Development and Professionalism in the Construction Industry

This article discusses the development of the construction industry and the incorporation of professionalism in its structure. It explores the different parties involved and the types of contractual work tendered by contractors. The article also highlights the modern structure of construction companies and the critical evaluation of their development. Additionally, it covers the types of construction industries and the relationships between companies working on construction projects. The article concludes with a discussion on modern construction processes, contract planning techniques, the impact of BIM on operations, and the innovation in the construction industry. Lastly, it examines the importance of health and safety in the construction process and the role of effective communication and collaboration in the workplace.

CIVIL ENGINEERING
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Task 1
Part a
How the construction industry has developed and encompassed professionalism in its
structure
Prior to the advanced steps in the construction industries, several operations were being carried
out by a few individuals. These individuals used to do almost more than one task. The result was
poorly done projects with cost overruns and delays1. The advanced methods of constructions and
the complexities of demands of the clients have since changed the situations. The current
Construction management is regarded as a challenging and also demanding profession. In order
for the project to be complete as per the client’s perspective, there will be a need for the
assistance of very many professionals. These construction professionals basically include interior
designers, architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, and structural engineers. These
individuals have different specialties to be offered for example the structural engineer will ensure
that the project is structurally stable while the financial aspect of the project will be considered
by the quantity surveyors. The structure of the construction industries has, therefore, fore been
transformed from a linear flow of operation to a complex and web-based network of activities
Part b
Linkage of the parties in the construction industry
1 A. Petroski, To an engineer, is human: The role of failure in successful design(4th end,
OUP2016.

The connection of different parties in the construction industries will be dependent on the role
that each and every party will be playing. In general, the structure below will illustrate the type
of linkage
In the case scenario that was provided, the company had already won tender in the bidding
process. The linkage operation will begin from the section after the tender award.

Part C
Types of contractual work tendered by the contractors
The construction processes will be driven by different parties that will be subcontracted for
various works. Some of the works that will be subcontracted will include the following:
 Labour supply
 Construction materials supply
 Construction tools and equipment supply
In order to make the tendering process very competitive, there should be the adoption of the
selective tendering process2. This kind of tendering would be preferred since it will allow the
2 A. Hughes, Networks of power: electrification in Western society(6th edn, OUP 2013)

employers to properly select on those contractors that have enough experience, have resources,
financially sound and possess basic skills to do the work.
Part d
The modern structure of the construction companies
In general, the structure of the companies has become so complex due to the increased cases of
the task demands. Unlike what used to be the case before where the only technical department
was involved, the recent type of construction company structure includes several logistics.

In order to ensure that the project is completed on time with all the requirements met as per the
desires of the clients, the above structure should be adopted as a whole.
Part e
Critical evaluation of the development of the structure of the company
Taking a sample of the information delivery in the horizontal direction, there are 3 foremen
marked S1, S2 and finally S3. The plant manager, for example, will give the instruction
regarding a task to be carried out. Instead of just one foreman carrying the entire task although
capable, the task is distributed3. This kind of delegation of duties will proceed as the task
3 B. Jerry, Discrete event system simulation(3rd edn, OUP 2015)

progresses downwards. Adoption of this kind of business ethos in the given scenario will ensure
timely completion of the project. It will also enhance quality since the issue of fatigue is
adequately addressed.
Task 2
Part a
Types of the construction industries
There are various construction companies although the most commonly known one is four. They
include the following:
Industrial companies:
This sector includes the construction of the buildings, equipment, and facilities that are attached
to these buildings. This kind of companies is preferred for the activities of the exploitation of the
minerals, production of goods and raw material transformation4
Commercial and institutional sectors or companies
4 D. Feisel and M. Rosa, The role of the laboratory in undergraduate engineering education, (2nd
edn, OUP 2015)

They involve in the construction of the buildings, equipment, and facilities attached to the
buildings. The buildings any are used necessarily for commercial purposes.
Road sectors and civil engineering
These companies are concerned with the construction works in general. They are used for both
public and private facilities management. They handle the construction of the sewers, bridges,
natural gas pipelines, and roads.
Residential sectors
Such companies are concerned with the construction of the buildings and equipment's which are
attached to these buildings5. The buildings that are under constructions, in this case, do not
exceed six. In order to have effective construction in the scenario that is illustrated, the
combination of the civil engineering and road construction section together with the industrial
sector will be best suited. The industrial sector will facilitate the establishment of the 20
industrial units while installation of the other equipment's like sewer will be facilitated by the
civil engineering sectors
Part b
Relationships between companies working on a construction project
In any construction projects, there are minimum requirements that must be met regardless of the
resources available in for the final project to be accepted for utility by the clients. Contractors
and sub-contractors will always relate in terms of the equipment available. Supplying companies
5 K. Parsons, The professions and social structure: Social forces(3rd edn, OUP 2014)

will strive to ensure that the necessary materials and requirements are availed in time to allow for
the process of construction. Transportation companies will facilitate the movement of materials
in and out of the company. Communication companies will always ensure that there is proper
flow of information's and instructions as required. Payments of the workers will be facilitated by
the companies offering banking services6. This basically implies that there are interrelationships
among different companies in the construction sector.
Part C
Assuming that the construction management had the following personal, the links in the
construction would be established as shown below
6 K. Parsons, The professions and social structure: Social forces(3rd edn, OUP 2014)

Part d
Difference between construction company tenders and contracts
A tender refers to an offer which is normally in writing to the contractors instructing the
contractor to execute specific work or supply specific materials within the specified time
duration. The framing of the contract is normally as per the conditions of the agreement and
contract between the owner of the project and the contractor7. Bill of Quantities are normally
found within the tender documents, the specifications of the work that is to be carried out, the
completion time frame of the work, plans of the drawing and the conditions of the contracts8.
These particular documents are provided to the contractor on payment of certain fees. Contract
documents, on the other hand, are the agreements between the department and the contractor to
execute the specified work in the document of the tender as per the rates of the condition do the
contracts.
Task 3
Part a
Modern construction processes and sequences
Modern methods of construction have been in use for quite sometimes and they involve several
techniques. On of such modern method s of construction include off-site construction. Off-site
7 M. Latour, Science in action: How to follow scientists and engineers through society,(4th edn,
OUP 2017).

construction refers to the application of the modern methods of construction of MMC which
entails fusion between manufacturing and building. Off-site construction is where any
component of the building is produced or undergoes manufacturing process in the factories that
are located far away from the real sites where the building is located. In simple terms, the
construction sites are different from the sites of the building. In the project scenario, the client
needs 20 industrial units. Off-site construction can help the construction industry to achieve this
goal and ensure that fast delivery is given. Speedier delivery has been regarded as one of the
benefits of off-site construction. Actually, research has indicated that it can reduce the
construction process time by half. The sustainability of this process is anchored on the reduced
waste to landfill, an improvement on the energy performance, fewer deliveries that are associated
with less disruption in the traffic and finally precision off-site engineering.
Part b
Contract planning techniques
In all the construction industries, there is normally a need to generate schedules of the activities
at every level or stages. Such planning will determine the manner in which the operations will be
carried out to ensure that the main goal or the key objectives of the project are met. A macro plan
is known to cover the entire project from the drawing board to the opening day8. The creation of
such plans will be done in terms of the board brush without the inclusion of many details and
probably with scales of months or weeks. A micro plan, on the other hand, is known to cover the
8 S. Callon, The social construction of technological systems: New directions in the sociology
and history of technology, (4th edn, OUP 2013)

specific parts of the project but with specific details. Such plans are fixed within a matter of
weeks or days. Using the project scheduling of the modern terms, the combination of the two
techniques will be a better deal for the construction of the 20 industrial units. This will enhance
the timely delivery. Macro planning will be best suitable as it will ensure management of the
whole projects while micro planning will ensure that specific details like the location of the best
methods of man agent structure are done within a matter of days.
Part C
Where BIM impacts upon operations and construction companies
BIM presents various opportunities and benefits for the industries of the constructions. Actually,
it brings together all the ideas and information about the building together in one collective point.
This allows almost everyone to get access to the information for whatever purpose. The
integration of the various aspects of the design can be done more efficiently. In the current
scenario, the BIM software can be used for virtual trials of the potentially difficult projects of
construction like erection of the industrial units9. The testing of the manufacturing spots of
perfumes and soaps can also be done or tried virtually using BIM software. The design of the
construction of the scenario will be possibly viewed in great 3D using BIM.
Part d
How the construction industry has developed in terms of innovation
9 W. Leckie, M. Pettigrew, and B. Sylvain, The Library Quarterly(2nd edn, OUP 2016)

The construction industry has undergone various mechanisms of innovation including the use of
self-healing concrete, use of the smart buildings, cloud collaboration and modular construction.
The 3D design in the construction industries has enabled proper visualization of the structure
which is under the construction. In the contract management technique, the project can be
viewed as a whole and in arts by the use of the macro plan and micro plan techniques
respectively. The implementations of all these techniques can be tested for approval in the virtual
environment using BIM software.
Task 4
Part a
How health and safety has become an integral part of the process of construction
In the construction planning usually covers a very big percentage of the activities from the
planning of the pre-project to the organization of the specific activities. Actually, it is estimated
that over 90% of the accidents in the site can be prevented through proper enhanced planning
that incorporates safety standards. The present studies have indicated that control of failures and
planning were related to 45.4% of the accidents and the designers could have contributed to the
accidental reduction of over 47%. Effective planning for safety and health is therefore very
essential for the projects to be delivered on the required time without experiencing accidents,
cost overrun or contributing to the environmental damages10. In the majority of the projects
10 W. Jones, J. Lawton, and M. Shachak, Positive and negative effects of organisms as physical
ecosystem engineers (7th edn, OUP 2017).

today, the planning of the initial stages considers the needs of cleaning the structure and
maintenance as well. These objectives are normally not easy considering that the construction
process is always busy. The importance of effective planning in the construction and
communication control alongside avoidance of safety and health cannot be overstated.
Part b
When the UK's Safety and Health Executives implemented the regulations on the Construction
Design and Management in the year 1994, the intention was to incorporate safety and health in
the management of the project. The CDM of 1994 targeted HSE which was later implemented in
the year 2001. Actually even after 10 years of the existence of such regulations, most industries
are still struggling to have them implemented. This has been the reason for the review of the
regulations. In the case of the UK, the initial planning must take into consideration the needs of
maintenance and cleaning the constructed structure as indicated in HSE of 2001. These are not
easy objectives as the sites of the construction are normally busy places where the pressures of
time are usually present and the environment of work is ever changing as pert HSE of 2002.
Part C
The role of effective communication and collaboration in the workplaces
In any construction site, there is usually structured management whose work is to ensure that
information flow both horizontally and vertically. Engineers and managers will issue instructions
to their juniors using the simplest language possible to ensure that the specific tasks are carried
out. Enhanced communication will ensure that challenges and specific issues are addressed on
time, therefore, promoting better work practices. Collaboration among the workers creates a

friendly and conducive working environment which eliminates unnecessary delays in the
process.
Part d
How construction industries have benefited through legislation of health and safety
Despite the fact that complaints have emerged about the existence of too much bureaucracy that
is connected with safety and health, in the real sense the cumulative amount of legislation is
small. This is in comparison with other areas of economic activities11. Also, effective results have
been very dramatic. Some of these effects results have included reductions of the cases of death
in the sites of the construction from hundreds of 10 as results of the significant reduction in
injuries and accidents. In the current tragic events, a distinguished thread has emerged. This is as
to whether the regulations are really fit for the intended purpose. Regardless of the outcome,
there should be a call for more legislation in the areas concerned with the fire safety which
should include testing and accreditation.
Part e
Evaluation of the impacts of legislation on health and safety, general advantages and
weaknesses within the construction industries.
11 N. Sandhu, M. Ferraiolo, and K. Kuhn, In ACM workshop on Role-based access control(5th
edn, OUP 2013).

The enhancement of the effectiveness of the construction industries can only be achieved
through proper positioning of the regulations of construction safety and health standards or
measures. Some of these measures are meant to safeguard the health of the community as a
whole alongside the health of the workers at the site. Studies that have been conducted in various
places of the construction industries, the impact of health and safety regulations are far-reaching.
This may not even be comparable to the other traditional forms of the parameters like time, cost
and quality11. Designers have argued that enhanced environment is one of the impacts of the
health and safety regulations on the construction industry12. Also, the majority of the contractors
perceived the improvement in maintenance as a product of strict regulations on safety and
health13. Considering that most states are strict on the implementation of these rules and
regulations, the construction projects take longer than the usual time. This is because of the
lengthy procedures of implementations.
12 M. Veblen, The engineers and the price system(6th edn, OUP 2015).
13 K. Willhite, Waterflooding(5th end,OUP2017).

REFERENCES
Petroski, A; To an engineer, is human: The role of failure in successful design(4th end,
OUP2016).
Hughes, A; .Networks of power: electrification in Western society(6th edn, OUP 2013).
Jerry; B; Discrete event system simulation(3rd edn, OUP 2015)
Feisel, D and Rosa; M, The role of the laboratory in undergraduate engineering education, (2nd
edn, OUP 2015)
Lake,K and Helfferich, V Society of Petroleum Engineers(6th ed,OUP2018).
Parsons,K The professions and social structure: Social forces(3rd edn, OUP 2014)
Latour,M; Science in action: How to follow scientists and engineers through society,(4th edn,
OUP 2017).
Callon,S; The social construction of technological systems: New directions in the sociology and
history of technology, (4th edn, OUP 2013)
Leckie,W ,Pettigrew M, and Sylvain B, The Library Quarterly(2nd edn, OUP 2016)
Jones,W ;Lawton,J and Shachak,M Positive and negative effects of organisms as physical
ecosystem engineers (7th edn, OUP 2017).
Sandhu,N; Ferraiolo,M and Kuhn,K In ACM workshop on Role-based access control(5th edn,
OUP 2013).
Veblen,M. The engineers and the price system(6th edn, OUP 2015).

Willhite,K; Waterflooding(5th end,OUP2017).