The application of Lob in the UAE: a case study of a housing project

Line of Balance (LOB) scheduling technique is a significant technique that plays a vital role in repetitive construction projects. It became more demanding in the construction industry due to the construction of mega repetitive projects e.g. housing schemes, high rise buildings, railways and highways, etc. This paper aims to evaluate the real application of LOB in repetitive housing projects in the UAE which could fill the gap as there is lack of similar empirical studies in the Middle East. The paper firstly presents a concise literature review on the application and limitation of LOB comparing to CPM in repetitive projects. Then, a case study of 275 villas housing project in the UAE is demonstrated and analysed, where LOB technique was used and monitored throughout the lifecycle of the project. The findings point out significant controlling benefits of using LOB comparing with CPM in the project and address some limitations hindering the efficient use of LOB in the UAE.