Cost Engineering for Project Success

The measure of a successful project is “did it achieve its intended purpose” and “was it completed on time and within budget”. Cost Engineering is the art and science of putting in place controls and methodologies to achieve the best outcomes for a project. The purpose of this book is to provide students and project personnel with an understanding of the fundamental factors affecting project costs and to provide an understanding of the practical steps that can be used to anticipate trends or changes before they happen. The aim is to equip the reader with the key cost engineering skills necessary for them to improve project performance and avoid unfortunate ‘surprises’. The author, Laurence Pole, with input from many practicing cost professionals, has made clear the basic issues involved in understanding essential project elements, identifying cost and time constraints and controlling outcomes for successful project delivery. Author Bio: Laurence Pole is a civil engineer and cost engineering practitioner with experience in civil and structural design, building and major infrastructure construction, furnace and heat treatment manufacture, within Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. In a career spanning more than forty years he has been involved in the design, costing and construction of multi-story buildings, roads, railways and marine structures. Since 2004 he has lectured in Cost Engineering at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.