Developing countries face the challenge of maintaining economic growth and socio-economic development, at the core of which sits the construction industry. Considerable research on construction in developing countries took place in the 1970's and 1980's, but little since, a gap which this book fills.

Including contributions from prominent academics and practitioners in Australia, China, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, and the UK, this is a truly international analysis of a subject of global interest. The most insightful and relevant of recent research on topics such as Millennium Development Goals, the informal construction sector, human resource development, technology, finance and social change, are all addressed in the context of the construction industry in the developing world. Also considered are other key aspects of construction industry development such as institution building, nurturing of contractors and consultants and championing of industry development programmes.

While the challenge has grown and the needs have become even more pressing, the research to date has rarely presented effective solutions. Focussing on those aspects of the construction industry most crucial to development, this is a much needed up-to-date study that sheds new light on a variety of concepts and issues.

This is essential reading for researchers, professionals and students interested in the construction industry in developing countries. Readers of this book will be interested in its companion volume; Contemporary Issues of Construction in Developing Countries.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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. "

A practical, hands-on guide to real-world construction estimating How to Estimate with RSMeans Datais the only instructional book on construction cost estimating that uses the most popular source of construction cost data, RS Means. This updated fifth edition includes new coverage on the role of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the estimating process, and over 300 sample problems and exercises that show you how to apply cost data to your building project based on the RS Means 2015 Building Construction Cost Data. The companion website provides access to RS Means CostWorks data, allowing you to use real-world numbers in your practice estimates, and the included Instructor's Manual provides step-by-step solutions to problems in the book. Focused on the practical aspects of estimating, this book emphasizes the application of estimating techniques which are transferable to any estimating software through problem solving and the ground-up creation of complete construction project estimates. Estimating skills are fundamental to the construction industry, and are applied by all parties at all levels throughout the industry. This book is a hands-on guide to the techniques and tools used to create a thorough estimate, with plenty of opportunities for practice. * Apply cost data to all aspects of the building project * Practice your skills on over 300 sample problems * Construct a complete estimate using RSMeans Besides being an essential construction skill, learning estimating helps you become familiar with reading and understanding construction blueprints and how construction assemblies are built. Mastery of these vital skills is important to your future career, and How to Estimate with RSMeans Data is your ideal guide to a solid foundation.

With accelerating change towards globalisation, the efficacy of design solutions not embedded within regional culture has been prone to failure - technically, socially and economically. Environmental problems and questions surrounding how to achieve a sustainable built environment are now posing urgent challenges to built environment practitioners and researcher. However, international cooperation in setting targets and standards as well as an increasing exchange of environmental information and practices present designers, clients and occupants with new problems that comprise local needs and the built environment.

This book addresses the role regional culture play in the successful (or otherwise) process of exchanging and adapting environmental practices and standards in the built environment. Using the specific case of the design of environmentally sound buildings, the book identifies a number of issues from different perspectives:

The conflict between regionally appropriate environmental building practices within a global technical and economic context.
How human, social and cultural expectations limit technological advances and performance improvements.
To what extent information on environmentally progressive buildings can be transferred across cultures without compromising regional and local practices.
Which ideas travel successfully between regions - generic principles, specific ideas or specific solutions?How the idea of regional identity is being redefined as the process of globalisation both widens and accelerates.

Adjudication was introduced in construction contracts as a requirement of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act in 1998 to tackle the large number of disputes which dog most projects. Provisions for adjudication are now included in all standard construction forms and are implied into all construction contracts that do not expressly include them.

When adjudication was first launched there were enormous uncertainties about how it would work in practice, and books published to coincide with the launch could only speculate on this.

This new guide, written by a construction lawyer and experienced adjudicator, is the first to explain how adjudication is actually working in practice. It covers all the major court decisions which have clarified enforcement, adjudicator errors and problems such as definition of construction contracts, jurisdiction, insolvency, natural justice and human rights. It also deals with the complex requirements of the legislation regarding payment terms.

This will provide a highly readable, but authoritative guide for all involved in adjudications, whether contracts directors, construction consultants, lawyers or adjudicators.

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

This book combines a critique of more than a century of housing reform policies, including public and other subsidized housing as well as exclusionary zoning, with the idea that simple low-cost housing-a poor side of town-helps those of modest means build financial assets and join in the local democratic process. It is more of a historical narrative than a straight policy book, however-telling stories of Jacob Riis, zoning reformer Lawrence Veiller, anti-reformer Jane Jacobs, housing developer William Levitt, and African American small homes advocate Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood, as well as first-person accounts of onetime residents of neighborhoods such as Detroit's Black Bottom who lost their homes and businesses to housing reform and urban renewal. This is a book with important policy implications-built on powerful, personal stories.

This book provides construction professionals, designers, contractors and quality auditors involved in construction projects with the auditing skills and processes required to improve construction quality and make their projects more competitive and economical. The processes within the book focus on auditing compliance to ISO, corporate quality management systems, project specific quality management systems, contract management, regulatory authorities' requirements, safety, and environmental considerations. The book is divided into seven chapters and each chapter is divided into numbered sections covering auditing-related topics that have importance or relevance for understanding quality auditing concepts for construction projects. No other book covers construction quality auditing in such detail and with this level of practical application. It is an essential guide for construction and quality professionals, but also for students and academics interested in learning about quality auditing in construction projects.

For beginning to intermediate courses in construction estimating in two- and four-year construction management programs. A step-by-step, hands-on introduction to commercial and residential estimating Construction Estimating with Excel, 3/e, introduces readers to the fundamental principles of estimating using drawing sets, real-world exercises, and examples. The book moves step-by-step through the estimating process, discussing the art of estimating, the quantity takeoff, how to put costs to the estimate, and how to finalize the bid. As students progress through the text they are shown how Microsoft Excel can be used to improve the estimating process. Because it introduces spreadsheets as a way of increasing estimating productivity and accuracy, the book can help both beginning and experienced estimators improve their skills. The Third Edition gives students a broader understanding of construction estimating with a new chapter discussing the role that estimating plays in different project delivery methods and in the design process and how to use data from RSMeans. To bring the book up to date, the material and equipment costs and labor rates have been updated to reflect current costs, and the discussion of Excel (including the figures) is based on Excel 2016. Additionally, content throughout the book has been updated to align to ACCE and ABET student learning outcomes. Student resources are available on the companion website www.pearsonhighered.com/careersresources/.

The complexity of public-private partnership project procurement requires an effective process for pricing, managing and appropriate allocation of risks. The level at which risk is priced and the magnitude of risks transferred to the private sector will have a significant impact on the cost of the PPP deals as well as on the value for money analysis and on the section of the optimum investment options. The construction industry tends to concentrate on the effectiveness of risk management strategies and to some extent ignores the price of risk and its impact on whole life cost of building assets. There is a pressing need for a universal framework for the determination of fair value of risks throughout the PPP procurement processes. Risk Pricing Strategies for Public-Private Partnership Projects addresses the issues of risk pricing and demonstrates the use of a coherent strategy to arrive at a fair risk price. The focus of the book is on providing risk pricing strategies to maximise return on risk retention and allocation in the procurement of PPP projects. With its up-to-date coverage of the latest developments in risk pricing and comprehensive treatment of the methodologies involved in designing and building risk pricing strategies, the book offers a simple model for pricing risks. The book follows a thematic structure: PPP processes map; Risk, uncertainty and bias; Risk pricing management strategies; Risk pricing measurement and modelling; Risk pricing at each of the project life cycle stages and deals with all the important risk pricing issues, using relevant real-world situations through case study examples. It explains how the theory and strategies of risk pricing can be successfully applied to real PPP projects and reflects the broad understanding required by today s project risk analysts, in their new and important role in PPP contract management.

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.

This work considers the current nature of the UK construction industry and looks at the limitations of conventional procurement systems and the need for a new approach to procurement in the face of the recession and overseas competition. The book analyzes the use of supply chain management and other strategic procurement techniques and outlines generic approaches to better practice. It also demonstrates to the key players in the construction process how they can improve their own effectiveness and profitability. Using a number of case studies to demonstrate the process and practices described, this edition illustrates how they can work effectively in practice.

There are few tasks in surveying that carry more onerous responsibilities than setting out. The financial cost of mistakes can be horrendous and completely out of proportion to the perceived value of the task. Setting out is just one part of a complex series of processes which spans the whole project from inception to final construction and beyond. Accurate and efficient setting out is essential if any civil engineering project is to meet the stringent financial targets imposed upon it by modern construction systems.

Why Do Contractors Lie? gives real estate investors the necessary knowledge to approach the contracting process from a higher level of expertise. Real estate investor of many years, J. O. A. Maurice, equips investors with the appropriate and repeatable skills to hire the right contractors for the right jobs, at the right price, and for the right duration. In Why Do Contractors Lie?, Maurice lays out the appropriate and effective skills investors need so they don't have to lose their investment due to a lying contractor. Within Why Do Contractors Lie?, real estate investors learn how to: Find a contractor they can trust Spot when contractors start to lie Make sure their project gets completed perfectly on time Avoid end-of-contract arguments or lawsuits Never again lose another investment because of terrible contractors

In recent years, Information Technology (IT) has been transforming business practice in many sectors resulting in efficiency gains and improved services for the client. The construction industry lags behind other manufacturing and service industries in adopting the new technology. To promote the wider use of IT in construction, it is essential to equip practitioners and graduates of construction related disciplines with knowledge of existing construction IT applications. This book provides an overview of a broad range of IT applications currently available for all stages throughout the life cycle of a building project from essential office and information management through to computer-aided design (CAD), cost estimating, project planning and scheduling, and facilities management and building maintenance. It is an invaluable and handy reference for construction professionals and clients, as well as being a clear and comprehensive text for students studying construction, building or architectural courses.

Managing Reality Book 2 Procuring an Engineering and Construction Contract is for those who need to know how to procure an ECC contract. It covers in practical detail invitations to tender, evaluation of submissions, which option to select, how to complete the Contract Data and how to prepare the Works Information. The use of this guidance is appropriate for employers, contractors (including subcontractors) and construction professionals in general.Managing Reality is a series of books written by NEC experts well versed in using NEC3 in industry that explains how NEC3 can be used to optimum benefit in everyday environments. Ultimately, this suite of books forms the complete and authoritative guide to getting the most from NEC3 for your projects.

NEC Managing Reality: A Practical Guide to Applying NEC3 is a series of books written by NEC experts well versed in using the NEC `at the coal face' that explain how the NEC can be used to optimum benefit in everyday environments. The second edition includes full updates to each of the five books: Introduction to the engineering and construction contract; Procuring an engineering and construction contract; Managing the contract; Managing change; Managing procedures. This new edition focuses solely on NEC3, with new practical examples from across the world. Sections on disallowable cost, defects, roles/responsibilities and schedule of cost components have been expanded and enhanced.

NEC Managing Reality: A Practical Guide to Applying NEC3 is a series of books written by NEC experts well versed in using the NEC `at the coal face' that explain how the NEC can be used to optimum benefit in everyday environments. The second edition includes full updates to each of the five books: Introduction to the engineering and construction contract; Procuring an engineering and construction contract; Managing the contract; Managing change; Managing procedures. This new edition focuses solely on NEC3, with new practical examples from across the world. Sections on disallowable cost, defects, roles/responsibilities and schedule of cost components have been expanded and enhanced.