Estimating Exam 2 Questions With Complete Solutions
"Calendar Dates" for Scheduled Activities Correct Answers
Scheduling involved:
• Adding duration time (i.e. planning units as number of days) to
activities in the logic diagram
• Network computations established activity start and finish
days, as sequential numbering count
• Need to relate "counting days" to actual "calendar dates"
Calendar dates:
• Define the project's "working days"
- M‐F or M‐Sa
- Answers "when is work expected to occur"
• Define which calendar will be used
- Federal, state, owner‐specific (e.g., VT)?
- Project specified?
"Critical Path" Correct Answers • Outcome of a network
schedule (logic diagram with activity durations included)
• Definition: "The path of activities which requires the longest
total time for project accomplishment"
• A delay in any activity on the critical path causes a delay in
completion of the overall project
• The network's "critical path" determines the minimum project
schedule, which needs to be compared to the contract
completion date (and adjustments made to the work plan as
necessary)
• The critical path may change from time to time throughout a
project, as activities are completed ahead of or behind schedule
,"Float" and "Critical Path" relationship Correct Answers Float
is the difference in time (days) between an activity's late and
early start (or late and early finish); also called "slack".
Critical Path is the head‐to‐tail path of activities through the
network (start to finish) for which each activity has zero float
time 13.
Critical path (CP) establishes the optimum sequence and
duration of operations between the first and last events
"Free" Float Correct Answers -The amount of time that an
activity can be delayed without delaying any succeeding activity
-Can only occur when two, or more, activities share the same
successor
Free Float = ESEarliest Succesor - EFActivity Evaluated
"Gantt Schedule" Correct Answers Advantages:
• Easy to read (no training required)
• Good communication tool
• Easy to update
Disadvantages:
• Activities "rolled‐up" into broad scopes
• Does not show inter‐relationships (i.e. dependencies) of
activities
• Cannot resolve impacts of delays (e.g., deliveries, work
installed, weather, etc.)
• Limited usefulness during construction phase
"Network Logic Diagram" Correct Answers • Flow chart of all
work activities needed to complete a project (from WBS)
• Depicts work activity inter‐dependencies and sequencing (i.e.,
constructor's "job plan")
, • Preference and/or experience can shape the sequencing order
• Not drawn to any scale; activity order is the objective
"Network" Schedule Correct Answers Advantages:
• Visual layout (flow chart) of all work activities in a project
• Depicts activity sequencing and inter‐dependencies (i.e., "job
plan")
• Contains activity duration and start/finish dates
• Identifies the most critical activities that should not be delayed
(i.e. "critical path")
• Establishes priorities for allocating resources (labor,
equipment, materials, and space) to operations
• Helps project managers (PMs) stay on plan
Disadvantages:
• Requires training to interpret
• Requires detailed project information
• Consumes considerable effort and expense to develop (weeks
to months)
"Total" Float Correct Answers The amount of time that an
activity can be delayed without delaying completion of the
project (i.e. impacting critical path)
Total Float = LFActivity - EFActivity (or LSActivity -
ESActivity)
A forward pass is used to determine... Correct Answers Early
start and early finish times
Analogous Method Correct Answers • Estimator makes an
analogy to the same, or similar, activity that has been performed
before
"Calendar Dates" for Scheduled Activities Correct Answers
Scheduling involved:
• Adding duration time (i.e. planning units as number of days) to
activities in the logic diagram
• Network computations established activity start and finish
days, as sequential numbering count
• Need to relate "counting days" to actual "calendar dates"
Calendar dates:
• Define the project's "working days"
- M‐F or M‐Sa
- Answers "when is work expected to occur"
• Define which calendar will be used
- Federal, state, owner‐specific (e.g., VT)?
- Project specified?
"Critical Path" Correct Answers • Outcome of a network
schedule (logic diagram with activity durations included)
• Definition: "The path of activities which requires the longest
total time for project accomplishment"
• A delay in any activity on the critical path causes a delay in
completion of the overall project
• The network's "critical path" determines the minimum project
schedule, which needs to be compared to the contract
completion date (and adjustments made to the work plan as
necessary)
• The critical path may change from time to time throughout a
project, as activities are completed ahead of or behind schedule
,"Float" and "Critical Path" relationship Correct Answers Float
is the difference in time (days) between an activity's late and
early start (or late and early finish); also called "slack".
Critical Path is the head‐to‐tail path of activities through the
network (start to finish) for which each activity has zero float
time 13.
Critical path (CP) establishes the optimum sequence and
duration of operations between the first and last events
"Free" Float Correct Answers -The amount of time that an
activity can be delayed without delaying any succeeding activity
-Can only occur when two, or more, activities share the same
successor
Free Float = ESEarliest Succesor - EFActivity Evaluated
"Gantt Schedule" Correct Answers Advantages:
• Easy to read (no training required)
• Good communication tool
• Easy to update
Disadvantages:
• Activities "rolled‐up" into broad scopes
• Does not show inter‐relationships (i.e. dependencies) of
activities
• Cannot resolve impacts of delays (e.g., deliveries, work
installed, weather, etc.)
• Limited usefulness during construction phase
"Network Logic Diagram" Correct Answers • Flow chart of all
work activities needed to complete a project (from WBS)
• Depicts work activity inter‐dependencies and sequencing (i.e.,
constructor's "job plan")
, • Preference and/or experience can shape the sequencing order
• Not drawn to any scale; activity order is the objective
"Network" Schedule Correct Answers Advantages:
• Visual layout (flow chart) of all work activities in a project
• Depicts activity sequencing and inter‐dependencies (i.e., "job
plan")
• Contains activity duration and start/finish dates
• Identifies the most critical activities that should not be delayed
(i.e. "critical path")
• Establishes priorities for allocating resources (labor,
equipment, materials, and space) to operations
• Helps project managers (PMs) stay on plan
Disadvantages:
• Requires training to interpret
• Requires detailed project information
• Consumes considerable effort and expense to develop (weeks
to months)
"Total" Float Correct Answers The amount of time that an
activity can be delayed without delaying completion of the
project (i.e. impacting critical path)
Total Float = LFActivity - EFActivity (or LSActivity -
ESActivity)
A forward pass is used to determine... Correct Answers Early
start and early finish times
Analogous Method Correct Answers • Estimator makes an
analogy to the same, or similar, activity that has been performed
before
