Construction and civil engineering projects can often take months, or even years, to complete, so it’s important that they’re managed effectively from start to finish. 

One way to ensure this happens is to devise a construction management plan, commonly referred to as a CMP. These documents outline the proposed works to be undertaken and how the party responsible for the project intends to manage it, in a way that minimises the impact on local residents. 

CMPs are becoming a crucial requirement for projects that are likely to impact the local neighbourhood during the works – which road surfacing often does – so they’re a key part of civil engineering projects.

What’s in a CMP?

CMPs are complex documents – they’re much more than just basic plans and are key to all areas of a project including risk management, budget, communication, traffic management and waste management. 

With this in mind, there are lots of different things that need to be included, such as: 

• Project overview – this should include things like the project’s objective, location, duration, costs and who will be involved. It should also look at any potential challenges that might be faced and how these will be resolved.
• Project scope – the scope should outline the specific tasks that will need to be completed as part of the project, detailing things like construction methods and supplies. 
• Resource management – once the construction supplies have been outlined in the scope, you should then include a section on how the supplies will be acquired, stored, used and maintained.
• Risks – your CMP needs to include a risk assessment and how these risks will be dealt with, such as project delays, resource shortages, cost issues, etc.
• Safety – this section should outline how safety will be considered in the project, including when safety inspections will happen, who will do the safety inspections, how workers can raise concerns and emergency plans.
• Human resources – this section relates to the workers on site and gives information on things such as the onboarding process and policies relating to things like drug and alcohol use and harassment. 
• Communication – here, you should give details of each stakeholder, what their roles and responsibilities are and how to contact them. This applies to people like the construction manager, contractors, architects, engineers and suppliers.
• Project completion – the final section of your CMP should include a plan for the completion of the project, including the process for final inspections and handovers.

CMPs are used by lots of different people across a project, from stakeholders to subcontractors, so it’s important that everything is set out accurately and clearly so everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.

Traffic management plans 

Another key element of planning a construction or civil engineering project is pulling together a traffic management plan. 

This includes an overview of the vehicles that will be used, the number of vehicles accessing the site, the sizes and types of vehicles that will be used and the routes that they will be taking.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines vehicles as anything from cars, vans, lorries, low-loaders and mobile plant such as excavators, dumpers and lift trucks. 

Why you need a site traffic management plan

According to the HSE, about seven workers on average die each year as a result of accidents involving vehicles or mobile plant on construction sites. Accidents can occur at any stage of a project, so managers, workers, visitors to site and members of the public all need to be kept safe. 

Having a site traffic management plan in place ensures that traffic flow is properly managed, reducing accidents and ensuring smooth operations across the whole site. 

If you’re in the planning stages of a project and are looking for a contractor to do your road surfacing, we can help! We offer a range of services from road surfacing, drainage and line marking – get in touch today to find out more.