Construction Management 588
Construction Operations and Productivity

Course Introduction

Welcome to CM 588! Courses in construction operations are relatively rare; there are only three or four courses among the top 50 United States universities with large numbers of civil engineering and construction management graduates. Yet construction operations are essential in heavy construction.

This course focuses on the study of heavy construction operations with emphasis on productivity enhancement. An integrated approach to planning, modeling, analysis, and design of construction operations is presented, and the use of simulation models and other analytical tools are examined. The course content is broadly applicable in whichever state or country you reside.

This is a required course for the Certificate Program in Heavy Construction Project Management, and for the distance learning Master of Science in Construction Management or Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering program. You will have ten weeks in which to complete all course requirements

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to give you

• an introduction to construction operations and productivity;
• detailed information on modeling construction operations; and
• detailed information about productivity of construction operations.

At the end of this course, you will be able to

• define a construction operation, and contrast this definition with that of a construction activity;
• model construction operations in detail using the CYCLONE paradigm;
• explain the basic concepts associated with productivity of construction operations;
• gather information to analyze the productivity of construction operations;
• design productivity improvement programs; and
• implement productivity improvement strategies, including lean construction principles.

Is This Course For You?

To take advantage of all this course offers, and to actively participate in the learning process, you need knowledge of construction methods and materials. Therefore, you must have an undergraduate degree in either construction management or civil and environmental engineering before enrolling in this course.

About the Online Environment

For some learners, online courses can be challenging because of the lack of in-person communication. However, online courses also offer advantages—they allow you to work at your own pace, you get more individualized assistance from the instructor, and you can use online technologies that work to create community with your fellow students. In addition, you can take advantage of a wide variety of online resources to help you succeed.

Catalyst Tools

This course makes use of three online tools created by the University of Washington's Catalyst program: discussion forum, electronic quizzes, and a portfolio tool.

• Discussion forums provide you with a place to exchange ideas outside of class, any time, from any Internet-connected computer.
• Electronic quizzes enable you to take surveys and quizzes online.
• The portfolio tool allows you to collect, annotate, arrange, and display on the Web a variety of digital "artifacts" illustrating your accomplishments.

Required Materials

Readings

You do not need to purchase a textbook for this course. The following required articles are available online. You'll find links to them in the appropriate lessons and in the course calendar.

• Zayed, Tarek M. and Halpin, Daniel. "Simulation of Concrete Batch Plant Production." Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, March/April, 2001, 132–141.
  This paper illustrates the use of the CYCLONE modeling technique, a concept presented in Lesson Two. In this paper, simulation is applied to concrete batching operations to analyze alternative solutions and resource management. Data are collected to define activity durations for the plant. A simulation model is constructed for the plant using the MicroCYCLONE simulation system. Based on sensitivity analysis, management tools are constructed to help the decision-maker.
• Rojas, Eddy M., and Aramveerekul, Peerapong. "Is Construction Labor Productivity Really Declining?" Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, January/February, 2003, 41–46.
  This paper is an example of macroeconomic productivity analysis, a concept explained in Lesson Three. It critically examines the construction labor productivity macroeconomic data in the United States from 1979 to 1998 to determine its validity and reliability. Macroeconomics data suggest labor productivity declined significantly in the construction industry during the period from 1979 through 1998. However, microeconomic studies indicate the contrary. Data collection, distribution, manipulation, analysis, and interpretation are reviewed and problems are identified.
• Jergeas, George and Van der Put, John. "Benefits of Constructability on Construction Projects." Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, July/August, 2001, 281–290.
  This paper illustrates the constructability concept explained in Lesson Four through a study undertaken in Canada to identify the most significant gaps between the potential benefits of applying constructability principles to industrial projects and the benefits typically realized in industry practice. This study also reviews the barriers that commonly restrict constructability benefits.
• Rojas, Eddy M., and Aramveerekul, Peerapong. "Labor Productivity Drivers and Opportunities in the Construction Industry." Journal of Management in Engineering, ASCE, April, 2003. pp. 78–82.
  This paper presents the results of a survey instrument applied to determine the relative level of relevance of construction labor productivity drivers and opportunities. It captures the opinions of owners, general contractors, electrical contractors, mechanical contractors, consultants, and others regarding productivity improvements, a topic covered in Lesson Five. Management skills and manpower issues are identified as the two areas with the greatest potential for productivity improvement.
• Anand, K.B. and Ramamurthy, K. "Laboratory-based Productivity Study on Alternative Masonry Systems." Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, June 2003, 237–242.
  This paper illustrates the activity sampling method explained in Lesson Six by describing a study performed in India regarding relative productivity assessment of conventional and interlocking-block masonry with different construction methods. Activity sampling adopting the five-minute rating technique is used to measure the use of time by members of the team. The frequencies of occurrences of each work category are established.

Course Elements

Lessons

The course is organized into eight online lessons to be completed in the ten weeks allotted. The time allocated for each lesson is typically one week, Monday through Sunday, although Lessons Two and Six are two-week lessons. Topic and duration for each lesson are shown in table i.1, below

Lesson	Topic	Duration
One: Fundamentals of Construction Operations	An introduction to the course, definition of the hierarchy of construction, and description of the different models available for construction operations.	One week
Two: Modeling Construction Operations	The CYCLONE model for construction operations—basic elements, entity flows, the modeling procedure, procedures for defining flow units and modeling flow unit cycles, and the network structure.	Two weeks
Three: Productivity—The Basics	A definition of productivity. Developing goals for construction projects, and characteristics and complexities of the construction industry.	One week
Four: Construction Planning	The scope of construction planning. Constructability reviews, and management responsibility assignment plans, jobsite plans, material management plans, equipment acquisition and installation plans, and work task assignment plans.	One week
Five: Productivity Improvement	The role of construction managers in improving productivity. Putting together productivity improvement programs, adopting a productivity improvement plan, overcoming difficulties of productivity improvement programs, and productivity improvement and human issues.	One week
Six: Data Gathering for Productivity Improvement	Statistical aspects, questionnaires, interviews, activity sampling, and recording present work-force practices.	Two weeks
Seven: Presenting and Analyzing Productivity Data	Techniques for data presentation and analysis, analyzing work in progress, and formal techniques for analyzing work-improvement data.	One week
Eight: Lean Construction	An introduction to the topic of lean construction, its origins in the manufacturing industry, and application in the construction domain.	One week

Readings and Online Quizzes

The reading assignments provide background material, and a good expansion of each of the lesson's major teaching points. You should read the online lesson narrative first, and then the assigned paper.

After reading each paper, you should complete the corresponding online quiz. Quizzes are due by 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the designated Mondays.

All reading assignments are required; you must read this material or you will find it difficult, or impossible, to complete the quizzes.

Study Questions

You'll find a link to study questions near the end of each lesson. These ungraded questions are for your personal review of the material presented in that lesson. Use them to make sure you understand and can apply key concepts. If you find you cannot answer a question to your satisfaction, review the related reading and lesson parts, or contact the instructor for clarification.

Discussion Forum

An online discussion forum will be conducted each week to address any of your questions regarding the lessons, the assigned readings, or the course project, and to encourage you to exchange ideas, comments and questions among yourselves and with the instructor. Participation in the discussion forum constitutes 20% of your final grade in the course.

You will study each online lesson, then post a minimum of one comment, question, or reply per week. Comments about the applicability of the material studied in the lesson to your own work experience, both now and in the past, are welcome and encouraged. Comments and questions can also regard the reading assignments, material covered during the week, or assignments. Replies can address either questions or comments made by other students or the instructor.

The objective of the discussion forum is to motivate you to review the online lessons, read the required readings, think about the issues addressed in the assigned readings, interact with the rest of the class, and ask any questions while your instructor is available. The instructor may not be available during the weekend.

Portfolio Assignments

There will be four Portfolio assignments in this course. The first assignment requires you to create your own Portfolio with biographical information, using the Catalyst Portfolio tool. The other assignments constitute the course project. For these assignments, you will need to identify and work with a construction project in your local area, and select a construction operation for further study. The scope and complexity of the selected operation should be suitable for:

1. an in-depth analysis of the operation;
2. the development of at least two alternatives to the current construction operation; and,
3. the development of specific recommendations for the improvement of the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of the operation.

You will publish your Portfolios on the Web, using features of the Catalyst Portfolio tool, and then e-mail the Web address (URL) to your instructor. The instructor will create a Web page with links to all the portfolios for the benefit of all. Portfolio parts are due by 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the designated Mondays.

Assessment

The following elements will make up your final course grade:

Assessment	Points
Quiz 1 (Zayed article)	5
Quiz 2 (Rojas article)	5
Quiz 3 (Jergeas article)	5
Quiz 4 (Rojas article)	5
Quiz 5 (Anand article)	5
Portfolio 1	5
Portfolio 2	15
Portfolio 3	20
Portfolio 4	15
Discussion Participation	20
TOTAL	100

Grading Policies

• Late work is generally not accepted unless you e-mail the instructor an explanation for the late submission.
• You can continually improve your portfolio submissions until the last date of the course based on instructor and classmate suggestions and comments.
• Final grades for portfolios are determined after the last day of classes.

Online Quizzes

Each online quiz consists of three to seven multiple choice questions. Your grade is calculated based on the number of questions answered correctly, as compared to the total number of questions in a particular quiz. For example, if you answer five of seven questions correctly, your grade will equal 5 divided by 7 multiplied by 5, or (5/7)(5) = 3.57 points.

Portfolios

Each portfolio will be graded according to the following rubric:

Points	Rationale
100%	Excellent and exceptional work for a graduate student. Work at this level is consistently creative, thorough, well-reasoned, insightful, and well-written, showing clear recognition and incisive understanding of the important materials and issues. The assignment is of outstanding, professional quality. The value of the individual's contributions to this course is considerable, and positively affects the learning of all participants.
90%	Strong work for a graduate student. Work at this level sometimes shows signs of creativity, is thorough and well- reasoned, and demonstrates clear recognition and good understanding of the important materials and issues. The assignments may lack professional quality, but demonstrate effort and concern for quality. The value of individual contributions to the course is strong, and occasionally significant.
80%	Competent and sound work for a graduate student. Work is well-reasoned and thorough, but not especially creative or insightful. The student shows adequate understanding of the important materials and issues, although that understanding may be somewhat incomplete. Work submitted is competent, but not remarkable. The value of individual contributions to the course is such that they do not influence the quality of the course one way or the other. This grade indicates neither exceptional strengths nor exceptional weaknesses, but is the grade for "average" graduate performance.
70%	Adequate work for a graduate student. Work is moderately thorough and well-reasoned, but with some indications that some of the important materials and issues are less than complete, and perhaps inadequate for graduate study. The value of individual contributions to the course is minimal. However, the work is above the minimal expectations for the course.
60%	Borderline work for a graduate student. Work barely meets the minimal expectations for the course, and may occasionally fall below them. Understanding of the important materials and issues is incomplete, or has not been demonstrated. There is little positive value in the individual contributions to the course, and there may even be negative effects on the overall learning. Consistent overall performance at this level would be below standards for adequate graduate student performance.

Adapted from the rubric presented in "Introduction to Comprehensive Emergency Management" by Bob Freitag

Discussion Forum

You are required to participate in the forum every week by either submitting comments or questions, or replying to comments or questions. Your grade will be determined based on the number and quality of your participation throughout the course, as follows:

• If you participate every week and provide insightful comments, questions, or replies, you will earn full credit: 20 points.
• If you do not participate at all, or provide meaningless contributions, you will receive no credit for the forum: 0 points.
• Partial credit will be assigned if you position yourself somewhere between these two cases, based on the judgment of the instructor at the end of the period.

Final Grade

To translate your final point total to the UW numerical system, your final grade is determined by dividing the total number of your points by 25. For example, if you have accumulated 70 points by the end of the course, you will receive a final grade of 2.8, or 70 / 25.

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