Design and Project Management in Constructions

Knowledge and understanding

At the end of the course, students will acquire knowledge of the principles and methods for managing and coordinating the construction process, with reference to the different stages of planning, design, construction and management of works.

In particular, students will know:

• the main elements characterizing the construction process and the relationships between its different stages;
• the fundamental principles concerning contract management in the construction sector;
• the main methods for contract management, award and payment;
• the principles and tools of operational planning;
• the structure and purposes of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS);
• the main tools for operational scheduling of activities;
• the principles underlying the construction and interpretation of a Gantt chart;
• the relationships between activities, time, resources and constraints in the organization of the construction process;
• the principles of economic planning and scheduling;
• the relationships between time scheduling, resources and costs in the management of a construction project.

Applying knowledge and understanding

At the end of the course, students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired to the management and coordination of a construction process.

In particular, they will be able to:

• analyse and organize the main stages of a construction process;
• identify and structure the activities required for the realization of a project;
• develop a Work Breakdown Structure consistent with the project objectives;
• organize activities according to a logical and chronological sequence;
• prepare and interpret a Gantt chart;
• correlate activities, time and resources;
• identify the main methods of contract management, award and payment;
• develop an operational planning approach consistent with the construction process;
• organize the information required for activity scheduling;
• establish an economic schedule consistent with operational planning;
• relate the temporal, organizational and economic aspects of a project;
• apply Project Management tools to a specific construction case.

Cultural prerequisites

Students should have basic knowledge of the materials and components used in the construction sector, as well as of the main construction processes and technologies. A general understanding of the process of realizing construction works and of the main activities characterizing the design and construction stages is also required

1.      Construction process. 

2.      Contract organization. Delivery systems, award methods and payment schemes. 

3.      Operational planning.

4.      Operational scheduling.

5.      Economic planning and scheduling. 

Contribution of the Course to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Goal No. 8 – DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

The course contributes to this goal through the study of the organization, planning and management of construction processes, with particular reference to the efficient use of resources and the proper organization of activities.

Teaching method: lectures and project-based exercise.

Goal No. 9 – INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

The course contributes to this goal through the study of tools for organizing and managing the construction process and the application of Project Management methodologies aimed at coordinating design and construction activities.

Teaching method: lectures and project-based exercise.

Goal No. 11 – SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

The course contributes to this goal through the study of tools for planning, managing and controlling the processes involved in the realization of construction works, with particular attention to resource organization and the integrated management of the different stages of the construction process.

Teaching method: lectures and project-based exercise.

Goal No. 12 – RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The contribution of the course concerns resource planning and management, the relationship between activities, time and costs, and the efficient organization of the construction process.

- Alberto De Marco, Project Management for Facility Constructions. A Guide for Engineers and Architects, Springer, 2011.

The examination consists of two main components: a project/assignment and an individual oral examination. The final grade will take into account the results of both components.

Project/Assignment – 40% of the final grade

The project/assignment may be completed individually or in groups. In the case of group work, the individual contribution of each member must be clearly identifiable.

The assignment is aimed at assessing students' ability to apply the Project Management tools addressed during the course to a specific construction process.

The assignment, which accounts for 40% of the final grade, will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Completeness: comprehensiveness and consistency of the activities and work produced;
• Correctness: technical and methodological accuracy in applying Project Management tools;
• Consistency: correspondence between the construction process, WBS, operational scheduling and economic scheduling;
• Accuracy: precision in organizing and presenting information;
• Application skills: ability to use theoretical tools to address a specific case.

Oral examination – 60% of the final grade

The oral examination will cover the topics addressed during the course lectures.

The assessment, which accounts for 60% of the final grade, will be based on the following criteria:

• Knowledge of the topics: depth and accuracy of knowledge of the course contents;
• Communication skills and appropriate use of terminology: clarity, precision and appropriateness of the presentation;
• Ability to make connections: ability to relate the construction process, contract, operational planning, operational scheduling and economic planning;
• Application skills: ability to apply theoretical tools to specific cases;
• Analytical skills: ability to critically interpret issues relating to the organization and management of a construction process.

Assessment may also be conducted online, should circumstances require it.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current legislation, students may request an individual meeting to arrange any appropriate compensatory measures and/or exemptions, taking into account the learning objectives and each student’s specific needs. Students may also contact the Department’s CInAP representative (Centre for Active and Participatory Integration: Services for Students with Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders) at: https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti.

- Operational planning and the Work Breakdown Structure 

- The Gantt Chart 

- Contract delivery methods