Critical Path Method (CPM) Tutor for Construction Planning and Scheduling

Should be a staple for any scheduling or construction curriculum!

Patrick Suermann, PhD, PE, LEED AP

Speed progress payments, reduce claims, and increase profitability using the Critical Path Method

Critical Path Method (CPM) Tutor for Construction Planning and Scheduling explains the practical application of the CPM and guides you through each step of the process ? from planning and communication to deciding payment and/or claims. The book focuses on the Arrow Diagram Method and the Precedence Diagram Method, the two most widely used scheduling methods.

A sample project for planning a mid-rise building applies the concepts presented in the book. Hands-on exercises and discussions illustrate how to create schedules from activity lists. The effective and consistent use of the techniques introduced in this detailed guide will allow you to:

• Reduce progress payment disputes and speed progress payment

• Plan resources for maximum productivity

• Predict owner-caused and weather delays

• Develop “get well” plans for projects that fall behind

• Correctly update progress, including out-of-sequence activities

• Meet contracts requiring CPM schedules

• Evaluate change and claim impacts; develop admissible documentation

About the author

William East, PhD, PE, F.ASCE, has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the past three decades, first as a project engineer and then as a research program manager. His evaluation of the first PC-based scheduling systems resulted in the Standard Data Exchange Format, which delivers earned-value loaded schedules on Corps of Engineers’ projects. Dr. East’s website is cpmTutor.com.