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The construction of a building can be considered as production with temporary factory. The
building site being the ‘factory’ in which the building contractor will make the product on site.
Site layout can be defined as site space allocation for material storage, working areas, units of
accommodation, plant positions, general circulation areas, and also access and egress for
deliveries and emergency services. The sketch show following included items in construction
site layout

1. Accommodation
2. Parking Area
3. Lavatory
4. Cement Store
5. Concrete Mixer
6. Workers Hut
7. Working Areas
8. Site Office
9. Carpentry Shed
10. washing room
11. General store
12. Plantation Room
13. Water Tank
14. Entrance

The construction site layout would be focusing on construction project of a building and the
elements on what it should have. The building sites have to be carefully controlled so that:

 The operatives of construction have the right machinery in the most advantageous
position.
 The materials stored with care so that they are readily available and not interfering with
general site circulation.
 An adequate storage spacing for construction materials on site.
 Site accommodation and complete facilities for construction workforce..

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Site Planning

Effective construction site planning is vital to the success of a construction project. A properly
planned construction site can improve both the efficiency and safety of construction
operations. The construction site planning on this project is examined from two angles:

 Construction Planning
 Site Layout

Construction Planning

Construction planning plays a very important role in today's construction. The success of a
project really depends on the effectiveness of construction planning and actual supervision
achieved on-site. Four major aspects of construction planning on this particular project
comprised:

 Temporary works (e.g. temporary steel access ramp)

 Programming of site works (e.g. scheduling measures)
 Safety provisions (e.g. safety precautions)
 Resource utilization (e.g. plant & equipment)

Planning Site Layouts

Site layouts need to be planned to accommodate all the required site facilities, while optimizing
the efficiency of site operations. It is the contractor's task to plan his choice of layout for his
temporary works and buildings, subject to obtaining the sanction of the architect/ engineer and
complying with any specific restrictions or directions. This involves a preliminary assessment of
plant, materials and manpower requirements plotted against the proposed construction
programme. Key factors influencing the choice of site layout are set out below:

 Site access considerations

 Materials storage considerations
 Staff accommodation considerations
 Temporary services considerations
 Plant location considerations
 Fencing and hoarding considerations
 Safety and health considerations

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A site layout plan is an important drawing used in the construction process because it can:
locate site and buildings

 define site levels

 indicate services to buildings
 identify parts of site such as roads, footpaths and boundaries
 give setting out dimensions for the site and buildings as a whole

The efficiency

To achieve maximum efficiency the site layout must aim at maintaining the desired output of
the planned activities. This will depend largely upon the following factors:

 Avoidance, as far as practicable of double handling materials.

 Walking distance is kept to a minimum to reduce the non productive time spent in
covering the distance between working, rest and storage areas.
 Avoidance of loss by the elements;
o provide adequate protection for unfixed material on site, thereby preventing time
loss and cost of replacing damage materials,
o Proper store keeping arrangements to ensure that the materials are of the correct
type, in the correct quantity and are available when required.
 Avoidance of loss by theft and vandalism;
o Provide security arrangements by having adequate hoardings and fences.
 Avoidance of loss due to pilfering by site staff;
o provide adequate system of stores’ requisition and material checking procedures.
 Minimizing on-site traffic congestion;
o plan delivery arrivals,
o provide adequate parking facilities for staff cars and mobile machinery when not in
use,
o provide sufficient turning circle room for the type of delivery vehicles likely to enter
site.

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Facilities and Accommodation

Within the site layout, the main contractor is obliged to provide a safe, healthy place of work
and safe system of work, plant and equipment which are not a risk to health as well as
environment:

 A safe and healthy place of work,

 Safe access and egress from place of work,
 Safe and efficient system of work,
 Safe items of plant and equipment,
 Suitable and adequate training, supervision and instruction in the use of equipment,
 Suitable and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE),

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Apart from legislative necessities, the main area of concern will be sizing, equipping and
assigned a location to the various units of accommodations such as:

 Mess Hut or quarters

 Toilets and washing area
 First aid and medical rooms
 Offices – Contractor’s supervisory staff, Clerk of works, Reception of material or
security
 Lock up store for materials and tools
 Storage compound for major materials such as aggregate, sand, cement
 Timber store and formwork fabrication area
 Reinforcement store and fabrication area
 Scaffold and misc. store
 Sufficient vehicle parking areas
 Plant and machinery area such as tower crane, concrete deliveries, sand and cement
storage, and site mixer
 Fencing or hoarding to mark boundary
 Great services and welfare
 Site Identification for workers and visitors

The site layout can be divide into several sections such as the main gate, hoarding fencing,
uncovered storage area, covered storage area, car park, site office, access road / traffic in site,
tower crane, workers mess, sign board, guard house, workshop for machinery, and material or
soil stockpile.

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TASK 02

Identify critical path using the following network diagram (P11).

ES= EARLY START
EF= EARLY FINISH
LS= LATE START
LF= LATE FINISH
TOTAL FLOAT = (LS-ES)

Critical activities have zero float and cannot be delayed without delaying the completion
of the project.
The float for non-critical activities represents the amount of time by which the starts
these activities can be delayed without delaying the completion of the entire project
(assuming that all predecessor activities start at their earliest start times).
The longest path on the network.
Could also be those activities with the least float

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Activity ES EF LS LF Total Float

A, (1-2/45) 0 45 0 45 0

B, (1-3/55) 0 55 10 65 10

C, (2-4/45) 45 90 45 90 0

D, (3-5/25) 55 80 65 90 10

E, (3-6/30) 55 85 65 95 10

F, (5-7/40) 90 130 90 130 0

G, (6-7/35) 85 120 95 130 10

Critical path of net work diagram

Float =0
Float =0

45 45
1 2 4
A C

55 Float =10 Float =0

B

25 40
Float =10 3 5 7
D F

30 35
E G
Float =10
Float =10 6

The dark arrow shows the critical path of this network diagram

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TASK 03 (P12)
Briefly explain

 estimated cost
 actual cost
 cost planning
 cost control
 cash flow
 monitoring of construction and installation work

Estimated cost

Accurately forecasting the cost of future projects is vital to the survival of any business or
organization contemplating future construction. Cost estimators develop the cost information
that business owners or managers, professional design team members, and construction
contractors need to make budgetary and feasibility determinations. From an Owner's
perspective the cost estimate may be used to determine the project scope or whether the
project should proceed. The construction contractor's cost estimate will determine the
construction bid or whether the company will bid on the construction contract.

Actual cost

The actual cost of a project represents the true total and final costs accrued during the process
of completing all work during the pre-determined period of time allocated for all schedule
activities as well as for all work breakdowns structured components. Actual costs are primarily
made up of a number of specific items including, but not limited to, cost in direct labor hours,
direct costs alone, and also all costs including indirect costs. Actual costs, when possible, should
be thoroughly itemized in detail throughout the project as opposed to merely compiled at the
end as it is easier to accurately itemize costs when it is done as the expenditures occur. The
term actual cost can also be referred to as actual costs of work performed.

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Cost planning

Cost planning is a key due diligence step in preparing for a construction project. Cost planning
tells a property owner how much a proposed project will cost. Additionally, cost planning will
tell when the expected expenses will most likely occur. This information is critical for obtaining
project financing and for determining whether a project can be profitable. Without cost
planning, property owners would enter blindly into construction projects and possibly into
insolvency.

 Significance

Cost planning determines the fiscal feasibility of a construction project. After the owner has set
a maximum cost, cost planning will determine whether that cost cap can be met. If not, the
project is not feasible in its current state and should be reworked to reduce costs. Additionally,
cost planning is used to structure financing for a project. Cost planning informs the owner
exactly when finance installments will be needed, so the owner can keep current with billings.

 Features

Cost planning typically involves two features. The first is an overall budget for the project. This
is the total amount that the project is expected to cost. This amount is based on the current
project scope and design and can be determined through various types of estimates. The
second feature of cost planning is the allocation of costs over time. This involves predicting
when along the project schedule costs will actually be incurred and paid.

 Benefits

A central benefit of cost planning is that the owner is aware of financial expectations. This
allows an owner to secure the proper financing and business plan. Without cost planning,
owners would not know if a project is expected to be profitable. Additionally, cost planning
allows an owner to properly structure a construction loan. Instead of borrowing the total
project cost upfront (and beginning to pay interest on the total immediately), cost planning
allows an owner to borrow only what will be spent in a particular period and to avoid paying
interest on the balance until it is received.

 Time Frame

Cost planning should be done three times before the start of construction: once at the projects
initial inception, once after the preliminary design is complete, and once after the final design is
permitted. Additionally, the cost plan should be regularly updated and tracked during the
course of construction to ensure accuracy, typically after each project milestone.

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