Construction Project Management (3rd Edition) - Hardcover

Gould, Frederick; Joyce, Nancy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0131996231 ISBN 13: 9780131996236

Publisher: Pearson, 2008

Synopsis

Construction Project Management, Third Edition provides readers with the “big picture” of the construction management process, giving a perspective as to how the construction industry functions in relation to the national economy and in the public's eye. This book focuses on the collaborative effort required to complete any public or private construction project, providing the construction professional with the skills needed to work with and alongside the owner representative, the designer, and within the public's eye. It explains in detail the project elements and environment, and the responsibilities of the varied project professionals, and follows in detail the chronology of a project.

About this title

About the Author:

Professor Gould is the Ahlborg Professor of Construction Management at Roger Williams University where he serves as the director of the Construction Management Program.  He has over 20 years of teaching experience at the university level.  His expertise lies in the field of Construction Project Management, Estimating, Scheduling and Project Control.  He has authored two textbooks in these fields.   

 

In addition to his teaching, he actively consults in the field having worked with a wide range of public and private clients including the U.S. Air Force, Sears Roebuck, and NASA.  He has developed and taught numerous seminar and short courses in both public and in-house settings.  He has served as a seminar instructor for R.S. Means for over 15 years. 

 

He has served as the director for the Northeast region of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) an organization established for the purpose of supporting and disseminating construction knowledge.  He is also active in the American Council of Construction Education. (ACCE) where he has serves on the board of directors and as chair of the Guidance committee.  ACCE is the organization that accredits Construction Management Programs.  

 

Ms. Joyce has over 30 years experience in the design and construction industry with a concentration on academic and cultural environments.  She has served in the past in project management roles, focusing on teams, processes and strategic planning.   In the past five years, she has overseen the development of over $500 Million in higher education and museum programs, designs and construction.  She is presently working as a construction consultant on a large museum project in Canada.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Over the past several years, the construction industry has seen enormous changes. From an industry steeped in conservative practices and narrowly scoped services, construction has moved to the forefront of the design and construction profession. From general contracting to construction management to project management and program management, the methods of servicing the industry have evolved to be more varied and comprehensive. This requires that practitioners and students alike understand the many aspects of the world of owners, designers, tenants, regulatory agencies, community agencies, and subcontractors. Each participant brings political, professional, and personal motivations to the process, and each has the ability to place constraints on the project. To effectively navigate in this environment, the successful project manager must recognize the role of each participant, understand the nature of the project itself, and effectively use management tools to bring the project forward in a timely and cost-effective manner.

In addition to contending with the nature of each project and the individual participants, the project manager also has his or her own organization to navigate as well as those of the owner and designer. As the major participants in any project, these organizations can support or hinder the process, depending on the fit between a particular organization and the project as well as the fit among the individual organizations. The recipe for success is indeed a complicated one. This book looks at the forms of organizations and some of the dynamics at play in them, and it outlines some methods for putting the right people and right organization together for a specific project.

SCOPE OF THE TEXT

To address all of the aspects that a successful project manager will need to understand, this text is organized to explore the people involved in the design and construction process, the principal phases of a project, and the tools required to effectively manage the people and the project. It is intended primarily for students in a four-year construction management curriculum serving as an in-depth introduction to construction project management. The book will also benefit undergraduate or graduate civil engineering or architectural students who desire to better understand the construction process. It is also intended to be used by older students or practitioners who are looking for an understanding of the changes in the industry and new tools and management methods available for dealing with those changes.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUE

People learn in many different ways. While most people are able to absorb lessons through the written text, the concepts being presented can be reinforced through other media. To that end, this book presents material in many different forms. The text is the major method employed, but the book also uses charts, illustrations, photos, and anecdotal sidebars. In addition, this book is coauthored by an academic and by an industry professional. That combination fuses theory and practical reality in dynamic interchange. Understanding of pedagogy and how people learn is teamed with the understanding of what information practitioners need to be successful in an increasingly competitive environment. In addition, many of the sidebars are authored by industry leaders, lending more real-world perspective to the book.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TEXT

The book is divided into three sections. The first section examines the industry and the profession by looking at the nature of the industry, future trends, and opportunities. It outlines the different sectors of the industry, explains the role of each participant, and analyzes the variety of contractual arrangements available for particular projects. The second section focuses on the project itself, giving an in-depth overview of all aspects of the project from the very first concept to occupancy. This section emphasizes the role of the construction professional during the design process. This emphasis reflects the actual expansion in early participation of the construction professional. The third section focuses on the tools needed to manage the people and the project. Estimating and scheduling are two of the major tools used in construction management, but these tools must be combined with methods of control to ensure that an effective feedback system is established throughout the project. This section also examines what it takes to bring a project to completion, exploring the world of project administration with its documentation, procedures, and communication protocols. Lastly, a chapter on safety explains the importance of a good safety program to the financial and environmental health of the company and workers.

The appendix provides a list of websites containing valuable construction-related information.

Throughout this text, the roles of the owners, the designers, and the construction professional are interwoven. For a project to enjoy first-rate success, these three major participants have to be in perfect alignment with each other. Throughout the project, they each contribute to the project in a very specific way. To be in perfect alignment they have to understand specifically each other's contribution, believe in its essential worth, and learn how to support each other for the mutual benefit of a successful project. The project manager is the key to creating an atmosphere where this support can be nurtured. This book gives project managers the tools that are essential to this task.

SECOND EDITION

This second edition of the book includes two new chapters:

• Chapter 3 examines the organizational and leadership qualities needed to bring people together for successful delivery of a construction project. Some material that was in Chapter 8 of the first edition now appears in Chapter 3 of the second edition.
• Chapter 13 is an introduction to construction law. Two attorneys who specialize in construction law prepared this chapter. Both of these lawyers are actively pursuing new methods of establishing the legal tools needed to support innovative project teaming. Some of these tools are explored in this chapter.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pearson
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0131996231
• ISBN 13: 9780131996236
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 384