Importance of continuity in construction projects
Discuss About The Social Network Model Building Environment.
When a construction project is undertaken it has various inherent risks that need to be considered and circumvented in order to successfully complete the project. The most viable risk that can be assessed when undertaking such a construction project is continuity (Hwang, Zhao and Gay 2013). A construction project maybe interrupted due to various other projects being undertaken in the same area. This would thus halt the project in effect disrupting the continuity of the construction and resultantly delaying the project. A construction project is tendered to be completed within a specific time frame (Guo et al. 2014). A delay from such a timeline would in effect raise the costs of the construction and be detrimental to both parties undertaking such a project.
The most important control measure for such a project would be the appointment of vigilant supervision during the time of the project. The administration of the construction site is in the hands of the supervisors appointed to oversee the construction. The supervisors must be able to have complete access and control over all processes undertaken in the site (Votano and Sunindijo 2014). Due to the same reason an adequate number of supervisors need to be recruited to be able to cover all parts of the site. Thus, adequately qualified and vigilant supervisors need to be recruited to ensure continued progress of the project. Thus, if the project does in fact have competent supervision there would not be any abrupt pauses in the process.
In a construction project of this magnitude there is always the risk of safety measures not being observed with utmost strictness due to the schedule and the urgency of completion. Non-observance of these safety protocols could be detrimental to the project and would ideally cause a radical shift in the schedule due to delays. In the event that a worker is injured it would be imperative that litigations would follow and the same would be an encumbrance on the project as a whole (Porwal and Hewage 2013). In the event of an accident that leads to multiple worker injuries the same would lead to a massive halt in the flow of work for such a construction project. Accidents can even be fatal in case of construction projects and if such an accident occurs the companies undertaking the project would have to compensate the family or legal representatives of the same (Cheng 2014). This would be a reduction in the funds for the project and thus the projects ultimate budget would be affected.
Risks associated with safety measures
The aim in such a project is to successfully eliminate the risk of such a dangerous accident from occurring. Any accident or damage whether to property or to a person would usher in unwarranted complications into the completion of the project and can be substantially detrimental for the same. This thus means that the project could come to a complete halt or end up being completed on a reduced budget due to such an event. The most effective and inexpensive way to tackle this would be the employment of safety personnel (Taylan et al. 2014). When various machines are installed and put in use a safety team ideally demonstrates the use of such machines and vehicles. The key to completely eliminating a risk of any damage from equipment would be to have small team of safety personnel present on-site at all times during the construction process. They would be assigned to report to the supervisors and would be tasked with assessing such safety hazards and tackling them during construction. Their duties should ideally also include the training of the employees on the use and operation of machinery and other equipment on-site (Deng, Pheng and Zhao 2014). This would appear to be an expensive process as employing an additional team would require more funds but the cost that could be incurred due to such an accidental event is much more.
Projects of this nature are designed by architects to formulate a model that represents the final design of the building. Architects however model a project on a small scale and then calculate the dimensions on a larger scale and it is applied by the construction team of civil engineers to build the structure. However, the chance of human error is ever present in the context of calculations and it is possible that the final scale model of the construction project has various errors which would only become evident when the place is being constructed. Thus when that part of the construction is being undertaken it would cause an immense delay as it would have to be reported to the architects and they would have to remove the errors and redesign those parts (Xiaopeng and Pheng 2013). Once redesigned the same need to be harmonized with the remaining scale model. Once computed into the scale model the constructors would have to re-procure building materials and undertake the construction of that part a second time. Thus this is a waste of time and monetary resources of the project. An error that goes unnoticed can create major problems when the final constructed structure is in operation.
Human error in the design process
The only viable control measure for such a risk is the employment of competent professionals for the designing process. The ideal way to ensure such competence is to employ more expensive experts whose goodwill in the market would guarantee the elimination of such risks (Yang and Zou 2014). The problem is however that even if a particular design firm does have the right kind of goodwill in the market it cannot be guaranteed that every project they undertake would be free from any designing errors. Thus the surest way to ensure that such a project would receive the adequate diligence is by employing firms that have various tiers of approval of such a project (indicating that the firm must be a large scale firm).
The VPD project is an extension project and one the essentials of such a project is obtaining planning permission. Planning permission refers to a legal permit to undertake such a project. In the absence of such planning permission any construction activities that are undertaken would be considered illegal and would be liable to be pursued by the authorities in court (Issa 2013). The permit thus must be applied for at the most opportune moment when it will be evident that approval of such a planning permission would not be difficult to get. This would ensure that the project commences within the stipulated time and is undertaken with complete compliance with legal provisions.
Obtaining planning permission is majorly a legal problem and thus it cannot be tackled by the administration or management of the parties undertaking the project. However the employment of compliance agencies would be the most effective way to handle such a situation. Compliance agencies are tasked with drafting and applying for legal compliance relating to various transactions in exchange for a fee for their services (Hwang, Zhao and Toh 2014). They would ideally also have the right resources to ensure that such compliance receives approval within the estimated time. This is thus the most efficient way to ensure planning permission.
In case of such a construction project a large group of skilled and unskilled laborers need to be employed. These laborers are liable to be compensated on a regular basis for the services rendered by them. However in large scale construction projects of this magnitude most transactions are carried out by way of credit. It is very difficult to assess when the approvals for such credit would come through and this creates an uncertainty of payments made to the laborers (De Marco and Narbaev 2013). However, in the event that timely payments are not made to the laborers they could engage in cease work which would be detrimental the project as a whole. Moreover payment for the materials that are purchased and the equipment that is hired must also be made within stipulated times otherwise there could be deviations within the process. Thus, the primary scope for such a project to become successful depends on the ability of the governing organizations to make timely payments.
Obtaining planning permission
In large scale projects it is very common to deviate from the proposed budget in view of preliminary expenses and accidental overheads that appear at any point of time. Thus increased expenditures become a hindrance on timely payment made by the companies undertaking such a project. Thus the most efficient control measure for such a risk would be a policy of no deviation from the stated budget formulated before the commencement of the project (Love et al. 2013). Conformity with such a budget would lead to smooth functioning of processes and timely payments to employees and creditors.
The risk of unforeseeable circumstances such as natural disasters and calamities or the outbreak of war or civil unrest within the confines of Australia cannot be done away with as a farfetched idea. Force majeure, is the inability to perform a contractual term due to unforeseeable circumstances meaning that in such a case any party to the contract maybe unable to fulfill their obligations due to occurrences that could not be predicted (Robert, Dansoh and Ofori–Kuragu 2014). Australia is also mostly costal and thus has the risk of water-related calamities which specially need to be considered due to the nature of the project at hand. Working around the coast any such calamity would cause immense damage to equipment and workers and would also delay the project s a whole.
In cases of unforeseeable hindrances it is impossible to assess the full extent of coverage required to eliminate such a risk. This is due to the unpredictable damages that could occur from such an event. However, indemnity is the best course of action when minimizing such a risk. All contracts involved in the project should have a force majeure clause which safeguards the undertaking organization from liability in case of such a natural or otherwise unforeseeable event. This clause should be incorporated into each and every possible transaction involved in the process. There should be further indemnity in form of insurance which insures all aspects of the construction project in the event of such a loss from unforeseeable events.
Arbitration is the appointment of an adjudicator to preside over the proceedings of a dispute between parties. This is an out of court procedure and is thus less tedious for both parties. The arbitrator may be appointed by the parties or through an application to court. This would thus mean that the dispute would be settled out of court. Arbitrations end through the performance of an award that is delivered by the arbitrator and is binding on both parties. Arbitration is also less expensive compared to court procedures as the arbitration does not require court fees and such other expenses. Arbitration is also a more private procedure and protects the privacy of the parties.
Timely payments to employees and creditors
Meditation is similar to arbitration however in mediation a mediator is appointed by the parties to try and reach an amicable solution. The mediator does not deliver an award or a judgment that is binding on both parties but urges both parties to make compromises to reach a conclusion that is in the best interest of the situation at hand. This is done through a presentation and representation of both sides to the dispute and an enquiry into the factual scenario behind the dispute. The mediator also proposes various measures that could ensure further disputes do not arise from the same circumstances.
The terms of a contract are formulated to ensure the rights of all parties are well represented and the circumstances for any disputes are eliminated (Renuka, Umarani and Kamal 2014). Competent legal staff needs to be employed to assess the implications of each contractual term and the liabilities associated with the same.
Clear and transparent communication is the best way to ensure that a construction project that is undertaken has minimal risks. This is because there are records of all official communication and the liabilities of both parties are stated in a precise manner thus ensuring that all parties are covered.
Conclusion
The VPD is a large scale construction project and needs to be undertaken in a way that minimizes risks for all parties involved. The repercussions in case of disputes among the parties also need to be considered along with the costs for the same. Employment of competent staff for each individual part of the project is the most effective control measure.
Reference list
Cheng, Y.M., 2014. An exploration into cost-influencing factors on construction projects. International Journal of Project Management, 32(5), pp.850-860.
De Marco, A. and Narbaev, T., 2013. Earned value-based performance monitoring of facility construction projects. Journal of facilities Management, 11(1), pp.69-80.
Deng, X., Pheng, L.S. and Zhao, X., 2014. Project system vulnerability to political risks in international construction projects: The case of Chinese contractors. Project Management Journal, 45(2), pp.20-33.
Guo, F., Chang-Richards, Y., Wilkinson, S. and Li, T.C., 2014. Effects of project governance structures on the management of risks in major infrastructure projects: A comparative analysis. International Journal of Project Management, 32(5), pp.815-826.
Hwang, B.G., Zhao, X. and Gay, M.J.S., 2013. Public private partnership projects in Singapore: Factors, critical risks and preferred risk allocation from the perspective of contractors. International Journal of Project Management, 31(3), pp.424-433.
Hwang, B.G., Zhao, X. and Toh, L.P., 2014. Risk management in small construction projects in Singapore: Status, barriers and impact. International Journal of Project Management, 32(1), pp.116-124.
Issa, U.H., 2013. Implementation of lean construction techniques for minimizing the risks effect on project construction time. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 52(4), pp.697-704.
Love, P.E., Sing, C.P., Wang, X., Edwards, D.J. and Odeyinka, H., 2013. Probability distribution fitting of schedule overruns in construction projects. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 64(8), pp.1231-1247.
Porwal, A. and Hewage, K.N., 2013. Building Information Modeling (BIM) partnering framework for public construction projects. Automation in Construction, 31, pp.204-214.
Renuka, S.M., Umarani, C. and Kamal, S., 2014. A review on critical risk factors in the life cycle of construction projects. Journal of Civil Engineering Research, 4(2A), pp.31-36.
Robert, O.K., Dansoh, A. and Ofori–Kuragu, J.K., 2014. Reasons for adopting Public–Private Partnership (PPP) for construction projects in Ghana. International Journal of Construction Management, 14(4), pp.227-238.
Taylan, O., Bafail, A.O., Abdulaal, R.M. and Kabli, M.R., 2014. Construction projects selection and risk assessment by fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methodologies. Applied Soft Computing, 17, pp.105-116.
Votano, S. and Sunindijo, R.Y., 2014. Client safety roles in small and medium construction projects in Australia. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(9), p.04014045.
Xiaopeng, D. and Pheng, L.S., 2013. Understanding the critical variables affecting the level of political risks in international construction projects. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 17(5), pp.895-907.
Yang, R.J. and Zou, P.X., 2014. Stakeholder-associated risks and their interactions in complex green building projects: A social network model. Building and Environment, 73, pp.208-222.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
