Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

Material shortage on construction projects

2019-08-13T21:14:15Z

Clockshark:

Isn’t it annoying when you’re working on a project, and you run out of materials before the task is completed? You’re sure you ordered enough material to complete the work! Why isn’t there enough material? Did someone steal it? Well perhaps they did – but there could be several reasons why there are insufficient materials.

Sometimes the materials needed can be quickly gotten from the nearby store, but even so, work is interrupted, possibly workers stand idle while the material is fetched, or the workers must be reorganized to do other work in the meantime. Unfortunately, in some cases, the material isn’t readily available, and it could take several days to get the missing items to the project. Inevitably there are additional costs and delays that could jeopardize the success of the project.

Why do projects experience material shortages?

There are many reasons for material shortages, and proper care should help avoid this from occurring.

* Often, it’s simply caused by the project manager, engineer, or supervisor incorrectly measuring the quantity from the drawing. They did things in a hurry and didn’t check. In some cases, project managers make a mistake the other way and order too much material – material which is then leftover at the end of the project – I’m sure we’ve all seen piles of leftover unused building materials at the end of construction projects. It’s vital to check that you’ve ordered the correct quantities of materials.
* No allowance is made for offcuts of the material which can’t be used. Items like ceramic tiles or building blocks generate wastage when they’re cut. Often lengths of timber, steel, pipes, and electrical cables remain when the required sizes have been cut. An experienced contractor will know what this wastage could be, which often depends on the actual details of where the product is used. Planning cutting can reduce waste, allowing the maximum usable pieces to be cut from the available material.
* The incorrect conversion factor is used, which often occurs with earthworks materials when the incorrect factor is used for calculating how much loose material is required to make the compacted volume. (This factor depends on the type of material and the amount of compaction required.) When the material with unfamiliar properties and characteristics is ordered, it pays to seek expert advice regarding what wastage or compaction factors should be allowed.
* No allowance is made to lap the material. This is particularly the case with mesh reinforcing, plastic sheeting or roof sheeting. To minimize wastage due to lapping or splicing of the materials, it’s important to be aware of the standard sizes the material is supplied in. In some cases, it may be possible to order materials in different widths and lengths, reducing the number of joints, and therefore the amount of lapping.
* Sometimes there is theft on the project, so critical material should always be stored in secure locations. Ensure that the project is secured to prevent theft.
* Workers are careless, and they damage materials while offloading them, when they move them on the project, and when they install them. It’s important to ensure that materials aren’t damaged, since not only is this wasteful adding additional costs, but it could result in the project running short of materials.
* Poor quality work results in work having to be redone, which requires extra material.
* Often the material has been incorrectly applied to the project. For instance, the product has been applied in thicker layers than those specified; this may happen with paint, asphalt, concrete, joint sealer, and adhesives. The project manager should monitor the application of specialist products or products that are used in a large quantity on the project. This will enable timely action to be taken to reduce the thickness to what it should be, thus reducing wastage, and if necessary, then to order more material to make up any shortfall caused by the increased thickness.
* Materials are stored badly, which results in them becoming damaged. Some products are damaged by the sun or when they become wet. Materials that aren’t stacked properly can become warped and twisted. Vehicles could ride into materials and damage them. Always store materials properly where they won’t be easily damaged.
* The incorrect quantity has been delivered. I’ve seen it happen that a project ran out of material. The project manager contacted the supplier and arranged for additional material to be delivered. Shortly thereafter the remaining material from the original order arrived, followed by the additional material requested. This results in excess material remaining at the end of the project and causes wasted effort and cost. It’s good practice when an unexpected shortfall occurs that the reason behind it be investigated before ordering the additional material.

Conclusion

It’s worth spending extra time to ensure you order the correct quantities of materials. Where necessary, ask for expert advice to determine the normal wastage factors. Look at different options for cutting and installing the materials, as well as the various sizes the products are available in. Careful planning and ordering can reduce costs. Of course, always ensure that those installing the products understand how they should be installed to minimize waste and so that they don’t undo your careful planning. This could avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes.

Investigate shortages before ordering additional material. The missing items may be lying unnoticed somewhere on the project, or the supplier might not have delivered the material yet. Regrettably, project managers have ordered additional materials to make good shortfalls, only to discover that the missing materials were found or were delivered later – resulting in there being too much material.

Of course, always check the construction drawings because a shortfall of the material may be because of drawing errors, which resulted in more material being used than was allowed for.

Importantly, keep a constant check on the available materials and act when it appears that there may be insufficient materials. Take timely action to ensure that workers aren’t left waiting for more materials.

Have you run short of materials on your [https://www.clockshark.com/Blog/how-to-resolve-conflict-on-construction-projects construction project]? What was the reason? 
 
 
 
 

Paul Netscher is an experienced construction professional who managed over 120 projects in 6 countries over 28 years. Paul writes for the [https://www.clockshark.com ClockShark] blog and is the author of five books on construction project management.

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Cost_/_business_planning]]

Material shortage on construction projects

2019-08-13T21:13:45Z

Clockshark:

Isn’t it annoying when you’re working on a project, and you run out of materials before the task is completed? You’re sure you ordered enough material to complete the work! Why isn’t there enough material? Did someone steal it? Well perhaps they did – but there could be several reasons why there are insufficient materials.

Sometimes the materials needed can be quickly gotten from the nearby store, but even so, work is interrupted, possibly workers stand idle while the material is fetched, or the workers must be reorganized to do other work in the meantime. Unfortunately, in some cases, the material isn’t readily available, and it could take several days to get the missing items to the project. Inevitably there are additional costs and delays that could jeopardize the success of the project.

Why do projects experience material shortages?

There are many reasons for material shortages, and proper care should help avoid this from occurring.

* Often, it’s simply caused by the project manager, engineer, or supervisor incorrectly measuring the quantity from the drawing. They did things in a hurry and didn’t check. In some cases, project managers make a mistake the other way and order too much material – material which is then leftover at the end of the project – I’m sure we’ve all seen piles of leftover unused building materials at the end of construction projects. It’s vital to check that you’ve ordered the correct quantities of materials.
* No allowance is made for offcuts of the material which can’t be used. Items like ceramic tiles or building blocks generate wastage when they’re cut. Often lengths of timber, steel, pipes, and electrical cables remain when the required sizes have been cut. An experienced contractor will know what this wastage could be, which often depends on the actual details of where the product is used. Planning cutting can reduce waste, allowing the maximum usable pieces to be cut from the available material.
* The incorrect conversion factor is used, which often occurs with earthworks materials when the incorrect factor is used for calculating how much loose material is required to make the compacted volume. (This factor depends on the type of material and the amount of compaction required.) When the material with unfamiliar properties and characteristics is ordered, it pays to seek expert advice regarding what wastage or compaction factors should be allowed.
* No allowance is made to lap the material. This is particularly the case with mesh reinforcing, plastic sheeting or roof sheeting. To minimize wastage due to lapping or splicing of the materials, it’s important to be aware of the standard sizes the material is supplied in. In some cases, it may be possible to order materials in different widths and lengths, reducing the number of joints, and therefore the amount of lapping.
* Sometimes there is theft on the project, so critical material should always be stored in secure locations. Ensure that the project is secured to prevent theft.
* Workers are careless, and they damage materials while offloading them, when they move them on the project, and when they install them. It’s important to ensure that materials aren’t damaged, since not only is this wasteful adding additional costs, but it could result in the project running short of materials.
* Poor quality work results in work having to be redone, which requires extra material.
* Often the material has been incorrectly applied to the project. For instance, the product has been applied in thicker layers than those specified; this may happen with paint, asphalt, concrete, joint sealer, and adhesives. The project manager should monitor the application of specialist products or products that are used in a large quantity on the project. This will enable timely action to be taken to reduce the thickness to what it should be, thus reducing wastage, and if necessary, then to order more material to make up any shortfall caused by the increased thickness.
* Materials are stored badly, which results in them becoming damaged. Some products are damaged by the sun or when they become wet. Materials that aren’t stacked properly can become warped and twisted. Vehicles could ride into materials and damage them. Always store materials properly where they won’t be easily damaged.
* The incorrect quantity has been delivered. I’ve seen it happen that a project ran out of material. The project manager contacted the supplier and arranged for additional material to be delivered. Shortly thereafter the remaining material from the original order arrived, followed by the additional material requested. This results in excess material remaining at the end of the project and causes wasted effort and cost. It’s good practice when an unexpected shortfall occurs that the reason behind it be investigated before ordering the additional material.

Conclusion

It’s worth spending extra time to ensure you order the correct quantities of materials. Where necessary, ask for expert advice to determine the normal wastage factors. Look at different options for cutting and installing the materials, as well as the various sizes the products are available in. Careful planning and ordering can reduce costs. Of course, always ensure that those installing the products understand how they should be installed to minimize waste and so that they don’t undo your careful planning. This could avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes.

Investigate shortages before ordering additional material. The missing items may be lying unnoticed somewhere on the project, or the supplier might not have delivered the material yet. Regrettably, project managers have ordered additional materials to make good shortfalls, only to discover that the missing materials were found or were delivered later – resulting in there being too much material.

Of course, always check the construction drawings because a shortfall of the material may be because of drawing errors, which resulted in more material being used than was allowed for.

Importantly, keep a constant check on the available materials and act when it appears that there may be insufficient materials. Take timely action to ensure that workers aren’t left waiting for more materials.

Have you run short of materials on your [https://www.clockshark.com/Blog/how-to-resolve-conflict-on-construction-projects construction project]? What was the reason? 
 
 
 
 
 

Paul Netscher

Paul Netscher is an experienced construction professional who managed over 120 projects in 6 countries over 28 years. Paul writes for the [https://www.clockshark.com ClockShark] blog and is the author of five books on construction project management.

 

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Cost_/_business_planning]]

Material shortage on construction projects

2019-08-13T21:11:11Z

Clockshark: Created page with "Isn’t it annoying when you’re working on a project, and you run out of materials before the task is completed? You’re sure you ordered enough material to complete the work!..."

Isn’t it annoying when you’re working on a project, and you run out of materials before the task is completed? You’re sure you ordered enough material to complete the work! Why isn’t there enough material? Did someone steal it? Well perhaps they did – but there could be several reasons why there are insufficient materials.

Sometimes the materials needed can be quickly gotten from the nearby store, but even so, work is interrupted, possibly workers stand idle while the material is fetched, or the workers must be reorganized to do other work in the meantime. Unfortunately, in some cases, the material isn’t readily available, and it could take several days to get the missing items to the project. Inevitably there are additional costs and delays that could jeopardize the success of the project.

Why do projects experience material shortages?

There are many reasons for material shortages, and proper care should help avoid this from occurring.

* Often, it’s simply caused by the project manager, engineer, or supervisor incorrectly measuring the quantity from the drawing. They did things in a hurry and didn’t check. In some cases, project managers make a mistake the other way and order too much material – material which is then leftover at the end of the project – I’m sure we’ve all seen piles of leftover unused building materials at the end of construction projects. It’s vital to check that you’ve ordered the correct quantities of materials.
* No allowance is made for offcuts of the material which can’t be used. Items like ceramic tiles or building blocks generate wastage when they’re cut. Often lengths of timber, steel, pipes, and electrical cables remain when the required sizes have been cut. An experienced contractor will know what this wastage could be, which often depends on the actual details of where the product is used. Planning cutting can reduce waste, allowing the maximum usable pieces to be cut from the available material.
* The incorrect conversion factor is used, which often occurs with earthworks materials when the incorrect factor is used for calculating how much loose material is required to make the compacted volume. (This factor depends on the type of material and the amount of compaction required.) When the material with unfamiliar properties and characteristics is ordered, it pays to seek expert advice regarding what wastage or compaction factors should be allowed.
* No allowance is made to lap the material. This is particularly the case with mesh reinforcing, plastic sheeting or roof sheeting. To minimize wastage due to lapping or splicing of the materials, it’s important to be aware of the standard sizes the material is supplied in. In some cases, it may be possible to order materials in different widths and lengths, reducing the number of joints, and therefore the amount of lapping.
* Sometimes there is theft on the project, so critical material should always be stored in secure locations. Ensure that the project is secured to prevent theft.
* Workers are careless, and they damage materials while offloading them, when they move them on the project, and when they install them. It’s important to ensure that materials aren’t damaged, since not only is this wasteful adding additional costs, but it could result in the project running short of materials.
* Poor quality work results in work having to be redone, which requires extra material.
* Often the material has been incorrectly applied to the project. For instance, the product has been applied in thicker layers than those specified; this may happen with paint, asphalt, concrete, joint sealer, and adhesives. The project manager should monitor the application of specialist products or products that are used in a large quantity on the project. This will enable timely action to be taken to reduce the thickness to what it should be, thus reducing wastage, and if necessary, then to order more material to make up any shortfall caused by the increased thickness.
* Materials are stored badly, which results in them becoming damaged. Some products are damaged by the sun or when they become wet. Materials that aren’t stacked properly can become warped and twisted. Vehicles could ride into materials and damage them. Always store materials properly where they won’t be easily damaged.
* The incorrect quantity has been delivered. I’ve seen it happen that a project ran out of material. The project manager contacted the supplier and arranged for additional material to be delivered. Shortly thereafter the remaining material from the original order arrived, followed by the additional material requested. This results in excess material remaining at the end of the project and causes wasted effort and cost. It’s good practice when an unexpected shortfall occurs that the reason behind it be investigated before ordering the additional material.

Conclusion

It’s worth spending extra time to ensure you order the correct quantities of materials. Where necessary, ask for expert advice to determine the normal wastage factors. Look at different options for cutting and installing the materials, as well as the various sizes the products are available in. Careful planning and ordering can reduce costs. Of course, always ensure that those installing the products understand how they should be installed to minimize waste and so that they don’t undo your careful planning. This could avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes.

Investigate shortages before ordering additional material. The missing items may be lying unnoticed somewhere on the project, or the supplier might not have delivered the material yet. Regrettably, project managers have ordered additional materials to make good shortfalls, only to discover that the missing materials were found or were delivered later – resulting in there being too much material.

Of course, always check the construction drawings because a shortfall of the material may be because of drawing errors, which resulted in more material being used than was allowed for.

Importantly, keep a constant check on the available materials and act when it appears that there may be insufficient materials. Take timely action to ensure that workers aren’t left waiting for more materials.

Have you run short of materials on your construction project? What was the reason?

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Cost_/_business_planning]]