Modelling the boundaries of project fast-tracking

Ballesteros-Pérez, P. (2017) Modelling the boundaries of project fast-tracking. Automation in Construction, 84. pp. 231-241. ISSN 0926-5805 doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2017.09.006

Abstract/Summary

Fast-tracking a project involves carrying out sequential activities in parallel, partially overriding their original order of precedence, to reduce the overall project duration. The current predominant mathematical models of fast-tracking are based on the concepts of activity sensitivity, evolution, dependency and, sometimes, information exchange uncertainty, and aim to determine optimum activity overlaps. However, these models require some subjective inputs from the scheduler and most of them neglect the merge event bias. In this paper, a stochastic model for schedule fast-tracking is proposed. Relevant findings highlight the existence of a pseudo-physical barrier that suggests that the possibility of shortening a schedule by more than a quarter of its original duration is highly unlikely. The explicit non-linear relationship between cost and overlap has also been quantified for the first time. Finally, manual calculations using the new model are compared with results from a Genetic Algorithm through a case study.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/72593
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of the Built Environment
Uncontrolled Keywords	Concurrent engineering; Scheduling; Fast-tracking; Activity crashing; Schedule compression; Activity overlap
Publisher	Elsevier
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