As projects become more complex, uncertain and dynamic, simple construction scheduling methods may not be enough to cope with the challenges and the risks involved to help the project manager deliver successful outcomes, meet project deadlines and manage production resources efficiently. There is a need for more advanced scheduling techniques to cater for these complexities … Read more
There are three universally recognised types of sub-contractors in the construction industry. These are domestic subcontractors, nominated subcontractors and named subcontractors. However, there exists a thin distinguishing line between the named and the nominated sub-contractor. We will be looking at them in more detail in this article. A developer intending to put up a building … Read more
An NCA site compliance certificate is a legal document that is issued to a construction site that was inspected and found to be compliant with the National Construction Authority (NCA) regulations. The National Construction Authority is a state organisation that was established by an act of parliament, No. 41 of 2011. Among other roles, the … Read more
Construction regulatory bodies fall into four different categories. These categories come up as a result of the multidisciplinary and disjointed nature of the construction industry. There are those regulating the professionals and consultants, contractors and sub-contractors, the quality of materials and workmanship, and those regulating aspects of building design, including approval of developments. Regulation is … Read more
A dimension paper is very useful stationery for quantity surveyors. Especially in the traditional practice of manually reading or scaling dimensions from a drawing, a dimension paper is used to record these dimensions in a recognised form. It is a specially ruled paper where dimensions are recorded by the quantity surveyor while performing quantity take-off. … Read more
Reliable sources of building cost information are essential to any good cost management practice. Quantity surveyors need accurate data for developing reliable cost plans and preliminary cost estimates during the early phases of the design. When you need data, it is a good practice to refer to your in-house databases. Whether it is unit rates … Read more
Contract documents are an important set of essentials for any construction project. The construction of any building or civil engineering structure involves multivariate teams and a large number of people coming together. To govern their relationships and ensure the smooth execution of the project, a construction contract is drafted and signed. By definition, a construction … Read more
In this article, we will look at the role played by NCA (National Construction Authority) in the Kenyan construction industry. We will cover its legal establishment, its mandate and the legal instruments that back up its functions. What is NCA? The National Construction Authority (NCA) is a state corporation that was established by an act … Read more
In the construction industry, design, documentation and production happen in disjointed environments. The design team mostly works from the office, while the construction team is based on site. To coordinate the work, monitor progress and exercise professional control, it is essential for the design team to occasionally visit the site to keep tabs on the … Read more
The natural environment is the foundation of the world economy and our social well-being. Past developments have severely degraded the natural environment and wasted/depleted scarce resources. This has attracted interest globally. Consequently, planning authorities and governments developed approaches to permitting and executing these developments where their possible environmental consequences were to be evaluated and acted … Read more
