WHAT IS MODERN CONSTRUCTION? WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF IT?
Modern construction has evolved from simple manual
techniques into a complex maze of highly mechanised and orchestrated symphony
of activities, which requires billions of dollars in investment and serving as
the second biggest source of employment in the world. Construction involves
many field activities requiring the use of resources such as land, construction
materials, labour, equipment, and energy, etc., to achieve a pre-defined object
of putting up structures such as roads, buildings, dams, and just about any
imaginable structure you find around you. Due to limited and very costly
resources, construction has to be managed productively and efficiently using
innovation, creativity and sound organisational and economic principles. When
construction projects are properly managed, the result is lower costs,
completion of projects on time, and higher quality structures. In order to
construct a successful organisational model for a successful construction
project, it is important to study and understand the various components that
make up a successful model. Construction activities must be cost-effective
using high quality material and performed within a limited time frame to
achieve quality end products. The face of the construction industry has been
changing rapidly in recent times. These advancements in modern construction
methodologies and techniques, as well as, the emergence of more productive
equipment means that industry players must remain on their toes to keep up with
the latest construction technology. In order to remain relevant, companies must
adopt new approaches to managing and building projects. Growth in technology
means that there are new and better materials to use, newer techniques of
accomplishing tasks at lower costs and better time management skills, and newer
equipment for more productive work, etc. Therefore, the human resource capacity
must constantly update or upgrade their knowledge and skills.
Important key features of modern construction industry are
given below.
A. Complexity :-
The modern construction industry is highly mechanised and
complex; it involves complex interactions between a vast array of resources,
such as thousands, who are skilled in labour, equipment, such as, cranes, earth
movers, logistics etc., all interconnected into thousands of activities.
Activities may overlap simultaneously or in sequential discrete steps or even
randomly – a phenomenon more complex than found in ordinary factory or
manufacturing context.
B. Uniqueness :-
One way in which
construction differs from other industries is that no two projects are ever the
same. In other words each project is unique. This uniqueness of each project
is defined by the nature of the site of construction and is also influenced by
the weather, as well as, the ground conditions due to various site locations.
The construction supervisor and management team are critical to the success of
every construction project. They are responsible for ensuring plans and
specifications are adhered to and also, for managing the limited resources
available within budget and deliver the complete project on time. Since there
is little room for costly mistakes, it is incumbent on the supervisory team to
be vigilant to ensure that mistakes are detected instantly and corrected
immediately.
C. Mobility of
Facilities:-
One major difference
between the construction and mainstream manufacturing industries is that
products resulting from construction are stationary, while those, which results
from manufacturing, tend to be mobile during value addition. Construction
industry requires moving resources such as labour, equipment etc., from one
place to the other to create products under dynamic and hazardous working
conditions. Manufacturing industries on the other hand require products at
various stages of product lifecycle to move from one facility to the next for
value to be added. Products are standardized and easy to control unlike
construction where new techniques or modifications to existing techniques have
to be developed to deal with the constantly changing working environment.
D. Multiplicity of
Agencies :-
Many agencies are
involved in construction projects, from the conception of the product through
to the completion of the project. Each agency is expected to play a specific
role in the course to the project lifecycle. These agencies may include
governmental agencies, land authorities, planning agencies, fire department,
and Town and Country Planning Councils, etc. Their roles may differ but
basically, they ensure that the project complies with the laws of the land.
They carry out inspections and provide certifications for various activities on
site.
E. Organisation :-
The owner of the construction project normally advertises
the project and invites tenders from prospective contractors to undertake the
project. The contract is awarded to a successful bidder after a competitive bid
process. The winning contractor then engages the services of sub-contractors on
contracts to execute various planned activities within a specified time frame.
Sub-contractors may also employ hundreds skilled workers to work on specialise
aspects of the project. During the construction of larger - scale projects, it
very common to have thousands of employees working on diverse aspects of the
project site. The complexity of large scale projects means that there is the
need of a great deal of organisation and management of a large group of people
who interact with each other in many ways to produce the final product within a
limited time period.
Three groups of people are normally involved in a typical
construction project:
· The owner
· The
engineering group which is made up of managers, architects, structural
engineers, and civil engineers etc.
· The
construction group consisting of a number of contractors and workers who
perform the actual work.
These 3 groups
interact in a well-organised way with no particular group having absolute
control. Each group has a set of unique functions to perform at specific
moments and their activities may overlap or occur sequentially. The owner is
expected to exercise control of the finance and quality control, the
engineering group ensures structural and aesthetic integrity while the
contractor motivates the workforce to execute the work professionally and to a
very high standard to meet the deadline.
The main categories of activities of a construction project
include:
i.
Design and planning
ii.
Executing construction work
iii.
Supervision and inspection
F. Finance :-
Financial activities involved in construction can be
classified into the following categories:
1. Investments in fixed assets, such as, tools, equipment,
machinery, cantering, and shuttering, etc.
2. Short-term finances, such as, earnest money and security
deposits to meet the cash flow requirements at construction sites
3. Investment in future through education, training,
research, and development of human resource and technologies
4. Overheads in salaries and establishment other expenses
relating to advertisement and public relations, legal expenses and other
related expenses required for the project to run smoothly
Funding sources include credit facilities, loans, and
securities. Most times, the construction industry experiences cash flow issues
due to the blockage of security deposits, earnest money, and delayed payment of
bills, among many other impediments.
G. Management :-
Since most companies HQs are far from the project site, it
becomes difficult for the management to provide direct supervision and control
of activities. This makes most projects workforce autonomous in tackling their
responsibilities. This makes it imperative to have available well-trained
personnel who would executive their mandated activities professionally and on
time to achieve satisfactorily high quality products.
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