Introduction to Construction

Methods And Project

Management
What is Construction Project Management?
 It is the overall planning, coordination, and control of a
project from beginning to completion. It is aimed at meeting a
client's requirement in order to produce a functionally and
financially viable project. The management of construction
projects requires knowledge of modern management
principles as well as an understanding of the design and
construction process.
Who does hold the responsibility of Construction Project Management?

 The Project Manager has the primary responsibility of

Construction Management, which is planning a particular
construction job and overseeing its progress along the way. A
Project Manager is responsible for accomplishing the stated
project objectives. Key project management responsibilities
include creating clear and attainable project objectives,
building the project requirements, and managing the
constraints of the project management triangle, which are
cost, time, scope, and quality.
What is a Project?

 A project is a unique set of co-ordinated activities

with definite starting and finishing points,
undertaken by an individual or organization to meet
specific objectives within defined time schedule, cost
and performance
Project Objectives

 Objectives are describing what the project is trying to accomplish, or

what business value the project will achieve. Generally, any project
objectives can be described as follows:
 To ensure finishing and delivering the project on time.
 To ensure the delivery of the project within budget.
 To ensure reaching the required level of quality, through reducing errors,
improving effectiveness, and applying the appropriate control.
Project Constraints

 Each project needs to be performed and delivered under certain

constraints.

 Mainly, project management wishes to provide at the end of the project a

product which is delivered on Time with a high Quality and minimum
Cost. However, it is practically difficult to achieve this.
THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LIFE CYCLE
 The project life cycle Projects are usually divided into project stages (i.e.,
definition, planning, execution and delivery stages) to provide better
management and control. Collectively these project stages are known as the
project life cycle.
Project Life Cycle
 Definition stage – specifications of the project are defined, project
objectives are established, project teams are formed and major
responsibilities are assigned.
 Planning stage – plans are developed to determine the project steps,
beneficiaries, timeframes, quality standards and budget.
 Execution stage – the major portion of the project work takes place – both
physical and mental. Time, cost and specification measures are used for
control. The project managers have to ensure that the project is on schedule
within the budget and meeting specifications. They have to also check if any
changes are required.
 Delivery stage – delivering the project product to the customer, may involve
customer training and transferring documents.
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE PROJECT
 The three steps described below provide a planned
approach for collecting the project information
necessary for planning, scheduling and controlling the
project.
 Defining the project scope;
 Creating the work breakdown structure;
 Estimating costs and developing budgets.
Creating the work breakdown structure (WBS)
 Once the scope and deliverables have been identified, the work of the project
can be subdivided into smaller work elements. The outcome of this process is
called the work breakdown structure.
 All the elements/steps that make up WBS are called work packages. It is very
useful as the structure clearly points to what has to be done and in what
sequence (order). It divides the work and responsibility into individual work
packages which makes it easy for the project manager to manage and monitor
the implementation for the project by:
 making it possible to plan, schedule and budget;
 providing a framework for tracking and monitoring cost and work performance;
 assisting in understanding and coordinating many parts of the project;
 pointing to problems and ensuring they are quickly addressed
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Estimating cost and developing budgets
 Project status reports to stakeholders depend on reliable cost estimates and
budgets. The accuracy of the cost estimates are good when work packages
are clearly defined, as in the WBS example above. At the work package level,
estimates should be made by the people most familiar with the task. They
will give an estimate based on their experience and best judgment .
 Direct costs - These costs are chargeable to individual work package in the
WBS.
 Labour
 Materials
 Equipment
 Other
Estimating cost and developing budgets
 Project Overhead Costs – represents project costs that cannot be tied to
specific deliverable but serve the entire project.
 General and Administrative (G&A) overhead costs – these represent
organizational costs incurred by the firm managing the project. G&A
overhead costs are usually allocated as a percentage of total direct cost and
may vary from one project manager to another.
example of a budget format
Planning
 Developing a Construction Program - A bar chart or construction program is
a list of activities that are planned to be completed by a particular time.
 Resourcing - The bar chart can be used to resource the project. The chart
presents a logical breakdown and sequence of activities for the project and
the timing for and duration of these activities. The resources associated
with each activity now need to be identified – labour, materials, equipment,
subcontractors, etc. The total resources required for each time period can
be worked out by simply adding the resources that are required for each
activity that is executed simultaneously.
 Material Ordering
 Equipment Usage
 Subcontractors
 Contingencies and float - Whilst it is important to draw up the program to
show the shortest possible time to complete a project not everything on site
goes exactly as planned. There are unforeseen events such as rain or people
that are absent due to sickness which will delay the work that has been
scheduled for a particular day. The contractor should incorporate an
appropriate amount of slack time or “float” in order to ensure that there is
time allowed to deal with these contingencies. Sometimes the float is
shown as a separate activity but more often it is included in the activities
themselves, allowing slightly more time than anticipated to complete the
work.
CRITICAL PATH
 Once the programme has been optimised the contractor will be able to
determine the critical path. All the activities that have no float are on the
critical path. If any of these activities are delayed, the end date of the
programme will be delayed.
 Constructing a project network plan - The project network tool is used for
planning, scheduling and monitoring project progress. The network is
developed from the information collected for the WBS and is a graphic
flowchart of the project job plan. The network shows the project activities
that must be completed, the sequences (steps), the interdependencies (how
individual steps rely on other steps for completion), and in most cases the
times for the activities to start and finish along the longest path through the
network – the critical path
Project Network Plan
 Project schedule - The project network plan will assist in drawing up a
project schedule which clearly defines each task, how long it will take, when
it will start and finish. It is an important tool used by the project manager to
track and monitor the implementation process.
 MANAGERIAL ASPECTS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 This section looks at some important aspects that are central to the
management of projects. For any project to be successful there has to be a
good project manager who is able to provide leadership and bring together
different teams to work towards a common objective. In addition to being
able to manage people and budgets the project manager must be able to:
 1. Identify potential risks and develop back up plans;
 2. Effectively communicate with all stakeholders;
 3. Ensure quality that meets the expectations of stakeholders
PROJECT MANAGER
 The project manager performs the same functions as other managers. The
project manager is unique because s/he manages temporary activities and is
usually an outsider brought into a business or government department to
implement a specific project. A project manager is generally expected to be
the projects’ leader who needs to motivate and inspire people working on
the project.
Project risk management
 Construction is a complex and challenging process. Among other things, it
requires interpretation of and compliance with many laws, codes, and
regulations; gathering of considerable resources, including labor,
equipment, and material; and communications with and coordination
among multiple parties, such as the owner, the design professional, other
contractors and subcontractors, and suppliers, all of whom may have
differing purposes and goals. In addition, many factors are unknown or
unknowable at the start of any project. Not surprisingly then, risks are an
expected part of this process.
Definition of Risk
 A construction risk can be defined as any exposure to possible loss.
Identifying Typical construction project risks
 There are many typical construction risks that might impact a contractor’s
success on a project.
 These lists are not all-inclusive but are intended to help contractors think
about the risk management process.
 Cost related risks
 Time related risks
 Quality related risks
 Environment related risks
 Safety related risks
 Execution

 This stage includes the actual procurement of the project’s set plan or
design.
1. Execute task defined in project plan
2. Implement the procurement of project resources
3. Manage resource allocation
4. Implement approve changes
5. Measure project performance
6. Verify and manage change to the project
7. Ensure project deliverables conform to quality standards
8. Monitor all risks
Close-out ( Delivery)
 The Closing includes handing the final product over to the owner after the
project is finished and the formal acceptance is signed and published. The
Maintenance, which is an ongoing process, includes the correction of any
errors have ever been made during the project’s execution.
Project Participants

 Each project, whatever is its type or what kind of construction involves,

requires the participation of three main parties. These participants are the
Owner, Engineer/Designer, and Contract. The figure shown below displays
the relationship between each of these participants:
Types of Construction Projects

 Construction work mainly includes anything is built and permanently

attached to the ground. This includes different kinds of structures such as,
multi-storey buildings, bridges, dams, roads, etc.
 Building construction work. [For example, residential complex, commercial
towers, hospitals, malls, etc.]
 Engineering construction work. [For example, dams, bridges, airports,
highways, etc.]
 Industrial construction work. [For example, petroleum structures, electric-
power plant, water plants, etc.]
 Specialised construction work. [For example, deep tunnels, wind turbines,
etc.]