The first edition of Construction Management Fundamentals gives students a solid understanding of construction so that, as designers and constructors, they will be better prepared to make intelligent design decisions and to interact in a meaningful and productive manner. For those students who may take only one or two construction courses, the material is covered in a logical, simple, and concise format.

From the Preface
The construction industry has changed dramatically in the last 25 years and, driven by the capabilities of the computer chip, change is continuing at an even more rapid pace. We are in the age of the laptop computer and the Internet. With our computer systems we now move data directly from the designer's computers to the field. This abundance of data must, however, be turned into information that will help us better manage construction operations. The challenge is to do things not only faster, but better. Technology improvements will greatly enhance the constructor's ability to make better decisions relating to equipment, planning, and construction methods.

This text is intended for use in Constructing Management courses for undergraduate Civil Engineering students or for the Construction Management graduate students who need a text that covers the fundamentals of construction in a logical, simple, and concise format. Construction management is about controlling time, cost, quality, and safety, and about acting in a socially, politically, and environmentally acceptable manner. These tenets are covered in Construction Management Fundamentals. With a solid understanding of these concepts, the designer and constructor are better prepared to make intelligent design decisions, and to interact in a meaningful and productive manner.

Many photographs from actual projects are included in the text to illustrate ideas and construction methods. Additionally, the use of examples to reinforce the concepts through application has been incorporated in the text. Based on professional practice, standard formats for analyzing common problems are presented. Many companies use such formats to avoid errors when estimating production during the fast-paced efforts required for bid preparation and closing.

To enhance the value of Construction Management Fundamentals as a college textbook, problems and questions are provided at the close of each chapter. The solutions to some problems are included in the text at the end of the problems statements. Together with examples, they facilitate learning and give students the confidence that they can master the subjects presented. There are some questions that require the student to search construction publications or web-based sources to locate the basic information in support of construction management decisions. These questions expose the student to the process of independently locating the necessary information. At the close of each chapter there are names, addresses, and in many cases the Internet address, for sources of additional information.

Table of Contents
1 Historical Perspective. Construction Management. 2 Overview of the Construction Industry. 3 Construction Management Functions. 4 Scheduling Techniques for Construction Projects. 5 Construction Cost Estimates. 6 Estimating Heavy/Civil Projects. 7 Estimating Building Projects. 8 Construction Contracts. 9 Construction Accounting. Construction Practice. 10 Machine Power. 11 Equipment Selection and Utilization. 12 Equipment Cost. 13 Building Materials. 14 Building Construction Methods. 15 Quality and Productivity. 16 Safety. 17 Trends. Appendix A Glossary. Appendix B Selected Unit Equivalents. Appendix C AIA Document A101-1997. Appendix D AIA Document A201-1997.