Construction Project Management: A Complete Introduction, 2nd Edition

The new, updated and expanded edition of this bestselling text addresses the basics of how we design, develop, and construct our buildings and our communities. Written in a straightforward and highly readable style, Construction Project Management provides the reader with crucial background information often overlooked in other texts: The roles of the major players owners and designers, general and specialty contractors; Why contractors should avoid some jobs, and how to get the right ones; What bidding is, and why the low bid is not always the best bid; Why different types of construction contracts carry different levels of risk; Why cost estimates and schedules are keys to project success; How a contractor brings in a job on time and on budget; And much more: Alternative project delivery and BIM; Change orders and getting paid; MasterFormat; ConsensusDocs and AIA Documents; An expanded and updated introduction to Green Construction.

Dykstra, an architect and teacher of construction management courses, offers an introduction to managing contracted construction projects... By and large, the chapters tend to address issues of the construction contract process chronologically, and this feature is helpful to the reader. Additionally, each chapter contains definitions of the relevant nomenclature and a set of self-test questions. The premise of the coverage of topics is that the design of the work has already been completed, and that the actual implementation of the construction will need to be accomplished by a construction contractor. Although the book discusses project management topics such as estimating and scheduling, the thrust of the work is on contract management issues such as the bidding environment, bidding process, incremental payments, and contract-related negotiations. This book is useful for students taking introductory courses in construction management at both four-year and two-year colleges. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates and two-year technical program students. --ALA Choice (Amer. Library Assoc.) review of 1st edition

Construction Project Management: A Complete Introduction is a guide for those who are set to manage their own larger scale construction project and what needs to be done to keep it all from getting out of hand. Stating how to manage your staff, manage contractors, the risks that need to be considered, financial planning, and much more. With additional information on dealing with legal issues, the role of technology, and more, Construction Project Management is a strongly recommended pick for anyone who is trying to get into the construction industry. --Midwest Book Review, of 1st edition

Construction Project Management is informative and easy to read. It clearly outlines the professional building processes and procedures. It is a great book not only for students, but for the building professional as well. --Andy Briglio, contractor

Alison Dykstra, AIA, CSI has been a registered architect for over 30 years and began teaching construction management in the early 1990s. This textbook draws on her extensive professional and classroom experience to explain the complex systems of construction management in a highly accessible way that meets the needs of both beginners and seasoned contractors. She is also author of a text on Green Construction.