Query: fast track schedule project construction

title: Exploring the Quality Management Methods Adopted by Contractors in Fast Track Construction Projects in Eastern Cape
abstract: The aim of this research is to explore the quality management methods adopted by contractors in fast track construction projects by identifying the challenges experienced by the contractors and how these challenges are mitigated. To achieve the study objectives, a qualitative case study research design was applied using the narratives, in form of interviews, extracted from the contractors, clerk of works, quantity surveyors and project managers. The case studies were from projects in East London, Queenstown and Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The findings from the study suggest that majority of those interviewed have an understanding of the concept of fast track construction. The study also discovered that the most essential quality management methods adopted by contractors in fast track construction were checklist, design build, schedule compression technique, quality control plan, and Plan Do Act Check methods. The study concludes that the fast track construction approach can aid construction projects to be completed on time without jeopardising the quality standard. However, the contractors need to be meticulous in the application of the fast track construction approach considering the challenges inherent therein.

title: TIME ACCELERATION OF UNDERSTRUCTURE WORKS WITH FAST TRACK METHOD ZONING BASED (CASE STUDY: TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT JAKARTA PHASE I PROJECT)
abstract: Light Rail Transit (LRT) Jakarta Phase I construction has a special purpose of launching Asian Games 18th on August 10th, 2018. In fact, this time cannot be achieved due to decision of design in Transit Oriented Development (TOD) building but it is a critical path of the overall schedule. Therefore, zoning is made with the fast track method. The purposes of this study are to develop dominant factors of making zoning, to develop fast track method with zoning based and the proper form of zoning. The results are making zoning will be determined by manpower capacity and its risk and a grid shape of zoning is a match in an acceleration of understructure work because the overall duration can reduce 41 days.

title: RISK ASSESSMENT IN FAST TRACK CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: A CONCEPTUAL MODEL
abstract: Construction projects play a major role in the economy of a country and they are also recognized as the most exposed to risks and uncertainty. Despite the complexity of engineering problems in a construction project, a constant pressure is placed on managing the duration of the projects while meeting regulatory obligations, emergency/disaster recovery, and time to market limitations. Hence, traditional construction schedules can be compressed through schedule crashing or activity overlapping. Projects that apply activity overlapping are called fast track projects. However, risks resulting from activity overlapping can affect the project duration and compromise the fast track strategy. In this study, we analyze the overall duration of a fast track construction project subjected to various risks arising from different levels of overlapping. A conceptual model was developed using a Monte Carlo simulation to apply different levels of overlapping for each activity in a simple construction schedule. The simulation includes risk factors defined as their occurrence probability and schedule impact for each level of overlapping. The output of the model includes: the probability of attaining the desired fast track project duration under different risk scenarios, the most probable duration of the project, the most significant risks, and the activities most affected by the risks. Additionally, an optimization problem is formulated to find the optimal level of overlapping for each activity. The results can assist decision makers with information to understand how overlapping levels and project risks affect the expected project duration and what risks must be mitigated to avoid the threat of delays to the project duration.

title: Identification and Prioritization of CSFS and Perception of the Stake Holders for Fast Track Construction Projects in Pakistan
abstract: Construction industry is characterized by its unpredictability in terms of time and cost. Worldwide 85% of the projects suffer time overrun resulting in cost increase. Project management being a neglected aspect in Pakistan results in project time overrun. Many scheduling techniques are employed to regain the lost schedule, fast tracking is one such technique. Fast tracking is overlapping the project activities in order to reduce project duration with increased activity and project cost. Globally fast tracking has seen ages of practical implementation since 1960s. However being a newer trend in Pakistan, it is yet to witness maturity. Fast track projects opt for time and quality over cost and in fast track projects we accept the tradeoff between the high cost of buying time while maintaining quality. The main idea behind fast tracking is to overlap the activities which otherwise are executed in sequence. Particularly the emphasis is kept on overlapping design and the construction activities. After an extensive literature review a preliminary questionnaire containing 93 success factors was used for the pilot survey. After the pilot survey full scale survey questionnaire was prepared containing 45 success factors. The questionnaires were sent to a sample size of 63 comprising of the contractors, consultants and the construction clients. The data collected was analyzed using PASW 18 and MS Excel. After conducting the statistical tests the success factors were ranked in order of importance using RII and mean values. Keeping the mean value as the yard stick, success factors with mean value of 4 and above were identified and prioritized as the CSFs (Critical Success Factors) Similarly the stakeholder's perception on the CSFs was also evaluated. At the end conclusions and recommendations were formulated. Keeping in view the research parameters, the research's contribution is twofold, one to the local CI (Construction Industry) and other to R&D (Research and Development) community.  Fast Tracking, Construction Industry, Critical Success Factors, Stakeholder's Perception

title: An optimization based model for maximizing the benefits of fast track construction activities
abstract: Fast track construction projects have become more popular in recent years in response to growing industry demand. By allowing downstream construction activities to start with incomplete information from upstream design activities, fast tracking (through overlapping) allows for shorter project duration at the expense of potential rework. This leaves practitioners with the challenge of determining the optimal fast tracking strategy to meet project schedule requirements while avoiding excessive amounts of rework. This paper presents an optimization based model that serves as a decision support tool in scheduling fast track construction activities. The model takes into consideration information exchange between upstream and downstream activities and uses the concepts of sensitivity and evolution to maximize the net benefits of fast tracking. The model is illustrated on an ongoing construction project, which was analysed under various overlapping scenarios. The results indicate substantial time savings depending on the speed of evolution and sensitivity. The project schedule can be shortened by up to 50 days without causing excessive amounts of rework.

title: Using 4D models for tracking project progress and visualizing the owner's constraints in fast track retail renovation projects
abstract: One of the challenges of managing fast track projects is the high level of uncertainty in both project definition and scheduling. Thus, communicating this project information among stakeholders becomes crucial for its success. One of the key stakeholders is the owner, who needs this information to guide its decision making process. When the owner has incomplete progress information, and the schedule constraints are poorly detected, communicated and managed, project delays are highly likely. In this research, 4D models and some concepts from the Last Planner System (LPSTM) such as lookahead planning and constraints analysis were used in order to propose a "BIM Lean" planning approach. Thus, the identification and communication of project constraints is enabled within the project team, so they can be adequately managed. This research aimed at improving the stakeholders understanding of the project progress and planning reliability. The renovation of a shopping center, which remained operating during construction, was used as a case study. This case study allowed the project planning and progress control procedures to be assessed and the proposed planning approach to be tested. The final version of it was validated in a Charrette test conducted with both project professionals and civil engineering students. This Charrette measured the participants' understanding of the project progress and constraints management information with and without the proposed planning approach. The results showed that the planning approach improved the understanding on project progress and owner's constraints management, which was particularly valued by site professionals and owner representatives.

title: Fast Track Project Yields Economic Benefit to Community
abstract: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) solicited proposals in 2009 for relocation of their Pacific Fleet from aged facilities on Seattle's Lake Union. The Port of Newport, located in a city of 10,000 on the central Oregon coast, made the decision to respond with a proposal. Relocation of the Pacific Fleet to the Port of Newport would provide significant direct and indirect economic benefits to the community for many years. The Port of Newport was then faced with a tremendous challenge of meeting a compressed schedule to complete design, permitting, and construction of the upland and in water facilities necessary to accommodate the arrival of six research vessels and approximately 175 NOAA personnel. The most challenging element of the project, from a schedule perspective, was an 1,800 ft (550 m long by 35 ft (10.5 m wide pier structure which, due to the limited window available for in water work, had to be constructed within seven months.

title: Managing Fast Track Design and Construction Projects How to Stay on Schedule and Within Budget
abstract: Beginning in 2000, as part of the City of Houston's efforts to reduce groundwater usage and convert to surface water, a total of 45 projects have been designed and constructed under a fast track approach. These projects have involved diameters ranging between 84 inches to 30 inches and have totaled over 70 miles of pipeline in an urban setting at a cost of over $220 million. To achieve the necessary groundwater conversion, the project schedules for both design and construction have been compressed as much as 50% of the normal allowed times. As a result, project control execution and compliance was essential to completing the projects on time and within budget. Complicating the project control aspect of these projects was the need to utilize specialty sub consultants, such as SUE contractors and right of way acquisition teams. These issues, plus other critical factors (a) required the innovative approach of monitoring activities normally considered routine, (b) utilized specialty software programs for document management, and (c) developed unique tracking forms for total permitting and approval requirements. This paper presents some of the project controls "checks and balances" successfully implemented to meet the project schedule and budget constraints. Additionally, this paper will discuss areas where adequate project controls were not able to overcome some of the obstacles such as poor contractor performance and failure of timely delivery of key materials and equipment. This paper will also evaluate the successes and shortcomings of various incentives used to expedite construction activities.

title: 'Keeping the pace at river bend' Fast track planning and scheduling for a nuclear construction project
abstract: This paper summarizes the major items which supported this schedule, provides details regarding the unique labor agreement and 4 10's shift approach, and illustrates the actual progress performance achieved with quantitative project data. However, the majority of discussion covers the management information system and the planning and scheduling methods used to achieve overall accountability and effective management control.

title: Axiomatic Design Scheduling Method for Fast Track Construction
abstract: The fast tracking delivery method has received considerable attention over the last decade because of its time saving feature depending on overlapping of phases of a project. However, to implement the fast tracking construction, not only the overlapping relationship between design and construction phases, but also the estimating the reduction of the construction duration is difficult to determine. Therefore, this study applies the Axiomatic Design (AD) approach to develop a fast track scheduling method for design build project to decompose a project into work packages and further to determine the overlap relationships between work packages. Consequently, based on the determined overlap relationships, the fast track schedule can be subsequently constructed finally.