Construction Practice and Management: UK Industry Analysis Report

This report provides an overview of the construction industry in the UK, highlighting its significance and recent developments. It discusses the evolution of construction companies, the roles of key professionals like architects and project managers, and various types of contractual work. The report delves into procurement methods, including open, selective, and negotiated tendering, and analyzes the impact of design and build contracts. Different types of construction companies, such as general contractors and renovation companies, are examined. Furthermore, the report explores the stages of a construction project life cycle, from conception to performance, and outlines various planning techniques like bar charts and critical path methods. The role of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in enhancing collaboration and value throughout the construction process is also discussed, emphasizing its importance in modern construction practices.

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Construction Practice and Management
The UK has been known to be one of the paramount nations that dominate the construction
industry for quite some time. Over recent years, notable buildings have been completed in an
attempt to provide extensive housing options for the citizens of the UK. With the help of
sophisticated technologies, the development of the construction industry is becoming an
interesting one. In the last 20 years, the factors within the construction industry environment
have gradually changed in such a manner that their effects have made the construction
companies to shift from their old ways of operation to a business-like mode of operation. In this
regard, Griffith, and Watson suggests that there is need to develop extensive reasoning to solve
numerous complex issues that are bringing discomforts in the construction industry.1
Some of the requirements Grifith and Watson suggested in their study include; realigning
the limited technical, physical and human resources to meet the rapid changes in the construction
markets as well as the preferred procurement methods of clients. The flexibility mentioned
requires innovative skills combined with organizational structures systems which support as well
as ensure the development of such skills. Due to rapid changes in the construction industry, the
professional project teams have been created to meet the requirements of the construction project
using the required technology and observe required standards. The construction team for a
project comprise of building engineers, quantity surveyors, electrical engineers, architects,
interior surveyors and structural engineers.2
1 A. Griffith. And Watson, P. Construction management: Principles and practice. Hampshire:
Palgrave Macmillan.
2 H. Ottosson. Practical project management for building and construction. Boca Raton: CRC
Press.

The construction professionals have been educated to tackle with various major activities
to manage the project in time and build it using the required equipment and technology. The
construction professionals are mandated with organising resources, sequencing of several work
items within the stipulated time, achieving budgets, integrating organisations and further balance
the conflicting interest of the stakeholders. 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.
The architects have the responsibility to prepare the specifications and technical drawings
to make the vision a reality.3 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.
The construction project manager is also one of the key people in the construction
industry. The construction project manager is responsible to manage time, costs, quality and
scope of the construction project.4 He or she also prepares time schedule and further monitors
the progress against the baseline programme. The quantity surveyor is another key individual in
the construction industry. He or she is responsible with the financial aspects of the project. The
quantity surveyor evaluates several design proposals in terms of cost and ensures that the budget
is not exceeded.
3 F Fellows, David Langford, Robert Newcombe, and Sydney Urry. Construction management in
practice. John Wiley & Sons.
4 www.ciob.org.uk Chartered Institute of Building

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 works. Under open
tendering, the client allows numerous contractors to apply for tender. Another type of contractual
work tendered by contractors is selective tendering works. Under this kind of tendering, the
client invites contractors to apply and places on a chosen list of contractors. The client afterwards
invites the selected contractors to bid for the project. After application, the client is able to select
contractors with adequate resources and experience to do the work. Negotiated tendering is also
another tender in which the client invites any contractor of his choice to submit project prices. It
is one of the tenders that clients have a good chance of being satisfactory.
The construction industry has tremendously developed in the UK. Currently, the
construction output exceed110 billion dollars which represent 7 per cent of the GDP per year of
the UK economy. In terms of job provision, the construction industry accounts approximately 3
million jobs in the UK.5 In terms of employees, the current construction industry of the UK has
improved to meet the demands of the rapid growth of population. Construction training and
education is evolving into a system that produces highly trained engineer from the local
institution.
The contractual works have also changed. Traditionally, the main method of procurement
was a competitive form of tendering where contractors relied majorly on the contractors’ tender
lists invited for a project. As much as this method is popular, it does not encourage innovation.
Even though it is still one of the most used systems in the UK industry, other procurement
5 B. Fryer and Marilyn Fryer. The practice of construction management. London: BSP
professional books.

systems are gradually gaining widespread acceptance in the constructions industry. According to
the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors report, significant changes in procurement system
have been seen in the use of design and builds contracts. 6The design and build form of the
contract is gaining ground. Its acceptance has increased from 5 percent of the total procurement
to 35.7 percent.7
There are different types of construction companies in the UK market. Some of the
construction companies include small renovation companies, general contractors, real estate
developer, professional construction manager and real estate developer. The owner-builder
construction company is responsible for building its own ownership to sell, rent or operate the
building on completion.8 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 contractors which require little capital and
some small work that does not require large estimations.
On the other hand, professional construction Manager Company is a company that
performs the stipulated functions that are required in building a project and further manages the
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. The
general contractors also allow different subcontractors to perform their roles in construction
6 www.rics.org Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
7 F. Harris and McCaffer, R. Modern construction management. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
8 W. Pan, Alistair GF Gibb, and Andrew RJ Dainty. "Perspectives of UK house builders on the
use of offsite modern methods of construction." Construction management and Economics 25.

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. Over the past years, the construction industry has been known to be a
fragmented industry with particular companies coming together only for a particular building and
then moving on various projects differently. The fragmentation has resulted into a lot of wastage
in the system. A need to have greater collaboration and better integration between various
companies in the whole construction process have been evident the construction industry. 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.
Notably, there are several factors that differentiate the construction company contracts
and tender in construction sector. 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.9 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.
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,
9 A. Richardson and J. Storr. Patient safety: a literature review on the impact of nursing
empowerment, leadership and collaboration. International nursing review.

architects and engineers for further investigation.10 The team are responsible to decide if the
project is feasible or whether it can be completed in the 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.
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 of these areas
gives the project team a comprehensive picture of what goes in the project and address the
possible risks amicably. This stage is very important in both project preparation and execution.
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 performed at this stage
include executing project management plans, updating project schedule and carrying status
meetings. The fourth stage of the construction project is the projected performance. It is the stage
that majorly involves monitoring.11 This stage is vital because it allows team members to
document, evaluate as well as learn from the project. It is significant for the construction project
to understand different construction phases to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the process.
Planning procedures in the construction industry vary broadly among companies. The
size and management structure of Construction Company govern most planning procedures. The
planning techniques that are used in micro and macro projects include bar charts, critical path
10 A. Laufer. Construction safety: economics, information and management involvement.
Construction Management and Economics.
11 G. John. Lamar University System Managing Workplace Safety and Health: The Case of
Contract Labor in the U.S. Petrochemical Industry.

techniques, precedence diagrams and line of balance charts. Critical path technique is a
scheduling technique that is used for planning, controlling and calculating the minimum
completion time for the project.12 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 represent the time allocated to each operation. It also
indicates the relationship between the start and the 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 that each operation is allocated. It is also readily understandable and is applicable to pre-
tender, master programmes and short term planning procedures.
The 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.13 The BIM model has also offered significant value in terms of
collaboration and value throughout the construction process from the start of the design phase,
through estimating, scheduling to project management. Based on this case study, the BIM will
help to collaborate all the stages in the construction process.
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. 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. 14The model has also ensured
12 A. Revell and Robert B. The business case for sustainability? An examination of small firms in
the UK's construction and restaurant sectors. Business strategy and the environment.
13 E.R. Levitt and Samelson, M.N. Construction Safety Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.
14 B. Succar. Building Information Modeling: conceptual constructs and performance
improvement tools. School of Architecture and Built Environment Faculty of Engineering and

efficiency throughout the construction process. It is therefore paramount for various stakeholders
in the construction industry to accept the technology to bring more changes.
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, a piece of legislation that affects the construction
industry. 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. 15The 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.16 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. Collaboration and communication can be achieved if more
emphasis and resources are dedicated to the same.
Built Environment, University of Newcastle: Newcastle.
15 M. R. Robinsson. Accident Cost Accounting as a Means of Improving Construction Safety.
Department of Civil Engineering Technical Report.
16 H. Forbes and Syed M. Ahmed. Modern construction: lean project delivery and integrated
practices. CRC press.

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 from the health
and safety in and around the workplace. The health and safety legislation 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
Griffith, A. And Watson, P. Construction management: Principles and practice. Hampshire:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Ottosson, H. Practical project management for building and construction. Boca Raton: CRC
Press, 2012.
Fellows F., David Langford, Robert Newcombe, and Sydney Urry. Construction management in
practice. John Wiley & Sons, 2012
Chartered Institute of Building. Retrieved from www.ciob.org.uk on 27th Feb 2019
Fryer, B. and Marilyn Fryer. The practice of construction management. London: BSP
professional books, 2013
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Retrieved from www.rics.org on 27th Feb 2019.
Harris, F. and McCaffer, R. Modern construction management. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell,
2013.
Pan, Wei, Alistair GF Gibb, and Andrew RJ Dainty. "Perspectives of UK housebuilders on the
use of offsite modern methods of construction." Construction management and Economics 25,
2017, pp183-194.
Richardson, A., and J. Storr. Patient safety: a literature review on the impact of nursing
empowerment, leadership and collaboration. International nursing review 2010, pp 12-21.
Laufer, A. Construction safety: economics, information and management involvement.
Construction Management and Economics, 2015b, pp. 73-90
John G. Lamar University System Managing Workplace Safety and Health: The Case of
Contract Labor in the U.S. Petrochemical Industry. USA, 2012.
Revell, Andrea, and Robert Blackburn. The business case for sustainability? An examination of
small firms in the UK's construction and restaurant sectors. Business strategy and the
environment, 2015, pp 404-420.
Levitt, E.R. and Samelson, M.N. Construction Safety Management. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2011.

Succar, B. Building Information Modeling: conceptual constructs and performance improvement
tools. School of Architecture and Built Environment Faculty of Engineering and Built
Environment, University of Newcastle: Newcastle, 2013.
Robinsson, M. R., Accident Cost Accounting as a Means of Improving Construction Safety.
Department of Civil Engineering Technical Report, 2010.
Forbes H. and Syed M. Ahmed. Modern construction: lean project delivery and integrated
practices. CRC press, 2010.