With the growth of the construction management profession, and the resulting expansion of construction management
courses both in the major and as electives in many architectural and engineering school curriculums, a need has
arisen to combine the various facets of the profession into one comprehensive text. Current texts either concentrate
on a single function�scheduling, estimating, or project control�or cover the profession in an overview of project
management.
In addition, practitioners who need a primer on current industry practices will find this text to be a good
reference. The text is organized to cover all areas of the construction management industry, with an emphasis on
maintaining a balance between theory and practice. Each of the four sections is introduced with background theory
and fundamentals, which are followed by practical applications, frequent illustrations, sidebars written by industry
professionals, chapter review questions, and a project highlight. The latter is a recurring feature, relating the
teaching of each of the four sections of the book to an actual construction project, the recent renovation of two
buildings at MIT. By using this text, students and practitioners�designers, owners, contractors, and construction
managers�alike will gain knowledge of the building industry and the technical skills required to manage a construction
project.
Section One, Construction Project Management, provides an overview of the industry. The roles and responsibilities
of construction participants, organization of the project team, and factors affecting the project scope and timeline
are all discussed in this section. Team play and concepts such as bonding, value engineering, and partnering are
defined and emphasized. This section prepares the reader for a more thorough study of the major topics that follow:
estimating, scheduling, and project control.
Section Two, Estimating, reviews the techniques and methods used in preparing the costs for a construction project.
It discusses the quantity takeoff process, the establishment of unit prices, and the adjustment of costs for time
and location. The section covers estimating in the context of a project's evolution. It demonstrates that as project
information becomes better, the estimate becomes increasingly detailed, thereby feeding information back into the
project to support sounder design and construction decisions.
Section Three, Scheduling, addresses the value of schedules and provides examples of different scheduling methods.
The network-based Critical Path Method is covered in the most detail. Activity definition, the creation of a logic
diagram, the calculation oaf activity durations, and network calculations are all explained. Computer applications
and examples of computer output are included.
Section Four, Project Control, concludes the book. This part examines how the estimate and the schedule are
used to provide timely information to the owner and other project participants. In the preconstruction stage, this
information can be integrated into a work plan that accurately projects resource usage. In the construction phase,
this work plan allows the comparison of actual production to planned production and provides feedback to the project
team. This section looks at how the integration of the schedule and the estimate forms this work plan. Examples
of integrated reports and a sidebar on Computer Integrated Construction complete this section.
Both the organization and the content of this book have been designed to allow it to serve as a useful reference
for the practitioner as well as the student. In the classroom, the book will serve well as a teaching tool for
the architectural, construction, or civil engineering student. The text provides an overview of all aspects of
construction management, with enough practical examples for the student to get a view of the world of construction
management. As a reference for the professional, the book is organized so as to allow quick and easy access to
information on current tools and practices of the profession�hence its utility to learners and experienced professionals
alike.
Acknowledgments
Many people contributed to the writing of this book. I particularly wish to recognize the contributions of Nancy
Joyce, Senior Program Manager, Beacon Construction, who authored the project highlights and who served as technical
consultant for the entire manuscript. Don Farrell volunteered the efforts of his construction photography firm,
Farrell Associates, to provide the photographs used throughout the text.
I thank the following for reviewing the manuscript for this edition: Dr. S. Narayan Bodapati, P.E., Southern
Illinois University; John Jarchow, Pima Community College; and Dr. Madan Mehta, University of Texas at Arlington.
I also thank the following reviewers of the first edition: James A. Adrian, Bradley University; Jeff Burnett, Washington
State University; Charles Richard Cole, Southern College of Technology; Ellery C. Green, University of Arizona;
and John Warsowick, Northern Virginia Community College.
Thanks to the following sidebar contributors for their real-world additions to the text: David Lash, Dave Lash
and Company; Jeffrey Milo, Jay Cashman, Inc.; Christopher Noble, Hill and Barlow; Kenneth Stowe, George B. H. Macomber
Company; and Rory Woolsey, The Wool-Zee Company. I would also like to acknowledge the Wentworth and Roger Williams
students for "agreeing" to be class tested on much of the book's content and, in particular, Matthew
Viviano, who produced most of the Primavera plots used in the text.
The R. S. Means Company, especially their Engineering Department headed by John Ferguson, was a huge help in
furnishing much of the cost data used in the estimating examples in the text.
Summary
For a combined course in Estimating, Scheduling and/or Control; a course in Construction Process; or an Introduction
to Construction Management.
Comprehensive and unique in its perspective, this text covers all areas of the Construction Management industry�with
a balanced focus on both theory and practicality. It helps students gain a knowledge of the Building Industry as
a whole, as well as, the technical skills required to manage a construction project from conception through occupancy.
Features:
NEW�Estimating by Assembly.
Provides students with a comprehensive understanding of how to construct an estimate in accordance with the
uniformat.
NEW�Office building example problem.
Reinforces students' understanding of material with real-world view of the field.
NEW�Square foot residential estimates.
Shows students how to prepare and present timely cost information for project participants.
NEW�Updated costs throughout.
Provides students with current prices so that they can work with accurate assessments of costs.
NEW�Instructors manual added.
Provides instructors with necessary teaching aids.
Project control tools.
Focuses students' attention on tools necessary to manage a project from conception through occupancy.
Background theory, fundamentals and practical applications.
Provides students with knowledge of building industry and the technical skills required to manage a construction
project.
"Industry Authorized" sidebars.
Provides students with real-world reinforcement of the text material.
Project Highlights case study.
Enables students to relate text material to an actual MIT project.
Photos and illustrations throughout.
Adds interest and provides students with visual reinforcement of concepts and information.
Learning objectives, chapter outlines and review questions.
Guides students through material and enables them to self-test.
Table of Contents
I. CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
1. Industry and the Project.
2. The Project Management Process.
3. Construction Contracts and Delivery Methods.
