Unit(s) of Assessment	Weighting Towards Module Mark (%)
Unseen examination	60
Exercise in evaluating the ICE7 and NEC3 conditions of contract.   Case study involving the analysis of the accounts and supporting documentation of a civil engineering/construction company, which will include a financial assessment using appropriate financial ratios.   Case study involving the analysis and installation of a Total Quality Management system.	40
Qualifying Condition(s)    An overall mark of 40% is required to pass the module.

To introduce students to basic principles of Finance

To make students aware of Quality Assurance and Total Quality Management in relation to civil engineering

To introduce students to a systems and contingency approach to management

To make students aware of the process of decision making

To make students aware of the content and form of business plans in relation to Civil Engineering

To introduce students to the origins of UK Law and implications in Civil Engineering

To introduce students to:

• typical construction process and planning
• the scope of the ICE Conditions of Contract  7th ed
• the scope of the New Engineering Contract  3^rd ed
• procurement systems and evaluating client objectives/priorities
• tendering & tendering evaluation procedures and analyse the estimate breakdowns

To make students aware of:

• the principal provisions of the ICE7 and NEC3
• contractual risks
• contract documents
• types of contract/methods of payment

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: 

·            Explain the broad principles of finance; including capital, revenue, net present value, company balance sheets

·     Analyse accounts and perform  simple financial assessments of civil engineering companies

·     Appraise Quality Assurance (QA) systems to ISO9000 and apply these techniques to a civil engineering casestudy organisation

·     Explain the concept of Total Quality Management and distinguish it from QA

·     Carry out management assessments utilising the systems and contingency approach

·     Assess the considerations on which decision making can be based

·     Apply a range of planning methods to various aspects with the civil engineering  construction processes

·     Design a basic business plan for civil engineering operations

·       Explain the origins of UK Law, Law of Contract, Law of Torts and apply the essentials for valid contract to casestudy scenarios

·       Explain the broad principles of the ICE 7th Edition and NEC 3^rd Edition, Conditions of Contract and be able to compare and contrast these principles

·       Explain tending using the ICE 7th Edition and NEC 3^rd Edition, Conditions of Contract and be able to appraise the estimate breakdown in relation to EU procurement directive and UK public contract regulations

·       Explain typical civil engineering specifications and other contract documents

·       Explain the concept of contractual risks in civil engineering and be able to prepare risk registrars

• Review different types of contract

·           Basic principles of finance; revenue, capital, net present value, company statement

·           Quality Assurance ISO9000 and Total Quality Management Systems

·           Systems and contingency approach to management; external supra-system, sub-systems namely, management, psycho social, technical, goals and values and structural.

·           Decision making process and techniques

·           Construction processes and planning

·           Role and format of the typical business plan

·            UK Law; common law, statute, EC Law, Law of Contract, Law of Torts

·            Construction process

·            ICE Conditions of Contract  7th Ed. & New Engineering Contract 3^rd Edition

·            Procurement systems

·            Performance and Method Specifications

·            Tendering procedures and analysing the estimate

·            Measurement, schedule of rates, lump sum and cost plus contracts

• Contractual risks

40 hours of lectures, and 60 hours independent learning.

Essential reading

 

None

Required reading

 

ICE Conditions of Contract (Measurement Version) 7^th ed. Thomas Telford 2003 (ISBN 9780727727893)

NEC Engineering Construction Contract (NEC3). Thomas Telford, 2005. (ISBN 9780727733597)

Harris F, McCaffer R, Edum-Fotwe F, Modern Construction Management, 6Rev  ed. Blackwell Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1405133252

Morledge. R, Smith. A, Kashiwagi. DT, Building Procurement. RICS Research/Blackwell Publishing. 2006 (ISBN 0632064668)

Dallas . M.F. Value and Risk Management, a guide to best practice.CIOB, Davis Langdon & Blackwell Publishing. 2006 (ISBN 140512069X)

Brook. M Estimating & Tendering for Construction Work.4^th ed. Butterworth Heinemann 2008 (ISBN 9780750686167)

Fitchett. P, Haslam. J, Writing Engineering Specifications. Taylor & Francis 2002                 (ISBN 0415263034)

Eggleston. B. The ICE Conditions of Contract 7^th ed. Blackwell Science.2001

Lock. D. Project Management 9^th ed. Gower 2007 (ISBN 9780566087721)  

Murdoch. J, Hughes. W Construction Contracts Law & Management 4^th ed. Taylor & Francis Group 2006 (ISBN 9780415393698.)

Adriannse J. Construction Contract Law – The Essentials. 2^nd ed. Palgrave/Macmillan 2007.   ISBN 9780230521650.)

Ashworth A. Civil Engineering Contractual Procedures, Pearson Education 2006.                   ISBN 0582251273

Atrill P, McLaney E, Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists, 6^th ed Financial times/Prentice Hall, 2008, (ISBN 1408208040)

Recommended background reading

 

Fryer B, The Practice of Construction Management, 3^rd ed, Blackwell Science, 1997.  (ISBN 063204140),

Pilcher R, Principles of Construction Management, 3^rd ed, McGraw Hill, 1992.  (ISBN 00770 72367)

Smith. N.J. Engineering Project Management 3^rd ed. Blackwell Publishing 2007 (ISBN 9781405168021)

Hackett. M, Robinson. I, Statham. E.The Aqua Group Guide to Procurement, Tendering & Construction Administration. Blackwell Publishing 2007.

Smith. N.J. Managing Risks in Construction Projects 2^nd ed. Blackwell Publishing (ISBN 1405130121)

Adams . J, Brownswood. R. Understanding Contract Law 5^th ed. Thompson, Sweet & Maxwell.    (ISBN 9781847031167)

Eggleston. B. The ICE Conditions of Contract 7^th ed. Blackwell Science. 2001 (ISBN 0632051965).

Eggleston. B. The NEC3 Engineering & Construction Contract, A Commentary. Blackwell Publishing. 2006 (ISBN 0632057424)

Students are advised of aspects of individual texts during the module.