Course Outline for Construction Management 11
Fundamentals of Construction Management
Effective: Fall 2025
SLO Rev:
SLO Rev:
Catalog Description:
CMGT 11 - Fundamentals of Construction Management
3.00 Units
Introduction to the basic concepts of construction project management including: the building design and construction process; project participants, their roles and responsibilities. Areas of focus includes the application of the principles of contracts in relation to construction projects, estimating, scheduling and project control.
CB03: TOP Code 0957.00 - Civil and Construction Management Technology*
CIP Code 52.2001 - Construction Management, General.
Course Grading: Letter Grade Only
| Type | Units | Inside of Class Hours | Outside of Class Hours | Total Student Learning Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 3.00 | 54.00 | 108.00 | 162.00 |
| Total | 3.00 | 54.00 | 108.00 | 162.00 |
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Understand various aspects of construction phases; PreConstruction, Construction, Closeout.
- Understand various aspects of construction participants and their role & responsibility on a construction project.
- Recognize the various construction delivery methods and related contractual arrangements
- Recognize and develop students to complete Conceptual, commercial, residential and other detailed types of estimates
- Understand the project controls for a construction project based on the projects' cost/budget/actual categories.
- Understand a schedule for a construction project based on the scheduling fundamentals.
- Understand an estimate for a construction project based on the estimating fundamentals.
Course Content:
A. Construction project management
1. The construction industry and the project
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The participants in construction projects
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Characteristics of a construction project
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The role of the project manager
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Professional practice and ethics
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Sustainability issues/LEED
2. Project chronology
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Pre-construction phase
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Procurement phase
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Construction phase
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Project closeout
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Post-construction/Occupancy phase
3. The Management Process
- Definition of the project scope
- Establishing the project budget
- Time management
4. Construction contracts and delivery methods
- Project risk and liability
- Project delivery methods
- Design-bid-build
- Trade contracting
- CM at risk
- Design/build bridging
- Design/build.
- Lease/Lease back
- Integrated project delivery.
3. Contract types
- Lump sum.
- Unit price.
- Cost plus fee.
- Integrated form of agreement
- Contract changes
B. Estimating
1. Estimating fundamentals
- Types of estimates
- Estimating considerations
- The estimating process
- Establishing a project budget
2. Conceptual and square foot estimating
- Conceptual estimate considerations
- Conceptual estimate development
3. Commercial square foot estimating
- Commercial square foot estimate considerations
- Commercial square foot development
4. Residential square foot estimating
- Residential square foot estimate considerations
- Residential square foot estimate development
5. Assemblies estimating
- Assemblies estimating considerations
- Assemblies estimating development
6. Detailed estimating
- Quantity takeoff
- Unit pricing
- Estimating setup
C. Scheduling
1. Scheduling fundamentals
- Schedule definition
- History of scheduling
- Scheduling methods
2. Application of scheduling methods during project phases
- Preconstruction phase
- Bidding phase
- Construction phase
- Post-construction phase
- Network construction
- Network definition
- The planning process
- The network diagram
- Network presentation
4. Activity duration and network calculation
- Activity definition
- Activity duration determination
- Scheduling calculations
- Critical path determination
- e. Resource allocation and balancing
D. Project control
1. Fundamentals of project control
- Basic control theory
- Project control objectives
- The project control cycle
- Definition of optimum project duration
2. Cost, schedule and resource control
- Definition of resources and why they should be managed
- Labor studies
- Equipment studies
- Cash flow analysis
3. Updating the project: Project control in practice
- Project member viewpoints
- Development of project control baselines
- Cost engineering
- Progress evaluation and control e. Cost and schedule performance
- Project documentation
- Project coordination
- Trending and forecasting
- Reporting
4. Project safety.
- Basic safety principles
- Personal protective equipment
- Safety regulations
5. Computer-based project management
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- Web-enabled project management software
- Electronic photograghic documentation
- Building information modeling (BIM)
Methods of Instruction:
- Practice/Demonstration
- Lectures
- Textbook reading assignments
- Class and group discussions
- Oral and Written Analysis
- Guest speakers
- Lecture/Discussion
- Demonstration
- Written assignments
- Computer-based interactive curriculum
- Handouts and rule interpretations.
- Advisory group presentations and feedback
- Group Activities
- Presentation
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
- Instructor-led case study discussions on topics such as construction contracts and delivery methods, estimating methods, the application of scheduling methods throughout a project and project control fundamentals. Typical Class assignment Details: a. Review a construction contract and identify or provide an explanation on the reason for the section b. Define the appropriate delivery method for a given set of project types. c. Develop project schedule d. Create a project estimate for a small project
- Readings from the textbook on topics such as the organization and standard operations of the construction industry, estimating, scheduling and project control. Typical Assignment: - Create a critical path method schedule - Develop a project manual
- Weekly homework assignments on topics such as introductory estimating and scheduling exercises, and project control exercises which integrate estimates and schedules.
- Group research projects such as the investigation of active construction projects to identify the participants in the project, the use of estimates and schedules, and the project control practices being employed.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
- Assigned activities
- Class Participation
- Critical thinking exercises
- Exams/Tests
- Homework
3. Student Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Describe the project control process, identifying the fundamental principals of project control.
- Compare the roles and responsibilities of construction project participants, differentiating among project delivery and contracting methods, and their relationship to project risk.
- Describe the estimating process, identifying the information required to construct an estimate, differentiating between types of estimates, and relating their appropriate use to the different phases of the construction process.
- Differentiate among methods of scheduling and relate their appropriate use to the different phases of the construction process.
Textbooks (Typical):
- Frederick E. Gould (2012). Managing the Construction Process (4th Edition). Pearson.
Additional Materials:
DVD's such as Project Management Scenario DVD, 2nd Edition by The National Center for
Construction Education and Research
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Introduction to the basic concepts of construction project management including: the building design and construction process; project participants, their roles and responsibilities. This course introduces students to construction management project practices, estimating, scheduling and project communications.
Discipline:
Construction Management, or Construction Technology, or