The following is a list of instructions from the Contract Special Provisions for every construction project let to contract for use in preparing a progress schedule:
- The Contractor shall prepare and submit for review and approval a schedule of proposed working progress. This schedule shall be submitted on forms supplied by the Engineer or in a format that is approved by the engineer. A detailed Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule shall not be submitted to replace the progress schedule details required below.
- The project number, county, prime contractor, and the date the Progress Schedule is prepared shall be shown in their respective places at the top of the form.
- Establish a scale for TIME (DAYS). It is suggested that a scale of
10, 20, or 30 days be used based on the length of time of the contract. The contract time in calendar days shall be noted at the end of the scale.
The progress chart must begin on the availability date and the completion date will be according to the Contractor's estimate as to when he will complete the contract but shall not be extended beyond the completion date as shown in the contract. In computing the number of calendar days allowed by the contract, the date of availability and the project completion date will each be counted as a calendar day.
- Establish a scale for
TIME (PERCENT). This shall be shown at the top of the chart and shall be in
10 percent increments with the date of availability or the
first workday being
zero percent and the completion date or the last working day being
100 percent.
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MAJOR WORK ACTIVITIES AND RELATIVE PERCENT OF PROJECT: Operations shown here shall be the major activities appropriate for the type of project. The dollar value of all bid items included in the particular major operation shall be added and the sum divided by the total contract amount to obtain the relative percent of project. Major work activities are defined as components comprising more than
five (5) percent of the total project cost or occupying more than
ten (10) percent of total contract time and shall include, at minimum if applicable, the following:
Clearing and grubbing
Grading (to include unclassified excavation and borrow excavation)
Drainage
Soil stabilization
Aggregate base course
Pavement
Culvert construction
Bridge construction (including removal)
Signals, ITS, and lighting installation
Overhead signs
If the major work activity does not represent a dollar value, make a note under that activity on the progress schedule showing the activity has no dollar value. As a check, the total of all major activities and relative percents shall equal 100 percent.
- Clearly label any major milestones on the chart as shown on the example under the
Progress Schedule Chart of this Manual. Major Milestones are derived from the project construction phasing and shall include, at minimum, the following:
Date of availability
Start of construction
Intermediate completion dates or times
Seasonal limitation durations
Permit restrictions/conditions
Traffic shifts
Detour installation
Road openings
Beginning and end of each traffic control phase or work area
Construction completion date
Contract completion date
- Beside each major operation, show a bar graph reflecting the time to be spent for the operation. Normally this graph will reflect a uniform rate of progress from the date the operation begins until it is completed. However, some major activities may proceed at different rates during the life of the contract or even be temporarily suspended. In the event that a major activity proceeds at different rates, the intermediate percentages of completion shall be shown at the appropriate locations on the bar graph. These points shall come wherever the rate of progress changes significantly. If the bar graph has been correctly done, the anticipated rate of progress between any two percentages will be uniform. If the major activity is temporarily suspended, the bar graph shall be stopped and later started when it is anticipated that the operation will be resumed. Intermediate percentages of completion shall be shown at the end and beginning of each segment of the interrupted bar graph.
- Upon completion of the bar graph, the cash curve for the project shall be determined and drawn. The total progress is to be computed for as many intermediate intervals as may be necessary to establish the curve. Depending upon the length of the project, intervals of
10, 20, or 30 days may be appropriate. The total progress at any time is the sum of the weighed progress figures for each major activity. The weighed progress is the percent completion of the major activity times its relative percent.
The Contractor is also required to submit a written narrative that explains the sequence of work, the controlling operation(s), intermediate completion dates, milestones, project phasing, anticipated work schedule, and estimated resources. In addition, the Contractor shall explain how permit requirements, submittal tracking, and coordination with subcontractors, utility companies and other entities will be performed.
The Contractor is required to submit the progress chart to the Division Engineer
seven (7) days prior to the Preconstruction Conference. It is the Division Engineer's responsibility to approve the initial schedule, if it appears to be acceptable, shall be uploaded into SharePoint. Progress Schedules that are revised to account for authorized time extensions may be approved by the Division Engineer or his delegate. The State Construction Engineer is available to assist in the approval of revised progress schedules, if the Division has questions or requests an additional review. As a general rule of thumb, authorized time extensions in excess of 30 days should result in a revised progress schedule submitted by the Contractor for review and approval. Progress schedules that are revised for reasons other than authorized time extensions shall be forwarded, along with any recommendations regarding the schedule, to the State Construction Engineer for final review and approval. Upon receipt of the approved progress schedule, the Resident Engineer shall maintain it in his project files.
Each month the Resident Engineer should plot the actual percent complete as determined by the monthly estimate on his copy of the progress schedule. This will be maintained throughout the project as a visual reference of the Contractor's progress on the project. See
Forms and Examples in this section of the Manual.
SAMPLE NARRATIVE
Work schedule:
ABC Contracting working hours for this contract will be Monday thru Friday from 7:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. This will be a ten hour shift with a half hour lunch break. No weekend work is anticipated at this time. During warm weather months and as work dictates, we may extend the shift time to a twelve hour work day with possible weekend and night work. This will be considered if the project falls behind schedule and will be reflected in our monthly updates. There will be no work impacting traffic for the Dates, Times and Holidays listed in the contract for ICT #3.
ABC Contracting and our subcontractors will be mobilizing all necessary equipment to adequately perform all grading and erosion control operations. We will be utilizing stone from our ABC Quarry located five miles from the project. Asphalt plant mix and all concrete will be supplied from our plants at the quarry.
A Utility Coordinator will be engaged with all the utility companies to ensure the conflicting utilities listed in the contract are phased as planned. Every effort will be made by
ABC Contracting to expedite the work of the utility companies. The project special provisions will be adhered to and monthly meetings will be held with the utility owners. Noted in the table below, ABC Contracting will make accessible the areas necessary for the relocation of these utilities prior to the dates required by the contract to allow the owners an additional time for relocation. These dates will be reviewed with the owners.
We are requesting in addition to the monthly construction meeting an opportunity to meet with the NCDOT’s staff and the environmental agencies. This meeting will be to discuss the permit and environmental requirements of this contract. Our company strives to be proactive in environmental stewardship and would like feedback to ensure there will be no delays due to any environmental issues.
The project manager will be responsible for all submittals. This person will familiarize themselves with the contract to be aware of any submittals required and the time necessary for their review. Also, this person will coordinate with the subcontractors to ensure any submittals will be forwarded in a timely manner. We have a built in lead time necessary for the review and approval of our submittals. We ask that the NCDOT contact us immediately if a revision is required. This will enable us to make any corrections and stay on schedule.
The project manager will also be responsible for the coordination of all work related to this project. This person will schedule the subcontractors work and oversee the utility coordinators’ schedule. The monthly updates will give documented details of the upcoming project activities.
You will notice that this project has a strict time schedule.
ABC Contracting is committed to being responsive to all inquiries and needs by the NCDOT, subcontractors, utility owners, and suppliers. We ask that the NCDOT’s staff involved with this project show the same initiative. With all parties involved, the terms of the contract can be successfully met. We are also committed to building a high quality product that will serve the traveling public for many years to come.
The following table gives details of ABC Contracting’s work as required by the contract:
