L14: Construction Project Management

Question 1

What are the four key qualities of a good PM?

Answer 1

1. Considerable construction experience
2. Expertise and experience in specialised construction management techniques
3. Capacity to shift between micro and macro management
4. Good people skills

Question 2

Why are project managers needed?

Answer 2

Makes sure margin between bid and cost is maintained

Question 3

How does project management differ from normal management?

Answer 3

They mostly manage people from outside their organisation

Question 4

What is the management by exception process?

Answer 4

Accepted cost and time goals made initially; must be tracked and monitored to keep on track and manage additional labour/materials

Question 5

What are the five main project management components?

Answer 5

1. Project cost control
2. Project planning
3. Project scheduling
4. Production planning
5. Project financial management

Question 6

What is CPM and a distinct advantage of it?

Answer 6

Critical Path Method - used to manage large number of job activities based on a network
Three phases: planning, scheduling, time monitoring

Time evaluation

Question 7

What are the 5 steps to construction planning

Answer 7

1. Determine general approach to project
2. Breakdown project into activities
3. Order activities
4. Present as network
5. Receive endorsement from other parties involved

Question 8

What are the two general approaches to project planning?

Answer 8

Beginning-to-end planning - breaks job into activities step-by-step
Top-down planning (work breakdown structure) - breaks overall projects into major components and then smaller portions

Question 9

What are the advantages/disadvantages of beginning-to-end planning?

Answer 9

Advantages - full understanding of project, simple linear process
Disadvantages - level of detail must be decided at beginning; often becomes less detailed over time - can omit groups of activities

Question 10

What are the advantages of top-down planning?

Answer 10

Can serve many network users

Less omissions and more flexible

Question 11

What are job activities?

Answer 11

Single work step with recognisable beginning and end

Question 12

What is job logic?

Answer 12

Determining the order activities are to be completed in the field

Question 13

What are project planning restraints?

Answer 13

Limitations that regulate order of activities; can be physical or relating to resources/safety

Question 14

What are the two types of drawing network notations?

Answer 14

Arrow notation - activities shown as arrows separated by nodes

Precedence notation - activities depicted in boxes linked by arrows; activities given unique number, prefix/suffix and colour coded

Question 15

What are the steps of project scheduling?

Answer 15

1. Estimate time required to complete each activity
2. Computer overall project time
3. Establish time intervals for each activity
4. Identify crucial time activities
5. Shorten project length if required
6. Use surplus/float times to adjust and smooth demand
7. Make working project schedule

Question 16

What are activity times and the rules to using them?

Answer 16

Working days

1. Evaluate activities one at a time
2. Assume normal level of resources
3. Assume standard workdays
4. Use consistent time units

Question 17

What is time contingency?

Answer 17

Added to project or major components to account for non-normal conditions arising

Question 18

What is the most common project delay?

Answer 18

Weather delays; weather calendars used for contingency to estimate days lost to bad weather

Question 19

What are early activity times?

Answer 19

Start at beginning and forward pass calculations; earliest start + duration = earliest finish

Question 20

What are late activity times?

Answer 20

Start at end and backward pass calculations; latest finish - duration = latest finish

Question 21

What is the total float?

Answer 21

The difference between the earliest and latest start times for each activity

Question 22

What is the critical path?

Answer 22

Path of critical activities (0 float); typically 20% of activities

Question 23

What are milestones?

Answer 23

Particularly important points in time with no duration to complete

Question 24

What are Gantt charts used for?

Answer 24

Bar charts to show the project schedule plotted to a horizontal time scale

Question 25

What is re-engineering the project?

Answer 25

Process of examining a project and its components to find a better way of accomplishing tasks

Question 26

What are the key elements in production planning?

Answer 26

Support - resources reach site, sufficient utilities, site laid out properly
Technical problems - dewatering
Personnel
Safety
Quality
Material ordering/expediting - delivery times

Question 27

What do the numbers in the network boxes mean from left to right?

Answer 27

Earliest start
Duration
Earliest finish
- Task -
Latest start
Float time
Latest finish

Question 28

What does production planning involve?

Answer 28

Establishing the methods used in construction, assignment of personnel, movement of material, process of construction

Question 29

What should subcontractor selection be based on?

Answer 29

Quality prequalifications BEFORE cost