Construction Management Study Guide-Review Questions

What are the two techniques used to create a network diagram?

1. Activity-on-arrow method (AOA) 2. Activity-on-node method (AON)

Name four characteristics exhibited in a quality estimate

1. Correct quantities 2. Accurate Labor hours 3. Correct Pricing 4. Accurate Calculations

Identify three things that make construction projects unique from other industry sector projects

1. Each project is a one-of-a kind structure or building 2. Each project is on its own unique site 3. Much of the work is done by hand

Name two instances in which change order would initiated

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

Name the three activities that are included in a typical schedule and give an example of each

1. Production Activities (installing siding) 2. Procurement activities (ordering windows) 3. Administrative activities (obtaining a building permit)

List three factors that are commonly considered before deciding to bid on a construction job

1. Project Location 2. Project size 3. Who the owner/architect is

List four preparation steps when starting the estimating process

1. Review plan and specs 2. Develop a query list 3. Attend the prebid meeting 4. Visit the site

Name three environmental reasons that a project would be delayed

1. Soil Erosion 2. Encountering an endangered-species on site 3. Having to protect on-site vegetation

Name three issues that the superintendent must be concerned with when trying to manage construction operations?

1. Subcontractor coordination 2. Material and equipment deliveries 3. Productivity

Name the three basic ways in which a design-build entity may be configured

1. The contractor and designer create an informal partnership for a project 2. Have a full service design-build firm in which designers and contractors work for the same company 3. Establish legal joint venture between designer and contractor

What are the three fundamental rules when scheduling subcontractors?

1. Wait to bring them on the job until you 100% ready for them 2. When they arrive to the job make sure they have everything they need to proceed 3. Pay upon completion of work

Name two specific construction management functions where field information is used

1. detect the variances from planned to actual cost, productivity and time 2. it is also used to develop historical estimating databases and productivity factors

What are 7 fundamental steps in the project control cycle?

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

Name the eight functions of construction management

1. estimating the project 2. contract administration 3. managing the job site 4. scheduling 5. controlling project performance 6. managing project quality 7. managing project safety 8. managing project risks

What are the two essentials of an effective project control cycle?

1. information 2. good reporting system

Name the three selection methods used to buy construction services and identify the solicitation instrument for each one

1. low-bid selection: advertisement for bids 2. best-value selection: request for proposals 3. qualifications-based selection: request for qualifications

Name three factors that can negatively impact construction productivity

1. not having the proper tools 2. no or little supervision 3. changes in the work plans

Name three factors that impact project performance

1. weather 2. quality of workforce 3. defective materials

What is retainage?

A certain amount of money held back by the owner from the contractor to encourage project completion

What is critical path?

A continuous chain of activities with the longest overall duration of the project. It also gives project duration.

What is lean construction and from what industry does the concept stem?

A philosophy that focus's on added value with less work and the elimination of building waste in the process. This stems from the Toyota Production System.

What is a shop drawing?

A special submittal, usually required when a building material must be fabricated from scratch

What is partnering?

A team building technique to establish a common set of goals for the project. Conflict resolution through formal agreement

What is value engineering and what is its purpose?

A thorough analysis is covered on the design, products, materials, and their applications, installation, and execution to determine whether the proposed design solution is best for its cost. Purpose is to optimize resources and get the most out of our projects.

What unit of measure is typically employed for pricing general conditions

A unit of time such as a hour, day, week or month

What is the notice document that informs the public of upcoming construction projects funded with taxpayer dollars.

Advertisement for bids

What two construction programs offer voluntary certification programs for construction managers?

American Institute of Constructors and Construction Management Association of America

What is an escalation clause, and how is it used in a construction contract?

An escalation clause is a specialty clause put into the contract when the pricing component of the estimate is expected to highly fluctuate.

Distinguish between construction management as a function and construction management as a project delivery method.

As a function construction management requires the contractor to do various tasks and ultimately control the work of the contract. As a project delivery method construction management is when the owner hires the construction manager to provide services to him. In Project delivery the CM may of may not be financially obligated to carry out the work. As a function the CM IS financially obligated to carry out the work of the contract.

Name three associations affiliated with the construction industry

Associated General Contractors, Associated Builders and Contractors, National Association of Home Builders

What is the name of the organization credited with with promoting construction management as a legitimate area of study for four-year universities?

Associated Schools of Construction (ASC)

Why is scope definition so important to the construction process?

Because it describes the extent of the work performed by the contractor

Name the four primary sections of the project manual?

Bidding documents General conditions Supplemental conditions Technical specifications

How has owner involvement grown in the construction process?

By establishing software programs that allows the owner to take part in more project communications

Typical drawing order in set of plans?

Civil, Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical

What is the name of the stone carving that was also known as the first building code?

Code of Hammurabi

What does CAD stand for?

Computer Aided Design

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

Cost code is the reference number assigned to each work activity. This is often based on a CSI division number. Used to track all items that are contributing to project cost.

Identify three primary project delivery methods and discuss how they differ contractually

Design-bid-build, design-build and construction management. With design-bid-build the owner separates the contracts with the designer and contractor. With design-build there's only one contract between owner and contractor/designer. With CM there are three contracts, one for the designer, one for the contractor and one for the construction manager.

What is the role of an owner in a project?

Develop the program for the building, define the scope of a project, create a budget, and create funding for the project.

How does the quality of the designs impact the quality of the construction?

Direct correlation. If you cant read the drawings or the specifications, then you can't build the building properly.

What is the name if the weekly magazine dedicated solely to the construction industry?

Engineering News Record (ENR)

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

Estimating productivity

What are three things you have to calculate from critical path in order to determine project duration?

Forward Pass, Backward Pass and Total Float

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

Gantt Chart or Netwrok Diagram

By what specific measure is construction used an economic indicator for the U.S. economy?

Housing Starts

What are the five primary sections of construction?

Industrial, Heavy, Residential, Commercial, environmental

What is a scope sheet

It identifies all items of work to be performed by a specific trade or heading such as masonry or siding

Describe how the weighted criteria evaluation process works

It is a form of best value selection in which maximum point values are preestablished for qualitative and price components and award is given based on the highest point total

What is the purpose of a labor and materials payment bind?

It is a guarantee that payment for the contractors labor and material will be made

What is a laydown area?

It is a storage area within the construction site that is designated to sorting out large orders, such as structural steel

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

It is important because of how much information goes back and forth between the project participants and this diary helps to keep straight the, communication, conversations and activities

What is float or slack in the schedule

It is the amount of time an activity can be delayed before it impacts the projects planned completion date

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

It is the confirmation of an order before its actual date of delivery

What is meant by the term project delivery?

It is the overall structure or organizational framework used to put all the aspects of designing and building a construction project together.

What does it mean to crash the schedule?

It means compressing the schedule by accelerating certain activities to lower the overall completion time of the project

What does LEED stand for and what is its purpose?

It stands for Leadership in Energy and environmental design. It evaluates buildings environmental performance of the course of a year.

What is SWPPP and what does it stand for?

It stands for Storm Water Pollution Protection Plan. It documents how the contractor will prevent erosion and pollution via runoff

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

Location of field office, utilities, storage trailers, laydown area, portable toilets, dumpsters and on site parking areas

Name the four basic types of construction contracts

Lump Sum Contracts Cost-Plus-Fee Contract Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract Unit Price Contract

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

Material invoices, time cards and subcontractor billing statements

Name the four primary categories of cost in a construction estimate

Materials, Labor, Equipment and subcontractors

Which procurement method is most commonly used today and what is the selection criteria to determine the winner.

Most popular is design-bid-build. The selection criteria is low price

What is the name of the official document that the owner uses to notify the contractor to start construction?

Notice To Proceed

What two major components make up the contract documents?

Plans --> drawings Specs --> project manual

Name the four fundamental stages of a construction project after the design phase.

Pre-Construction Procurement Construction Post-Construction

What is another name for an AON network diagram

Precedence Diagram

What are the four stages of the design process?

Predesign Schematic design Design development Construction documents

Name the positions of the members of the on-site construction management team

Project manager Contract administrator Superintendent Field Engineer

What is the name for the tool that keeps track of all the loose ends, minor repairs, adjustments, and missing items at the end of the project?

Punch list

Name the two primary selection categories considered when using the best-value methods

Quantitative factors (price) and Qualification factors such as past performance

How does the contractor receive clarification from the architect about details in the design?

Request for Information (RFI)

What kind of estimate would you do if you were meeting with a client for the first time and they wanted a rough project cost?

Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)

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

Schedule of Values

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

So that the payroll clerk receives all the information he needs to calculate payroll and distribute paychecks

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

Subcontracts Purchase Orders

What is the purpose of a submittal?

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

What occurrence marks the official end of a project?

Substantial completion, or the completion of the punch list

After you complete the three calculations of a network diagram how can you determine the critical path?

The activities will have no total float

What are liquidated damages?

The amount of money assessed to the contractor for a failure to meet the completion date

Whats the difference between a plan view and a sectional view in a set of drawings?

The difference between the two is that the plan view is a birds-eye view of a horizontal section of the building, while the sectional view is a vertical cut in the side of the building.

How is at-risk CM different from agency CM

The difference lies in who is contractually obligated to carry out the actual work of the contract. An Agency CM has no liability for work that does not get done whereas an at-risk CM is liable for the construction.

Under a GMP contract, what happened if the actual cost is less than the GMP?

The owner saves money, and the contract just looks like a cost-plus-fee contract.

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

These are used by superintendents and foremen to coordinate work of short intervals of time (2-4weeks). They are often hand drawn and are distributed to the specific trades involved.

How are construction estimates typically organized?

They are organized according the 1995 CSI MasterFormat which was originally 16 divisions, now 48

What are general conditions?

They are the same thing as indirect costs and they represent basic work condition items such as port-a-potty, security fencing and general supervision.

When did architects first use their drawings to communicate design intent?

They built models and drew sketches to help explain to the builders what they wanted done.

What is meant by the term "fast tracking"

This is a technique used to speed up the building process by overlapping the design and construction process

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

This is important for the contractor because they are responsible for the items that are under that warranty for the given time. Knowing when the project ends helps determine the beginning and the end of the warranty period.

What does it mean to forecast in Construction Management

This means predicting the final cost and schedule of a project before it is over.

What is meant by the term due diligence?

Through site investigation and soil testing, due diligence is the process of identifying any problems or areas of concern that exist, so that those problems can be factored into the decision making process.

Name the four primary project values to be managed, monitored and controlled

Time, Cost, Quality, Safety

When will you know the true accuracy of your estimate?

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

What is the name of the document that officially authorizes payment to the contractor

application and certificate of payment

Why is open bidding required on public projects

because tax payer dollars are at stake, also it helps to reduce the risk of fraud and favoritism. This lets the taxpayers know that there taxes are being spent properly

What is a construction estimate?

cost of quantities and materials for a construction project (also includes subcontracts, taxes, overhead and profit)

Name three fundamental objectives of a quality management plan

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

Name three alternatives to traditional litigation for resolving construction contract disputes

mediation, mini-trial, arbitration

What are the three stages of network diagram development?

planning stage, sequencing stage, scheduling stage

Name a tool used to reduce the number of bidders on a public project and increase the quality of the contractor pool?

the requirement of a pre-qualification statement