Construction Management

By Eli Jr

Turn your vision into a reality with the essential guide to construction project management.

Construction Management equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to deliver successful construction projects, from conception to completion. This authoritative resource covers the entire construction process, demystifying everything from estimating and scheduling to soil mechanics and materials selection.

With clear explanations and practical advice from experienced construction professionals, Construction Management will help you:

-Master the construction process, step-by-step

-Effectively plan and schedule your projects

-Manage costs and stay within budget

-Ensure quality construction and avoid costly mistakes

-Navigate complex contracts and legal issues

-Manage project risks and promote safety

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eli Jr
• Release date: Apr 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224194339

Eli Jr

Elias Zeferino Manhiça Junior, known simply as Eli Jr is a force to be reckoned with due to his multifaceted talents and entrepreneurial spirit. Born in the beautiful landscapes of Mozambique, Africa in 2001, Eli Jr wears many hats and is committed to using his gifts to generate wealth and eradicate poverty. He is a gifted wordsmith whose soulful vocals earned him a contract with Platinum City Music Group, and a skilled composer crafting musical tales that have captivated hearts across borders. Eli Jr's melodic journey began in 2010, sparking a fervor that would soon enchant listeners worldwide. Raised amid the bustling rhythm of Maputo and culturally flourishing in Lichinga, his music displays the richness of his experiences. He currently has two acclaimed albums available - International Baby and Genesis - both produced in partnership with Platinum City Music Group. Beyond his artistic success, Eli Jr has unveiled his brilliance as an author focused on academic and business topics. His published titles to date include Wealth Management Skills Guide, A Treasure Of Ideas, The Excellence Blueprint, Information Technology For Business, Social Media Management, Business Affairs Management, Business Communication Management, Family Management, Facilities Management, Customer Relationships Management, Change Management, Health Management, Human Resources Management, Innovation Management, Investments Management, Knowledge Management and Environmental Management. Eli Jr is dedicated to using his multifaceted talents and businesses to generate wealth and alleviate poverty through knowledge and inspiration. He is sure to continue accomplishing great things.

Book preview

Introduction To The Construction Industry

The construction industry is an industry that constructs, alters, repairs, adds to, or wrecks any building, highway, road, bridge, or any other structure or improvement, according to the website of The Board of Building and Construction. Looking at the definition of construction given by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the construction industry can be narrowed down into three sectors of work.

Firstly, the residential and institutional sector which consists of houses, schools, old folk homes, and hospitals. Secondly, the commercial sector which includes retail shops and shopping complexes. Thirdly, the industry also has an industrial sector involving work on manufacturing plants for chemical industries, electronics industries, power-generating plants, and others.

With such a wide range of projects involved, the complex nature of the construction industry is evident and needs close attention and a meticulous approach. Eventually, after World War II, some nations gained independence and the republic government had the monumental task of building infrastructure, improving living standards, and eradicating unemployment. This was when the construction industry took shape and steps were taken to construct a better nations.

The creation of primary and secondary assets, such as homes and schools, are the stepping stones of a community. It was cited that the primary asset of new homes, output in 2003, contributed 35% of GDP, which was the highest of any sector and considerably higher than the construction share of the economy in recent decades. Average wage rates have increased as firms have tried to attract labor from other sectors of the industry.

The far high demands of residential buildings are seen due to expansion and globalization effects. Secondary assets that are being built are schools and public buildings. They are the most valuable assets for a community as they provide education, which helps future generations. It increases the value of the surrounding area after the year of completion by 25%.

Commercial buildings that are the basis of tertiary assets of buildings are vital to its success to a business. Building and constructing is a profession that will move on to improve the way of living of society. The construction industry has contributed more than half of the total increase of value to supply goods in the economy. Craftsmen, by performing tasks to achieve a high level of proficiency in producing specific products, have shown that in the recent decade more of them are moving into the construction industry to become skilled or diploma builders, specializing in a trade.

Changes in modernization have also been an important influence in altering the image of construction to society. Modern construction projects are complex and demanding, particularly in high-tech and electronics industries. Their aim is to integrate both prefabrication and site assembly and offices to form an uninterrupted system. This increases the overall complexity of the whole system, requiring architectural and engineering coordination in the various product and process development projects.

The key players in the construction industry are the client, the consultant, the contractor, and the subcontractor. In the context of a construction project, the client is the individual or organization who is having the construction work carried out. I

t is the client who initiates the construction work and defines the level of quality, the time, and the cost at which the project is to be completed. The client will provide the financial resources for the project and will be the main beneficiary of the successful completion of the project. The consultant is a professional employed by the client who provides expert advice in a particular area in order to solve a problem.

In the context of construction, the architect is the most common example of a consultant. An architect is typically responsible for producing design and specification information, defining the scope of work to be carried out by a contractor, and administering the work of a contractor in order to verify that it is being done correctly, i.e., in accordance with the contract.

The contractor is a company or an individual who carries out the construction work. The contractor will work to the requirements defined by the client and will employ a variety of subcontractors to help with the project. A subcontractor is similar to a contractor but is an individual or company who is self-employed and takes a direct contract from a contractor to carry out work at a higher tier than would normally be expected, e.g., a groundworker may take a contract direct from the client to do paving slabs rather than the usual situation where the groundworker is employed by a housing developer who has been contracted by a client to construct a whole house.

The first type of construction project is the traditional and most common type, known as design-bid-build. In this type of project, the owner chooses an architect who creates a set of building plans and specifications.

These plans and specifications are then put out for bids from contractors, and the contractor offering the lowest price is usually awarded the job. A contract is then formed between the owner and the contractor. This type of project usually has a set of plans and specifications that, when followed, result in the desired outcome. The contract is based on these plans and specifications, and it is a fixed-price contract where the contractor is responsible for the quality, completion, and financial outcome of the project.

Another type of construction project is design-build. In this type of project, the owner contracts with one party to both design and build the project. This can be an owner-architect contract or an owner-contractor contract. An owner-architect contract typically ends with an architect completing plans and specifications, which are then taken to several contractors for bids, similar to a design-bid-build project. An owner-contractor contract results in a contract where the contractor is responsible for both designing and building the project. This type of project is less specified and results in varying contracts.

Sometimes, an owner will hire a contractor who can provide some building plans, although this is the most complex and least specified type of design-build project. This type of project can also result in financing difficulties for the owner. It is a contract based on the best price and best quality, and it can be conveyed through negotiated or competitive negotiated contracts. This type of project usually involves the contractor in the early stages of design and offers a better chance to make a profit.

The contractor is more involved throughout this type of project, and the plans and specifications are not always fully developed. Since the contract is not based on a set of plans and specifications, it is best to have a good relationship and communication between the owner and contractor.

This ensures the best chance of achieving the owner's desired outcome. The best result for the contractor is to achieve the desired outcome while increasing the financial and final completion range of the project. However, this type of contract has a high risk due to the uncertain nature of the project, where the contractor is responsible for all costs. An undesirable outcome may result in low fees and a loss.

The last type of project is a modified version of design-build projects. In this case, the owner has the contractor and architect work together to provide the design and construction. This offers the best chance for the contractor and may result in a fee quite close to the total cost of the project.

There are several ways to complete a construction project, but most projects fall under one of three categories: design-bid-build, design-build, and construction management.

The process for a construction project is usually the same regardless of the project's size. An authorized person will determine the desired outcome of the project, typically through drawings, plans, and specifications. Next, the authorized person will hire a contractor to carry out the work. In a public project, the authorized person may act as the contractor.

Construction is the creation of a new structure or improvement of an existing property in a timely and cost-effective manner. Construction projects can be private or public. Private construction projects are those that individuals or corporations initiate and finance, while the government usually takes responsibility for public projects.

Pre-construction phase is a set of activities undertaken at the end of the formulation phase and before the start of the implementation phase in order to prepare the way for the construction. It involves the finalization of project design and the plan of project implementation. The project design is finalized through the preparation of construction drawings, specifications, and cost estimates.

In the construction drawings, the location and the design of all the facilities in the project are shown in detail. The cost estimates are prepared based on the materials, equipment, and labor required for each item in the construction drawings. In the plan of project implementation, a schedule showing the time and sequence of each activity to be carried out in the project is prepared using the Gantt chart or the CPM/PERT method.

The project implementation plan also spells out the methods to be employed on the various activities and the resources required for each activity. The finalization of the project design and project implementation plan enables the detection and rectification of any inconsistencies in the project and allows for better matching between the plan of project implementation and the available resources.

The pre-construction phase is a preliminary phase of the construction process which focuses on the decision making and defining the beginning of the project. This is the time to decide whether or not a project is feasible and to set the overall goals and the scope of the project. During this phase, a site investigation will take place to provide the information needed to start the construction phase in the most beneficial way.

A site investigation will consist of tests to identify the strength of the foundation and to purify the surrounding area of the proposed construction. A cost-benefit analysis is also carried out, taking into consideration the value of the property as well as the revenue of the completed project. This is depicted in an activity called value engineering.

This is the first stage of a project to determine the possible value of construction and compare it with the end revenue. Failure to provide a substantial revenue may result in the cancellation of the project. Value engineering continues through the entire project to represent changes in cost and schedule.

The pre-construction phase is often considered to be the most important stage in a building's life. This is proven by the fact that the quality of information that is known at this time represents over 70% of the final cost of the project.

Any errors or changes that need to be made to the construction at this stage are most cost effective. This is why over 65% of the total time spent on a project is spent in the pre-construction phase.

Understanding the importance of the pre-construction phase and its influence on the success of a project is vital. The construction process is often divided into various phases and the construction management personnel are expected to deliver the project in a well-organised manner. Planning is the most vital part of the construction process.

The interventions or interferences to surroundings are identified and measures are implemented to minimise impacts on local communities and the general public. Construction project planning is a complex process covering a wide variety of activities. Successful construction planning facilitates the identification of resources and materials needed for the project, therefore a good plan can reduce the potential for delayed completion and disputes over who is responsible for delays and disruptions.

Planning can be divided into two categories of work; the first is the pre-construction planning activities where the process of establishing the scope of work is defined, and the second is the site planning phase where the detailed work package activities are defined. An A-PM is a detailed plan of the 3D construction phase of a facility, created before work is started and using the information gathered from the integrated project design process. A-PM has traditionally been associated with the use of bar charts and critical path networks to plan the construction sequence.

However, this planning method has many limitations and does not use the 3D model data. A-PM can be immersive and can enable better construction management and communications with the use of 4D CAD. Simulation tools can comprise a wide variety of techniques, from off-line discrete event systems modelling to on-line virtual reality. Work package simulation may be used to verify the A-PM plan with the planned work forces. Analysis of production rates can identify problematic areas where the work force cannot achieve its targets and identify alternative methods of construction. It can also be used to communicate the plan to all project stakeholders and ensure a thorough understanding of the sequence of work.

Construction project management is a relatively young field. However, its impact has been quite remarkable. It has become an important practice for improving the efficiency of construction operations around the world. Construction project management provides a construction project manager with specific techniques and tools to enable him or her to organize the construction process more effectively. In general, a construction project manager will be responsible for the coordination of labor, materials, and equipment, and the overall control of a project from inception to completion.

He or she will be expected to achieve quality on time, within cost, and ensure the most economic use of resources. The recent decline in productivity compounded with the recent construction boom in many parts of the world has led to a shortage of skilled construction labor. This has resulted in a great demand for construction managers.

Project management techniques can improve the efficiency of resource allocation and promote coordination between different project participants. High and global competition has caused much of the construction industry to investigate ways to increase productivity and quality. Many people are beginning to recognize the need for more professional and systematic methods of management for construction projects.

This could range from simulating the movement of construction materials to simulating the entire construction process in a virtual reality environment. These techniques can be used to test the effectiveness of various project decisions and could potentially save large amounts of time and cost. Simulation of construction processes is closely related to a relatively new concept called concurrent engineering. Simulation will allow the testing of new ideas developed by concurrent engineers and will contribute to the overall optimization of project processes.

These needs have been addressed by the emergence of new management philosophies and techniques with a strong orientation on achieving results that matter to the customer. One such technique is value-based management, which focuses on maximizing the value of an entire construction project for the customer rather than the individual cost and time of separate project activities.

Value-based management puts a premium on the quality and output of construction projects. A relatively new area of project management aimed specifically at construction project management involves various techniques of simulations.

This phase is to construct the final product and to implement the project plan to fulfill the project's requirements. The construction phase is that particular part of the project where the plans and designs are materialized. Project data would generally reveal the failure of a project at some point during this phase.

For any typical construction project, the focus of this phase is building. Construction may vary from replacement of an existing structure, for example a highway or a bridge, to the development of a structure from a virgin land. At the end of the day, it is the phase to satisfy the desired outcome of the project. Generally, this phase consumes a significant amount of resources and time. These resources and time can be influenced drastically by a decision made during the design or the planning phase of the project, and once again, project records show the frequency of this happening.

In a construction project, the client would wish to get the maximum return of profit from the project. Hence, the time is money phrase is very suitable to describe the importance of time for the client. The client will be focusing on the project duration and hoping to finish it as soon as possible because every delay caused during the project will affect their profits. This situation can be seen through a case study of a project planning and reporting system for a construction company.

Based on the data collected from the client, the company plans to develop the system are expected to be done within 7 months. This is due to the project size not being too big and the company undertaking efficiency as the main focus for this development. Delay for every single phase in the development will put pressure on the company because they must try to finish it on the exact time.

Due to some reason, this system development finally finished on the 10th month where the delay is caused by changes the client requested during the development phase. Every single delay provided, whether it is reasonable or not, will affect the cost.

Cost overrun is a common problem in every construction project and it is a global issue. According to an article on the investigation of cost overrun in building projects, majority of the construction projects today experience cost overruns and it is considered prevalent in this industry. Cost overrun could be defined as the additional cost over and above the original contract which should not have occurred. This will put pressure on every project party, either from the client, contractor, or consultant, to find out who is responsible for the cost overrun. The client is the one who gets the most pressure because this is their finance and they have to allocate another budget for the additional cost.

Planning phase is the most crucial stage out of all five stages in the project lifecycle. At this stage, all necessary planning will be done by the project team before the project will proceed to the next stage. A strong foundation is needed by every project to ensure that the project will go smoothly. Hence, the plan created in this phase is important to start the project. The construction phase includes several steps in planning that were implemented to make sure the project plan will be feasible to execute in the next stage.

According to the Building and Construction Authority, the construction phase can be defined as an intermediate phase between readying the site and getting the work to a point when the client can occupy the building. Usually, this phase could take years to finish depending on the size of the project, whether it is a small or large project. The systematic for the construction phase is the same.

When a project is near completion, it is time to organize a series of activities leading to transfer of the constructed facility to the owner. The most important activity is educating the owner's operating and maintenance staff to use the facility effectively. Additionally, there may be a need to train a new maintenance staff as in the case of public facilities. All of these project handover activities serve to make the owner/operator capable and comfortable with the facility and to ensure the constructed facility is capable of supporting the desired functions.

During the post-construction phase, the project handover can vary considerably. In some cases, a contractor may perform most of the project handover activities during the last few weeks of the construction phase. This overlap of project handover into the construction phase can be very beneficial as the contractor's resources are available to remedy problems.

The least desirable situation is for the contractor to turn over a facility that is not ready to support the intended functions. For example, a new manufacturing facility may have a great building in terms of construction quality, but it is still too dirty to install and start-up sensitive manufacturing equipment. Another example is when a school building is turned over during summer break, there is much less confusion and interference with school activities than during the project handover at the start of a new school year. In either of these cases, the construction phase contract may be completed but the overall project is not successful.

Quality of the work can be measured from the finish. Hence, it should first be decided what is the expected finish of the job. A checklist of the jobs to be done and expected finish should be prepared. Then actual work should be compared with the expected finish. Any deviations can be noted and corrected.

Availability and ease of access to the location where inspection is to be carried out is very important. As the buildings will be completed, some areas may not be easily accessible, e.g. cleaning of the external glass of the building or some landscaping work. For such areas, it should be documented so that later on inspection can be carried out.

Final inspection is the key phase in the post-construction phase. The main focus of clients is to get defect-free buildings. Hence, it is very necessary to ensure that all the activities are completed and defects are rectified. He can check how exactly the building will be handed over to the facility management team.

The facility management team can also plan the activities accordingly. The key outcome of this phase is to generate the snag list. Snag list is the list of work that is not complete or is defective in the view of the client. Generating the snag is a very critical and time-consuming job. One quick method is to go for the visual inspection, i.e. walk through the whole building. But this is not sufficient as many areas will be left out, e.g. roof void or false ceiling area. There are some specific areas that need to be checked when we go for the final inspection.

A thorough documentation review is an essential part of the project closeout. The review's purpose is to ensure that all work completed is documented, submitted to the owner, and that all project documents are transferred from the Construction Manager to the owner in an organized and efficient manner with little or no loose ends. This phase also ensures that the