Books
Critical Path Method by A.T. Arm- strong-Wright 7% in. x 5 in. x 113 pages. Paperback 16s. Longmans During World War I service chiefs found themselves dealing with logistic problems greater than had ever been known before, and some aid to pro- gramming became imperative. It was to solve this problem that the Gannt or bar chart, was devised by Henry L. Gannt.
Up to and during World War II the bar chart survised, but post-war large scale U.S. construction and engineer- ing schemes, such as the Polaris missile project, demanded more in the pro- gramming of linking activities and high-lighting critical points along the building's progress. The bars on the simple charts gave way to an arrowed network; periods of time were added, monetary values assigned and eventual- ly computers brought in to sort out the quickest or most economical path through the maze of alternatives.
So far, most examples of this net- work analysis have appeared in tech- nical journals or hard-core science, management or computer manuals. Now there appears this handy book which should appeal to all those want- ing to learn of the subject or wishing to decorate their offices with the com- plicated but pretty, network charts. currently demanded by mid-level exe- cutive etiquette. The author leads you gently up the critical path with exam- ples and explanations all the way and whether you are in Building, Under- wear or Shipping, or if you just want to learn the language of CPM the book
is eminently worth-while.
According to your requirements you can leave it at an elementary stage, go on to understanding - "if the deadline is later than the earliest event time, the lag arrow shows the neces- sary latest event times to meet the deadline and reductions of float in preceding activities' or you can ad- vance to the complicated chapters having more arrows than St. Sebastian and Custer combined.
Caught up in CPM jargon, advocates of the craft become evengelical in their zeal for seeking converts to the right path, but the author, particularly in Chapter 5 takes a reasoned approach to the whole subject and points out its limitations. He deals briefly with other way-out network systems such as Node Diagrams, Project Control Systems and Line of Balance.
However, for the disenchanted or those not wishing to become enmesh- ed in CPM reticulation, the Gannt sup- porters are fighting back with modified systems like Job Progress Charts or Diagonal Network Analysis. Back to the bar, chaps.
Project Management by Dennis L. Lock 9 in. x 6 in. x 210 pages. Gower Press 50s. (£2.50)
From his experience as a project manager in the electronic engineering field, the author illustrates the factory method for planning, costing, control- ling and evaluating a project so that it is completed to specification budget and time.
The book embraces the whole pro- cess of customers order, design, pro- duction and inspection and one can see there is an obvious analogy with the several, yet separate, functions of the building industry. The technical orchestration of a building demands the bringing together of a multitude and materials and skills in a certain
order with the architect as the overall project manager. Once construction has commenced the building foreman often becomes the site project manager for the calling of each trade in turn and the ordering and delivering of materials.
It is at this stage in S.E. Asia today that there is an urgent need for a change from intuition to logic for the most economical disposition of men and materials.
The book deals with bar charts, network analysis, line of balance tech- nique (error in part number on P. 107) and materials control. As each subject is touched upon and from the examples given, one could devise an elementary progress chart, but the enterprising foreman would be disappointed at the absence of a bibliography for further reference.
In dealing with estimators, Mr. Lock has some interesting observations from the optimist who persists with his dreams even after completing several jobs at double the forecast, to the over- estimator (the empire builder) and inconsistent estimator. He labels the latter as incompetent, inexperienced or as an older man looking forward to retirement rather than promotion, or staff who have been overlooked in promotion.
Unfortunately, he says, there is often a high incidence of individuals in this category at the departmental head level, just the people in fact most frequently asked to provide estimates.
From his experience the author quotes a couple of truisms with which individuals will agree but top manage- ment never seem to realize manage- ment training is not simply to send a man on a two-day course on network analysis, and the law of diminishing returns starts to apply whenever any meeting exceeds about two hours in duration.
Standard Specification BP 101/65, the quality of the material may need investigation and testing.
Decorative finish
—
Having considered all the structural uses of plywood we can return again to the first recorded use of wood veneer in 1500 BC and point out that plywood is still being used this way as a decorative finish (the attrac tion of wood finishes is demonstrated by laminates for use as decorative finishes produced with photographical- ly printed wood veneer appearance.
The trend towards the use of com- ponents in building would indicate an even greater use of plywood in build- ing structures where its properties and low weight make it an ideal material for such components. In Britain the Timber Trade Federation is also en- couraging the interest of architects and structural engineers in the progressive use of plywood by the Plywood De- sign Award.
This award will be for a structural design completed or substantially com- pleted within the period January, 1969, and 1 October, 1970, which, in
the opinion of the judges, 'incor- porates an imaginative and progressive use of plywood and thereby best emphasises this material's qualities of strength, lightness, ease of working, good appearance, durability and eco- nomic cost'.
Acknowledgements: Timber Trade Federa- tion; Timber Research & Development Asso-
ciation; Forest Products Research Labora- tory; Plywood Manufacturers of British Columbia; Finnish Plywood Development Association; British Woodwork Manufac- turers Association; British Standards Institu-
tion; 'Modern Plywood' by Thomas D. Perry Pitman - New York.
Far East BUILDER, November 1969
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