Project Setup
Program Summary
Road Activities
| No. | Activity | Start Date | End Date | Duration | % Complete | Status |
|---|
Activity Gantt — Bar Chart
About this Gantt chart tool
This tool builds a design or construction programme as a Gantt bar chart directly in the browser. It is aimed at project managers, design managers, planners and site engineers who need a presentable schedule for a report or a bid without opening scheduling software.
How to build the programme
Enter the activities that make up the work, each with a start date, a finish date or duration, and a percentage complete. Bars are drawn against a common timeline as you type, so overlaps and sequencing are visible immediately. Set the status date to the reporting cut-off and the tool compares each activity against where it should have reached.
Working days, not calendar days
Select the weekly non-working days — the weekend pattern varies by country and by site arrangement — and durations are calculated on working days. This is the difference between duration and elapsed time: a ten working day activity starting Monday with a two day weekend finishes twelve calendar days later. Treating the two as the same is one of the most common causes of an over-optimistic programme.
What the summary reports
- Total activities in the programme
- Average percentage complete across all activities
- Completed activities
- At risk — approaching the planned finish with low progress
- Behind schedule — past the planned finish and not complete
- Not started
Reading percent complete honestly
Percent complete should reflect measured work done, not time elapsed. An activity halfway through its duration is not necessarily half built, and a programme reported on elapsed time will look healthy right up to the point it visibly is not. For a weighted overall progress figure across activities, use the physical progress dashboard, which applies activity weights rather than a simple average.
Getting data in and out
Activities can be imported from an Excel or CSV file rather than typed, with a date format selector for day-first, month-first and ISO conventions. The schedule exports back to CSV and prints as a PDF for issue with progress reports.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Gantt chart used for in construction?
A Gantt chart is a bar chart of a project programme, with one horizontal bar per activity drawn against a timeline so its start, finish and duration are visible at a glance. In construction it is the standard way of presenting a design or construction schedule, because overlaps, sequencing and the overall shape of the programme can be read directly off the chart.
How do you make a Gantt chart for a project schedule?
List the activities that make up the work, give each one a start date and a finish date or a duration, then plot them as bars against a common timeline. Add percentage completion as the work proceeds so the chart shows progress as well as plan. This tool generates the bars automatically as you fill in the activity table.
What are weekly holidays or non-working days in a programme?
Weekly holidays are the days each week on which no work is planned, typically the weekend, although the days chosen vary by country and by site working arrangements. Setting them means durations are calculated in working days rather than calendar days, which is what makes a programme realistic for a site that does not work seven days a week.
What is the difference between duration and elapsed time?
Duration is the number of working days an activity needs, while elapsed time is the calendar span it occupies once non-working days are taken out. A ten working day activity starting on a Monday with a two day weekend finishes twelve calendar days later. Confusing the two is one of the most common causes of an over optimistic programme.
What does the status date do on a Gantt chart?
The status date is the as-of date the programme is being reported against. Activities are compared with where they should have reached by that date, so an activity that has passed its planned finish without being complete shows as behind schedule, and one approaching its finish with low progress shows as at risk.
What does percent complete mean on a Gantt chart?
Percent complete is how much of an individual activity has been finished, and it is normally shown as a shaded portion of the bar. It should be based on measured work done rather than on time elapsed, because an activity halfway through its duration is not necessarily half built. Weighted overall progress across all activities is a separate calculation.
Can I import my schedule from Excel?
Yes. Activities can be imported from an .xlsx, .xls or .csv file, and the table, chart and summary update automatically. A date format selector handles day first, month first and ISO conventions so imported dates are read correctly. The schedule can also be exported back to CSV or printed as a PDF.
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