Elements of a Successful Construction Project

by

Max Stanford

When most people think of a construction site, they think of cranes, backhoes, lots of noise, and burly construction workers in orange vests and yellow hard hats bellowing at one another. The truth is that there is a bit more to it than that. A modern construction site is a complicated thing. There are many elements working together at once, and if things go wrong they can go wrong badly. Lives could be lost, as well as time, money, and progress. So read on to learn the elements of a successful construction project.

The PlanThe first element to a successful construction project is a good plan. There is even a college degree called Construction Management, that is how involved it is. This plan includes the designs of the building or structure, usually made on a computer in a computer aided drafting program (CAD) and then printed out in what we know as blue prints. Then there is also the hiring of contractors for the different elements of the project; construction, suppliers, vendors, electrical systems, plumbing, alarm and fire protection systems, windows and glass, environmental control systems, and so on.The there are permits to be filed, plans to be evaluated and reworked, and schedules to be coordinated. All of this before the building even begins.The Job SiteOnce the plans and schedules are all in place, it is time to prepare the job site. Equipment and tools need to be delivered and set up. Safety and security barriers need to be erected. Warning signs need be be put in place as well. Temporary buildings need to be delivered and set up, and the location needs to be surveyed and marked. Once all of these are completed, the site is safe and ready for the real work to begin.The ProjectWith the plan in place and the site ready, the projcet can begin in earnest. An army of workers and machines descend on the site, digging foundations, pouring concrete, erecting scaffolding, cutting and placing materials, installing pipes, running wire, programming environmental control systems, putting up insulation, burying pipes and wires, laying pavement, painting walls, installing floors and carpeting, hanging windows and doors, and installing appliances such as bathroom fixtures, water heaters, and thermostats.So as you have seen, a modern construction project is no small undertaking. Even before it begins everything must be planned out, and even then, things rarely go without a hitch. Then there is the coordination of an army of workers each with their own job and specialty that has a specific time that it needs to be done so others can finish their jobs. Keeping all of this chaos in order is no mean feat, as you can imagine. Construction managers are skilled at keeping all of this in check as well as having knowldege of everything from CAD programs, building codes, how to work industrial engines and job site power generation equipment, to knowing what needs to be done and when.

Max Stanford writes for World Wide Power Products, retailers of

power generation equipment

and other power generation solutions.

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Elements of a Successful Construction Project}