Greener and greener...

Whilst the trend toward green buildings is still accellerating and property owners are accepting the benefits of sustainable technology and operating procedures, there remains a requirement for education of tenants, property owners and engineers and contractors to fully realise the benefits.

 

The potential for improving the sustainability of the built environment is not only with new-build projects, but existing buildings can also be "greened". The materials used in these buildings have a large part to play in the overall impact from a sustainability point of view.

 

It is interesting to note that more developed economies seem to have more inclination to tend towards sustainable development. In developing nations, perhaps the focus should be on "appropriate" technology to achieve sustainable ends. Useful to project planners and Project Managers, this review of construction budgeting gives a Ugandan perspective.

 

In other news, KPMG has released its 2012 construction watch report, giving insight into trends in a challenging market.

Sustainability, Contracts

Its always nice to see new and innovative ways of achieving sustainable ends in the project management industry. A blog post here outlines some new developments.

 

And contracts are always worth learning about... Try this article which is written from a UK perspective and focuses on the analysis and mitigation of risk issues.

Communication is key...

Some project managers seem to be naturals at communication, while others struggle with certain aspects of effective communication. Being aware of some of the common mistakes and challenges can help you avoid or address them when they come up.

Priority #1! Construction Safety...

While the profit motive drives construction businesses, the interests of staff and workers should always be paramount. Under time and budget pressure, te temptation to cut corners or rush preparation leads to accidents and injuries. Much research has been done to show that lots time from injuries in construction makes unsafe work practices counter productive. The cost of lost-time injuries is generally more than the cost saved by rushing a particular aspect of the project.

 

The Occupational Health and Safety Association in the United States has recently released figures assessing the impact of lost-time injuries and related cost. The powerpoint presentation Workers' Compensation Costs of Falls in Construction summarises the findings.

 

In addition to accidents, ill-health related to construction activities also deserves attention. The Association for Project Safety (APS) in the UK has said in the past that "Ill-health issues need to be a serious focus of attention – so that all who are involved in construction are aware that these are matters that cannot be 'given the nod', that all processes, materials and circumstances that can give rise to ill-health should be eliminated wherever possible, or at least reduced to absolutely minimum exposure levels, so that all who work in construction on our projects can go home safe and healthy – and remain so."

Innovation in building

A Chinese firm is setting records in construction of highrise buildings. While quality of chinese construction has been questioned locally, there is no doubt that this example and others are proving that Chinese technology and methods are becoming world-beaters.

Note the focus on sustainability as well.

Promising international construction indicators

If international indicators are anything to go by, there may be light at the end of the tunnel for the construction industry. Despite our relative isolation from these economies, we may find our industry tracking the Developed economies in recovery after a period of time.

 

Recent employment figures from the United States indicate 200 000 jobs were created in December. The U.S. Labor Department reported the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent in December, from a revised 8.7 percent in November, offering the strongest evidence yet of an accelerating U.S. economy.

 

Construction news from the US also looks promising.

 

In the United Kingdom, Construction figures have been rising for some time, bouyed by the upcoming olympics amongst other projects.

PMI Project of the Year - EMAL

EMAL (Emirates Aluminium) Smelter Complex was featured as a finalist for the prestigious 2011 PMI^® Project of the Year Award on 22 October 2011 during the PMI Awards Ceremony at the PMI^® Global Congress 2011—North America in Dallas, Texas, USA.

To communicate effectively with stakeholders around the globe, the project team of EMAL Smelter Complex, working on the largest single-site greenfield aluminum smelter turned to an emerging technology.

EMAL served as the project owner, a joint venture between Mubadala, an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government, and Dubal (Dubai Aluminium). The engineering, procurement and construction management team was a partnership between SNC-Lavalin in Canada and the Australian company, WorleyParsons (SLWP).