A project requires 500 cubic yards of concrete to be delivered over 10 days. Your supplier can deliver a maximum of 75 cubic yards per day. To meet the schedule, what is the minimum number of suppliers needed?
Correct Answer
A) 1 supplier
Daily requirement: 500 ÷ 10 = 50 cubic yards per day. Since one supplier can deliver 75 cubic yards per day, which exceeds the 50 cubic yards needed daily, only one supplier is required.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The calculation shows that only 50 cubic yards of concrete are needed per day (500 ÷ 10 = 50). Since one supplier can deliver up to 75 cubic yards per day, this single supplier has sufficient capacity to meet the daily requirement of 50 cubic yards. The supplier's capacity exceeds the project's daily needs by 25 cubic yards, providing a comfortable margin. Therefore, only one supplier is needed to complete the project on schedule.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 2 suppliers
Two suppliers would provide 150 cubic yards per day capacity (75 × 2), which is three times more than the required 50 cubic yards per day, making this an unnecessary and costly overestimate.
Option C: 3 suppliers
Three suppliers would provide 225 cubic yards per day capacity (75 × 3), which is 4.5 times more than needed and represents significant overestimation of resources required.
Option D: 4 suppliers
Four suppliers would provide 300 cubic yards per day capacity (75 × 4), which is six times more than the 50 cubic yards needed daily and represents extreme overestimation.
Memory Technique
Remember 'Need vs. Feed' - calculate what you NEED daily, then see how much one supplier can FEED you. If the feed exceeds the need, one supplier is sufficient.
Reference Hint
Florida Building Code - Construction scheduling and material delivery requirements, Project Management sections dealing with resource allocation and scheduling
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