Site Organization & Management

Reg. No.

ASSIGNMENT
NICMAR / CODE OFFICE

1. Name -
2. Reg. No. -
3. Course No. - NCP 30
4. Course Title - Site Organization & Management

ASSIGNMENT
Your company has been awarded a prestigious contract of building 500 m length
pre-stressed concrete bridge on a national highway crossing the major river. Due
to cultivation on both sides of highway, very restricted space of only 100m in
width and 300m in length is available on both sides of highway.
To mobilize the site, your management has asked you to house 350T of cement,
300 T of steel, 2 size II crawler Tractor Dozer, one mobile crane, one JCB, ten
dumpers. Labor force of 100 men in addition to site office complete with
communication setup.
Discuss your plan to organize the site, draw layout sketch showing all details.
Wind direction is from West to East and Bridge direction is East-West.

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PROJECT BRIEF:

Our Company has been awarded a prestigious contract of building 500 m. length pre-
stressed concrete bridge on national highway crossing the major river. Due to
cultivation on both sides of highway, very restricted space of only 100M in width and
300M is available on both sides of the highway.

My company has appointed me as the project in-charge for the above-mentioned

project and wants to know the Plan of Action to be taken by me to mobilize the site.
Further detail as mentioned below was given by my Head of the Department to help in
skillfully working out my plan.

To house 350T of cement, 300T of steel, 2 size II crawler-Tractor Dozer, one mobile
crane, one JCB, 10 Dumpers. Labor forces of 100 men in addition to site office
complete with Communication set up.

Wind Direction is from West to East and Bridge Direction is from East to West.
The site plan can be seen in Diagram No. 1 below.

SITE PLAN
(Diagram no. 1)

MANAGEMENT as it is truly defined is THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING

AND MAINTAINING AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS,
WORKING TOGETHER IN GROUPS ACCOMPLISH SELECTED AIM

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The aim here is being Construction and Development of a National Highway across a
river, where restricted space has been made available on either side of the National
Highway for mobilization. Thus a thorough study of equipment requirement,
manpower needed, etc. in order to plan them correctly on the available space, became
a critical part of the project.

Once the project goal was established, the construction project, which goes into three
stages as mentioned underneath, was started.

1) Pre-Construction Planning
2) Construction Stage
3) Post Construction and Finalization

Formulation of Project

Pre-construction Planning stage is the most important stage in itself, since being the
beginning of the project. Keeping in mind any delay caused or any setbacks created at
this stage, can bring adverse effect in the long run of the project.

Thus taking full co-operation from our head office and from our CEO, an operation to
prepare a thorough MASTER CONTROL NETWORK was taken up as the first and
foremost move.

An important aspect of pre-construction stage activity is that, on the efficiency of

planning, depends to a large extent the success of the project.

After making a thorough study on the project with regards to parameter of the project,
methodology of construction, planning, time frame, cost aspect, quality norm and
manpower required, a Site Organization Chart as can be seen in diagram No. 2 along
with a Bar chat as can be seen in Diagram No. 3 were prepared.

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As I had been appointed as the project manager by my company for the project under
consideration, it was me who had to carry the entire project by myself with best of
abilities, versatility, experience, commitment, managerial skills and above all
leadership qualities which are most important for any project. It is necessary for a
project Manager to possess qualities as mentioned under:
1) A technically sound person appropriately qualified with adequate experience
on comparable project.
2) A good leader capable of galvanizing the project team to achieve common
goal.
3) A good planner himself to guide the planning process.
4) Analyses data and takes quick decision.
5) A trouble shooter, should be able to pickup the problem areas for affecting
solution.
6) A disciplinarian, who is liked, respected and at the time feared.
7) Possess good communication skill and language ability.
Given below are some of the responsibilities of a good project Manager:
1) Coordinating the effort of the project team and functional department.
2) Project scheduling and achieving the scheduled program to complete the project.
3) Mobilization resources such as material, labor equipment, funds.
4) Monitoring performance on regular basis, and reporting to head office and top
management.
5) Maintaining close liaison with the top management and transmitting their
perception to the project team.
6) Coordination and liaison with all agencies e.g. statutory bodies, Government,
Owner, Consultant, Public Bodies. He would create a positive image of the project,
maintain good communication and dispel fear or doubt, removing misconception
about the project.
7) Foreseeing problem ahead of occurrence and formulating a contingency plan.
8) Quality assurance and quality control.

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9) Project Cost control.

10) Management of project team and personnel. The organization should operate as a
group, and not in water tight bureaucratic layers.
11) Control and safeguard of asset under his control.
12) Maintain financial propriety and observe professional norm, to depict picture of
transparency and fair play.

With reference to the Site - organization chart (Diagram No. 2), given below are the
works to be done by different heads of each department.

1) Planning and Monitoring Manager:

Any site is headed by a Planning manager, who works closely with the Project
Manager/ Engineer In Charge. His technical knowledge of the project, scheduling and
controlling techniques are important for the project success. He prepares and updates
the Master Control Network and sub network. At major sites a computer should be
installed which would keep the network updated and take out resources and input
required from time to time.

He should ensure that the site and the head office work in total co-ordination. Thus
through a proper MIS (Management Information System) flow of information is
maintained between the site and Head office.

2) Project Engineer:

The entire site is subdivided into areas and zones where construction activity is
undertaken. Each area or zone is controlled by a project Engineer, who is responsible
for actual execution of the work. The responsibility of the Project engineer is to
arrange all input such as material labor, plant and equipment either directly or by co-

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ordination with other department of the project. The project manager is the King pin
of the construction. It is in his area that the work is being really executed. He is the
representative of the client/owner, get quality control carried out, work accepted,
measurement taken and raise bill for payment. He has to maintain daily site record of
important noteworthy events taking place. If there are any work stoppages or hold up,
these needs to be recorded in a hindrance register. An extract of the hindrance register
can be sent to the client on a monthly basis. Ultimately, this extract could form one of
the basis for future claims to be established on account of work delay.

3) Quality Control Engineer:

A quality Control laboratory and testing facilities are set up at every major site. The
quality control Engineer will ensure that work is progressing with the quality norms.
It is a good practice to prepare a Field Quality Assurance manual at the very start of
the project. This document will detail all the requirement of quality test and checks,
which will be carried out at various stages as the project proceeds. The norm of
quality should be Quality first time, every time. A Field Quality Assurance Manual
serves the purpose of sensitizing all the project team including the client
representatives to the requirement of quality maintenance at the site. In a
multidisciplinary construction project, where along with civil engineering other
disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, electronic, instrumentation, air-conditioning
and refrigeration, communication etc. also come into operation, needs provision of
equipment, machinery and fixtures, which have laid down specification and quality
norm to be followed. Such equipment being manufactured by a vendor has the
necessity of quality control to be established at the vendors manufacturing unit also.

4) Finance Manager:

A Finance Manager is an important part of the team. His function is not a controller of
accounts, but his job is to provide an important input to the project i.e. Finance. His

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operation extends beyond maintenance of accounts, preparation of trial balance.

Follow-up payments etc., but he has to innovate and ensure that required cash flow is
prepared for the project. Many a times the finance representatives and engineers at a
project do not work in unison, when individual egos conflict with project priority. It is
necessary to avoid situation by proper team building and communication. The
financial resources of a project are limited, and largely have to be managed by
generation from the project itself. It is seen that, if a project manager keep finance
Managers in the picture of what is happening at the project, helps in the later getting a
true perspective. It also involves the Finance Manager into the project team to become
proactive.

5) Administration and Personnel Manager:

A project has considerable activity related to manpower deployed. This is taken care
by the personnel Department. All record of employees, with respect to their pay,
leave, transfer, promotion, training etc. is kept here. Though the project was of limited
duration, but for the period of its operation record had to be maintained. At
construction site, certain social problems may also be encountered. Most sites are at
far off and inaccessible location, where employees would be staying with their
families. The project authorities must decide upon at the beginning of the project
itself, whether a particular project will be a family station or a non-family station. It is
found that in short duration projects up to 2 years. It is better to treat the site as non-
family station. The employees in turn can be given 2 weeks off after one year to spend
time with their families. If however, the project duration is 3 years or more, it is
worthwhile to consider families above certain level to stay at site, in which case
necessary provision of residential accommodation, transport, school, medical facilities
etc. at the project site is necessary.

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Various administrative functions of a project like keeping co-ordination with local and
statutory authorities, labor commissioner, public relation etc. is looked after under this
department.

Besides the above, various assistant Engineers, supervisors, foreman, crew and
helpers are provided under each head, as can be seen in the site organization chart.
These are calculated depending upon the site requirement in order to assist the heads
of each department.

The next step taken up was to do a thorough environmental study along with site
study thru which following results were obtained. Only on the basis of the available
following data and thorough interaction with the local authorities, further site set up
planning was discussed.

To organize the MASTER CONTROL NETWORK, which included designing and

planning of site, depending upon the space available, site requirements were
discovered. Thus as soon as the following site requirements were established, a
CRACK FORCE, a team which would mobilize to site in order to build all
temporary structures, services required for the enabling works. This would cut down
the time required by the main project team, once we would arrive at site, and thus
could straight start with execution of the project.

Requirements of Site establishment:

1) Site Offices for contractor, client, and consultants, with facilities for
conference/ meeting room, pantry and toilet. Enough vehicular parking spaces
also to be provided.
2) Yard for parking construction equipments, vehicles and with workshop facility
for repairs.

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3) Labor camp for accommodating 100 men.

4) Storage yard for cement godown and steel, stores for tools, tackles and
miscellaneous construction materials.
5) Yard for batching plant with sufficient space for stores of sand, aggregate etc.
6) Yard for pre-cast, pre-stressed beams.

Main stress was to be given to layout of construction plant, at the time of planning the
site prior to execution of work. Care had to be taken that there is minimum movement
of material, equipment and personnel as well as minimum processing time is
involved. Proper drainage had to be taken care of. The wind conditions had to
thoroughly think of and implemented. Operations of items like tower cranes which are
highly prone to winds had to be planned well. Crushers had to be oriented so that dust
is carried by the wind away from the crusher. Supporting facilities such as generators,
offices, stores etc. had to be located out of the path of the dust flow. Adequate space
had to be provided for handling and storing raw materials as well as finished products.
Considering the above requirements, the available space at site for mobilization was
divided into 6 main parts, each of 100m x 200m. As can be seen in the Diagram no. 4,
activity numbers 1,2, and 3 consisting mainly of human activities were clubbed
together and located on the south side of the site and activity 4,5, and 6, which
consisted mainly of plants and storages were clubbed together in order to have better
movement of raw materials from stores to plants. Besides considering the direction of
wind, these batching plants and plants for pre-stress and pre-cast have been place in
the direction of wind, so that the cement sand etc. used in conjunction with the plants
could fly in the opposite direction of the site and not affect the habitation which would
exist in the south side of the site.

As a good site manager it was absolutely necessary for me to get thoroughly

familiarized with the site of the project. This included physical features of the site,
local environment, operational arrangement, resource constraints etc. Some
information pertaining to this was already available with the project team.

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(It was here that we realize the importance of good communication skills, which helps
in moving the project faster by saving time in doing repetitive works).

Once the activity of site survey was completed the results of the same led to follow up
actions.

1) Clearing the site and taking up the Leveling work.

2) Taking up permissions from corporate and revenue authorities for cutting
trees etc.
3) Topographical survey of the area, fixing up boundary stones and bench
marks.
4) Carrying control survey and drawing up a plan of the entire site. (As can be
seen in drawing no.)
5) Project road and temporary structure for water storage yard etc.

The next activity taken up at site was placing of name board, which contained details
of organization, address, project name, name of contractor, consultant, and architect.
Following the above, an effort was made to get in touch the local people around and
involve them in order to achieve their support in the completion of project.

Site Mobilization and Enabling Works.

Before embarking upon the actual construction activity it is necessary to carry out
mobilization of resources for the project, and various works. We first took up the
enabling works.

A) Enabling Works.

Under this category works, structures and appurtenants, which facilitate

undertaking the actual project work, are included. In the master Control

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Network and planning for the project details of enabling work would be
included. The extent of enabling work would vary depending upon the size
and nature of the project. On a large project costing a few hundred crores, the
enabling work itself could form into a mini-project. Generally enabling works
would include the following items.

1) Fencing/Boundary wall around the project fixing security check post

and gates.
2) Site Office
3) Camp for accommodating Engineers, Supervisors and workmen.
4) Store for materials.
5) Construction Plant and Equipment.
6) Static Plant such as concrete batching plant, pre-cast concrete element
plant, block making plant, hot mix plant.
7) Mobile plant such as Trucks, Dumper, Bulldozer Grader, vibratory
and Pneumatic Road Roller, Bitumen Sprayer transit mixer, Concrete
Pump, Crane, front end loader, compressor. These plant and
equipment are mobile, and can be shifted from place to place on
regular basis.
8) Workshop
For the maintenance of plant and equipment both static and mobile, it
is necessary to have a workshop, which will undertake the
maintenance, repair, overhauling and major replacement of
equipment. Workshop is geared up to; carry out preventive and
scheduled maintenance, which is essential to keep break down of
equipment to bare minimum. The workshop should have facilities for
servicing, carrying out general repair, engine over-haul, calibration of
diesel Pump etc. Workshop should have a small machine shop
attached with lathes. Drilling machine, welding, boring machine,

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painting, denting, sheet metal work etc. it is also to be equipped with

auto-electrical repair, battery charger, tyre repair etc.

9) Quality Control Laboratory:

For testing of material and building component, it is essential to set up
a quality control laboratory at the site. This laboratory should provide
for basic testing of material such as cement, Sand Aggregate, Bricks,
and Concrete etc. If any item needs to be tested, for which facilities
are not available in the site laboratory, samples of such items can be
sent to a reputed laboratory, which is usually operated by the State
PWD, Engineering College, or any Research Institution in the
vicinity.

10) Stores And Stacking Yards:

In the project site, sufficient covered stores or open storage is
necessary for maintaining the material in good condition. Cement is
usually supplied in bags, which is stored at the site in covered shed.
The sheds are constructed with brick wall, IPS floor, tubular structure
trusses, roofing with sheets. Bags not exceeding 10 are stacked one
over the other, if more than 10 bags are stacked then the lower bags
tend to set, making cement non-usable. In case cement is used in large
quantities for concreting by the batching plant and pre-cast element
plant, is stored in bulk in vertical Silos. A pneumatic pump fixed on
the cement bulk carrier fills up the silos. From the silo cement is
conveyed into the mixer of the batching plant and pre-cast element
plant, through a screw conveyor. Thus it was absolutely necessary for
us to provide the cement stores and batching plant at close distance.

11) Services:

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The site camp is to be provided with services like electric supply,

sewage disposal, communication, telephone. In case regular power
supply is available from the grid, it can be tapped and necessary sub-
station with transformer installed at site. If grid power is not available
then, it may be necessary to generate own power by installing diesel
generator sets at site. Water supply can similarly be tapped, if water
lines are passing near by in the vicinity, by providing underground
storage tank and distribution through a pumping system and overhead
tank. In case water mains are not available, tube well could be bored
for water. Necessary treatment of water to make it safe intended
consumption will have to be carried out. For sewage disposal tank,
since the camp is only for a temporary duration septic tank could be
provided. If it is a large site, and enough land is available, then it may
be possible to provide an oxidation pond for sewage disposal. The
effluent from the pond could be used for horticultural purposes of the
site.

The essence of our method of work was on emphasis on communication, particularly

in the lateral direction, among the teams and within the teams. In a way,
communication was the key to managing this gigantic project. To get the best from
our team members, being the person In-charge of the site, I spoke to them frequently
on the goals and objectives of the organization, emphasizing the importance of each
members specific contribution towards realization of these goals. At the same time, I
tried to be receptive to every constructive idea emanating from any sub-ordinates and
to relay it in an appropriate form for critical examination and implementation. I used
communication to promote understanding and to come to an agreement with
colleagues in defining the problems that existed and in identifying the action
necessary to be taken to solve them. Authentic communication was the tool used for
managing the project.

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Single most important managerial tactic in this successful program, is a pro-active

follow-up. Through the follow-up on the work done at different department, rapid
progress has been achieved at the most harmonious manner.

Its so truly said,

God can do tremendous things through the person who doesnt care about who gets
the credit. The ego involvement must go. Before God trusts you with success, you
have to prove yourself humble enough to handle the big Prize
Schullers

We learned the hard way that the biggest problem of the project management is to
achieve a regular and efficient interfacing between the different individuals (Team
members at site) and work centers i.e. the head office. Hard work can be set at naught
in absence of proper co-ordination. Close intervention with different work centers
create such harmony, that the fine threads of individual efforts were woven into a
mighty fabric of great strength.

It was here that the actual site execution work would really take off. It is the activity
through which all plans are transferred into reality. The completion of project and
realization of goal is achieved through the satisfactory conduct of this activity.

As it is said, Proof of Pudding is in eating it therefore execution only can determine

whether the project is going on well or otherwise. In site management operation,
actual execution is the important theatre activity. The planning process, organization,
agencies, material and equipment all come into play in execution.

Its so truly said that emergencies and unforeseen problems might crop up. But they
should not upset or delay the normal activities planned for the day. Facing the

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pressure with commitment, determination and positive approach, would certainly lead
to success in achieving the goal.

READINGS AND REFERENCES:

1) Joy P.K. Handbook on Construction Management Mac. Millan, Mumbai,
1990
2) Site Organization and Management NICMAR
3) Excerpts from WINGS OF FIRE- An Autobiography of Dr. A.P.J.Abdul
Kalam.

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