Managing Construction Roadblocks: What You Need to Know
Roadblocks in construction can cause significant disruptions, and knowing how to manage them effectively is key to keeping your project on track. In this blog, we’ll take you through typical roadblocks, explain why they matter, and outline how they differ from constraints. We’ll also give you actionable strategies to manage these obstacles and ensure your project flows smoothly.
Understanding the Difference Between Constraints and Roadblocks
If you’re familiar with constraints, you know that they impact the flow of trades on your project site—think of constraints as something you can adjust to improve the performance of your project. In contrast, roadblocks are unexpected issues that stop or slow down the flow entirely. Picture it as a train running on a set of tracks: constraints are problems you can fix or adjust to keep the train moving, while roadblocks are like cows on the track or broken rails—things that obstruct your progress and need immediate attention.
In this analogy, roadblocks are obstacles that site foremen typically control, often discovered during daily huddles or zone control system reviews. Foremen need to move these roadblocks, get what they need, or adjust to them quickly. Let’s explore the most common types of roadblocks and how to deal with them.
8 Common Construction Roadblocks and How to Manage Them
- Weather-Related Roadblocks: Weather can disrupt your project in many ways—whether it’s rain, snow, or high winds. The best way to manage weather-related delays is by staying ahead of the forecast and planning your work accordingly. This might mean slowing down, stopping, or changing the pace of your project to keep your workers safe. The key is to identify weather-related roadblocks early and adjust your production schedule to minimize impact.
- Changes in Plans: Plan changes are often unavoidable, coming from owners, designers, or other factors outside your control. While you can’t always see these changes in advance, adapting quickly is essential. Once a change occurs, analyze it, adjust your approach, and keep your “train of trades” moving. Roadblocks like these require flexibility and clear communication with your team.
- Lack of Planning: When specific areas of a project lack proper planning, it can create chaos. To avoid this, make sure you and your team are always planning ahead, focusing on quality and safety standards. A well-thought-out plan helps keep trades on schedule and ensures the work environment is ready for your crew.
- Work Area Not Ready: This occurs when a preceding trade has not completed its work, leaving the area unfit for the next crew. Whether it’s due to cleanliness, incomplete inspections, or lack of space, the solution is to keep an eye on the areas ahead of schedule. When problems arise, address them quickly to prevent delays.
- Permissions Needed: In construction, there are times when you need special permits to enter certain areas, such as hot work permits, confined space permits, or impact notices. The key to managing these roadblocks is to foresee the need for these permissions and acquire them before they impact your schedule.
- Layout Issues: Accurate layouts are crucial to keeping the project moving. Ensure you have proper control over primary, secondary, and job site layout lines, and verify that grid lines and elevations are clearly labeled. If layout issues arise, they must be addressed immediately to keep the work progressing.
- Failed Inspections: Failed inspections can bring progress to a halt. The best way to avoid this is by preparing thoroughly—understand the inspection criteria, do pre-walks with inspectors, and make sure the area is truly ready before the official inspection takes place.
- Something in the Way: This is one of the most common roadblocks on construction sites—an unexpected piece of equipment, a pile of debris, or misplaced materials obstructing the workspace. Make it a priority to spot and remove these obstacles ahead of time so they don’t slow down your team.
Managing Supply Chain Roadblocks
Beyond the zone-related roadblocks, there are several supply chain issues you should address before work begins in the field. These roadblocks can occur in your staging areas or laydown yards, and managing them early prevents delays in your project’s progress.
- Missing Information: When checking your materials, always verify that you have the necessary shop drawings, RFIs, and installation instructions. Missing this information can cause confusion and delays once you’re in the zone, so check for it early.
- Missing Resources: Be sure you have all the tools, equipment, and motorized vehicles required for the job. Confirm the availability of these resources during your supply chain inspections to avoid any last-minute scrambling once you’re on-site.
- Material Defects: Inspect your materials before they arrive in the zone. Whether it’s prefabricated walls, pre-cut materials, or machinery, identifying defects early will save you time and trouble down the road.
- Equipment Issues: Equipment breakdowns can stop progress entirely. Keep your equipment in good condition through regular maintenance, and replace faulty items before they impact work in the zone.
- Labor Shortages: Labor shortages are a significant roadblock that must be anticipated well in advance. Be proactive by analyzing labor availability, hiring early if necessary, and sourcing supplemental crews or innovative methods to keep your project staffed.
- Site Conditions: Lastly, make sure the site is safe and ready for work. This includes clearing any obstacles, managing water drainage, and ensuring that the site conditions are favorable for your crew to proceed without any safety hazards.
Conclusion: Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Speed on a construction site doesn’t come from pushing the team harder—it comes from making work ready. By identifying roadblocks early, preparing in advance, and managing obstacles effectively, you can keep your project flowing smoothly.
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Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.
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