Project Scheduling- Externalities
One of the biggest Design Economics problems is locking down a project's schedule. In this course, we will learn about project scheduling, in particular, the application of Critical Path Methodology to this class of problem.
However, one of the difficulties in completing projects on time is actually locking down the functional program and design details. I can't tell you how many projects are delayed not because the architect and contractor couldn't keep to their planned schedule but because the owner or city changed either the functional program or design detail.
Without locking down the functional program, you have no hope of completing even a first pass budget and without this you can't even begin to consider financing the project.
Functional programming, design detail, working drawings, budgetttin, financing and zoning all often take much longer than actual construction. So when we do the CPM for a project, special attention must be paid to these tasks long before you get into the detail of how you are going to actually build the thing.
The Corel Centre took 60 months to do these things and 22 months to build!Once you have settled on the design, rule # 1 for on time delivery (and on budget delivery too) of projects is to reduce COs (Change Orders) to a minimum. In the field changes kill your budget and schedule. It is much better to spend more time in the planning stage than to make in the field changes. Changes on drawings are much cheaper than changes to reinforced concrete structures.