Robert C. McCue, P.E., Consulting Engineertia-graphic
Stephen M. Rymal, P.E., Esq., Consulting Engineer
MDC Systems®
Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules and formalized methods of analyzing schedule impacts started to enter mainstream construction management practice in the early 1980’s. At that time, the industry recognized a need to accurately and scientifically measure schedule delays and conversely the affects of acceleration in real time during construction and also retrospectively after the work was completed. The ability to determine which party ultimately bore responsibility for schedule delays became the main focus on many projects as the assessment of liquidated damages or granting compensable time extensions became critically important to both owners and contractors. Just as the Rosetta Stone provided scholars with a means to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics into Greek text, Time Impact Analysis (TIA®) provides users with the means to translate Critical Path Method (CPM) activities into understandable schedule impacts.