Construction of a Two-Story Commercial Building
in Addis Ababa
1. Project Overview
This project entails the construction of a two-story commercial building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The
structure will utilize a reinforced concrete frame, blockwork walls, and a corrugated iron sheet roof.
The building will accommodate retail spaces on the ground floor and office spaces on the first floor.
A local construction company will manage the project, engaging various subcontractors.
2. Project Parameters
~ Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
~ Currency: Ethiopian Birr (ETB)
~ Project Start Date: October 2, 2024
~ Estimated Project Duration: 12 months (subject to adjustment during schedule development)
~ Working Calendar: 6-day work week (Sunday off), 8-hour workdays
~ Holidays: Ethiopian public holidays (specific dates to be incorporated)
3. Project Setup & Configuration (Primavera P6 Professional)
~ Project ID: CB-AA-2024
~ Project Name: Two-Story Commercial Building - Addis Ababa
~ Enterprise Project Structure (EPS): Create a new EPS node, e.g., "Ethiopian Construction
Projects," and nest this project beneath it.
~ Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS): Develop an OBS reflecting the project's
management hierarchy, including:
• Project Manager
• Construction Manager
• Site Engineer
• Procurement Manager
~ Calendar: Create a project-specific calendar named "Ethiopian Construction Calendar"
incorporating the 6-day work week and specified Ethiopian public holidays.
~ Currency: Set the project currency to ETB.
~ Activity Codes: Establish the following activity codes for categorization and reporting:
• Area: Ground Floor, First Floor
• Phase: Site Preparation, Foundation, Structure, Enclosure, Finishing, MEP (Mechanical,
Electrical, Plumbing), External Works
• Trade: Civil, Structural, Blockwork, Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing, Painting
~ User Defined Fields (UDFs): Create a UDF named "Contractor" to assign responsibility for each
activity.
4. Project Scheduling & Logic
~ Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
• Level 1: Project: Two-Story Commercial Building - Addis Ababa
• Level 2: Phases: Site Preparation, Foundation, Structure, Enclosure, Finishing, MEP,
External Works
~ Activities:
• Use the excel data (Project Activities) that is externally shared along with this detail.
• Relationships: Primarily use Finish-to-Start relationships. Incorporate lag times where
appropriate (e.g., concrete curing).
• Constraints: Apply a "Must Start On" constraint to the "Site Clearing" activity based on
the project start date.
5. Resource and Cost Management
~ Resources: Create resources for:
• Labor: Site Engineer, Foreman, Skilled Labor, Unskilled Labor
• Equipment: Excavator, Concrete Mixer, Concrete Vibrator, etc.
• Materials: Concrete, Reinforcement Bars, Blocks, Cement, Roofing Sheets, Paint,
Electrical Wiring, Plumbing Pipes, etc.
~ Resource Assignment: Assign resources to each activity with estimated work units.
~ Cost Loading: Assign costs to resources and activities:
• Labor Costs (ETB per day):
✓ Site Engineer: 2,000
✓ Foreman: 1,500
✓ Skilled Labor (e.g., Electrician, Plumber, Mason, Carpenter): 800
✓ Unskilled Labor (e.g., General Laborer): 500
• Equipment Costs (ETB per day):
✓ Excavator: 3,000
✓ Concrete Mixer: 1,500
✓ Concrete Vibrator: 500
✓ Crane (if needed for roof structure): 4,000
✓ Generator (if needed): 800
✓ Compactor (for external works): 1,200
✓ Truck (for material transport): 2,500
✓ Scaffolding (rental, per day): 1,000
• Material Costs (ETB):
✓ Concrete: 5,000 per cubic meter
✓ Reinforcement Bars: 800 per ton
✓ Blocks: 15 each (Provided)
✓ Cement: 400 per 50kg bag
✓ Roofing Sheets (Corrugated Iron): 300 per sheet (estimate, varies with gauge
and material)
✓ Paint: 1,000 per 20-liter bucket (estimate, varies with type)
✓ Electrical Wiring: 500 per roll (estimate, varies with gauge and length)
✓ Plumbing Pipes: 200 per meter (estimate, varies with diameter and material)
✓ Sand: 800 per cubic meter
✓ Gravel: 1,000 per cubic meter
✓ Timber (for formwork): 600 per cubic meter
✓ Nails, Screws, etc.: 200 per kg
✓ Doors (per unit, varies with type and size): 5,000 - 20,000
✓ Windows (per unit, varies with type and size): 3,000 - 15,000
✓ Fixtures (Electrical & Plumbing, per unit, varies widely): 500 - 5,000+
✓ External Paving Material (per square meter, varies with material): 1,000 - 3,000
✓ Landscaping Material (per square meter, varies): 500 - 1,500
~ Budget: Develop a comprehensive project budget based on resource and activity costs.
~ Important Considerations
✓ Material Waste: Factor in a percentage for material waste (e.g., 5-10% for
concrete, blocks, etc.).
✓ Transportation Costs: Include the cost of transporting materials to the site.
✓ Subcontractor Costs: For activities assigned to subcontractors (e.g., roofing,
MEP), obtain quotes directly from the subcontractors. These costs will often
include both labor and materials.
✓ Contingency: Add a contingency buffer (e.g., 5-10%) to the overall project
budget to account for unforeseen expenses.
✓ Inflation: Consider potential inflation during the project duration.
✓ Local Market Conditions: Prices can fluctuate. It's crucial to get up-to-date
pricing information from local suppliers.
6. Project Progress and Reporting
~ Baseline: Establish a project baseline after finalizing the schedule.
~ Progress Updates: Simulate progress by updating activities with actual start/finish dates and
percent complete values.
~ Reporting: Generate reports including:
• Gantt chart
• Schedule report (critical path, float)
• Resource usage report
• Cost report
