Have you ever stopped to think about how it works project management applied to civil construction?
Civil construction projects are highly structured, whether related to the construction of a mall or a single-family residence. They have many parts, resources, and people that must be precisely coordinated in a short space of time.
As with any other project, the management of projects applied to civil construction has several phases, from conception to planning, through programming and even construction itself. Each of these phases is challenging enough on its own, but in accordance with the complete project, they become exponentially more complex.
Continue reading today's article and discover more about how project management applied to civil construction can be conducted to better deal with the complexity and challenges of this type of project.
What is project management in civil construction?
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), project management is”the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources over the life of a project, using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality, satisfaction, and participation”.
We can extend the definition of the PMI to the management of projects applied to civil construction, where this model is used to achieve the same objective, only in a construction context.
At its most fundamental level, then, we can define that construction project management deals with the planning, coordination, and execution of a construction project, be it agricultural, residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, etc.
Therefore, the management of projects applied to civil construction requires effective management of a series of resources - including human, material and financial resources - and of efforts to achieve the desired result: the completion of the work following the previously defined parameters of time, cost, safety and quality.
Thus, construction project management is a complex field, requiring knowledge in many different areas, such as finance, mediation, law, architecture, engineering, business, and more.
Project management challenges applied to civil construction
Like any project, the management of civil construction projects contemplates obstacles to be eliminated and challenges to be overcome.
A common challenge is changes or increases in scope, meaning that the scope is going beyond what was originally planned. This affects the schedule and budget, so any requests for changes must be carefully considered to determine if they are worth implementing or not.
Having the wrong team or a team that is not qualified for the level required by the project is also a problem when managing several construction projects. For this reason, it is essential to have good recruitment and selection and training at all stages of work.
Another considerable challenge is risk management, which may be more complex in this type of project than in others. After all, there are issues of security that need to be managed, rules to be followed to the letter, and all of this can impact the progress of the project.
Poor communication is another point that can hinder the progress of projects. Therefore, part of the project management work applied to civil construction must include the development of efficient communication channels and meetings to align information with interested parties.
It should also be remembered that one of the differentials of this type of project is the dynamism brought by the construction site, which is constantly changing according to the production stage and the evolution of the construction. This makes management even more complex and, to do it in the best way, more and more construction project managers use specific software for this purpose.
Main aspects to consider when managing projects applied to civil construction
The person responsible for this management must include in their planning:
- O layout of the construction site and the logistics of moving materials;
- The definition of equipment that makes it more practical and agile to transport inputs and carry out tasks;
- Worker safety and the mapping of physical, chemical and biological risk areas;
- The design of the process flow, in order to minimize waiting times and downtimes that negatively impact productivity;
- The definition of a quality management system for standardizing processes and standardizing deliveries and task execution;
- Among others.
Key principles of project management applied to civil construction
Project management applied to civil construction requires a wide range of skills, along with the ability to interact with a large number of suppliers, organizations, and workers to successfully conduct the project from concept to construction.
To this end, there are some guiding principles, including:
Design and start of the project
First, there is due diligence to determine if the project is feasible. How do you find that out? The feasibility study is a fundamental step. At this stage, it is important to also consider environmental issues, such as the suitability of the soil for construction.
If the conclusion is positive, a so-called project opening term is created to start it. At this early stage, it is also important to identify possible problems and risks, in anticipation of them.
Project definition and planning
Here, the tasks are described within the schedule, noting the project's milestones and the resources needed to execute those tasks within the allocated budget.
It is important to be transparent in this planning and in your communication, so that everyone is on the same page and understands what needs to be done throughout the project life cycle.
This includes detailing the cost, scope, duration, quality, and communications used in the project. Here, the rest of the team is usually defined to execute the project.
It is also recommended to hold a pre-construction meeting to address issues such as work schedules and schedules, material storage, quality control, and access to the site.
Launch of the project
This is the most practical part of managing projects applied to civil construction, with the execution of the project and its plan. Stakeholders are dealt with, necessary adjustments are made for the success of the project, the reallocation of resources, etc. There are also meetings and presentations on the progress of the project.
Monitoring project performance
The project manager will not know if the construction project is actually performing properly if he does not monitor it. It's important to observe progress and track key performance indicators - especially for cost, time, and quality. This reduces the potential for failures, delays, and waste.
Project management tools applied to civil construction
Just as a construction site requires the right tools to build a structure, in the management of projects applied to civil construction, tools are needed to make this management more efficient, safe, practical and agile.
Among these tools, one can consider:
- Gantt charts: it is one of the greatest facilitators for this work. The Gantt chart provides an overview of the construction project and about the tasks that were left behind or were completed on time;
- Balance line: it is a very useful method for repeated tasks. It can provide remarkable assistance in meeting deadlines and allocating resources effectively;
- Critical path method: it is one of the most popular scheduling tools and helps a lot in the systematic distribution of resources and the accurate calculation of schedules. In short, a critical path method can contribute to the early completion of the work or, at least, within the deadline stipulated in your schedule.
Many of these tools are present in systems aimed at the management of civil construction projects, which provide various automation, monitoring and task delegation features, among other facilities that contribute considerably to a more efficient management of projects applied to civil construction.
To learn more about technologies useful in civil construction projects, also check out our article that explains What is the BIM platform.
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