In this chapter, i have learned the fundamentals of construction.

Construction is the trade of In the

construction industry, a project any effort is generally focused on the production of a single and unique
end product. A facility is its product, that is usually unique in design and method of fabrication. It is a
single one-off item that is stylized in terms of its function, appearance, and location. In certain cases,
basically similar units are constructed- as in the case of town houses or fast food restaurants. But even
in this case, the units must be site adapted and stylized to some degree. Unlike any other projects ,
construction projects is oriented to the production of single unique units . Moreover, the both the
design and production of of constructed facilities are realized in the Project Process. Construction
projects develop in a sequential manner. These steps are categorized 6 stages. These are the inception
of idea wherein the need for a facility is identified by the client and the goals and objectives of the
projects is crafted. Next is the preliminary investigation, at this stage initial feasibility and and cost
productions are developed. Also the the decision to proceed with conceptual design is made and a
design professional is retained. Next is the design development and document preparation, at this stage
the conceptual designa and scope of work is developed to include an approximate estimate of cost.
Then the decision is made to proceed with the development of final.design documents, which fully
define the project purposes of construction. Based on the final design documents, the project is
advertised and proposals to include quotations for construction of the work are solicited. Next is the
execution of designs stage, Based on proposals received, a constructor is selected and a notice to the
constructor to proceed with the work is given. The proposal and the acceptance of the proposal on the
part of the owner constitute the part of a contract for the work. Then , the process of constructing the
facility is initiated. Bext is the turn over of completed work, at this stage the work is already conpleted
and the facility is available for acceptance, occupancy and utilization. The final stage is the Project
Closeout: Post evaluation and Monitoring. This stage is optional. This is the period of testing that decides
if the facility operates as designed and planned. But I do believe that these steps must be modified to on
a case by case basis pto address the special aspects of agiven project. The key players in this
developmental sequence are the owner, client or developer, project manager, design professionals,
construction manager, contractors, and suppliers and manufacturesrs.
Construction

Project

Since the construction sector is so diverse , construction projects can be classified as a building
construction, engineered construction and industrial construction or in terms of infrastructure, it could
be classified as Building, Transportation and utilatarian works. The buolding construction category
includes facilities commonly built for habitational, institutional, educational, commercial, social and
recreational.purposes.

After Module One's full discussion, one thing that intrigues me is the role of a project manager. The role
of a project manager is very intriguing in the sense that it is his or her total responsibilty from project
initiation to project closeout. Honestly, after learning these, I suddenly wanted to become one. Maybe
because I could see the status and there is a lot of success going on with project managers. Moreover,
the authority that one will hold. However, after doing some research, I have learned that being one
requires a lot of expertise. A project manager may be autharative in nature but in real sense, a project
manager has the most number of bosses, these are the owner and definitely all the employee doing the
work. Dedication and proactiveness are just two of the qualities a project manager must possess. He or
she must be dedicated, owning the project from cradle to grave. Not his own grave but the prohect's
grave. He or she must be proactive and not reactive. He or she must absolutely take the projevt and run
with it. Proacitve meand being assertive as well as taking initiative. To be assertive means to stand for
your own rights while simultaneously respecting the rights of others. Moreover, it means setting
standards for the team, setrting realistic goals, providing team support, resolving conflict issues quickly
and nevertheless monitoring the team progress.

But what really is management? Based on my obesravatio or prior knowledge, I always define
managment as getting work doen through other people. Honestly, that what i really observed. But as
discussed my perception about management has changed. Apparently, it is the systemic way of
planning, scheduling, executing, monitoring and controlling the different aspects of a project so as to
achievae a goal of a given scope. A manager does not a wait until a situation exists that requires a
reaction. He must look for ways to improve the functioning of the organization. He is always forward-
thinking. According to what Ive read, management is being similar to the job of a pilot. The pilot's job is
to get an airplane to a distant destination. He begins with a flight plab. She checks out the planeto
ensure that it is functioning properly. Then she practices principles of navigation to guide the plane to
that final goal. She compares where she is to where the flight plan syas she should be, and makes course
corrections as necessary to.get the plane back on target when it has drifted because of crosswinds. A
manager has a gola.in mind. He makes a plab for how he will reach the goal. Then he sets in motion
steps to reach the goal, compares the progress against the plan and takes corrective action when there
are deviations from the plan.

In terms of management, given that we live in a turbulent environment