MODULE 4: Construction Management Techniques: Project

Monitoring and Control

15-ARC-8.6 Mysore School Of Architecture Asst.Prof. Ar. Harishkumar.S

Project Monitoring and Control:
Role of a Project Manager – Monitoring the specifications:

The Project Manager has a very important role to play for monitoring the specifications for various items
through the various stages of a project

Concept Stage:
The identification of the product to cater to the design intent

Planning and Tender Stage:

• Correct specification of the product based on the design intent
• Its cost whether it falls within the budget and availability the various brands that offer the product
cost and specification matching and comparison

Execution Stage:
• Procurement process
• Storage Plans
• Installation methodology
• Methods of measurement

Project Monitoring Stage:

In case the specified material is not available then the alternative material available in the market and its
suitability for the product and application needs to be evaluated
Role of a Project Manager – In Quality control:

Earlier it was assumed that Quality is designed and built into the project. But Project Managers have
realized that Quality must be planned into the project and constantly monitored.

Planning Quality and Cost Effectiveness into the project must take place at the concept stage.

Common Terminologies

Quality:
Quality of a product or service refers to the perception of the degree to which the product or service
meets the customer s expectations. Quality has no specific meaning unless related to a specific
function and or object.

Quality Management:
The planning scoping implementing and monitoring of quality into all phases of the project from
concept through the delivery aspects of the work.

Quality Management involves the skill of forming and managing a team of people to achieve a
qualitative goal within an effective cost and time frame which will result in the production of a quality
product or service.

It entails selecting the specification parameters along with the systems and procedures needed to
assure that quality is properly executed in all phases.
Quality Assurance:
This task begins with planning and proceeds to the drawing board in engineering design specifications
and materials selection along with planning and scheduling.

The quality planned into the project is implemented here and there is no “passing the buck”.

Quality Control:
A process that starts in engineering moves through procurement of materials for the field and entails
inspection upon receipt for damages and compliance to the purchase order specifications.

It is ultimately monitored in the field with the contractors strictly adhering to installation specifications
and the testing inspection methods that are in effect as one of the controls in the project.

Cost Effectiveness:
This is a result of the quality built into the project. It involves not only the many faces of the project from
concept through delivery to operations but it must remain through the subsequent production
operations. Without quality throughout the project there is no cost effectiveness.
Measurement Book:
Measurement book in construction is a book
used by any department or agency of
construction site to record the work done by the
contractor with all the direction, dimension and
quantity with date of execution of work.

Measurement book is generally used by Junior

Engineer or Assistant Engineer who is
responsible on the field or site of project. No
record is entered in the measurement book by
the designation below the junior engineer.
Record entry in measurement book MB :

1. First of all write down Date of Measurement taken.

2. Item of BOQ Bill of Quantity is explained to understand that what is the measurement and from
where it is taken.
3. Serial Number of new measurement is written with Item number of BOQ as show in above table.
Because it tell us the new record serial and from where same item is taken so that BOQ item serial
number is useful for quick checking.
4. Clearly mention the unit of measurement like
a. Cubic Metre or M3 or CuM for volumetric measurement like excavation, concrete etc.
b. Square Metre or Sqm or M2 for areal measurement like plastering work which have fixed depth
etc.
c. Metre or M for length measurement for standard or fixed width item like pipe line etc.

The total quantity of measurement is calculated on same page, which is forwarded on Abstract book

Abstract book is the summary or index of measurement book. The abstract book is detail bill of work
done by contractor, below table is the sample of blank abstract book

The data is acquired from measurement book, which includes the MB number, page number, total
quantity and unit of quantity.
It starting page of any abstract is filled by project
detail like name of project, agency, name of
contractor, cost of work, date of starting and date
of completion etc.

The bill is then checked by accounting officer and

passed by senior execution engineer.

• The contractor submit the request for payment stating the amount of work completed and the
estimated value of work done.

• The payment request is submitted 10 day s prior to the payment due date.

• The payment request is evaluated and verified by the Project Manager s representative before it is
forwarded to the Client s representative for approval and clearance of the payment.

• While verifying the payment request, the deductions towards mobilization advance and retention
amount must be considered.
R.A Bills Running Account Bills :

Running account is an open, unsettled, revolving

credit facility offered by a client to a contractor.
Using a running account, a contractor can
continually raise bills up to the limit agreed with
the client. Amounts paid by the client can be used
for making further purchases.

Approval of Payment Requests:

• Quantity take-off of work actually completed as of date of request
• Inventory of equipment and materials delivered but not yet used in the work.
• Field measurements of quantities of work completed or claimed.
• Construction cost estimate of all completed work, using unit prices in bid or in cost breakdown
submitted at the beginning of job.
• Audit of invoices
• Review of claims for extra work and completed change orders.
• Check of retention amount
• On extra work change orders, check the method to determine profits overheads, material costs
proper application of each in accordance with conditions of contract.
• Recommendation to the PM submitted together with the contractor s payment request
Interim Checking – Interim Bill Certificate:
Interim certificates are a mechanism for the client to make periodic payments to the contractor for the
work done till date.

These are required to allow the contractor to make the monthly payments to the labourers and other
workers and sub contractors.

The interim bill is raised by the contractor and submitted along with work in progress WIP
photographs and detailed measurements.

The measurements are recorded in the Measuring Book and mostly joint measurements are recorded
by the contractor and the client s representative.

It also has a statement of recoveries, deductions, advances, extra payments, deviated items etc.

The interim bill is submitted to the PM which is then cross checked and verified with relevant AE and
then forwarded to the client for clearance.
Final Checking – Final Bill Certificate:
The Final Bill Certificate is the final settlement by the contract administrator PM that the Contract has
been fully completed.

It is issued at the end of the defect liability period after reconciliation of all amounts and after releasing
all remaining money to the contractor including all retention amount.

The value is based on the final account agreed by the Client and contractor after all defects have been
rectified, all change requests and extra items regularized, all claims settled and all deductions agreed
and reconciled.

Where proceedings have been commenced in relation to a dispute, the conclusiveness of the final
certificate is subject to the findings of those proceedings.

In addition, the final certificate itself can be disputed usually within 28 days . Adjudication, arbitration
or other proceedings may then be necessary to resolve the dispute.

The final certificate is then only conclusive in relation to matters that are not disputed.

If the client intends to pay a different amount from that shown on the certificate, then they must give
notice to the contractor of the amount they intend to pay and the basis for its calculation
Project Updating: Project updating is very important to know the status of the project

• It involves updating the network analysis based on the stage of completion of the project.

• If required project crashing may be initiated.

• The extent of work done has to be evaluated and a stock of the situation taken for pending items.

• Revised project timelines or critical path activities

• Update on the cost status and work done, raise the flag for probable cost overrun and steps to be
taken for the same.

• The unforeseen incidents that can cause delay.

• The force majeure instances which can cause delay to the project.

The process of reviewing the progress of the project execution is known as “updating”. Updating helps in
evaluating the present status of the project and assess the probability of completing the project in due
time.

Updating enables to take corrective actions in time and take managerial decisions in problem areas. The
updating must regularly be done.
Progress Curves:
To ensure that the project finishes on time and within the budget the project construction manager
needs to have a firm control on the project timelines and costs.
Project Control requires a clarity in the vision of how the project is heading progressing

An S Curve report can help a construction manager

to track:
• Actual progress timeline against planned
schedule
• Actual costs against budgeted costs
• Actual costs against actual progress achieved –
this is a measure of productivity
A key challenge is gathering the progress
information from construction site for all activities.
Quality Management In Construction – Quality Planning & Quality Control:
Quality management in construction is the policies, processes and procedures put in place typically by
management to improve an organisation s ability to deliver quality to its customers, whether those
customers are clients owners, contractors or Subcontractors, on a consistent and constantly improving
basis.

The major objectives of quality management are:

• To minimise the defects
• To identify and solve defects and issues before your customers do - safeguarding your reputation
Quality Plan:
A quality plan is a document, or several documents, that together specify quality standards, practices,
resources, specifications, and the sequence of activities relevant to a particular product, service, project,
or contract.
Quality plans should define:

• Objectives to be attained for example, characteristics or specifications, uniformity, effectiveness,

aesthetics, cycle time, cost, natural resources, utilization, yield, dependability, and so on

• Steps in the processes that constitute the operating practice or procedures of the organization

• Allocation of responsibilities, authority, and resources during the different phases of the process or
project

• Specific documented standards, practices, procedures, and instructions to be applied

• Suitable testing, inspection, examination, and audit programs at appropriate stages

• A documented procedure for changes and modifications to a quality plan as a process is improved

• A method for measuring the achievement of the quality objectives

• Other actions necessary to meet the objectives

At the highest level, quality goals and plans should be integrated with overall strategic plans of the
organization. As organizational objectives and plans are deployed throughout the organization, each
function fashions its own best way for contributing to the top level goals and objectives.

At lower levels, the quality plan assumes the role of an actionable plan. Such plans may take many
different forms depending on the outcome they are to produce. Quality plans may also be represented
by more than one type of document to produce a given outcome.

Quality Assurance Vs Quality Control

Quality assurance QA and quality control QC
both sit within the broader category of quality
management in construction, but they do have
different roles and outputs than one another.

At a high level, quality assurance covers activities

from design, development, production and
installation and is designed to ensure your
customers know your work will be quality; while
quality control is more focused on monitoring the
actual quality of finished products through
objective measurements and numbers.

Both quality assurance and quality control form

critical elements of quality management.
Codes & Standards
Standard: can define as a set of technical definitions
and guidelines – or simply a “how to” instructions for
designers and manufacturers. It gives all the
necessary requirements for the product, service, and
operation.

A designer will use the standard to design the

product, and a manufacturer will use the standard
for the manufacturing of the product. Indian Standard are governed by
Bureau of Indian Standards or BIS
Standard serves as a common language for defining
quality and establishing safety criteria for the
product. ASTM, API, ISO are some examples of the
standard. ASTM has more than 12000 standards they
cover all most everything.

• Define quality
• Establish Safety Criteria
• Build quality about the product or service
• Optimise Cost since products are standardized
Code:
When governmental bodies adopt the standard and become legally enforceable, or when it has been
incorporated into a business contract, the standard will become a code.
BIS Codes are legally enforceable Codes for all works in India, These codes are not legally binding in any
other country.
Requirements mentioned in the code will only be mandatory requirements if
• The Code is adopted as law by a regulatory body
• It is a part of the business contract Otherwise, Code will serve as generally accepted guidelines for
design, fabrication, construction, and installation.

Technical Specifications & Procedures:

Specifications provide specific or additional requirements for the materials, components or services
that are beyond the code or standard requirements.

• Specifications allow to use special materials services technology as per design conditions.
• It allows customizing the product.
• Requirements in specifications are must meet requirements.
Specification is the information on technical, design, development, and procedures related to the
requirements it outlines.

A technical specification is a document that defines a set of requirements that a product or assembly
must meet or exceed. A product or assembly that does not meet all of the specifically expressed
requirements does not meet the specification, and often is referred to as being out of specification or
"out of spec.“

Construction specifications, also called specs, are the details for the work that needs to be completed
in a construction project. These details include information such as materials, the scope of work,
installation process, and quality of work.

Specifications describe the materials and workmanship required for a development. They do not
include cost, quantity or drawn information, and so need to be read alongside other information such
as quantities, schedules and drawings.
Construction Health & Safety Measures:
Safety at Construction sites are of prime importance since it involves high risk jobs. A large number of
fatalities are reported from construction sites due to negligence or lack of awareness or adherence to
the necessary safety measures.

Some of the potential hazards that construction workers face every day include:
• Falls from heights
• Scaffold collapse
• Electrocution and arc blast/flash
• Trench collapse
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Failure to use the required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment

To ensure safe conditions at construction sites the following

measures may be adopted:
• Check tools, machines and equipment s
• Use signage
• Site security
• Entry Exit points

Training is a key part of ensuring workplace safety in all industries.

Many project managers assume that all workers are aware of the construction site safety procedures
of a working site.
Develop a simple but effective Training plan:
• Safety training on new equipment
• Safety training for new workers
• Safety training refresher courses for existing
workers
• Safety training updates for all employees

Training plan should prioritize on the most

common mistakes, safety risks and incidents that
you ve noted in a specific area. The training
program should be simple but effective.

Provide training in an easy format Workers will be Awareness posters at site to make the workers
more engaged if they can understand the training aware of the hazards and the preventive
that is being offered. Measures required.

Whether the training is to address certain

violations or on construction site safety procedures
for a new construction project, the training should
be delivered in an accessible and flexible model.

The signage and posters at site should be more

graphical so as to address the issue of varied
languages and illiteracy prevalent among workers
Minimum PPE (Personal Protection Equipment requirements for Construction Sites:
A helmet has to be supplied and worn at all times
at the construction site

• Safety glasses must be provided to protect

workers against debris in the air

• Safety/high-visibility vests must be provided and

worn to keep workers visible

• Protective gloves should be supplied and worn

to protect against cuts

• Proper clothing is a must for worker protection

both indoors and outdoors

• Anti-slip footwear is also necessary

Additional PPE Requirements:

• Hearing protection must be worn near any tool,

machine or equipment that produces loud
noises

• Respiratory protection is needed to protect

against dust and other air contaminants

• Face shields are a must for welding operations

and other debris/spark producing operations

• Safety harnesses must be used as a safety

procedure to prevent falls Quality, well-fitting
and comfortable personal protective equipment
and gear must be provided to construction
workers. The gear and equipment should be
stored properly after use and be inspected and
maintained on a regular basis.
Quality, well-fitting and comfortable personal protective equipment and gear must be provided to
construction workers.

The gear and equipment should be stored properly after use and be inspected and maintained on a
regular basis.
Promote and enforce good safety practices:

• Promoting and enforcing good practices and construction site safety procedures plays a huge role in
ensuring safety for everyone.

• Safety awareness and safety procedure enforcements is a must at all levels from top management to
the workers of the construction site.

• Empower Workers to be Part of the Safety Program

• Don t Become Complacent

• Environmental Conditions

• Minimize and Manage Risk

Due to the nature of working at construction sites, it s hard to eliminate all safety risks. While enforcing
good practices in construction sites may help prevent safety issues, it s always best to minimize and
manage risks in construction sites.

This can be done by regularly conducting safety audits and having in place protocols to report, evaluate
and address potential hazards.
Ensure proper handling and storage of materials:

All personnel working at a construction site should be aware of the proper material handling and storage
procedures. For manual material handling, the expected lifting techniques should be made clear to avoid
injuries.

For handling of mechanical materials, operators need to be aware of the weight lifting capacity of
equipment like cranes and forklifts to avoid potential accidents.

All construction materials and equipment should be stored properly when not in use to prevent
materials damage, accidents or injuries.

Ensure safe loading limits for materials stored inside a building, All passageways should be kept clear for
workers.