Building construction is a rewarding, significant but complex process. The construction project usually begins with a concept and ends in a structure that might house people for many years. Nevertheless, the planning stage of the construction projects needs an orderly and well-planned assembly of all the needed resources. Articulation of construction project requirements will be done during the planning phase to assess other alternatives considered in case the initial plan fails to accomplish its intended objectives. Planning in construction projects is a challenging and vital activity based on its implementation and administration. The starting phase of the project constitutes the development of plans to assist the project team through the implementation and closing stage of the project. The plans of building created during the planning stage assist the client with the new office accommodation project to manage the issues, risks, quality, cost, and time. Besides, planning will assist the client to manage the external suppliers and staff so as to make sure that the project is delivered within the estimated budget and time (Kubba 2017, p. 77). During the planning stage, identification of resource requirements and tasks of the proposed project such as land acquisition, assembly of the design team, planning permission, constraints, community relations, pre-contract health and safety plans occurs. The design team assembly for the construction project is vital since it helps to have experienced professionals who can accomplish the project at the right time. In addition, the planning phase for the project constitutes the planning of the procurement and communication activities to enhance delivery of materials during the construction process. The planning team of the project will develop the pre-contract health and safety plans for the project. Health and safety are vital in any project hence the planning team will perform a feasibility study on the site to establish the health and safety issues that might emerge during the project execution (Kubba 2017, p. 76).
The development of the new office accommodation might be complex since it will require extensive work and keenness to ensure that the existing building is not affected or damaged during the construction. The project complexity and size might also require a large group of professionals to be involved in the process of making decisions. Various stakeholders to be involved in the project might have divergent views thus making it not easy to reach any form of agreement.
The project team will also study and outline the building regulations in the locality of the project. Studying and outlining of the rules at the building place usually occurs during the planning stage in order to help the design and implementation team of the project understand the rules that they will abide by in the locality. The initial step in the process of delivering a project is developing the program. The program needs to be put in writing and has comprehensive details to help in the design of the project and minimize the prospective risks that an architect might experience and evade any form of confusion. In case there are other corrections that are supposed to be made during the construction progress, then it is essential to have a written authorization from the client (Hashimi 2017, p. 102).
Building regulations are vital in construction projects since such rules normally set the construction and design standards. Besides, the site bylaws help to make sure that there are effective health and safety standards within and outside the project environment. Some of the health and care needs in a construction project constitute conservation of energy such as power and fuel. There should also be the provision of access to every individual in the building who might require special assistance. The other safety and health risks in a construction site include hygiene, toxic substances, electrical hazards, fire among other dangers (Hashimi 2017, p. 106). The resource plan is mainly founded on the plan of the project. The strategy employs the use of detailed specification and design together with essential concepts of the human resources, equipment as well as construction materials. In addition, the project proposal also forecast the materials, equipment, and labor that are needed for all the tasks and activities during the production stage of the project.
1.2 The Design Phase of Construction Projects
The RIBA plan of work is used to supervise the contracts, design, and running of the construction projects. There might be a variation in the structure of the stages of work in order to fit a particular technique of procurement. The initial establishment of the plan of work in the construction projects was mainly to demonstrate the requirements of the old-fashioned types of contracts. Based on the demands of the construction project, it is vital to identify the main performance indicators and the vision. All the stages of the project should be examined and validated to ensure that they abide by the construction regulations ((Maciver 2016, p. 635).
After the assembly and establishment of the design team, the client will coordinate and manage the stage of drawing the plan. The management of the creation of the plan demands the oversight of budgets and schedules. Besides, the management of the design needs the essential deliverables and submissions in order to comply with the aims and objectives of the design. Authentication of the functional testing demands of the building project is also undertaken during the design phase. Vital applications of the criteria and standards of the design of the client should also be taken into consideration. It should define the criteria used to examine the quality measurement so as to make sure that the project does not fail to achieve its intended goals. Enhancement of the building quality and minimization of the cost of the project and delivery timings are enhanced through the establishment of vital aims at the start of the design process (Hashimi 2017, p. 112).
Information associated with the building construction is collected through different literary sources to refine the project scope. During the design phase, the construction project should be examined to establish any issues pertaining to the construction and design that need to be taken into consideration. The site of the construction project should be visited so as to see, file, and certify any feature and condition that need to be integrated into the project. Such visits are essential since there might be construction and design defects that might occur within the environment of the construction site. The design team needs to file the issues and assess the rationality of the project (Hashimi 2017, p. 121).
The design will take into consideration access to individuals with special needs such as the disabled. According to the Hong Kong Housing Society regulations, it requires the design team to take into consideration the disabled access. For instance, the regulations require that tactile surface should be used on the flows to give access for the disabled to the building. Therefore, the design team will consider the disabled access to ensure that the outcome of the project meets the desired standards (Guven and Esin 2013, p. 120).
The design process will follow the relevant legislation for buildings in Hong Kong. For instance, Hong Kong has established building regulations laws that govern the construction industry. Tort law is one of the regulations that offer and deals with issues pertaining to remedies for the civil wrongs that emanates from the contractual mandates. Therefore, the design of the project will take into consideration the various relevant regulations to ensure that it meets the minimum standards set by the various stakeholders such as the government (Guven and Esin 2013, p. 121).
Buildings have various unit prices that determine the production cost. There are various activities that might be integrated into the process and have direct effects on the aesthetics of the construction project. For instance, in the building services, recessed windows, applied detailing, and attractive overhands might be eradicated because they do not have any economic advantages on the project. Whereas the design team might choose certain items based on aesthetic factors, it might have negative effects on the building eventually resulting into great losses. In addition, the design process will take into consideration other costs that might increase during the execution of the project. Contemplation on the costs of the project will ensure that all the factors are integrated during the production of the final design. Because the building will include the redevelopment of an already existing building, the design team will consider a change of use during the design. The changes will involve assessment of the various usages that the client might subject the building into and integrate them into the final design.
During the design process, the architect will mainly work based on the recommendation and requirements of the client. The work of the architect will be attributed to the reality that the architect is accountable to the client and the consultants. Therefore, the consultants will bear greatest liability during the construction process to ensure that there is no error occurring.
1.3. Coordination and Management of the Planning and Design Phase of Construction Projects
Construction projects are currently becoming more complex based on their mandatory design specifications, materials used, and technical building infrastructure. Within the design and planning scope, different professionals partner to establish a general project design that can be completed and executed. Management and coordination of construction projects are essential parts of the successful design and planning phases. The undertakings and preparations of the different feasibility studies such as master plans, value engineering, programs, and surveys are managed effectively. The coordination and management of the design and plans in the construction project constitute infrastructure systems, development, and construction that would get certified and allowed within the required period (Guven and Esin 2013, p. 126).
Based on the current building construction project, various factors will be taken into consideration to effectively manage and coordinate it. The project management team will involve the design team to ensure that effective decisions are made to enhance the construction process. Involvement of the design staff establishes various opportunities that will help to enhance the project through three main parameters such as schedule, quality, and cost. The project will involve the building of a new office accommodation by including the redevelopment of the current stone cladding building. Being that the current building is supposed to be extended to establish new office accommodation linked to the current building using an atrium, there will be effective consideration by the design team to ensure that there is no under or over-estimation (Flitney and Peppiatt 2015, p. 10).
The planning and design of the project will be managed by ensuring that they proceed simultaneously. Such measures will constitute an assessment of the different options that are desirable from different viewpoints. In addition, design review will be conducted as the construction project continues from the planning phase to the design phase. For instance, in case the procedure of assembling the building structure and critical loadings will be considered carefully to form part of the general design, assembly on the expected details and its effects on the construction. Nevertheless, the construction contractors and design experts will be anticipated to take similar tasks so as to ensure that the project is evaluated accordingly (Jusoh and Kasim 2017, p. 4).
Financial implications of the design will be managed through effective management of the finances. For instance, the management of the design financials constitutes analysis and recording of the various transactions to ensure that timely information use is generated through statements and reports since it might constitute prosperity in the management of the project finances. Manual recording of the financial transactions might consume a lot of time due to the increased transactions might contribute to numerous errors.
The sources of funding for the project will be managed and coordinated during the planning and design phase. The design team will prepare cost estimation for the project that will assist the planning team to establish the total budget for the project thus leading to adequate planning and seeking for the funding source for the project. Modern technological tools can be used to develop an effective budget that will help in the management of the project. The email will be the main form of communication between the design and planning team to ensure that all the project requirements are effectively managed. For instance, during site meetings, official communication between the project manager and the project team will be undertaken to ensure that there is no communication failure (Flitney and Peppiatt 2015, p. 11).
Life cycle cost planning will be carried out during the early stages of the design process to ensure that construction project design is effectively refined to minimize any loss as a result of misappropriation of the budget. The project manager will make effective decisions on the land acquisition and the continuous use of various assets such as facilities and equipment that would house them. The first capital outlay of the project will be defined clearly since it is normally a vital factor that impacts the alternatives of various assets provided there are numerous choices that they will choose from.
2.1 Factors Affecting Specifications of Building Materials
Various factors affect the specification of various building materials in a construction project as follows:
i. Client Requirements
Client requirements affect the specification of building materials in a construction project. For instance, if a client requires a strong building with unique features, then the building materials specified for the project will be of very high quality hence it will generally increase the cost of the project. In cases where the client has specific requirements for the building materials, the structural and project engineers will be compelled to use required materials by the client (Kubba 2017, p. 100).
ii. Technical Constraints
Technical constraints such as building strength and durability are some of the factors that affect the specification of the building materials. Building strength should be specified since it is essential to construct the building using very strong building materials. As a result, it is vital to specify the building materials that would be used in the project to be of very high strength. For example, in the case of the current project, the steel poles to be used need to have specifications of being strong in order to fit the strength requirements of the building. During the process of choosing the building materials, it is essential to consider the strength of the building materials (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2425).
In addition, durability should also be considered during the specification of building materials. The building of an open office accommodation is a long-term project hence it is essential to use durable projects that might exist for a long period of time. The area of usage for the material helps to establish the durability of the construction materials used by the project manager. Therefore, being that the construction project is an office, it is essential to specify durable building materials.
iii. Legal Constraints
The legal constraints also affect the specification of the building materials used in the construction project. According to cap. 123B of the Hong Kong’s building regulations states that all the materials used in the construction works must be of quality and good nature for the purposes that they are intended to be utilized in. Therefore, the client and project manager of a particular project should specify the types of materials that they will use to ensure that they are of high quality and nature. The project engineers will have to abide by all the legal demands by specifying all the building materials used in the project (Kubba 2017, p. 101).
iv. Environmental Constraints
Environmental constraints also affect the specification of the building materials. For instance, an environment that is usually affected by environmental degradation might require the design team to specify the types of materials that will be used during the construction process. The materials specified during the design of the project should not be environmental friendly to ensure that they do not lead to environmental pollutions. Besides, the building should also be free from incidences of fire outbreaks. As a result, the materials selected need to be environmentally friendly and fire resistant (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2424).
v. Performance in Use
Performance in use also influences the specification of building materials. There are certain materials such as concrete or steel that determines the strength of a building. For instance, weak concrete materials hence will have negative impacts on the stability and durability of the project. However, through the performance in use, it would be important for the engineer to identify the types of materials that can effectively ensure stability in a building. . The choice of low performing materials might not have a positive impact on the project thus it will lead to the production of low-quality outcomes that the client might not have any eventual benefit from (Kubba 2017, p. 102).
vi. Social Responsibility in Production Process
The social responsibility of the company in the production process also affects its specification of the building materials. For instance, the company has a social responsibility to preserve the environment hence it will specify that the building materials used in the construction do not have negative impacts on the environment and the neighboring community members.
2.2 Factors Affecting Specification of Building Services
Building services in construction project need to be specified to ensure that project execution team achieves maximum input. Different factors affect the specification of building services. For instance, the skills of work needed in the construction project are one of the major elements affecting the specification of building services hence it is important for the human resource at the project site to be highly skilled to ensure that the services offered are of high quality. Besides, the human resource in a building site should be well conversant with the modern technologies since the current building requirements are hi-tech and require high technical skills to accomplish (Kubba 2017, p. 102).
The other factor that affects the specification of the building materials is the number of workers needed to execute the project. There are other instances in which the construction project demands a high number of workers because of the high quantity of work. For instance, more workers are required during the stage of start of the construction project. In addition, fewer construction workers are needed during the stage of building courses in the construction. Therefore, the number of laborers is determined by the type of work undertaken at the site location of the project. As a result, a number of laborers impact the building services needed for the project (Kubba 2017, p. 103).
The project design also affects the specification of the building services. For instance, the design improves the comparison, identification as well as investigation of various services needed to complete the construction. Comparison and identification of the different services are essential since they contribute to the determination of the project quality during its execution (Kubba 2017, p. 104).
Aesthetics also affect the specification of the building services in a construction project. Different individuals have distinct needs and taste hence if the client would prefer unique features on the constructed building, then he might opt to choose a particular service that might make the project look beautiful as it is only the owner who knows the various components that will improve the general appearance of the building. For instance, the type of the house roof might transform the general appearance of the house. Therefore, the client might seek a particular aesthetic that could change the appearance of the building. In addition, an individual might prefer certain types of materials for roofing or particular stones used for building. Therefore, the selections that they make might help to influence the specification of a particular building service (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2423).
Energy efficiencies might also affect the choice of building services used in a construction project. The client might wish to use energy saving materials for the construction hence he might make a choice of certain energy preservative materials and do not have a negative impact on the environment. As a result, the choice of the client for the building services will be determined by the energy efficiencies (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2423).
The supplier might also affect the specification of the building services. For instance, selection of a particular dealer that might help to obtain the required service might influence the client to seek the services of that merchant. Therefore, if the client prefers quality materials that will improve the general appearance of the house then the supplier would affect the specification of the building services. Different contractors offer different services hence it will be under the jurisdiction of the client to choose a particular service that will meet the requirement for the project. Wrong selection of the building services would not have positive effect on the constructed building. In addition, additional costs might be associated with the choice of wrong materials for the project (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2423).
2.3 Financial implications of specifying materials and building services
a) Client’s budget and intention;
The financial implications of specification of the building services and materials are determined by the intention and budget of the client. Therefore, if the client would wish to spend a lot of money on the project to ensure quality end result, then the cost of building services and materials will also be very high. Nevertheless, when the intention of the client is to spend less money on the project, then the specification of the building services and materials would not be relatively high (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2424).
b) Cost of construction and installations;
The cost of installations and construction also present a serious financial implication of specifying the building services and materials. Specification of the building services and materials assists in making the most appropriate economic alternatives for the required materials and services to regulate the installation and construction costs. Besides, specification helps in ensuring that the project manager only recruits qualified professionals who will produce high quality work during the building and installation process. As a result, less purchase will be incurred by the client during the execution of the project thus minimizing increased expenditures on during the construction process. Such techniques are accomplished by only buying the needed building materials and recruiting a correct number of workers (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2424).
During construction of the project, economies of scale usually occur due to the financial implications of various specifications of the building services and materials. Therefore, the engineering firm would benefit from the economies of scale because of the increased operations that occur during the process of implementation of the project. The firm will save a significant amount of money on the general project cost demonstrating the financial stability of the company during project implementation (Huang and Ma 2013, p. 2424).
c) Cost of management;
The cost of management is also one of the financial implications involved in the specification of building services and materials. For instance, the specification of the materials and services for building helps in making sure that there is enough quantity of materials used for building. Buying building resources in large quantity usually raises demands for the equipment hence leading to the attraction of an increased number of suppliers who are ready to sell their products to the constructor. Besides, specification of the building services and materials also motivates suppliers to supply additional equipment to the company because it will assist the engineering firm to select the best dealer based on different factors such as quality and cost. As a result, the specification of the building materials is essential since it ensures that there is no scarcity during the construction process of the project leading to effective cost management (Ogunkah and Junli 2012, p. 20).
d) Cost of routine maintenance
The cost of routine maintenance will also be minimal in case the firm chooses the right materials and services for the building project since the choice of wrong equipment usually leads to the destruction of various construction items thus resulting to routine maintenance. Nevertheless, such financial implications will be reduced in case the right materials are bought. It will also reduce instances of overestimations that are associated with routine maintenance of different projects. The project manager should always ensure that all the building materials and services meet the demands of the project without negatively impacting the end result. In addition, reducing the instances of routine maintenance also affects the accomplishment of the project since the construction manager will incur unnecessary costs that would have otherwise been reduced. As a result, selection of the materials prevents any additional expenditure that might be occurring during the execution of the project. The suppliers of the materials should also be able to give a significant discount to the client when the materials are bought on large scales. As a result, the discount will help to compensate for the extra demand for routine maintenance that might be experienced during the final stage of the project (Ogunkah and Junli 2012, p. 20).
3.1 Environmental factors affecting construction projects.
During construction projects such as the proposed new office accommodation, the environment is greatly impacted. There are several factors that affect construction projects. Nature of the soil is one of the major environmental factors that affect the construction of various engineering projects such as roads, commercial and residential buildings. The nature of the soil at the site location is essential since it helps to determine the depth of the foundation of the construction projects. In case the soil at the site location is very light, then it is important to ensure that the foundation of the construction is very deep. Alternatively, in case the site location soil is very heavy, then the construction’s foundation would not be deep. Deep foundations require more resources and services for construction to be used hence increasing the cost of construction. As a result, the nature of soil usually determines the extent of the depth of the foundation of the construction project as well as the project cost (Mahamid 2011, p. 613).
The other essential environmental factor affecting construction project is the site location. In case the project is established near a water source then it would ensure that the waste products that are produced during the execution of the project are properly dealt with. As a result, it ensures that waste disposal sites that are environmentally friendly are constructed at the construction site. Besides, the construction procedure will also adopt environmental friendly techniques, for instance, the use of environmentally friendly energy sources at the construction site. The construction cost will be enhanced by the adjustments made to take into consideration the construction of the waste product disposal thus making the project to be costly. Thus, the site location of the project is an essential environmental factor that impacts the methods used in the construction (Mahamid 2011, p. 613).
Noise is another environmental factor that affects construction projects. Noise affects the health of the laborers working at the construction site. In addition, noise also affects the health of the residents living near the site location. To human beings, noise is very serious due to the generation of stress that can contribute to a reduction in the immune system and development of neurological diseases. There are also other side effects associated with noise. For instance, there are other medical analyses that illustrate that noise plays a vital role in the destruction of the health of various individuals. As a result, noise is considered a major environmental factor that affects the construction projects since affected individuals might not be able to proceed with the work at the construction site thus leading to delay in the accomplishment of the project. As a result, it is essential for the workers at the construction sites to find unique techniques on how to protect themselves from environmental noise during construction. The workers at the project site are the worst affected individuals because they are exposed to the noise on a day to day basis (Mahamid 2011, p. 614).
Climate condition is another environmental factor that affects construction projects. During the initiation of any construction project, the contractor and the engineers have set a specific timeframe to initiate and accomplish the project. Nevertheless, weather conditions might affect the construction process leading to delay in accomplishing the project. For instance, thunderstorms might lead to destructions in the constructions site since they are normally associated with very high winds that might interfere with the jobs at the site location eventually destroying the building materials. In other instances, hail accompanies thunderstorms thus creating a major concern to workers at the construction site since hail usually breaks or dents materials such as glasses or sheet metal. Adverse weather conditions might result to delay in the construction site. As a result, any delay might be expensive and frustrating to the project engineers and the clients (Mahamid 2011, p. 614).
3.2 Environmentally responsible methods for the disposition of waste materials
At the construction site, there are various waste materials that usually go to waste due to lack of proper disposal techniques. Nevertheless, there are certain environmentally responsible techniques essential for disposing of waste materials. One of the primary environmentally responsible techniques of disposing of waste materials is recycling. Waste products at the construction site can be effectively managed through recycling thus ensuring that the resources are economically used. In addition, recycling would assist to dispose waste products, at the construction site, such as plastics, aluminum, and glass produced during the building process. Recycling of waste products would assist to reduce the number of waste products at the construction site thus establishing an environmentally friendly society at the location of the project (Maciver 2016, p. 627).
The other environmentally responsible technique of disposing waste materials from the building site is composting of waste products from the construction site. Composting of waste products constitutes breaking down of the different waste products into smaller particles to make sure that they can be easily transformed into other essential uses. For instance, disposal of any plastic products through composting technique can be melted into other vital products. As a result, composting of waste products is an excellent environmentally responsible technique that can be utilized to eradicate waste products at the construction site. The other essential technique that can eliminate waste product
