Essay on Choice of Technology and Construction Method

The tasks include determining whether to pump the concrete or transport it to the points of use, the method to use for construction, duration for making the whole construction, costs, ability and reliability of equipment that is compatible with the technology. Lastly, formulation of construction plans is done to review the impacts of technology with regard to cost, time and reliability. The contractors must understand the implications that the choice of technology will have to the safety of the construction project, it must have ways of supporting the equipment used during the construction process and help in achieving the required strength. The contractors must then evaluate the financial status of the company and determine the prices of all tools and equipment available for the chosen technology, in the choice of equipment there must be considered all factors relating and affecting type of technology used in construction. The tools to be used during construction include hand tools, pneumatic tools, grinders and construction aids among others, they must conform to the Safety Management Plan procedures. One other factor is determining the efficiency of the technology with the available, the construction team need to formulate a number of alternatives that can be evaluated in a holistic manner and be able to choose the most appropriate technology to employ during construction.

The bidding process for the tenders in analyzed and helps the planners in getting the most competent construction firm which then helps to achieve the required standards of the construction. The planners must also analyze the impacts of the technology on the environment and designing ways of combating any negative effects of the technology. In addition, the planners must understand the rate of evolution of technology and understand the effects and compatibility of future and the present technology. The issue of space also comes into question and helps to determine the type of technology with the size of equipment that the available space can accommodate, too large equipment may interfere with the with the construction process by affecting movement of workers and mobility of machines. Finally, the planners develop a computer aided design (CAD) simulation to show whether or not the choice of technology is practicable.

Defining work tasks

This is a process that takes place at the same time when the choice of technology occurs, it involves determining at what times all activities should start, allocating the required amount of resources for each activity and estimating the times that the activities are expected to be complete. It also involves determination of the type of technology to employ and the method to use, it involves accurate organizing of activities that will take place during the whole construction process and assigning a specific time and duration for each activity. According to the Workplace Relations Management Plan, it is required that the work structure during the construction should be arranged such that it produces beneficial and productive outcomes, it is safe to work in, there is effective communication, it complies with the policies of the company and enhances respect among workers. This enables accurate planning of the whole construction process and makes it possible for activities to run smoothly within the company.

Defining work tasks also helps in estimating the required amount of resources and the amount to be assigned to each activity during construction process, an issue to consider during the definition of the work tasks in the use of every part of the building and the required and the complexity of the design of the building. It also considers precedence and the sequence of all activities and the considers the activities that are related and whose operations do not negatively affect those of others, related operations are then planned in sequence to enable the process of construction to occurs at a fast rate and to economize on the use of resources.

This leads to the decision on whether the construction process should take place simultaneously or in series of iterations to deliver to the requirements of the client. It is worth noting that definition of work task can be expensive and time consuming but in the long run, it helps in time saving and in the reducing the costs of construction. The methods that are used during definition of tasks are such as the use of computer aided design simulations in small proportions and making use of databases and information in large proportions. Data bases about the activities involved during construction are employed during defining the scope of work for all the activities and that means that there is bound to arise smooth flow of activities during the construction of a building.

This involves the use of computer to enable storage of large quantities of data and for easy retrieval of such data in and easy and fast way during construction. During the definition of tasks, it is common for the contractors to divide the whole construction work into the main tasks first, the main tasks are further subdivided into smaller tasks that enable their execution to be easy and fast. The original process of construction may change during the construction process due to availability of new ways, new forms of design and new forms of technology during the construction process. Several construction processes acquire the hierarchal form of activities which help the contractors to form charts and reports that they submit to the client for approval. The hierarchal structure usually take the tree mode in which the top most parts represent the points where decisions are made that affect activities lower in the hierarchy.