2007 AACE International Transactions

PS.12

4D Scheduling – A Case Study

Mr. Abhimanyu Basu PE PSP

‘4D schedule’ is a 3 dimensional CAD model • How long would it take.

A attached to the fourth dimension of time via a sched-

ule. The concept of 4D scheduling has been around
for over 20 years. In the early years, producing 4D
schedules was technologically challenging. These challenges
lay in developing 3D models from 2D CAD drawings and in
The initial objective of visualizing the phasing and sequenc-
ing of construction and communicating the scope to the lay
stakeholders was achieved by constructing a 3D CAD model of
the entire program and linking the model to a schedule. As the
relating these CAD elements to real schedules. Advances in 3D CAD model created was dimensionally accurate, the proj-
technology are now pushing to make 3D CAD elements the ect team began to discover many other uses for the model such
norm. Off the shelf software are also making it easy to link as logistics planning, site line studies, walk-thrus etc.
schedule outputs from standard scheduling packages like
Primavera or Microsoft Project to the CAD elements to pro-
duce effective 4D schedules. This article describes the issues CONTEXT OF 4D SCHEDULING
faced and lessons learned from a 4D scheduling initiative.
It is important to understand the context of 4D scheduling
and some of the concepts and acronyms which are shaping this
CASE REVIEW emerging field. The first is BIM which is short for building
information model or modeling. BIM is a digital representation
This case study is a 4D scheduling effort for a large construc- of the building process to facilitate exchange and interoperabil-
tion program. The primary goal of this exercise was to help a ity of information in digital format. VDC or virtual design and
group of non-technical stakeholders visualize the scope of construction is a term coined by CIFE at Stanford University.
design and construction and the phasing of the total building 3D CAD is three dimensional representations of objects. These
program being funded. Some of the dimensions of the program 3D objects may simply be renderings or they may be models
aimed to be conveyed through this effort were as follows: i.e., made up of components and have properties. The 4D in
4D scheduling is the added dimension of time linked to the 3D
• major elements of construction to be performed; Model. 5D is linking both schedule and estimates to a 3D
• phasing of program and sequencing of work; and, model.

Figure 1—Assembling a 4D Schedule

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 2007 AACE International Transactions
ASSEMBLING A 4D SCHEDULE There are two important enablers which make it easier to use
4D scheduling. The first is the generally increasing acceptance
We used a 4D scheduling package to link a Primavera sched- and usage of 3D CAD and modeling. The major software ven-
ule to 3D CAD model to create the 4D schedule. Currently dors are focused on delivering 3D functionality.
design information is generally available in 2D CAD. In some The second big factor in enabling 4D schedules is the avail-
cases 3D CAD may be available. However a 3D CAD ‘drawing’ ability of off-the-shelf software which can combine a schedule
or rendering is not sufficient for preparing a 4D schedule. A 3D from a scheduling package and a 3D CAD model prepared with
model is required for preparing a 4D schedule. A 3D CAD will a standard CAD package and links them together. These 4D
be a collection of points, lines and faces which convey no mean- packages are platform ‘neutral’ which means that they will
ing. The 3D model on the other hand is made up of elements accept scheduling and CAD information from most of the lead-
that have meaning in construction such as columns, beams, ing packages in their classes.
floors and walls etc. In current practice, where 2D drawings are
the norm, the effort to prepare the 3D model is not trivial and
takes substantial effort. WHERE 4D SCHEDULING IS BEING USED
In the case discussed in this article, we prepared the 3D mod-
els of buildings and site works from 3D renderings and 2D CAD Reports of the use of 4D scheduling indicate certain areas of
information. focus for the current use of 4D. Some examples of the areas of
The process of preparing a 4D schedule is shown in figure 1. application and what they sought to achieve are given below:
Figure 2 illustrates how a 4D software assembles a 4D sched-
ule. Visualization—In the case study covered in this arti-
cle, the initial and primary motivation for developing
the 4D schedule was to enable non-technical senior
DRIVERS AND ENABLERS FOR 4D SCHEDULE stakeholders, who would approve the project, under-
stand what the scope of the project was, when they
In general, owners are driving the adoption of BIM. The could expect finished buildings to open and how their
General Services Administration (GSA) has mandated BIM and current operations would be impacted by the construc-
related initiatives such as 4D scheduling for all its projects start- tion.
ing in 2007. The Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) a Communications—A corollary of the visualization
group of owners of large facilities is also pushing its members to effort is communication. The model was also used to
take an aggressive role in implementing BIM and associated communicate the intent of the program to a larger
technologies. audience as a community relations initiative.
General Motors is one such large owner who has taken the Preconstruction planning—A complex renovation of
decision to use BIM for all its new projects. GM and other first large occupied building which had to be done in phas-
users have reported big successes from their projects both in es and by moving around the occupants was first
terms of savings in cost as well as in schedule. planned out using a 4D model. It was claimed that this

Figure 2—Using a 4D Scheduling Package

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 2007 AACE International Transactions
project could not be done without the initial detailed
planning and buy-in using the 4D model. Claims and Dispute Resolution—Supporting claims
The need to visualize and communicate drove one with visual demonstration of impact on schedule and
of the earliest initiatives in 4D scheduling for the Walt cost is reportedly another area where 3D modeling and
Disney Concert Hall in LA1. The job was so complex 4D Scheduling is finding use.
that it overwhelmed the sub-contractors. The contrac-
tor was driven to specially build a complete 4D model
for the most complex part of the job. According to the BENEFITS OF 4D SCHEDULING
report the contractor “used the model to comprehend,
confirm, communicate, coordinate and troubleshoot. It appears that the benefits of 4D Scheduling that are driving
The tool helped find logic busts in the schedule while the use of 4D scheduling and 3D modeling are in both tangible
there was still time to adjust. It verified constructabili- and intangible categories. While the savings in cost and sched-
ty and checked work flow, access and hoisting. And it ule, risk reduction, improved quality, reduction of RFIs and
helped educate the team. But primarily, it was shown claims are tangible, an important intangible gain seems to be in
at monthly coordination meetings to preview the next using the models to communicate project parameters to non
90 days of work.” technical stakeholders and get their buy-in.

Collaboration, Planning, Scheduling and

Constructability—The biggest payoff in cost and HOW 4D SCHEDULING DIFFERS FROM
schedule reduction has been in the areas of collabora- CONVENTIONAL SCHEDULING
tion, clash detection and coordination, planning and
scheduling including logistics planning. There are a 4D scheduling quickly challenges and changes many of the
number of reports of successful use. The Denver Art practices of conventional scheduling. 4D scheduling is not sim-
Museum project, the first public project to use these ply taking a conventional schedule and attaching CAD ele-
high tech tools, is a success story and has been a prov- ments to activities. It forces the scheduler to think differently
ing ground for BIM and 4D scheduling [2]. According and adjust the way schedules are developed. Some of the con-
to the report “use of the 3D digital model, prevented siderations are as follows.
1200 collision of steel elements and sped steel erection
to the finish line three months early. The contractor Ring side seat—A 4D schedule provides the scheduler
then gave nearly $400,000 back to the owner.” with a ring side seat to the construction site. The sched-
General Motors has committed all new projects to uler is quickly able to move around, look outside,
3D modeling [3]. According to GM “The approach inside and under the building or site and verify the
has proven itself by helping the company build faster, sequences he is planning. The constant visual feed-
better and safer with less cost and risk.” back forces the scheduler to plan at greater depth and

Figure 3—‘Start Excavation’ Must Choose a Side

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 2007 AACE International Transactions
refine logic to avoid visual incongruities in the repre- Similarly, soft logic connections will also require
sentation. greater planning and be less arbitrary to withstand chal-
lenges using visual common sense. Logic busts are eas-
Management of Detail—There may be issues of too ily detectable as shown in figure 4 below.
little or too much detail depending on the stage of proj-
ect definition and the granularity of the 4D representa- Impact of Logistics—A ringside seat for the scheduler
tion desired. During early phases, with only sketchy will force him or her to factor in impact of logistics on
intent or schematic drawings available, these may not the schedule right from the beginning. The availabili-
be sufficient for generating 4D schedules. The neces- ty of access, lay-down areas, and equipment sequences
sary component details would need to be developed cannot be ignored.
separately. At the other end, a finished construction
model will likely show every element of construction. Managing what is not on A/E drawings—This is a
This may be too much for the scheduler who works at completely new challenge to the scheduler at many
a certain higher level of abstraction. levels. First the scheduler has to find information
Even a “fully developed” 3D model from the A/E which is generally not found in Construction
will require additional work for the scheduler. For Document (CD) packages. The CDs are prepared by
example, the model from the A/E will likely show a the A/E while site information such as logistics etc is
continuous floor slab in its model. The scheduler on prepared by the CM or GC. Secondly the scheduler
the other hand may require the 3D model to be further must get this information in a compatible 3D CAD
detailed in order to show the sequence of concrete package.
pours and may need to use his or her own 3D model-
ing resources to develop these details.
WHAT 4D SCHEDULING DOES NOT DO
Management of hard and soft logic—The visual con-
nection to the schedule discourages generalizations. While 4D scheduling adds an exciting new dimension to
Long duration activities with overlapping relationships scheduling, it also does not currently support many important
(SS, FF) sometimes create impressions of out of facets of current scheduling practice. The important current
sequence logic busts. Finish to Start (FS) relationships scheduling practices not supported are discussed below:
are likely to gain in respectability while using of nega-
tive lags will get a reality check. Procurement and Offsite Activities: Because of its
The scheduler now has to make some choices earli- nature, 4D models do not support offsite activities such
er based on more refined decisions. It is no longer as the submittal – approval and the procurement
enough to have the activity ‘Start excavation’ – a partic- cycles, offsite work such as fabrication or activities like
ular area has to be chosen to start and another to end coordination etc. These important and often critical
to make sense visually. Figure 3 illustrates such a point. activities must be carried in the conventional schedule
but cannot be displayed visually.

Figure 4—Visual Indication of Logic Busts

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 2007 AACE International Transactions
More Thorough Understanding of Scheduling—4D
Critical Path, Late Dates and Float—Currently there has added another level of difficulty to scheduling. The
are no built in features in the 4D package which facil- scheduler must consider more factors and have more
itates showing the critical path and other data like total interaction with the field to create the schedule. It not
float and late dates. While showing critical path in a only places more responsibility on the scheduler but
different color will make visual sense, it is not clear also calls for more active participation in the project
what value there may be in showing total float or late execution.
dates visually.

Cost, Resources and Earned Value—Currently 4D GSA 4D INITIATIVE

modeling does not support any advanced features of
scheduling such as cost and resource loading, cash- The General Services Administration (GSA) is actively
flow analysis and earned value analysis. It is not clear encouraging BIM and 4D Phasing [4]. The GSA website has
whether these features need to be supported in the 4D published their intent as follows:
model or remain a part of the existing scheduling prac- “4D Phasing - The Office of the Chief Architect (OCA) is
tice. currently encouraging, documenting, and evaluating 3D, 4D,
and building information modeling (BIM) technologies on a
project-by-project need basis.
LEARNING CURVE BARRIERS TO 4D SCHEDULING GSA is supporting the understanding project phasing through
the use of 4D models. 4D models, which combine a 3D model
While 4D scheduling certainly seems to be proving its worth with time, allow A/Es, contractors, and GSA associates to com-
and is being funded more frequently both by owners and by con- municate the proposed project phasing to all stakeholders. With
struction managers (Ultimately by the owner), the steep learn- 4D modeling, these stakeholders are able to better understand
ing curve to using 4D technology remains a significant barrier how the project affects them (e.g., - where the construction
to its use at this point of time (early 2007). Some of the learning zones will be, where and when tenants will have to move to
curve barriers are as follows. swing space, etc.). GSA is also able to use 4D models to under-
stand projected construction schedules for funding purposes.”
Learning CAD and 3D Modeling—The scheduler
will generally be quite an expert in reading and inter-
preting construction drawings. However these are gen- SHAPING THE FUTURE
erally in paper copies of 2D representation. Now the
scheduler will need to learn how to navigate through a The GSA has a modest goal for using 4D modeling. 4D
3D CAD environment. This is one more thing to scheduling has already proved its worth in complex construc-
learn. It is not a trivial task and must be in addition to tion scenarios in improving collaboration and communication
many facets of knowledge and training the schedulers and returning tangible benefits in cost savings and schedule
need in the field of scheduling. reduction. The GSA initiative is a formal recognition of the role
schedulers have to play in the paradigm shift toward a BIM
Learning a 4D Package—The 4D software packages world. This is an opportunity for schedulers and AACE
offer substantial functionality in taking 3D CAD International to pursue 4D projects and provide feedback to the
Model information and CPM scheduling information standards setting bodies. Some of the issues which we need to
and linking them to produce a 4D schedule. Like any tackle in shaping evolving technology and emerging standards
advanced software it takes training and many hours of of practice are as follows:
hands-on use to get to an acceptable level of productiv-
ity. Preserve CPM Scheduling Values—While benefiting
from the added level of detail that 3D models bring, we
Need CAD Partner—Currently the drawings and have to work hard to ensure that schedulers do not lose
models available are generally not suitable for use in sight of the real values conventional scheduling pro-
4D schedules. The A/E practice is not generally vides in critical path and float analysis, earned value
aligned with the needs of BIM and 3D modeling. analysis, cost and resource loading studies etc.
Current A/E practice produces 2D drawings or at best
3D CAD drawings which are renderings. The drawings Understand Process Changes—BIM and 4D schedul-
are a collection of lines and points and do not make up ing are not only improving schedule by improving
elements like columns, beams and walls which can be coordination and eliminating delays because of errors;
used for a 4D schedule. A 4D scheduler needs a CAD they are also changing processes and work sequences
partner who will bridge the gap between the drawings and durations. Schedulers must stay abreast of these
that are being produced and the 3D CAD model suit- developments and use them in developing project
able for use in the 4D schedule. This may be a little or plans and schedules in the future.
lot of work depending on the quality of the drawings.

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 2007 AACE International Transactions
Align BIM model to scheduler needs: Currently there REFERENCES
is a big gap between where 2D/3D CADS are and 3D 1. Movie of Job that Defies Description is Worth More Than
models need to be. As standards of architectural prac- A Million Words. ENR 4/8/2002
tice evolve to meet BIM needs, schedulers must partic- 2. Sharing High-Tech Tools Creates Rocky Mountain High.
ipate to ensure that the model elements that they need ENR 5/15/2006
to develop 4D schedules are part of the 3D CAD 3. Automotive Giant Commits New Projects to 3D Modeling.
model deliverables and are incorporated in the emerg- ENR 7/10/2006
ing BIM standards. 4. 4D Scheduling, GSA.gov: Home > Buildings > Public
Buildings > Design and Construction > 3D-4D Building
Align Naming Conventions of Models—Similar to Information Modeling > 4D Phasing
the disconnect between how estimators and schedulers
measure and aggregate quantities, a disconnect exists
between how architects and schedulers ‘view’ a job.
How layers and components get named and used by
the architect can make life easy or difficult for the
downstream 4D scheduler.

Align 4D software—The 4D software are evolving

with usage. The more schedulers use the software and
provide feedback and enhancement requests the better Abhimanyu Basu, PE PSP
the software will become. Basu Technology, Inc.
26 Manor House Drive
Influence technology development—BIM provides Cherry Hill, NJ 08003, US
the framework for software vendors to develop analysis Phone: +1.856.245.9082
software that help planners, architects and engineers Email: [email protected]
do their jobs. Examples are programs that can calculate
usable space, do energy analysis or simulate the pat-
terns and time it takes for crowds to exit a building etc.
Schedulers should actively encourage vendors that
develop tools and utilities which will help them. These
tools and aids could be simple such as 3D models of
equipment and structures or complex such analysis of
truck movement during excavation. For example, soft-
ware that matches site photos to the model and calcu-
lates progress would greatly ease schedule updating
and earned value measurement.

D scheduling is moving from being a buzzword to reali-

4 ty. Its value in saving cost and time has been confirmed
with field data. This presents an additional opportunity to
schedulers for enhancing their value to the project team. 4D
scheduling and BIM also offers new challenges for proactively
shaping the tools and improving usability and productivity and
establish standards of practice. Schedulers and AACE
International must actively promote its use and seek out oppor-
tunities to influence the technology, the tools and the practice
standards.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I gratefully acknowledge the help and knowledge that Dr.

Arie Schinnar, a scholar, a teacher and a private practitioner of
CAD and architecture has provided in this initiative. Dr.
Schinnar is the CAD partner without whose participation,
insights and help this project could not have been completed.

PS.12.6