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Introduction The goal of any contractor is to build a project on time and within budget. To be an effective and productive contractor, one must have a complete understanding of the construction process, which includes not only building the project, but, more importantly, effective scheduling and management of the project. The contractor is ultimately responsible for managing its activities as well as the activities of the construction parties under its supervision.  ...

Today’s refining, chemical, petrochemical, and heavy industrial facilities process and utilize hazardous chemicals, and despite the best laid plans and procedures, accidents do happen. Accidents could range from fires to explosions, resulting in chemical releases and damage to equipment and the facility, hopefully with minimal or no injury to personnel. Insurance is often called upon to reimburse the owner for property damage and business interruption expenses following the fire, ...

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an old proverb that suggests complex stories can be described by just a single picture. The same is true with respect to proving construction claims, where one visual or graphic can be more persuasive and influential than a thousand words. Construction is a complex and risky process requiring extensive planning, engineering, procurement, and construction management. When all of these activities operate in concert with each other, the ...

I. Introduction Building codes are the “minimum requirements” to safeguard public health, safety, and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities (emergency exits), stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property. These codes protect the public from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and provide safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. ...

Contractor’s proposals are often the first step in a courtship between owners and contractors. Initially, everyone is optimistic for a successful outcome. The honeymoon period may last the entire project and culminate in a project that is delivered on-time and on-schedule. However, in today’s overheated construction environment, costs may rise, labor may become scarce, engineering may be late or defective, and equipment and material may arrive at site late or defective, all of which may strain ...

This article is the second in a two-part series about how Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and the Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) Chavez High School are making a difference in students’ lives and the engineering profession. According to PLTW’s director of research and evaluation, Gary Edelson, Ed.D., the mission of the program “is to provide the engineers this country needs for the next 50 years.” Successes in other parts of the country include Wheaton High School in Montgomery ...

Introduction This year, exceptionally high price increases of construction materials have caused serious problems for the construction industry. A major factor is the current economic and construction boom occurring in China. China is experiencing rapid growth and, with it, tremendous construction activity which is creating shortages in the US and throughout the world. Background Basic economics tell us that, in an open marketplace, prices will rise when demand increases or when supply ...

This article is the first in a two-part series about how Project Lead the Way, HISD's Chavez High School, and the East End Chamber of Commerce are making a difference in students' lives and the engineering profession. In the United States, the number of college graduates earning engineering degrees each year is rising slowly after a major decrease a decade ago. While this is good news, the number of US engineering professionals retiring in the next ten years is out-pacing the number of ...

An article in Time reported “the U.S., the world’s greatest technological civilization, is running short of engineers.” It stated that the shortage also meant that “most engineering graduates have a least a half dozen offers, with an average starting salary of $350 a month.” Not a bad salary for April 21, 1952, when the article was published. It was a time when “the basics” were not emphasized in school and fewer students were entering science, engineering, and math careers. Scientists and ...

Colleges around the nation prepare future construction managers for promising careers Construction management-bound college graduates today are finding that, more and more, universities are responding to the challenges of an ever advancing field. Higher education programs around the nation are collaborating with industry leaders and accreditation agencies to develop specialized curriculums to prepare students for successful careers. As engineers and architects try to keep up with global ...

Part one of this two-part series addressed change order management and claims from the contractor’s perspective. This article will focus on techniques from the owner’s perspective for planning for and managing project change and avoiding claims. Although this information is geared towards owners, the information can help all parties on a construction project. Construction is not a one-way street, and it is beneficial for each of the parties to have a more complete understanding of the other ...

Every construction project, regardless of its size, inevitably encounters change. Changes can be minor, such as field rerouting of pipe to avoid an interference, or they can be major, such as a massive acceleration effort costing millions of dollars for additional personnel and overtime premiums. Managing change is an important aspect of construction project management and successful project completion. This article is the first in a two-part series that addresses issues relevant to managing cha

There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not it is advisable to use experts in mediation. In many cases that go to mediation, the issues in dispute are often relatively simple, strictly fact-based, and do not require damage calculations. In such cases, experts are often not required. This is generally not the case in the engineering and construction industry. Issues and disputes that occur during construction projects are typically not black and white issues. Using experts in these ...

In the construction industry, the ability to manage change can determine the success or failure of a project’s objectives. The failure to recognize and promptly manage change frequently costs the parties involved money and time. Establishing a change order management process using either contractual change order requirements or a firm’s proprietary system increases the effectiveness of progress reporting, labor productivity evaluation, work scheduling, and other elements of project change. The ...

In general terms, force majeure is considered to be “an act of God” or an occurrence outside the control of the parties which impacts or delays the project. Force majeure includes issues such as unusually severe weather, labor strikes, natural disasters, or governmental actions/changes in law that negatively impact the work. Typically, force majeure is not considered to be a compensable delay, meaning neither party is entitled to compensation as a result of the impact of the force majeure ...

Introduction This year, exceptionally high construction material price increases have caused problems for the construction industry. A major factor is the current economic and construction boom occurring in China. China’s rapid growth and tremendous construction activity are creating shortages in the US and throughout the world. Background Basic economics dictate that, in an open marketplace, prices will rise when demand increases or when supply decreases. Demand is increasing ...

Contractors frequently experience site conditions differing from those anticipated in their bids. An example would be existing facilities, which are to form part of the contract work, that differ in their location, makeup, or state of repair from information in the bid documents or from what would be apparent to a contractor making a responsible, prebid inspection. If the differing site conditions should have been discovered or anticipated by the contractor and the contractor failed to do so, ...

Over the past 20 years, the design-build process has gained popularity throughout the engineering and construction industries. The Design-Build Institute of America estimates that by 2010, approximately 50% of all construction projects in America will use design-build. Regardless of whether these projections prove to be accurate, it is impossible to ignore that more projects are employing this alternative project delivery method. As shown in the table below, some projects lend themselves ...

Overview The special or general conditions of many construction contracts contain warranty provisions. A typical warranty clause may require the contractor to repair or replace defects in materials or workmanship for up to one year after acceptance of the work by the owner. This type of provision reflects risks that most contractors or subcontractors can identify and analyze based on experienced warranty or call-back costs. When dealing with equipment vendors, contractors and ...

Documentation is a vital function of construction management. If your profitability depends upon the collection of extras or the defense of claims made against you, and you have no records, the world's best consultants and lawyers will be unable to create them for you. And if you do have the records, but your documentation's organization and quality are poor, the cost of compiling suitable information for the pursuit or defense of a claim may be high. Effective documentation is the ...