Week 2: Construction Life-Cycle, Process of Construction

Question 1

Review the project life cycle graph

Answer 1

Question 2

State the stages on a construction project

Answer 2

1. Concept
2. Design
3. Construction
4. Operation

Question 3

What are the 5 different parts of the ‘concept’ stage on a construction project?

Answer 3

1. Inception
2. Business case
3. Project Mandate
4. Briefing
5. Feasibility study

Question 4

What 4 things do you need to consider during inception?

Answer 4

1. Who is the client? (ROI required in private sector more than public sector)
2. What is the type of project?
3. What is the need? Each project arises out of a need.
   E.g. this could be political or serve a physical purpose. Needs are related to the business of the client
4. PERFORMANCE - TIME - COST (Iron triangle) which constraint takes priority?

Question 5

What 7 points do we need to create a ‘Statement of Need’ for a swimming pool project?

Answer 5

1. Mission
2. Need
3. Impact
4. Trigger
5. Growth
6. Response
7. Decisions

Question 6

What is the business case? (Two points)

Answer 6

1. Strategic fit - How does it fit and benefit the business?
2. Commercial aspect - ROI

Question 7

What is a project mandate and what does it contain?

Answer 7

A formal authorisation document to initiate the project. Driven by the needs of the client.

• Considers the associated risks
• Analyses the scope to test value added
• Incorporates sustainability (economic and environmental)

Question 8

What is a feasibility study and what 7 items do feasibility studies test?

Answer 8

Are the client’s aims achievable within constraints?
1. Budgets and funding
2. Time scale
3. Function
4. Technology
5. Location
6. Commercial outcomes (Profitable?)
7. Risk (Worst case scenario?)

Question 9

What is important to remember about cancelling projects, when can cancellation be prevented, and what is an example of a cancelled project that hilights complications?

Answer 9

• It is always lower cost to cancel a project now than to do it in the future.
• Cancel in the feasibility study phase!
• It’s complicated though! HS2 cancelled its northern stretch from Crewe to Manchester. This was done partially due to the higher than expected costs, but also due to the change in consumer working behaviour due to COVID 19. Could more have been done?

Question 10

Where do variations come in e.g. a bridge project?

Answer 10

• Bridges all serve the same function or purpose
• Variation comes from the client’s wants
  E.g. A low cost bridge that is visually stunning

Question 11

What is the value equation?

Answer 11

Value = Function/Cost

Question 12

Review this graph highlighting actual expenditure during each project stage and the influence on total construction costs

Answer 12

Question 13

What is the production phase and what is important to do during this stage?

Answer 13

• Works are undertaken
• No new technical options but to construct as efficiently as possible

Important:
- Brief well: Poor design and briefing leads to variations
- Fixed and variable costs (what % of budget do you set aside for variable costs?)

Question 14

What are the 10 construction key performance indicators? (9 in song and 1 more!)

Answer 14

1. Client satisfaction - product
2. Client satisfaction - service
3. Defects/Quality management
4. Construction cost
5. Construction time
6. Profitability
7. Productivity
8. (Safety) not in song!
9. Environmental management
10. Stakeholder management