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The Four Challenges Facing Construction Sites

Modern project managers, the direct intermediaries between stakeholders and construction workers, are set with a number of variables and challenges stepping onto a construction site.

The task of seeing a project to completion is expected with tenacity, innovation and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

One of the biggest challenges in construction project management is to maintain, which increases in difficulty as the cost of materials, labour and transportation continue to rise.

Project managers are set the daunting task of facing these challenges head-on, but they're not impossible to overcome.

However, with a strategic approach and an openness to innovation, Australian builders and developers can continue to deliver high-quality projects to the market, while returning a profit on investment should they address four main challenges.

▲ Without the cash on hand to pay employees and purchase materials, organisations can quickly start to struggle, causing a project veer off schedule.

Financial management

Incomplete projects due to unreliable cash flow have seen many firms go out of business.

From large builders like RCR Tomlinson, York Civil, and Ralan Group to the smaller businesses that rely on these organisations, construction firms account for between 22 and 24 per cent of Australian company insolvencies every year.

Without the cash on hand to pay employees and purchase materials, organisations can quickly start to struggle, causing a project veer off schedule.

As many projects only deliver a modest profit margin, construction firms often find themselves struggling to stay afloat.

Reducing costs where possible without undermining the quality, safety, and professionalism of their work is paramount to a firms success and continued function.

Taking a methodical approach to estimate project costs is also essential to avoid underestimating and finding that a project did not turn a profit, and cost the company money.

▲ Just-in-time deliveries can be a safer and cost-effective way to avoid a crowded and unsafe worksite while also avoiding losses due to theft or vandalism.

Skilled labour is a key area where companies can blow the budget, reducing the need for skilled trades onsite can help with budgeting. Achieving this can be done by choosing products that don't require large teams of labours or installation by skilled trades.

Rise Wall, created by Rise Products is a cost-effective, permanent formwork solution which can be installed by a reduced team of labourers quickly and easily, no matter the level of skill or specialised trade.

The product is lightweight while offering a stronger and safer solution due to its innovative trussed panel face. The design provides less risk of blow-out when pouring and straighter, stronger and safer load-bearing walls and columns.

Through its lay-flat design for transport, materials handling and onsite storage, Rise Products Rise Wall is around 10 to 15 per cent more cost-effective than the existing permanent formwork solutions.

Logistics

Managing the costs of raw materials, sufficient site storage and deliveries effectively can make all the difference to the bottom line.

Just-in-time deliveries can be a safer and cost-effective way to avoid a crowded and unsafe worksite while also avoiding losses due to theft or vandalism.

However, this often needs to be weighed against the risk of those materials rising in cost while the project is underway. Finding products with short lead times and cost-effective transport is a valuable aspect to consider on any project.

The product ships compact with a 600 per cent reduction from its standing size, reducing the cost of shipping and saving space onsite.

It's short lead times means next-day delivery is also available in selected areas.

▲ The ageing workforce means that skilled labour, including traditional techniques such as blockwork and masonry, is becoming harder to find and less cost-effective.

Labour

According to the Australian government's Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, seven out of eight construction trade occupations assessed in 2018 were found to be in national shortage. Without skilled, reliable, fast-working labourers, projects could suffer from delays, mistakes, and cost overruns.

The ageing workforce means that skilled labour, including traditional techniques such as blockwork and masonry, is becoming harder to find and less cost-effective.

These factors make it crucial for builders to adopt innovative technologies and materials that make it easier for labourers of all skills and backgrounds to both remain in and enter the industry.

▲ The costs involved in replacing stolen or damaged materials can be high and, if it's not accounted for in the budget, can lead to projects becoming unprofitable very quickly or cause projects to fall behind schedule.

This can include using materials that are light, fast and easy to assemble, mitigating the need for skilled carpenters, plasterers, bricklayers, and tilers, all of which are in short supply.

Rise Wall is lightweight and doesn't require specialist labour, so it can be installed fast and is easily manoeuvred on site.

A three-person team can install up to 100 square metres of Rise Wall per day.

Site storage

Storing materials and equipment on a building site is unavoidable for many projects, layered with the risk of theft and vandalism both during and after hours.

The costs involved in replacing stolen or damaged materials can be high and, if it's not accounted for in the budget, can lead to projects becoming unprofitable very quickly or cause projects to fall behind schedule.

With next-day delivery in selected areas, Rise Wall can answer this challenge.

Rather than ordering formwork early and storing onsite where it could be damaged or stolen, builders can arrange for Rise Wall to be delivered when it's needed and install on the same day.

Rise Wall Water Resistant is one of the most innovative materials options available to help builders overcome these four challenges.

Importantly, its unique, patented lay-flat design means that up to six times more product can be supplied per delivery, while only requiring one-sixth of the material handling and storage onsite compared with traditional materials.

It also significantly increases the rate of progress and structural integrity of buildings ranging from homes to commercial and industrial structures.

▲ Storing materials and equipment on a building site is unavoidable for many projects, layered with the risk of theft and vandalism both during and after hours.

Construction of load-bearing walls and lift shafts for new developments can be completed in half the time with Rise Wall formwork.

The customisable system is also water-resistant, fire safety compliant and acoustics tested, complying with all industry specifications.

Constructed from a PVC composite plastic material, Rise Wall Water Resistant is ideal in basement walls, lift and stair shafts, tanks and silos, garages and carwashes, as well as aboveground load-bearing walls that will be over-clad with final finishes.

After installation, it can be left as a finished product with thicknesses ranging from 95mm to 200mm.

With its versatile design and clean finish, Rise Wall is the faster and more economical alternative to traditional masonry, in situ, load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall systems.

To find out more, contact Rise Products today.

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