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Introduction to Construction Methods and Project Management

This document provides an overview of construction methods and project management, emphasizing the importance of planning, coordination, and control throughout a construction project. Key aspects of construction management include scheduling, quality control, contract management, procurement management, and finance management, each requiring specific skills and knowledge. Effective project management is crucial for meeting client demands and navigating the complexities of construction projects.

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Angel Murillo
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2 views

Introduction to Construction Methods and Project Management

This document provides an overview of construction methods and project management, emphasizing the importance of planning, coordination, and control throughout a construction project. Key aspects of construction management include scheduling, quality control, contract management, procurement management, and finance management, each requiring specific skills and knowledge. Effective project management is crucial for meeting client demands and navigating the complexities of construction projects.

Uploaded by

Angel Murillo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 1
An Overview to Construction
Methods and Project Management

Introduction to Construction Methods and


Project Management
This module provides a
discussion on the concepts of
Construction
Methods and Project
Management and its governing
aspects.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Construction Methods are the procedures
and techniques that are used during the
building process while Project Management
involves the planning and organization of a
company's resources to move a specific
task, event, or duty towards completion
A construction project manager has to
obtain a variety of skills and competences
in order to navigate through the project
and to establish a functional connection
with the numerous teams. Construction
projects have a continuous need for
alterations and in that sense project
management is key to the stability of the
whole procedure.
1.2 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Construction Project Management could be defined construction project. For example, a
as the overall planning, coordination, and control construction manager in the middle of
of a project from beginning to completion. The a project will have to take into account
goal of construction project management is the the following:
full satisfaction of the client’s demands for a
viable project both in terms of functionality and
budget. The management of construction
projects requires knowledge of modern
management principles as well as an
understanding of the design and construction
process.
Construction Project Management is both an art
and a science, and is something that is usually
quite hard to do. It is hard because one has to
look at a broad range of variables, and try and
guess what effect each variable will have on a
1.2 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT
•the weather
• the availability of construction workers who
may be sick or may not feel like showing up for
work
• the fact that some materials are out of
stock just when they are needed
• the availability or non-availability of key
equipment like cranes
• changes made to the existing design by
architects and clients the previous evening
• juggling the work of 20 or more different
trades at the same time
• surprise discoveries of electrical cables
below the ground that no-one knew about
• inspectionsand permitting delays by
government authorities
CPM is the inter-relationships between all
these variables and the effect they will have
on the project that creates complexity in
project management. Compounding these
problems is the team from the owners of the
building, who often sit in plush offices far from
the construction site, have little understanding
of the difficulties in building construction, and
demand that the project be finished before
time.

Construction management is best done by


people with a detailed knowledge of building
construction, such as civil engineers or
architects. However, some aspects of this
work, such as financial planning or
procurement, can be done by people who do
not have a construction background. With
enough training and experience, a layman can
gain enough expertise to work as a
construction project manager.
1. 3 MAIN ASPECTS OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
The main aspects of construction project.
management
are:

1. Construction Scheduling
2. Quality Control
3. Contract Management
4. Procurement Management
5. Construction Finance Management

Construction Scheduling
Construction scheduling is done at two
different times. First, it is done after the
plans are ready, but before the work starts
at the site, in order to work out a timeline
and calculate construction costs for the
Secondly, it is done during the execution
of the project, when the actual schedule
may differ from the planned schedule
due to delays, weather, or any number
of reasons. In this case it can also be
called project monitoring.
Quality Control years of training in construction quality
supervision.
Quality control is the most difficult part of
construction management. Construction is
done in difficult weather, in restricted
workspaces like shafts, and on precarious
construction scaffolding by workers that
are tired, hungry, cold or hot, and with
limited bathroom access. It is easy for
them to take shortcuts to finish off a job.
A quality control supervisor must know how
to check for quality for a vast array of
completely different work items, from
excavation in the ground to concrete or
steel fabrication to finishing materials like
marble or paint to services like electrical
and plumbing. Quality control demands
technical knowledge, and is best done
either by engineers, or people who have
She or he will have to know the answer to
questions such as: what is the correct
proportion of water to add to a concrete
mix, how to check whether wooden
formwork is correctly laid and is perfectly
level, how to ensure that the geometry of
the building is not being distorted during
construction, and how to provide
adequate fire protection to vertical
shafts.
Contract Management
Contract Management is dealing with the
standard issues that crop up during a
project. These include checking
contractor's bills and paying them
regularly, and dealing with the numerous
issues that could occur, such as:
the contractor demands additional
payment for the steel he is providing,
because though his contract was signed in
2015, he is forced to buy steel in 2017 at a
much higher rate due to global changes in
the price of steel. The contractor demands
additional payment for dumping of debris
because a municipal dumping ground has
been shut, and the debris now has to be
taken to a new site much further away. The
contractor demands an extension of 4
months because the architects and client
made changes to the design while the
project was underway
Procurement Management negotiations with customs authorities and
clearance agents.
Procurement is a huge component in
building construction. Think of the vast
array of materials that are present in
buildings: light fittings, windows, doors,
locks, toilet fittings, wire, switches, air-
conditioning ducts, waterproofing,
electrical transformers, pumps, plants,
sound systems: the list is endless.
Each and every one of these items has to
be ordered, paid for, checked when it
arrives, unloaded from trucks, placed in
secure storage, and issued to construction
workers. Damaged items and non-
functional items need to be replaced. Many
items are sourced internationally, such as
Italian marble, German door fittings, or
Canadian glulam beams, requiring
In addition, it is imperative that each
item arrive at the site at exactly the right
moment: if it is too early, there is no
space to store it, and money is locked up.
If it is too late, then the project is
delayed.
Construction Finance Management
A large construction project can eat up
tens of millions of money a month.
Planning the finances for a project is a key
activity for both owners and contractors.
This planning demands a detailed
knowledge of the project schedule. Once
the project schedule is understood
properly, calculations can be made of how
much money will be required every week in
order to keep the project running on time.
Contingency planning also must be done
for things that could go wrong.

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