Construction of New Stations on Camp Hill Line - Project Management

Learning Outcomes

1: You will be able to analyse and apply the key drivers for change with specific reference to control of civil engineering/infrastructure projects

2: You will review and critically apply the conditions of  the NEC4 engineering and construction project

3: You will critically appraise arguments and evidence, be able to draw conclusions, justify a solution, and discriminate between different solutions of a civil engineering case study

4: You will demonstrate IT skills in the recording and presentation of data through the use of appropriate software.

This assignment is based on the construction of three stations on the Camp Hill line just outside of Birmingham.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has started the process of choosing a contractor to build three new stations on the Camp Hill line.

The project is yet to start and will be constructed under a design and build contract. The budget is £28M to build new stations at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell. It is to be completed by March 2024.

The clients plan to use an NEC 4 target cost contract including clause X1 to alleviate contractors’ risk on material price fluctuations on volatile material like timber, concrete and steel.

The new stations are on the route between Birmingham New Street and Kings Norton and will support access for new train services that increase connectivity in the Greater Birmingham area; the stations will have an operational length of 150m so that platforms can accommodate six-car trains.

At Moseley station, the principal contractor will need to undertake geotechnical works including piling and soil nailing and construct platform waiting canopies.

Works at Kings Heath include construction of pedestrian access and a footbridge, stairs and lifts as well as an upgrade to the A435 high street.

Hazelwell will get new platform waiting canopies, lighting, power distribution, passenger drop off areas and pedestrian access including stairs and lifts.

Works are expected to get underway in January 2022. Interested parties have until 30 August to submit tenders or requests to participate.

All of the questions for this assignment are based on this project, and your responses should also only be concerned with this project. You are required to produce a professional report

Paying attention to the construction of the station only, review how the leadership of this section should control the running of this project from the outset. Your response should be based on the Project Manager working for the Client.

Controlling the costs of a project is vital for both the Client and Main Contractor.

In taking the project to its conclusion, explain how (as the Project Manager) you would stop the costs from increasing further.

The project decided to use the NEC suite for its project because it supports the desired culture and way of working, provides robust contract management processes, achieves a fair and sensible allocation of risk and can be used for all project requirements to give consistency in approach.

Many claims brought under this form of contract will be based on over-runs of time and cost, discuss how NEC4 deals with claims within this project. Your response should be based on the Project Manager working for the Client.

The risk factor in construction business is very high. Construction projects are unique and built only once. Risks come from many sources: temporary project teams that are collected from different companies, construction sites, etc. Moreover, the size and complexity of construction projects are increasing which adds to the risks.

Identify and analyse the major risks (not connected to H&S) that will be encountered during the erection of the station. Also produce a Risk Management matrix for this activity. Your response should be based on the Project Manager working for the Contractor.

This is a ‘live’ contract and as such you should in no way contact either the Client or the Contractor to find/source information relevant to the assessment questions. If it is found that a person or group has been in contact with any of the parties involved with the scheme you will automatically FAIL this assessment.