Project Management for Engineering and Construction: A Life-Cycle Approach

This book presents the principles and techniques of managing
engineering and construction projects from the initial conceptual phase,
through design and construction, to completion. It uses a project lifecycle to
emphasize the importance of project management during the early stages of
project development. The project initiation stages of the project lifecycle
provide the best ability to influence the quality, cost, and schedule of a
project. Most books discuss project management during construction, after
the scope of work is fully defined, the budget is fixed, and the completion
date is firm. It is then too late to make any significant adjustments to
improve the quality, cost, or schedule of the project.
Although each project is unique, there is certain information that must be
identified and organized at the beginning of a project before any work is
started. Numerous tables and graphs are presented and discussed throughout
this book to provide guidelines for management of the three basic
components of a project: scope, budget, and schedule. Throughout this book,
achieving project quality to meet the owner’s satisfaction is emphasized as
an integral part of project management.