diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/calendars/entities/CalendarException.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/calendars/entities/CalendarException.java
index 5828f621a..5e1d2984f 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/calendars/entities/CalendarException.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/calendars/entities/CalendarException.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.calendars.daos.ICalendarExceptionDAO;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.IntegrationEntity;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.Registry;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration;
-import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.Granularity;
 
 /**
  * Represents an exceptional day that has a different number of hours. For
@@ -56,8 +55,7 @@ public class CalendarException extends IntegrationEntity {
     }
 
     private static EffortDuration fromHours(Integer hours) {
-        return hours == null ? null : EffortDuration.elapsing(hours,
-                Granularity.HOURS);
+        return hours == null ? null : EffortDuration.hours(hours);
     }
 
     public void updateUnvalidated(LocalDate date, Integer hours,
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/DayAssignment.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/DayAssignment.java
index d1c3e0810..3ab020bf8 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/DayAssignment.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/planner/entities/DayAssignment.java
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.util.deepcopy.AfterCopy;
 import org.navalplanner.business.util.deepcopy.OnCopy;
 import org.navalplanner.business.util.deepcopy.Strategy;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration;
-import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.Granularity;
 
 public abstract class DayAssignment extends BaseEntity {
 
@@ -179,7 +178,7 @@ public abstract class DayAssignment extends BaseEntity {
         Validate.isTrue(hours >= 0);
         Validate.notNull(resource);
         this.day = day;
-        this.duration = EffortDuration.elapsing(hours, Granularity.HOURS);
+        this.duration = EffortDuration.hours(hours);
         this.resource = resource;
     }
 
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
index f5cb8780f..e63797c76 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
@@ -51,6 +51,18 @@ public class EffortDuration {
         return new EffortDuration(granularity.toSeconds(amount));
     }
 
+    public static EffortDuration hours(int amount) {
+        return elapsing(amount, Granularity.HOURS);
+    }
+
+    public static EffortDuration minutes(int amount) {
+        return elapsing(amount, Granularity.MINUTES);
+    }
+
+    public static EffortDuration seconds(int amount) {
+        return elapsing(amount, Granularity.SECONDS);
+    }
+
     private final int seconds;
 
     private EffortDuration(int seconds) {
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationType.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationType.java
index 752ca9cc8..17ffd6b70 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationType.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationType.java
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class EffortDurationType implements UserType {
     @Override
     public Object assemble(Serializable cached, Object owner)
             throws HibernateException {
-        return EffortDuration.elapsing((Integer) cached, Granularity.SECONDS);
+        return EffortDuration.seconds((Integer) cached);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
index 2c8403ecb..fd0f37d02 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ package org.navalplanner.business.test.workingday;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
-import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.elapsing;
+import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.hours;
+import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.minutes;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration;
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ public class EffortDurationTest {
 
     @Test
     public void itCanExpressTheDurationAsHoursMinutesAndSeconds() {
-        EffortDuration duration = EffortDuration.elapsing(4, Granularity.HOURS);
+        EffortDuration duration = EffortDuration.hours(4);
         assertThat(duration.getHours(), equalTo(4));
         assertThat(duration.getMinutes(), equalTo(240));
         assertThat(duration.getSeconds(), equalTo(240 * 60));
@@ -54,35 +55,33 @@ public class EffortDurationTest {
 
     @Test
     public void hoursCanBeZero() {
-        EffortDuration.elapsing(0, Granularity.HOURS);
+        EffortDuration.hours(0);
     }
 
     @Test
     public void minutesAreTranslatedToHours() {
-        assertThat(elapsing(120, Granularity.MINUTES).getHours(),
-                equalTo(2));
-        assertThat(elapsing(119, Granularity.MINUTES).getHours(), equalTo(1));
-        assertThat(elapsing(121, Granularity.MINUTES).getHours(), equalTo(2));
+        assertThat(EffortDuration.minutes(120).getHours(), equalTo(2));
+        assertThat(minutes(119).getHours(), equalTo(1));
+        assertThat(minutes(121).getHours(), equalTo(2));
     }
 
     @Test
     public void canBeTranslatedToAnyGranularity(){
-        assertThat(elapsing(3, Granularity.HOURS)
-                .convertTo(Granularity.MINUTES),
-                equalTo(180));
+        assertThat(hours(3).convertTo(Granularity.MINUTES), equalTo(180));
     }
 
     @Test
     public void canSpecifyADurationWithSeveralUnits() {
-        assertThat(elapsing(2, Granularity.HOURS).and(30, Granularity.MINUTES)
+        assertThat(
+                hours(2).and(30, Granularity.MINUTES)
                 .convertTo(Granularity.MINUTES), equalTo(150));
     }
 
-    private static final EffortDuration oneHourAndAHalf = elapsing(1,
-            Granularity.HOURS).and(30, Granularity.MINUTES);
-    private static final EffortDuration ninetyMinutes = elapsing(90,
+    private static final EffortDuration oneHourAndAHalf = hours(1).and(30,
             Granularity.MINUTES);
 
+    private static final EffortDuration ninetyMinutes = minutes(90);
+
     @Test
     public void twoDurationWithTheSameSecondsAreEqual(){
         assertThat(oneHourAndAHalf, equalTo(ninetyMinutes));
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/TaskDateTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/TaskDateTest.java
index b1a7522b0..83bf2e64a 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/TaskDateTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/TaskDateTest.java
@@ -41,10 +41,8 @@ public class TaskDateTest {
 
     private LocalDate today = new LocalDate();
     private LocalDate tomorrow = today.plusDays(1);
-    private EffortDuration oneHour = EffortDuration.elapsing(1,
-            Granularity.HOURS);
-    private EffortDuration halfHour = EffortDuration.elapsing(30,
-            Granularity.MINUTES);
+    private EffortDuration oneHour = EffortDuration.hours(1);
+    private EffortDuration halfHour = EffortDuration.minutes(30);
 
     @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
     public void needsANotNullDuration() {
@@ -60,9 +58,8 @@ public class TaskDateTest {
     public void equalsAndHashCodeWorkOk() {
         LocalDate today = new LocalDate();
         LocalDate tomorrow = today.plusDays(1);
-        EffortDuration oneHour = EffortDuration.elapsing(1, Granularity.HOURS);
-        EffortDuration halfHour = EffortDuration.elapsing(30,
-                Granularity.MINUTES);
+        EffortDuration oneHour = EffortDuration.hours(1);
+        EffortDuration halfHour = EffortDuration.minutes(30);
         assertEquals(TaskDate.create(today, halfHour),
                 TaskDate.create(tomorrow.minusDays(1), halfHour));
         assertEquals(TaskDate.create(today, halfHour).hashCode(), TaskDate
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationTypeTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationTypeTest.java
index 61cc07696..1b1c91b8e 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationTypeTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/hibernate/EffortDurationTypeTest.java
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@
 
 package org.navalplanner.business.test.workingday.hibernate;
 
-
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotSame;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.navalplanner.business.BusinessGlobalNames.BUSINESS_SPRING_CONFIG_FILE;
 import static org.navalplanner.business.test.BusinessGlobalNames.BUSINESS_SPRING_CONFIG_TEST_FILE;
+import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.hours;
 
 import org.hibernate.Session;
 import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ public class EffortDurationTypeTest {
 
     @Test
     public void canBeSavedAndRetrieved() {
-        EffortDuration duration = EffortDuration.elapsing(2, Granularity.HOURS)
-                .and(30, Granularity.MINUTES);
+        EffortDuration duration = hours(2).and(30, Granularity.MINUTES);
         givenEntity(duration);
         getSession().save(entity);
         getSession().flush();