Project scheduling algorithms for construction projects with stretchable activities

Abstract

Project management requires increasingly complex, sophisticated scheduling models, preferably in the simplest possible way, for which the rapid expansion of computing capacity provides an increasing opportunity. In this paper, we examine deterministic models that, as a further development of the traditional CPM and PDM models (with four well-known minimum and maximum priority relationships) allow activity to be stretchable. The aim of the study is a) to implement different algorithms for time analysis on computers, b) to compare their speeds on large-scale real and artificial projects; c) to prepare proposals for selecting the best fitting algorithm(s) to the specific model(s). The comparison was based on real network. The results show that depending on the models, different algorithms perform well, so we recommend that different algorithms be implemented in the scheduling tools and let the tool decide which algorithms will be optimal for the computation time