Page 188 - Urban Construction Project Management

Logistics 143
Construction field offices and shanties for the construction of the tenant fit up work is
often accomplished by utilizing some of the permanent rooms that are fitted out on an
interim basis as field offices and shanties by the CM/GC and subcontractors. This mini-
mizes the costs for these types of facilities, as well as utilizing permanent systems, walls,
doors, lighting, etc. to provide for the required spaces during the construction process.

If the project is large and is being built by union trades people, then jurisdictionally a
special union representative may have to “sit” at the site for its entirety. A shanty for
the conduction of union business may be required.

STORAGE

At most urban construction sites there is very limited space for storage of material,
equipment, debris containers, and cylinders. Thus, creative means must be found for
finding adequate storage areas for critical elements of the project. This may require the
leasing of off-site storage areas, finding areas under stairs for temporary storage, or
using off-hour areas such as loading docks for the temporary storage of debris
containers.

Off-Site Storage
Often construction materials will be stored off site given the congestion found in the
urban environment, with limited on-site storage. With virtually no available space at the
site itself or in the immediate vicinity to utilize for on-site storage, the use of off-site
storage facilities to store materials within reasonable proximity to the site will be nec-
essary until they are ready to be incorporated into the project. See Exhibit 6-25 for a
typical off-site storage facility. The CM/GC will determine what, where, and when var-
ious construction materials will need to be stored off site. Materials such as structural
steel, pre-purchased equipment, generators, boilers, chillers, cooling towers, curtain
wall, windows, electrical equipment, and light fixtures are examples of materials that
may require off-site storage. If material is stored off site, and is to be requisitioned and
paid for, ensure that the material is stored in a bonded warehouse, with an insurance cer-
tificate covering the material being paid for but not yet delivered to the site. An alter-
native approach would be for the manufacturers of the equipment to store the construc-
tion materials in their own warehouses, if they have sufficient space. However, the
manufacturers’ warehouse storage facility may be a long distance from the construction
site, and may take a while to arrange for a delivery.

On-Site General Storage
Construction in the urban environment presents unique challenges for storage of mate-
rials at the construction site. Given the small size of the property, there is not much
space surrounding the building on the site to allow for adequate storage. During the
construction process, large quantities of construction materials will be delivered to the
site for installation in the project. The CM/GC must make provisions for the interim
storage of construction materials to ensure that they are available at the site when