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Steep Staircase

8 replies [Last post]
Wed, 2006-08-23 01:57
moutaz aldeib
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I have read a paper, in that paper I read this expression which I could not understand it well, it’s "Steep Staircase Schedule".
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Thu, 2006-09-07 02:08
#1
Hashim Muhammud
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Hi Francis,

I think you misunderstood what i meant... yes, I was speaking about the manpower required for the project at the different phases of the project... not with the different types of works... so, when you compare between a particular kind of internal finish and the structural work, you are right... but here we are speaking about the steep staircase, which is something about the overall project... and Clive is again right, because that is the time (see the comment), when it is going to have the highest manpower in the project...

Finally, I don’t say that steep staircase schedules are a must or 100% right in the building construction industry... but, what i want to say is that, they are likely to be seen in this industry...

Cheers,
Hashim
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Wed, 2006-09-06 20:41
#2
Clive Randall
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For a high rise building I would anticipate that the third and the first part of the fourth quarter would result in the highest level of manpower on site. This is due to the frame still being under construction while the lower floors are being fitted out.
On this basis I do not understand your assumptions and would be interested to see your manpower s curve that shows greater manpower during the structural works.
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Wed, 2006-09-06 14:32
#3
Francis Moyalan, ...
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Hashim,

What I have seen in the actual scenario for high rise buildings .... the structural prortion requires more manpower and resanobaly lessor duration, where as towards the end of the project where internal finishes will be in full swing, the duration required will be much more even if the manpower anticipated for individual trades is less, and hence they can be overlapped ( happen simultaneous) to make a sensible schedule which generates a uniform S curve...and unlike what you stated where, internal fnishes consumes more manpower(yes, ofcourse- overlapping makes excess manpower, and structural portion lessor manpower...),

Thanx,

Francis
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Thu, 2006-08-31 00:20
#4
Hashim Muhammud
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hi,

I also stand with Clive. because, as he said in building works the last half or one third is the time, in which most of the finishing activities are going to work. this is because the duration of this activities are much lesser than the duration we need for core civil works. So, it is common to have them overlapped.

hashim ;-)
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Wed, 2006-08-30 15:54
#5
Clive Randall
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Not sure I would totally accept this explanation as being a failure of a programme. In building in a single activity such as frame construction I would expect less activities when interior finishes commence the number of trades increase and so does the number of activities it therefore stands to reason that the end of the programme may well have more activities occuring at the same time as the begining
Clive
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Tue, 2006-08-29 06:05
#6
Dana Qandah
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Moutaz,

it will be good if they are spread all over the schedule, anyway i knew this expression "steep staircase" just recently but what i think its a negative term.

Dana
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Tue, 2006-08-29 03:06
#7
moutaz aldeib
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Dear Dana,

Thanks a lot for your explanation, I now understand well what it means Steep Staircase.

But if the manpower is enough, I think shcedule the activities to be done at the same time is good to crash the schedule.

Best Regards,

Moutaz
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Mon, 2006-08-28 13:21
#8
Dana Qandah
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Check out this site:

http://www.pinnacleone.com/e-newsletter/wwmpf/2005_01.html

and in particular this:

Is the Contractor’s Schedule a "Steep Staircase" Schedule?

Does the Contractor’s schedule show a large number of work activities scheduled to be done at the same time? In particular, look out for "stacking" during the last half or third of the project time frame. This may indicate an unbalanced schedule with too much time provided for the structure and building shell and not enough time for interior finish work and completion activities, such as start-up and commissioning. A steep staircase schedule may also result from inadequate consideration of manpower when work activities slip on projects with delays. This is sometimes referred to as "schedule compression."

On most projects, a well planned schedule, whether it is a baseline schedule or a schedule update, will have an even distribution of activity bars in time rather than a steep staircase of work activities. Too many activities shown going on at the same time is usually not realistic and schedules like these are often not achievable. To assess this situation, think about the manpower or number of crews that would be required to start and finish 25 or 30 activities (or more) in a month, and think about the manpower likely to be provided by the subcontractors. Will there be adequate manpower?

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