Construction Management: Jumpstart Ch 5-12

what is a joint venture?

"a business arrangement where two or more construction companies enter into an agreement for a one-time, single-project commitment and share resources and risks to manage and build the project."

name at least three types of construction risks

"labor availability, quality of labor pool, differing site conditions, site access, property damage and theft, coordination of utilities, adverse weather, labor disputes, safety, and material availability."

what are the seven fundamental steps included in the project control cycle?

1) develop project plan 2) establish project benchmarks 3) monitor project performance 4) identify performance deviations 5) evaluate corrective options 6) make adjustments as needed 7) document, report, and evaluate results

Identify two instances when a change order might need to be initiated.

1) to correct a detail of the design that contained an error or omitted information 2) would be required when an owner wants to add scope to the project.

what is a construction estimate?

A construction estimate is a summary of probable quantities and costs of materials, labor, equipment, and subcontracts to complete a project, including taxes, overhead, and profit, based on the best available information at the time.

what is a scope sheet?

A scope sheet identifies all of the items of work to be performed under a specific trade heading or work category such as masonry or siding.

What is partnering?

A team-building technique to establish a set of common goals and objectives for the project and develop a mutually acceptable protocol for communication and conflict resolution through a formal agreement.

what is a float, or slack, in the schedule?

Amount of time that an activity's start can be delayed before it impacts the project's planned completion.

what is a contingency?

An amount of money added to an estimate to cover unknown conditions or risk impacts

what is a laydown area?

Designated storage area within the construction site that is used for sorting out large orders such as the structural steel.

what are general conditions?

General conditions are the same thing as indirect costs and represent the expenses incurred in order to deliver and manage the materials, labor, equipment, and subcontracts employed on any given job. Supervision, cleanup, temporary utilities, and security fencing are all examples of general conditions.

what does it mean to order something on will-call?

It acts as a confirmation of an order that has been placed prior to the date it is actually due for delivery. It generally occurs the afternoon before the scheduled delivery and confirms or denies that the delivery date is still a go.

What is a MSDS sheet?

Material Safety Data Sheet used for every chemical product that is located on the job site

the agency responsible for safety standards and safety inspections on job sites

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

what is the purpose of a submittal?

Provide a means by which the architect and owner can confirm the intent of the design

What does SWPPP stand for and what is its purpose?

Storm water pollution protection plan, and its purpose is to document how the contractor will manage erosion and prevent pollution of lakes, rivers, wetlands, and coastal areas by runoff water and sediment from the building site.

what does it mean to crash the schedule?

To compress the overall schedule by accelerating certain activities within it so that they finish sooner, thereby shortening the overall schedule.

what is retainage?

a certain percentage of money owed to the contractor that is held back by the owner to encourage completion of the project.

what is a cost code, and how is it used in project controls?

a cost code is a reference number assigned to each work activity. all job information regarding cost are tracked via cost codes.

what is an FOR?

a field of observation report empowers all project participants to report any incorrect or low quality item, workmanship, or safety issue

what is the name of the tool used to clean up loose ends at the end of a project

a punch list

What is a look-ahead schedule, and how is it used?

a schedules that is developed by superintendents and trade foremen to coordinate the work and activities over a relatively short period of time, usually two- to four-week intervals. They are often hand-drawn and are distributed to the specific trades involved.

identify the way in which the construction industry has increased overall owner involvement in the construction process?

a variety of collaborative software programs that establish intranet sites. these programs allow the owners to take part in a variety of project communications and may have a webcam linked to them.

Name the two techniques used to create a network diagram.

activity-on-arrow method and activity-on-node method

Name one estimate preparation risk factor.

adequacy of the pricing data, familiarity of the subcontractors, ability to visit the site, confusing or contradictory plans and specs, excessive preparation costs, and insufficient time to prepare the estimate.

what is an escalation clause, and how is it used in the construction contract?

allows for estimate adjustments in regards to volatile component pricing

what are liquid damages?

an amount of money that is assessed to the contractor for a failure to meet a specified completion date.

what is the name of the document that formally and officially authorizes a payment to a contractor?

an application and certificate for payment

when scheduling subcontractors for the job, you should try to follow three fundamental rules. What are they?

be 100% ready for them, they have everything they need to proceed, pay promptly upon completion of their work.

why is it important for the job superintendent and other member of the onsite team to keep project diaries?

because of the huge amount of information that must be communicated back and forth among the project participants. It's easy for miscommunications and mistakes to be made. a log helps keep it all straight.

why is it important to have a clear distinction between the punchout and warranty period?

because the punchout marks the end of the project and if items keep being added to the punchout list it is hard to mark a clear ending to the project.

why is it important to accurately report hours and cost codes on time cards?

because they allow for the payroll to be properly calculated and they provide fundamental information for monitoring productivity and labor expenditures.

How does the contractor receive clarification from the architect regarding details of the design?

by processing a formal request for information RFI in writing.

name at least three prebid risk factors

contract, the owner, the project price, the project time, work/labor issues, the location, and the estimate prep factors

identify at least four characteristics exhibited in a quality estimate

correct quantities, accurate labor hours, correct pricing, accurate calculations

Identify at least three factors that can negatively impact construction productivity.

crowded work spaces, poor condition of work activities, poor or lack of supervision, inexperienced or poorly trained workforce, lack of proper tools or equipment, bad weather, confusing plans or specs, changes in work plan, inefficient job site layout

what are the three fundamental objectives of a quality management plan

do things right the first time, prevent things from going wrong in the first place, continually improve the construction process.

in relation to construction, what is meant by the term due diligence?

due diligence is the process of identifying any problems early on so those problems can be factored into the decision making process

How are construction estimates typically organized?

either the 1995 CSI Masterformat (16 divisions) or the expanded 2004 version (48 divisions)

What is the riskiest element of project planning and project control?

estimating productivity

the four primary causes of injuries in the construction industry

falls, struck by an object, crushed or trapped, electric shock

what is a latent design defect?

flaw in the design that is not known until after the construction is complete and time has passed, allowing for the flaw or defect to show itself

what are the three scheduling calculations that you must perform in order to determine the project duration and the critical path?

forward pass, backward pass, and total float calculations.

what are the two most common types of schedules used in construction?

gantt chart ( or bar chart) and the network diagram

ID 5 types of personal protection that might be utilized on a job site

hard hats, safety glasses, steel toed shoes, face shields, ear plugs, special suits or coveralls, respirators, gloves, safety harnesses

what are the two essentials of an effective project control system?

information and a good reporting system

what is a shop drawing?

is a special kind of submittal, usually required when a building material must be fabricated from scratch. The drawing includes details, dimensions, and the configuration of the item being fabricated.

what is the critical path, and why is it important from a project management standpoint?

it's the continuous chain of activities with the longest (combined) overall duration in the network diagram. It's important because any delay in the chain will result in a delay in the overall project.

what unit of measure is typically employed for pricing general conditions?

it's typically a unit of time such as an hour, day, week or month

it is important to receive accurate and complete information from the construction job site. name two specific construction management functions where this information is used?

it's used to detect variances between actual and planned performance regarding cost, time and productivity. also used to develop historical estimating data

give one example of a risk allocation technique that contractors might use when they think they have exceeded their risk tolerance

joint venture with another contractor

what types of information should be shown on a site logistics plan?

location of field office, location of temp utilities, location of storage trailers, location of laydown area, location of portable toilets, location of dumpsters, on-site parking area, security fencing, entrance and exit gates

four primary components of an effective safety management plan

management commitment, job site analysis, hazard prevention control, safety and health training

name three sources where you might gather field information needed to develop your project controls

material invoices, time cards, subcontractor billing statements

name the four primary categories of costs in the construction estimate.

materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractors

Name three alternatives to traditional litigation for resolving construction contract disputes.

mediation, mini-trial, and arbitration

what are the three stages of network diagram development?

planning, sequencing, and scheduling

Name the four fundamental stages of the construction management process after the design stage.

pre-construction, procurement, construction, and post-construction

Name the six different categories that most risk factors generally fall under.

prebid, design, construction, political/legal/regulatory, financing, environmental

what is another name for the activity on node (AON) network diagram?

precedence diagram

name the three different types of activities that are included in the typical schedule, and give an example of each

production (installing siding), procurement (ordering windows), and administrative (obtaining building permit)

What are the four distinct stages of the design process?

programming and feasibility, schematic/conceptual design, design development, and contract documents

quality control vs quality assurance

quality control is quality at project level. quality assurance is quality at process level

identify four preparation steps taken to start the estimating process.

review the plans and specs, develop a query list, attend the pre-bid meeting, and visit the site

Name the five most common risk mitigation strategies.

risk retention, risk avoidance, risk abatement, risk transfer, risk allocation

what type of estimate would you use for a 1st time rough estimate meeting?

rough order of magnitude estimate

what is the name of the document that establishes the template for measuring work progress as it relates to requests for payment?

schedule of values

identify at least three environmental issues that might interfere with the project schedule and cause unexpected delays on the job.

soil erosion problems, encountering endangered species on-site, having to protect vegetation on site, trying to protect and preserve wetlands during construction, discovering historical or cultural artifacts while excavating

identify at least three issues that the superintendent must be concerned with when trying to manage construction operations

subcontractor coordination, material and equipment deliveries, and productivity

what are the two procurement instruments used to buy out the construction job?

subcontracts and purchase orders

name three quality control mechanisms typically mandated by the construction contract that are used to check for conformance to the plans and specs

submittles, mock-ups, and shop drawings

name at least three positions that make up the members of the on-site construction management team

superintendent, assistant superintendent, and field engineer

After you complete a forward and backward pass, how do you know which activities are on the critical path?

the activities that have no total float will be the activities on the critical path

how does the quality of the design drawings impact the quality of the construction?

the contractor either builds in the flaw or points it out to the architect, either way it's trouble for the owner and the will not be happy

explain the concept behind zero-punch list

the idea is to correct errors as the project proceeds so there is little need for a punch list at the end.

what two factors must be considered when trying to determine the risk rating for any given risk?

the probability that the risk will occur, and the impact if it does.

what occurrence marks the official end of the project

the release of the certificate of substantial completion

Regarding project controls, what does it mean to forecast in construction management?

to predict the final costs and schedule outcomes while the work is still in progress.

what is value engineering and what is its purpose?

value engineering is the process of analyzing a project to determine whether the best approach is being used. the purpose is to maximize value

name at least three factors that can impact project performance.

weather, quality of workforce, inadequate tools and equipment, defective materials...

when will you know the true accuracy of your estimate?

when the project is complete and all the costs and expenses have been added up