STE515: Construction management I
Topic: Construction management
Construction management is the practice that ensures that construction actions are undertaken
efficiently and effectively.
Aim and objectives of construction management
The aim is to remove inherent difficulty in the construction project processes and make the project
straight forward to cope with.
The specific objectives are:
1. It ensures less time in delivering projects
2. There is less wastage of materials
3. There is economic use of resources
4. It ensures higher quality project
5. It gives additional value to the project
6. It ensures less accident and fatalities
7. It leads to satisfaction of the client or employer
8. It ensures sustainability of products e.g. green buildings
Stages in construction
1. Preconstruction phase
The preconstruction phase of a project can be broken into conceptual planning, schematic design,
design development, and contract documents.
a. Conceptual design:
- Very important for the owner.
- During this stage the owner hires key consultants including the designer and project manager,
selects the project site, and establish a conceptual estimate, schedule, and program.
- The owner must gather as much information as possible about the project.
- The most important decision at this stage is whether to proceed with the project or not.
b. Schematic design:
- During this phase, the project team investigates alternate design solutions, materials and systems.
- Completion of this stage represents about 30% of the design completion for the project.
c. Design development:
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- Designing the main systems and components of the project.
Good communication between owner, designer, and construction manager is critical during this
stage because selections during this design stage affect project appearance, construction and cost.
- This stage takes the project from 30% design to 60% design.
d. Contract documents:
- Final preparation of the documents necessary for the bid package such as the drawings,
specifications, general conditions, and bill of quantities are ready.
- All documents need to be closely reviewed by the construction manager and appropriate owner
personnel to decrease conflicts, and changes.
- With the contract documents are almost complete; a detailed and complete cost estimate for the
project can be done.
2. Procurement phase (Bidding and award phase)
- The project formally transits from design into construction.
- This stage begins with a public advertisement for all interested bidders or an invitation for specific
bidders.
- In fast-track projects, this phase overlaps with the design phase.
- If the projects are in phases, each work package will be advertised and bid out individually.
- It is a very important stage to select highly qualified contractors. It is not wise to select the
under-bid contractors.
3. Construction phase
- The actual physical construction of the project stage.
- This stage takes the project from procurement through the final completion.
- It is the time where the bulk of the owner’s funds will be spent.
- It is the outcome of all previous stages (i.e., good preparation means smooth construction).
4. Closeout phase
- Transition from design and construction to the actual use of the constructed facility.
- In this stage, the management team must provide documentation, shop drawings, as-built
drawings, and operation manuals to the owner organization.
- The as-built drawings are the original contract drawings adjusted to reflect all the changes that
occurred.
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- Assessment of the project team’s performance is crucial in this stage for avoiding mistakes in the
future.
- Actual activity costs and durations should be recorded and compared with that was planned. This
updated costs and durations will serve as the basis for the estimating and scheduling of future
projects.
The construction industry
The size of the Nigerian construction industry is very small relative to the total global construction
industry. The value of global construction today is estimated to be about $4 trillion the Nigerian
construction industry makes up only about 0.2% of the global total (Dantata, 2007).
This may be as a result of the variability of the structure and organization of the country’s
construction industry. The differences within the industry are determined by the relative
importance of few specific conditioning factors and special characteristics of the industry as well
as by the degree of development of a country’s economy.
There are three main factors that affect a country’s construction industry. They include:
i. The nature of work to be done, which in turn is a function of the specialization of civil
engineering construction companies.
ii. The choice of technology, which depends on the country’s state of technology
development.
iii. Social and economic environment which is conditioned by the general structure and
state of the economy and political organization.
Construction Projects Participants
1. The Owner (The Client)
The owner is the individual or organization for whom a project is to be built under a contract. The
owner owns and finances the project. Depending on the owners’ capabilities, they may handle all
or portions of planning, project management, design, engineering, procurement, and construction.
The owner engages architects, engineering firms, and contractors as necessary to accomplish the
desired work.
2. The Design Professionals
Examples of design professionals are architects, engineers, and design consultants. The major role
of the design professional is to interpret or assist the owner in developing the project’s scope,
budget, and schedule and to prepare construction documents. Depending on the size and
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sophistication of the owner, the design professional can be part of the owner’s group or an
independent, hired for the project. In some cases design professional and construction contractor
together form a design-build company.
a. Architect: An architect is an individual who plans and design buildings and their
associated landscaping. Architects mostly rely on consulting engineers for structural,
electrical, and mechanical work.
b. Engineer: The term engineer usually refers to an individual or a firm engaged in the design
or other work associated with the design or construction. Design engineers are usually
classified as civil, electrical, mechanical depending upon their specialty. There are also
scheduling, estimating, cost, and construction engineers.
c. Engineering-construction firm: An engineering-construction firm is a type of
organization that combines both architect/engineering and construction contracting. This type of
company has the ability of executing a complete design-build sequence.
3. The construction professionals
The constructions professional are the parties that responsible for constructing the project. In
traditional management where the owner, design professional, and contractors are separate
companies, the contractor would be termed a prime contractor. The prime contractor is responsible
for delivering a complete project in accordance with the contract documents. In most cases, the
prime contractor divides the work among many specialty contractors called subcontractors
i. The project manager
The project manager is the individual charged with the overall coordination of the entire
construction program for the owner. These include planning, design, procurement, and
construction. Among his/her duties:
- Clear definitions of the goals of the project.
- Investigate alternative solutions for the problems.
- Develop a detailed plan to make the selected program reality.
- Implement the plan and control the project.
ii. Construction manager: The construction manager is a specialized firm or
organization which administrates the on-site erection activities and the consulting services required
by the owner from planning through design and construction to commissioning. The construction
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manager is responsible for design coordination, proper selection of materials and methods of
construction, contracts preparation for award, cost and scheduling information and control.
Advantages of construction management Disadvantages of construction management
Faster overall programme by overlapping Design coordination risk and increased
design and construction likelihood of design change
Ability to closely manage cost during design No single point lump sum cost commitment.
and procurement. Cost certainty only achieved when all
Opportunities to adjust the timing of packages are let and the project is completed
procurement to secure commercial benefit.
Proactive management to integrate design and Exposure to risk associated with construction
construction, management and team performance.
Input of specialist trades into the development Reliance on capability of construction
and co-ordination of mature design solutions manager and project team to forecast
consequences of change responsibility to fund
solutions to problems should they occurs.
Hands-on involvement of the client on the Increased administration role for client on
project. construction management route.
Exposure to risk associated with client
performance.
Fully professional team, including the Construction management and professional
construction manager, focused on project team owe duty of care liability only.
delivery .
Integration of design and construction skills
Full control over design including High degree of client ownership of risks
incorporation of design by specialist. associated with design including impacts of
late/incomplete and uncoordinated design.
Early appointment of construction advisors Early completion of some package design
and specialist trade contractors. constrains following packages.
Ability of client to influence the selection of Added complexity of one-to-one contractual
trade contractors. relationships of client with all team members.
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One-to-one contractual relationships.
Management focus on programme, sequencing Reliance on management capability of
and build ability. construction management.
Client ownership of tendering and contractual Client position at centre of management
arrangements. requires effective decision-making.
Opportunity to package the work to suit the Potential for co-ordination clashes and missing
capability of the trade contractors and to interfaces.
manage on-site interfaces.
Ability to identify and act upon poor trade Client exposure to performance risk and
contractor performance . exposure to consequential loss associated with
Avoidance of “spill over” of problems into the trade contractor default.
overall management of the project.
Advantages Disadvantages Mitigation
Reference
Dantata, S. (2007) The general overview of the Nigerian construction industry, A Masters thesis
of Civil and Environmental Engineering submitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
