Construction Project Management
– Introduction to
Construction
Construction
• Construction is the process that sets up a
portable plant, bring material to the site,
and on completion of the work moves the
plant away, leaving its output standing
• Output: all immobile structures (airports,
buildings, dams, roads and tunnels,
power plants, municipal treatment plants,
pipelines …etc)
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Project
• Project: A temporary effort undertaken to
create a unique product or service.
• “Any undertaking with a defined
STARTING and ENDING point and
defined OBJECTIVES by which
completion is identified. In practice, most
projects depend on limited RESOURCES
by which the objectives of the project are
accomplished.”
• Project Management Institute
Characteristics of the Construction Industry
• The physical nature of the product:
– Large, heavy and expensive
– Required over a wide geographical area
– Customer tailored
– A large part of components manufactured
elsewhere
• The ultimate use of the product is:
– As a mean to further production
– As an addition to or improvement of the
infrastructure of the economy (e.g., roads)
– As a social investment (e.g., hospitals)
– As an investment for direct enjoyment (e.g.,
housing)
Characteristics of the Construction Industry II
• The demand for the product is:
– Determined differently for different types of
products
– Largely dependent on governmental policy
– Largely dependent on economy cycles
• Unique Industry:
– Incorporates small remodeling to giant
international, multibillion-dollar contractors.
– Highly competitive.
– Low profit margins.
Characteristics of the Construction Industry III
• Many parties are involved in the process:
– Owner
– Architect
– Contractor
– Subcontractors
– Materials and equipment suppliers
– Regulatory agencies
– etc….
• The price determination is a discrete process for
each project and for each piece of work
subcontracted (bidding or negotiations)
Characteristics of the Construction Industry IV
• Human resources: Growing shortage of
skilled workers due to:
– 4D Industry Perception (dull, dirty,
demanding, and dangerous)
– Aging workforce
– Absence of apparent technology
– Requirement to travel
Characteristics of the Construction Industry V
• Safety:
– Construction accounted for 19.5% of all
workplace fatalities in 2000 in the United
States (about 5% of the total U.S.
workforce)
• Quality control:
– In this competitive age, if you do not
provide quality services, someone else
will
Construction Projects Categories I
• Industrial, heavy engineering and
infrastructure, commercial buildings,
residential
• Industrial
– Examples: automobile plants, petroleum
refineries, petrochemical plants, steel mills,
nuclear plants …etc)
– Dominated by very large engineering and
construction firms
– The most technical projects of the
construction projects
– Few design firms and constructors are
qualified to undertake them
– Privately funded
Construction Projects Categories II
• Heavy Engineering and infrastructure
– Examples (airports, bridges, dams, tunnels,
highways, water treatment and distribution,
urban rapid transit systems …etc)
– Activities in this category are primarily the
domain of civil engineers, but other engineering
disciplines have roles
– Equipment intensive and characterized by fleets
of large earth movers, heavy trucks, etc)
– Working with massive quantities of basic
materials (earth, rock, concrete, steel, pipe)
– Many of those projects are publicly funded
– Projects tend to be long in duration
Construction Projects Categories III
• Commercial Building
– Examples (Mosques, churches, government
buildings, hospitals, shopping malls, small retail
stores, warehouses…etc)
– Labor and materials intensive
– Interact closely with people
– Private economy finances these structures, with
some exceptions
– Design coordinated by architects, who work with
engineering specialists (structural, mechanical,
electrical)
Construction Projects Categories IV
• Residential
– Examples (single-family homes, apartments,
condominiums, town houses)
– Largely financed by private investment
– Large number of contractors and
subcontractors
– High rate of business failure if demand falls
– Low capital and labor intensive
– Design is done by architects, drafting people,
builders, or the home owner (USA)
Construction Projects Categories V
• In terms of owner, construction projects are
either Public or Private Projects.
– A private party can award a contract in any
way they choose to anyone they choose.
– Private party can make one contract or
multiple
– Public party is limited by laws and
regulations
– Public party commonly awards bids by
competitive bidding.
Construction Contractors
• Construction contractors: Companies and
individuals engaged in the business of
construction
– They operate under a contract arrangement with
the owner
• Construction contractors
– General contractors: engage in a wide range of
construction activities and execute most major
construction projects
– Specialty contractors: limit their activities to one
or more construction specialties
Phases of a Project
• Business Planning
• Conceptual Design
• Detailed Design
• Procurement
• Construction
• Testing, Start-up & Implementation
• Operations & Utilization
• Decommissioning
Phases of a Project II
Owner’s Need for Projects
Request for Engineering Study
Conceptual configurations and alternatives for technical
feasibility, Development of cost and schedule for each alternative
Review by Owner: Economic analysis for rate of return,
Pay back period, Capital recovery or Benefit/Cost ratios
Owner Request for
Owner Authorizes Project Owner Abandons Project
Further Study of Project
Final Design of Project: Detailed drawings, Written
specifications, and Preparation of contract documents
Procurement of Bulk Materials, Special Equipment, Construction Contracts
Construction Contractors Administration of Contracts for Physical Work in place
Project Close Out: System Testing, Final Inspection, As-built Drawings
The Project Life Cycle
• Slow-rapid-slow
progress
• Minimal effort is
required at the
beginning but
increasing effort in
the early stages of
the life cycle will
improve the
chances of project
success
Phases of a Project III
• The cost of each phase depends on
specifics, but usually the majority of the
budget is spent during the production phase
• Most of the budget is committed during the
design phase before the actual work takes
place
• Pressures to start the “real-work” may lead
to high cost due to commitment of resources
without adequate planning
The Level of Influence Concept
The Level of Influence Concept
Life Cycle Strategic and Tactical Issues
٢١
Project Management
• “The art of DIRECTING and
COORDINATING human and material
RESOURCES throughout the life of a
project by using modern management
techniques to achieve
PREDETERMINED OBJECTIVES of
scope, quality, time, and cost, and
participants’ satisfaction.”
Project Management Institute
Construction Management
• Construction Management: the act of
managing the construction process
• The construction manager manages the
basic resources of construction
– Workers and subcontractors
– Equipment and construction plant
– Materials
– Money (income, expenditure, and cash flows)
– Time
Construction Management II
Construction Management Triangle
Cost
Quality
Time Scope
Construction Management III
Managing Trade-Offs: The Primary Task of
Construction Management
