IEM PI Section A – Management experience related 1

(For PI section A, candidate will have to write an essay, which the question was earlier prepared by interviewers based on candidate’s Report on Training and Practical Experience. The following were predicted questions, by Mr. BAY based on his submitted report to principal interview and his trial exercise prior to sitting of PI.)


Management Experience Related Question

What are the roles and responsibility of a project engineer?

Introduction

A project engineer is to deal with authorities, client, consultant and contractor for the project. Depend on his employment, either employed by consultant or contractor, he is to deal and handle requirement from both the client and his employer such as quality of work, design issues, completion of work, cost control and facilitate the requirement from local authorities.

Design requirement:

If he is from consultancy firm, he shall liaise and make sure client’s requirement and concern are taken into consideration during the design stages. For instance, client may highlight floor crack problems of some of his existing warehouses and hope the new one won’t have similar problem.

Hence, he shall request to visit the existing warehouse to understand better the problem. Then, he shall spend his effort such as reviewing his joint layout for the slab.

If he is from contractor side, he liaise with design engineer or representative from consultant for the completeness of construction drawings and design requirement such as concrete grade, rebar grade, curtailment and anchorage details. He may also need to check the drawing, discuss with his construction manager, site staff and then again with design engineer for construction work.

Quality of work:

The project engineer, who is from consultancy firm, though may not be full time at site, still need to inspect the site work preferably together contractor staffs such as project manager and construction manager. He is the one to take care client’s interest on quality of site work.

In the other hand, the project engineer, who is from contractor side, is also need to ensure site work quality but more on importance of his contractor employer. He shall ensure quality of work and fulfil design requirement so that no Non-compliance record (NCR) issued to them which will incur extra time for rectification works and cost.

Completion of work:

Similarly to earlier paragraphs, which project engineers have to take care the quality of work and design requirement are followed. Project engineers, both from consultancy and contractor firm, have to monitor the construction works are on track to follow the construction schedule and no delay with their best efforts.

For the project engineer, who is from consultancy, his effort to monitor the site progress and completion date is to take care the business interests of his client. His client may have to start his business as planned.

For the project engineer, who is employed by contractor, his effort to monitor the completion date is to avoid Liquidated and Ascertained Damages (LAD).

Cost control:

Though it is primarily controlled by Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor and purchasing department, project engineers indeed are needed to facilitate and assist for successful cost control.

For instance, project engineer who is from consultancy firm and taking care interests of the project owner, will have better knowledge about possible variation order claims due to changes requested by client. If the changes are initiated during the construction after award of contract, he shall remind his client and advice a quotation from contractor prior to his decision.

On the other hand, if he is contractor’s project engineer, he shall keep record of site issues, progress, record and changes instructed by client and consulting engineer. It is important to facilitate his company claim if deemed reasonable.

Requirement from local authorities:

Apart from dealing with client, site staffs and employer, he shall liaise with authority too to ensure smooth execution of construction works.

The design consultant’s project engineer is to discuss and approach the local council for approval of his infra plan such earthwork, erosion and sediment control plan, project entrance and drainage discharge point.

The contractor’s project engineer is to check details as per approved plan are followed and constructed. If there is adjustment on the temporary works due to construction sequence and planning, he shall liaise with both consultant and inspecting officer from local council so that no pollutant was discharged to public drain and road.

Conclusion

Though the project engineers could be from either consultant or contractor, their roles and responsibility are looked similar. They shall take care design requirement, quality of work, completion date, cost control and follow up with authority’s requirement. They work together with their superior such as principal submitting engineer (consultant), their employer (consultant or contractor) and their colleagues (project manager, construction manager, supervisor, site engineer) for successful completion of project.