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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Construction & heavy industry
This book provides a solid background on various principal civil engineering contracts including the ICE 6th, the NEC2, the Arbitration and Conciliation Acts and the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1998. It also includes commentary on the ICE 7th and international contracts. The book provides a concise introduction to contract law and discusses various standard forms of contract used in civil engineering projects to provide an analysis of the various contract options.
In this timely book, Emilio Jose Garcia and Brenda Vale explore what sustainability and resilience might mean when applied to the built environment. Conceived as a primer for students and professionals, it defines what the terms sustainability and resilience mean and how they are related to each other and to the design of the built environment. After discussion of the origins of the terms, these definitions are then compared and applied to case studies, including Whitehill and Bordon, UK, Tianjin Eco-city, China, and San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, which highlight the principles of both concepts. Essentially, the authors champion the case that sustainability in the built environment would benefit from a proper understanding of resilience.
In the mid-1960s geotechnical engineers paid the highest liability insurance of any profession and by 1969 were virtually uninsurable. As a result, the ASFE was founded and helped these engineers not only lower their insurance rates, but get to the point where, by 1980, they were the least liability-prone members of the design profession. Now, John Bachner and the ASFE tell all other design professionals how to accomplish the same task. This book, which incorporates the ASFE's Introduction to Professional Practice program for advancing architects' and engineers' knowledge of professional practice issues, addresses almost every aspect of the design professionals' practice as they relate to liability, from procedures for verifying the accuracy of technical output to steps for improving client and project selection, workscope development, personnel training and dispute resolution.
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, this new book provides thought provoking commentary on the nature of the relationship between society, the prevailing economic system and professionalism in the built environment. It addresses the changing responsibilities of professionals and in particular their obligation to act in the wider public interest. It is both an introduction to and an examination of professionalism and professional bodies in the sector, including a view of the future of professionalism and the organisations serving it. Simon Foxell outlines the history of professionalism in the sector, comparing and contrasting the development of the three major historic professions working in the construction industry: civil engineering, architecture and surveying. He examines how their systems have developed over time, up to the current period dominated by large professional services firms, and looks at some options for the future, whilst asking difficult questions about ethics, training, education, public trust and expectation from within and outside the industry. The book concludes with a six-point plan to help, if not ensure, that the professions remain an effective and essential part of both society and the economy; a part that allows the system to operate smoothly and easily, but also fairly and to the benefit of all. Essential reading for built environment professionals and students doing the professional studies elements of their training or in the process of applying for chartership or registration. The issues and lessons are applicable across all building professions.
Across the nation, construction projects large and small--from
hospitals to schools to simple home improvements--are spiraling out
of control. Delays and cost overruns have come to seem "normal,"
even as they drain our wallets and send our blood pressure
skyrocketing. In "Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets," prominent
construction attorney Barry B. LePatner builds a powerful case for
change in America's sole remaining "mom and pop" industry--an
industry that consumes $1.23 trillion and wastes at least $120
billion each year.
The construction industry as a workplace is commonly seen as problematic for a number of reasons, including its worrying health and safety record, the instability of its workforce, and the poorly regulated nature of the sector. It is surprising therefore, that the sector and its working practices remain so under-theorised. Now though, there is a growing interest in and awareness of the utility of an ethnographic approach to the construction industry. Ethnographic Research in the Construction Industry draws together in one volume a set of expert contributions which demonstrate how social science perspectives, rooted in ethnographic research on construction sites and with construction workers themselves, can generate fresh insights into the social, cultural and material ways that the industry and conditions of work in it are experienced and played out. Each chapter develops discussion on the basis of an ethnographic case study to examine how theoretically informed ethnographic research can help us understand industry problems, and can challenge common perceptions of the construction industry. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of anthropology, sociology, geography and organization studies, as well as those from the built environment and related applied fields.
People are at the heart of any successful organization and a good understanding how they interact is an essential ingredient for an organization's success. This popular book provides a system approach to people and organizational management, highlighting the importance of the managerial and social functions in affecting the attitude and behaviour of people at work. People and organisational management in construction applies management principles specifically to the construction industry. Blending theory with practice, using case studies drawn from the industry, each of the core management topics relevant to the industry are covered, including: management theory; strategy; organization structure and design; culture, leadership and power; personnel development, and ways in which construction organizations can improve their performance and effectiveness addressed
Dealing with such a multi-layered and fungible intangible as quality during the design and construction process is difficult for all parties involved. To the architect, quality means an appealing and enduring design, but to the builder, it means understandable documents that, when acted upon, lead to an enduring, well-made structure. To the owner, it is the end result: a building that is not only fit for the purpose, but a positive addition to its surroundings. Reconciling these seemingly contrasting priorities requires processes that are embedded not just at the project level, but within the entire enterprise with designer, builder, and owner committed to integrating quality into all their business processes. Quality Tools for Managing Construction Projects not only details the importance of developing a comprehensive management system, but provides the tools and techniques required to do so. The book examines the usage and applications of tools and techniques in different phases of a construction project, focusing on plan quality, quality assurance, and quality control. Following the construction cycle, Dr. Rumane delineates the quality tools and their application, ending with the implementation of quality systems throughout the entire design and construction cycle. The book demonstrates how these tools can help in planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling a project-evolving project management into a system that ensures project deliverables consistently meet the defined scope on schedule and within budget. The author's systems perspective recognizes and supports the ideal collaborative approach that modern design and construction projects need. Dr. Rumane then demonstrates that successful quality management is more than a series of handoffs between teams who've completed tasks.
The construction sector is one of the most complex and problematic arenas within which to manage people. As a result, the applicability of much mainstream human resource management (HRM) theory to this industry is limited. Indeed, the operational realities faced by construction organizations mean that all too often the needs of employees are subjugated by performance concerns. This has potentially dire consequences for those who work in the industry, for the firms that employ them and ultimately, for the prosperity and productivity of the industry as a whole. In this new edition of their leading text, Andrew Dainty and Martin Loosemore have assembled a collection of perspectives which critically examine key aspects of the HRM function in the context of contemporary construction organizations. Rather than simply update the previous edition, the aim of this second edition is to provide a more critical commentary on the ways in which the industry addresses the HRM function and how this affects those who work within the industry. To this end, the editors have gathered contributions from many of the leading thinkers within construction HRM to critique the perspectives presented in the first edition. Each contributor either tackles specific aspects of the HRM function, or provides a critical commentary on industry practice. The authors explain, using real-life case studies, the ways in which construction firms respond to the myriad pressures that they face through their HRM practices. Together the contributions encourage the reader to rethink the HRM function and its role in defining the employment relationship. This provides essential reading for students of construction and project management, and reflective practitioners who are interested in theoretically informed insights into industry practice and its implications.
Granite is the most unyielding of building materials. The great granite quarries of the North East are silent now, as are virtually all of the 100 granite yards that existed in Aberdeen around the year 1900. Yet in its time, the granite industry of north-east Scotland was the engine that built civilisations. As early as the sixteenth century, granite from Aberdeen and its vicinities was building castles. In the heyday of the mid-nineteenth century, the granite men of the North East hewed this material from the bowels of the earth and used it to fashion the iconic structures that defined the age. It paved the streets and embankments of London. It was used to build bridges over the Thames. It was carved into monuments for kings and commoners not only in Britain but all over the world. None of it possible without the men that toiled in those quarries and yards. This is the story of those granite men and their industry.
In Barack Obama s America public works is once again a part of the national dialogue. Today it is offered as a solution to the economic downturn and to the public infrastructure crisis. This timely book examines the reasons for the economic crisis facing Main Street, and connects them to why the nation has structurally deficient bridges, weak levees, poorly maintained dams, and dilapidated schools.This book explores the new emerging dominant paradigm that will govern the nation, with a particular focus on the federal government s new emphasis to create jobs and build infrastructure. The book analyzes the history of U.S. public works, drawing upon and updating lessons from the New Deal, to understand the most effective way to organize a modern U.S. civic works project, as well as a civic works pilot project for the Gulf Coast. The pilot project is based on the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act, which would create a minimum of 100,000 prevailing wage jobs and training opportunities for local and displaced workers on infrastructure projects and restoring the coastal environment using emerging green building technologies. One chapter features new contributions from Howard Zinn, Angela Glover Blackwell, and other leading scholars, public policy advocates, and community organizers weighing in on how an U.S. civic works project might solve our economic, infrastructure, and environmental crises. Issues discussed in this section include using civic works to create green jobs, to alleviate poverty, to train the next generation of Rosie the Riveters, to organize Gulf Coast residents, to end the human rights crisis in the region, and to implement a national government-run public works project.Listen to the "Journey Home Radio Show" interview with Scott Myers-Lipton: Journey Home Radio Interview"
Students studying construction management and related subjects need to have a broad understanding of the major aspects of controlling the building processes. Operations Management for Construction is one of three textbooks (Business Organisation, Operations Management and Finance Control) written to systematically cover the field. Focusing on construction sites and operations which are challenging to run, Chris March explores issues such as the setting up of the site, the deciding of the methodology of construction, and the sequence of work and resourcing. As changing and increasing regulations affect the way sites are managed, he also considers the issues and methods of successful administering, safety, quality and environment. Finally, the contractor's responsibility to the environment, including relationships with third parties, selection of materials, waste management and sustainability is discussed. Chris March has a wealth of practical experience in the construction industry, as well as considerable experience of teaching, which he uses to support the theory and principles set out in the book.
A straightforward description providing readers with a guide to contract law as it relates to construction contracting. Thoroughly explains when a lawyer may or may not be needed and offers guidance for working with one. Prior notice provisions, no damage for delay clauses and conditional payment provisions are among the topics covered. Includes hundreds of actual construction cases.
Here is the ultimate handbook for engineers, architects,
contractors, specifications workers, and hardware managers who need
to deliver products and services at a consistently high level of
quality. It introduces ISO 9000, a proven method of building a
quality track record that will stand up under the closest scrutiny
even in the most competitive environments. For architects, engineers, contractors, specifications workers, hardware managers, and other professionals in construction-related industries, ISO 9000 in Construction is the key to achieving more consistent performance levels, improved efficiency and productivity, a solid reputation for quality, and a sharper competitive edge.
One thing that mature, developing, or undeveloped nations have in common in today's global economy is the necessity to construct, repair, refurbish, and modernize their infrastructure. More and more governments are turning to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) process to accomplish this expensive and enormously challenging task—allowing private developers to design, finance, construct, and operate revenue-producing public projects, and then turn them over to the community at the end of an agreed payback period. The first book to explore this innovative approach to privatization, Build, Operate, Transfer covers the creation of BOT projects from the ground up. Using a real-world, case-oriented approach, it provides a comprehensive examination of the engineering, construction, and financial skills required to bring BOT ventures from the planning stage to design, construction, and operation. From the Channel Tunnel to the Dulles Greenway, the book examines both successful projects and troubled ones, extracting key information on what sets them apart—including such crucial factors as the importance of public support and government control in ensuring a positive outcome. You will also find specific coverage of construction techniques and procedures, plus financial comparisons, demographics, and other statistical data. Whether you are a student or a professional working in engineering, construction, finance, or government, BOT cannot be ignored as an effective way to build infrastructure projects quickly, efficiently, and at minimal cost. This book equips you with both the comprehensive information and the practical guidance you need to put this dynamic practice into action. The only book available on the BOT approach to private construction and maintenance of public projects—complete coverage from the ground up Contractors the world over are discovering how to use private-public partnerships to build much-needed infrastructure projects quickly, efficiently, and at minimal cost. This book thoroughly explores the combination of engineering, construction, and financial skills required to bring these Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) ventures from the planning stage to design, construction, and operation. Based on a real-world, case-driven approach, Build, Operate, Transfer examines specific BOT projects, identifying key factors necessary to their successful implementation, and offering important guidance on avoiding common pitfalls. This practical book features: A full introduction to BOT systems, with diagrams of construction techniques and procedures, complete sample contract, and more
There are many text books about engineering design and some include project evaluation techniques. There are text books on accounting methods and yet others on business management. This book does not aim to replace these specialized texts but brings together the elements of these subjects that young engineers working in industry - particularly the construction industry and its customers - need to understand. Most engineers learn about money the hard way: by experience in the workplace. The authors having done this themselves recognized the gap in engineers' education and set out to bridge it. This book is based on a 1996 course George Solt pioneered for final-year engineering undergraduates. The book is written in an approachable style and gives young engineers as well as mature engineers an insight into the way engineering businesses run, the importance of capital and the problems of cash flow.
Since the 1980s the architectural profession across the world has been driven by globalisation. The factors shaping this globalisation include neo-liberal economics, digital transformation and the rise of social media against the background of the profession's entrenched labour practices. In describing architecture as a global system, this book outlines how globalisation has shaped architecture and explores the degree to which architecture remains a distinct field of knowledge. The book identifies four categories of architects in this global system: scavengers, tribes, warlords and megafirms. By employing this institutional-logics approach, the author looks beyond the surface spectacle of iconic projects, celebrity architects and cycles of urban focused media outrage. From this perspective, the book illuminates the archipelagos and outposts of disciplinary knowledge that architectural actors traverse and highlights the frontiers at which architectural knowledge is both created and eroded. The author argues that to retain their future agency, architects must understand the contours and ecologies of practice that constitute this global system of architectural production. This book provides a clear-sighted analysis to suggest the points that need reconfiguring in this global system so that architects may yet shape and order the future of cities.
Provides a wide insight into the construction business, showing the reader how a contractor organizes a construction company and controls his work. Offers a practical and direct approach and describes how a business starts up, how it's organized and how it's financed. Also covers estimating, cost keeping systems, labor relations, equipment, safety, and insurance. Augmented with numerous case histories, forms and sample agreements to keep a job on schedule and within budget.
The construction of housing, commercial property and infrastructure projects - roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, airports - for both the private and public sectors is one of the biggest industries in the world. It contributes around 10 per cent of world GDP, employs 7 per cent of the global workforce, and consumes around 20 per cent of the world's energy. It is also a highly fragmented industry with very low profit margins and a high risk of failure for the many firms operating in its complex supply chain. Stephen Gruneberg and Noble Francis present an up-to-date analysis of how construction markets operate, how firms collaborate on projects, and how their business models work. They explore the many distinctive features of the economics of the industry, such as the use of cost-reduction rather than profit-maximizing behaviour, the processes of tendering and procurement, and the often cyclical nature of demand. Particular challenges for the industry, such as the frequency of disputes between firms and the low productivity of the sector, are shown to be the outcomes of a business model that tends to focus on the volatility of demand and managing risk at the expense of improving efficiency. As well as discussing industry-wide issues, the authors also examine how individual projects are costed. The book offers authoritative analysis and expert insight into the economics of a much misunderstood industry and is suitable for a range of courses in business schools and departments of architecture and the built environment.
James Moore Swank (1832 1914) was a US expert on iron and steel, and wrote widely about the industry. In 1873 he became secretary of the American Iron and Steel Association. This second edition (1892) of his influential book on iron manufacture was significantly expanded compared to the 1884 original, with 132 more pages, 15 extra chapters, and revisions throughout the text. Swank aimed to move away from the highly technical approach and European focus that had dominated previous works. Instead, he would emphasise names, dates, facts and results, and give special attention to the growth of the industry in the United States while providing an international context. He includes every country and US state that produced iron. The book is organised chronologically, and provides a fascinating account of the manufacture of iron from the ancient Egyptian period through early modern Britain to late nineteenth-century America.
Extending Performance of Concrete Structures forms the Proceedings of the one day International Seminar held during the Congress, Creating with Concrete, 6-10 September 1999, organised by the Concrete Technology Unit, University of Dundee. Topics discussed include developments in materials and use in new construction. The themes of the seminar were Materials Developments and Practical Applications.
The book focuses on the historical evolution of firms, and industry leaders and their strategies. Sheffield's experience is then related to current historical and economic debates about industrial structure, entrepreneurship and UK decline. Sheffield is revealed (with some important qualifications) as a remarkably enduring and successful center; and also a highly complex one, which cannot be fitted easily into present theories of mass production and entrepreneurial failure.
"This document is a comprehensive design code for concrete. It is the result of a comprehensive revision to the original model code of 1978, which was produced jointly by the Comite Euro-International du Beton (CEB) and the Federation International de la Precontrainte (FIP). The original CEB-FIP Model Code of 1978 has had a considerable impact on the national design codes in many countries. In particular, it has been used extensively for the harmonisation of national design codes. "
Achieving value in construction is now emerging as the main challenge facing the construction team if they are to offer the best service for the client. No longer is the aim simply to keep costs under control. This book from the RICS Foundation analyses how to provide best value by the effective application of leading edge techniques and processes throughout the entire life cycle of buildings, from the business case which underpins their initiation to the achievement of a satisfactory project out-turn. This book is a successor to Quantity Surveying Techniques: New Directions, edited by Peter Brandon and published on behalf of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors by Blackwell. It will be of interest not only to surveyors and construction managers but also to final year undergraduates of construction degrees.
"' This book] will make a major contribution to the advancement of the methods by which construction professionals provide a service to their clients' "- Professor Peter Brandon |
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