

About the Book
I have been managing construction projects since 1983. I studied books in college and read several of them afterwards to improve my Construction Management knowledge and skills. I learned a lot from these books, but what those books did not teach me was the real-life challenges in implementing these principles, what works and what doesn’t work.
In Real Life Construction Management Guide from A-Z, I will share with you the lessons I learned the hard way. This book will teach you the theoretical principles plus a real life in-sight, offering a practical guide of best practices to be a successful Construction Manager.
This book is a complete manual taking you through all phases of a project from its inception, through design, all the way to completion of construction. It will cover about all typical issues that you need to know and will face working as a Construction Manager, whether you are managing projects as an Owner’s representative, for a Contractor, if you are an Architect or an Owner who wishes to understand all aspects of projects.
Whether you just started or already a practicing professional, this book will benefit you.
Real Life Construction Management Guide from A-Z is an easy read stile that feels like a conversation more than a lecture.
Excerpts:
1. Human nature, personalities and egos are big factors in managing construction projects. The physical construction is the easiest part of the fabric of a project. The challenge is how to navigate through the multiple personalities, politics and agendas, not to mention avoiding litigation in an industry that is very litigious. 2. A pre-bid meeting is a meeting with all the potential bidders and the owner’s team to discuss the specifics of the advertised project before submitting the bids. Here is how it works. 3. I am big advocate for using schedules as a main tool for managing the project. Unfortunately, I see a lot of bad practices and approaches to schedules that turn this wonderful tool into a bureaucratic process often used as tools for disputes and fights.INDEX
Chapter 1 – The Undisclosed Factors Chapter 2 – History of Construction Management Chapter 3 – The Anatomy of a Construction Project / Key Players Chapter 4 – Construction Manager / Being an Owner’s Representative Chapter 5 – Planning Phase Chapter 6 – Design Phase Chapter 7 – Various Project Delivery Methods Chapter 8 – Bid/Award Phase- i. Bidding private sector projects
- ii. Bidding public works projects
- iii. Review of the Public Contract Code
- i. Typical staff on a Construction Project
- ii. Job Start meetings – Notice to Proceed (NTP)
- iii. Partnering
- iv. Submittals
- v. Mobilizing and starting construction
- vi. Meetings
- vii. Request for Information (RFI)
- viii. Subcontractors
- ix. Project / Relationship management
- x. Cost Control
- xi. Documentation – Communication
- xii. Change Orders
- xiii. Request For Proposal (RFP)
- xiv. Inspections
- xv. Pay Requests – Retention
- xvi. Close out
- xvii. Demobilization
- i. History
- ii. Basic terms
- iii. Principals of CPM scheduling
- iv. How to build a Schedule
- v. Schedule as a Management Tool