Your team is handling the project scheduling for Acme Construction. Today you need to analyze some schedule information for a brick house that Acme will be building starting the first of next month in Dearborn. All activity relationships are Finish-to-Start. The sequence of activities and time estimates is as follows:

Activity ID	Description	Predecessor	Estimated Duration (in days)
a	Start		0
b	Excavate and pour footers	a	4
c	Pour concrete foundation	b	2
d	Erect wooden frame including rough roof	c	4
e	Lay brickwork	d	6
f	Install basement drains and plumbing	e	1
g	Pour basement floor	f	2
h	Install rough plumbing	f	3
i	Install rough wiring	d	2
j	Install heating, ventilation and AC	d,g	4
k	Hang dry wall, mud, tape and finish	i,j,h	10
l	Lay unfinish hardwood flooring	k	3
m	Install kitchen fixtures	l	1
n	Install finish plumbing	l	2
o	Finish carpentry	l	3
p	Finish roofing and flashing	o	2
q	Fasten gutters and downspouts	p	1
r	Install French drain	c	1
s	Sand and finish flooring	o,t	2
t	Paint interior	m,n	3
u	Finish electrical work	t	1
v	Finish grading	q,r	2
w	Pour walks and complete landscaping	v	5
z	Finish	s,u,w	0

1. Create a MS Word document to store your work including your diagram (can be an attachment) and your written answers.
2. Draw a network diagram (using the Precedence Diagramming Method as shown below) showing the ES, EF, LS, LF dates assuming the project starts on the first of next month and observes a 5-day work week. Include the activity ID and duration for each activity. You can draw the diagram in PowerPoint or on-paper and take a clear, readable picture with your phone. If using a different drawing package, convert your diagram to a .pdf for attachment to your MS Word document.
3. Determine the critical path and mark it (with thicker arrows) on your diagram. What is the number of days in the critical path and the expected finish date?
4. If the actual duration of activities a to g is exactly the same as the planned duration but activity h-Rough Plumbing takes 2 days instead of 1 day, how will this impact the expected completion date of the project?
5. What is the free float of activity v-Finish Grading? How did you calculate this?
6. What is the total float of activity h-Rough Plumbing? How did you calculate this?
7. To shorten the project, the chief contractor on the project has suggested assigning more carpenters to activity d. This would reduce the duration of task d from 4 days to 2 days. Will this help or not? How will it change the project schedule?
8. Part of the reason that task k takes 10 days is because the drywall mud (also called joint compound) has to dry after it is applied before it can be sanded. The project could switch to a fast drying mud that would reduce the duration of task k by 2 days for a new duration of 8 days. But the fast dry mud will cost a extra $500. Under what conditions would it make business sense to make the switch to fast drying mud?
9. What would the finish date be if using a 6-day work week instead of a 5 day work week?