Choosing the Best Construction Materials for your Project
- Monday, 16 May 2016
Choosing the right materials for your construction project can be a challenge, one that can make or break the whole project. There are a number of opinions as to which materials to choose, and when to buy them. Figure out what is the best way to purchase and choose construction materials that fit your needs.
Considering all stakeholders
Choosing construction materials is not a one person decision. There are needs and wants from the architect, the construction project sponsor, perhaps the owners, and of course the contractors and suppliers. All of them have a say in which construction materials ought to be used. And although all of the opinions are valid, there must be an established selection process in place so that disagreements can quickly find middle grounds that can be worked with. Let's quickly review how each stakeholder defends their position:
- Architects & designers: they conceive the concept behind the construction project. They carefully plan out the building, giving functionality and design a meeting point. Materials can and will be suggested by the architect or designer so that the plan and design itself can come to life.
- Owners or sponsors: owners may have a particular taste or request. Although their needs and wants must be met, they also have to make sense. These materials need to be within budget, and need to satisfy security standards and regulations.
- Contractors: they will be handling the materials on site. Materials need to ease the construction process, and must comply with safety regulations. Also, contractors must be trained to handle all materials involved.
- Suppliers: they provide the necessary materials. One needs to be careful with pricing, availability, delivery dates, and warehousing costs if necessary.
Logistics and storage
Once stakeholders have found a middle ground, they now must decide when and from whom to purchase the materials. Not only do pricing and availability play a part in the equation; delivery dates, logistics, and storage are crucial factors. Say you have found the type of marble you were looking for to furnish the buildings main lobby floor. When will the marble be available in the amount you need? Will you order it at the beginning of the construction project, to be delivered on site just in time for installation, or will you store it in a warehouse until its due installation time comes? Remember, inventory storage costs can dramatically change your budget. As a construction project manager, you must carefully take into account delivery dates, and storage costs.
Cost vs Quality
In the previous example, we mention marble flooring for the building's foyer. Does it make sense for the project to indulge the owners and import the marble from Italy or should you look for an alternative material that only looks like the Italian marble? The quality-cost relationship must be agreed upon from the project's start by owners, sponsors, architects, and suppliers.
Test your materials
A good advice is always to test things out before you actually use them. If you are unfamiliar with a supplier or any kind of material, ask to see it in action, or test it yourself. You can compare your observations with your previous experiences or alternative materials.
We hope these remarks can help you in your material purchasing endeavours. Remember to always keep track of your material inventory; you can easily do this with BuildBinder app.