Relevance of Communication in Construction Discussion and Responses

The Threaded Discussions are designed to allow you to expand upon the material presented in the textbook and give each student the opportunity to interact with other students through comments to responses posted.

There will be a question(s) posed each week. You should submit your first post by Wednesday of this week. Login later in the week and review the entries of other students. Afterwards, respond to the remarks that peak your interest (at least 2).

For this week, you must first answer initial question, and then comment on 2 of your classmates’ posts for full credit for discussion requirements.

Be sure to review the Discussion Grading announcement for more detail.

Your score on this assignment will be based on the following:

The substance of your response, which displays your knowledge and understanding of the material

Spelling and grammar

Whether you provide citation to a source(s) which solidifies your point of view.

The length (word count) of your posts.

Topic:

This week, one of the topics covered in the text was the resolution of construction disputes. What steps do you think can be taken to reduce the potential for disputes in construction projects?

You can address areas such as pre-construction conferences/meetings, weekly meetings, reports, RFI’s, liquidated damages, project management, contract clauses, communication, or any actions, requirements, or procedures you feel would reduce the potential for disputes.

Response 1:

Construction disputes happen more than we would like and it’s usually because something was not communicated to all the parties involved or the schedule for the project. Being proactive can help eliminate majority of the problems but being proactive is tough to do because of unforeseen circumstances.

“Recognising the Risk: You may not be able to recognise every risk on your upcoming projects but do your best to recognise the most threatening ones. Assessing the risk: It is important to take the time on your project to assess the potential impact of the risk the project may face such as third-party issues, staging changes, potential differing site conditions.

Planning for the Risk: The lesson here is the more planning done ahead of time, the easier it will be to manage the risk” (Cooper, R). Leadership and understanding the people on your project is an important factor when it comes to avoiding disputes. Knowing the contract documents and understanding the construction plans can help avoid construction disputes as well.

References

Cooper, R. (September 3, 2018). 3 ways to actively avoid Construction Disputes. Received from http://www.arcadis.com

Response 2:

This week, one of the topics covered in the text was the resolution of construction disputes. What steps do you think can be taken to reduce the potential for disputes in construction projects?

You can address areas such as pre-construction conferences/meetings, weekly meetings, reports, RFI’s, liquidated damages, project management, contract clauses, communication, or any actions, requirements, or procedures you feel would reduce the potential for disputes.

Communication is key for construction projects and I think that is a good way to reduce potential disputes.  If everyone is on the same page about the work to be done and the time line in place, many common problems can be limited.  Meetings go along with communication, and adding a schedule to make sure time is set aside creates a flow of conversation about progress.

A time and place to openly discuss any issues, concerns, possible delays, etc. brings down the risk of a huge problem arising suddenly.  A good working relationship is essential, and that ties in with communication and many of the other suggested solutions in this topic question.

Setting aside communication and meetings, legally laying out the job with the use of a clear and concise contract is a way to reduce disputes.  Both parties have to agree on the terms of a contract, and that leaves less room for argument.  A contract also holds the project to a higher standard, because there are consequences to breaking a contract.

Response 3:

I believe that for the most part disputes on the construction site are generally between general contractors and sub-contractors.  Whether the dispute be over time, money or even a specific way of doing something we see it all the time.  Sometimes disputes between the owner and contractor may occur but not near as often as they usually hold the upper hand.

When it comes to contractor/sub-contractor disputes I think many things can be done to help mitigate and reduce/resolve the disputes long before they even occur.  Firstly, as a sub you need to know your place.  Yes, you are there doing your job and you know how to do your job, probably better than the general does, however, it is his job site and he should be listened to and hold you accountable.

Often times in this area we see subs getting mad or upset that a general contractor lays down the law of time or quality.  This can and does lead to many disputes between the two parties and can often times even lead to greater time loss, etc.  Daily meetings with your subs head, and even the subs, can put the fire out before it starts by letting them know what is expected, the general time line and how things are going to go on the job that day.

I think communication is often times lost and therefore leads to the greatest disputes because no one is on the same page.  Project management and contracts clauses are part of it as well but I believe 100% that we lack communication very often and it leads to the most disputes on the job site.

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