Normally, a client asks the architect for an estimate of the construction time for the project. The client can then incorporate this estimate in the overall development schedule.
The contractor should prepare a detailed construction schedule for use in administering the work of subcontractors and the contractors own forces. The contractor should be requested to submit the schedule to the architect and the client within 30 days of contract award. The schedule will also form the basis for the contractors development of a shop drawing schedule.
A construction schedule can consist simply of a bar chart for each item of work or a breakdown for the major trades on the project. Alternatively, the schedule can be highly detailed; for example, a critical-path-method (CPM) schedule. This is recommended for large projects for monitoring the critical-path item at any point in time, since the critical path can change, depending on actual construction conditions.
The contractor should monitor and update the schedule monthly during the construction phase so that the anticipated completion and move-in date can be verified or adjusted. If the completion date cannot be adjusted and the schedule appears to be of concern, more work time (overtime) may be required to maintain the nonadjusted schedule. This could have an impact on cost, depending on how the client-contract agreement was structured.
The construction schedule is an extremely meaningful tool in monitoring the construction process. It can assist the architects ongoing role in quality control during the construction phase, when the management of the building process is transferred to, and becomes the responsibility of, the contractor. The schedule also is a meaningful tool for use by all trades involved in the building process. The schedule affects trades in different ways, depending on the size of the labor force, availability of material and personnel hoisting equipment, access to the work, coordination of subcontractors work with material suppliers, material testing agencies involved, preparation of mock-ups, shop-drawing submittals, and general overall construction coordination issues.
