The Use of Precedence Networks for Cement Plant Outages: Adapting to Changing Circumstances to Keep Projects on Track

This article presents a case study detailing the use of a precedence network to overcome some of the challenges associated with shifting start dates, fluctuating work scopes, contractor coordination, and parts delays during a cement plant outage. Sixteen days before a scheduled start of an outage, the sequential failure of two critical bucket elevators necessitated twice changing the start date, altering the work scope, and the coordination of all contractors and materials. This article details how a precedence network (also known as a
critical path network
) allowed plant leadership to manage these issues and execute a safe successful outage.