Construction Management Chapters 5-9

Identify 3 factors that can negatively impact construction productivity.

1.) Crowded work Spaces 2.) Poor coordination of work 3.) Poor supervision 4.) Poorly trained workforce 5.) Lack of proper tools and equipment 6.) Adverse weather conditions 7.) Confusing plans and specs

What type of information should be shown on a site logistics plan?

1.) Location of the field 2.) The location of the temporary utilities 3.) The location of the storage trailers 4.) The location of the letdown area 5.) The location of portable toilets 6.) Location of dumpsters 7.) On site parking areas

Name the four primary categories of costs in construction estimate.

1.) Materials 2.) Labor 3.) Equipment 4.) Subcontracts

Identify the four preparation steps taken to start the estimating process.

1.) Plans and Specs 2.) Develop a query list 3.) Attend PreBid Meeting 4.) Visit the Site

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

1.) Production Activities (Installing siding) 2.) Procurement Activities (Ordering Windows) 3.) Administrative Activities (Obtaining the building permit)

What are the four distinct stages of the design process?

1.) Programming and Feasibility 2.) Schematic or conceptual design 3.) Design development 4.) Contract documents

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

1.) Soil erosion problems 2.) Encountering Endangered Species on site 3.) Having to protect vegetation on-site 4.) Trying to protect and preserve wetlands during construction

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

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

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

A confirmation on something that had been previously order prior to the date its actually due. The will call generally happens the afternoon before the scheduled delivery and confirms or denies that the delivery date is still a go.

What is a lay down area?

A lay down area is a designated storage are within the construction site that is used for sorting out large orders such as the structural steel.

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 a shop drawing?

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.

Identify at least four characteristics exhibited in a quality estimate.

Accurate Labor Hours Correct Pricing Accurate Calculations Completeness Clear paper Trail Proper Overhead Proper Profit

What occurrence marks the official ending of a project?

Certificate of substantial completion released by the architect

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

Due diligence is the process of identifying any problems associated with he project on so that those problems can be factored into the decision making that occurs during the pre construction stage.

What is the float in the schedule?

Float is the amount of time an activity's start can be delayed before it impacts the projects planned completion.

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.

Chapter 6 What is a construction estimate?

Is a summary of probable quantities and costs of materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractors to complete a project, including taxes, overhead, and profit, based on the best available information at the time.

Why is it important for the job superintendent and the other members of the on-site team to keep project diaries?

It is important because there is so much information that must be communicated back and forth among the project participants, and there is a great opportunity for misunderstanding, confusion, and things falling through the cracks. The diaries help to keep straight all of the communications, conversations, and activities.

Why is it important to have a clear distinction between the project punch out and the warranty period?

It is important to have a clear distinction between punch out and warranty because the completion of punch out denotes substantial completion of the project. If work items continue to get added to the punch list, it will be very difficult to clearly mark the end of the project.

What are liquidated damages?

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

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

Look-ahead schedules are 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.

Chapter 7 What is partnering?

Partnering is a team building technique to establish a set of common goals and objectives for the projects and develop a mutually acceptable protocol for communications and conflict resolution through a formal agreement.

What is another name for activity-on-node (AON) network diagram.

Precedence Diagram

What is the name of the tool used to keep track of all the lose ends, minor repairs, adjustments, and missing items at the end of the project?

Punch List

What is retainage?

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

What does SWPPP stand for and what is its purpose?

SWPPP stands for Storm Water Pollution Plan and its purpose is to document how the contractor will manage erosion and prevent pollution of lakes, rivers, wetlands, and costal ares by runoff water and sediment from the building site.

What is the name of the document that establishes the template for measuring work progress as it relates to request payments?

Schedule of Values

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

Subcontracts and Purchase Orders Subcontractors are used to buy labor and purchase orders are used to buy materials and equipment.

What is the purpose of a Submittal?

Submittals provide a means by which the architect and owner can confirm the intent of the design.

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

Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Field Engineer

Identify the way in which the construction industry has increased overall owner involvement in the construction process.

The Construction industry has increased overall owner involvement in the construction process through a variety of collaborative software programs that establish intranet sites. These programs allow the owner to take part in a variety of project communications and may have a webcam linked to them.

After you complete a forward and backward pass, how do you know which activities are on a 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 construction contract calls for the contractor to build the project in accordance with the plans and specs. If the plans and specs or overall design is flawed or something is missing, then the contractor is obligated to perform as instructed or to bring the flaw to the architect by processing change order.

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

The contractor receives clarification front eh architect regarding details of the design by processing a formal request for information (RFI) in writing.

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

The critical path is a continuous chain of activities with the longest overall duration in the network diagram. The critical path is important from a. a management stand point because the critical path determines the project duration and any delay in any activity along the critical path in a delay in the overall project.

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

The document that authorizes payment to the contractor is called an application and certificate for payment.

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

The four fundamental stages of the construction management process are 1.) Pre-Construction 2.) Procurement 3.) Construction 4.) Post Construction

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

The three calculations that must be performed to determine the project duration and the critical path are the forward path, the backward pass and the Toal float calculations.

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

The three fundamental rules when it comes to scheduling subcontractors are 1.) Resist bringing them on the until you are 100 percent ready for them 2.) Make sure once they are on the job they have everything they need 3.) Make sure to pay all subcontracted work.

Name the three stages of network diagram development?

The three stages involved in developing a network diagram are the planning stage, the sequencing stage, and the scheduling stage.

Chapter 9 What are the two most common types of schedules used in construction?

The two most common types of construction schedules used are Gantt chart (Bar Chart) and the network diagram.

Name the two techniques used to create a network diagram.

The two techniques used to create a network diagram are the activity-on-arrow method and activity-on-node method.

What type of estimate would we probably do if we were meeting with a client for the first time and they wanted to get a rough idea about their project cost?

The type of estimate that would most likely be presented to a client who was seeking a rough idea of cost for a new project would be a rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimate.

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

They provide the payroll clerk with all of the information needed to calculate wages and distribute paychecks. They also provide fundamental information needed to track and monitor productivity and labor expenditures.

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

Three alternative to traditional litigation for resolving construction disputes are MEDIATION, the MINI-TRIAL, and ARBITRATION

Chapter 8 Identify three issues that the superintendent musty be concerned with when trying to manage construction operations.

Three issues that the superintendent must be concerned with are 1.) Subcontractor Coordination 2.) Material and Equipment Delivery 3.) Productivity

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

Time is the unit of measure usually used. Ex. hour, day, week, or month.

How are construction estimates typically organized.

Typically, construction estimates are organized according to either the 1995 CSI MasterFormat. which utilizes 16 Divisions.

What is a value engineering and what is its purpose?

Value engineering is the process of analyzing the design, products, and materials associated with the project to determine whether the proposed application, installation, or execution is the best approach or solution. The purpose of value engineering is to optimize resource to achieve the greatest value for the money being spent.

When will you know the true accuracy of your estimate?

You will know the true accuracy of your estimate when the project is complete and all the costs and expenses have been added up.