NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT page 1 of 12

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES DURING DESIGN

TOPIC OUTLINE

A. INTRODUCTION

B. FINDING THE RIGHT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

1. CONSIDERATIONS IN SEARCHING FOR A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
2. EXPERTISE OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGER THAT SHOULD BE DEMONSTRATED
IN THE PRECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
3. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
4. TWO PARTS OF INTERVIEW SET UP
5. TEAM INTRODUCTION

C. TASK RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

1. FEASIBILITY STUDIES

2. SITE INVESTIGATION
a. SITE VISIT
b. LOCAL PRACTICES
c. AREA OF INVESTIGATION
d. LABOR BREAKDOWN
e. CODES & REGULATIONS
f. LABOR AVAILABILITY
g. MATERIAL & EQUIPMENT AVAILABILITY

3. VALUE ENGINEERING
a. COMPONENTS OF A GOOD VALUE ENGINEERING
b. IDENTIFICATION OR AREAS FOR REVIEW
c. BRAINSTORMING SESSION
d. ANALYSIS OF EACH RECOMMENDATION
e. REPORT OF MANAGEMENT
f. LIFE CYCLE COSTING
g. CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS

4. DESIGN REVIEW

5. ESTIMATING
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6. SCHEDULING

7. LONG LEAD ITEM PROCUREMENT

8. WORK PACKAGES

D. CONCLUSION
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A. INTRODUCTION
• Good design is a result of collaboration among many different people.
• There is a continual interaction that produces ideas and tests concepts and finally results
in a refined plan.
• Projects were completely designed by architects and engineers with the assistance of
construction consultants and offered for bidding to a group of builders.
• Later in the design process, the constructor may help put the work packages together,
prequalify bidders and begin planning construction logistics.
• Once the project is in construction, any changes can be extremely costly, both in time
and in actual cost.

B. FINDING THE RIGHT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

• Construction manager is a key team player no matter when his involvement begins.
• When deciding whether a firm can handle the type and size of the project, an owner can
easily find the answer in the materials that the construction professional submits.
• Owner, assisted by the designer, begins to search for the construction manager.

1. CONSIDERATIONS IN SEARCHING FOR A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

• The owner should discover whatever the firm has an experience that is broad-based
enough for the type of project and the scope of preconstruction work fits the talents of
the firm.
• Construction management means different things to different people, to avoid
conflicts. The owner needs to be very specific about his expectation.
• Financial state of the company is important, both its overall financial health and its
bonding capacity.
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2. EXPERTISE OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGER THAT SHOULD BE DEMONSTRATED

IN THE PRECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
a. Value Engineering
b. Estimating
c. Scheduling
d. Project Control & Planning

3. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

a. Owners start with a preconstruction proposal so as to keep their options open as they
approach the time of construction.
b. The preconstruction proposal that the owner puts together will come to the
prospective construction managers in the form of a request for proposal (RFP).

c. Things needed by construction professional to include in response to RFP

1) Description of the project, schedule and cost as understood from the RFP.
2) Comments on the sample contract provided with the RFP.
3) Description of services offered.
4) Identification of how fee would be configured.
5) Project participants with resume.
6) Description of company safety plan.
7) Description of the range of company's services beyond the RFP.
8) Management Plan.

d. When list of responses from prospective candidates has been pared down to 2 or 3
candidates, owner usually sets up interviews.
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4. TWO PARTS OF INTERVIEW SET UP

a. A formal presentation
b. An informal dialogue with questions and answers.

5. TEAM INTRODUCTION
a. Once construction professionals are hired, 1st tasks are to learn specific objectives
and needs of the owner.
b. These include the following:
c. Proposed schedule
d. Proposed budget
e. Proposed operating objectives.

C. TASK RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

1. Feasibility Studies
a. Before commitment it is made to a specific scope of work and budget. A feasibility
study is done to look at several options.

b. If the purposed of the study is:

1) To evaluate the market, identify the leading rates, and find the owner’s financial
advisor is needed.
2) Programmatic (investigation of what can fit on a particular lot) architect is suited
for the task.
3) Economically evaluates different design solutions (such as renovating an existing
facility or removing it and building a new one) then construction professional
might supply services.

c. Several Options of the study examine in light of the owner's objective

1) Reviewing Town Zoning Laws
2) Community Sentiment
3) Life Cycle Costing
4) Available Funds
5) Schedule
6) Aesthetic Value.
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2. Site Investigation
• It include analysis of the soil composition in relation to types of foundations and the
need for fill, clearing, and grubbing.
a. Site Visit
• Maps, surveys and soil reports all provide good information; but unshown
conditions may exist, or information may be outdated.
• Surveys and maps only record the conditions of the moment, and that moment
could have been years before.
• The construction manager must make sure that all site information is current.
• Site visits also consider the availability of utilities. It is usually easy to tap into the
main utilities that run in the street – gas, water, electricity, telephone, sewer,
storm drainage.
• In a suburban or rural setting, services may be remote, they may have to be
brought in from further distance over property owned by others.
• A site visit locates railroad lines, highways, local roads, waterways and airports.
Then the team can figure the most economical way of bringing deliveries to the
site.

b. Local Practices
• Besides examining physical condition at sites, local customs and practice
information must be gathered.
• Local customs and practices included:
1) Labor practices
2) Regulations
3) Market rates for labor and materials
4) Availability of certain subcontractors.

c. Area of Investigation
1) Labor Breakdown
• How the trades normally do business depend on customs built up over time,
sheet metal constructors may install specific items that in other areas
laborers do, because big time designers will want to designate specific
scopes of work to each trade.

2) Codes & Regulations

• An understanding of local rules can go a long way to saving headaches on
the job.
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• local officials can cause delays and cost the job money if the project goes
forward without meeting certain criteria.

3) Labor Availability
• If some areas labor at a premium; in others it is abundantly available.
• if there is a specific shortage on one area the designer could call for a
different materials.
• If certain trades have expiration date during the construction period the
construction manager must watch negotiation closely not only will strike
disrupt the schedule but new agreements usually lead to wage increase.

4) Material & Equipment Availability

• If the materials are available locally, the labor force is probably familiar with
their installation.
• Information about material prices and availability can be obtained by talking
with area building suppliers and specialty vendors.

3. Value Engineering
• Value engineering and cost reduction are often confused which has given value
engineering a bad name among designers.
• Value engineering is a process that considers cost in the content of other factors :
1) Life cycle costs
2) Quality
3) Durability
4) Maintainability
• Cost reduction is consider only 1st cost, both are reactive in the sense that they are
respond to a given set of criteria one consider the criteria in a board context while
the other reacts solely to budget problems.
• In a value engineering process the owner should be buying an item or system of
equal value another proposed system in cost reduction he is accepting something of
less value or less scope to save money
• Value engineering should be an active part of all design project cost reduction
becomes necessary when value engineering is not enough.
• Value engineering gives a “Better bang For the Buck “while cost reduction can
reduce the quality or quantity of the project to save money.
• To bring a framework to the value engineering discussion, the owner set the criteria
with the help of the designer and the construction professionals.
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• These criteria fall into a few categories:

1) Best cost
2) Best function
3) Best aesthetic value
4) Determining the best cost can be done effectively with a life cycle cost.
5) Best function is defined by the use of the building and life safety requirements of
the building.
6) Best aesthetic value is bit harder to define but can be important as other criteria

a. Components of a good value engineering

1) Identification of areas for review
2) Brain storming session
3) Analysis of each recommendation
4) Report to management

b. Identification or areas for review

• This can be done individually with each team member, critically examining the
design, drawings and specifications.
• The ideas formulated during this time focus on areas of the design that could
take advantages of new product or processes, different use of materials,
simplified system, or reworked details.

c. Brainstorming Session
• Team member sit down together with list of ideas and toss up ideas and thoughts
for others to catch and may come up with unique ideas because of the context of
the discussion

d. Analysis of each recommendation

• Group sets criteria by which to evaluate each idea, once proposal has merit
based on functional requirements, then the costing exercise can involve affair
amount of time and effort

e. Report of Management
• Teams put together ideas into a package some for further analysis, some reject
for stated reasons. Some recommended for immediate implementation, all stay
part of the packages for dated representative.
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f. Life cycle costing

• Examines initial operating, maintenance costs as well as future benefits over the
life of a building or system in the building.
• Before this analysis can be applied ,assumptions are made about the desired
levels of quality in the building, the program constraints and future projections of
the cost of money
• Life cycle costing helps the design team decide on design options, site locations.
Materials used in the building, and money invested in system.
• It can be used in new construction or renovation project.
• In renovation projects, this 1st issue to resolve is whether the building should to
torn down or retained.
• If decision has been made to keep the building, next question is how extensive
the renovation needs to be to meet expectations. These always can be
accomplished through a life cycle costing.
• The goal is to discover, a given several alternatives that meet the client’s needs
which one will cost the least over the life of the building.

Foundation/Substruc
ure 6.5%

Super Structure 18%

Exterior closure
12.1%

Roofing 2.8%

Interior construction
17.3%

Conveying 3.5%

Mechanical

Electric 11.9%

Equipment 1.9%

Site work 5.0%

• Typical cost breakdown by system for a model building.

• Value engineering studies should examine areas of maximum cost or system
project a higher than usual cost.
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g. Construction analysis
• Although examining project compounds according to how complex they are to
build is part of value engineering, the analysis can be accomplished in a nice
protective way.
• The team can established procedures and use materials that will accomplished
the owner’s goal, and be assembled in the field rationally and efficiently.

4. Design Review
• One of the major methods of obtaining information and generating feedback about
design intent is to review the drawings and specifications as they become available.

5. Estimating
• One of the first objectives that an owner develops is the amount of the money that
can be spent on the project.
• The project team uses this as a guide thru early design discussion and by preparing
estimates, test it at specific point in the development of the project.
• If the project is not staying within the best budget the owner can opt to increase the
amount of money committed to the project or can direct the team to redesign until it
meets the budget objectives.
• Estimate is normally part of the designer’ scope of work.
• He or she will either employ as consultant who is familiar with the designer’s work or
in larger firms

6. Scheduling
• Early criterion established by the owner is the required completion date.
• Sometimes such dates are fixed firmly because of commitments or financing.
• One of the 1st activities for the construction managers to confirm that the date can be
met given the design scope of work.
• Early schedules will be in bar chart formats that shows very simple relationships and
later as more specific information is generated, these schedules will be network
based, with more complex relationship among the activities.

7. Long-Lead Item Procurement

• During the scheduling exercise, items are identified that have to be bought early to
arrive at the site in time installation. Often these are large items or system such as
air-handler units, steel assemblies or curtain- wall system.
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• The earlier he or she knows about the need along lead item. Then easier it will be to
adjust the team to accommodate the need for a separate package.

8. Work Packages
• Once the project delivery method is chosen the desired scheduled completion
identified and confirmed, and local practices regarding how work is accomplished
understood, the project team starts to assemble the work package.
• The work package breakout guides the design and procurement efforts of the project
team.

Excavation

Foundation

Electrical

Roofing

Mechanical

Drywall

Elevators

Etc.

• This is a breakdown of how the work will be accomplished as it relates to availability

of labor and materials. 
• The skill in assembling these packages is to identify the right amount and
combination of the work activities so that there is maximum competitive interest but
minimum layering of subcontractors and vendors.

D. CONCLUSION
• During the design, a series of tasks fall outside the design activities themselves these
include investigations of local conditions, construction practice, labor markets and the site
with its surrounding conditions.
• In additions, he or she requires ongoing check on costs, schedule and constructability
these tasks are best handled by construction professionals.
• When performing preconstruction services, construction manager must be careful about
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crossing professional limes; their responsibilities are to advise the design team, not to
intrude on architectural or engineering decisions.