DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
CVE 213: Site Organisational Studies I
Introduction
Eric Adjei
2023
1
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Introduction
Introduction
• Organisation is the systematic arrangement of work
between individuals and groups wit the necessary
allocation of duties and responsibilities among
them to achieve specific objectives
• Organisations have
– Specific objectives
– A formal structure of authority (leadership roles,
subordinate roles, etc)
– Division of work
– A formal system of communications
– A set of formal procedures and customs that distinguish
them from other social entities
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Introduction
Introduction
• In site organization, accomplishment of the
specific goal in the most economical, efficient
and effective manner within the constraints of
time, budget and performance standards is the
prime objective
• Projects are to be delivered on time, within
budget and with high quality
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Outline
• Site Management
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Site Organization
Management of Plant, Materials and Human Resource
Job Description
Assignment of Tasks
• Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour
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Leadership and motivation
Morale development and use
Maintenance, Incentive, Supervision
Leadership role and cultivation of team spirit
• Graphic and Written Presentation
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Resumes
Memoranda
Progress reports
Variation orders
Introduction
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Management Planning
• The aim of construction site management
planning is to find solutions to build in the
cheapest, fastest and safest way possible
– Based on construction sketches and layouts, design
and building standards and owner’s wishes
• Planning of site management is based on
knowledge of building technology and different
methods of the time scheduling of construction
work
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Management Planning
• To fulfil the goal of site management planning,
one must prepare
– The budget of the construction expenses
– The time schedule of construction works
– The construction site layout(s)
– The cost estimate for the set-up of temporary
buildings and site management
– List of risks
• Alternatives solutions can be planned, from
which, one can be selected
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Management Planning
• The following evaluation criteria can be used in
making a selection
– The proportion of the cost of the temporary buildings in
relation to the general cost of the building complex
• Varies from 1.5 to 12%
– The duration of the construction period
– The bill of quantities for temporary buildings, including
their proportion within the overall cost of temporary
works
– The quantity (length, area) of temporary construction
and their cost by type of construction
• Temporary roads, buildings, utility networks etc
– Total labour used in building the temporary structures in
man-days
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation
• Factors to be taken into consideration when
installing a new construction site include:
– Site layout
– Site access
– Storage
– Plant
– Site huts
– Temporary services
– Fencing
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Site Layout
• The purpose for planning an efficient site layout
is to enable the flow of materials and work on
site to be as free as possible from obstruction
• Flow should be orderly and involve minimum
movement of operators and materials
• Before a site layout drawing is prepared, a list
should be compiled of all accommodation and
plant and material storage areas required
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Site Layout
• Site layouts may be prepared around five main
points
1. Movement of personnel, plant and materials
2. Accommodation for administrators, operators,
welfare (first aid, toilets, etc)
3. Work activity areas, eg.
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Repair and cleaning areas for formwork
Steel reinforcing storage/work area
4. Site access – vehicle deliveries, etc
5. Control of site work activities
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Site Layout
• Location of accommodation
– Administration offices are the information and control centre of the site
– Should be situated so as to facilitate checking, supervision and security
on site
• Toilet facilities
– Depends on the location (local or remote) and the number of operatives
involved
• Parking facilities
– Should be located close to the site offices
• Subcontractor accommodation
– May provide their own accommodation or use the main contractor’s
accommodation
• Site clerk’s accommodation
– Best situated near the entry of the site so the clerk can check and inspect
deliveries and direct them to specified areas
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Site Layout
• Adequate protection for the public must be
provided in the form of gantries, dust barriers,
security gates, safety lighting, etc.
• Other considerations include
– Placing signs around the indicate entry, exit, directions
and safety requirements
– Space around the building for scaffolding and
movement of plant and material
– Special storage facilities for inflammable materials such
as oil, paint and gas
– Space for waste disposal container
– Protection of adjoining properties
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Site Layout
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Site Layout
• Important considerations in preparing a site
layout include;
– Analyzing the contract drawings and documents in
detail
– Finding out the restrictions on the use of the site by
the permanent structures
– Analyzing the construction methods to obtain the
required space to be kept clear
– Working out the area of the site which is left for
temporary buildings, storage, etc
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Layout – Site Access
• Access has two separate aspects
– The actual entrance from a highway to the site
– Access within the site
• Vehicles and plants entering or leaving the site or
using the site should be considered in both cases
• Position of the main access to the site must be
practical and sensible but not just the most
convenient
– Should have good visibility and clear of instructions
• Width of the access should be fixed considering the
largest size of vehicle likely to visit the site
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Layout – Site Access
• Access within the site should be convenient for
loading and unloading materials in storage
points or work areas
• Access roads should be made with suitable
materials to avoid vehicles getting stuck
• Car parks can be provided for small vehicles and
vehicles not in use if the site is big enough
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Storage
• Storage involves the occupation of space by materials or
goods
• It is often wise to keep to a minimum the quantity of
materials stored on site to prevent site congestion
• Factors that may influence a contractor to store materials
include the following
– Economic buying of materials – buy in bulk to reduce costs
– Changes in production programs – a revision of initially
planned sequence of operations may require materials
ordered to be stored until required
– Late delivery from suppliers – to prevent last-minute delays
– Limited period of availability of some materials
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Storage
• Valuable materials are stored in a locked room
• All materials should be stored in the correct way
– Aggregates should be stored on a clean, firm base,
preferably concrete and no dirt or access of water
allowed
– Different sizes must be stored separately and near
to the mixer
• Bagged cement or lime should be kept in a dry,
draught-free room or hut.
– Not allowed to come in contact with moisture or
moist air
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation - Plant
• The choice of plant depends primarily on the
work to be done
• A secondary consideration is the size and nature
of the site
• Adequate roadway is required within the site
• Plant should be maintained regularly for high
efficiency
• For static plants, such as tower cranes, care
must be taken to choose a correct sitting to suit
the constructions
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation – Site Huts
• Temporary building for the duration of the
construction work
– Can be timber, concrete, shipping containers, etc
• Used for the administrative purposes, storage,
workshops, operations, laboratories, etc
• Huts should be kept in groups according to their
purpose
• If possible, they are kept away from the actual
construction areas to reduce the level of dust,
noise and fumes
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Site Installation
• Temporary services such as electricity, water,
telephone, drainage facility are needed as soon
as the site is set up.
• Site should be fenced for protection of the
public and adjoining premises as well as
security
– Advantages of fencing should however be compared
against the cost of implications.
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Construction Site Installation
Site Management and Leadership
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Construction Site Installation
Site Management and Leadership
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation
• A good contractor always tries to keep site staff
to a minimum for economic construction
• The right type of employees must therefore be
used
– They must be given freedom and responsibility to
act on their own initiative
– They must have quick communication with each
other
– Their areas of action must be clearly defined
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation
• Key site personnel for a contractor include
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Project Manager
Site engineer
Office manager
General foreman
Plant manger(s)
Contract manager on large jobs
• For small jobs, the duties of the agent and the site
engineer may be combined and the general
foreman may also be the plant foreman
• On large jobs, the Contract Manager may be
appointed over the agent
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – Project Manager
• The project manager is responsible for directing
and controlling the whole of the construction
work on site
• They have the powers to employ, hire
machinery and equipment, purchase materials
and employ sub-contractors
– The power to do these without consulting main firm
office may depend on the size of the job, policy
adopted and standing in the firm.
• May also be called the site manager,
construction manager or agent
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation - Agent
• The agent should be a person with skills
including
– Knowledge in the civil engineering construction
– Ability to command men
– Be a good organizer and administrator
– Have sound business sense
• Job is not just to build properly to the satisfaction of the
engineer but also to make profit for the contractor
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – Site Engineer
• The site engineer is responsible for making sure
that the work is constructed to the right standards
• They may also advise the project manager on all
design and engineering matters
• Duties of a site engineer will include;
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Taking site levels
Planning temporary access, roads and bridges
Concrete batching, plant foundation
Keeping records of progress and quality
Prepare reports as directed by the project manager
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – Office Manager
• Within the site office, the project manager’s
principal administrator is the office manager
• Responsibilities include;
– Carrying out most of the paper workscorrespondence
– Issuing of orders for materials, receiving and
checking
– Checking accounts, making up pay sheets etc
• Normally have other persons working under
him/her such as accountant, order clerk, etc
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – General Foreman
• The general foreman is the project manager’s righthand man for the execution of the works in the
field
• Responsible for keeping the work moving ahead on
a daily basis as the project manager has planned it.
• Has to have wide practical knowledge and
experience
• Must be able to read the engineer’s drawings
• Has to be a leader of the working group
• Must possess foresight and planning ability
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – Plant Manager
• Job is to maintain and service the plant and to
have it available as required
• Advised by the project manager in long-term
planning and by the general foreman for day to
day planning
• Has to maintain power supply to the site
– Thus to run the site generator if need be
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – Resident Engineer
• The resident engineer is the consultant’s
representative on site
• Primary job of the site engineer is to make sure
the project is executed as designed and
instructed by the consultant
• Only responsible to the engineering consulting
firm, even though he/she may be paid by the
client or employer
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Site Organisation – Resident Engineer
• The resident engineer is expected to;
– Coordinate the work of various contractors
– Check that all the materials are ordered in good time and all
necessary permits obtained
– Check that the materials and workmanship are up to
standards
– Watch for faulty workmanship or material and issue
instructions for remedying such faults
– Check the project set-out conforms with the drawings
– Measure amount of work done for the purpose of payment
and to calculate such payments
– Keep records of all measurements and test
– Act as a channel for all claims and disputes’
– Report regularly to the engineering consulting firm
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management
• Good project management in construction must pursue
the efficient use of labour, material and equipment
• The use of new equipment and innovative methods has
made possible wholesale changes in construction
technologies
• The selection of the appropriate type and size of
construction equipment often affects the required
amount of time and effort and thus the job-site
productivity of a project
• Site managers should therefore be familiar with the
characteristics of major types of equipment most
commonly used in construction
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management
• Advantages of utilizing construction equipment
include;
– Increase in rate of output
– Reduction in overall construction costs, especially for
large contracts
– Carrying out activities which cannot be done manually
or to do them more economically and faster
– Eliminate the heavy manual work by human, thus
reducing fatigue and other hazards and health issues
– Maintain high quality standards often required by
present day design and specifications
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management
• Factors that influence construction equipment
selection include;
– Economic consideration
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Owning costs, operating labour cost, operating fuel cost
Resale value
Replacement cost of existing equipment
Salvage value
– Company specific
• Company’s policy on ‘owning’ or ‘renting’ equipment
– Site conditions
• Ground conditions
• Climatic conditions
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management
• Factors that influence construction equipment selection
include;
– Equipment specific
• Should we go with equipment with low initial cost or for standard
equipment?
– Site specific
• Site conditions, both ground and climatic conditions may affect the
equipment selection
– Client and project specification
• Owner may have certain preferences as far as equipment procurement
are concerned
• Schedule, quality and safety requirements demanded for a particular
project may also influence choice of equipment
– Manufacturer specific
• A construction company may prefer to buy equipment from the same
manufacturer over and again
– Labour consideration
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management
• Types of construction equipments and their
selection criteria
– Earthwork equipments
• Backhoe, front shovel, dragline, clamshell, dozers, roller
compactor, scraper, dumper, grader
– Concreting equipments
• Concrete batching and mixing plant; concrete mixers,
concrete transit mixers, concrete pumps
– Hoisting equipments
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Earthworking equipments may either move on
tracks or tires
• Tracked equipment is designed for work activities
requiring high tractive effort or the ability to move
and remain stable on uneven or unstable surfaces
– Tasks such as pushing over tree, removing tree stumps,
moving broken concrete flatwork
• Tracks can be wide or narrow
– Wider tracks have greater floatation on the work
surface
– Narrow track shoes are better for harsh irregular hard
work surfaces
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Tired equipment is more mobile and
maneuverable than tracked equipment
– Better for hauling
– Pulling ability is reduced to reach a higher speed
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Earthwork moving equipment usually have buckets
and/or blades
• Buckets come in many shapes and sizes
• The shape of the bucket and the teeth or
penetration edge is greatly influenced by the
material that is to be excavated or moved
• As materials to be worked becomes harder, buckets
typically become slimmer and elongated
• Buckets can have jaws or apparatus for grasping
irregular shaped loads such as concrete chunks
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• A typical blade configuration is like a “C” from
top to bottom
– As the blade is moved forward and tilted, the
bottom of the blade acts as a cutting edge and the
top edge rolls the materials forward
• Blade configurations include
– A blade
– C blade
– U blade
– S blade
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Angle (A) – can be mounted to the bulldozer in
the center of the panel and can be angled about
30o left or right
– Used primarily for pushing material off to the side
– Excellent for drainage ditch excavation
– Used for grading and surface removal
– Not recommended for rock or hard digging surfaces
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Cushion (C)
– Used primarily with scrapers for ‘on the go’ push
loading
– Can be used for lighter excavation and other general
tasks
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Universal (U)
– Used for moving big loads over longer distances
– Curved shape with side and top extensions to
reduce spillage of loose material
– Best suited for lighter materials
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Straight (S)
– Used primarily for
shallow surface
removal, land
clearing
– Designed to push
earth for short
distances
– Versatile, lightweight
and maneuverable
– Handles a wide range
of materials
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Backhoes are mainly used to clean up
construction areas, to dig holes in the ground,
to smooth uneven ground, to make trenches,
ditches and help to remove deep roots from
trees
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Front shovels are used for excavation purposes
above its own track or wheel level
• They are suitable for heavy positive cutting in all
types of dry soils
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Dragline is used for bulk excavation below its
track level in loose soils, marshy land and areas
containing water
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Clamshell consist of hydraulically controlled
bucket suspended from a lifting arm
• It is mainly used for deep confined cuttings in
pits and trenches
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Dozers are used for moving earth up to a
distance of about 100m and act as a towing
tractor and pusher to scraper machines
• They can be track-mounted or wheel-mounted
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Roller compactor is mainly used for compaction
of earth and other materials in large works of
highways, canals and airports
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Scrapers are used for site levelling, loading,
hauling over distances between 150m – 900m.
• They may be towed, two-axle or three-axle type
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Dumpers are used for horizontal transportation
of materials on and off sites
• Large capacity dumpers are used in mines and
quarries
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• Graders are used for grading and finishing the
upper surface of the earthen formations and
embankments
• They usually operate in the forward direction
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• The selection of earthwork equipments mainly
depends on;
– Quantities of materials to be moved
– The available time to complete the work
– The prevailing soil types, the swell and compaction
factors, etc.
– The job conditions including factors such as
availability of loading and dumping area,
accessibility of site, traffic flows and weather
conditions at site
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Earthwork Equipment
• In order to determine the number of earthwork
equipment needed, the planner needs to determine the
following
– The suitable class of equipment for earthwork
• E.g. if the soil to be excavated is loose or marshy, and bulk excavation
is involved in the project, one may opt for a dragline
– The appropriate model of equipment based on different
characteristics such as payload of bucket and speeds
required
• E.g. draglines come in different capacities, ranging from 0.38 cum to
3.06 cum;
• Scrapers range from 8 cum to 50cum, etc
– The number of equipment needed for the project to carry
out the given quantity
– The number of associated equipment required to support
the main equipment
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Concrete batching and mixing plant are mainly
used for weighing and mixing large quantity of
concrete materials – 20cum/hr t0 250 cum/hr
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Concrete mixers are mainly used for mixing
small quantities of concrete
– 200l/batch for small mixers
– 200 – 750l/batch for large mixers
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Concrete transit mixers are used for
transporting concrete from batching point
(3cum – 9cum)
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Concrete pumps are used for horizontal and
vertical transportation of large volumes of
concrete in short duration (30cum/hr – 120
cum/hr)
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Factors considered during concreting equipment
selection include;
– Site characteristics such as boundary conditions, noise
limitation and other restrictions
– Equipment availability – local availability of equipments,
whether the contractor owns that equipment
– Continuity of operation
– Effect of permanent work
– Weather conditions
– Temporary works
– Time restrictions
– Concrete specifications
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Concrete-mixing equipment selection depends
on factors such as
– Maximum and the total output required in a given
time frame
– The method of transporting the mixed concrete
– The requirement of discharge height of the mixer
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Concrete Equipment
• Concrete placement equipment selection
depends on factors such as
– Capacity of the vehicle
– The output of the vehicle
– The site characteristics
– The weather conditions
– The rental costs, the temporary haul roads
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Hoisting equipments are used mainly for lifting
or lowering of unit load and others
• Hoisting equipment can be classified into two
main groups
– Hoists
• Boom hoists, Chain hoists, Electric hoists
– Cranes
• Derrick crane, Mobile crane, Tower crane
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Boom hoists are used to lift
weights on the hooks that are
attached to the special metal
ropes designed to bear
maximum loads
• Mostly used as industrial
machine where it loads the
weight on containers
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Chain hoists consist of chain rope
and pulley that is used to move the
load from up to down
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Electric hoists are
modernized form of
chain and boom hoist
mostly used in the
industries for fast
working
• Popular in material
handling industries
because it saves
labour costs by
handling maximum
loads at a time with
no damage threats
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Tractor hoist consist of a boom that is attached
with base of tractor and a hook with rope is
installed on this boom that can operate through
driver controls
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Cranes are considered to be one of the most
important equipment used in construction due
to their key role in performing lifting tasks all
over the construction site
• Plenty of crane models are available in different
shapes and sizes
• They fall into three categories
– Derick Cranes
– Mobile Cranes
– Tower Cranes
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Factors influencing the selection of cranes include
– Building design
• Building height, project duration
– Capability
• Power supply, load lifting frequency, operators visibility
– Safety
• Initial planning and engineering
– Economy
• Cost of move in, setup, and move out, cost for rent,
productivity
– Site Conditions
• Soil stability and ground conditions, access road requirements
and accessibility
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Mobile cranes
– Adequate for all types of structures (up to 107m)
– Used for shorter project duration (less than 4
months)
– Not considered to be very safe due to lack of safety
devices and limited switches to prevent overloading
– Can operate in muddy terrain but requires good
ground conditions
– Needs adequate operating clearance
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Tower Cranes
– Preferable for high rise (over 107m)
– Used for longer project duration
– Considered to be very safe due to the presence of
limit switches
– Can operate where ground conditions are poor
– Does not need adequate operating clearance
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Derrick Cranes
– Preferable for high-rise and apartment buildings
– Can be used for both long term and short term
projects
– Cheaper than mobile and tower cranes
– Not considered to be safe
– Used when clearance is inadequate for the other
units and sufficient space is unavailable for the
erection of a tower foundation
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Hoisting Equipment
• Derrick Cranes
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
• Productivity is the unit output per hour
– An accurate prediction of the productivity of
construction equipment is critical for construction
management
– Peak productivity – is the theoretical productivity
governed by design limitations only
– Actual productivity – productivity after taking care of
effective working hours and job management factor on
peak productivity
• Equipments can be broadly classified into two
based on equipment productivity concepts
– Cyclic Operating equipment
– Continuously Operating equipment
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
• Cyclic operating equipments – are machines
which are intentionally or unintentionally
influenced by their operators
𝑄𝑎 = 𝑉𝑛 × 𝑛𝑜 × η
𝑛𝑜 =
Where
Qa = Actual Productivity (Bm3/hr)
Vn = Volume per cycle (Bm3)
𝛈 = Efficiency of the equipment
no = number of cycle/unit time (usually in hours).
To = theoretical cycle time
60
𝑇𝑜
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
• Continuously operating equipments – are
machines that continuously operate
– E.g. pumps, conveyor belts, etc
𝑄𝑎 = 𝑉𝑛 × 𝑎 × 𝑛𝑜 × 60 × η
Where
Qa = Actual Productivity (Bm3/hr)
Vn = Volume per bucket (Bm3)
a = Number of buckets
𝛈 = Efficiency of the equipment
no = number of cycle/unit time (usually in hours).
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
• Productivity of bull dozers are calculated based
on their blade load
𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 (𝑙𝑐𝑚) = 0.375 × 𝑊𝐻𝐿
Where
W = Average width of pile cut by the blade
H = Average height of the pile cut by the blade
L = Greatest length of the pile cut by the blade
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
• A Case 750K bulldozer with a 2.5m blade is to be used to
excavate and push fairly loose earth material. According to
the soils report, the soil to be moved has a 23% swell factor.
When the bulldozer is hauled to the site, a couple of blade
loads are excavated to estimate a typical load. The average
height of a load was 1.2m, with average load width of 1.8m
and load length of 2.7m. The load time suggested by the
manufacturer is about 0.08min. The earth material is pushed
about 60m with an average speed of about 4.2km/h.
Backtrack distance is about 75m with a speed of about
5.2km/hr. Once back to the hole, the bulldozer takes about
0.06min to reposition. An operating cost of GhC250/h is
determined with labour cost of GhC150/hr.
– What is the unit cost for the work, if there is about 920 bcm of
surface material that must be moved by the 750K bulldozer and
the operator works 50min per 60-min hour.
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
First calculate the volume of material to be moved in one production cycle
𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑙𝑐𝑚 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 0.375 × 1.8 × 1.2 × 2.7 = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟖𝟕𝒎𝟑
Calculate how much earth in the bank state to be moved in one production cycle by
factoring in the swell factor
𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒(𝑏𝑐𝑚) =
2.187
= 𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟖𝒎𝟑
1.23
Calculate the cycle time for one production cycle
60
𝐻𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 =
1000 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟒𝟑𝒉𝒓𝒔 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟓𝟕𝒎𝒊𝒏
4.2
75
𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 =
1000 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟒𝟒𝒉𝒓𝒔 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟔𝟓𝒎𝒊𝒏
5.2
𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 = 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 + ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑙 + 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘 + 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 = 0.08 + 0.857 + 0.865 + 0.06 = 𝟏. 𝟖𝟔𝟐𝒎𝒊𝒏
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Construction Equipment Management – Productivity
Calculate the work hour productivity if the operator works 50min per 60-min hour
𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
× 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 (𝑏𝑐𝑚)
𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
50
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
× 1.778 = 𝟒𝟕. 𝟕𝟒 𝒃𝒄𝒎/𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓
1.862
Calculate how long it will take to move the 920 bcm
920
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 =
= 𝟏𝟗. 𝟐𝟕𝒉𝒓 ≈ 𝟏𝟗. 𝟓𝒉𝒓
47.74
Calculate how much it will cost in total
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 250 + 150 × 19.5 = 𝑮𝒉𝑪 𝟕, 𝟖𝟎𝟎
Calculate the unit cost to perform the work
7,800
𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 =
= 𝑮𝒉𝑪 𝟖. 𝟒𝟕 𝒃𝒄𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉
920
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Productivity in construction is often broadly
defined as output per labour hour
• Labour constitutes a large part of the
construction cost
• The quantity of labour hours in performing a
task in construction is more susceptible to the
influence of management than are materials or
capital
• The measure of productivity is often referred to
as labour productivity
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Labour productivity is a measure of the overall
effectiveness of an operating system in utilizing
labour, equipment and capital to convert labour
efforts into useful output
– It is not a measure of capabilities of labour alone
– Investing in a new equipment to perform certain
tasks in construction may increase output – thus
higher labour productivity
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Factors affecting job-site productivity may be
categorized into three
– Labour characteristics
• Age, skill, workforce experience, leadership and
motivation
– Project work conditions
• Job size and complexity, site accessibility, labour
availability, equipment utilization, climate
– Non-productive activities
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Non-productive activities associated with a project
may or may not be paid by the owner
– They however take up potential labour resources
• The non-productive activities include;
– Indirect labour required to maintain the progress of the
project
– Rework for correcting unsatisfactory work
– Temporary work stoppage due to inclement weather or
material shortage
– Time off for union activities
– Absentee time, including late start and early quits
– Non-working holidays
– Strikes
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Factors that may be used in evaluating labour
characteristics include
– Quality of work – caliber of work produced or accomplished
– Quantity of work – volume of acceptable work
– Job knowledge – demonstrated knowledge of requirements,
methods, techniques and skils
– Related work knowledge – knowledge of effect of work upon
other areas and knowledge of related areas which have
influence on assigned work
– Resource utilization – ability to delineate project needs and
locate, plan and effectively use all resources available
– Dependability – reliability in assuming and carrying our
commitments and obligations
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Factors cont.
– Analytical ability – effectiveness in thinking through a
problem and reaching sound conclusions
– Communicative ability – effectiveness in using oral and
written communications and in keeping subordinates,
associates, superiors and others adequately informed
– Interpersonal skills – effectiveness in relating in an
appropriate and productive manner to others
– Ability to work under pressure – ability to meet tight
deadlines and adapt to changes
– Security sensitivity – ability to handle confidential
information appropriately and to exercise care in
safeguarding sensitive information
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Labour Productivity
• Factors cont.
– Safety consciousness – has knowledge of good safety
practices and demonstrate awareness of own personal safety
and the safety of others
– Profit and Cost Sensitivity – ability to seek out, generate and
implement profit-making ideas
– Planning effectiveness – ability to anticipate needs, forecast
conditions, set goals and standards, plan and schedule work
and measure results
– Leadership – ability to develop in others the willingness and
desire to work towards common objectives
– Delegating – effectiveness in delegating work appropriately
– Development of people – ability to select, train and appraise
personnel, set standards of performance, and provide
motivation to grow their capacity
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management
• Materials management is an important element in project
planning and control
– It represent a major expense in construction
– Minimizing procurement or purchase costs presents important
opportunity to cut down costs
• Poor materials management can result in large and avoidable
costs during construction
– Capital may be tied up along with interest charges if materials are
purchased early
– Materials may deteriorate during storage or be stolen if care is not
taken
– Delays and extra expenses may be incurred if materials required
for particular activities are not available
• Ensuring timely flow of materials is therefore of important
concern to project managers
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management
• Decisions about material procurement may be
required during the initial planning and
scheduling stages and not just during the
monitoring stage
• Availability of materials may greatly influence
the schedule in projects with a fast track or very
tight time schedule
– Sufficient time for obtaining necessary materials
must be allowed
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Procurement and Delivery
• Materials for delivery to and from a
construction site may be broadly classified as
– Bulk materials
– Standard off-the-shelf materials
– Fabricated members or units
• The process of delivery, including
transportation, field storage and installation will
be different for these classes of materials
• Equipment needed to handle and haul these
classes of materials will also be different
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Procurement and Delivery
• Bulk materials – refer to materials in their natural
or semi-processed state
– E.g. earthwork to be excavated, wet concrete mix, etc
– Usually encountered in large quantities in construction
• Some bulk materials such as earthwork or gravels
may be measured in bank (solid in-situ) volume
• Quantities of materials for delivery may be
substantially different when expressed in different
measures of volume depending on the
characteristics of such materials
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Procurement and Delivery
• Standard off-the-shelf materials are used extensively in
the chemical process industry
– E.g. pipes, valves, etc
– They can be stockpiled, making their delivery process
relatively simple
• Fabricated members are pre-processed in a shop to
simplify the field installation procedures
– E.g. steel beams, columns, precast beams, prestressed
beams, etc.
– If work can be done in the shop where working conditions
can be better controlled, then it is advisable to do so,
provided the fabricated member or unit can be shipped to
the construction site in a satisfactory manner at a reasonable
cost
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Goods purchased represent an inventory used
during the construction process
• Main aim of inventory control is to minimize the
total cost of keeping the inventory while making
tradeoffs among major categories of costs
– Purchase cost
– Order cost
– Holding cost
– Unavailable cost
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Purchase cost – is the unit purchase price from an
external source including transportation and freight
costs
– Common to receive discounts for bulk purchases for
construction materials
– Unit purchase cost therefore declines as quantity
increases
– Reductions may reflect manufacturers’ marketing
policies, economies of scale in the material production,
or scale economies in transportation
– There may also be advantages in having homogeneous
materials
• E.g. a bulk order to ensure the same colour or size of items
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Factors affecting unit costs of materials may depend on
– Bargaining leverage
– Quantities
– Delivery time
• Organisations with potential for long-term purchase
volume can command better bargaining leverage
• While orders in large quantities may result in lower unit
prices, they may also increase holding costs
– Thus causing problems in cash flow
• Design characteristics which include items of odd sizes or
shapes should be avoided
– Normally not available in standard stockpile and can increase
prices
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Transportation costs are affected by shipment sizes
• Shipment by the full load of a carrier often reduces
prices and assures quicker delivery
– Carrier can travel from the origin to the destination of the
full load without having to stop for delivering part of the
cargo at other stations
• Avoiding transshipment also help in reducing shipping
cost
– Transshipment is shipment of goods to an intermediate
destination, then to another destination
• Requirement of delicate handling of some items may
favour a more expensive mode of transportation to avoid
breakage and replacement cost
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Order cost reflect the administrative expense of issuing a
purchase order to an outside supplier
• Order costs include;
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Expenses of making requisitions
Analysing alternative vendors
Writing purchase orders
Receiving materials
Inspecting materials
Checking on orders
Maintaining records of the entire process
• Order costs are usually only a small portion of total costs
of material management in construction projects
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Holding or carrying costs are primarily the result of capital
costs, handling, storage, obsolescence, shrinkage and
deterioration
• Capital cost results from the opportunity cost or financial
expense of capital tied up in inventory
• Once payment for goods is made, borrowing costs are
incurred
– Consequently, a capital carrying cost is incurred which is equal to
the value of the inventory during the period multiplied by the
interest rate obtainable or paid during that period
• Capital costs only accumulate when payment of materials
actually occurs
– Many organisations attempt to delay payments as long as possible
to minimize such costs.
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Handling and storage represent the movement and
protection charges incurred for materials
• Storage costs also include the disruption caused to
other project activities by large inventories of
materials that get in the way
• Obsolescence is the risk that an item will lose value
because of changes in specifications
• Shrinkage is the decrease in inventory over time
due to theft or loss
• Deterioration reflects a change in material quality
due to age or environmental degradation
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Inventory Control
• Unavailability cost is incurred when a desired
material is not available at the desired time
• Shortages may delay work, thereby wasting labour
resources or delaying the completion of the entire
project
• Cost associated with shortage may be difficult to
assess
– If the material used for one activity is not available, it
may be possible to assign workers to other activities
– Depending on which activities are critical, the project
may not be delayed
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Materials Management – Control System
• Objectives of adopting a material control system include
– To assess material requirements so as to allow for periods of
manufacture, distribution and delivery appropriate to the
construction situation
– To facilitate forward planning, thus enabling material supplies and
prices to be fully evaluated
– To enable checks to be made on material utilization with the
objective of controlling or reducing waste
– To enable key materials which affect the construction progress to
be incorporated into the contract programme
– To take advantage of favourable trading conditions, and where
applicable, bulk buying facilities
– To enable site management to assess the influence of materials on
planning procedures and site layout
– To incorporate materials requirement into the planning process
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Stores Management
• Stores management is concerned with ensuring
that all the activities involved in storekeeping
and stock control are carried out efficiently and
economically by those employed in the store
• Objectives of site stores management is to
– ensure stores staff correctly issue and charge items
– Maintain stock records to ensure accurate stock
taking procedures
– Assist operatives to acquire materials, items and
equipment from stores
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Stores Management
• Functions of a properly organized stores system include;
– Completing a purchase requisition for each purchase order.
Purchasing officer will be responsible for the placement of
stores purchase orders
– Availability of goods inwards inspector to check or test
incoming materials to ensure that they conform to
requirements and are fit to pass into stores for subsequent
project use
– Goods inwards receipt notes to be issued by goods inwards
inspectors when they are satisfied that goods comply with
purchase order needs
• One copy will accompany the materials into stores
– Reject notes are produced by inspectors when deliveries are
deficient or damaged or unacceptable.
• They ensure that replacement materials are obtained quickly
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Stores Management
– Shortage list are compiled by store men to highlight any
stock deficiencies.
– Stock control procedures to govern the procurement and
stockholding levels of materials
– Requisitions for stores issues – store requisition authorize
the release of materials from stores and charged to a
particular job.
• Form contains items like job number, department, description of
material, quantity, unit and cost if necessary
– Stores issues – issues require the authority of project
management staff. The usual procedure for the release of
material from stock is that the person requiring the materials
presents a properly authorized stores requisition to the store
man
– Surplus materials – at the end of the project, an inventory
should be made of the remaining materials in stock and
arrange for disposal as directed by the Project manager.
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Management and Leadership
Stores Management
• Stock control comprises mainly the clerical and administrative
functions of stores work
• It includes;
– Ensuring that the right types and qualities of materials needed for
work, are always available when required
– Ensuring that stock is issued in the correct sequence, that is, first
in first out, so that “older” stock is not allowed to deteriorate by
being kept too long in the store
– Maintaining records showing the “movement” of items into and
out of the store
– Ensuring that the correct ‘stock levels’ of the various items are set
and are maintained, that orders and reorders are made in good
time, and that what is ordered is received
– Checking, counting or measuring stock to ensure that records are
accurate and that no losses are occurring due to pilfering, theft,
damage or poor storage
– Pricing and valuing that items in the store
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Fundamentals of Organisational Behaviour
• Organisational behaviour is the study and application of
knowledge about how individuals and groups act in
organisations
• All three components of organizational behaviour needs
to be studied
– Individual
– The Group
– The organisation
• The main objective of any organisation is to achieve
results effectively and efficiently
– Effectiveness means producing the intended or expected
results
– Efficiency borders on competency in performance and use of
resources
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Fundamentals of Organisational Behaviour
• Whenever people interact, may factors come into
play
– Constructive, destructive, positive, negative, etc.
• Organisational behaviour looks at work behaviour
– What people do in an organisation
– How that behaviour affects the performance of the
organisation
• Organisational behaviour is interested in
understanding, predicting and controlling overt
behaviour at work
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Fundamentals of Organisational Behaviour
• The three levels of analysis (individual, group and
organisation) tend to correspond closely to the
levels of a manager’s responsibility
• Individuals bring a complex set of characteristics,
experiences, skills, value and attitudes to the
workplace
– They have an impact on their level of performance
• Managers can have impact on employee behaviour
through motivation, counselling, training,
communication, vision sharing and job satisfaction
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Fundamentals of Organisational Behaviour
• Work groups are created within organisations to
enable individuals to interact and contribute to an
organisation’s production purpose
– People behave differently when working in a group
– Communication patterns and levels of conflict will affect
group behaviour
• Communication is the way in which information is
transmitted between the individual and the group
– it is an essential link between the three levels
• The group and the organisation are in turn linked
through leadership and the authority conveyed
through the organisational structure
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Fundamentals of Organisational Behaviour
• Changing and developing employee behaviour is a
key factor in organisational behaviour
– Organisation’s human resources practices (e.g. selection
processes, training programmes, performance
appraisals, etc) influence employee’s productivity,
absenteeism, high turnover and job satisfaction
• Managers are responsible for the performance of
one or more subordinates
• Manager’s immediate concerns are
– Task performance (quality and quantity of work
produced)
– Human resource maintenance
• Absenteeism, grievances, turnover, performance, etc
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Fundamentals of Organisational Behaviour
• Organisational behaviour study helps to develop
the ability to solve problems and prevent them
from occurring
• Good managers are problem solvers
• It is important for managers to have some idea
of why people do what they do in an
organisation
• Examples of problem indicators include
– Absenteeism, high turnover, negative attitudes,
poor quality work, declining work quantity
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Conflicts among team members on projects are
inevitable due to its dynamic nature
• Conflict is a disagreement between people caused
by personality differences, miscommunication, or
technical and administrative issues
• Conflict is beneficial when it pushes people to
higher levels of performance or when it results in
the development of new information that
enhances the decision-making process
• Conflict is detrimental when it impedes project
objectives with no positive consequences
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Little or no conflict decreases effectiveness in the
organisation
– It produces apathy, stagnation, and lack of new ideas
• High level of conflict also decreases effectiveness in
the organisation
– It creates disruption, chaos and lack of cooperation
• An optimal level of conflict increases organisational
effectives
– It produces self-evaluation and innovation
• Managers, therefore should not try to eliminate
conflict but manage it.
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Conflicts can arise over the following
– The distribution of resources
– Access to information
– Disagreement about decisions
– The perception by an individual that he or she is not
respected or fully part of the team
– Different agenda among team members
• Conflicts can have a negative influence by
fostering interpersonal hostility, reduced
performance and dissension in the team
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• On a construction site, some of the things that lead
to conflicts may include
– Modification of drawings
– Reassignment of team members
– Changes in meeting dates that are not communicated to
other team members
• Ways of managing conflicts include;
–
–
–
–
–
Withdrawal
Smoothing
Compromising
Confronting
Forcing
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Withdrawal means giving up or retreating from the
conflict issue
• The person purposely ignores the conflict because
he wants to avoid causing problems, or out of fear,
or feeling inadequate to resolve the issue
– It is a poor way of managing conflicts
– It is a stopgap attempt to resolve conflicts and does not
solve the problem
– It is a passive approach to solving a problem and only
temporarily delays the inevitable future reoccurrence of
the problem
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Smoothing seeks to maintain friendly relations by
emphasizing common areas of agreement and deemphasizing areas of differences
• Smoothing is a more active technique to managing
conflicts
• However, it only avoid the conflict temporarily by
appeasing one or more of the parties involved in the
conflict
• It may not address the real issues
– It may be effective because identifying areas of agreement
may put the disagreement into clearer perspective
– Project work can therefore continue in areas where there is
agreement
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Compromising involves bargaining between the
disputing parties to reach an acceptable
agreement
• Disputing parties make trade-offs that often fall
short of idea solutions
• Compromising does not result in a definitive
resolution
– Leaving opportunities for a reoccurrence of the
conflicts
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Confronting is a method of resolving conflicts that
requires participation by all parties involved in the
conflict
• Requires an open dialogue to identify the root problems
and a joint effort to resolving the conflict
• Potential to find final, mutually acceptable solutions is
usually higher
• For some situations, it may be necessary for the project
manager to exercise authority to force a resolution of the
conflict
• Forcing a resolution may create resentment or other
adverse reactions that can affect the team’s future
performance
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Conflict Management
• Forcing involves a straightforward use of
authority power in resolving the conflict by
exerting one’s viewpoint over the others
• Should be used only as a last resort or in urgent
situations
• It may cause resentment and deterioration of
the work climate
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation
• Motivation involves providing leadership for
subordinates
– Requires the ability to inspire them to give of their best in
achieving the objectives as well as in their own best interest
– Can be done by creating a good morale or working spirit
amongst all employees
• A person’s motivation is a combination of desire and
energy directed at achieving a goal
• Influencing someone’s motivation means getting them to
want to do what you know must be done
• Supervisors want to motivate employees because it gets
more work down from them with less effort on the part
of the organisation
• As a leader, you have the power to influence motivation
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation
• Objectives of an organisation can be achieved only
through the efforts of people
– They need to be motivated (induced, persuaded) to give
off their best
– What motivates one person or group of people might
not motivate another
– A manager should therefore get to know something
about each of their subordinates as much as possible
• Financial rewards are more of an incentive than a
motivation to many people
• Many employees today are interested in gaining
more from their employment than just money
– Job satisfaction – doing jobs which they enjoy
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation
• In the early 1950s, A. H. Maslow developed a
theory of motivation called the hierarchy of needs
• The theory has been used to
– Understand why people behave they way they do
– Motivate them
– Enlist their commitment
• Maslow proposed that humans are wanting
animals and their wants become needs
– The quest to satisfy their needs drives or motivates
people
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation
• The needs include basic physical and
psychological needs, which are perceived in the
human mind and satisfied by material things
• Maslow proposed that the needs of humans
follow a hierarchy, beginning with comfort and
basic survival
– Food, clothing and shelter
• Once this first need is satisfied, humans seek to
satisfy the next higher level of need
– Belonging, ego, and finally self-fulfilment
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Leadership and Motivation
Organisational Behaviour
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation
• Determining the needs of people is not easy to
accomplish in the day-to-day work environment
– It may be necessary to spend time in an informal
setting to build a relationship that provides
understanding of what is important to a team
member
• E.g a team member may be concerned about having
adequate time to attend a child’s school function or care
for an ill family member. Such a member may be
motivated by being allowed flexible work hours with the
understanding that the time will be made up at nights or
on week-ends
– Needs of people may also change
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Ways of Motivating a Team
• Allow the needs of your team to coincide with the
needs of your organisation
– Needs of job security, promotion, raises
– People are also influenced by internal forces such as
values, morals, ethics
– Ensure team is trained, encouraged and have
opportunity to advance
• Reward good behaviour
– Certificates, letter, a thank you note may seem small
and insignificant, but can be powerful motivation tools
– Rewards should be specific and prompt, citing the
specific action that made the person receive the award
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Ways of Motivating a Team
• Set an example
– The leader must be a role model that wants others to
grow into
• Allow your team to be part of the planning and
problem solving process
– It helps in their development and allows employers to
coach employees
– It gives them a personal interest in seeing to a successful
implementation of the plan
– Communication is clearer as everyone has a better
understanding of what role they must play as part of the
team
– Creates an open trusting communication bond
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Ways of Motivating a Team
• Look out for your team
– You must show concern for your team members even though
you do not have control over their personal lives
• Keep them informed
– It allow members to have a sense of control over their lives
• Counsel people who behave in a way that is counter to
the company’s goals
– Let people who are not performing to an acceptable
standard know of them
– Protect people when needed
• Trust and respect
– Give people the trust and respect they deserve and they will
respond to requests much more favourably
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Morale Development
• Morale is the mental, emotional and spiritual
state of a person
• Ethics are the morale principles that control or
influences a person’s behaviour
• An employer is to accept certain rights of the
employees
– Right of conscientious refusal – it is the right of the
employee to refuse to engage in unethical
behaviour and to refuse to do so solely because one
views it as unethical
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Morale Development
– Right to whistle blowing – whistle blowing is alerting
relevant persons to some immoral or illegal act in the
organisation by an employee
• There are two major whistle blowing – internal and external
– Right to pursue non-work activities of choice –
employees should be permitted to join any society or
movement and pursue its activities outside their duty
hours
• they however cannot sabotage the employer’s interest during
off-hours
– Right to privacy off the job – employees have the right
to lead their private lives according to their choice and
employers should not interfere into this
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Morale Development
– Right to equal treatment while on the job – equal
work equal pay should be the slogan followed by
any employer
• Avoiding discrimination leads to happy employees and
high morale
– Right for protection against sexual harassment –
employer should be always monitoring whether
there is any sexual harassment in his organization
• an effective grievance redressal mechanism will improve
the morale of employees
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Cultivating Team Spirit
• Team spirit is the catalytic agent to performance
• Strategic plans, technology and capital
investments are important in construction
projects, but emotional commitment of the
employees executing the plans will determine if
they succeed or sink
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Organisational Behaviour
Leadership and Motivation – Cultivating Team Spirit
• Ways of cultivating team spirit include
– Wall of fame – display awards, trophies, certificates or other professional
or personal success on a shelf in the office dedicated to showing off
individual or team achievements
– Peer pats - send message to team, acknowledging a worker of an award
or a good job done.
• Do now wait for management to recognize them
– Personal messages – encourage team members to create some sort of
personal message or information
• Accolades, hobbies, greatest achievement, holiday retreats
– Brain power inventory – hold social events involving team members to
have people show off the skills and interests
• Musicians, instrumentalist, artists, sportsmen etc
– Plan to attend sporting events, concerts, movies, etc as a group – rent a
bus and ride together
– Recognise and celebrate significant achievement and milestones
reached
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Supervision
• Effective supervision is concerned with
–
–
–
–
–
Monitoring work in hand
Reviewing progress against work plans
Discussing problems
Developing solutions
Delegating new tasks and projects
• Effective supervision should maximize learning on the job
and support the individual in a way which is appropriate
to their stage of development
• Effective supervision is a vital tool in helping ensure peak
performance from employees
– It ensure everyone is working together towards a common
goal
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Supervision – Monitoring and Control
• Monitoring serves two main purposes
– Check the quality and quantity of work being done
– Provides data that can be used to improve future
operations
• There are two aspects of monitoring
– Site visits and inspections
– Desk review
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Supervision – Monitoring and Control
• Site visits enable the site manager to get
familiar with site conditions and to gain first
hand knowledge of the extent and quality of
work done
• The manager can advice on problems as they
arise
• Seeing the manager on site also boost the
morale of workers and improve their standard
of work and output
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Supervision – Monitoring and Control
• Desk review is an office task which involves
reviewing all the documentation so as to assess
the performance of the programme
– Inspection reports
– Resource requirement forms
– Work schedules
– Completed worksheets
• It provides an opportunity to check that
adequate resources were allocated to each task
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Supervision – Monitoring and Control
• Progress of work is tracked by comparing actual
work done with that planned
– Cost estimates can be compared with expenditure
– Variances or shortfalls are noted
• Variances in schedule may result from inadequate assignment
of resources, poor control over the work, lower productivity
etc
• Weekly site meeting are organised to discuss
results of review work and find ways of correcting
any variances
• Introducing incentives for achieving the
programme of work may motivate workers
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Supervision – Monitoring and Control
• Variation order is an instruction that is given to
the contractor concerning any addition or
subtraction to the original contract
• The engineer/architect is authorized to order
the contractor to
– Carry out extra works
– Omit an item of work
– Make changes to the design of the project
– Alters the amount specified in the contract
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Variation Order Example
• A road rehabilitation project has a contract sum of
GhC 500,000. The resident engineer authorized the
following variations and the contractors executed
them on site:
3.4 A change from 450mm U-drain costing GhC 65,600 to 600mm U-drain
costing GhC 88,400
3.5 A reduction in the area of granular roadbase from 24,000m2 to 22,800m2 at
a bill rate of GhC 2.50 per m2
3.3 Addition of 2 No. inspection chambers, each costing GhC 904
3.8 GhC 6540 extra cost of bridge works
– Prepare a variation order and determine the new
contract sum
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Variation Order Example
VARIATION ORDER NO. 1
Add
GhC
3.3
2 No. inspection chambers (2 @ 904)
1 808
3.4
600mm U-drain
88 400
3.5
Granular road based (22,800m2 @ 2.5)
57 000
3.8
Bridge works
6 540
Total
153 748
Omit
GhC
3.4
450mm U-drain
65 500
3.5
Granular road based (24,000m2 @ 2.5)
60 000
Total
125 500
Variation Order No. 1 (Net Addition)
28 248
Old Contract Sum
500 000
New Contract Sum
528 248
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Instructions
• A site instruction is a formal written order given to
contractors or sub-contractors on specific project issues
by the head of the project or consultant
• Issues may include
–
–
–
–
–
–
Delay in progress
Defective work or materials
Guidance on how to carry out a specific item of work
Permission to proceed with an item of work
Amendments to procedure
General project challenges, etc
• Site instructions are formal documents and can be
presented during disputes, claims, variations, arbitration
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Instructions
• A good site instruction must contain the following
– The name of the firm and the individual issue the instruction
– The name of the firm and the individual receiving the
instruction
– The place, date and time that the instruction was issued
– The team that issued the instruction and the head of the
team
– The current observation on site for the item of work for
which instruction is being issued
– The instruction on what is to be done (with sketches if
applicable)
– The signatures of the person issuing and receiving the
instruction
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Instructions
Site Supervision
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Site Instructions – 7 Day Rule
• All instructions issued by the consultant shall be issued in
writing
– Any verbal instructions, direction or explanations involving a
variation shall be confirmed in writing by the contractor to
the consultant within seven days
– If not dissented from in writing by the consultant to the
contractor within a further seven days, then it shall be
deemed to be consultant’s instructions
• If the contractors does not comply within seven days
after receipt of a written notice from the consultant, the
employer may employ and pay other persons to execute
any work which may be necessary to give effect to such
instructions
– Costs incurred shall be deducted from the contractor’s next
payment certificate
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Dayworks
• Bill of Quantities normally contain list of dayworks
– That is the contractor’s hourly daily rates for various types of
labourers and equipment
• Dayworks is payment to a contractor based on cost of
materials, equipment and wages plus a percentage for
overheads and profit
• The Resident Engineer may order the contractor to carry out
minor work for which there are no unit rates in the bill of
quantities as dayworks
– Such orders are done in writing
– Works are paid according to the rates given by the contractor in
their tender for equipment and labourers
– Materials are paid for as the purchase price (verified by receipts)
plus a certain mark-up(30-40%) to cover overheads and profit
– Account of men, machines and materials used are submitted by
the contractor each day for approval and payment
• Dayworks are for minor works only
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Project Reports
• The project manager (contractor) and resident
engineer (consultant) are responsible for
submitting regular report on the project’s
progress
• Type of project reports incude
– Progress report – to be submitted regularly during
the implementation of the project
– Final/Completion report – to be submitted when
the project is done
– Project evaluation report – to be carried out
sometime after the project is completed
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Project Reports
• Progress report enable the consultant to
monitor work done on the project
– Describe the operations, activities and finances for
each report period (usually monthly)
• Final report describe the entire project
– A qualitative summary of the project as a whole
– Should contain the relevant information for the
financiers of the project as well as other
organisations that can have an interest of or benefit
form the experiences and results of the project
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Project Reports
• Evaluation report assesses the appropriateness
of the objectives, the rate of achievement of
objectives, effectiveness and sustainability
– Results of an evaluation must be trustworthy and in
a form that makes the findings useful to be
incorporated in the decision processes of new
projects
• Evaluation report is the most important single
feedback document in development work
• It is undertaken as a combination of desk and
field study
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Project Reports – Weekly Progress
• Weekly reports are done by the site manager and submitted
to the contractor’s head office
• The contract manager is responsible for analysing the weekly
information received and implementing the appropriate
action
• Purpose of weekly reports to the contractor include;
– Keeping the head office informed of the current progress
– Providing a detailed record of contract resources including labour,
material, and plant utilisation
– Reporting problem areas relating to labour, material and plant
requirement which are likely to affect future progress
– Monitoring key dates relating to the receipt of information at site
management level
– Summarise major instructions received from the engineer in the
form of verbal or written instructions
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Project Reports – Weekly Progress
• Many companies use standard weekly progress
report designed to collect data relative to the
company’s individual requirements
• Information contained in the weekly report
include;
– Contract information – name of project, name of site
manager, date and current week number, contract start
and end dates
– Current progress – the percentage completion of each
activity along with an assessment of the completion
date.
– Future progress – a review of activities to be undertaken
in the following week
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Project Reports – Weekly Progress
– Labour summary – all labour employed on the project including
both domestic and nominated subcontractors
– Plant – summary of plant currently being used on site together
with any urgent requirements for the immediate period
• Plants to be sent to head office or hirer should be listed together with
instructions for collection or return
– Drawings received – summary of all new and revised drawings
issued
– Weather conditions – summary of weather conditions over the
past week
• It enables lost time to be assessed due to the inclement weather and
may later be used to formulate an application for an extension of time
– Urgent requirements – major areas requiring immediate action by
the head office
– Other relevant information – may contain details of visitors to site,
accidents recorded etc
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Memorandum (Memo)
• Memos are brief printed documents traditionally
used for routine, day-to-day communication within
an organisation
– They are used to convey decisions, meeting agendas,
policies, internal report and short proposals
• Engineers and scientist use memos to make
requests, give announcements and to
communicate reports
• Sentences and paragraph lengths in memos should
be kept relatively short
• Memos should not be more than one page long
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Memorandum (Memo)
• A memo should have the following;
– document title, indicating the word “Memo” or
“Memorandum”
– a heading section which indicate who recipient of
the memo, who it writing the memo, the date and
the subject
• Subject line should be specific and in a few words
– Message section to convey the message
CVE213 Site Organisational Studies I
Site Supervision
Memorandum (Memo)
• The message section should have the following
– Memo Opening – explains the reason for the
correspondence (the problem or need for the
memo)
– Brief discussion – gives details about the problem,
need or announcement.
• Should be kept short and straight to the point
– Closing – states clearly the action you expect the
recipient to take, or what you will do for them
• Include attachments if any