School of Civil Engineering

M.Tech - Construction Technology & Management

1. What is the difference between free float, total float, and what is different between
Float and Slack?
 Float and slack are two different words for the same meaning.
 Free Float: the amount of time, an activity can be delayed without delaying the
successor activity
 Total Float: the amount of time, an activity can be delayed without delaying the
project finish date.
2. What is a constraint in primavera?
 Constrains in primavera is to fix the start or finish date as per the following options:
 Project Must Finish by
 Mandatory Start / Mandatory Finish
 Start / Finish On or After
 Start / Finish On or Before
 Start / Finish On
 Expected Finish
3. How can you define the Critical Path in PRIMAVERA?
 Its the longest path through the project with the least amount of float, Filter the
activities with total float equal to or less than 0
4. What is WBS?
 WBS means Work Breakdown Structure. it represents a hierarchical breakdown of a
Project into elements and deliverables.
5. What is an open-end activity in primavera?
 The open-end activity is an activity that does not have any successor. Normally
open-end activity is not accepted in the schedule because the total float will be
calculated from the end of the project and these entire activities' late dates gather at
the end of the project and can not prepare a logical late start plan.
6. How do u measure & compare the progress using primavera?
 Progress can be measured using EVM earned value management as per the
following terms:

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  Budget at Completion (BAC)
 Planned Value (PV) = budget at Completion (BAC) x Planned % Complete
 Earned Value (EV) = budget at Completion (BAC) x Actual% Complete
 Actual Cost (AC) = No formula What you’ve actually spent on the project
 Schedule Performance Index (SPl) =Earned Value (EV) / Planned Value (PV)
 Schedule Variance (SV) =Earned Value (EV) – Planned Value (PV)
 Cost Performance Index (CPI) =Earned Value (EV) / Actual Cost (AC)
 To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) =(Budget at Completion (BAC) – Earned
Value (EV) ) / (Budget at Completion (BAC) -Actual Cost (AC) )
 Cost Variance (CV) = Earned Value (EV) -Actual Cost (AC)
 For more information see this article: EVM EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT
7. What are resource allocation and resource levelling?
 Resource allocation is assigning resources to activities, determine the amount of
labor, equipment, and money required for any activity.
 Resource leveling is Resource requirements of all scheduled activities are compared
to the maximum quantity available at the time of leveling. An activity is delayed if too
few resources are available at any time during the activity’s duration.
 The maximum quantity for a resource is determined through the Max units/time for a
particular resource in the Resources Tab.
8. What is an S – Curve and how to create S Curve in PRIMAVERA?
 An S-curve is the cumulative cost function plotted on a histogram, which can vaguely
resemble the letter S. BCWS, BCWP, and ACWP are frequently plotted and
compared on a histogram as separate and “shadowing” S-curves.
 Use the Activity Usage Profile to view cost or unit values for activities in the open
project over time according to a timescale you specify. The Activity Usage Profile
displays resource allocations for all activities or for the activities you select in the
Activity Table, Activity Usage Spreadsheet, Gantt Chart, or the Activity Network.
9. What is the difference between flag and milestone activity in primavera?
 Milestone & flags both are events rather than activities. Some client likes to use flags
rather than milestone due to the following differences.
 With the use of flags, the logic of the main event can be easily tracked as these can
not be created without a predecessor as stand-alone allocating the constraint.
Whereas milestones can.
 Flags can not update manually as Primavera automatically update the status
whereas milestone can be updated manually.
 Flags can not be constraint only driven by predecessors whereas milestones can.

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10. What are the early warning signs you look for when reviewing progress against a
schedule?
 Despite many efforts, a schedule can quickly spiral out of control and this will
determine if they have a plan to minimize avoidable gaps and delays.
11. What is a good use of lag on a project?
 Find out if your potential scheduler knows proven best practices in planning and
scheduling. Proven best practices across construction discourage any use of LAG
OR LEAD TIME on projects.
12. What is Primavera P6?
 Primavera P6 is the official project management software tool employed worldwide in
enterprises such as Construction, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Energy, and even IT.
While there are loads of project administration tools in the business, Primavera P6
polishes in being capable to manage huge and complicated projects and doing it
thoroughly.
13. What is the cost of primavera p6?
 If you desire to have the regular license of Primavera P6, indicating that you want to
have the software for experience, then it will require you US$2,500. In extension to
the licensing price, you also require to pay US$550 for the preeminent year of
software update and maintenance.
14. What is portfolio management?
 Portfolio management is a phrase utilized by project management experts to illustrate
methods for examining and collectively maintaining a combination of current or
proposed projects based on various key features. The primary objective is to
discover the optimal mix and sequencing of recommended projects to best
accomplish the company's overall aims typically couched in the duration of tough
economic measures, business approach goals, or technical approach goals while
acknowledging limitations required by the administration or external real-world
circumstances.
15. Compare between primavera contractor and primavera p6?
 Primavera Contractor is Primavera's entry-level project control product, intended to
provide contractors to transfer planning data with users utilizing P6 EPPM or PPM for
their project superintendence. It contributes a related level of functionality to
Microsoft Project but can create the .xer files typically needed for bid obedience on
superior engineering and development projects.
16. List the industries where primavera is significantly used?
 Oil and Gas
 Construction and Engineering

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17. Explain the primavera schedule?
 A Primavera P6 schedule is usually needed at the commencement of a project,
regardless of whether it is easy or complicated, to determine the extent of the project
and its actions. A schedule must be made earlier to begin the project. It must be a
strong plan that beats out what requires to be completed, by whom and when, while
evaluating any hazards to the project. This is all achieved with the aim of giving the
deliverables of the project to the quality measures while completing on point and on
resources.
18. What is the planning stage in creating a primavera p6 schedule?
 Where a project description is made explaining the project, highlighting all aspects.
Subsections could involve legal elements, Quality Assurance, and so on.
19. What are the milestones in creating a primavera p6 schedule?
 Activities spell out the actions to reach a Milestone. Milestones contain a decided
date yet no span and are a particular point in time throughout the project lifecycle.
They are utilized to include progress towards achievement. They may be introduced
for budget remittances or as a source point, which marks a significant event or choice
point inside the scheme.
20 What is an OBS and how different is it form WBS?
 OBS is an organizational breakdown structure which shows the existing, departments,
units or teams which actually existed in the organization. It is arranged according to the
work packages listed under each department. It is totally different from WBS because,
WBS is the work break down structure which decomposes the total work into smaller
manageable work packages.
21 Which are the most important techniques you use while defining the activities of
the work?
 The two most important techniques include:
 Decomposition: This is the technique used to decompose the work packages defined in
the WBS into activities.
 Rolling Wave Technique: This is iterative technique where the work to be done in the
near future is planned in detail whereas the work to be done afterwards is prepared in
higher level.
22 What is CPM? How do you calculate Forward pass?
 CPM is also called critical path method which is used to calculate the scheduled time
for the activities specified in the WBS. The Critical path method uses the forward
pass method to calculate the time.
23 What are the different types of relationships that are found between the two
activities? Explain?

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 Different types of relationships that exists between the activities are
 Lead: the amount of time whereby the successor activity can be advanced with respect
to the predecessor activity.
 Lag: The amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a
predecessor activity.
 Finish to start: relationship in which the successor activity cannot start until predecessor
activity finished..
 Finish to finished :relationship in which the successor activity cannot be finished until
predecessor activity finished
 start to start :relationship in which the successor activity cannot start until predecessor
activity starts
 Start to finish: relationship in which the successor activity cannot start until predecessor
activity starts.
24 What is a baseline? How is it used in the project?
 Baseline is the approved version of the cost and schedule plan. It would be used to
measure the project status whether the project is under cost or under schedule. Its
just like benchmarking the project.
25 What is resource leveling? How is it used?
 Resource leveling is a schedule optimization technique used to level the resources if
there is any over usage of resources in certain activities, and under use of resources
in certain activities you use resource leveling to neutralize the situation and bring the
project back on track.
26 What is a resource calendar and how is it important in schedule an activity?
 Resource calendars are the document that usually specifies the time of the resource
be it manpower or physical resources available for the project. It specifies if any
resource is on leave or not available for the scheduled time. It is very important in
scheduling because it can help to determine the time needed to complete the activity
in case of unavailability of the resource.