Duration of the online course: 15 hours and 38 minutes
4.58
(78)
Construction projects succeed when time, cost, resources and risk are managed with discipline, clear decisions and reliable information. This free online course in construction management principles is designed to help you develop practical project thinking that applies to real jobsites and infrastructure work, whether you are entering the field or strengthening professional skills for a new role.
You will explore how modern projects bring together multiple disciplines and stakeholders, and why coordination has become a defining challenge in today’s infrastructure. You will learn how projects move from early planning to execution, and how structured processes support better outcomes when budgets are tight and schedules are under pressure. The course builds confidence in evaluating bids, understanding trade-offs between technical quality and financial value, and recognizing how procurement choices shape the final performance of a project.
As you progress, you will connect everyday construction tasks to the management systems behind them. You will work through how resources such as labor, materials, equipment and money are planned and controlled, and how quantity estimation and item descriptions contribute to clearer scopes, fewer disputes and more dependable cost forecasts. You will also gain insight into how running account bills function in contracts and why good measurement and documentation protect both client and contractor interests.
The course introduces core economic decision-making tools used in construction, including the time value of money, equipment depreciation, and loan repayment concepts that influence investment and financing choices. From there, you will build a strong foundation in planning and scheduling, learning why workload quantification matters, where common scheduling tools can fall short, and how uncertainty can be addressed through approaches such as PERT. Finally, you will focus on monitoring and control, including how progress tracking supports corrective action, how resource leveling improves feasibility, and how schedule crashing targets shorter project duration while managing consequences.
By the end, you will be able to think like a construction manager: interpreting project information, making defensible trade-offs, and communicating decisions that keep work moving. If you are looking for a free course that supports career growth in construction and strengthens your readiness for professional responsibilities, this learning path offers a practical and structured starting point.
Video class: Introduction to the course
35m
Exercise: What is the primary focus of the course introduced in the lecture series?
Video class: Interdisciplinary nature of modern construction projects
22m
Exercise: What is a significant characteristic of modern infrastructure projects?
Video class: Overview of steps in execution of a project
37m
Exercise: _What is the first step in a construction project according to the lecture?
Video class: Illustrative examples for evaluation of bids based on different schemes
17m
Exercise: In a bid evaluation process, what happens if technical scores are prioritized over financial bids with an 80-20 weightage?
Video class: Resource management in construction projects
25m
Exercise: _What are the different types of resources involved in construction projects?
Video class: Estimating quantities
34m
Exercise: How is the cost of a boundary wall estimated in construction?
Video class: Description of items
22m
Exercise: _What is the purpose of describing an item in construction management?
Video class: Estimation of project cost
28m
Exercise: What is the primary factor that affects the cost estimation for different types of flooring?
Video class: Discussion on the case study of boundary wall
30m
Exercise: What is the first activity to be performed in the construction of the boundary wall?
Video class: Running account bills
31m
Exercise: What is the purpose of Running Account Bills in construction contracts?
Video class: Economics decision making in construction projects
31m
Exercise: _What is the concept of 'time value of money' in construction projects?
Video class: Depreciation of construction equipment
33m
Exercise: What is the straight-line method of depreciation in construction equipment management?
Video class: Repayment of a loan
21m
Exercise: _What is repayment in the context of construction management?
Video class: Introduction to planning and scheduling
30m
Exercise: What is a key aspect of construction project planning?
Video class: Introduction to planning and scheduling (continued)
23m
Exercise: _What is the purpose of quantifying workload in construction management?
Video class: Project scheduling
39m
Exercise: What is a key disadvantage of using bar charts in construction project management?
Video class: Uncertainties in duration of activities -Using PERT in scheduling
28m
Exercise: _What is the emphasis of the lecture on uncertainties in duration of activities using the PERT in scheduling?
Video class: Project monitoring and control systems
31m
Exercise: What is the primary purpose of a project control process?
Video class: Resource leveling and allocation
29m
Exercise: _What is resource scheduling in construction management?
Video class: Crashing of networks
30m
Exercise: What is the primary focus of the 'crashing' method in construction project management?
15 hours and 38 minutes of online video course
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Course comments: Principles of construction management
Students found the free course excellent, clear, and easy to understand, with up-to-date, practical content that helped them learn a lot and make progress. Some wanted downloadable materials for work reference.
Masibukele Mnyani
The professor explains very well and clearly, I’m happy with my progress
Pragasan Govender
this course is excellent, I am a project manager by profession. This lecture is knowledgeable and will upto date.
Sammy kaniu
It's greet and understandable for people who are eager to learn. I love it.
precious Itumeleng Mohlala
I have learned a lot in this course
Dalingcebo Mtshali
What a thoughtful offering, and amazing lecture. I just hope one could be able to download the course on a document format for referencing when workin
Shafdien Gaobone
Good course
Jerome Blake
excellent
Abdiresak mohamed Mohamoud
yes iam continuing for principles of construction management course and iam finalising
Fred DUTERIER
Good Job
Thembakazi Kolose
hi please help is this healthy nd safety course?