MMHU CHATHIRANGA/150798/CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT/CE3005/ASSIGNMENT NO1

Cost overrun and delaying the construction works are the main problems in any of
construction work. This can be happening mainly due to reasons of wrong decisions made
during the planning stage of the construction work as well as technical problems. Considering
these two wrong decisions are dominant rather than technical problems. Correct decision
make is related to the construction site planning. It is very important area in any construction
work, most of people are not preference. Due to this reason construction area is every time in
trouble.

The purpose of construction site planning is to find perfect way for construction work in the
cheapest, fastest and safest methods which according to designed construction drawings,
layout plans, valid design and construction standards and achieving the client’s satisfaction at
the end of the construction project. Construction site planning is based on experiences and
past records of construction technology and different methods of the time scheduling of
construction work. The Site Manager is obligate to full fill the construction site planning
process with achieving the targets.

Construction Site Management process consist lot of responsibilities like,

 Site investigation.
 Mobilization.
 Setting out / surveying.
 Procurement Management.
 Material delivering.
 Maintaining site records.
 Maintaining good site communication.
 High level of information flow.
 Regular performance monitoring.
 Performing good site layout planning and maintaining.

Site layout planning is the very important task, comparing the above responsibilities in
Construction Site Management process. Site layout plan is how to locate site boundary, work
area, site office, plant and equipment in order to construction works on schedule in an
efficient and safe manner. Temporary facilities and their areas depend on the type of
construction, project time, location, scale and design etc.

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But however these temporary facilities will be sufficient to persons who engaged in the
construction project for total duration of the project.

Some large construction projects are running with heavy time lag and cost overrun due to
inefficient and unsafe construction layout planning. If construction site area plans to locate
the correct thing in correct place it can definitely increase efficiency of construction work
without time and cost overrun.

Lot of construction projects are starting without proper construction site plan due to
inexperience in construction work. Also construction site plan is the irresponsible area in
construction project process. There are two general objectives which planners should need
through careful organization of the site for construction. They are,

 The site must be designed to maximize efficiency of construction work in order to

promote worker productivity and complete the projects within allocated time and cost.
 Create the project with good work environment in order to attract and retain the best
personal for better work quality and productivity.

Let’s consider the most common problems in construction site due to inefficient construction
site planning. If there is no enough space for placing the construction material, then what
happen is material arriving to site are unloaded arbitrary in the locations which some person’s
guesses. Then these unloaded material will be disturbed to construction machinery moving
paths in the site, drainage lines and smooth flow of work condition in the site. Sometimes this
material cannot use in correct time at correct location because they can be far away from the
required locations.

Another common problem in construction site is plants and equipment wrongly located at the
site. This will be commonly happened in fixing the cranes at the site. Crane should be reach
all the working area at the site. If it is not at the crane operation time, crane will be fixed at
another place. This process is delaying the construction work as well as it is cost overrun
from the estimated cost. Sometimes batching plats are far away from the construction site
area. It is take more time for transport the material to the site as well as need to add more
aggregates to delay the setting time of concrete. These processes are wholly uneconomical
due to wrong construction site planning.

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Then other inefficiency area is the site huts are not located in right location. As an examples
site office and labor huts are located in noisy and dusty areas or near the roads. This case will
disturb to people working the construction project. It is decrease the moral of workers as well
as staff of the project.

Considering above those cases we can easily identify important of construction layout
planning. Before go to the construction work, effective pre plan is required to minimize
above all cases. It will be reducing cost overrun and time consuming in construction works.
Their fore we need consider all the factors in the construction site planning like safety, site
accessibility, information signs, security, lightening, accommodation, offices, water supply
and sanitation, changing rooms, welfare, batching plants and fabrications shops and
temporary facilities etc.

Above all factors depend on the type of construction, project duration, project location, scale
and designed detail plan. Safety is a very important function in construction site planning. It
is necessary to satisfy construction safety standards because it is helps to prevent many risks
and hazards in the construction site. Fire protection, medical services and financial safety are
the main sub categories of safety. Sometimes accidents are delaying construction work rather
than other cases. Their fore we have to give dominant place to the construction site planning
in planning stage.

CONCLUSION

Construction site planning is the main function in the construction project. It is necessary to
done before start the any of construction work. Otherwise we will face the lot of problems in
the construction site during the construction activities. It is delay the construction work from
the work plan schedule as well as cost overrun from the estimated cost. Then construction
company will lose due to cost overrun and black listed due to more and more time
consuming. Client must need to satisfy at end of the project while maintaining the quality
control. Their fore construction site planning process is the main function in the construction
project as I mention above. And other very important case is the who will be going to
planning the construction site. The person or group who prepare the construction site plan
should very experience in constructions works and should study the past records of related
construction projects.

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REFERENCES

 Blackwell, W., 2013. The Engineer’s Manual of Construction Site Planning. 1st Edition ed.
United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

 Jinasena, Eng. P., 2017. Construction Site Planning- Lecture Note.

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