Construction Practice and Management

This document provides an overview of the construction industry in the UK, including the advancements in green development practices. It discusses the different types of construction companies and the stages involved in a construction project. The document also explores contract planning techniques and the importance of project execution.

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Construction Practice and Management
Introduction
The United Kingdom is known to be one of the more developed countries that have
dominated the construction industry for quite some time. Over the years, outstanding structures
have been completed to deliver affordable housing choices for the residents of the UK. With
complex advances coming to play in accordance with green development practices of
sustainability, the UK construction industry has turned Architecture, Engineering and
Construction (AEC) industry into an interesting innovation sphere (Cheng and Li 2012, p.201).
Over the last 20 years, the whole scope of elements in the construction industry environment has
steadily changed in such a way that the collected effect has made the construction company to
move from their conventional task modes to a business method of activity. According to Cheng
and Li (2012), the built environment contribute one third of the greenhouse gases that lead to
climate change. In such manner, Zhang and Fang, (2013) proposes that there is need to create
and present an expansive thinking range and a viable critical thinking to solve various current
and dynamic issues that disturb the construction industry management teams.
The construction industry has started to assume great importance in recent years. There
are more indications that this trend will progress. The competitions for international projects
have become intense and the global marketplace has flooded due to the development of expertise
and capability of firms from numerous emerging countries (Anumba, Baugh, & Khalfan, 2012).
The emerging firms can now export their services and compete effectively with other established
firms. For success in the construction projects, the firms are required to address factors such as
technical expertise, managerial expertise, management of cultural issues and risk management
(Harris & McCaffer, 2013). They must be experts at management. The industry should have a

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team of experts on management in order to control a project of a large scope. The construction
industry must be capable of managing issues of cultural differences so that they work well with
the local people (Levitt & Samelson, 2009).
Some of the requirements they suggested are; alignment of limited physical, technical
and human resources to meet the rapid changes in the construction markets as well as preferred
clients’ procurement methods (Richardson & Storr, 2010). This flexibility needs high problem-
solving aswell as innovative skills combined with organizational structures systems and personal
construct theory that bolster and enhance such skills for development. Due to the rapid
construction industry changes, professional project teams have been established to ensure that
the construction project is build using the specified technology, specified standards and most
cost-effective methods (Wells, Kochan, & Smith, 2012). The construction project team consist of
building engineers, quantity surveyors, electrical expert, architects, interior surveyors and
structural engineers (Ottosson, 2016, p.23).
Task 1: Construction Company Structures
The construction professionals have been established to tackle various major activities
that are needed to administer the project in time with required technology as well as equipment
(Zhang & Fang, 2013). The construction professionals are mandated with organising resources,
sequencing of several work items within the stipulated time, achieving budgets, integrating
organisations and further balancing the conflicting interest of the stakeholders (Kagioglou et al.
2012, p.7). There are various relationships that exist in the construction organisation. The
architect, project manager, civil surveyor and quantity surveyor are the key parties that are
involved in the construction industry.

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The project manager is a key party in the management process of a construction project.
The construction project manager is responsible to manage time, costs, quality and scope of the
construction project (www.ciob.org.uk Chartered Institute of Building). He or she also prepares
time schedule and further monitors the progress against the baseline programme. The
construction manager also ensures that the requirements of the project specifications are adhered
to and fulfil the project scope of works.
The architects have the responsibility to prepare the specifications and technical drawings
to make the vision a reality. The architect advises the client on contract awards supervises
progress and further respond to contractor’s technical questions (Anumba, Baugh, & Khalfan,
2012). However, the roles of the architects are not only limited to technical activities but also on
certain aspects such as business strategy, consulting and leadership. Alongside the architect,
there is a civil engineer who specialises in geotechnical, transportation, hydraulic, environmental
and material engineering. During construction, the civil engineer monitors work to ensure that
standards are being achieved (Harris and McCaffer 2013, p.13). Lastly, the quantity surveyor is
another key individual in the industry who is responsible for project financial aspects. The
quantity surveyor evaluates several design proposals in terms of cost and ensures that the budget
is not exceeded.
Over time, the construction industry has tremendously developed in the UK. Currently,
the construction output is more than 110 billion dollars and contributes 7 per cent of the GDP
peryear on the UK economy (Anumba, Baugh and Khalfan 2012, p. 263). The construction
industry accounts for about 3 million jobs of the total UK jobs. In terms of construction
organisational structures, subcontractors use has risen in the construction industry of UK due to
severe competition. In terms of employees, the current construction industry of the UK has

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drastically expanded the rapid growth demands of population (Pekuri and Haapasalo 2013, p.15).
Construction training and education have transformed into a framework that produces qualified
trained engineer with numerous college and university studies for craft as well as professional
groups that receive instructions at the local institutions.
There are various types of contractual work that are tendered by contractors. One of the
contractual works that are tendered to contractors is open tendering (Harris & McCaffer, 2013).
Under open tendering, the client allows numerous contractors to apply for tender documents.
However, open tendering contractual works is wasteful to the resources of contractor because
they spend more time preparing tenders to no effect (Illingworth 2017, p.89). Another type of
contractual work tendered by contractors is selective tendering. Under this kind of tendering, the
client invites contractors to do application and place them on the selected list of contractors and
later invite them to bid for the project. After application, the client is able to select contractors
with adequate resources and experience to do the work. One of the main problems of selective
tendering is that contractor’s circumstances tend to change after tender submission (Levitt &
Samelson, 2009). Negotiated tendering is also another tender where the client invites contractor
of his or her choice to submit project prices. It is one of the tenders the client have a good
opportunity to be satisfied because it is based on previous work done by the contractor.
A tremendous change have been experienced in contractual works. Traditionally, the main
method of procurement was a competitive form of tendering where contractors relied majorly on
the contractors’ tender lists to be invited for a project. As much as this method is popular, it does
not encourage innovation (Richardson & Storr, 2010). Even though it is still one of the most used
systems in the UK industry, other forms of procurement systems have started to be accepted in
the constructions industry. According to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors report,

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significant changes have been seen in the use of design and builds contracts (www.rics.org Royal
Institute of Chartered Surveyors). The form of the contract has risen from 5 to 35.7 percent of the
total procurement (Harris and McCaffer 2013, p.14). The change from the consultant-based
method to the contractor-based method is a key step in fulfilling one responsibility point.
Task 2: Different Types of Construction Companies
The United Kingdom market has different types of construction companies. The
construction companies in the UK include small renovation companies, real estate developer,
general contractors, professional construction manager and real estate developer (Wells, Kochan,
& Smith, 2012). The owner-builder construction company builds its own ownership to sell on
completion, rent or operate the building. The real estate developer builds buildings for personal
ownership and sells them before or after completion of the project. General contractor
construction companies are expert in new buildings or alteration works and majorly specialise in
public works. Another type of Construction Company is the small renovation contractor. This
Company require little capital and its work require small estimations (Zhang & Fang, 2013).
Besides, a professional construction manager company performs the role needed in
construction a project and manages various portion of the construction work. In this scenario, the
general contractor type of construction companies will be suitable to offer its expertise in the
construction works (Wells, Kochan, & Smith, 2012). The general contractors also allow different
subcontractors to perform their roles in construction projects. In this regard, the companies
working on the construction project have mutual relationship that enable faster completion of
projects and better innovation that benefits the construction industry (Zhang & Fang, 2013,
p.67). Over the past years, the construction industry has been a fragmented industry with
particular companies coming converging for a particular project then dispersing on different

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projects (Anumba, Baugh, & Khalfan, 2012). The fragmentation has resulted into a lot of
wastage in the system. The need to have greater collaboration and better integration between
various companies in the whole construction process has been evident the construction industry
(Richardson & Storr, 2010). The link that connects the construction companies is making their
client successful. It is imperative for any company to have a higher purpose for its customer and
meet their needs.
Evidently, there are several factors that differentiate the construction company contracts
and tender in construction sector (Richardson and Storr 2010, p. 19). A tender is a systematic
procedure in which bids are invited for the completion of huge projects that involve a
considerable sum of investments. It is an official invitation that is issued to several suppliers and
vendors in the selection process which enables them to complete a certain project (Giang and
Pheng 2011, p.119). On the other hand, a contract is a legal agreement between the buyer and the
supplier. It is a connection that has a particular set of terms and conditions that cannot be
violated and relies on mutual considerations. In case of any violation of the legal standings of a
contract, the cause helps to resolve the disputes between the involved parties (Levitt &
Samelson, 2009).
Task 3: Different Stages in a Construction Project
There are several major stages that are followed in the modern construction industry life
cycle. The project conception and initiation is one of the stages in the construction project. It is
the owner of the project that starts the idea and assembles his team of experts such as contractors,
architects and engineers for further investigation (Stanford, Riyamy and Sartor 2008, p.57). The
team are responsible to decide if the project is feasible or whether it can be completed in the

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stipulated timeframe. The team further conduct research to ascertain the cost and scope of a
project. The second stage of the construction project is project planning. Once the project is
approved, a plan is outlined and put into writing. At this stage, numerous best practices in
construction are utilized in this phase (Harris & McCaffer, 2013). After gathering enough
knowledge from all project stakeholders at the start of the project, better alignment on scope,
quality, cost and duration are established. Exploring each area provide the team a comprehensive
idea of what will be done in the project and further addresses the possible risks amicably
(Hartmann et al. 2012, p. 603). This stage is very important in the preparation and execution a
successful project.
The third stage is project execution. It is the stage where the team develops deliverable to
satisfy the customer. It is the stage where the construction comes to life. At this stage, specific
tasks are assigned to team members for completion. Some of the tasks at this stage include
executing project management plans, updating project schedule and carrying status meetings
(Harris & McCaffer, 2013). The fourth stage of the construction project is the projected
performance. It is the stage that majorly involves monitoring (Pinto and Prescott 2011, p.9). The
stage is vital because it allows construction team members to document, assess and learn from
the project. It is significant for the construction project to understand the various construction
phases to make the construction process easy and efficient (Stanford, Riyamy and Sartor 2008,
p.64).
Contract Planning Techniques

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The planning frameworks in the construction industry usually vary extensively between
different companies. The size and management structure of Construction Company govern most
planning procedures (Anumba, Baugh, & Khalfan, 2012). There are various techniques of
contract planning that are utilized in micro and macro projects. The contract planning techniques
frequently used include critical path techniques, bar charts, line of balance charts and precedence
diagrams (Harris & McCaffer, 2013). Critical path technique is a scheduling technique that is
used for planning, controlling and calculating the minimum completion time for the project
(Succar 2013, p.89). Another planning procedure is the line of balance. It is used in construction
to manage control processes. The precedence diagram is used to schedule activities in a project
plan while the bar charts representthe time allocated to each operation. It also indicates a
relationship that exists between the start and end of each operation. In this scenario, the contract
planning techniques that will be used is bar charts. It is suitable because it indicates the time
period that each operation is allocated. It is also readily understandable and can be applied to
master programmes, pre-tenders as well as short term planning procedures (Richardson & Storr,
2010).
Building Information Model
The Building Information Model (BIM) has played a critical role upon operations of the
construction companies. The information in BIM consists of everything that goes into
constructing and maintaining of a building throughout its life cycle (Levitt and Samelson 2009,
p.46). The BIM model also offers important value in terms of value and collaboration in the
entire construction process from the start of the design phase, via estimation, scheduling to
management of the project. Based on this case study, the BIM will help to coordinate all the
stages in the construction process (Richardson & Storr, 2010). By examining the qualities of

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coordinated effort from a management point of view and exploring current BIM execution
procedure, this study builds up a collaborative conceptual model in BIM implementation and
recognizes fundamental components of the collaboration (Zhang & Fang, 2013, p.43).The model
classifies collaboration into three dimensions; they include collaborative group attributes,
environment, and the process of collaboration. The model additionally displays an increased state
of the joint effort that can result in better project results and members' fulfillment (Anumba,
Baugh, & Khalfan, 2012).
The construction industry has immensely developed in terms of innovation and design
within micro and macro contracts project. This has changed as a result of the BIM that has
changed the construction industry into a collaborative computer-based environment (Wells,
Kochan, & Smith, 2012). The BIM has also necessitated proper and faster design in the
construction industry enabling contractors to identify constructability issues in building on a real-
time basis (Wells, Kochan and Smith 2012, p.98). The model has also ensured efficiency
throughout the construction process. It is therefore paramount for various stakeholders in the
construction industry to accept the technology to bring more changes.
From a social point of view, BIM empowers an incorporated design as well as the
construction process, which depends on early cooperation amongst partners and particularly
individuals from the design group (Zhang & Fang, 2013). This procedure is normally known as
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Through the use of BIM instruments, an IPD approach
incorporates members, business practices, and building the framework into a process which
profits from the knowledge of everybody required to upgrade the intended outcome of the project
(Wu and Issa 2014, p.17). This stands out from the traditional building industry practices where
each gathering operated in disjoint and divided relationships.

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Task 4: Construction industry strategies in support of health and safety
Over the past years, health and safety have become a concern in the construction
industry. This is because it one of the UK industries that has higher fatality rate across all other
industries. As much as it is a vast industry with a large number of employees, the sector accounts
for 10 per cent of the major reported injuries each year. The government of UK has benchmarked
the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, an act that affects the industry of construction
(Anumba, Baugh, & Khalfan, 2012). The Act places the duty of health and safety on all
employers to ensure that the health, welfare and safety of all employees are guaranteed at work.
The Act also requires the employer to identify hazards and examine the likely impacts with a
view of minimizing them.
To control death and injuries in the construction industry, collaboration and
communication is vital in ensuring safety of employees. Firstly, collaboration and
communication improve workers safety. Quick and clear information ensures the safety of team
members (Harris & McCaffer, 2013). Secondly; better collaboration and communication also
improve emergency response during emergency situations. By encouraging collaboration and
clear communication, a transparent environment is established in the construction sectors which
develop a foundation of trust and openness among workers (Levitt & Samelson, 2009).
Collaboration and communication can be achieved if more emphasis and resources are dedicated
to the same.
The changes in the health and safety legislation have benefitted the construction industry
at a greater extent. It has reduced the number of a workplace accident that previously happened.
It has also enabled employees and other members of the public to be protected of their health and

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safety in and around the workplace (Richardson & Storr, 2010). The health and safety legislation
act has improved the performance of construction projects in addressing the health and safety of
workers. The legislation safeguards the health and safety of workers and the entire community.
As much as it has improved the health and safety of workers, fatalities and injuries remain issues
in the construction industry.
References

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