(NTUST, 5908701)
Advanced Civil Construction, 台科大高等土木施工學教材(2022) 

MT KAO (Blog: http://mtkaoforum31.blogspot.tw/)
(mtkaoforum31@gmail.com) 

Part1, Brief for Semister Start from Feb. 2022

1.         History, Present and Future of Professionalism and Construction Industry.

 

1)     Income and social status of professionals compared with gains from investment, ventures, bequeath or corporate managers; last 200 years and trend in the future.

2)     The Modern Construction Industry and its Major Players

a.     Frontage Players: general contractors, engineers and consultants, architects, specialty contractors, labor gangs, employers.

b.     Supporting Entities: banks, insurance company, bondsman Investment Company or fund, operator.

c.      Third Party Participants: notaries, law firms, inspectors, laboratories, certifiers, appraisers, unions, arbitrators

d.     Stakeholders: public, authority, facility user, neighborhood and locals.

3)     The social factors that interact and influent the industry and professionals

a.     The level and timing infrastructure works having been built in relation with stages of economy development in different countries.

b.     Culture, custom and history as background of construction contracts and their execution.

c.      How serious a society is concerned with public affairs and their trust on technical people in terms of national development plans, budget allocation and relevant laws?

d.     The stability, clarity and efficiency of political system.

e.     Power, organization and the leader.

 

2.         Preparation and Choices by Engineers for their Career

1)     Keep curiosity and sensitivity for things around:

a.     Identify the model figures in the related academy, companies or business; either for their achievement or failures.

b.     Make certain for what you really want and check it with both rationality and passion.

c.      Try to be an intellectual not to bend to the public opinion easily.

2)     Understand your own:

a.     Personality - introvert or extrovert, competitive or pacific, simple or sophisticated, work in solo or in group, daring or scrupulous, acute or slow, commanding or compliant, polemics or quiet, etc.

b.     Capability - knowledge, expertise, proficiency, logic, skill, common sense, morality quotient, etc.

c.      Background and experience – family, friends, teachers, seniors, neighbors, etc.

3)     Education and training

a.     Expertise according to mechanic: geotechnics, structure, architecture, hydrology and irrigation, roadwork, coastal and marine, mechanic, electric, HVAC, etc.

b.     Disciplines according to project implementation: planning, design, construction methodology, survey and set out, supervision, drafting, progress, quality assurance and control, cost control, quantity survey, machine and plant control, contract administration, litigation, inventory, first aid, financial management, accounting, information, administration, etc.

c.      Diploma, licenses, certificates, on job training, etc.

d.     Professional " skill" to be nurtured: complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgement and decision making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility, though not to be stringently followed but meaningful in the practice.

e.     Early stage choice according to awareness and capability: consultant or contractor, technical or managerial, domestic or international, employed or boss; before coming to age, say 30s.

f.     Young engineers with good learning attitude and confidence, eager to assume the leadership, sensitive to the humanity, will grip industry trend and market change, are the winners among the professionals.

 

3.         Remuneration, Feeling of Fulfilment, and Chances of Promotion in Different Entities

1)     Academy:

a.     Nationalization and bureaucratization of educational institution.

b.     Fate, connections, and politic may play part in the assignment and promotion of faculty positions.

c.      Inspiration, heart and soul are still required in developing scientific and engineering theories.

d.     Limited monetary remuneration augmented with infrequent plaudits complete full reward scheme of scholars.

2)     Professional entities such as architects and consulting firms:

a.     The professionals don't produce, manufacture or build, they offer design report and solutions based on expertise that can hardly be quantified; so they receive bonus and prize based on subjective review in addition to the fixed salary.

b.     Managers of architects and consulting firms are critical to create a sound work environment for efficiency, recruit people of high talent, take the lead in competition, recognize and reward those who work hard with decent pay, and find the new customers and win their trust; so they deserve high income.

c.      As a trend and also out of necessity, capital gains such as profit, dividend, interest, rent and royalty are offered to the employees in the form of company stock, partnership, or special agreement.

d.     The rates and prices of consultancy contracts are low by international standard, so that the professional’s pay are restrained in Taiwan.

3)     Construction firms

a.     Contractors command more resources than any other players in the industry and the pay difference among their staffs is significant and decided by project profit and loss.

b.     In Taiwan, the owners prefer low cost and hasten progress. So always construction companies are put under extreme pressure to meet contractual requirement, and only staff (leading by a relentless boss) can withstand the grinding work condition will get higher pay and the employment, not much to do with their proficiency, not mentioning feeling of achievement.

c.      Reformation that allow the constructor to do the works in design and build has been introduced to the market, and now that the industry is less fragmented so the construction firms can grow and allow the professionals either technical or managerial developing their skill and climbing the company ladder.

d.     Specialty contactors if have more control on expertise shall be more dominant as the nature of the works now are more than simple concrete pouring and rebar binding when economy evolved and the project more complicated.

4)     Government Employees

a.     In Taiwan and many Asian countries, the government employees are prestigious and respected despite its low salary and limited power. The reasons may be the employment is permanent and the work isn’t manual. In the case of civil engineering, the mandarins are responsible to certify the progress in every stage and accept the completed stuff of the project, highly influential to the public works and the contractors. So, can be the top choice of graduates.

b.     But as the economy grows the government enact many laws and regulations, which aren’t flexible in nature for implementation but the civil servants need to follow. In addition, the politicians, media and public frequently overrule the professed opinion; making young engineer uncomfortable and hesitate to go after the government posts.

c.      At the time when resources were scarce, only the government would be affordable to import construction technologies and appeal to the talents to work for big projects. It’s attractive for engineers. Now that working for private companies could get even better access for modern technology under more discerning evaluation. The incentives for young talents to work for government are drastically reduced.

5)     Bosses or self-employed

a.     In a market-oriented economy, the individuals are free to exercise will and power in their own enterprise plus that the sub-let system in Taiwan will allow new comers to deliver the works easy; then the threshold to start construction business looks low. Many young people thus select to become entrepreneurs before they can learn something as other’s employees.  

b.     A contractor needs capital, follow engineers, business connections, access to resources required for execution, and above all a mentality to lead the teammates you want to summon for successful performance; therefore, it requires years of experience. But the rigor and aggressiveness to found an enterprise will only attached to a young brain, then you’ve to determine whether to be boss or self-employed at early stage of your life.

c.      However, construction people often risked to become accomplices of authority, super or sub tier contractors stealing public money. The temptation are overwhelming: providing bad material, not build according to the drawing, faulting the contracts. The bosses always excuse themselves for the need of survival. But actually they like to enjoy lucrative contracts and believe they’re well protected. But in the long run the systematic fraud could be exposed and the professionals forsaking ethic principles would be sacrificed.
Unlike many developing world, Taiwan escaped endemic corruption during and after the days massive infrastructure projects are under construction. If you want to be a boss in Taiwan, the risk is smaller.

 

4.         Resource Required for Project Implementation

1)     Man

a.     Power to drive Individuals and Organizations to achieve Business Goal: 

-Nature of Power

-Organization

-Leaders

-Power Distance

b.     Managerial cadre:

-Titles

-Recruitment

-Professional and Occupational

c.      Project-based or Department-oriented(functional) Management:

-Company’s Shrived HQ

-Diploma Over-Trump Proficiency

-Matrix Management

d.  Personal and organizational behaviors:

- Company Culture related to Size
- High and Low Context Cultures

e.  Labor laws, quality, incentives, unions

   - Labor and Taxation Laws in Taiwan

  - Taiwan’s Scrupulous Professionals

2)  Machine:

a.  Prototype, Bespoke; Portable, Fixed

b.  Operation, Maintenance and Repair

c.  Rental and Owning

d.  Construction Method and Machine Selected

3)  Material

a.  Local and Conventional Material as Priority

b.  Continuous Evolution of Construction Material

c.  Green Construction

d.  Material and Equipment incorporated into Permanent Project

4)  Money

a.  Payment

b.  Standard International Contracts

c.  Non-technical People to Control Money

 

5)     Market

a.         Contractors of Lemming Mentality

b.        Style of Competition Personality

c.         Elements of Competition

d.        Defying the International Norm

 

5.         Overseas Construction Project

1)     Historical Review (in Stages)

2)     Distribution of Added Value under the New Market Order

3)     Chances for Taiwanese Construction Industry in for Overseas Market

a.     Compete with Locals over Efficiency versus Providing Loan and Capital

b.     Contribution of better Construction Technology under Sublet System

c.      Possibility to undertake Planning and Design Service

4)     Adjustment Imperative for Company System and Policy

a.     allowance, vocation, compensation for tax, care of spouse and education of children

b.     Elite of each Discipline shall be Assigned

c.      Headquarter shall overcome the Difficulties to face Strange Accounting, Taxation, Currency Exchange, Law and Rules Abiding, Standards and Codes, Contractual Administration, Procurement, and Financing Arrangement

d.     The Company shall be ready to offer Money, Know-how, Credited work Experience and Talented People for Short Mobilization Time.

5)     Assignment of Right People to Run Overseas Works

6)     Conceptual Readiness for Construction Companies to undertake Overseas Business

a.     The company management shall be knowledgeable for overseas business

b.     Early Information shall be obtained through Local Agent, Sponsor or Representative. Wrong Contracts not signed for Commissions or Aim to continue the agent ship.

7)     License, Registration, Special Permit for Foreign Contractors

a.     Ownership of Land, Housing and Factory

b.     Permit for Business Operation

c.      Permit to import machine, permanent equipment and material

d.     Free to hire local engineers of required qualification and numbers

8)     Difference and Handicaps Working in Foreign Land

a.     Language

b.     Cultural Perception

c.      Code and Standard

d.     Safety and Environmental Protection Rules

e.     Tax Codes Interpretation and Application

f.       Labor Management