Chartered Civil Engineer (ICE) Construction Management, Law and Commercial Practice Syllabus

Construction Management, Law and Commercial Practice syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Construction Management, Law and Commercial Practice in Chartered Civil Engineer (ICE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Project and Construction Management

   5 topics

   • Project lifecycle and the RIBA Plan of Work
   • Planning and programming
     • Critical path method and network analysis
     • Resource levelling and earned value
   • Temporary works management and BS 5975
   • Construction methods and plant selection
   • Quality, supervision and site control
2. 2

   Contracts and Construction Law

   5 topics

   • Standard forms of contract
     • NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract
     • FIDIC and JCT forms
   • Contract administration and roles
     • Early warnings and compensation events
     • Programme and payment provisions
   • Dispute resolution
     • Adjudication, arbitration and mediation
   • Tort, negligence and professional liability
   • Procurement strategies and routes
3. 3

   Commercial and Financial Management

   4 topics

   • Cost estimating and budgeting
   • Cash flow forecasting and management
   • Risk and value management
     • Quantitative and qualitative risk assessment
   • Whole life costing and investment appraisal
4. 4

   Health, Safety and Welfare in Construction

   4 topics

   • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
   • CDM Regulations 2015 roles and duties
   • Hazard identification and risk assessment
   • Site safety management and welfare provision

Construction Management, Law and Commercial Practice flashcards for Chartered Civil Engineer (ICE)

22 of 61 cards from the Construction Management, Law and Commercial Practice deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the eight stages of the RIBA Plan of Work 2020?

   0 Strategic Definition, 1 Preparation and Briefing, 2 Concept Design, 3 Spatial Coordination (formerly Developed Design), 4 Technical Design, 5 Manufacturing and Construction, 6 Handover, and 7 Use (formerly In Use).

2. In project lifecycle terms, what distinguishes the 'briefing' stage from the 'design' stage?

   Briefing (RIBA Stage 1) defines the client's requirements, project objectives, budget and the Project Brief (what is needed and why), whereas design (Stages 2-4) develops the technical solution (how it will be built) to meet that brief.

3. What is a critical path in project programming?

   The longest continuous sequence of dependent activities through a network, which determines the shortest possible project duration. Activities on the critical path have zero total float; any delay to them delays the whole project.

4. Define 'total float' and 'free float' in network analysis.

   Total float is the time an activity can be delayed without delaying project completion: $TF = LFT - EFT$ (or $LST - EST$). Free float is the time an activity can be delayed without delaying the earliest start of any following activity.

5. How are the early finish and late start of an activity calculated in CPM?

   Early finish: $EFT = EST + D$ (forward pass). Late start: $LST = LFT - D$ (backward pass), where $D$ is the activity duration. The forward pass gives earliest times; the backward pass gives latest times.

6. Compare a Gantt (bar) chart with a network (precedence) diagram for programming.

   A Gantt chart shows activities as time-scaled bars, good for communicating schedule and progress but poor at showing logic. A network/precedence diagram shows the logical dependencies between activities and reveals the critical path and float, but is less intuitive visually.

7. What is the standard governing the procedural control of temporary works in the UK, and what key roles does it define?

   BS 5975 (Code of practice for temporary works procedures). It defines the Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC), the Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS), and the Designated Individual (DI) who appoints the TWC and owns the procedure.

8. What is the role of the Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) under BS 5975?

   To coordinate all temporary works activities: ensuring a TW register is kept, that designs are produced and independently checked to the correct category, that a design brief exists, that erection follows the design, and that a formal permit-to-load/permit-to-strike (loading/removal) is issued.

9. Under BS 5975, what are the three categories of temporary works design check?

   Category 0 - restricted to standard solutions, checked by another member of the design team; Category 1 - simple designs, checked by someone not involved in the design; Category 2 - complex/novel designs, checked by an independent team/organisation.

10. Give examples of temporary works on a civil engineering site.

    Excavation support/trench shoring, formwork and falsework, scaffolding, propping, cofferdams, dewatering systems, temporary haul roads, crane bases/hardstanding, and façade retention.

11. What factors govern the selection of construction plant for an operation?

    Output/productivity required, ground conditions and access, haul distance and gradient, material type and volume, cycle time, availability and cost (own vs hire), reach/capacity, balance with other plant, and health, safety and environmental impact.

12. How is the cycle time and output of an excavator estimated?

    Hourly output $= \dfrac{3600}{t_c} \times q \times f$, where $t_c$ is the cycle time in seconds, $q$ is the bucket capacity, and $f$ is a combined efficiency/fill/bulking factor. Output is usually expressed in $\text{m}^3/\text{hr}$.

13. What is a 'bulking factor' (or swell) in earthworks, and why does it matter?

    It is the volume increase of soil when excavated from its in-situ (bank) state to loose state, e.g. clay swells about 30-40%. It matters for sizing haulage and dump capacity, since plant carries loose volume but earthworks quantities are measured as bank (or compacted) volume.

14. Distinguish quality assurance (QA) from quality control (QC).

    QA is a proactive, process-based system of planned activities (procedures, audits, ISO 9001) giving confidence that quality requirements will be met. QC is reactive, product-based inspection and testing of the finished or in-progress work to verify it conforms to specification.

15. What is an Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) used for on site?

    It is a document listing each activity requiring inspection or testing, the acceptance criteria, the responsible party, the test method/frequency, the hold and witness points, and the records required. It controls quality and defines when work may proceed.

16. What is the difference between a 'hold point' and a 'witness point' in an ITP?

    A hold point is a mandatory stop where work cannot proceed until inspected/approved by the specified party. A witness point is a notified inspection that the party may attend, but work may continue if they do not attend after due notice.

17. Name the principal standard forms of construction contract used in UK civil engineering.

    The NEC suite (NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract), the JCT suite, the FIDIC suite (Red, Yellow, Silver books) for international work, and the historic ICE Conditions of Contract (now largely replaced by NEC). The Infrastructure Conditions of Contract (ICC) continue the ICE tradition.

18. What are the main NEC4 ECC main Options A to F, and how do they allocate risk?

    A: priced contract with activity schedule (lump sum); B: priced contract with bill of quantities; C: target contract with activity schedule (pain/gain share); D: target contract with bill of quantities; E: cost-reimbursable; F: management contract. Risk shifts from contractor (A) towards client (E/F).

19. What is the purpose of NEC's 'early warning' and 'compensation event' mechanisms?

    Early warning requires either party to notify matters that could affect cost, time or quality, prompting joint risk-reduction meetings. Compensation events are defined events (e.g. client changes, unforeseen ground) entitling the contractor to changes in the Prices and/or Completion Date, assessed prospectively.

20. Who is the 'Project Manager' and the 'Supervisor' under NEC4, and how do their roles differ?

    The Project Manager administers the contract on the client's behalf: managing change, assessing compensation events, certifying payment and overall progress. The Supervisor checks that work conforms to the Scope, including testing and inspection, and notifies defects.

21. Under the traditional JCT/Engineer model, what are the key duties of the contract administrator / Engineer?

    Issuing instructions and information, valuing and certifying interim and final payments, granting extensions of time, certifying practical/sectional completion and making good defects, assessing variations and loss/expense, and acting impartially between client and contractor when certifying.

22. What is the difference between liquidated damages and a penalty in a contract?

    Liquidated damages (LADs) are a genuine pre-estimate of the client's loss for delay, agreed in advance and enforceable. A penalty is a sum designed to punish or deter breach rather than compensate loss; it is unenforceable under English law. The modern test is whether the clause protects a legitimate interest and is not exorbitant.

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