CIVE 324 Sustainable Project Management

Background

The pressure on engineers to incorporate the principles of sustainable development into the design and construction process is ever increasing. Project management for engineering projects needs to address the three pillars of sustainable development: social equity, economic efficiency and environmental preservation. The development and adoption of sustainable management practices go hand in hand with the recognition that construction is inherently tied with the planning, design, operation, and retirement of facilities. It is therefore important for the new generation of engineers to understand the complete process of project management to make sure that each stage of the process along with the process in its entirety abides by the principles of sustainable development.

Course Content

This course focuses on the principles of project management with emphasis on the integration of construction within the project lifecycle. The lifecycle is a process through which a project is implemented from cradle to grave. Sustainable practices are introduced at all stages of the project lifecycle (adapted from Hendrickson, 2004):

• Conceptual planning and feasibility
• Design and engineering
• Procurement and construction
• Start-up
• Operation and maintenance
• Retirement or disposal

The course structure follows the different stages of the project lifecycle with a focus on the procurement and construction phase. The course introduces issues such as team formation and responsibilities, materials and equipment use, cost estimation and economic valuation, financing, scheduling, quality control and safety, risk management, monitoring and performance assessment, decision-making. All course topics are introduced under the umbrella of sustainable development.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify the key interactions between design, construction, operation, and retirement
• Understand the concept of sustainability and its implications for project management
• Quantitatively evaluate the sustainability of engineering designs and practices
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis internalizing the costs of externalities
• Apply project scheduling methods to the design and construction of a new facility
• Understand the roles of different parties involved in the construction industry

Schedule of Lectures

Module 1: Sustainability and Project Evaluation

Week 1:
Sustainable development principles and implications to project management
Course introduction

Week 2:
Introducing financial analysis, cost-benefit analysis (CBA), multi-criteria analysis (MCA)
This week’s focus is on direct costs/benefits, consumer surplus, and traditional cost-benefit analysis

Week 3:
Valuing externalities and the social cost-benefit analysis
Week 4:
Multi-criteria decision making methods for project evaluation
Week 5:
On-going debates on project management, decision-making, and sustainability

Module 2: Managing the design process

Week 6:
Team formation and team dynamics, overview of different structures for design teams
Week 7:
Midterm Exam
Week 8:
Project scheduling methods (applicable to design and to construction)
Week 9:
Project scheduling methods (applicable to design and to construction)

Module 3: Construction and Procurement

Week 10:
The construction industry
Organizational structures of architectural, engineering, and contracting industries

Week 11:
Bids and contracts
Organizing the construction process
Disputes and claims

Week 12:
Impacts of construction on the environment
Green and sustainable buildings

Course Materials

A set of readings and links to freely available online books will be posted on myCourses.