Final Year Professional Practice Project - Case Study Example

Final Year Professional Practice Project By Presented to Introduction The portfolio aims to presentthe theory which was learnt in class in a more practical way. The project was carried out for a client (WBJ Training Centre) shed light on the real world of civil engineering with lots of construction works. All the facts learnt in class were applicable in the field. The project majored most on the incorporation of managerial skills adopted by various teams ranging from the employer to the contractor. There was also a connection of how these people work together towards the attainment of their objectives in a construction perspective. Most of the activities which were discussed in previous modules in semester A are presented in this portfolio and how they were applied in the proposed project. Building technology The WBJ training centre building project which was previously proposed and we were mandated to oversee its activities till completion. The project is supposed to incorporate building technologies which ensured that all the aspects of local authority’s documentation are met. The documentation requires any of the adopted building technology puts into consideration the use of building controls which are meant to target the efficiency of energy use through its supply and utilization. The building technology adopts maximum security systems in its designs by first through the use of building materials used (Demkin 2001). They have tested strength and durability so as to achieve the required lifespan of 50 years without failure. The site location of the project makes ease of accessibility for all the customers and its future users (Russ 2012). The project doesn’t inconvenience the public in any way in terms of pollution and environmental issues. The building technology adopted ensures maximum utilization of materials to reduce waste and also for the waste generated in the site, it is well disposed. The technology makes optimal use of special requirements for future expansions. This can be incorporated by adding an extra floor on the existing one or expanding the size of the rooms (March 2009). The building technology was also very keen in the safety factor of the project. This considered another scope of site evaluation for any instabilities before any activity of the project started (Schaufelberger and Lin 2013). To ensure that the terrain and the type of soil were able to sustain estimated weight of the building site survey was done. Then the site was cleared and excavated to remove any unwanted materials in the site. Levelling was done which was be followed by measurements of the foundation trenches. This upon completion gave a leeway for the substructure works to commence. The substructure basically consisted of reinforced concrete with most probably steel rods elevating from the foundation basement to the top of the building. These rods were meant to add extra strength to the concrete and the building at large. The base of the foundation was normally broad so as to accommodate the load from the building. If the foundation was weak to sustain the impact energy and the compressive forces of the building then the building has the likelihood to collapse. The building technology adopted utilized steel frame which helped to sustain the load from the top parts of the building. Their immersion into the concrete enabled them not to bulge leading to product failure (Marsh 2010). During the erection and setting up of the foundation, water and drainage pipes were as well set. This was because the sub works involved setting up of the pipes initially since upon its completion then there was no room for further intervention. The team in this case had to ensure that the design works and the planning were inclusive of all the sub work aspects. After the substructure works, then we proceed to the superstructure works which included the setting up for the floors, walls and roofs. In this case we focus on the floor and the walls. The floor was basically put by ramming the concrete to fill the spaces left by the foundation. This generally increased the strength of the building base as it absorbed some of the load through the even distribution. The concrete was not the final for floor design and other materials were subject to addition in order to achieve the aesthetics. The floor had to be levelled for it to accommodate other materials like tiles and other finishing components like marbles too. The walls were erected mostly at the centre of the building foundation and this was to ensure that the weight distribution was uniform to avoid product failure. The wall skeletons also accommodated pipes for both water and electric cables. The figure 1 below shows the substructure of the building. The initial foundation laying. Figure 1: Procurement route The procurement route which was appropriate for this project was management procurement route. In this procurement method, the contractor is responsible for all contracts for the successful completion of the project (Franklin 2000). This method ensured that the project is finalized in the prospected time in which the client will be having a chance to get all the information from the contractor. It also saved the client the time to go to the merchandise to look for materials and this led to procuring substandard materials which may affect the final project. In this procurement route, the employer starts with the initial plans of design works whereby there is delegating the duty to consultants (Haviland 2004). Since WBJ training centre required a good number of working rooms, the delegation of the designing job was handed over to a qualified and experienced consultant. This was easier when the consultant was given the task as with his experience in the field he/she has known good and better parties to do it. The contractor was chosen through a competitive tendering system which led to awarding of the best bidder. In management procurement system the employer is directly linked to the initial planning and drawings as earlier stated. This route was recommendable because the contractor was involved in the project as early as possible and in that case the contractor provided expertise in the building works (Hansen and Zenobia 2011). The contractor was also involved in the decision making of the project. Under management procurement there can be parallel activities running at the same time which helps in reducing the total work time. For instance designing process can be ongoing while construction can take a greater part of the job start as designing takes place at the very initial start of the project (Broome 2002). As the contractor continues with the design of other parts which in this case may be independent to each other, the foundation and site preparation can take place as well. In many situations one cannot be able to know the overall cost of the project until it is complete. Through the employers professional team the costs of the ongoing activities can be monitored and controlled. The employer being involved in the project activities can be of greater help as his/her opinion matters and the consultation can take place between him/her and the contractor (Morledge and Smith 2013). It is possible to do changes on the design work so long as in the extreme it doesn’t affect the earlier done work. The management procurement plan allows feasible planning to take place even when the project has started. The project has an estimated completion time. This time is only achievable when there are no delays and there are no shortcomings like lack of materials and in this case if there is, then the contractor can seek time compensation from the employer. External factors which in most situations are found to be beyond the control of the contractor like employers insufficient funding can always be determined in the projects time completion (Mckaig 2008). The contractor will have to rate the project according to the number of days worked. Since the management part is very crucial and it has to be carried by the contractor and the employer, trust is majorly required for successful project completion. In house expertise is also very important in this case and it will require both parties to be transparent to each other. There is a major risk which is on the side of the employer due to the costs involved (Benator and Thumann 2003). With management procurement route, although there is risk on the employer’s side, it is considered as a low risk which is in terms of design. The employer has the control over the professional team and that makes it easy to oversee the project’s cost. In the management procurement the employer has a great influence on the control of the projects advancement in all levels. In the appointment of the professional team, the employer will be in a position to be in control of all the activities and events for the project. Although the management contracts maybe involved in this case but it is not involved in the construction itself (Lambeck and Eschemuller 2009). The contractor should be in line with the earlier presented documentation of the work programme which was presented to the employer before the start of the project. In case of any defaults the contractor will be responsible for it. In management procurement route we can conclude that the employer will be able to have a team which will do the design works and from there it will be preceded by the works of the contractor (Pellicer 2013). Here he has the power to oversee any of the activities taking place an aspect which gives him advantage to control the budget as well as in decision making. Programme of works Programme of works was basically to show the events and activities taking place. The duration was in weeks and the projects as shown it took 38weeks to be complete. Most programme of works are presented by the use of Gantt chart which portrays all the activities taking place, their start and finish time, an also the preceding activities. They are self-explanatory in nature as the reader can see the activities and their due time. The chart was the simplest to present the activities since there were no much information to be represented (Halpin and Woodhead 2010). The chart is usually presented to the employer during the initial documentation of the project by the contractor. As shown, some activities cannot commence without first others being completed. Like building the walls cannot start without laying the foundation is complete. Grand summary cost plan SUMMARY OF COSTS             area 1.20 acres           basic building cost  cost (in pounds) substructure 350000 structure       850000 structure completions       650000 finishes       450000 services-piped and ducted       350000 services -electrical       430000 building indirect       120000    subtotal 3,200,000 fittings and furniture-direct       350,000 fittings and furniture indirect   30,000     subtotal 400,000 special works         direct       30000 indirect       20,000     subtotal 50000 external works         site direct       25000 site indirect       35000     subtotal 60000 special works (site)         special works (abnormal site conditions) direct 80,000 special works (abnormal site conditions) indirect 110,000     subtotal   190,000               TOTAL   3,900,000 COST BREAKDOWN Basic building cost     substructure     substructures generally   110,000 Ground, earth shapes   20,000 floors in substructure   150000 foundations and rising walls   5,000 piled foundations   20,000   subtotal 350,000       Structure     structure generally   300,000 external walls   150000 internal walls and partitions   70000 floors and galleries   50000 stairs and ramps   50000 roofs   150,000 frames   80,000   subtotal 850000       structure completions     generally   117000 external walls; completions within openings   63000 internal walls: completions within openings   45000 floors, galleries, completions   135000 stairs, ramps, completions   95000 suspended ceilings   120000 roof completions   75000   subtotal 650,000       finishes     generally   64000 wall finishes externally   56000 wall finishes internally   69000 floor finishes   61000 stairs, ramps finishes   85000 ceiling finishes   55000 reserved   15000 roof finishes   45000   subtotal 450000       services-piped and ducted     generally   50,000 heating centre   10000 drainage and refuse disposal   30000 water distribution   60000 gases distribution   40000 space cooling   10000 space heating   15000 ventilation and air conditioning   60,000 other services   45000   subtotal 350,000       services-electrical     generally   90000 electrical supply and main distribution   70000 power   53000 lighting   37000 communications   62000 security and protection   58000 transport   60000   subtotal 430000       fittings and furniture     furniture and fittings generally   130000 display, circulation fittings   40000 work, rest fittings   35000 culinary fittings   25000 sanitary, hygiene fittings   115 000 cleaning, maintenance fittings   43000 storage, screening fittings   12000   subtotal 400000       special works (buildings)     direct   30000 indirect   2000   subtotal 50000       external works     prepared site   5000 site structures   5000 site enclosures   10000 roads, paths and paving   6000 site services-mainly piped and ducted   8000 site services-mainly electrical   7000 site fittings   11000 landscape play areas   7000   subtotal 60000  Land cost      Professional fees     Promotion and marketing Planning fees subtotal 496,000 TOTAL   3,900,000  Grand total    4,396,000 Management organization During the implementation of the project, the management team had a huge role to play and most significantly the managerial roles. This was basically determined by the coordination of activities in the construction site. Consultants were of big role as with their field experience they could be involved in making decisions as the cost was concerned. They had a very helpful information as execution of the project is concerned. From larger scope of management, construction requires keen follow up of activities since it is very sensitive in case of any error it may be very costly to the employer (Douglas and Munger 2009). Consultants work close with the design manager and the contractors. They will discuss the initial cost for a project after trying several designs which will optimize the final cost. The design manager will oversee all the design activities taking place for the project. The specialist designer is the one who is more specific to certain designs of a more narrowed area. There can be an electrical installation designer which means he will basically be involved in designing the power distribution within the building. Several of them might be required in a single project though nowadays majority of them will be carrying out all the events at a go. After all the design work is complete or a better part of its done, the employer can now look for a contractor either through a bidding process or negotiations (Ching and Adams 2001). The contractors in a bidding process apply for the tenders and then the employer will look for their experience in terms of past work, qualifications and the quality of work delivered in the past. They should also be the lowest bidder. The contractor will take over the construction process after the design process has been affirmed or when a greater part of it is done. The contractor can even start will the site survey and excavation to level before laying down the foundation. The contractor is supposed to meet certain objectives required by the employer in that he has to observe public safety and environmental issues. The contractor should be aware of understanding the drawings, time management, quality management, cost management and also possess management skills in order to control and delegate duties to his workforce (Miller et al. 2004). As earlier discussed, the project can be suited by management procurement route whereby the employer was directly involved in overseeing most of the activities. After selecting a professional team which mostly actually did the consulting job, then it was easy to optimize the cost of the project. The team worked closely with the contractor also to ensure that there was timely completion of the project while ensuring the desired quality and functionality. Traffic management plan The authorities were first presented with the plan and documentation which they reviewed and approved the commencement of the project on the proposed site. This meant that demolition, excavation and carrying out construction activities was allowed. The site was well located which was surrounded by several roads and this was to ensure easy access of the site by both the customers and the workers. The site was provided with two gates one which was used as the entrance and the other as the exit. In such cases there is no congestion in the site as vehicles try to enter and others leave. A temporary store was built in the site to accommodate the materials being ferried in for the construction purposes. The building technology adopted for the project was pre-stated to be compatible with the local authority’s requirements. First is the environmental issue which can be approached by various manners. The construction activity was to ensure that all the trees which were near the site were all safe during the demolition activity. This is a requirement by the local authority to conserve the environment. These trees are the ones along the streets not the ones in the selected site. The trees which by any chance have been damaged or removed the must be replaced after the operation. The project also puts into considerations of the working hours so as to avoid disturbance during the working processes (Mitchell and Mitchell 2012). The required official working time is between 7.30 to 5.30 pm which the project has to comply to. The team will be working from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. The working time is specified mainly because of the noise which is generated from the site while loading and unloading, excavating or transferring of tools and this can be of nuisance to the public. The team strictly observed the working hours. During the operations in the site, all the vehicles which were transporting materials were covered and this was to ensure on the public roads there were to material spills caused by the vehicles. This was mostly done on the vehicles transporting loose materials like sand or clay. At the same time, the vehicles were cleansed to remove any foreign materials which might end up falling onto the public roads during transportation and operations. These materials were avoided from contact to the outside since some were a potential source of environmental pollution. According to the local authority requirement, all loading and unloading has to be done within the site and this was followed to ensure that all the foreign unrequired material was accommodated within the site for safe disposal. The technology adopted also provided the loading and unloading of materials since its structural design had considered such factors during the setting up of the basement. Since during excavation it is not possible to load and unload, a work zone was put up which was warranted by the authorities. As a requirement from the authorities, all the public paths and roads were not supposed to obstruct and the team ensured that during any transportation, there were no foreign materials falling in the streets and if they did, they took the responsibility to clear them (Uher and Davenport 2009). All the activities which were carried on site focused on the issues of health and safety to both the public and the workers in general. Figure 2: General site layout During the implementation of the project, the public rights of ways and passages were preserved. The roads were free from blockages by any material from the construction site. The site was also fenced to ensure security from intruders who might attempt to enter the site. All the debris and the unused materials ware safely disposed as required by the authorities. The public also had pathways set free for them during the construction process. All the vehicles were packed within the site during the times in which they were not operating. The team also made sure that all the surrounding pathways were in good condition since after demolition and construction process they were not in good condition. As a requirement a facility owner is supposed to ensure all the paths are passable and no obstructions (Sannwald 2009). They should be clear to as well as well light. The building and its compound was well lit to ensure that the pathways were visible. The figures below show sketches of the site and the contractors facilities. The contractors facilities used in the construction process involved cranes which were used for hoisting heavy materials during loading and unloading as well as in the building activities. There were also tracks which were used for transportation services to and fro the construction site. Figure 5, 6 & 7 show the site plan from a more elaborative view whereby it shows the WBJ building and on the outside part there is the parking for both staff and customers. All the pathways are clearly shown and there is no obstruction of any nature. Figure 8 shows the spatial requirements for the facility clearly showing the inside of the buildings capacity. Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: site plan Figure 6: more elaborate view Figure 7: Figure 8: spatial requirements References American Public Works Association, & Chipps, J. A. (2006). Traffic controls for construction and maintenance worksites: A Research Reference report; Vol. 1, Project report. Washington, Federal Highway Administration. Australia, & Master Builders Association of Victoria. (2006). Traffic management working safely in building and construction. [Canberra, A.C.T.], Australian Govt. Dept. of Education, Science and Training. Benator, B., & Thumann, A. (2003). Project management and leadership skills for engineering and construction projects. Lilburn, GA, Fairmont Press. Broome, J. (2002). Procurement routes for partnering a practical guide. London, Thomas Telford. Ching, F. D. K., & Adams, C. (2001). Building construction illustrated. New York, Wiley. Demkin, J. A. (2001). The architects handbook of professional practice. New York, J. Wiley. Douglas, C. J., & Munger, E. L. (2009). Construction management. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall. Franklin, J. R. (2000). Architects professional practice manual. New York, McGraw Hill. Halpin, D. W., & Woodhead, R. W. (2010). Construction management. New York, Wiley. Hansen, K. L., & Zenobia, K. (2011). Civil engineers handbook of professional practice. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. Haviland, D. S. (2004). The architects handbook of professional practice. Washington, D.C., American Institute of Architects Press. Lambeck, R., & Eschemuller, J. (2009). Urban construction project management. New York, McGraw-Hill. March, C. (2009). Finance and control for construction. London, Spon Press. Marsh, P. D. V. (2010). Contracting for engineering and construction projects. Burlington, VT, Gower. Mckaig, T. H. (2008). Field inspection of building construction. New York, F.W. Dodge Corp. Miller, M. R., Miller, R., Leger, E., & Phelps, J. (2004). Complete building construction. Indianapolis, IN, Wiley. Mitchell, C. F., & Mitchell, G. A. (2012). Building construction and drawing. London, B.T. Batsford. Morledge, R., & Smith, A. (2013). Building procurement. Chichester, UK, Wiley-Blackwell. Pellicer, E. (2013). Construction management. Lilburn, GA, Fairmont Press. Russ, T. H. (2012). Site planning and design handbook. New York, McGraw-Hill. Sannwald, W. W. (2009). Checklist of library building design considerations. Chicago, American Library Association. Schaufelberger, J., & Lin, K.-Y. (2013). Construction project safety. Chichester, UK, Wiley-Blackwell. Uher, T., & Davenport, P. (2009). Fundamentals of Building Contract Management. Sydney, University of NSW Press. Read More