Resource Loading Calculator

Resource loading assigns the people, equipment and materials needed by each activity to the periods in which the work happens. Adding up the loads per day or week produces a resource histogram, which shows whether the plan is achievable with the crews you actually have, and where peaks need levelling.

How to use the calculator

1. Enter each activity's work quantity and the productivity rate of a crew, or the man-hours it needs directly.
2. Enter the activity duration and the working hours per day.
3. Read the required crew size or daily man-hours per activity, then add up the activities that run in the same period.

Formulas

• Total man-hours = Quantity / Productivity (units per man-hour)
• Daily man-hours = Total man-hours / Duration (days)
• Workers needed = Daily man-hours / Hours per day

Worked example

Blockwork of 1,200 m² at 0.5 m² per man-hour needs 2,400 man-hours. Over 15 working days of 8 hours, that is 160 man-hours per day, or 20 workers. If plastering (12 workers) runs during the same two weeks, the combined load is 32 workers. If the site can only accommodate 25, the histogram shows an overload, and one activity should be shifted within its float or extended.

Resource levelling vs. smoothing

• Levelling delays activities so resources never exceed a limit, which may extend the project.
• Smoothing moves activities only within their available float, keeping the finish date while reducing peaks.

In Primavera P6

Assign resources and units per time to activities, then view the resource usage profile. Use the levelling function or manual adjustments to remove overloads. A smooth histogram means steadier crews, less hiring and firing, and lower cost.