Construction Management Glossary

  – A – Activity – (1) A scheduling term (2) The smallest work unit within a project; the basic building block of a project. (see Project) ADA – The Americans with Disabilities Act which gives civil rights protection to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, … Read more

STANDARD FORM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN CONTRACTOR AND SUBCONTRACTOR

T his document was developed through a collaborative effort of entities representing a wide cross-section of the construction industry. The organizations endorsing this document believe it represents a fair and reasonable consensus among the collaborating parties of allocation of risk and responsibilities in an effort to appropriately balance the critical interests and concerns of all … Read more

THE SUPERVISOR’S CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION Construction supervision is dynamic. It is constantly changing. Each job is different. The industry is changing. Companies are changing as they adapt to social and economic changes, as well as to changes in business practices. Our understanding of the processes of construction and how best to manage them is changing. Therefore, it is critical … Read more

CLOSEOUT OF FIELD OPERATIONS

INTRODUCTION A  the conclusion of the project draws near, the supervisor will be involved in a series of very important activities that are referred to collectively as “project closeout.” These activities involve assuring that all contract requirements are fulfilled, preparing to hand over the completed facility to the owner, demobilizing and moving off the site, … Read more

Construction Mobilization – Moving on to the construction site

Mobilization—moving onto the construction site and setting up facilities and operations for the construction of a project—is a very important time for the supervisor. It involves a series of functions and activities with which the supervisor will, quite literally, set the stage for all of the work and all of the management activities on the … Read more

PROJECT ORGANIZATION

INTRODUCTION On the construction projects that supervisors manage they will encounter different types of contracts, and those contracts will have been formed through various types of project procurement methods. Because of these facts, and because supervisors are likely to hear the names of a variety of different contracting systems in use by those around them, … Read more

MANAGING COSTS: UNDERSTANDING THE ESTIMATE

INTRODUCTION One of the keys to the success of any construction company is its ability to control costs. This is a fundamental truism for any construction contractor. It is imperative for the construction supervisor to have a firm understanding of construction costs and their derivation. In addition, the supervisor must have a clear understanding of … Read more

MANAGING PHYSICAL RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION In his management of a construction project, the supervisor is responsible for the management of the resources that will be utilized to construct the project. While there are certainly a number of others involved who will provide their input and assistance, the supervisor should understand that the day-by-day management of the set of resources … Read more

TECHNICAL SKILLS

INTRODUCTION Safety is a topic of fundamental importance to the construction supervisor. There are numerous reasons for this. Among the most important is that most supervisors feel a moral obligation to keep their workers safe. There are also reasons tied to costs, schedule, production, quality, and company reputation, all of which can be enhanced by … Read more