Scheduling transportation projects using Primavera Project Planner as part of the software series in civil engineering technology independent learning experiment at Fairmont State College

Journal of Engineering Technology, Spring 2001 by Stilgenbauer, Ted M, Nicholas, Thomas, Brizendine, Anthony

Course Manual

The authors developed a 300-plus page course manual, comprised of fifteen chapters and two appendices divided into three modules.9 The modules employ sections of the manual as follows: Module One covers chapters one through six and Appendix A; Module Two utilizes chapters seven through eleven; and Module Three utilizes the remaining chapters and Appendix B. Appendix A consists of the example project (to be discussed later) represented in both the Bar Chart View and the PERT View. Appendix B contains information for the final project.

Exercises Utilized in the Modules

An example project is utilized throughout the training in exercise format so that the students "learn by doing." The goal of the exercises is to demonstrate the process of creating and managing a project from start to finish. The students are presented with the following example project information in the course manual:

During West Virginia University sporting events, the downtown area of Morgantown and Star City experience high volumes of traffic. In order to ease the traffic congestion, the City of Morgantown has submitted a proposal to the State of West Virginia for a bypass linking 1-79, the Coliseum, and Mountaineer Field. The Bypass project will be divided into three phases. Phase One will consist of widening RT. 19 from two lanes to three for a distance of one mile and the construction of a new six-lane bridge.

As a member of the project management team for the State of West Virginia, you will use Primavera Project Planner to plan and manage the Morgantown Bypass Bridge Project Phase One. In order to better manage the project, a project group (MGBY) will be set up and an individual project will be added for both the Highway Project and the Bridge Project. You are assigned to perform the Bridge Project while the Highway Project is assigned to a different project manager. These managers will be responsible for reporting to the Projects Control Coordinator. The bridge and roadway designs and contract plans are to be prepared by the WVDOH Design Division. Upon completion of the contract plans, the contract will be awarded to the low bid General Contractor.

Project group MGBY and project ROAD are provided to the students, who subsequently add the BRDG project to the project group. The project BRDG is the framework to add activities, assign network logic, etc. throughout the three modules.

Module 1: Introduction to Primavera Project Planner(R)

The goal of the first module is to introduce the student to the fundamentals of the project management software, Primavera Project Planner*(R) P3. During this module, the student will initiate -a schedule; add new projects and project groups; create a coding structure; construct and modify calendars; add, edit and manipulate activities; establish a network logic by linking activities; and calculate their schedule.

At the start, Module 1 is devoted to acquainting the student with the Primaver(R) workspace. Students view the schedule in two environments; the Bar Chart View and the PERT (Primavera's(R) Easy Relationship Tracing) View as shown in figures 2 and 3, respectively. In these figures the Morgantown Bypass Project (MGBY) is displayed to demonstrate the similarities, differences, and special features that each of the work environments provide.