Time-constrained resource leveling

This paper deals with the establishment of initial resource profiles for construction projects, resource leveling of the schedule, analysis of resource usage versus assumed levels, and the adjustment of resource profiles based upon this analysis. The uses of management considerations (reflecting constraints relating to the budget, personnel craft and supervisor abilities, site location, and weather) as well as early-start/late-start resource curves in the establishment of the initial resource profiles are discussed. Serial methods for resource leveling and a measure for judging the effectiveness of resource-leveling techniques are presented. Finally, methods for revising the initial resource profiles (based upon the output of the resource-leveling procedure) are discussed. The importance of sophisticated project management and spreadsheet-analysis software packages is stressed throughout the paper. In addition, hypothetical examples using such software packages are presented.