Successfully managing risks in waste water and chemical engineering construction projects

The execution of projects in the waste water and chemical industries is characterized by risks that project managers need to be aware of in order to reduce them effectively and to satisfy customers and investors. In this post, we explore the factors that have the greatest impact on the success of a construction project.

Of the many tasks involved in a construction project, ensuring the right procedures to prevent early damage of the concrete structure of the building is of central importance. Especially so when effective long-term protection against aggressive chemical compounds is required.

Choosing the right solution is essential when concrete tanks in the waste water treatment plant or chemical industries need long-term protection against aggressive chemicals.

In these cases, the application of a surface membrane is the selected procedure. This membrane must not only be resistant against the chemicals which it will be exposed to but also reliably seal fine cracks so that the concrete reinforcement is not affected and loses stability. Otherwise, the likelihood of harmful substances penetrating the concrete and damaging the environment would increase.

Consequences of deficient risk management

Without adequate risk management measures, construction projects are vulnerable to a range of risk factors. Failures resulting from poor risk management can result in:

• project quality requirements not being met
• expensive repairs becoming necessary
• calculated project time being considerably extended
• investor(s) suing for damages

Any one of these points could be critical. Together, they can be fatal. They not only cost time and money but also have a great impact on the owner’s operations.

How to minimize risk

However great the risks, they can be managed and minimized before reaching a critical point. For construction projects in general, risks can be significantly reduced through two basic factors:

1. The choice of a suitable technical solution that meets the project requirements.
   Ineffective solutions may appear cheaper at the outset but often endanger the success of the overall project or cause unexpected additional costs.
2. The qualification of the contractor for the work to be carried out.
   Even with state-of-the-art technologies, problems arise when the contractor lacks the knowledge, expertise and experience to apply and process the solutions correctly.

The choice of the wrong contractor and the consequences described above can mostly be traced back to the widespread principle of the low bid system, which often results in delays to the planned schedule, cost overruns and quality issues. It focuses exclusively on the bid price as the sole basis for the selection of the contractor rather than on his competence. But it is precisely competence and qualification that are prerequisites for a successful project. Industrial projects are critical to business interruptions and penalties can easily amount to tens of thousands of euros per day.

Conclusion

Successfully managing your construction project in the waste water treatment plants and chemical industries involves the ability to understand and effectively mitigate risks. Two factors are crucial in this respect: choice of contractor and choice of construction materials.

Master Builders Solutions by MBCC Group takes the approach that good products are only half the solution. A reliable and competent partner is also needed to apply the products correctly and thus minimize the risks. Even the best building products fail if the contractors are not professionally trained. 
Master Builders Solutions maintains directories of contractors who have the appropriate knowledge and experience in the application of construction materials. 

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