Constraints and the CPM
A Constraint is an externally imposed
restriction affecting when an activity can start
and/or finished
Constraints may conflict with logical relationships
Constraints are not alternatives for logic
1
Constraints in the Software
Individual scheduling programs
provide the user with a variety of Screenshot
from
constraint types, some of which Primavera P6
can override logic and some of
which are subject to logic.
Names and rules differ from one
software to another and users
must practice caution
2
The Critical Path with Constraints
12, 17 18, 26
D G
5, 12 5 8
B
7 13, 18 18, 26
26, 27
5, 12
J
0, 5 12, 18 18, 23
1
A E H
5 6 5 26, 27
0, 5 12, 18 21, 26 18, 22
I
5, 9 4
C 9, 12
4 F 22, 26
3
Start on or after day 24
8, 12
19, 22
3
The Critical Path with Constraints
4 3
12, 17 18, 26
3 D G
5, 12 5 8
B
7 16, 21 21, 29
29, 30
3 8, 15 J
0, 5 3
12, 18 24, 29 1
A E H
5 6 5 29, 30
7
3, 8 15, 21 24, 29 18, 22
6 I
5, 9 4
13
C 9, 12
4 F 25, 29
3
Start on or after day 24
11, 15
22, 25
4
Recalculating Float with Constraints
1
12, 17 18, 26
D G
5, 12 5 8
B
7 13, 18 18, 26
26, 27
5, 12 3 J
0, 5 12, 18 18, 23
1
A E H
5 6 5 26, 27
4
0, 5 12, 18 21, 26 18, 22
3 I
5, 9 10 4
C 9, 12
4 F 22, 26
3
8, 12
19, 22
Start on or before day 10
5
Recalculating Float with Constraints
1
12, 17 18, 26
D G
5, 12 5 8
B
7 13, 18 18, 26
26, 27
5, 12 3 J
0, 5 12, 18 18, 23
1
A E H
5 6 5 26, 27
4
0, 5 12, 18 21, 26 18, 22
1 I
5, 9 1 4
C 9, 12
4 F 22, 26
3
6, 10
10, 13
Start on or before day 10
6
CPM Calculations: Example 3
Activity Duration IPA
A 5 -
B 6 A
C 5 A
D 3 A
E 3 B
F 4 B, C
G 4 D
H 7 B,C,G
I 8 E, F
J 2 F
K 3 H, J
L 2 I, J
7
CPM Calculations: Exercise
B E I
6 3 8
L
2
A C F J
5 5 4 2 PF
D G H K
3 4 7 3
8
CPM Calculations: Exercise
Graphic Solution
5, 11 1 11, 14 15, 23
B E I
6 3 8
23, 25
5, 11 12, 15 15, 23
L
1 5, 10 5 15, 17 2
0, 5 11, 15 25
23, 25
A C F J
5 5 4 2 PF
0, 5 6, 11 11, 15 20, 22
25
3 5, 8 3 8, 12 3 3
12, 19 19, 22
D G H K
3 4 7 3
8, 11 11, 15 15, 22 22, 25
9
CPM Calculations: Exercise
Tabular Solution
Activity ES EF LS LF TF FF
A 0 5 0 5 0 0
B 5 11 5 11 0 0
C 5 10 6 11 1 1
D 5 8 8 11 3 0
E 11 14 12 15 1 1
F 11 15 11 15 0 0
G 8 12 11 15 3 0
H 12 19 15 22 3 0
I 15 23 15 23 0 0
J 15 17 20 22 5 2
K 19 22 22 25 3 3
L 23 25 23 25 0 0
10
Quiz Example
5, 11 1 11, 14 15, 23
B E I
6 3 8
23, 25
5, 11 12, 15 15, 23
L
1 5, 10 5 15, 17 2
0, 5 11, 15 25
23, 25
A C F J
5 5 4 2 PF
0, 5 6, 11 11, 15 20, 22
25
0 5, 8 0 8, 12 3 12, 19 3 19, 22
D G H K
3 4 7 3
8, 11 11, 15 15, 22 22, 25
5, 8 8, 12
Finish on
day 12
11
Effect of Imposed Finish Date
Imposed Finish Date is the project’s
completion date, as specified in the contract or
stipulated by the owner
It is a good practice for a scheduler, not to
enter the imposed finish date until the
project’s finish date is calculated by the CPM
12
Effect of Imposed Finish Date
After the finish date is calculated, it is
compared to imposed finish date:
Calculated finish date < imposed finish date
You are in good shape
What happens if you enter the imposed date?
Calculated finish date > imposed finish date
Negative float appears when you enter the imposed date
You need to accelerate / crash the schedule
13
Examples with Imposed Finish
Dates
Repeat Example 3 with imposed finish date of
28 days
Repeat Example 3 with imposed finish date of
22 days
14
Imposed Finish Date > Calculated
Finish Date
3 4 3
5, 11 11, 14 15, 23
B E I
6 3 8 3
23, 25
8, 14 15, 18 18, 26
L
3 4 8
0, 5 5, 10
3
11, 15 15, 17
2 25
26, 28
A C F J
5 5 4 2 PF
3, 8 9, 14 14, 18 23, 25
28
6 6 6 6
5, 8 8, 12 12, 19 19, 22
D G H K
3 4 7 3
11, 14 14, 18 18, 25 25, 28
15
Imposed Finish Date < Calculated
Finish Date
-3 -2 -3
5, 11 11, 14 15, 23
B E I
6 3 8 -3
23, 25
2, 8 9, 12 12, 20
L
-3
0, 5
-2
5, 10
-3
11, 15
2
15, 17
2 25
20, 22
A C F J
5 5 4 2 PF
-3, 2 3, 8 8, 12 17, 19
22
0 0 0 0
5, 8 8, 12 12, 19 19, 22
D G H K
3 4 7 3
5, 8 8, 12 12, 19 19, 22
16
Negative Float
Negative float is a situation that occurs when
performing an activity even on its early dates,
fails to meet the project’s imposed finish date
or other constraint
Negative float, as the name implies, is an
undesirable thing to see / occur. It indicates a
delay but it does not automatically lay the
blame of the contractor or any other party.
17
Negative Float
Negative float can develop in one of two
cases:
Before construction starts
The contractor has to compress the schedule or the
owner has to allow longer timeframe
During construction
The contractor may have to prepare a recovery schedule
or face the possibility of liquidated damages
Constructive acceleration
18
End-of-Day Convention
The dates on the activities represent the “end of day”.
That’s why we always start with day 0: end of day 0 =
start of day 1
This concept is not applied in computer programs. In
computer programs start dates (ES, LS) represent the
start of the day while finish dates (EF, LF) represent
the end of the day
Duration = EF – ES + 1 = LF – LS +1
You may see an activity with “same date” for start and finish
19
Exercise Solution Using The
Computer
1
6, 11 12, 14 15, 23
B E I
6 3 8
24, 25
6, 11 13, 15 16, 23
L
1 5 2
1, 5 6, 10 12, 15 16, 17 25
24, 25
A C F J
5 5 4 2 PF
1, 5 7, 11 12, 15 21, 22
25
3 3 3 3
6, 8 9, 12 13, 19 20, 22
D G H K
3 4 7 3
9, 11 12, 15 16, 22 23, 25
20
Float Discussion
Total float –in general- is NOT an activity float. It is
rather a path float
If an activity uses “its” float, successors may lose some or all
of “their” float
The question is: “who owns the float”?
Researchers suggested distribution methodologies of total
float based on certain criteria (duration, chronological order in
the path, assigned weight)
If resource leveling is used, almost every activity
becomes “critical”
21
More Float Discussion
Free float, FF, may be affected by preceding activities,
but will not affect succeeding activities
Float distribution: Review the contract
Contractor-created float
Management float
Shifting activities within their float may affect:
Start / finish dates for succeeding activities.
Resource usage: Labor and equipment (crews).
Materials: delivery, storage.
Cash flow
22
Driving Relationships in CPM
Driving Relationship: A relationship from a
predecessor activity that controls the start or
finish of a successor activity. For any activity
with predecessors, there must be at least one
driving relationship
Removing non-driving relationships is not a
good idea for the above argument
23
Driving Relationships in CPM
Any activity can have more than one
predecessor. Usually (but not always), only
one relationship is driving
This may change if conditions, preceding that
activity, change:
Duration(s) Logic
Constraints Resource leveling
24
Examples on Driving and non-
Driving Relationships
0, 5 5, 12 21, 27
A D H
5 7 6
2, 7 14, 21 2 21, 27
0 0, 3 7, 14 14, 19 19, 22 27
PS B 4 E G I PF
3 7 5 3
0 0, 3 7, 14 14, 19 24, 27 27
3
0, 6 6, 10
Assume:
C F
6 4
• A’s Duration increased to 8
1, 7 7, 11
• F’s Duration increased to 6
• C’s Duration decreased to 4
or 5
25
Event Times in Node Networks
In a typical network, there may be hundreds
or thousands of events.
Pick a few important ones
Create a Start or Finish milestone and link it to the
desired event
26
Calendars
Each activity has to be assigned a calendar
Certain crews may follow different calendars
For example, the entire project team may work 5
days per week, except for one crew that works 6 or
7 days a week
The same crew may work 5 days a week at normal
times then switch to 6 or 7 days per week
27
Calendars
Computer scheduling programs can handle this
issue. The user has to be careful in the
implementation:
Global, default, and other calendars
Recurring holidays
What if a holiday happens on a weekend?
Work hours per day
Resource calendars
28
Non-Work Days
Schedulers must take in account non-work
days. This includes:
Scheduled non-work days such as:
Holidays,
Shut-downs
Unscheduled non-work days such as:
Rain days (or severe weather),
Other unforeseen interruptions
29
Think and reply in next class
Pros and cons of methods of distribution of
unscheduled non-work days:
All at the start of the schedule
All at the end of the schedule
Distributed throughout the schedule
Continuous updating reflecting reality
30
