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Understanding Relationship Float in CPM

The document discusses critical path method (CPM) analysis for project planning and management. It defines relationship float and explains that a critical relationship occurs when both sides of the relationship between two tasks are critical. An algorithm for CPM analysis is presented consisting of five phases: node numbering, forward pass to calculate early start and finish times, backward pass to calculate late start and finish times, computation of total float, and identification of the critical path.

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Abdul Rahman
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2 views1 page

Understanding Relationship Float in CPM

The document discusses critical path method (CPM) analysis for project planning and management. It defines relationship float and explains that a critical relationship occurs when both sides of the relationship between two tasks are critical. An algorithm for CPM analysis is presented consisting of five phases: node numbering, forward pass to calculate early start and finish times, backward pass to calculate late start and finish times, computation of total float, and identification of the critical path.

Uploaded by

Abdul Rahman
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

66 PROJECT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT AND CPM

Relationship Float
A logic constraint between two tasks, represented by an arrow in an activity-on-node diagram, can also be
critical. This will be the case when the two sides of the task that are part of the relationship are also critical.
The criticality of a relationship m is given by its relationship float (RFm) defined as follows:

where the indices i and j represent the tasks at the tail and head ends of the arrow, respectively, and Lm is the
lag time for logic constraint m.

Critical Path
The critical path is the continuous connected path through the network made up of critical tasks, critical
starting of tasks, critical finishing of tasks, and critical relationships. The critical path may be a single path
or may branch out into two or more paths. The duration of the critical path gives the duration of the project.
A delay at any point along the critical path will delay the projects completion.

4.6.4
Algorithm
In construction textbooks (Moder and Phillips, 1970; Willis, 1986) CPM analysis is usually described
graphically by a sequence of steps and operations performed on the projects network diagram. This
approach, however, is not rigorous for computer implementation, which nowadays is the primary tool used
for CPM analyses. For this purpose, we present a detailed step-by-step algorithm for the CPM in this
section.
Let N be the total number of nodes (tasks) in the network and Ri be the total number of relationship arrow
heads or tails (constraints) that originate or terminate, respectively, on node i. The CPM consists of five
phases.

Phase 1: Node Numbering


Number all N nodes consecutively such that the number assigned to a node at the head of an arrow is always
greater than that at the tail of the arrow.

Phases 2: Forward Pass


Compute the early start and the early finish times for tasks.

1. For each node do steps 2 to 6.


2. Set where k=1, Rj.
3. For each arrow k terminating on node do steps 4 and 5.

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