Excerpt
Successful construction projects are delivered by skilled project managers. This book examines the skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques needed to be a successful project manager from the perspective of the construction contractor's project manager. The construction industry has become increasingly competitive in the last decade, placing greater emphasis on effective construction project management, and many books have been written from the perspective of the owner's project manager. Few, however, have approached the subject from the contractor's perspective.
This book was developed for use as a text for undergraduate courses in construction project management and as a reference for construction contractors. It assumes that readers have a basic understanding of the construction process, the construction methods used in the industry, cost estimating, and project planning and scheduling. Topics are addressed just as a project manager would in managing a construction project. The focus is on the individual management processes and techniques needed to manage a project, and tools are provided to assist in the performance of these processes. While the context for the discussion is management of commercial projects, the principles and techniques presented also are applicable to residential, industrial, and heavy construction projects.
Each chapter has a similar organization. Topics are first discussed in general terms, then individual issues are discussed in detail and illustrated. A single construction project is used throughout the book, providing a context for concept illustration and student exercises. Although the construction company used in this text is fictitious, the project was actually constructed in Juneau, Alaska. Construction progress photographs are shown in Chapters 10 through 22. Forms illustrated in the text that normally would be handwritten are shown as handwritten. Forms that could be handwritten, typewritten, or computer-generated are shown with project-specific information entered in italics. The chapters conclude with a set of review questions that emphasize the major points covered in the chapter, and an instructor's manual containing answers to the review questions is available. Exercises allow students to apply the principles learned. Most chapters have a list of other publications for those interested in additional information on the topics covered in the chapter.
A listing of all abbreviations used in the text is in Appendix A, and a glossary of construction terms is in Appendix B. Terms defined in the glossary are highlighted in bold italics the first time the term is used in the text. An index of forms used in the text has been included at the end of the book to help readers locate particular forms quickly.
Acknowledgments
This book could not have been written without the help of many people. We wish to acknowledge the following: Mike Matter for his input and use of a draft of the text i~1 the classroom; Deborah Gardner for her assistance with the review questions; the Huna Totem Corporation of Juneau, Alaska, for allowing us to use their building and photographs of what turned out to be an excellent example of a team-built project; the Jensen Yorba Lott Architectural Partnership of Juneau, Alaska, for allowing us to use their drawings; the American Institute of Architects and the Associated General Contractors of America for granting us permission to reproduce their contract forms; several construction firms in the Northwest who have adopted drafts of this text as project management guides for their firms; and most of all, the many University of Washington students who have used various drafts of the material presented in the text and provided significant input regarding its content. We also want to thank the following reviewers of the manuscript for their helpful comments: David Bilbo, Texas A & M University; Charles R. Cole, Southern Polytechnic State University; O. C. Duffy, Jr., University of Arkansas; Chris Ray, Purdue University; and Darlene Septelka, Washington State University.
John Schaufelberger
Len Holm