Small Building Works Research Articles

Vigías en el Yucatán novohispano: nota para un estudio complementario entre las torres costeras de España y las de la América hispana

En este artículo el autor aborda un tema desconocido en los estudios de la historia militar de la América hispana colonial: las vigías de la costa. Debido a sus reducidas dimensiones y a que fueron construidas con materiales perecederos, los estudios referentes al sistema defensivo no han incluido esas pequeñas obras, a pesar de que fueron parte imprescindible de éste. Las notas que se presentan son un resumen de la investigación realizada en las vigías de Yucatán, México, donde existieron durante más de 300 años, cuya historia se comparó y complementó con la historia de las vigías existentes en la España árabe e hispana. Su estudio abre una puerta a nuevas investigaciones de tipo económico, social y político, a partir del mundo costero.

Key considerations for delivering best value in the small building works portfolio of large client organizations

Many large organizations own and occupy extensive, complex and varied property estates, which are essential to their business. Continued reliance on these resources often requires considerable annual expenditure on maintenance, alterations, refurbishment and small‐scale new building works. Such activities form the category small building works, a sub‐sector of the UK construction industry which currently approximates to £11 billion, or 20% of annual total output. The delivery of best value in the management of small building works, in the context of an organization with a large property portfolio, is important to the business. Studies into small building works conducted over the past 15 years have been synthesized and augmented to highlight the key considerations for ensuring best value in small building works. The delivery of best value requires a comprehensive understanding of the proposed works themselves and then the potential impact of those works upon the property portfolio, and all within the context of the organization’s business activities. Clients need to establish first, an effective procurement approach and second, an effective operational approach.

大工・工務店による小規模工事の原価管理に関する実態調査

In recent years, the management environment of the local homebuilders has been changing. There have been demands that they should grasp the reality of cost management. However, it has hardly ever been examined, because their methods are tacit knowledge in their business. This paper aims to understand the actual conditions of cost management in the homebuilders through the examination of the actual data on the cost management in the small scale building works. First, we obtained the documents on the cost of building works concerned. Secondly, we input the necessary information into a spread sheet program. Finally, we analyzed the change of the amount of all expenses in the itemized statements of contract price presented to the clients.

Key considerations for developing corporate and operational approaches for managing the small building works portfolio of large client organizations

Many large organizations, which act in the capacity of clients to the construction industry, own and occupy extensive, diverse and often geographically dispersed property estates. To maintain their upkeep and use, these estates often require very considerable annual expenditure on maintenance, alterations, refurbishment and small-scale new building works. Activities encompassing these types form the category of small building works, a sub-sector of the construction industry which amounts to around £9 billion, or 20%, of annual UK total construction output. The effective management of small building works in the context of any organization with large property holdings is essential, as better management of the small building works portfolio can contribute significantly to the business of the organization. This paper contributes new data and adds to the synthesis of findings from research studies into small works, supported by governmental and industry sources and conducted over a 10-year period. It aims to assist in the development of corporate and operational approaches for managing the small building works portfolio of large organizations by highlighting key considerations. These are linked to a dynamic control cycle, or system, to assist organizations in implementing practice based on the considerations made.

Contractor selection for small building works in Hong Kong

Contractor selection models have been developed for large scale works with the assumption of the availability of contractor’s information for the clients. However, a similar study of small building works, especially building maintenance and repair works, is almost ignored. In light of the small amount of work, the employment of building consultants for the selection of contractors in small works is often not feasible, and the cost of acquiring the contractor’s information is often prohibitively high. This research uses case studies to show that a contractor selection model for large scale works does not perform well in small works without the advice of the consultant. The high proportion of specification costs in small works contracting deters the detailed design and documentation stage. A wider variation of tender sums is therefore expected and revealed in the case studies. This paper reviews the building procurement mechanism in small building works in Hong Kong and argues that the employment of a property management agent is conducive to the contractor selection process. Accordingly, further investigations are warranted for a contractor selection model for small building works.

The influence of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 upon the procurement and management of small building works

This paper, which focuses on the impact of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 on the management of small building works, adds new data and analysis to the further development of a subset of findings from a major research study, supported by governmental and industry based sources, which investigated the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement methods, organizational systems and management approaches to small building works and minor maintenance projects. Within this industry subsector there has been and continues to be an apparent culture of misunderstanding in the application of the CDM Regulations. However, commonly such works are undertaken in active environments where buildings are occupied or are operational. This raises many issues and considerations which are key to the satisfactory implementation of the CDM Regulations. The application of the Regulations is examined explicitly in the context of managing small building works. The findings indicate that the CDM Regulations have left ambiguities, primarily through specified exclusions to application, through which health and safety responsibilities may be downplayed or even simply disregarded. Effective implementation of the CDM Regulations during the management of small building works requires that legislation be unambiguously translated into contract documentation, and also that there must be clear understanding by project participants of their committed and onerous responsibilities for project health and safety under the CDM Regulations.

The influence of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 upon the procurement and management of small building works

The influence of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 upon the procurement and management of small building works

The influence of the construction (design and management) regulations 1994 upon the procurement and management of small building works

The influence of the construction (design and management) regulations 1994 upon the procurement and management of small building works

Management of small building works

This paper focuses on the management dimension of small building works. The paper presents a subset of findings from a major research study, supported by governmental and industry based sources, which investigated the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement methods, organizational systems and management approaches to small works and minor maintenance projects. The findings indicate that management for small works must be exerted at two levels. One is within the organization of the works themselves. The second is the development of a framework and organization which considers the implication of the works upon the organization's ongoing business. Effective small works management requires that an organization responds promptly to an identified situation, determines the cost of the work, ensures that the work is undertaken successfully, and gives value for money within the context of the organization's current business circumstance.

Using a weighted score model as an aid to selecting procurement methods for small building works

This paper focuses on the selection of procurement methods for small building works. While a range of procurement methods is needed to accommodate different types of small works, and procurement methods often are applied across different types, for any particular small works job (or group of jobs), there should be an optimum method of procurement. An optimum method is one that not only considers the characteristics of the small works in themselves, but also considers the impact of the works upon the wider organization and its business operations. In doing so, the small works organization is assisted to deliver an efficient effective service which adds value to the client organization. The client, to be in a position to select the method of procurement that best meets a particular type of works, needs to consider the realistic measure of performance of each of the procurement methods which it could employ. This paper proposes the use of a weighted score model as an aid to selecting procurement methods for small building works. From this paper, client organizations should become more aware of the potential to select, with reliability and consistency over time, the optimum procurement method for a particular type of small works, given those criteria which they identify as being important at the time and in consideration of not only the characteristics of the small works themselves, but the works in the context of the organization's ongoing business.