Chapter 2 - Bar Chart CHAPTER 2 BAR CHART 2.1 INTRODUCTION A Bar Chart is probably the easiest planning tool to use and understand. It is a visual chart which shows planning information graphically. A Bar Chart is divided into columns and rows. The first column usually lists activities in the logical order of construction and the other columns sepresent a time scale, Horizontal bars represent activities. Bars show the start and finish points (durations) of each activity, the logical sequence in which activities will be constructed and dependencies among activities. The advantages of using Bar Charts are numerous: (a) They are quick and easy to draw, and easy to understand; (b) No special equipment is required to produce them; (©) Starting and finishing dates of activities can be easily determined; (@) They are effective for monitoring of progress; (©) They are excellent for communication project information. However, Bar Charts have a number of inherent disadvantages: (@) Unless they are produced as linked bar charts, relationships between activities are not defined; () Because of (a) above it is too easy to skim over the practical logic of the plan leading to a false sense of security; (©) Critical activities are not defined. The process of developing a bar chart consists of the following steps: STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4: STEP 5: STEP 6 Identify the work to be done Determine what level of detail planning is required and what level of accuracy is appropriate Break the work down into activities and list them Prepare a logic diagram (put activities into the sequence that you hope will actually happen on site, i.e, build the job on paper first). Determine durations of activities and necessary resources (people, equipment, materials) necessary to carry out such activities. Record such information in Method Statements. Against a time scale of the bar chart draw each activity as a single line representing its duration; qi) Maintain the LOGIC of order of construction ii) Consider resources - two crew can't be in the same place at the same time. page 13Chapter 2 - Bar Chart STEP 7 Highlight key trades and key activities on the chart (remember, they may not be the true critical activities). Check resources to see if there are too many people required at the one time. If the programme is RESOURCE driven then durations may have to be changed to smooth out the resources and avoid congestion, bottle-necks and further delays. STEP 8 Review what has been done. Does it all make sense? Can the planner understand it? “Has the planner included enough information to make the plan work? What has been forgotten? Is there a better way? Does it satisfy the requirements of the overall project plan? STEP 9 If all the questions in step 8 are O.K., get going and make sure the plan is put to use. STEP 10 Regularly check actual work against the plan. Mark off what has been done and show what has yet to be done. 1s work ahead or behind your planned time? Why? What is going to be done about it? 2.2 EXAMPLE Prepare a plan for the work associated with foundation and footings of a small office building. The work can be broken down into the following main tasks: bulk excavation and footing excavation for walls and columns forming, reinforcing and concreting of wall and column footings forming, reinforcing, concreting and stripping of basement walls forming, reinforcing, concreting and stripping of columns These main tasks can be further broken down to into specific activities as follows: Bulk Excavation Excavate Trench - Wall Footings Excavate Trench - Column Footings Form Wall Footings Reinforce Wall Footings Place Wall Footings Strip Wall Footings Form Basement Walls Reinforce Basement Walls Place Basement Walls Strip Basement Walls Form Column Footings Reinforce Column Footings Place Column Footings Strip Column Footings Clean-up and Complete Foundation Time calculations are presented in Table 2/1 and Method Statements in Table 2/2. A bar chart for the example is shown in Figure 2/1. page 14Chapter 2 - Bar Chart Table 2/1. Time calculations Total Typical © CalcRounded Mh/ —Mh/ ‘Crew Days Days Quan Unit Unit Req'd Size Req’d Req'd Bulk Excavation 9,000 m3 0.01 9 15 15 8 Trench Excav. - Walls 100m} ONL i2.1 3 0.5 1 Trench Excav. - Columns 40 m O11 4.4 3 0.2 1 Formwork: Wall Footings 170 =m? 0,55 93.5 4 29 3 Column Footings 140 m2 0.60 84 4 2.6 3 Walls 805m 1.02 821 12 8.6 9 Concrete: Wall Footings 30 m3 0.7 21 8 0.33 1 Columns Footings 40 m3 1.3 52 8 0.81 1 Walls 130 m3 0.8 104 8 1.63 2 Reinfor.: Wall Footings 0.8 Ths 16 12.8 2 0.8 1 Column Footings 1 Tns 16 16 2 1 1 Walls 2.6 Ths ll 28.6 2 18 2 Strip.: Wall Footings 170 om 0.21 35.7 4 11 2 Column Footings 140 m2 0.19 26.6 4 83 1 Walls 805 m2 (0.33266 4 8.3 9 Table 2/2. Method Statements Resour Requir Actual Requir Time Output No. of Output Output Quant Unit in Days per Day Resour per Day per Day Bulk Excavation 9,000 = m3 8 1,125 1m} Track Excavator 500 2 1,000 1/3m3 Backhoe 80 2 160 Labour 15 page 15Chapter 2 - Bar Chart i — TRENDH EXC. ALL Sj TREND EXC. OL. 5 FORH EALL FOOT — EIN. WLL FOOT - cone wrt Foor - STRIP WALL 007. — FORM BASE WALL — EINE. BPS WALL CONCRETE BASE BRLL STRIP BASE WALL ome COL. Fo0T — EINE. COL. FOOT. 5 CONCRETE COL FOOT 5 svaIP oat. Foor: = cLerNuP Figure 2/1. A bar chart page 16