Construction Project Management Flashcards

Question 1

What is a construction project in project management terms?

Accepted Answer

A construction project is a temporary endeavor with a defined start, a defined finish, and a specific goal, such as delivering a building, road, or bridge. Its success is judged against scope, schedule, cost, and quality targets agreed at the outset.

Question 2

What are the main phases of the construction project life cycle?

Accepted Answer

The construction project life cycle commonly includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closeout. Initiation defines the need and authorizes the project. Planning develops the scope, schedule, budget, and management approach. Execution performs the physical work, while monitoring and control tracks performance and manages changes. Closeout completes final inspections, handover, and records.

Question 3

Who are the main parties in a typical construction project?

Accepted Answer

The main parties are the owner, who funds the project and sets its requirements, the design team, usually architects and engineers who prepare the drawings and specifications, and the contractor, who builds the work. The project manager may work for any of these parties. Subcontractors perform parts of the work.

Question 4

What is the difference between a project and routine operations?

Accepted Answer

A project is temporary and produces a unique result, while routine operations are ongoing and repeat the same processes to sustain business. A contractor's office staff perform operations, but the team building a new hospital wing works on a project. Projects end when objectives are met, whereas operations continue indefinitely.

Question 5

What is a project charter and why is it useful?

Accepted Answer

A project charter is a short document that formally authorizes the project and names the project manager, along with its purpose, high-level objectives, and known constraints. It gives the project manager authority to use resources and provides a shared reference that stakeholders can point to when disagreements arise.

Question 6

What is a stakeholder in a construction project?

Accepted Answer

A stakeholder is any person or organization whose interests may be affected by the project or who can influence its outcome. Examples include the owner, the contractor, workers, neighbors, regulators, lenders, and the future users of the facility. Identifying stakeholders early helps a project manager anticipate concerns and plan communication.

Question 7

What is the triple constraint, and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

The triple constraint is a common model describing the trade-off among scope, time, and cost, where changing one usually affects the others. Quality is often treated as a fourth element that must be protected. Project managers use it to explain why added work may need more time or money.

Question 8

What does a project manager do during the planning phase?

Accepted Answer

During planning, the project manager turns the agreed purpose into a set of coordinated plans. These usually cover scope, schedule, budget, quality, safety, procurement, communications, and risk responses. The plans become the baseline against which later progress is measured, so they should be realistic, reviewed by key stakeholders, and approved before major spending begins.

Question 9

What is project scope, and how is it defined?

Accepted Answer

Project scope is the total work required to deliver the project's objectives and the features it must include. It is defined through documents such as drawings, specifications, and a scope statement that lists exclusions. A clear scope reduces disputes because everyone can check whether a request falls inside or outside the agreed work.

Question 10

What is a work breakdown structure, and why is it used?

Accepted Answer

A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into smaller deliverables and work packages. Each level breaks the level above into more detailed pieces. It gives planners a basis for estimating cost, scheduling activities, and assigning responsibility, because every piece of work appears in one defined place.

Question 11

What is a critical path in a construction schedule?

Accepted Answer

The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities through a schedule, and it determines the earliest possible finish date for the project. Any delay to an activity on this path delays the whole project unless the schedule is recovered elsewhere. Activities with spare time, called float, can slip without affecting the finish.

Question 12

What is the difference between a Gantt chart and a logic network schedule?

Accepted Answer

A Gantt chart displays activities as horizontal bars along a time axis, which makes durations and overlaps easy to see. A logic network schedule shows the dependencies between activities, such as one pour before framing. Many projects use both together, with the network providing the logic and the Gantt view communicating the timeline.

Question 13

What is a change order and when is one used?

Accepted Answer

A change order is a written modification to the contract that alters the scope, price, or schedule after the contract has been awarded. It is used when the owner requests new work or when unforeseen site conditions require different methods. Work outside the agreed scope should not proceed until the change order is approved.

Question 14

What is earned value analysis and what does it measure?

Accepted Answer

Earned value analysis compares planned work, completed work, and actual cost to show whether a project is on schedule and within budget. Managers compute schedule and cost variances from these values. Positive variances indicate the project is ahead of plan or under budget, while negative values signal problems that need attention.

Question 15

What is contingency in a construction budget, and how is it used?

Accepted Answer

Contingency is an amount held within the budget to cover identified risks and uncertainties that may occur, such as unknown soil conditions or price changes. It is typically estimated from the known risks of the project, and it is drawn down only when those risks actually happen.

Question 16

What is the purpose of a baseline schedule in project control?

Accepted Answer

A baseline schedule is the approved version of the project timeline that serves as the reference for measuring progress. Actual progress is compared against it at regular intervals to identify delays and forecast completion. When the scope changes, the baseline may be revised, but the original is kept so the project history stays visible.

Question 17

What is a risk in construction project management?

Accepted Answer

A project risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, would have a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives. In construction, common risks include weather delays, unforeseen ground conditions, material price changes, and design errors. Risk management identifies these early and plans a response to each.

Question 18

What is a risk register and what should it contain?

Accepted Answer

A risk register is a living document that lists each identified risk along with its description, likelihood, potential impact, owner, and chosen response. It is reviewed regularly during project meetings so that new risks can be added and closed risks removed. Owners are assigned so that every risk has someone accountable for watching it.

Question 19

What are the four common ways to respond to a negative risk?

Accepted Answer

The four common responses to a negative risk are avoid, transfer, mitigate, and accept. Avoiding changes the plan so the risk no longer exists. Transferring shifts the financial consequence to another party, usually through insurance or a contract clause. Mitigating reduces the likelihood or impact, and accepting means absorbing the consequence if it occurs.

Question 20

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative risk analysis?

Accepted Answer

Qualitative risk analysis ranks risks using descriptive scales, such as high, medium, and low, based on judgment about likelihood and impact. Quantitative risk analysis assigns numerical values, such as cost ranges, to estimate the effect of risks on schedule and budget. Teams often screen risks qualitatively first, then quantify the most significant ones.

Question 21

What is the difference between quality control and quality assurance?

Accepted Answer

Quality assurance is the process-focused effort to ensure the project's methods, procedures, and management systems are capable of producing acceptable results. Quality control is the product-focused activity of inspecting and testing completed work to confirm it meets the specified requirements. In construction, assurance includes approved procedures, while control includes inspections, tests, and punch lists.

Question 22

What is a punch list and when is it prepared?

Accepted Answer

A punch list is a record of incomplete or defective items that must be corrected before the owner accepts the work as complete. It is prepared near the end of construction, as the team walks through the space and notes items such as chipped paint or misaligned doors.

Question 23

What is a hold point in construction inspection?

Accepted Answer

A hold point is a required inspection or test that must be completed and approved before the next stage of work can proceed. It protects the owner from covering defective work, since items such as foundation reinforcement or concealed piping are inspected before they are buried or enclosed.

Question 24

Why is a quality plan important before construction begins?

Accepted Answer

A quality plan defines the standards, inspection points, testing methods, and responsibilities that will govern the work before construction begins. Establishing these expectations early lets the team identify which materials need certification, which work needs third-party testing, and how nonconforming work will be documented and corrected.

Question 25

What is procurement in construction project management?

Accepted Answer

Procurement is the process of acquiring goods, services, and work from outside the project team, including materials, equipment, subcontracted trades, and design services. It typically covers identifying needs, preparing solicitation documents, evaluating bids or proposals, selecting suppliers, and administering the resulting contracts. Good procurement balances price, quality, schedule, and the capability of each supplier.

Question 26

What is the difference between lump sum and cost-plus contracts?

Accepted Answer

A lump sum contract sets a fixed price for a defined scope, so the contractor carries most of the cost risk if the work takes longer or costs more. A cost-plus contract reimburses actual allowable costs and adds a fee, so the owner carries more of the cost risk but gains transparency and flexibility.

Question 27

What is a construction bid, and why is the lowest bid not always best?

Accepted Answer

A bid is a contractor's priced offer to perform a defined scope. The lowest bid is not always best because it may reflect an incomplete understanding of the scope, an unrealistic schedule, or an intention to recover losses through change orders. Owners evaluate qualifications, past performance, safety record, and methods alongside price.

Question 28

How is the design-bid-build delivery method structured in construction?

Accepted Answer

Design-bid-build is a delivery method where design is completed before the contractor is selected through competitive bidding. The owner holds separate contracts with the designer and the builder, which gives clear design control and price certainty before construction. Because design and construction happen in sequence, this method can lengthen the overall schedule.

Question 29

What is design-build delivery, and how does it differ from design-bid-build?

Accepted Answer

Design-build delivery places design and construction under a single contract with one team, usually a design-builder formed by a contractor and design firm. Because design and construction can overlap, the schedule is often shorter and early cost information becomes available sooner. The owner has less direct control over individual design decisions than in design-bid-build.

Question 30

What is a subcontract and how does it relate to the prime contract?

Accepted Answer

A subcontract is an agreement between the prime contractor and a specialty firm to perform part of the prime contractor's obligations. The owner usually has no direct contract with subcontractors, so the prime contractor remains responsible to the owner for their work.

Question 31

What is a request for information, and why is it used on projects?

Accepted Answer

A request for information, often called an RFI, is a question from the contractor to the design team about an unclear or missing detail in the contract documents. It is used to clarify drawings and specifications and avoid building from assumptions. Each RFI should record the response and any cost or schedule impact.

Question 32

What is a payment application and what does it typically include?

Accepted Answer

A payment application is the contractor's request for payment, usually submitted monthly, that lists the value of work completed and materials stored since the last request. It typically includes a schedule of values that breaks the contract price into line items, along with retainage held back until closeout.

Question 33

Why is site safety a core responsibility of construction project management?

Accepted Answer

Site safety is a core responsibility because construction is one of the more hazardous work environments, with risks such as falls and trench collapse. Project managers set safety expectations, fund protective measures, and make sure the contract and site plan assign responsibilities. Safe work also protects schedule and cost, since injuries and stoppages are costly.

Question 34

What is a job hazard analysis, and when is it used?

Accepted Answer

A job hazard analysis breaks a task into steps, identifies the hazards in each step, and records the controls that will reduce those hazards. It is used before work begins on a task with significant risk, such as lifting heavy members, and it is reviewed when conditions change.

Question 35

What is a communication plan on a construction project?

Accepted Answer

A communication plan identifies what information must be shared, with whom, through which channels, how often, and by whom. On construction projects it commonly covers owner meetings, subcontractor coordination, daily crew briefings, submittal and RFI tracking, and escalation paths for urgent problems. A clear plan prevents important decisions from being lost in informal conversations.

Question 36

What is the purpose of a weekly progress meeting on site?

Accepted Answer

A weekly progress meeting brings the owner, contractor, subcontractors, and design representatives together to review schedule, open issues, and pending decisions. It keeps everyone working from the same information, so problems are assigned before they affect the critical path. Minutes should record decisions and action items with named owners and due dates.

Question 37

What is commissioning, and why does it matter at project closeout?

Accepted Answer

Commissioning is a systematic process of verifying that building systems are installed, tested, and operating according to the design intent and owner requirements. It matters at closeout because problems found during testing are far cheaper to fix before occupancy. Commissioning also gives the owner documented evidence of system performance and operating instructions.

Question 38

What closeout documents does an owner typically expect from a contractor?

Accepted Answer

Owners typically expect as-built drawings showing changes made during construction, operation and maintenance manuals, warranties, certificates of inspection, test reports, and training records. These documents allow the owner to operate, maintain, and defend the facility after the contractor leaves. Project managers should track these from the start rather than assembling them at the end.

Question 39

What is a lessons-learned review, and when should it take place?

Accepted Answer

A lessons-learned review is a structured discussion of what went well, what went poorly, and what should change on future projects. It should take place during closeout, while team members still remember events clearly. Findings are most useful when recorded in a shared repository that future project teams can search.

Question 40

What is a warranty period, and what does it usually cover?

Accepted Answer

A warranty period is the time after substantial completion during which the contractor must correct defective work covered by the contract. Its length and terms are set in the contract documents and vary by project and by system. Owners should document how to submit warranty claims.

Construction Project Management Flashcards

1Project Fundamentals and Life Cycle

2Scope, Schedule and Cost Control

3Risk and Quality Management

4Procurement and Contract Delivery

5Safety, Communication and Closeout

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