

Explain TWO (2) advantages of functional organizational
structure.

ANSWER
1. Specialization - departments focus on one area of work.
2. Productivity - specialism means that staff are skilled in

the tasks they do.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /103

QUESTION 4
Explain the first TWO (2) processes in pre-contract stage.
ANSWER
Inception
During inception stage, client will prepare brief and state the
requirement for the project. Upon receiving it, design team
will start to collect survey information, initial design ideas
and to program the design period.
Feasibility
Study details of the project that includes the formulating the
design brief with the aids from all consultants for the
project.
QUESTION 5
Define construction site management.
ANSWER
Construction site management to improve coordination and
detection work to ensure the overall operation of the site to
maintain stable development, achieve high-quality, high-
efficiency production goals and promote the orderly
development of production projects.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /104

QUESTION 6
Outline THREE (3) caused pf poor site layout.
ANSWER
1. Storage - inappropriate storage which can result in

damage to products and materials.
2. Plant and equipment - wrongly located can cause the

mixer to be inaccessible for delivery of materials, and not
enough room for storage aggregates.
3. Inadequate space allowed - Material may be stacked high
or stacked on roadways causing hazards and working
areas may become cramped.

QUESTION 7
In relation to occupational health and safety, explain the
meaning of the following terms:
a) hazard
b) risk
c) near miss
ANSWER
1. Hazard - potential to cause harm.
2. Risk – the likelihood of potential harm being realized.
3. Near miss- any incident that could cause an accident.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /105

QUESTION 8
Outline FOUR (4) duties of each of the following persons
under the Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations:
a) Client
b) Principal designer
c) Principal contractor
ANSWER
1. Client - is an organization or individual for whom a

construction project is undertaken
2. Principal designer – a person who is plan, manage,

monitor, and coordinate the pre-construction phase of a
project, in consideration of the general principles of
prevention to ensure the project is carried out safely so
far as is reasonably practicable.
3. Principal contractor- is the contractor appointed by the
client. The principal contractor can be an organization or
an individual and is the main or managing contractor. The
principal contractor must consult and engage with
workers on the project. A principal contractor’s key
duties are to coordinate and manage the construction
phase of the project and to ensure the health and safety
of everybody involved with the construction work, or who
are affected by it.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /106

QUESTION 9
List THREE (3) methods to increase construction site safety.
ANSWER
1. Strong and active leadership from top management.
2. Worker involvement.
3. Assessment and review.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /107

QUESTION 10

Based on information the in Table 4.1, generate a Gantt
Chart.

Table 4.1

Activity Predecessor Duration
(week)

A-3

BA5

CA2

D A,C 7

EB4

FB3

G E,F 2

HF4

I F,H 2

J H,I 1

ANSWER

Activities Duration (week)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /108

QUESTION 11

Based on information the in Table 4.2, generates:

(a) Bar Chart
(b) Financial S-Curve

Table 4.2

Activity Duration (day) Start Date Cost/day (RM)

A 2 04/05/2023 1,400.00
B 4 06/05/2023 2,800.00
C 4 09/05/2023 3,200.00
D 3 12/05/2023 6,000.00
E 2 14/05/2023 4,800.00
F 3 15/05/2023 12,600.00

ANSWER

(a)

Activities Duration (day)
4/5 5/5 6/5 7/5 8/5 9/5 10/5 11/5 12/5 13/5 14/5 15/5 16/5 17/5
A
B
C
D
E
F

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /109

ANSWER

(b)

Activities Duration (week)
4/5 5/5 6/5 7/5 8/5 9/5 10/5 11/5 12/5 13/5 14/5 15/5 16/5 17/5
A
B 1,400 1,400
C 2,800 2,800 2,800 2,800
D 3,200 3,200 3,200 3,200
E 6,000 6,000 6,000
F 4,800 4,800
12,600 12,600 12,600

Cumulative Cost 1,400 2,800 5,600 8,400 11,200 17,200 20,400 23,600 32,800 38,800 49,600 67,000 79,600 92,200

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /110

QUESTION 12

Based on information the in Table 4.3:

a) Develop a basic logic diagram in relation to the
construction sequence.

b) Determine the critical path by using Precedence Diagram

Method.

Table 4.3

Activity Predecessor Duration (week)

A- 5

BA 5

CA 7

DA 10

E B,C 6

F D,E 6

GF 7

H E,F 3

IG 4

J H,I 5

ANSWER

a)

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /111

ANSWER
b) The critical path: A-C-E-F-G-I-J

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /112

QUESTION 13

Based on information the in Table 4.4, determine the critical
path by using Arrow Diagram Method.

Table 4.4

Activity Event Duration (week)

A 1-2 2

B 2-3 3

C 2-4 4

D 3-4 dummy

E 3-5 3

F 4-6 6

G 5-7 4

H 3-8 9

I 7-8 dummy

J 6-8 5

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /113

ANSWER
The critical path: 1-2-4-6-8 @ A-C-F-J

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /114

QUESTION 14

Based on information the in Table 4.5:

a) Calculate the estimated time (Te)
b) Determine the total duration of the project.

Table 4.5

Duration (week)

Activity Predecessor Min. Time Max. Time Average
Time
A- 2 8 5
BA 1 11 3
CB 3 15 6
DA 5 11 8
E C,D 4 20 9
FC 2 18 7
GD 8 28 15
H E,F,G 3 21 9
I F,H 6 28 11
J H,I 1 15 5

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /115

ANSWER
a)

Activity Estimated time (te)

A5
B4
C7
D8
E 10
F8
G 16
H 10
I 13
J6

b) The duration of the project are 58 weeks

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /116

QUESTION 15

Based on information the in Table 4.6, determine the total
duration of the project and the critical activities.
.

Table 4.6

Duration (week)

Activity Event Max. Time Average Min. Time
Time
A 1-2
B 1-3 5 32
C 2-4 6 43
D 3-4 6 43
E 4-5 7 54
F 4-6 6 43
G 5-7 5 32
H 6-7 7 54

5 32

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /117

ANSWER
The duration of the project are 18 weeks.
The critical activities: B,D,E, and G.

Activity Estimated time (te)

A 3
B 4
C 4
D 5
E 4
F 3
G 5
H 3

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS /118

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Elbeltagi, E. (2014). Construction site layout planning. LAP LAMBERT. Academic Publishing.
Functional Organizational Structure: Everything You Need to Know (August 10, 2020).

Upcounsel.https://www.upcounsel.com/functional-organizational-structure
GUIDELINES OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

(MANAGEMENT). www.dosh.gov.my. (2017).
https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/legislation/guidelines/building-construction-
engineering-work/2498-booklet-guidelines-of-occupational-safety-and-health-in-
construction-industry
Harris, F., & McCaffer, R. (2013). Modern Construction Management. John Wiley & Sons.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-divisional-
organizational-structure-611.html
Hughes, P., & ferret, E. (2016). Introduction to health and safety in construction (5th ed.).
Routledge.
Introduction to Principles of Management.
https://open.lib.umn.edu/principlesmanagement/chapter/1-1-introduction-to-
principles-of-management/
Jason Gillikin. (January 25, 2019) Advantages & Disadvantages of Divisional Organizational
Structure
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach To Planning,
Scheduling, And Controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Management Process: Definition, Features & Functions. (Mar 4, 2021).
https://www.upgrad.com/blog/management-process-explained
Misnan, M. S., Yusof, Z. M., Mohammed, A. H., & Dalib, A. R. (2014). Pengurusan Keselamatan
Projek Pembinaan. Penerbit UTM Press.
Misnan, M.S., Mohammed, A. H. & Abdullah, M.N (2011). Pengurusan Projek Pembinaan.
Penerbit UTM Press.
Pre-contract and post-contract stages (January 23, 2010) http://design-of-
building.blogspot.com/2010/01/pre-contract-and-post-contract-stages.html
Recommended Practices for Safety & Health Programs in Construction.www.osha.gov.
(2016). https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/OSHA3886.pdf

BIBLIOGRAPHY /119

Sobiya, Matrix Structure: Examples, Definition, Advantages and
Disadvantages.advergize.https://www.advergize.com/ business/matrix-structure-
examples-definition-advantages-and-disadvantages/

Thomas, H. R., & Ellis, R. D. (2017). Construction site management and labor productivity
improvement: How to improve the bottom line and shorten project schedules.
American Society of Civil Engineers. ASCE.

Walker, A. (2015). Project Management In Construction. John Wiley & Sons.
Wang, W., & chen, G. (2018). Effective Strategy and Practice of Construction Site

Management in Construction Engineering. 2018 International Conference on Civil and
Hydraulic Engineering (IConCHE 2018). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-
1315/189/2/022039.

BIBLIOGRAPHY /120