Introduction to Building Procurement

The procurement stage of the building process is critical to the success of any building project, and as such must be understood by everybody entering the industry. Introduction to Building Procurement is designed to familiarize the novice with the principles and methods of building procurement, starting at the most basic level.

With chapter summaries and tutorial questions provided throughout the book, the reader will get to grips with the following topics:

• the structure of the construction industry
• the nature of clients
• the historical development of building procurement methods
• the roles and responsibilities carried out in any project.

Having developed the necessary background knowledge, the reader is then introduced to the more complex aspects of procurement in detail, such as:

• methods of paying contractors
• the main procurement routes in use
• standard forms of contract.

The concluding chapter discusses emerging procurement trends, and speculates on future developments to bring the reader right up to speed with the modern industry. With its clear layout and highly accessible approach, Introduction to Building Procuremen is the perfect introductory text for undergraduate students and professionals starting out on a career in quantity surveying, construction project management or construction commercial management.

Brian Greenhalgh qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in 1981 and spent several years in practice both in the UK and overseas before joining one of the ‘new universities’ as a Principal Lecturer in Quantity Surveying and Construction Project Management. Since 2008, he has been a Contract Manager for various international consultancy companies in the Middle East and North Africa. He is a Fellow of the RICS, CIOB and QSi.

Graham Squires is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE). His research interests include Urban Economics and Development Planning - in particular those aspects that relate to Housing and Neighbourhoods in Regeneration. He has previously been a Research Associate and Lecturer at the University of Manchester where he obtained a BA (Hons) in Economics and Social Studies, MA in Development Studies and PhD in the School of Environment and Development.