1 Units for Planning

Planning work hours per week: 56

Planning workdays per week: 7

Planning weeks per month: 4.3

2 Structural Works Cycle Time

Cycle time for in-situ RC high-rise building using system FW: 9-12d

Cycle time for in-situ RC high-rise building using conventional FW: 13-16d

Cycle time for the initial story or roof part: 17-20d

Cycle time for steel structure with Bondek system: 5-7d

3 Architectural Works Cycle Time

3.1 General sequence

Skim coat (before brick wall to have no-block move around of the scaffold) > Brick wall and
window / door frame > M and E piping > Internal plastering > Waterproofing > Screeding >
Aluminium Works (refer to the framework. The external aluminium works can start when the
structure goes up to certain level so that the frame work can work downwards) > Wall tile /
marble > Suspended ceiling > Floor tile / marble > Window glazing > Kitchen cabinet >
Wardrobes > Floor parquet > Door panel / ironmongery > Internal painting > Sanitary ware >
External plastering > External painting (external plastering and painting are independent from
internal finishing works).

3.2 Cycle Time

The architectural works is carried out trade by trade. The cycle time for each trade shall not be
faster than the structural work cycle time.

4 Sectional Construction Period

1 Basement including piling work: 6-10m

Architectural and M&E works after completion of structural works:

 - For Condominium: 6m

- For Factory: 4m

5 Construction Joint and Zone / Block

Follow the design sector, e.g., block, pour strip, etc.

1/3 of a beam

Consider pre-stressed concrete length for work. The pour strip is a natural division.

Not more than 800-m2

Consider access when sequencing construction zones (not to block the access)

6 General Architectural Works Sequence

6.1 Internal Finishes

When N-level is under structural construction, the N-1 level is maintained propping and
strutting. The N-2 level starts brickwork and followed by M&E piping.

“Wet” first then “Dry”. That is to say, for a room or a confined space, start “wet” trades
(skim coat, plastering, floor screeding, tiling, marbling, etc.), then “dry” trades (partition,
carpentry work, steel work, etc.).

“Top” first then “down”. For several concurrently running “wet” trades or “dry” trades,
work starts from the ceiling, to the wall, to the kicker and floor. For example, normally, do
suspended ceiling first, then do floor marble and tiles. This is because the finishing sealant to
the ceiling panel is somehow a “wet” trade, and may drop down to the floor.

6.2 External Finishes

Generally, there is no constraint between internal and external finishing works.

Two types of external finishes: “wet” and “dry”. “Wet” refers to the traditional painting,
and “dry” refer to the envelope type of curtain structure attached to the structure, such as
cladding stone, curtain wall, etc.

Vertically, for a high-rise building, it may divide the whole external wall into several
“zones” and separate them with temporary protection platform. Sequence is always from the
top to down.
7 General M&E Works Sequence
From the view of the system, the M&E works can be categorized as plumbing and sanitary
works, electrical works, mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning and fire protection
system.

From the view of the actual work, the M&E works can be sequenced as: sleeve penetration
and embedded components > metal work (tray, channel, etc.) and piping > cable pulling >
equipment installation.

Penetration and embedded components start with the structural works. Piping underneath
the ceiling and along the wall starts with the brickwork.

8 Standard Design Procedures

Note: the commencement of design may be earlier than the award of contract by 2m.
9 Standard Completion Stage
10 Standard Procedures for Material and Shop Drawing
Preparation, Submission and Approval for Architectural Works
11 Standard Procedures for Material and Shop Drawing
Preparation, Submission and Approval for M&E Works
 How to Evaluate a Programme
INTRODUCTION

Working out a master programme is a challenge. More often than not, it is like the planner's
craftwork to satisfy all parties' requirements, be it contractual key dates, sequence of work, cost
and resource balance. When it comes to evaluate the programme, the planner must be able to
present his works in clear, concise and understandable terms to his bosses as well as co-workers.
Since programming is a highly specialized work, communication is important to get common
understanding among all team players. Though there is no such standard to evaluate a
programme, still there is some kind of normal practice around in this field. The followings are
the writer's views.

PROGRAMME MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS

Just as the drawing is the product on the paper, the programme is the model of the construction
relating all activities with time. So the primary purpose of the programme is to reflect the
construction sequence that is, scheduling. Resource and costing are the by-products based on the
schedule. Activities shall be coded, duration shall be worked out and sequence of work shall be
logically linked in line with the method statement and sequence of work.
With widely use of the computer aided planning software, the programme is getting more
detailed. Less-detailed programme is only used for tendering or the preliminary use. For the
actual project, the number of activities for a baseline programme can easily exceed more than
1000, and sometimes up to a few thousands. Detailed programme makes tracking the progress
easier when the job is on the road. Also, since the activity duration shall reflect the quantity,
production rate and resources, a reasonable detailed programme is needed. Generally, the more
detail the programme is, the more confidence the planner and other project players have. On the
other hands, too detailed programme will make progress updating troublesome and not practical
when the project is underway. Generally, the level of the detail shall not be more than the BOQ
items (you may take the programme as another version of BOQ). Level 4 is usually enough.
The modern way of programme is built on top of the 3D drawings. Imagine to lego a simplified
building. Components of building are erected according to the sequence of work with resource /
cost built in. This will greatly impress the client and we may call it 4D model.
The traditional CPM based programming software is effective in modeling the physical works
with strong logical relationships. However, this model has shortcomings to simulate the not-so
logical relation type of activities, for example, architectural finishing works, submission and
approval procedures (whether to the client or the relevant authorities). For this, establishment of
milestones, or constraint analysis or a typical checklist will be more useful.

PROGRAMME MUST BE PRACTICAL AND USEFUL

How many times have you seen the A1 sized bar chart pasted on the meeting room wall for
months, and in the end nobody bothers to look at it? To make the programme useful, the
management system shall be set up first. The programme fundamentally shall be from the guys
who will use the programme and who are to implement it. The planner is merely the "facilitator"
from this point of view. Since there are so many guys with different disciplines and background,
the planner shall be able to sort the thing out, organize the thing in logic order and present the
thing to get common understand. Also, before the programme is ready to go, all concerned
parties must sign off the programme to commit it. Proper documented procedures must be
established to make this happen.

CRITERIA TO EVALUATE A PROGRAMME

-The programme shall be developed from the framework of the contractual key dates. If the
contractor's key dates are planned earlier than the contractual key dates, no critical path appears
(the critical path is on the contractual key dates which are assigned "finish no early than" and
"finish no later than" constraints).

-The programme shall be complete. From the view of the project life, it shall include submission
and approval (shop drawings, method statement, relevant approving authorities), procurement /
manufacturing / fabrication / delivery, mobilization, construction and installation, testing and
commissioning.

-No negative float at all during planning stage.

-Is critical path or near critical path make sense based on past experience, method statement and
common sense? Here the judgment plays a role because we know before programming that some
area of works falls on the critical path.

-Are there artificial leads or lags and constraints? User assigned lead / lag time and constraints
override the network logic in calculating early and late dates and float. Constraints are only used
when the contract specifies.

-Theoretically, there shall be no open activities except for the start and finish key dates. That is
to say, only one entrance and one exit to go through the programme. In other words, the very
start activity has no predecessor, and the last activity has no successor. All activities but the very
first and last shall have both predecessor and successor. In actual job, this rule is sometimes
difficult to follow unless the programme is pretty small. Early start constraint has to be assigned
to the "very hard to decide" activity where its predecessor is difficult to define.

-Most activities shall have only one predecessor and one successor, or in some cases, only have
soft (resource constraint) and hard (logic constraint) links. Too many predecessor and successor
tend to confuse the logic.

-Most activities relationship shall be in FS (the conventional way) and it depicts the sequence of
works in the network. The more detailed the programme is, the more activities use FS
relationship.

-Grouping under one activity code's value by summarizing (e.g. "Location" or "area") shall not
have unnecessary gap. This means, the work shall be carried on smoothly without interruption.
-Duration can not be too long or too short. This means that the programme shall have reasonable
degree of detail. Similarly to the resource and cost allocation.

-Total float shall make sense and explanatory.

-Resource curve shall maintain in a normal distribution pattern.

-The resource envelope formed by planned early and late curve shall be typical, meaning, can not
be too "fat" or too "thin". This is controlled by duration and total float.

-Description shall be specific enough, that is, not relying on the activity code, one can understand
the scope of work.

-Use the milestone to transfer the interface key dates from one stage to another or for different
areas of work.

-Add log notes after description on the bar to explain the planner's intention.

All these criteria are guidelines only. Sometimes the planner must compromise one aspect of
criteria in order to meet the other. It is like artwork in this sense.

Resource under P3
Concept
Define Resource under Apply Resource to an
"Data" activity
Resource Unit Manhours or "Hrs" in short
Resource Production:
1) Rate: Unit per day (Hrs/d)
2) Budgeted Quantity Hrs
Resource Limit Hrs / d
Resource Price:
1) Rate: $ / Hrs
2) Budgeted Cost $

Example
Take sample file "APEX" for instance. Activity ID “AS310” and description “Site Preparation”.

Resource Name: FLD EN3

Limit: 8 Hrs / d
Price: $17 / Hrs

Unit per day: 4 Hrs / d

OD: 10d

Percent Complete: 80%

OD=10d

RD=OD (1-Pct)=10d x 0.2=2d

Pct=80%

Budgeted Quantity (BQ)=Unit per day x OD=4x10=40 Hrs

(or: direct input: man hours for this activity)

Budgeted Cost (BC)=Price x Budgeted Qty=$17x40=$680

(or: direct input: amount for this activity)

Actual to date (earn value)=$680x0.8=$544

To complete=BC-544=680-544=$136

Actual to date (earn value)=40x0.8=32 Hrs

To complete=BQ-32=40-32=8 Hrs
Schedulin
g

Resource

Cost
Resource Profile
Resource Usage
Resource Limit

Earn Value
• Earn value for resource: BQWP=Budgeted Quantity for Work Performed=Actual to date
(resource)
• Earn value for cost: BCWP=Budgeted Cost for Work Performed=Actual to date (cost)

Resource and Cost Applied to an Activity

One activity can be applied more than one resource and more than one cost account.
Baseline
Baseline=Base Plan=Target Plan