DEVELOPMENT OF TIME ESTIMATION MODEL FOR MULTISTORIED BUILDING

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.

Various detailed scheduling techniques have been

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

Type of project, Location of the project

Planned and Actual duration details for substructure, time duration

for each activities like excavation, casting of footing, casting of
columns, casting of beam & slab
4

Site conditions

Terrain, soil conditions, climatic conditions, water level.

Batching plant capacity, Avg production of concrete per day, Total

6

Details of men &

machinery

no. of workers, no. of carpenters, no of bar benders, no of

excavators, cranes, bar bending machine and other equipments, %
of shuttering

The parameters above mentioned are subsequently resolved to attain the following as
shown below in Table 2

Table 2 Factors & values considered for analysis of substructure

Substructure
1. Ground floor area

As per grid

2. Module size

6m X 6.5m grid, 7.5m X7.5m grid

3. No floors

2,4,6,8,10

4. % of foundation shuttering

25%, 50%

5. Type of foundation

Isolated footing & Raft foundation

Table 3 - Factors effecting time duration of superstructure

1

General details

Type of project, Location of the project

Building

No of floors, Area of each floor, height of floor

details
Duration

Planned and Actual duration details for superstructure, time duration

details

for each activities like casting of columns, casting of beam & slab

Site conditions

Terrain, soil conditions, climatic conditions, water level.

Superstructure

Type of flooring system, Type of framing system, to column spacing,

details

size of elements, type of formwork system, % of shuttering.

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.

DEVELOPMENT OF TIME ESTIMATION MODEL FOR SUBSTRUCTURE

All the possible combinations of the above mentioned parameters in Table 2 were
considered and bar-charts were developed for all the combinations. The quantity
calculations were done & productivities were summarised from CPWD standards. The time
duration for all the combinations got from the respective bar charts were tabulated and
shown below in the Table 5. 32 combinations in total were considered for substructure.
Table 5 Time duration for substructure for the combinations considered
TIME DURATION FOR RAFT FOUNDATION 6.5 GRID
Sln % of
no of
Plinth
duratio Adding.
o
shuttering
floors
Area
n
Holidays
1
50
6
621
29
2
50
8
621
32
3
50
10
629
39
4
25
6
621
33
5
25
8
621
36
6
25
10
629
41
TIME DURATION FOR RAFT FOUNDATION 7.5 GRID
1
50
6
886
46
2
50
8
886
50
3
50
10
895
55
4
25
6
886
49
5
25
8
886
53
6
25
10
895
58
TIME DURATION FOR ISOLATED FOOTING 6.5 GRID
1
50
2
616
20
2
50
4
616
23
3
50
6
621
25
4
50
8
621
25
5
50
10
629
27
6
25
2
616
26
7
25
4
616
27
8
25
6
621
29
9
25
8
621
34
10
25
10
629
35
TIME DURATION FOR ISOLATED FOOTING 7.5 GRID
1
50
2
880
21
2
50
4
880
24
3
50
6
886
28
4
50
8
886
32
5
50
10
895
32
6
25
2
880
27
7
25
4
880
28
8
25
6
886
32
9
25
8
886
38
10
25
10
895
41

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

DEVELOPMENT OF TIME ESTIMATION MODEL FOR SUPERSTRUCTURE

All the possible combinations of the above mentioned parameters in Table 4 were
considered and bar-charts were developed for all the combinations. The cycle time for all the
12 combinations and the relationship between each floor construction got from the
respective bar charts were tabulated and shown below in the Table 6. Considering the
number of stories, there will be 12 X 5= 60 combinations in total. Average cycle time was
calculated for all the 60 combinations and is shown in Table 7
Table 6 Cycle time and relationship between consecutive floors

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

Table 7 Average cycle time for superstructure

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)

SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS

The equation developed can be further improved based on the type of form work system
used, cconsidering more number of stories, considering more grids, considering different
productivity data, modern construction technologies, based on more field studies.
Further studies can be done based on the following:

For other structural systems

For more number of stories

For basement case

For other components of construction civil, services, finishing works.

For preconstruction works.

Once time estimation model made for various subsystems they can be integrated to find out
total duration of a project.
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