Implementing Weekly Work Plan Lab into CM 214 - Residential Construction

A schedule is one of the primary components of any construction project and can determine the success of a job. Schedules most often contain high-level line items and lack the details it takes to actually implement daily work in the field. Subcontractors, as the specialists, understand the myriad of smaller tasks that a master schedule omits. It is the job of a superintendent to extract this information from subcontractors during pull plans, to build precise schedules, called weekly work plans (WWP). At Cal Poly it is expected that students receive a well-rounded curriculum in how to build various types of schedules. The CM 214 Residential class builds a Tiny House to help students understand the basic steps in building a home. The class does an excellent job teaching through learn-by-doing, however, there is always room for improvement. The proposed class module is centered around a WWP lab, where the goal is to enhance student learning outcomes and prepare students for their careers. The WWP lab was devised from an internship experience, working for Turner Construction at the LA Stadium at Hollywood Park. A WWP is a more detailed schedule than a traditional schedule, which is utilized by superintendents to build and track their work. In the lab, students will be responsible for filling out the WWP before they start building and then track the progress of their work throughout the day. This assignment will help students to increase collaboration, accountability, understanding of the complete building process, and to limit rework