Civil Engineering Management - Lab Report Example

CIVIL ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT Part one Health and safety management systems in organizations have been developed in order to promote high production of products and services. The systems entail certain elements such as performance improvements, performance assessment, performance and planning which are put in practice so as to enhance credibility and high productivity in a particular organization. Characteristics such as health and safety culture, evidence of continuous improvement, effective audit and stakeholder involvement are considered to be very effective in accordance to management systems. In relevance to safety management, assessment for staff and fire, and requirements which involve training activities are supposed to be employed in organizations in order to enhance quality and high service and product productivity. Health and safety requirements in organizations such as textiles companies are to be competently covered in order to achieve the stipulated goals in context. The services which can promote health and safety measures in a textile company include; implementation and supervision of safety programmes in respect to construction, assessment of legal requirements which entail laws in terms of safety and health, consultations and environmental audits which are conducted in the company and risk assessment and incident investigations implementation. Other services which can enhance safety and health management in a company such as textile are providing input and training in accordance to managerial personnel together with employees and implementation of behavioral safety systems in respect to custom aspect. The environment within and around a textile company should be maintained in terms of often audits and effective consultations. It should be kept clean and secure in terms of security, water, infrastructure and behavioral factors among the employees. These are some of the good practices developed and improvements enhanced as the possible solutions to companies such as textile ones. In a textile company, inducing safety culture which reduces accidents for workers and improves the managers’ credibility and service provision need to be examined. In order to achieve benefits, safety and health management practices are introduced in a textile company. One of them is performing health and safety check ups among employees and managerial personnel. Creating change through safety and health integration is another system practice which should be portrayed in a textile company. In a textile company, risks for occupational diseases and accidents at work have to be managed by addressing the health and safety issues. The safety and health training, hazard prevention and control, employee involvement, management commitment and workplace involvement are the primary elements which should be considered when developing an effective health and safety management system in a textile company. When such management systems are taken into consideration, the textile company’s philosophy is maintained and long-term solutions implemented in order to enhance quality and quantity productivity. The company will therefore gain capital since it will minimize costs and maximize profits hence developing it. The system approach’s results also include effective evaluation of the work done within a certain stipulated time in order to promote a continuous process of improvement in the company. The accountability for implementing the system is well understood and accepted when health and safety management is taken into consideration in the textile company. Another thing is that, policies and goals of health and safety are effectively communicated in the company hence enhancing sensibility and awareness in relevance to the set goals of the company activities. Issues concerning health of the workers in the textile company should be managed in order to protect individuals’ lives and enhance a favorable environment for convenient work establishment. Safe water which is well treated should be provided to the managerial personnel and workers in the company. The drainage system and disposal of waste should be properly put into consideration. The sewage disposal system should be effective in that it cannot affect health of the workers in the company. By practicing this, an environment which is favorable is provided to employees, hence quality and high service and product productivity achieved. Concerning the safety matters of employees and managers, a lot of efforts have been put in place. Equipment and effective facilities should be introduced in order to protect workers from severe accidents which may lead to death. Provision of equipment such as fire extinguishers, gloves, dustcoats, safety belts, masks, lifts and trolleys should be readily provided to employees in order for them to work with ease to achieve the set goals by the company. The company definitely needs to protect lives of its workers so that they feel secure and comfortably work towards the quality and quantity productivity provision. In respect to management commitment and planning in textile companies, there is provision of the motivation force, controlling of activities within the company and resources exploitation. Senior management such as managers in the company has acted as role models to employees who are expected to work in order to a favorable and proper environment of work. Therefore safety of the employees is taken into consideration through the management system in the company. The management which is top has provided effective commitment and viable leadership in order to implement the safety and health management system thus covering employees’ favorable requirements. In the textile company, equal, high and quality safety and health protection has been provided to all employees in order to enhance high service and product productivity. Different goals, missions, rituals, legends, beliefs and values of the textile company have been considered in respect to culture. The company has solely provided a positive culture by demonstrating a sense of responsibility to the surrounding community, employees and customers. Safe behavior among employees has been achieved through the company’s positive culture acquisition. In order to keep the safety and health measures among individual employees in the company, a creation of safety and health statement has been developed by top management of the company. On the other hand, a written safety and health policy have been developed in order to make employees embrace and accept rules and regulations within the company’s premises. The policy has stated management’s commitment in regard to safety and health of the employees and the delegation of authority concerning individuals’ duties. In the textile company, employees have involved themselves in providing means through which they develop and express their own commitment in regard to health and safety issues. They have had adequate knowledge and experiences in which they are able to identify and resolve problems in an effective way in order to improve quality and quantity output. In the textile company, employees have come up with good ideas on which may help them identify certain hazards, prevent injuries and any illnesses and improve work methods in order to give out quality and quantity productivity. This has been managed through the introduction of health and safety suggestion programs in the company by the employees. The top management has therefore recognized its employees in regard to their achievements and efforts they have put concerning their work. For example, issuing letters of appreciation to employees motivates them and urges them to practice safe behaviors in the company through the disciplinary system exercise. In the company, in order to promote effective health and safety management system, specific health and safety alerts, posters, fact sheets and designated safety bulletin boards have been put in place. In organizations such as Textile Company, in order to maintain high health and safety measures, an operational control has been introduced. In this case, the company has identified activities and operations which are hugely associated with risks that are identified where control measures need to be applied. It has planned these activities including maintenance so as to ensure establishment and maintain documented procedures to cover situations where the absence of control measures could lead to deviations from the objectives of health and safety and policy. Another thing which has enabled the health and safety maintenance is the application of laws and regulations. The company’s own health and safety requirements are identified prior to the goods and services procurement due to existence of strict national laws and policies. Therefore the arrangements are made in order to achieve safety and health requirements prior to their specified use. Monitoring safety and health performance in relation to contractor activities on site has been made on regular basis in the company. There has been an effective preparedness and response regarding emergency whereby the identification of accidents and emergency situations is done thus addressing the prevention of the associated health and safety risks associated. Part Two The life cycle of a model civil engineering project involves several stages from the point of conceptualization to the point of completion. These are: Concept development stage Design development stage Implementation stage Commissioning and handover stage In detail, the stages can be described as follows: The first stage is concept development. This means that it gets confirmed that the project will be pushed through. The desire for the project becomes a need. The best alternatives of measures to be taken to advance the project are considered. The means of financing and feasibility for such measures are also analyzed and the most applicable methods evaluated. This will aid in procurement and what strategy will be applied. One of the most applicable ways is through the NEC strategy. NEC is a group of contracts that helps in the implementation of proper project management practices and principles. The types of NEC contracts include: Engineering and construction Contract (ECC) – this is mainly used for contractor appointment. Any responsibility in design throughout the project should be included as well. Engineering and Construction Subcontract (ECS) – mainly used for subcontractor appointment; if the contractor was appointed using the ECC Term Service Contract (TSC) – used for appointment of supplier for provision of a particular service Professional Service Contract – used for appointing a supplier for provision of professional services Framework Contract (FC) – this type of contract is used in appointing more than one supplier for construction work, design or consultancy services Adjudicator’s Contract (AC) – used when appointing an Adjudicator to arbitrate disputes in the above contracts These contracts have the following characteristics. They can be applied in many different commercial situations, for many different types of work; in any place. The document is usually simple and clear since it uses structure and language that are easily understandable. It also enhances good relationships between the parties involved in the contract NEC contracts solely focus on result-oriented strategies; meaning the clients’ objectives will most likely be met. One should consider the opportunity cost of undertaking such a project and the expected change in cost at the point of contract award. It is also important to consider if there is value for setting aside money for the project. Additionally, which means of project delivery are the most efficient and effective? The client considers all these factors before carrying on with the project. It is important to define what the term “client” refers to. It can refer to the sponsoring agency, the contracting authority or the employer. The sponsoring agency automatically changes into the contracting authority as soon as it is involved in any one single contract that relates to the project. After stage one, the second phase is referred to as design. Here, the best project design is developed vis-à-vis the appropriate schedules, budgeting, and procurement strategies. Land and items that will be used throughout the project are best purchased at this phase. There are two ways projects that can be undertaken, with regard to who is involved in design. One can be designed traditionally by the employer while the second can be designed by the contractor. In the latter, most of or sometimes all the input is from the contractor. Many projects within the industry have design and construction functions as separate from each other as possible. The most applicable contracts using the traditional method of employer-designed projects are the PSC and TSC; assuming the contracts include project management, environmental considerations, management consultancy, audit, facilitation, or architectural services. When it comes to contracting, several variants are available to choose from. These include design and build (D&B); design, build and operate (DBO); and build, operate and maintain (DBOM). For D&B, there is one single contractor who has the sole responsibility of designing, managing and delivering the project to the client, on time, and within a specified budget. The performance specifications must also be specified. Here, the management structure takes the following form: it is headed by a Project Manager who works at the same level with the Consultant Supervisor. Under these two is the Contractor who is in charge of the Subcontractors. The Subcontractor is at the same level as the Consultant Designer and determines who the Supplier(s) is/are. For DBO, it is expected that the Contractor operate the asset for a particular period of time. The strategy through which to carry this out can be done in two ways, depending on the period of operation. If the period of operation is considerably short, the D&B aspect may be encompassed as one section of the whole works; this being within ECC with the specified operating period being the second section. Payments follow the payment option agreed upon under ECC. If there is a considerable period of time for operation is considerable, a better idea would be entering into a double contractual agreement – one being under the ECC to D&B; and two, operating under TSC. This is best done however, simultaneously. From this point on, no design is expected to take place, although this is best determined by the subcontractor. For DBOM, operation and maintenance of the project is left to the Contractor for a period of between 5-15 years. It should be noted that this period can be extended beyond the 15 years. The best approach to this is the double contract, in combination with the TSC for maintaining the project. Another way of contracting is prime contracting. Its concept is a lot similar to that of D&B since there is only one contractor who is solely answerable to the Client. The Contractor manages the whole project and delivers it to the client, at the agreed upon time – and within the budget. This must also be according to the performance specifications. In most cases, this model shall be used by the client to confirm if the Contractor complied with all the conditions (cost, period, budget etc) had been agreed upon at first. Particular design activities can run simultaneously in small or medium projects, especially if such projects can be combined into one. Some design stages can also be removed or streamlined so long as there is control of cost. It is therefore of great benefit to regularly review design work made in the first stage to determine if the predictions made earlier still hold true. The third phase is the implementation stage. Here, the plans developed in the second phase above are laid out and construction starts. It is, however important to start with appropriate implementation documentation. Architects, engineers and even owners can apply the use a process called the building information modeling (BIM). This technology makes it easier to document and evaluate the design before flagging off the project. The project manager is expected to come up with plans of controlling pollution and any other effects on the environment. This should be done through recycling waste from construction and erosion control methods. All these factors having been looked into, the construction work begins. Since review of progress of work is necessary, the plans that had been made in detail are never concrete and are subject to changes whenever necessary. This is especially likely if problems arise or better information comes forth. The fourth phase is commissioning and handover. Here, the project is inspected then approved assuming everything has been confirmed to be in order. Many engineering procedures and techniques are applied to test if the engineering project is fully operational – up to the very last component, i.e. from instruments and the equipment to complex systems and their subsystems. In retrospect, commissioning is applicable to all phases; from the initial stage of concept development to the eventual handover. When it comes to large civil engineering projects, commissioning is such a sophisticated aspect that may be considered an engineering discipline on its own. The main aim of commissioning is to ensure safety from the contractor’s party to the handover to the client. Aspects of performance, safety, information traceability and reliability are taken into consideration. If done effectively, commissioning contributes significantly to the achievement of cost, time, quality and safety requirements. As soon as commissioning is complete, the client is ready to receive the project. Each of these phases may be taken as one mini project; therefore planned as such. There may be different contractors or different departments of the same contractor. There should be a review of performance on end of each phase to determine whether the project can go on to the next phase or stage. Any changes in the project progresses should be reflected in the management process. In all these phases, management is a key factor. In order for all contractual agreements to be abided by, a project manager should possess the following characteristics: Time management Interpersonal skills i.e. able to relate well with subordinates Communication skills Organizational skills – in this case being able to plan each of these phases with the required timeline set aside for each as well as assigning tasks to subordinates A good understanding of basic construction Self-motivation Integrity, i.e. the manager should be a man/woman of his/her word in addition to following the rules in place Management Management contracting is another aspect the owner of the asset under construction should take into consideration. There are two types of contracts in management: Management contracting Construction management The management structure is much similar to that of the traditional contract. There is a Contractor who offers subcontracts. The Contractor may also do much of the design and construction works if he sees it fit but this should be included in the Contract Data – as part of the amount the Contractor shall earn. Other Contractor’s costs and the Contractor’s fee are taken into consideration. What is determined as the total is the price that the Client is expected to pay. A basic management contracting hierarchy is as shown below. Construction management can be shown below. Notably, the Construction Manager becomes part of the team along with the Designer, Supervisor and Contract Manager. Deciding what NEC strategy to use is dependent on the size of the project, size of budget, period of time required to complete the project, among other factors. It is important for the Client to consider all these before proceeding on with the project. This should in turn be communicated to the Contractor for appropriate contractual agreements. As soon as the project plan has been received by the Contractor, work begins. Conclusion A typical civil engineering project involves four major stages. These are the Concept Development stage which involves conceptualizing of the construction idea. The second stage is the Design and Development stage. Here the plan for the conceptualized idea is laid out and developed in detail. Appropriate timelines, procurement, logistics and budgets are also put into account. The third stage is the Implementation stage. All plans made during the second stage are laid out and construction work begins. Changes may be effected in this stage; if deemed necessary. The fourth and final stage is Commissioning and Handover stage. Here the final result of the project is inspected to see if safety measures, its performance and reliability have been considered. If this is confirmed, then the project is handed over to the owner. Throughout the whole process, the means of contracting are a vital issue. Which strategy the owner of the project chooses to go through with depends on many factors e.g. budget, scope of work etc. Management is also an important factor to consider since none of these stages can proceed without a project manager, who is in charge of the whole project. References AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE, & AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE ASSOCIATION. (2005). American national standard: occupational health and safety management systems. Fairfax, Va, American Industrial Hygiene Association BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION. (1999). Occupational health and safety management systems-- specification. London, BSI. TWORT, A. C., & REES, J. G. (2004). Civil engineering project management. Oxford, Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann. http://www.engineeringvillage.com/controller/servlet/OpenURL?genre=book&isbn=9780750657310. AUSTEN, A. D., & NEALE, R. H. (1984). Managing construction projects: a guide to processes and procedures. Genève, International labour Office. MARSH, P. D. V. (1969). Contracting for engineering and construction projects. London, Gower P. [for] the Institute of Purchasing and Supply. Read More