Construction Management program curriculum

This course provides an introduction to the primary concepts of contemporary building construction principles, materials, and practices. You'll obtain an overview of common construction phases and regulations and the team interactions required to successfully complete a construction project. The course also provides essential concepts of the basic principles of building loads and load resistance and the physical properties of common building materials.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Discuss the basic steps and participants in the building construction process as well as the primary regulations and design considerations used to devise safe and compliant building plans.
• Identify the key concepts, milestones, and regulatory efforts used to promote and sustain adherence to the principles of sustainable building practices.
• Outline the primary types of building loads and the structural elements of building design and materials that are used to offset and support the loads that modern buildings are subjected to.
• Describe the properties of building materials that are used to control thermal, vapor, safety, and sound influences encountered in residential and commercial building design and the basic components of sustainable building practice.
• List common classifications of soil types and the testing procedure used to determine the suitability of soil samples to bear structural loads.
• Distinguish between shallow and deep foundation configurations and the components that define standard deep foundation types.

Credit Hours: 3

Construction Management is a course in managing new construction projects that provides in-depth coverage of project delivery systems. This course will outline the roles and responsibilities of owners/engineers and general contractors, as well as subcontractors, in the construction management process. You'll learn about risk allocation and liability sharing alongside pre-construction operations. Pre-construction and early phases of construction work involve a bevy of documentation, including scheduling, submittals, ordering of materials, and mobilization. You'll learn ways to manage and track the project as work is completed, and what documentation should be kept in order to ensure timely payment and quality of workmanship. This course covers communications and processes for an entire project cycle through project close-out, from as-built documentation to final payment and release of lien paperwork.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Describe the project manager's role and responsibilities for construction projects, including bidding and contracting.
• Identify the aspects of successfully preparing and updating construction project plans and schedules.
• Recognize the information required to evaluate and select subcontractor and vendor services and material and equipment purchases.
• Explain the process, functions, and importance of communication and document management in construction project management.
• Identify proactive measures to manage costs and increase productivity on job sites.
• Describe how an unsafe jobsite impacts a company's bottom line and jeopardizes future projects.
• Explain the construction, monitoring, and closeout phases of a construction project as it relates to responsibilities of the project manager.
• Explain how to build and manage a construction project team and make it a peak performing entity.

Credit Hours: 3

This is an introduction to the materials and methods used in constructing commercial buildings. Topics covered include using wood in construction, exterior and interior finishes, brick masonry, stone and concrete masonry, masonry load bearing wall construction, steel frame construction, site-cast and precast concrete framing systems, roofing, glass, windows and doors, cladding systems, interior walls and partitions, ceilings, and floors.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Describe the application of both natural and manufactured wood products and fasteners used for common wood-frame construction.
• Describe the application of steel, steel components, structural steel assemblies, and cold-formed steel members as applied to common steel frame construction.
• Identify the important properties of cement and concrete configurations as applied to concrete framing, and wall and floor construction.
• Outline common applications of brick, concrete masonry units, and stone masonry materials used for masonry and concrete bearing wall assembly.
• Identify the materials used for exterior wall cladding applications and describe the advantages and disadvantages of various exterior building components based on established design requirements.
• List applications of glass and light-transmitting plastics for a range of construction solutions for windows, doors, and glass-based cladding solutions.
• Compare the applications of common roofing structural configurations and cladding materials including specialized integrations of structural insulated panels.
• List the common materials and applications required for various interior building systems such as floors, ceilings, and stairs.

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides an introduction to drawings and specifications used in construction. It includes lines of construction, scales, types of surveys, off-site and site improvements, foundations and below-grade construction, the structure above grade, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, commercial blueprints, construction offices, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses. This course touches on multifamily dwellings as well as heavy commercial construction to help provide a well-rounded look at these drawings.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Identify the tools, components, and industry conventions used to produce construction drawings including surveys and site plans.
• Explain elements of above-grade construction as illustrated in blueprints and potential issues regarding foundation design and construction.
• Describe the major elements of framing construction and the different framing systems on construction drawings.
• Interpret specific floor plan information for vertical and horizontal framing, house layout, and openings.
• Identify key information on truss engineering using plans, elevations, and sections, including waterproofing devices and roof ventilation systems.
• Identify installation procedures for various structures, systems, and finishes—fireplace/chimney, decking, cabinets, and landscaping.
• Understand the relationships and detailed information between complex construction drawings on a large project.
• Discuss elements of interior and exterior construction in heavy commercial construction including major parts of HVAC equipment to be used in a building.

Credit Hours: 3

This course is an introduction to the role of safety in the construction industry. It covers the cost of accidents, causes of accidents, ethics and safety, workers' compensation, OSHA compliance, detailed coverage of subparts A through Z of OSHA's Construction Standard, safety and health programs and policies, job safety and hazard analysis, accident reporting and record keeping, emergency response plans, total safety management, workplace violence, workplace stress, environmental safety, ISO 14000, and promoting safety.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Explain why safety is important, the role of construction personnel in health and safety, OSHA compliance, and safety culture in construction.
• Describe the role organized labor has played in the safety movement and being able to list major milestones, including workers compensation.
• Describe the development of accident prevention programs, plans, and policies.
• Describe the role of workplace violence prevention programs and emergency response plans.
• Describe the accident investigation, record keeping, and reporting processes.
• Explain how companies promote safety and safety training.
• Explain detailed hazard analysis in relation to job safety.
• Describe OSHA's Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926) and related practices.

Credit Hours: 3

This is an introduction to the use of surveys in commercial, residential, and general construction. It includes the fundamentals of surveying, mathematical concepts, horizontal and vertical distance measurement, leveling, measuring angles and directions, horizontal control surveys, property surveys, topographic surveys and maps, highway curve and earth works, and construction surveys—establishing line and grade, building and pipeline stakeout, and additional layout procedures.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Identify the basic fundamentals, terms, common units and methods of measurements, and field instruments associated with construction surveying.
• Apply mathematical methods, basic geometry, and triangle geometry (trigonometry) to calculate angles when provided with distances as raw field data, and distances when provided with angles as raw field data.
• Employ means and methods of measuring distance and elevation on a construction project site to conduct a level survey.
• Apply the concepts of angle geometry (bearings, azimuths, and meridians) along with the functions of angle measuring field instruments (theodolite and total station) to measure and lay out angles as they relate to construction surveying.
• Discuss traverse survey specifics and applications, latitudes and departures, geometric shapes, and GPS uses as they relate specifically to construction surveying.
• Apply construction surveying techniques necessary when conducting surveys for properties, subdivisions, topographic surveys, and mapping.
• Explain the basic layout and geometry of highway horizontal curves, vertical curves, and resulting earthwork computations as they relate to construction surveying required to build highways.
• Describe construction surveying techniques necessary when conducting layouts for general construction projects, pipeline construction, and building construction.

Credit Hours: 3

This is an introduction to the process of estimating the full cost of construction projects. Topics include contracts, bonds, insurance, specifications, overhead and contingencies, labor, equipment, excavation, concrete, masonry, metals, wood, thermal and moisture protection, doors and windows, finishes, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, profit and other estimating methods.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to do the following:

• Explain what cost estimating is, including its terminology, technology, and role in project initiation.
• Discuss the bid process, responsibilities, and the basics about preparing an estimate.
• Describe how to prepare the contract documents, including the components and parties involved.
• Summarize a detailed bid, including take off, preparatory steps, forms, and processes to facilitate the estimate.
• Explain how to select and apply the knowledge, techniques, skills, and modern tools of the discipline to prepare detailed estimates for excavation, concrete, masonry, and steel.
• Generate and apply labor rates in your costs.
• Explain how to include subcontractors in the project from documentation to responsibilities.
• Recognize alternate methods and their applications, as well as how to apply profit into the estimate.

Credit Hours: 3