You have a project budget to manage in Structural Engineering. What are the best ways to do it?

In a design office setting, the hardware and software are fixed overheads. v the original budget. Now, all that remains is allocating human resources that will fit the thin line between the financial budget allocated and the wage paid. This is the true skill of the design manager.

The main thing to remember is that your company has already sold your project to the employer for the lowest possible price. So all you have to do is buy it cheaper than what they have sold it for. But as the Project Manager you will not have been told precisely what it was sold for. And the largest element that has not been valued in the sale is TIME!!!

The structural engineering budget should be allocated according to the process specified in the project schedule, which specifies the number of people needed during the project to its completion.

A good and meticulous planning of the resources at an early stage of the project is the key to successful project. In the projects undertaken by @Bechtel, the Engineering and Construction schedules and deployment of resources is planned well ahead and using the Primavera application each event for each discipline in Engineering, Construction, Erection, Commissioning and handing over to client is frozen. The result is the project is completed on or before the committed schedule and within cost. There is a float kept between the schedule committed with the client and the internal and the project is run on the internal schedule.

Before you start the project, you need to have a clear scope of work, a realistic estimate of the human resources and materials, time (including the day and night program) and environment required, and multiple contingency plans for unexpected issues.

To help control your project budget and prevent costly mistakes, follow the following eight methods for tracking project expenses: 1. Set up an online system. 2. Create a daseline. 3. Forcast the budget. 4. Outline resource usgage. 5. Put someone in charge. 6. Monitor your schedule. 7. Manage scope of works. 8. Track in real-time.

Use project management software & tools to track and monitor. Conduct regular progress/coordination meetings with stakeholders, say weekly.

The actual earned value must be estimated and benchmarked with the expected operational cost based on the program. The estimate should account for internal reviews, client approval, and local authorities’ approval, in addition to any third-party approval that may be required. Considering these factors is important to ensure that the earned value is accurate and that no work will be repeated due to quality or approval issues.

I do agree that upon receiving the released budget; tracking and monitoring process should be arranged to keep control on the budget. Concerning the structural engineering scope, material take off should be controlled regularly and in case of overage; a recovery plan should be implemented. Also engineering wise the performance and be ahead of schedule should be reviewed against monthly progress reports.

In my experience during the process of performance of a structural project (mainly in Detail engineering), although has established a management system project, due to interaction activities with other technical disciplines (mechanical, chemical, electrical, Piping, Control an Instrumentations engineering, Architecture, among others) always the project have basic and trascendental changes, hence is very important the communication in technical clarifications meeting forthe process control are under aloowable parameters and not ouside of scopes project.

Establish communication matrix and protocol. Generate minutes of meeting (MOM) and have it signed by the attendees/stakeholders. Submit official reports (daily, weekly, monthly).

I do agree that “communicate and report” to project structural team, project management, construction team at site and client is mandatory to keep project on track. Usually such activity done by issuing the project monthly progress report by the project manager and to all parties above. In such report an important clause named “Area of Concern”, to include any arise problem need to be solved as soon as possible to avoid cost or schedule impact.

Within communications between client, management and technical team,the plan out communication must be include: Track internal communication by a staff specialized, given that they have responsabilities of documents, meetings, and support of the intercommunicaction with all involved parts of project, and stablish communication channels according a schedule internal communication, provide an employee advocacy tools. Must be include a intranet system for obtain feedback of every stakholder, because their opinions matters.

Maintain open communication channels with team members, clients, and stakeholders and Provide regular updates on the project's financial status. Present budget reports in a clear and understandable format, highlighting key metrics and variances. Address any concerns or questions related to the budget promptly. Collaborate with stakeholders to make informed decisions about budget adjustments or reallocations when necessary.

For a seamless flow of project, all stakeholders must be on the same page on critical matters. It is always a good practice to have early engagements with stakeholders, communicate and report progress on all aspects of the project. Design review meetings & progress meeting are leverages for ensuring to that all stakeholders are carried along with the development on the project.

To reduce direct/life cycle costs without sacrificing quality or performance, using Cost-to-Worth analysis, Value Engineering has been found to be a good solution to do this. Examples of structural VE proposals: 1- Include the geotechnical engineer during design development and during the construction process. 2- Use locally available natural resources and reducing construction materials transported from outside. 3- Use Hollow Structural steel Sections instead of wide-flange shapes. 4- Reduce the fa?ade-cladding dead load and accordingly the amount of secondary steelwork required. 5- Use higher strength rebar to reduce steel amounts. 6- Use lightweight wall partitions to reduce building loads. 7- Replace conventional big with precast units.

Sure, the “Optimize and Improve” process must be a continuous process. This process to be implemented all through the project life cycle to reduce cost, increase profitability, keeping same time the project standard within the schedule and quality management requirements. Also the lessons learned should be employed for the project success.

Not only is important the optimize and improve the structural design during the process development of project, mus te add the subject "If that is possible build" and if cumply with the technical requirements wheter steel or concrete and timber are mainly. This three stage in a structural project must be defined and with that the mistakes during in calculus, procedures buildings, allowable limitations between other disciplines will be optimize the management cost, or other words, the cost quality will be reduced.

Consulting your colleagues in other teams and seeking expert judgment will help indirectly as it will ensure that the work is done right and will be approved, which avoids repeating the work and ensures that the budget can be met.

Consulting your colleagues in other teams and seeking expert judgment will help indirectly as it will ensure that the work is done right and will be approved, which avoids repeating the work and ensures that the budget can be met.

I do agree that seeking and leveraging resources to support and improve the budget management, is a powerful tool. This activity can be achieved through colleagues, consultants, and online communities. Sure this sharing experiences and knowledge will lead to the best results.

You need to find the best way to play between cost- quality- safety. We are now on the global world and if you are aiming to avoid failure, you must work as team member. What does it mean? Why not find counsel with any others experts in budget management or other senior Structural Engineers even if you are confident in your potential in the matter?

Map your stakeholders and seek a team of experts to meet this goal before starting this project. Built a winning team by choosing the right team members and then move forward

All the above points are valid, when it comes to construction safety perspectives cannot be compramised and places where it is adversely required. Discussing with various depatments and with the client to bring a clear idea about the excution and the budget avoids any further hassel.

In managing a project budget in structural engineering, ensuring safety and quality should always be the top priority. While it's crucial to control costs, compromising on safety is never an option. Researching and implementing innovative solutions that meet strength and safety standards can help optimize expenses without sacrificing integrity. Unlike other professions where the impact is more individualized, such as a doctor treating one patient at a time, a structural engineer's decisions affect the safety of numerous lives, emphasizing the critical importance of diligence and precision in budget management.

1. Planning Plan ahead with clear scope of works, resource management. Identify the resources required in terms of manpower, equipment and material. Estimate the budget efficiently with realistic values, consider 10% contingency. Recruite and mobilize the resources as per the requirements 2.Design the project with experienced designer with optimal requirements without prejudice the quality. 3. Progress Track & Report Monitoring and tracking the project efficiently and report the project progress to the stakeholders holders timely. Use updated softwares to track and monitoring the project progress and performance 4. Celebrate the each milestones Involve stake holders and this will help to motivate the stakeholders to invest.

The best way to manage the project budget not only in Structural Engineering but for any other discipline the following steps shall be followed. 1. Establish and validate the scope with respect to Budget 2. Validate the BOQ with respect to the identified scope and design 3. Identify the Contingencies and risk factors included in the budget. 4. Compare and validate the Scope/Quantity with respect to Contract and Budget 5. Validate the Scope/Quantity/Risk/Contingency on completion of Detailed Engineering/design before issue of GFC drawings. 6. Make necessary adjustments/modifications in Design if the Cost overshoots the budget, to bring within the Budget. 7. Identify/validate the changes and initiate the change management process

As you earmark funds, remember that projects are living entities, breathing change with every development. It's not just about having a contingency plan, but about staying agile:adapting to evolving designs, unexpected site conditions, or market fluctuations in material costs. It's about foresight:anticipating these changes and preparing to pivot. Keeping an adaptive budget strategy allows for responsive, rather than reactive, financial management, ensuring that the project remains both structurally and financially sound.

When the budget or the program is tight, it is important to ensure that you have the right team. In addition, it is important to understand your team’s capabilities and distribute the work accordingly. Furthermore, I meet with everyone frequently in one-on-one meetings to ensure they execute tasks correctly and help them upgrade their design to prevent repetitive work. It is crucial to understand which team members need daily support and which ones need support weekly. Also, run internal reviews in parallel and do not wait until the end of your project. All these measures are good practices to ensure you will always drive to success and can navigate the challenges within the project and lead your team to succeed.