Developing a Network Model

These flashcards cover the fundamental vocabulary and steps involved in developing a network model for construction scheduling, including activity types, constraints, IPA logic, and network analysis concepts.

Activity Definition

A discrete part of a project that can be identified for planning, scheduling, monitoring, and controlling the construction project; it consumes time and usually resources.

Production/Construction Activities

Work activities specifically related to the physical building of a project, such as excavating, placing concrete, and interior wall framing.

Procurement Activities

Activities involving the acquisition of materials, labor, equipment, and financing, such as ordering windows or mobilizing specialized contractors.

Management Activities

Administrative tasks including obtaining permits, engineering approvals, mobilization/demobilization, and project start-up and testing.

Constraints

Factors that dictate why an activity must or cannot start at a certain point in time, categorized as physical, resource, safety, financial, environmental, management, or contractual.

Dependencies

Logical relationships between activities that help determine the order in which they must occur.

IPA (Immediate Preceding Activities)

The list of activities and their dependencies that remains after all redundant dependencies have been removed.

Redundant Dependency

A situation where a predecessor ($P_n$) of an activity ($A$) is also a predecessor of another immediate predecessor ($P_1$) of that same activity.

Network Model Notations

The two primary methods used to draw a network diagram: arrow diagrams and precedence diagrams.

Dangling Activities

Activities in a network diagram that are not connected to subsequent tasks; these should be avoided except for the first and last activities of the project.

Activity Durations

Estimated time values for activities determined by using quantity and productivity data.

Network Analysis

The process of calculating early and late start/finish times, identifying critical paths, and computing float values.

Critical Path

The sequence of activities that determines the minimum time needed to complete a project, identified by computing float values.

Quantity and Productivity

The two primary variables used to calculate activity durations; for example, dividing $280\,LF$ by a daily output of $100\,LF$ to determine duration.