UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS

MAY 2017

PROGRAMME MSc Project Management

MODULE NAME Construction Management

DATE Wednesday MODULE CODE CIVE 6207

03 May 2017

TIME 09:30-12:30 Hrs DURATION 3 hours

NO. OF 6 NO. OF QUESTIONS 5

QUESTIONS SET TO BE ATTEMPTED

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

This paper consists of two sections. Section A and Section B.

Answer All questions from Section A.

Answer ANY one question from Section B.

Each question carries 20 marks.

 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT – CIVE 6207

SECTION A
Questions 1 to 4 are compulsory and are linked to the case study provided hereunder.

A new hospital is to be constructed in the district of Black River. The site plan is
illustrated in figure F1. The front side of the proposed hospital is adjacent to a main
road. The authority has issued the building and land use permit (BLUP) to the
developer with one major recommendation, which stipulates that the contractor who
will be awarded the project should not access the site from the main road. This specific
side should be hoarded prior to start of construction. It has also been mentioned in the
permit that any deviations from the conditions will involve stop order and severe legal
action from the authority. On the other two sides of the site there already exist
commercial buildings.

RIVER

20M

250M 120M
PROPOSED
CONSTRUCTION

20M

MAIN ROAD

Figure F1: Site plan of proposed new hospital.

…/Continued next page

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 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT – CIVE 6207

The chosen plot of land is flat, fairly level and is underlain with basaltic rock. The
proposed hospital will be five storeys high. Each floor will have a total footprint of
70,000 square metres. The substructure will be in reinforced concrete while the
superstructure will be constructed with structural steel. Hence the contract will be
divided into two parts. The first part will require the contractor to construct the whole
sub-structure. Table T1 below list the main activities that will ultimately form part of
the programme of works.

Table T1: List of activities for the sub-structure

Activity Activity Description Unit Quantity

#
1 Excavation in hard rock m3 3500
2 Casting of blinding layer m3 250
3 Reinforcement to footings kg 350,000
4 Concrete to footings m3 2575
5 Construction of perimeter walls m2 780
6 Reinforcement to columns kg 50,000
7 Concrete to columns m3 1250
8 Engineering Fills m3 8500
9 Placing of plastic sheets m3 7000
10 Placing of reinforcement to surface bed m2 7000
11 Casting and curing of surface bed m3 1250

Question 1

(a) Explain the term work breakdown structure (WBS) and give two reasons why
project managers use them.
[5 marks]

(b) List with justifications any FIVE activities which you find are required for the
above construction.
[15 marks]

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 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT – CIVE 6207

Question 2 [20 Marks]

(a) List with justifications THREE factors that the project scheduler should consider
when estimating duration of an activity.
[6 marks]

(b) Using your answer to question 1(b), update table T1. Determine the duration of
each activity in the updated table. The output of this particular exercise should
be provided in form of a table similar to Table T1 with information pertaining to
the resources. All your assumptions should clearly be stated.
[14 marks]

Question 3 [20 Marks]

(a) Why do construction managers use network diagrams?

[3 marks]

(b) For the above project, draw a network diagram and determine the project
duration. All assumptions made should clearly be stated.
[17 marks]

Question 4 [20 Marks]

(a) Being a trainee project manager, you have been requested to list all the salient
items that are required for the preparation of the tender notice.
[10 marks]

(b) Prepare a draft of the tender notice for the above project.
[10 marks]

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 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT – CIVE 6207

SECTION B
Answer any ONE question
Question 5 [20 Marks]

As a contractor you have been forwarded the tender for the above project. Describe the
different stages of the tendering process that you as a contractor will have to go from
the time you receive the tender until you submit your bid.
[20 marks]
Question 6 [20 Marks]

As a contractor you have been awarded the above project.

(a) Describe FIVE major safety measures to be taken during the construction stage.
[10 marks]

(b) Describe how you will access the above site during construction.
[10 marks]

END OF QUESTION PAPER