A construction engineer is the individual who directs a construction project. They will handle everything from the design of the construction project and make sure that everything is going as planned. While carrying out a construction project following principal objectives should be considered:
• First of all project objective and plan should be specified including representation of scope, budget of plan, scheduling, performance requirements, and selection of project participants.
• Preparation of diagrams and drawings, charts and surveys showing specific information about the area and the desired project should be made carefully.
• Cost estimation should be done. A construction engineer must estimate the cost of project and labor and also must take care of it that the project is completed in selected budget.
• Proper coordination and control of planning, design, estimating, contracting must be done.
Question: 02
IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY CONSTRUCTION CONTROL:
Quality Control in construction is the process of verifying that the project is built according to plan, that the tolerances allowable by industry standard and engineering practices have been met or even bettered, and that the finished project (and all phases to get there) meet with the quality standards of the architect, engineer, owner, and general contractor. Quality control during construction consists largely of insuring conformance to these original design and planning decisions. While conformance to existing design decisions is the primary focus of quality control, there are exceptions to this. Quality of material should be examine followed by quantity of material required must also be estimate. Cost estimation also plays role in quality control. Owners should seek out contractors who maintain such standards by insuring accurate and useful information for maintaining quality performance. An owner must appreciate employee participation in quality control , as them on time and appreciates the introduction of new ideas. There can be a scheduled inspection of project for more quality.
QUESTION: 03
Construction utilizing a conventional construction contract and Construction utilizing a construction management contract:
Construction utilizing a conventional construction contract is widely accepted contracting model and is primarily practiced where a client expect a contractor to take-up not only the construction activities of entire structure but in various cases also the finishing works. In this format of Contracting, the Client assume contractor as a single point responsibility (Main Contractor) for the entire scope of works on a project at the initial award stage itself while allowing him to award the individual specialized work packages at subsequent stages to subcontractors who are under his direct control and responsibility of the Main Contractor. The Main Contractor is fully responsible for the proper coordination among various package contractors & also with his own scope of works and providing on-site facilities to them for smooth execution of the project. The Main Contractor is generally paid a coordination fees for the above towards his overheads and margin which may be in the form of a pre-decided percentage of the value of the specialized work packages.
While in construction utilizing construction management contract the construction manager approaches the goal a bit differently. He acts more as a trusty agent to the owner and remains responsible for almost all phases of the building process including bid solicitation, job management and accounting. There is generally a closer alliance between the construction manager and the owner than evident with the main contractor and owner. This type of relationship generally requires the manager to gain the owner’s trust, a quality that often is only obtained after years of interaction and positive experience between the two.
An owner’s reason for choosing between the construction utilizing a conventional contract and the construction utilizing construction management contract have more to do with the quality of the individuals running the firm and the owner’s experience with that firm.
QUESTION: 04
Construction industry has lagged behind other sectors in terms of applying Information Technologies. In the main, the boards of operating construction companies are dominated by engineers and surveyors whose knowledge of computing is often limited to what systems have been implemented at head office, and whose interaction with computer is limited to occasional meetings with senior computer professionals rather than fellow engineers. During the 1980s PCs were only used in few construction companies. Throughout the 1980s, although most building firms were using computer technology for many of their core functions such as accounting, wages, and salaries, very few of them were used for construction management purposes. Today, a large number of software packages are available to all the disciplines of the construction team at every stage of the construction. Some of them are:
1. Procore:
Procore is a cloud-based Construction Project Management software designed specifically for the construction industry by Procore Technologies. It is designed to use the latest web technologies to provide a simple but secure cloud-based application. It utilizes a one-page project dashboard where the user can manage multiple projects and monitor their progress. It is full of features including a change order system and a drawing management tool. It offers a simple flat-rate annual pricing depending on how the software will be used.
2. BuildTools
BuildTools is a web-based construction management platform that manages communication, project schedule, budget, tasks, documents and more. It is for custom builders and remodelers, especially built for managing custom projects. It is accessible to any web-connected device. Scheduling conflicts are automatically brought to the builders’ attention. BuildTools is offered at a flat monthly rate and includes for unlimited use, projects, users and document storage.
3. Corecon:
Corecon’s cloud based software suite is designed for small to mid-size engineering and construction firms to better manage their job opportunities and awarded projects. The software helps people with different roles and responsibilities work together regardless if they are at the office or jobsite. Corecon runs in the cloud on our own dedicated secured servers and monitored every day. Systems are backed up nightly so you don’t need to worry about anything. All your staff needs is a high-speed internet connection to access Corecon via browser or mobile App.
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