Bar chart planning granularity: For a concrete job covering (1) supply of materials, (2) formwork, (3) reinforcement and placing of concrete, (4) removal of formwork, and (5) curing of concrete, how many separate bars should ideally be shown on a bar chart?

Introduction / Context:
Bar charts (Gantt charts) are widely used for simple construction scheduling. The degree of activity breakdown affects clarity and coordination. This question asks how many distinct bars are appropriate for a typical concrete operation sequence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Work items listed: supply of materials, formwork, reinforcement and placing of concrete (treated as one combined operation), removal of formwork, curing.
• Objective: strike a balance between adequate detail and readability.

Concept / Approach:

Bar charts depict planned durations and sequencing. Closely coupled operations can be combined to avoid excessive fragmentation. Many site schedules group reinforcement with placing of concrete for bar-chart purposes, while showing material supply, formwork, stripping, and curing separately.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Practical project controls often compress secondary or continuous processes (like curing) into adjacent bars to avoid clutter, aiming for four clear bars covering pre-cast, cast, and post-cast phases.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

1–3 bars hide essential sequencing; more than 4 here would over-fragment and reduce readability for a basic bar chart.

Common Pitfalls:

Making each micro-step a separate bar, which complicates a simple Gantt; or over-grouping and losing critical handoffs.

Final Answer:

4