REVIEW QUESTIONS - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

For Final Examination – 60-90 mins.

Chapter 1& 2

1. Describe Who is :
- Owners: Owners who must make the decision to build the faciliity, define
the need, provide the finnancing, and manage the construction process.
- General Contractors: The general contractor is to manage the job, keep it
on schedule, control costs, ensure the work is well coordinated and
performmed in a safe manner, and coordinate with the owner on all
matters since the GC is the only one of the contractors holding a contract.
with the owner.
- Subcontractors or specialty contractors: Subcontractors or specialty
contractors make up the largest portion of the construction industry. They
do the work. All subcontractors have a specialty such as electrical or
mechanical, Steel erection, acoustical, drywall and painting, and
carpeting. The subcontractors have a contract with the general contractor,
and have no contractual relationship with the owner or each other.
- Designers, Architects, and Engineers: Architect or engineer (A/E) to
design their projects. - The owner usually selects the A/E based on
demonstrated ability to design the project in the time frame available and
at a cost acceptable to the owner. - The designer will prepare the
construction documents (blueprints, specifications, contracts) for the
project. - Architects are usually the lead designers for buildings— vertical
construction. They subcontract some of the work, such as the structural
frame and mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems,
- Construction Managers: Design-bid-build: Conventional procurement
system in which the owner contracts separately with a designer and then
the contractor.
- Construction Crafts: Construction Crafts : Craft training requires a great
deal of “hands on” work.

2- Classification and grading of construction works

According to Construction Law No. 50/2014/QH13 Article 5. Classification and
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grading of construction works Construction works are classified as follows: •
Building works;
• Industrial works;
• Transportation works;
• Works for agriculture and rural development;
• Technical infrastructure works.
• National security works
According to Construction Law No. 50/2014/QH13 Article 5. Classification
and grading of construction works
1. Supper Class
2. Class I
3. Class II
4. Class III
5. Class IV
3- Describe the essential differences between design-bid-build and design-
build. Make a list of the major advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Overall, the primary difference when considering design-build vs.
design-bid-build delivery methods is design-build includes both design
and construction under one contract vs. design-bid-build includes separate
contracts to the developer. That said, there are a few final points to
consider when comparing the two.

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4- What are the major types of construction contractors?

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 All subcontractors have a specialty such as electrical or mechanical, Steel
erection, acoustical, drywall and painting, and carpeting.
5- What are the advantages and disadvantages of project labor agreements?

What is causing these increased use?

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  It is a reasonable cause for an increase to a contract price if the condition
occurs.
 The writer of the specifications may prohibit “force majeure” claims by
stating so in the bid documents but it would be reasonable to expect a higher
price for the bids since the bidders would be assuming all of the risks.
6- Make a list of the major differences between construction and
manufacturing. Which items do you think are the most significant?
 Manufacturing and construction are similar industries in that both
involve the creation of an object. Construction is focused on the process
of making buildings, bridges, tunnels, and more. Manufacturing is more
focused on creating goods, such as tables or smart phones.

Chapter 3
Explaining main work in each phase of constructions managements:
- DESIGNER SELECTION:
- DESIGN PHASE
- BID PHASE
- AWARD PHASE
- CONSTRUCTION PHASE
Chapter 4
1- Calculating duration of projects

(a) The estimate for a five-story office building included 72 doors on each of
the upper three floors. In developing the bid, the estimator used a production
rate of
2.0 carpenter man-hours to hang a door. The project superintendent is organizing
the carpenter crews to include three carpenters per crew. What is the duration (in

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days) of the activity to hang all the doors on the upper three floors? Assume an 8-
hr workday.
(b) The estimate for a three-story dormitory included 30 plumbing fixtures on each
of the floors. In developing the bid, the estimator used a production rate of 0.625
man-hours to install a fixture. The project superintendent is organizing the
plumbing crews to include two plumbers per crew. What is the duration (in days)
of the activity to install all the fixtures in the dormitory? Assume an 8-hr workday.

2- Construct a bar chart to use in managing the construction of a single-span

bridge. The identified activities are
- Drive piling west abutment (WA), 2 days
- Drive piling east abutment (EA), 2 days
- Construct WA cast in place pile cap, 3 days
- Construct EA cast in place pile cap, 3 days
Each pile cap requires 5 days curing time before the precast girders can be placed.
- Set guiders, 1 day
- Construction of cast-in-place concrete deck, 7 days
- Cure deck, 14 days
- West and east concrete approach slabs, 5 days each
There is only one crane available for pile driving and setting girders. The company
plans to use only one crew of carpenters and finishers for the concrete work.
 Drawing diagram in Bar chart?
 Calculating the project duration?
 Critical path method. Determine time of activities in the chart. AOA,
AON

Project Financing and Construction Cost Estimating

1. Types of construction cost estimate

 Conceptual
 Feasibility
 Design

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 Bidding and Construction
 Changes after contracting
2. Direct cost and indirect cost in construction cost estimate
3. Estimates for earth works
The economics of excavation is determined by the volume of material, the
weight of that material, and the distance that it must be moved. Earthwork
quantities are measured by methodology identified as
 Average End
 Contour
4. Estimates for concrete works
Concrete estimating normally involves a finite quantity that may be easily
calculated. Quantity take-off for concrete is normally volume calculation based
on the design dimensions. The cost associated with the concrete placement is
related to the conditions and location of the placement. Our concrete quantity is
broken down into flat work or slabs on grade, vertical or formed concrete, and
raised or floor slabs.
 Concrete volumes
 Formwork contact surface area
 Ground contact area
 Cure area (protecting surface)
 Reinforcing steel
 Embedded items
The cost of concrete placement is determined partially by the means by which it
is placed and the quantity of the material. Placement methods include the use of
concrete buckets and cranes, chutes, and pumping. The concrete material is
batched and provided with extra chemicals for the mixture that enable the
placement methods.
5. What is bond, insurance
Bonding is
 A promissory relationship between the contractor and the surety
 If the contractor fails to satisfy the terms of the contract, the surety provides
assurance to the Owner that there are sufficient resources to complete the
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 project.
Insurance is the creation of a pool of funds that may be accessed for use as
compensation for damages resulting from some act or occurrence.
Insurance is
 The transfer of risk to another party in return for the payment of the value of a
premium.
 It is the management of risk of a contingent, uncertain loss.
6. Types of insurance in construction
 Worker’s Compensation Insurance (WCI)
 General Liability Insurance
 Builder’s Risk Insurance
 Umbrella Insurance
 ILO???
7. Equipment cost

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Construction material and method

 Main types of Building material

 1. Earthwork Soil, Sand

 concrete

 Reinforced Concrete

 metals

 Iron

 steel

 Iron

 copper

 brass

 bronze

 Surface Treatments

 Wood and Plastics

 Main types of Construction machines
 Excavators.
 Backhoe.
 Dragline Excavator.
 Bulldozers.
 Graders.
 Wheel Tractor Scraper.
 Trenchers.
 Loaders.
 Estimate quantity of construction

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Quality Management

1. Duties, obligations, and responsibilities in accepting assignment as

a Construction Inspector?

 Your DUTY is to inspect and to clearly and concisely record all the work
undertaken while the project is under construction, and to ensure the
construction is completed as per the intent of the design drawings. At times
you may also be required to assist with the initial pre-engineering surveys
and other project related duties as requested by the construction supervisor.

 Your OBLIGATION is to ensure the project is constructed with quality, in

accordance with contract documentation. In relation to the terms QA / QC
(Quality Assurance / Quality Control), you are providing the QA.

 Your RESPONSIBILITY is to properly represent yourself, and your

employer to all persons on the construction site and provide an important
link between the contractor, the government and the residents. You must be
aware of continuing events on the construction site, and as such, forecast
progress, and anticipate problem areas and present solutions to avoid same.
2. The function of Quality Assurance and Contractor Quality Control?
Quality control can be defined as "part of quality management focused on fulfilling
quality requirements." While quality assurance relates to how a process is performed
or how a product is made, quality control is more the inspection aspect of quality
management.
3. List Quality Management Completion Procedures.

 Define and Share the Acceptance Criteria

 Create an Inspection Plan
 Use Checklists to Conduct Inspections
 Correct Deficiencies and Verify Acceptance Criteria
 Prevent Future Deficiencies

4. List fourteen points in Dr. Deming’s management philosophy

1. Create a constant purpose toward improvement.
 Plan for quality in the long term.
 Resist reacting with short-term solutions.

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  Don't just do the same things better – find better things to do.
 Predict and prepare for future challenges, and always have the goal of
getting better.
2. Adopt the new philosophy.
 Embrace quality throughout the organization.
 Put your customers' needs first, rather than react to competitive pressure –
and design products and services to meet those needs.
 Be prepared for a major change in the way business is done. It's about
leading, not simply managing.
 Create your quality vision, and implement it.
3. Stop depending on inspections.
 Inspections are costly and unreliable – and they don't improve quality, they
merely find a lack of quality.
 Build quality into the process from start to finish.
 Don't just find what you did wrong – eliminate the "wrongs" altogether.
 Use statistical control methods – not physical inspections alone – to prove
that the process is working.
4. Use a single supplier for any one item.
 Quality relies on consistency – the less variation you have in the input, the
less variation you'll have in the output.
 Look at suppliers as your partners in quality. Encourage them to spend time
improving their own quality – they shouldn't compete for your business
based on price alone.
 Analyze the total cost to you, not just the initial cost of the product.
 Use quality statistics to ensure that suppliers meet your quality standards.
5. Improve constantly and forever.
 Continuously improve your systems and processes. Deming promoted the
Plan-Do-Check-Act  approach to process analysis and improvement.
 Emphasize training and education so everyone can do their jobs better.
 Use kaizen as a model to reduce waste and to improve productivity,
effectiveness, and safety.
6. Use training on the job.
 Train for consistency to help reduce variation.
 Build a foundation of common knowledge.
 Allow workers to understand their roles in the "big picture."
 Encourage staff to learn from one another, and provide a culture and
environment for effective teamwork.
7. Implement leadership.
 Expect your supervisors and managers to understand their workers and the
processes they use.
 Don't simply supervise – provide support and resources so that each staff
member can do his or her best. Be a coach instead of a policeman.
 Figure out what each person actually needs to do his or her best.
 Emphasize the importance of participative management and
transformational leadership.
 Find ways to reach full potential, and don't just focus on meeting targets
and quotas.

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 8. Eliminate fear.
 Allow people to perform at their best by ensuring that they're not afraid to
express ideas or concerns.
 Let everyone know that the goal is to achieve high quality by doing more
things right – and that you're not interested in blaming people when
mistakes happen.
 Make workers feel valued, and encourage them to look for better ways to
do things.
 Ensure that your leaders are approachable and that they work with teams to
act in the company's best interests.
 Use open and honest communication to remove fear from the organization.
9. Break down barriers between departments.
 Build the "internal customer" concept – recognize that each department or
function serves other departments that use their output.
 Build a shared vision.
 Use cross-functional teamwork to build understanding and reduce
adversarial relationships.
 Focus on collaboration and consensus instead of compromise.
10. Get rid of unclear slogans.
 Let people know exactly what you want – don't make them guess.
"Excellence in service" is short and memorable, but what does it mean?
How is it achieved? The message is clearer in a slogan like "You can do
better if you try."
 Don't let words and nice-sounding phrases replace effective leadership.
Outline your expectations, and then praise people face-to-face for doing
good work.
11. Eliminate management by objectives.
 Look at how the process is carried out, not just numerical targets. Deming
said that production targets encourage high output and low quality.
 Provide support and resources so that production levels and quality are
high and achievable.
 Measure the process rather than the people behind the process.
 
12. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship.
 Allow everyone to take pride in their work without being rated or compared.
 Treat workers the same, and don't make them compete with other workers
for monetary or other rewards. Over time, the quality system will naturally
raise the level of everyone's work to an equally high level.
13. Implement education and self-improvement.
 Improve the current skills of workers.
 Encourage people to learn new skills to prepare for future changes and
challenges.
 Build skills to make your workforce more adaptable to change, and better
able to find and achieve improvements.
14. Make "transformation" everyone's job.
 Improve your overall organization by having each person take a step toward
quality.

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  Analyze each small step, and understand how it fits into the larger picture.
 Use effective change management principles to introduce the new
philosophy and ideas in Deming's 14 points.

5. Reasons for time extensions.

 #1: Weather. To qualify for an extension of time claim, this must be
considered adverse weather. ...
 #2: Worker Strikes. Strikes happen and this provision may be included
in the construction contract. ...
 #3: Client Delays. ...
 #4: Supply Delays. ...
 #5: Governmental Delays.
6. List 8 typical closeout documentation.

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