Thursday, 8 December 2011

WHAT IS PROJECT SCHEDULING DURING BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION?

Scheduling is the task to get the subcontractors on a project at the right time and in the right sequence. In project management, a schedule comprises of a series of terminal elements with planned start and end dates. These elements are often estimated in terms of budget, resource requirements, and duration. The main aim of a schedule is to complete building design and construction on time and without any confusion.

A project schedule is typically comprised of:

Sequence of Tasks

It would be impossible to manage a project if the sequence of events were unknown or ambiguous. Hence, knowing the right progression, i.e. which sub contractor will be required when, is important to getting a project completed on time.

Duration of Tasks

The duration of every task depends on certain factors, the project’s size, manpower used, and the complication of the building design. A schedule is important not only to set the length of the current tasks, and related tasks but also to adjust everything in case there is change.

Critical Path

The critical path is a series of tasks that decide the duration of the construction project. If a task on this critical path is postponed by one day, the project is delayed by one day. A schedule displaystheitems that are on the critical path and how they are affecting the other tasks.

Platinum Builders, Inc is a general contractor that offers construction services for all kinds of commercial projects. The expert team creates project schedules during preconstruction with the help of a preconstruction manager and construction project manager while working in partnership with the subcontractors, design team, and other members. The project schedules that are created are accurately maintained and
updated on a regular basis.

THE NEED FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Just as constructing a building is not an easy venture, managing that construction is not a simple job. There are too many entities involved in the construction site—the design team, the workers, the engineers, project managers, and the like—each of them with a special function. Bringing all of them together to function as one is a big challenge. This is where the need for construction management comes in. Proper management ensures construction problems are dealt with on time and the end product is to the satisfaction of the project owner.

Here are a few things construction managers take care of:

Monitoring the people at construction site

Implementing a construction management system can help streamlinea building design and construction project. It is very important to only have the working team at the site to avoid overcrowding and waste of time.

Monitoring the construction material

Construction sites are normally full of costly construction materials such as glass, bricks, roofing and the like. Without a good management system, these resources can be left unattended andopen to thievery.

Keeping a check on expensive tools

Workers at a construction site, such as design build architects , need certain specialized tools to perform certain tasks. These tools are pretty expensive. Effective site management is required in monitoring the inventory of these tools to avoid vandalism.

An efficient construction site management system will make sure the project is completed on time and without any disputes. Platinum Builders, a famous California based company can take care of any facet of construction management in the most resourceful way. It has a team of experts who work jointly with the clients andensure a construction project is done according to the clients’ specifications.

Monday, 5 December 2011

THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR’S ROLE IN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

General contractors are responsible for overseeing everyday operations of the project and construction site, including managing vendors and keeping the project owners updated. At the very beginning of a project, the general contractor inspects the site and the construction plan and issues an approximation of the cost of the job. This estimate includes the price of materials, labor, and equipment. Generally, contractors sign an
agreement (covering the budget, plans, and special considerations) with the owner before starting work.

As the project head, a contractor ensures all necessary materials, tools, and workers are present at the site and stay on schedule and within budget. To finish a building construction plan , a general contractor employs a number of subcontractors who specialize in a variety of areas. These subcontractors comprise of painters, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and many others.

The general contractor is also responsible for filing all essential paperwork, including building permits. All through the project, the contractor keeps records of the material purchased and work done to keep the project on the decided budget and makes sure that managerial duties are attended to.

One of the prominent names in the general contracting business is Platinum Builders Inc. The company offers their clients friendly service and an assurance that the project will be completed on time and on budget. Apart from this, the engineering design providers, architectural design providers and other specialists are committed to making the project asuccess. The company handles schedule control, quality control, cost control, communication, and sub-contractor management flawlessly.

Sunday, 4 December 2011

ADVANTAGES OF DESIGN BUILD

It is a system in which, the project owner contracts with a general contractor to both design and build the project. The owner does not individually hire an architect or engineer for design as that becomes the responsibility of the general contractor. It is the general contractor who subcontracts, through bidding or other means.

Design-build delivery has several advantages-

Price Certainty- With this method, the project owner has the best certainty of the cost of the building at the very start of the project. This is because the owner specifies what he is ready to pay for a building before soliciting proposals from the - design-build contractors for the pattern, features, and materials they are going to provide for the particular price.

No Conflicts and Disputes- Because the builder and designer are part of the same entity, and the project owner is not the guarantor of the accuracy and completeness of the work, the owner may avoid disputes that occur between the engineer and construction contractor.

Faster Project Delivery- Because the design and construction phases go hand in hand, design-build can deliver a project quicker than other approaches.

Agency Requires Less Technical Staff- With design-build; the project owner does not have to constantly review the correctness and entirety of the architect/engineer's work. Therefore, the owner could have less need for in-house technical staff to administer projects.

Platinum Builders Inc. can be a great resource when you want to create a design-build for your project. The expert staff at the company can help with evaluations, building design, site engineering and audits. The design-build support of Platinum means help with engineering, planning and project management.

Thursday, 27 October 2011

ROLE OF A CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FIRM

Construction management is the general coordination and planning of a project from the beginning to the end. This method is aimed at meeting a project owner’s construction requirements while keeping the project functionally and monetarily viable so that it completes on time and within authorized budget and to the set quality guidelines. Basically, project management is the procedure by which a construction project is brought to a successful close.

There are several firms that offer these services. The expert teams work together from the beginning of the project to project’s completion with the sole objective to best serve the client’s interests. The functions of construction management firm typically include the following:

• Identifying project plans and objectives including description of scope, scheduling, budgeting, setting  performance requirements, and choosing project participants.

• Raising resource efficiency by procurement of materials, labor, and equipment.

• Implementing different operations through accurate coordination and control of design planning, estimation, contracting and construction in the whole process.

• Creating effective mechanisms and communications for solving conflicts


Platinum Builders Inc. is a California based construction management company that is known for its insight and sensitivity towards the project owner’s goals. The company can take care of any facet of construction management in the most ingenious way. It has a squad of experts who work together with the clients and take out time to understand their requirements in detail. Before beginning the construction, budgets, time, and other constraints are properly studied. Since the company takes care of all the sectors, project owners can devote their time on other significant areas such as setting up a plan for the use of the new building.

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Responsibilities Of a General Contractor

A general contractor is responsible for managing a construction project plan from the start to finish. The job includes day-to-day oversight of the site, managing trades and vendors, and keeping communication between the owner and other parties transparent throughout the duration of a project. Hiring a general contractor is a great advantage to the project owner as he does not have to worry about labor, equipment, engineering
vehicles, material, and other services required for the construction of the project. The contractor gets all these tasks done by hiring specialized subcontractors to carry out segments or all of the construction work required to execute the building construction plan .

Depending upon how big the project is, the responsibilities may also include:

• Filing building permits and securing a property,
• Managing workers on site
• Recycling or disposing of construction waste
• Monitoring cash flows and schedules
• Maintaining precise records.

Before starting construction, the contractor first assesses the project through tender documents. Sometimes a site visit is also required to get a better perceptive of the project. As a result of this, the service provider generates a price estimate. This estimate is drawn after considering the cost of equipment, materials, and labor to provide the project owner with a rough price for the project. One of the most prominent names
in the general contracting industry is Platinum Builders Inc. Based in California, the company is known for its foresight, and efficiency. It offers estimates early in the construction planning phase to save time and money. Moreover, the teams of experienced professionals make it possible to attain- date-certain delivery, cost
certainty, and realistic expectations. Platinum is valued for using state of the art technological tools to enhance project partnerships and communications.

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES HELP PROJECT OWNERS STAY WITHIN

Pre-construction services are critical to the ultimate performance of the work. These services are offered by several commercial builders to help optimize the value of the project via coordination and early planning. Experts believe that time delays are the main contributor to amplified cost on construction projects. Successful projects start controlling time from the onset, long before the scope is fully defined. Hence, one of the first efforts of a pre construction service provider is to develop a theoretical master plan with a conceptual budget estimate.

Scheduling:

A project time schedule is developed that incorporates and coordinates the architect’s design efforts with the construction schedules. This schedule is updated regularly with a detailed time schedule for the construction operations of the project, such as duration of activities, realistic activity sequences, allocation of materials and labor, and delivery of products.

Estimation:

Throughout the design planning, development, and construction document phases, the construction managers work directly with the project owner's team to refine the schedule and budget in detail as the scope of the construction project is further refined. The team provides the most cost-effective and efficient input to the design team.

Value Engineering:

Value engineering involves providing recommendations on availability of materials, construction feasibility, time requirements for construction and installation, labor, availability, and elements related to cost including preliminary budgets, costs of alternative materials or designs, and detailed estimates with all value engineering. Proper planning is the most important part of any project. Platinum Builders Inc. is a prominent pre-construction services provider that offers facilities such as- time scheduling, cost estimation, value engineering and the like. These services can be availed singly or as a package. When pre-construction services are utilized proficiently, they can lead to decrease in alterations in the design build process, and reduction in the likelihood of the project going out of budget or schedule.