A Preliminary Study on the Comparative Schedule Analysis of Traditional and Advanced Work Packaging Plans for Nuclear Power Plant Construction

The construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs) involves complex and long-duration projects where schedule delays critically affect project performance. To overcome this challenge, Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) has emerged as a promising alternative approach. It offers a more integrated and structured way to plan and execute projects, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce the risk of delays. To evaluate the potential benefits, this preliminary study developed and compared a traditional phase-based schedule and two AWP-based schedules. Delay simulations and productivity adjustments were conducted to analyze schedule resilience and mitigation performance. The results show that AWP-based schedules enhance traceability, expand work package granularity, and improve recovery against engineering delays through structured segmentation and Workface Planning (WFP). These findings quantitatively demonstrate the potential of AWP to improve scheduling efficiency not only in NPP projects but also mega construction projects while also identifying gaps in maturity, boundary definition, and integration practices that must be addressed for broader adoption.