Construction Management | Dr Shaiful Amri Mansur

Constructing a solid contract represents one of the first steps toward the success of your project no matter what you’re building. This list explains the documents that are typically a part of every construction contract. There are also numerous other exhibits or forms that you can use in combination with these documents.

Contract Agreements and Contracts

Woman signing contract at desk at car dealership — Westend61/Getty Images

This agreement is used by the contracting officer or owner and the contractor. It’s an essential component of the contract documents. It’s the main document to which most other documents attach or reference. More

Statement of Work (SOW)

Carpenter's helper — Easy way to calculate lenghts using the app. Photo J Rodriguez

Having a solid scope of the work involved is helpful during the bidding process and later on during the construction sequence. A well-defined scope can be used to determine the amount of work needed to complete the project. More

General Conditions

This contract document defines obligations regarding the execution of the project as well as each party’s rights. Overhead costs, what to claim, and your entitlements must be included in this portion of the contract. More

Special Conditions

This is usually an extension of the contract and an addendum to the general conditions. It should specify certain conditions and clauses that pertain to each particular project or job. Pay special attention to specific instructions and requirements on how to perform the work.

Bill of Quantities

This document is formed by the list of diverse trades and materials that will form part of the construction. Sometimes this document is not required by the contracting officer. More

Drawings

All contracts should include a set of drawings that form part of the job to be performed. These drawings are usually the latest and most recent available and must be received by the contractor prior to the date of commencement. They must include all drawings from consultants, and they’ll constitute the entire project that’s being contracted.More

CSI MasterFormat Outline

This is the technical requirement to complete, execute, and/or perform every little task or supply every material being incorporated into the construction project. It will add intelligence to the construction drawings, specify common standards, explain deviations that have been accepted, detail materials that have been accepted, and cite the required testing for all materials. Specifications are usually made by referencing construction standards and codes. More

Creating Construction Schedule

The construction schedule is an important component of the document. The contracting office will know how and when the project will be completed by reviewing this part. Construction contracts sometimes require updated schedules throughout the construction progress, and they might form part of the monthly or agreed term for application for payments. More

Costs in the Construction Industry

This is a breakdown of all items being incorporated in the construction project. It’s usually the base of the application for payment. It can be detailed per item or in a lump sum form that doesn’t specify individual items. More

List of Common Types of Construction Insurance

This is an essential part of the contract because it provides a guarantee to the owner that the contractor has the means and the economic backup to perform under the terms of the construction contract. It will include specific types of coverages, required bonding, and all insurance protections available to the owner, the contractor and third parties. More

In today’s construction industry, as well as other industries, we are seeing a blend of generations acting together at a single site or workplace. Many companies have high goals and metrics regarding diversity, which means that they are encouraging and accepting more diverse candidates and workers than ever. But balancing the gap of years between the oldest and youngest generations can be challenging.

This article describes some of those challenges and offers a few practical tips to manage different generations in the construction industry.

5 Generations Working Side By Side in Construction

Depending on the source, birth date ranges can differ for each generation. But we can identify 5 main generations in the workplace today—Traditionalists (born between 1927 and 1945), Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1976), Generation Y or Millennials (born between 1977 and 1995), and Generation Z, iGen or Centennials (born 1996 or later). While each worker leaves his or her own footprint in the workplace, and can stand independently from the characteristics of any group, it is important to understand the circumstances, attitudes and values that influence each generation and their skillsets.

Traditionalists, for example, were raised during the Great Depression and worked mostly for one employer during the span of their careers.

Therefore, they can be very resourceful with minimal tools and are loyal employees.

Comparatively, Baby Boomers, who now find themselves in charge of many construction projects and in managerial positions, often like to drive the work flow and impose their leadership traits. They will commit to extensive work hours and can also fit very well as policy enforcers—safety officers, construction inspectors and skilled crew leaders.

Generation X employees, who are now in many mid-management construction positions, similarly find themselves comfortable supervising and mentoring others. And because this generation grew up with many technology developments, they work well with powered tools, computers, and other digital tools like using PDFs over blueprints.

Millennials are also very tech-oriented, and having grown up in a workplace with flexible schedules and remote employment, rely on mobile technology like instant messaging and cloud services to communicate, and are often interested in sustainable strategies like renewable energy, reclaimed products and recycling at the job site.

Generation Z employees rely heavily on technology as well. And because they are entering a workforce that is increasingly being transformed by gig or freelance economy projects, they can be very entrepreneurial and are capable of multitasking between different projects.

Labor Force Breakdown By Age Group

The US Department of Labor and other industry groups have been able to gather some data about different workplace generations. In 2010, the workforce breakdown by age was:

16 to 34 (mostly Millennials and some Generation Z) was 36 percent

35 to 44 (Generation X) was 22 percent
45 to 54 (Baby Boomers) was 23 percent
55+ (some Baby Boomers and Traditionalists) was 19 percent

Projected stats for 2020, however, show that the breakdown will shift slightly in favor of an aging workforce:

16 to 34 (Generation Z and Millennials) falls to 33 percent
35 to 44 (mostly Millennials and some Generation X) falls to 21 percent
45 to 54 (Generation X) falls to 20 percent
55+ (some Generation X, mostly Baby Boomers and Traditionalists) rises to 26 percent

The surge in 55+ age group is also reinforced by other labor stats that currently show how freelance workers 55 to 64 make up 14.7 percent of the gig economy, while workers 65+ account for 24.1 percent.

As a whole, these numbers reveal both interesting trends and potential weaknesses. And as the age gap shifts and grows, essential skill sets and workplace habits need to be readapted to find a better balance to integrate younger and older workers.

When it comes to communication, for instance, Millennials—which have now surpassed Baby Boomers as America’s largest workforce group—and Traditionalists have to use both tech-oriented and face to face approaches. The statistics can also help you prepare for an aging workforce that could require more benefits pay and may have more work absences due to health-related issues.