CHAPTER 5

RESOURCE LEVELING
 RESOURCES LEVELING
CONTENT
Introduction
The Management of Manpower/Labor
Resource
Problems Related To Resource
Resource Planning
Resource Leveling
Resource Smoothing
INTRODUCTION
• The market demand for construction fluctuate greatly in short period.
• Construction resources (4M):
 Manpower/Labor
 Material
 Machineries
 Money
• Shortage during construction significantly affect the initiation, performance
and completion of activities on the schedule/ cause delay.
• Manpower/Labor resource management is an important aspect that require
serious consideration during project development.
• It is made up of between 20-30% of total construction cost
• To ensure the successes of a project, one has to properly manage labor.
• 4 steps in managing Manpower involved:
 Planning
 Organizing
 Monitoring
 Control.
 THE MANAGEMENT OF
MANPOWER/LABOR
• Also known as Human Resource Management
• Construction Workers:
 Supervisors (5-10%)-Site supervisor, SO, Site Engineer, Project
Manager, Project Engineer
 Labor (90-95%)-general workers, barbenders, carpenters,
masonry workers, tiler, electrician, machine operators, roofers
and etc.
• Labor drives (control the execution) of a project.
• To maintain or improve labor efficiency and
performance, problems associate with the manpower
resources must be addressed carefully.
• Problems associate with the manpower resources as
stated in Figure 6.1
 PROBLEMS RELATED TO MANPOWER
RESOURCE
Inappropriate Poor Supervision Unskilled Labor
monitoring & control No certification
Lack of Poor workmanship
experience Lack of Lack of experience &
Inappropriate supervises facility
Lack of Low
monitoring productivity
system experience Problem
Related to
Manpower/
Poor Labor
Poor access strike
transportation
system absenteeism
Low
morale/motivation
Unreliable
Slow Mobilization Shortage
Sub-Contractor

Figure-6.1
 RESOURCE LEVELING
• Is the process that ensures
resource demand does not
exceed resource availability
(see figure 6.2).
• The key objective of resource
leveling is to control the
shortages as well as excess
inventories.
• Resource leveling allows project
managers to balance resources
over the course of a project
and try to resolve conflicts
between resources.
Figure 6.2
 RESOURCE LEVELING
• The approach also depends on:
 Resource are dedicated to a particular project
 Resource are shared across several projects
 Need to keep all resources fully utilized.

• In planning for the labor allocation, preferred resources as shown in

figure 6.3(a)
• Avoid planning the allocation of resources as indicated in Graph
6.3(b).

Reasons
• Where there ‘trough’ and ‘peak’ aggregation of labor indicated that it
can influence the morale or motivation of construction workers due
the discontinuity or employment of workers.
• Led to high labor turnover.
 RESOURCE LEVELING
peak
low
Number of resources

Number of resources

time
time
Preferable resource distribution Poor resource distribution
 WHY LEVEL RESOURCES?
• Resource fluctuation in daily total demand (labor)-not practical and
economical
– 1st week-5 carpenters,
– 2nd week-10 carpenters,
– 3rd week-6 carpenters,
– 4th – 5th week-11 carpenters and so on.
• Saving money for rental equipments, cost of mobilization, setup,
demobilization and maintenance
• e.g: two activities A and B require a tower crane at the same time, if
we can delay the start of 2nd activity (B) till A finished, we can redirect
our resource to the second activity. By doing this, we will have reduced
the maximum demand of tower cranes at any time to only one, which
will save expences.
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Generally, there are two approaches to leveling and
smoothing the resources required:
– Time-limited resource considerations
In this case emphasis will be placed on completing the
project within a specified time. This time will usually have
been determined by network analysis. Adjustments in the
timing of any activity, and the resources required at a given
time, must be undertaken within the float (slack) available.
Obviously there can be no adjustment of activities which are
on the critical path.

– Resource-limited resource considerations

In this case the project must be completed with the
resources available even if this means extending the project
duration. If the total resource demand exceeds the resource
availability at any time then some of the activities must be
delayed until there is sufficient resource availability.
 RESOURCE LEVELING
• For both of the approaches, information
concerning the earliest and the latest start times
and float/slack will be used to level resources.
• Overall, resource leveling helps a project
manager decide whether or not should:
– quickly finish a project by using the maximum
number of resources needed for that project.
– stretch out how long a project will take to
ensure that enough resources are available to
finish that project.
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 1
 Resource Leveling

B
5

0 A 2 C 5 E 7
0 2 3 1 5 2 7

D
4
Example 1
RESOURCE LEVELING
Step 1. Draw the bar chart
Step 2: Allocate all the resources on
the bar chart,

Step 3: Leveled the resource on float

Yes! These project can be complete by

4 workers
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 2
A project consist of SEVEN (7) activities which are arranged as a network in
Figure 7.4. The resources that needed in each activity are as follow:

 Activity A = 20 person per day, for 6 days

 Activity B = 15 person per day, for 3 days
 Activity C = 15 person per day, for 3 days
 Activity D = 10 person per day, for 3 days
 Activity E = 15 person per day, for 3 days
 Activity F = 35 person per day, for 3 days
 Activity G = 5 person per day, for 3 days

Do a resource leveling in this project if total of 35 workers is available.

 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 2

F
2 5
3
G
A
3
6

B E
1
3 6
3 3

C
D
3
3

Figure 7.4
 RESOURCE LEVELING
After performing Forward Pass and Backward Pass Calculation

6
F 9
2 5
6 9
3
G
A
3
6

12
0 0 12
B 3 E
1 6
3 6
0 6 3 3 12
9 6
6
C
D
3
3
3
4
9

Figure 7.4a
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Calculating the total float
Act Duration Lab ES LS EF LF TF
(days)
A 6 20 0 0 6 6 0
B 3 15 0 0 3 9 6
C 3 15 0 0 3 9 6
D 3 10 3 9 12 12 6
E 3 15 3 9 12 12 6
F 3 35 6 6 9 9 0
G 3 5 9 9 12 12 0
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 2: Draw the bar chart and level the resources accordingly
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
B 15 15 15 15 15 15
C 15 15 15 15 15 15
D 10 10 10 10 10 10
E 15 15 15 15 15 15
F 35 35 35 35 35 35
G 5 5 5 5 5 5 days

Total requirement 50 50 50 45 45 45 35 35 35 5 5 5 50 50 50 45 45 45 35 35 35 5 5 5
35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 30 30 30
15 15 15 10 10 10 35 35 35 -30 -30 -30

50 50
40 40
Resource/ C 35
labor 30 E 30
20 B D 20 B C D
10 F 10 F
A A E days
0 G 0 G

days
 RESOURCE LEVELING
4 General Rules;
1. NEVER USE CRITICAL ACTIVITIES when
level the resources
2. Drag resources within its FLOAT/SLAG limit
3. DO NOT SEPARATE or BREAK the GANTT
BAR
4. ALWAYS allocate the CRITICAL BAR at the
BOTTOM of your GRAPH
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 3 Activity Duration Labor
(days)
Given the necessary details
for a project.
1-2 5 3

1. Create the network

2-3 6 4
diagram.
2-4 5 4
2. Calculate the forward
pass, backward pass
and total float for the
2-5 8 3
activities.
3. Identify the critical
3-7 2 5
path
4. Create the bar chart
3-4 Dummy
and indicate all the
resource (labor) for
each week for the
4-7 3 4
project.
5. Leveled/smoothen the
5-6 3 4
resource accordingly.
6-7 1 6
7-8 3 3
 RESOURCE LEVELING
11/14
Example 3 3
2

6
0/0 5/5 11/14 17/17 20/20

1 2 4 7 8
5 5 3 3

8 1
13/13 3 16/16
5 6
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 3 Act Duration Lab ES LS EF LF TF
(days)
1-2 5 3 0 0 5 5 0
2-3 6 4 5 5 11 14 3
2-4 5 4 5 5 11 14 4
2-5 8 3 5 5 13 13 0
3-7 2 5 11 14 13 17 4
4-7 3 4 11 14 17 17 3
5-6 3 4 13 13 16 16 0
6-7 1 6 16 16 17 17 0
7-8 3 3 17 17 20 20 0
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 3
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1-2 3 3 3 3 3
2-3 4 4 4 4 4 4
2-4 4 4 4 4 4
2-5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3-7 5 5
4-7 4 4 4
5-6 4 4 4
6-7 6
days
7-8 3 3 3
7
Labor 3 3 3 3 3 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 4 4 4 6 3 3 3

Resource/
labor
12
9
6 4-7
3 2-4 2-4 2-3 3-7 3-7 2-3 4-7
5-6 6-7 days
0 1-2 2-5 7-8
 RESOURCE LEVELING
Example 3 For this case,
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 leveling cannot
1-2 3 3 3 3 3 be done,
2-3 4 4 4 4 4 4 therefore
2-4 4 4 4 4 4 manager has
2-5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 to consider the
other
3-7 5 5
approach
4-7 4 4 4
RESOURCE
5-6 4 4 4
SMOOTHING
6-7 6
days
7-8 3 3 3
Total requirement 3 3 3 3 3 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 4 4 4 6 3 3 3

Resource/
labor
12
9 3-7
2-4
6
2-3 4-7
3
5-6 6-7 days
0 1-2 2-5 7-8
 RESOURCE LEVELING
• REMEMBER!

Not ALL RESOURCES can be leveled. The

main idea is to IMPROVE WORK
EFFICIENCY and MINIMIZE COST during
project life span.
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
 Resource smoothing is part of the resource leveling
process.
 It is the process that, not withstanding any constraints
imposed during the leveling process, attempts to
determine a resource requirement that is "smooth"
and where peaks and troughs are eliminated.
 This type of planning applies to condition where there
is no shortage of labor but their allocation must be
smooth to avoid sudden reduction or addition in the
number of labor.
 Ideally the resources aggregation should gradually
increase in number until it reach the peak then
gradually reduce the numbers.
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
• In planning for labor resources smoothing technique the following
condition applies:
– Project duration is fixed
– In available to meet the completion date
– Resources is less important in comparison to time

• Good targets for resource smoothing

The following tasks should be delayed:-
- Tasks not on the critical path that coincide with the overload
– Tasks with the largest float
– Tasks that last roughly the same duration as the overload

• Consider also reallocating tasks to other team members so there is

no overload
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
3 Steps smoothing techniques:
i. List all activities according to Earliest Start
– Total Float (ES-TF) and Latest Start –
Total Float (LS-TF)
ii. Draw resources aggregation graph (chart)
according to ES-TF and LS-TF
iii. Compare both graph and try to develop a
preferred graph i.e. without ‘trough’
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
Reused Activity Duration Labor
Example 3 (days)
Given the necessary details for a
1-2 5 3
project.
2-3 6 4
1. Create the network
diagram. 2-4 5 4
2. Calculate the forward
pass, backward pass and
total float for the activities.
2-5 8 3
3. Identify the critical path
4. Create the bar chart and 3-7 2 5
indicate all the resource
(labor) for each week for
the project.
3-4 Dummy
5. Smoothen the resource
accordingly.
4-7 3 4
5-6 3 4
6-7 1 6
7-8 3 3
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
11/14
Example 3 3
2

6
0/0 5/5 11/14 17/17 20/20

1 2 4 7 8
5 5 3 3

8 1
13/13 3 16/16
5 6
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
Example 3 Act Duration Lab ES LS EF LF TF
(days)
1-2 5 3 0 0 5 5 0
2-3 6 4 5 5 11 14 3
2-4 5 4 5 5 11 14 4
2-5 8 3 5 5 13 13 0
3-7 2 5 11 14 13 17 4
4-7 3 4 11 14 17 17 3
5-6 3 4 13 13 16 16 0
6-7 1 6 16 16 17 17 0
7-8 3 3 17 17 20 20 0
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
Example 3
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1-2 3 3 3 3 3
2-3 4 4 4 4 4 4
2-4 4 4 4 4 4
2-5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3-7 5 5
4-7 4 4 4
5-6 4 4 4
6-7 6
days
7-8 3 3 3
Total requirement 3 3 3 3 3 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 4 4 4 6 3 3 3

Resource/
labor
ES-TF
12
9
2-3 3-7 First attempt
6
3 2-4 4-7
5-6 6-7 days
0 1-2 2-5 7-8
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
Example 3
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1-2 3 3 3 3 3
2-3 4 4 4 4 4 4
2-4 4 4 4 4 4
2-5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3-7 5 5
4-7 4 4 4
5-6 4 4 4
6-7 6
days
7-8 3 3 3
ES-TF 3 3 3 3 3 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 4 4 4 6 3 3 3
LS-TF 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 7 11 11 11 11 12 13 13 10 3 3 3 LS-TF
12

Resource/
9
2-4 2-4 4-7 Second attempt
labor 6 4-7
2-3 3-7
3 2-3
5-6 6-7 days
0 1-2 2-5 7-8
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
activity
Example 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1-2 3 3 3 3 3
2-3 4 4 4 4 4 4
2-4 4 4 4 4 4
2-5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3-7 5 5
4-7 4 4 4
5-6 4 4 4
6-7 6
days
7-8 3 3 3
ES-TF 3 3 3 3 3 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 4 4 4 6 3 3 3
LS-TF 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 7 11 11 11 11 12 13 13 10 3 3 3
Result 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 7 11 11 11 11 11 13 13 8 6 3 3 3 smoothing
12
9
2-4
3-7 Result!
Resource/ 6
labor 2-3 4-7
3
5-6 6-7 days
0 1-2 2-5 7-8
 CONCLUSION
Case 1: RESOURCE-TIME LIMITED, USED
RESOURCE LEVELING TECHNIQUE FOR
THE RESOURCE PLANNING

Case 2 :TIME-LIMITED, AND RESOURCE-

UNLIMITED USED RESOURCE SMOOTHING
TECHNIQUE FOR THE RESOURCE
PLANNING
.
 RESOURCE SMOOTHING
Assignment 4: submission before Wednesday 28/11- 5 pm)
Leveled/smoothen the resources (R) for the following network. Assume your earliest
start at A=0.
R=3
R=2 R=3
B F L
5 1 3

R=3 R=3 R=1 R=2

A C G J
R=1
1 3 3 4
M
R=2 R=2 1
D K
3 2

R=4 R=3
E H
1 2
Exercise 1
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
A 3
B 2 2 2 2 2
C 3 3 3
D 2 2 2
E 4
F 3
G 1 1 1
H 3 3
J 2 2 2 2
K 2 2
L 3 3 3
M 1 Figure a: ES-TF
11
10
E
9 H 35
8
7
D
6
5
B
4
3 F
K
2 A C L
J
1 G M
Exercise 1
activity
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
A 3
B 2 2 2 2 2
C 3 3 3
D 2 2 2
E 4
F 3
G 1 1 1
H 3 3
J 2 2 2 2 Figure b: LS-TF
K 2 2
L 3 3 3
M 1
11
10
D
9
35
8
D
7 F
E
6
5 H
K
4 H
B
3
B
2 A C L
J
1 G M
Exercise 1
activity

A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
3 AFTER
B 2 2 2 2 2
C 3 3 3 SMOOTHEN
D 2 2 2
E 4
F 3
G 1 1 1
H 3 3
J 2 2 2 2 Figure c: resources
K 2 2 smoothening
L 3 3 3
M 1
11
10
9
8
K
7
6
B
5
4 F
E D
3 H
2 A C L
J
1 G M