Construction Engineering: The Problems Facing the Canadian Construction Industry - Assignment Example

CIVE 446 – Construction Engineering Qn The life cycle of a constructed facility refers to the duration, throughwhich the given facility will take – throughout its life cycle. The stages covered under the lifecycle of a constructed facility include the planning stage, the designing stage, project start up, use and operation stage, revitalization or renewal stage and the stage for disposal (Edwards, Bartlett and Dickie 2-7). The duration taken for a constructed facility to get through the different stages, starting with the planning and ending with the disposal stage is the life cycle of the given facility. In the case of many construction facilities, they are designed to give service for a certain number of years – on the minimum, starting from 30 to 100 years and beyond. When the constructed facility is offered proper management and maintenance, the facility may last 100 years or more; the facility is also capable of serving different functions within the specified time. The actual lifetime of a property is dependent on a number of factors, including the quality of design, the durability of the materials used for the construction, the quality of the facility and the technology used (Edwards, Bartlett and Dickie 2-7). Other factors determining the lifetime of the facility include the local climate and the location, extent of use and the damage caused by human errors and natural disasters. The components of a project’s life cycle include the initiation phase, which entails the determination of the timing and the scope of the given project. The second component is the planning phase, where the detailed planning of the project takes place, and the actions aimed at the completion of the plan are started. The third is the execution phase, where the action items are implemented, and physical deliverables are delivered. The fourth component is the close-out phase, which covers the wrap-up of the project. It entails summarizing the lessons and the successes of the project to the different stakeholders (Edwards, Bartlett & Dickie 2-7). Qn. 2. The problems facing the Canadian construction industry include global climate change. With the increasing focus on the energy consumed, and the carbon dioxide released by different building models. For this reason, industry players are obligated to work hard, towards the renovation or the replacement of the buildings that don’t offer a minimal environmental effect. For instance, achieving carbon neutrality, while at the same time ending up with a considerable return on investment has forced industry experts to promote the reduction of fossil-fuel consumption (Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure). For these different reasons, industry leaders are forced to renovate existing facilities and to develop new building models. The second challenge is the aging infrastructure, where buildings and other infrastructure like roads need to be changed, redeveloped or renovated, depending on their economic and environmental impact. For example, in some economies, statistics show that traffic congestion costs the economy, more than $67.5 billion a year, through fuel wastage and lost productivity. Further, construction industry leaders faced the challenge of replacing substandard bridges and roads, which are mentioned as factors contributing to highway accidents (Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure). There is the challenge of a shrinking workforce, noting that Canadian statistics show that, as of 2016, there will not be enough people to replace the retiring workforce. This is a challenge, because the reduction in the workforce will reduce the capacity of the industry to deliver the developments, and the changes desired. There is the challenge of a declining productivity of construction firms. This is mainly caused by the competitiveness required from industry players, which is forcing some to exit the industry. As compared with the productivity of the non-farm productive areas over the years, which has grown by about 200 percent, the productivity of the construction industry has weakened by about 40 percent. The productivity of the Non-farm and construction labor productivity levels between 1964-2003 Source: (Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure) In resolving the challenge of a changing climate change, construction industry players should be taken through extensive education on energy consumption and carbon dioxide management, among other important construction engineering infrastructural standards. Further, research and development, by the government and other agencies should be channeled resources, towards the study of building and construction models that causes the least impact (Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure). In resolving the second challenge, the government and other agencies should channel resources towards the renovation, redevelopment or the replacement of buildings and other infrastructural models that are aged. In resolving the challenge of a declining productivity of construction industry players, the government should channel funds towards the training of new industry players. To substitute the role of the aging population, the government should focus on the recruitment of capable labor from other countries, where such labor is in excess. Qn. 3. The Canadian construction industry is vital to the national, economic well being. This importance is evident from the 2012 federal budget’s indication that the country was emerging from a recession. In attempts to avert the recessionary process, Ontario has developed a long term infrastructural planning, aimed at helping in the recovery of the economy. The authorities realized that the National economy was continually weakening against emerging economies; therefore, infrastructural development has been targeted, as the channel for the creating jobs and growing the economy. In working towards the target, during the years between 2004-05 and 2011-12, the state channeled $ 9.5 billion every year, towards the development of infrastructure and plans to invest $ 35 billion over the three-year period after 2012. This huge investment in infrastructure shows that the construction industry is highly vital to Canada’s economic stability. Ontario’s overall infrastructural investment for the years 1990-1991 Source: (Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure) The importance of the construction industry for Canada is evident from the growing ratio between the gross domestic products (GDP) and the level of public infrastructure. This relationship was explained by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, which emphasized that the growth of construction industry investments by the construction industry are a direct contributor to the wellbeing of the Canadian economy. Therefore, the relationship between the two shows the need to increase the investments channeled towards public infrastructure and the critical role played by the construction industry. GDP per Unit of infrastructure investment for Canada (Infrastructural Productivity) for years 1961-2007 Source: (Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure) Qn. 4. The functions of the engineering profession include the registration of engineers, some of whom are consultants, graduates, professionals and accredited checkers. The agency is responsible for the issuance of licenses to engineers and other professional staffs that are required throughout the construction industry (Prism Economics and Analysis 15). The engineering profession is responsible for the inspection of engineering sites and works, for planned and ongoing engineering works, during the process of verifying that works are being undertaken by registered engineers. The professional agency checks that professional ethics, standards, safety and healthy aspects are taken into account. The agency evaluates local and foreign engineering programs that should be recognized by national boards. The agency is responsible for the planning, the arrangement, oversight and the coordination of professional development and training. It is also responsible for the development, maintenance and the enforcement of the codes of ethics for professional engineers; it regulates the ethics and the conduct of the engineering profession (Prism Economics and Analysis 17). Qn. 5. The management consultants in the construction industry provide the design and construction partnering for development projects. They serve as representatives for the owners of projects, including the owners of schools, stadia, parking facilities, office buildings and parking complexes. They work as project delivery consultation staffs for different types of properties, including stadia, museums and arena projects among other industrial, commercial and institutional facilities. The fourth duties of management consultants include offering private and public financing consultancy (Prism Economics and Analysis 40). The roles of the legal professionals in the construction industry include coordinating with senior advocates and drawing agreement papers. They also work in the areas of documentation for different projects and programs and in acting as correspondence players and coordinators for other professionals. In the construction industry, CPA firms provide firms, agencies and individuals with superior accounting, business consultation services and taxation services in a professional manner. CPA firms also help construction agencies with auditing services; benefit planning, advancing computer consulting and administering management consultancy (Prism Economics and Analysis 36). Other duties include facilitating employee recruiting and in human-resource consultancy. Surety companies are important to construction industry players; because they offer the guarantee that the parties to construction contracts will execute their roles and duties. The business of surety companies guarantees these companies and their customers – that in the case, one of the parties fails to meet their end, the losses or the resulting damages are compensated. Financial institutions are an important player in the construction industry, because they offer institutional credit and other credit services like mortgages, to construction companies, governments and agencies (Prism Economics and Analysis 36). They advance financial assistance to industry players, offer indirect assistance; assist with credit rating, venture capital and with leasing and partner with investment institutions on behalf of industry players. Insurance companies are important players in the industry, because they are the providers of risk mitigation services for construction industry players. For example, some construction companies will pay up to 5 percent of their gross income to insurance agencies, so that they can be shielded or compensated after incurring losses during their construction projects. Q. 6. Taking the example of a community center or a market complex development, the social-economic impacts of the project will include the change in the demographics of the community. This is a concern, because the development of a market center is expected to attract shoppers, and the facility should be developed in a manner that can handle the expected or anticipated inflow and the outflow of people. The second concern is the demand for public services, where planners are careful not to render other public service centers and the services offered obsolete, or inaccessible (Chadwick & Glasson 811-815). The change of income and employment levels is another important variable taken into account, because the implementation of a project should affect the community positively, by creating more income avenues and employment opportunities, and not the opposite. The change in the aesthetic quality of the community is another important concern, mainly because the implementation of a dam construction project, for instance, can affect the aesthetic value of a community negatively (Chadwick & Glasson 811-815). Qn. 7. The first delivery method is the Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC), which is a preferred model for many industries. For this method, the engineer handles the designing, the procurement of required materials and equipment and construction development – ordinarily at lump-sum price. The second is design-bid-build is common among manufacturing industry players. Under this method, the design engineer facilitates the designing of the project and in other aspects of the project implementation. The owner is responsible for the selection of the equipment for the manufacturing process (Prism Economics and Analysis 65). The third method is the construction management model, where the owner works as the construction manager. For this method, the design engineer is responsible for the development of a design package and drafting a cost estimate plan. Qn. 8. The general questions that an engineer can ask about a project solution implementation include the following: What are the specific needs of the customer? What constraints apply to the given case – which could be resource, time, legal or technology-oriented? What are the relevant and the general background facts about the situation and the solution? The last question at this stage would enquire what the main questions – relevant to the situation or the solution – that need to be reviewed include. Qn. 9. Construction engineering is the professional field concerned with the design, planning, construction development and the oversight of infrastructural models like bridges, highways, railroads, airports, dams, buildings and other utilities (Edwards, Bartlett & Dickie 5). When searching for more information, construction engineers can consult different sources like civil engineering institutions, civil engineering websites, construction information services (CIS) agencies, public libraries, books and government agencies responsible for the oversight of engineering organizations and associations. Works Cited Chadwick, Andrew, & Glasson, John. ‘Auditing the Socio-economic Impacts of a Major Construction Project: The Case of Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station’. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 42. 6(1999): 811-815. Print. Edwards, Suzy, Bartlett, Ed, & Dickie, Ian. Using whole life costing and life cycle assessment for sustainable building design. BRE, Garston: HIS BRE Digest 452, 2000. Print. Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure. Building Canada Together: Ontarios Recommendations for the Federal Long-Term Infrastructure Plan. Help Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013. Web. 05 Oct 2013. Prism Economics and Analysis. The engineering labor market in Canada: projections to 2020. Engineers Canada, 2012. Web. 05 Oct 2013. Read More