Masonry Magazine June 2002 Page. 41
The superintendent is the first person on the jobsite and the last to leave. He's the one who has to deal with the daily grind of coordinating subcontractors, suppliers, and inspectors. He's the one who has to make sure that the job gets done on time and within budget. And he's the one who has to deal with the inevitable delays that occur on every construction project. The owner, the architect, and perhaps his own employer, are making almost daily changes to the scope of work, many of which have to be priced out, argued over, and approved before proceeding. Remember, this is a normal (?) commercial building situation. Imagine what happens when we introduce unexpected and unanticipated interruptions and delays into the project. Not a pretty picture is it?
Let's help our super out. Like so many things learned in life, the most important tool needed when correcting the problem of delay is to possess the ability to recognize the delay in the first place. Many times, it's not as easy as it sounds so let's discuss some common construction delays and a few methods for handling the inevitable:
Types of Project Delay (Major)
Equipment Delay The good thing about an equipment delay is that it's easily recognizable. When a generator doesn't show up, at least you know right away because your men aren't making any noise-or on the contrary, they may march into your trailer and make a lot of noise! The same goes for heavy equipment if it's not there, you can readily tell it's not there. There's something tangible and recordable that allows you to go back later to recoup costs. Of course, the only avenue one has at the time is to hunt down the offending equipment as soon as possible and keep a log of lost hours.
Major Material Delays Purchase orders, quick shop-drawing and submittal turn-around, and continuous communication are the major tools in avoiding this one, but there'll always be a few major material delays that sneak through. Now, like other delays, it may not seem damaging at the time, but let's look at this example: The wood doors that were due today didn't make it. After several frantic phone calls, you find out they're not coming until next Friday a week from now! Now, the carpenter that was suppose to be finishing door #27 and smoothly going on to #28, will have to knock-down, clean-up, and leave only to return to set up again next week. Not very efficient is it? And it's not just the carpenter that's affected. In addition, the painter will need to return to stain and varnish the doors. Will the painter be happy upon hearing this? I don't think so! Many painters (and almost all subs) will demand more money for an extra, unplanned trip (known as mobilization) and, quite frankly, deserve to be reimbursed.
Daily Material Delays-Here is where things can get a little tricky. Let's say the fascia material that was to have arrived at 7:00 a.m. didn't make it in until 7:40 a.m. This seemingly small delay, though frustrating, may not appear to be actionable (that is, warranting the action of going back to the supplier to recoup costs) at the time. And if it's truly a one time affair, that's probably a reasonable strategy.
W. Rose
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June 2002
Masonry 39