A STUDY OF CONTRACTOR'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS INTEGRATION OF M&E WORKS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Abstract

With the advancement in technologies, users' demand and improved standard of living, services requirement has increased in complexity and inevitably, its composition of the building costs. Problems pertaining to this aspect of work practice appeared, previous problems once to be considered of minor importance, have become critical in the continued survival of construction firm. This need for highly serviced buildings is bound to put pressure on the co-ordination effort of contractor. Effective management of services contractors has become a vital task for main contractor. This dissertation adopts a system approach by viewing the building process as a system consisting of technical, organisational and managerial subsystems which themselves are interrelated and subject to contractual constraints. Chapter One provides some background on the inherent problem of co-ordinating M&E services faced by contractor. It also gives an overview of their relationship, highlighting main objectives, methodology, scope of works and limitations encountered in the process ofthis work. Chapter Two examines the M&E co-ordination process. The contractual relationship between the services sub-contractor and the main contractor is also covered to show the weak link between the services sub-contractors and main contractor when conventional subletting system is adopted. A list of statutory requirements and inspections required for M&E works, which are required during and before the project hand-over, are also elaborated to show the importance of M&E works in a construction project. Common obstacles encountered by contractor during the technical interface between two parties are also elaborated. Some of the main obstacles highlighted are differed viewpoints, lack of qualified staff in the contractor's organisation, lack of communication, poor planning, lack of site control and supervision. Due to these obstacles, the construction team is often fraught with misunderstandings; and this only serves to exacerbate the problems involved in co-ordinating their works. Chapter Three looks into the how contractors managed the services co-ordination and the consequences of his co-ordination effort by using three case studies. The first two case studies illustrated that contractors and the services sub-contractors have incurred additional cost and redundant works, as a result of neglecting co-ordination of M&E services. The third case study illustrated a good example of how a contractor manages to elude the inherent problem of M&E co-ordination by adopting a Design and Construct concept. There is no one single solution to the inherent problems of co-ordination M&E works, and several recommendations to improve the situation are covered in the last chapter. Examples are by adopting a Manage and Construct System, contractor to prepare a realistic master program, learn from the Japanese System, establishing an effective communication channels and educate the main contractor and services contractors on the importance of M&E co-ordination. The desirable trends for future is to move towards a more single point responsibility, away from confrontation and towards co-operation.