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STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
V.Thiruvengdam, Nina Lazar
ABSTRACT
Time is a resource that is constantly in use, and once spent, cannot be recovered. Additional
time, if any is available, can only be bought by giving up something else. Time is also money.
Resources especially people cannot be used over time without paying for them. Time and
schedule management is absolutely essential for project success. Thus, time is one of the
fundamental criteria of the project which may be the primary priority of a project and is a
determinant of the project outcome. The estimation of time duration of a project is difficult to
predict without the detailed documents are available and without a detailed project
scheduling. Most of the conducted research focuses on estimating cost; time was not treated
well in the literature (Dalia Mohamed, 2009). The objectives of the research presented in this
paper is to develop a time estimation model to predict the construction time duration of multistoreyed building structural systems during the early stages of project planning i.e. at a stage
when the detailed time schedule is not developed. Time estimation model was developed
separately for substructure and superstructure. The results where then modified based on an
efficiency factor derived from field studies.
INTRODUCTION
A project mainly consists of three stages like pre construction, construction and post
construction stage. In any project construction stage is the critical one which consumes a
major part of the total time period. The construction phase further involves various subtasks.
The total time duration is not the simple addition of time of each activity or takes all the
activities in parallel. The activities all in series or in parallel never happens in a construction
project. Its always the activities are sequenced in a logical manner to get an optimal time
duration. The logical sequencing is done based on the construction technology adopted,
considering various constraints etc.
developed for the estimation of time duration, but involves the detailed activity listing and will
not be able to easily estimate the time during the early stages of project planning. To easily
calculate the time duration a simple equation has to be developed for each subtask and
these subtasks when logically sequenced or added can arrive at the construction time of a
project. This paper is an attempt to develop a time estimation model for substructure without
basements (raft foundation & isolated footing) and superstructure (beam and slab system)
for multi-storeyed buildings based on certain parameters and this will later cater to the
development of an equation for the estimation of total project duration.
SCOPE OF WORK
The development of time estimation model is limited based on various parameters. The
study of substructure is limited to isolated footings and raft footing and study of framing
system is limited to beam and slab construction. Only a few parameters have been
considered for the analysis and range of their values are also limited. The changes in time
duration due to use of various formwork systems are also not considered. Also the model
has been developed for no basement case. The research was limited to office buildings. The
number of workers and construction equipments are also fixed to an optimal value and
variations in that value was not considered.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Literature study was done to understand the existing time & cost estimation. The factors
effecting the time duration of the structural systems were also identified through literature
review. A comprehensive list of parameters influencing the timeline of foundation &
superstructure of building projects was made. For each of the parameters certain range of
values was considered. Bar charts were developed for all possible combinations of the
parameters and arrived at a table consisting of the construction time duration against
considered parametric combinations. This data was then analysed using the statistical
software SPSS 20 to develop an equation for both superstructure and substructure.
Field data was collected and the developed equation was modified to suit the practical
situations by introducing an average efficiency factor.
FACTORS EFFECTING TIME DURATION OF STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
The reliability of time duration forecasts depends on adequate incorporation of impact of
variables in the schedule of substructure. The factors effecting the time duration of structural
systems were identified by analysing several research works, such as Dalia Mohamed
(2009),. The factors effecting time duration of substructure & superstructure identified from
the literature study are given in below in Table 1, Table 3 respectively
Table 1- Factors effecting time duration of substructure
1
General details
Duration details
Site conditions
The parameters above mentioned are subsequently resolved to attain the following as
shown below in Table 2
As per grid
2. Module size
3. No floors
2,4,6,8,10
4. % of foundation shuttering
25%, 50%
5. Type of foundation
General details
Building
details
Duration
details
for each activities like casting of columns, casting of beam & slab
Site conditions
Superstructure
details
3
4
5
6
7
Details of men
& machinery
Cost details
Batching plant capacity, Avg. production of concrete per day, Total no.
of workers, no. of carpenters, no of bar benders, no of excavators,
cranes, bar bending machine and other equipments, % of shuttering
Total building cost, cost of structure above ground
The parameters above mentioned are subsequently resolved to attain the following as
shown below in Table 4
Table 4 - Factors & values considered for analysis of superstructure
Due to the limitation of the research the factors have been limited to the above mentioned.
For a more accurate analysis other parameters can also be considered.
33
37
45
38
41
47
53
57
63
56
61
66
23
26
29
29
31
30
31
33
39
40
24
27
32
37
37
31
32
37
43
47
This set of data was then analysed using a statistical software SPSS to find out the linear
relationship between the various factors and their relationship with time duration. Using
multiple linear regression an equations were developed with time as dependent variable and
other factors as independent variables. The four valid equations were developed using
SPSS. All the equations were validated and having least variation (+-) 7 days from the actual
duration was selected.
Duration = 31.070 + 0.036 (Plinth area) + 1.677 (No of floors) - 0.223 (% of shuttering)
-13.377 (Foundation type)..Equation
sl
no
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TIME
% of
column
% of slab
shuttering shuttering
20
100
20
100
20
100
20
50
25
100
25
100
25
100
25
50
33
100
33
100
33
100
33
50
DURATION FOR
no of
zones(stages of
concreting)
1
2
5
2
1
2
4
2
1
2
3
2
CYCLE TIME
time
time
duration
duration
for GF
for FF
21
24
21
24
20
23
31
34
21
24
21
24
20
23
31
34
21
24
21
24
20
23
31
34
Relationship
FS+2 days
FS-7 days
FS-12 days
FS+2 days
FS+2 days
FS-11 days
FS-6 days
FS+2 days
FS+2 days
FS-7 days
FS-9 days
FS+2 days
This set of data was then analysed using a statistical software SPSS to find out the linear
relationship between the various factors and their relationship with cycle time. Using multiple
linear regression an equations were developed with time as dependent variable and other
factors as independent variables. The four valid equations were developed using SPSS. All
the equations were validated and having least variation (+-) 5 days from the actual cycle
time was selected.
Cycle time = 44.210 +0.020(Floor plate area) - 0.32 (% of slab shutter)-2.906 (no of
stages of conc.)+0.016 (No of floors) - 0.051 (% of column shutter)..Equation
The cycle time when multiplied by no of stories will give the total time duration for
construction of superstructure.
DATA COLLECTION & MODIFICATION OF THE MODEL
The equations made cannot be compared with the field study data directly, as in field the
time duration is affected by various other factors which account for time delay which cannot
be predicted and are project specific, that change from project to project. So to account for
that difference in time duration an average efficiency factor was found out as shown in the
table 8 & table 9 below for both substructure and superstructure respectively.
Table 8 - Average efficiency factor for substructure based on field studies
*Final equation for substructure = (Equation for substructure / Average efficiency Factor)
Table 9 - Average efficiency factor for substructure based on field studies
*Final equation for superstructure = (Equation for cycle time* no of stories/ Average
efficiency Factor)
Once time estimation model made for various subsystems they can be integrated to find out
total duration of a project.
REFERENCES
Christian Stoy, F. D. H.-R. S., 2007. Construction Duration of Residential Building
Projects in Germany. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management.
Dalia Mohamed, F. S. W. T. a. T. Z., 2009. A Prediction Model for Construction
Project Time Contingency. Construction Research Congress.
Gupta, A., 2009. Study of productivity and productivity enhancing techniques for
a RCC multi-storeyed building. Department of Building Engineering and
Management, School of Planning and Architecture: s.n.
Hazem Yahia, H. H. M. E. A. R., 2011. Time Contingency Assessment in
Construction Projects in Egypt using Artificial Neural Network Model.
Ifte Choudhury, S. S. R., 2009. Time cost relationship for residential construction
in Texas.
Long Le-Hoai, y. D. L., 2009. Time cost relationships of building construction
project in Korea.
M.Mullaivalavan, n.d. Time management for a multi-storey RCC Building.
Department of Building Engineering and Management, School of Planning and
Architecture: s.n.
Mathew, R., 1987. Simulation of Duration of a Housing Project. Department of
Building Engineering and Management, School of Planning and Architecture: s.n.
N, S., 2001. Time Estimate for RCC Structure. Department of Building
Engineering and Management, School of 201Planning and Architecture: s.n.