Critical chain project management for a highway construction project with a focus on theory of constraints

Abstract

This article aims at developing an enhanced critical chain project management (CCPM) framework for effective implementation of projects related to construction. CCPM is the method for construction scheduling for solving constraints such as project difficulty, resource scarcity, and duration uncertainty. Buffer sizing and multiple resources levelling play a key role in ensuring successful schedule management. The proposed framework improves buffer sizing by integrating the various uncertainties that affect construction scheduling. Case study of a highway project in India has been undertaken and the results showed that the proposed framework out performed existing buffer sizing methods by generating buffers with reasonable sizes and sufficient robustness. Considering the concept of theory of constraints (TOC), the present study also aims at developing a methodology for analysing bottlenecks to promote improvements in the highway projects in India through formulation of current reality tree, evaporating cloud or conflict diagram, future reality tree (FRT) and prerequisite tree (PrT).