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Chapter 5 · Lesson 2 of 4Topic: Site and trades

The superintendent and the site team

The superintendent (site manager) runs the site every day: safety, sequence, trades, deliveries and quality. They don't need the model; they need fast, reliable answers from it, in the right place, at the right time.

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Kaisite manager
Even if you do this every day, watch for this: On site, the right answer late is a wrong answer. A clean model in the office doesn't help a foreman at 7 am; a view of 'what goes here' by area, on a tablet, with the approved status, does. Design your outputs for the site's day, not the office's.

The superintendent (site manager in the UK and elsewhere) is the person who runs the site every day. They're responsible for safety, the sequence of work, the trades on site, deliveries and the quality of what's built. Their day is long and full of decisions; they need information that answers questions quickly and reliably.

Basics
TimeWhat happensInformation needed
MorningSafety and task briefingToday's areas, hazards, sequence
DayTrades build; questions come upWhat goes here, at what level, approved?
InspectionsWork checked before covering upRequirements, approved details
WeeklyLook-ahead planningNext weeks' areas, deliveries, constraints

What the site team needs from you

  • Approved views by area: what's built where, on a tablet, offline if needed.
  • Fast answers to site questions, often directly from the model.
  • Clear change notices: what changed in their area since the last issue.
  • Simple ways to report back: issues and progress tied to elements.
Story · The pour that went ahead without a sleeve
How it goes wrong

At 7 am the foreman can't find whether a drainage sleeve goes in today's pour; the drawing in the cabin is two revisions old. The pour goes ahead. A week later the sleeve has to be cored through post-tensioned slab, with an engineer's approval and a three-day stop.

How it goes right

The site team has a tablet view of each pour area with the approved sleeves highlighted and the latest revision status. The foreman checks the area before the pour, sees the sleeve, and sets it.

Kaisite manager
Your turn. Give it about 15 min and work it out on your own before you open the model answer: that is where it sticks.
Exercise: Prepare a pour pack 15 min

Next Tuesday, slab pour 3 on level 2 (zone B). List what you'd prepare for the superintendent and foreman.

Key takeaways

  • The superintendent is responsible for the daily running of the site: safety, sequence, trades, logistics, quality.
  • Their day runs on look-ahead programmes, daily briefings and inspections.
  • They need simple, approved information by area: what goes here, at what level, built by whom, and what's changed.
  • Site questions (RFIs) need fast answers; the model can often answer them in minutes.

Your notes

Check yourself

3 questions · 2 right to complete
  1. 1. What's the most useful model output for a superintendent planning next week's work?
  2. 2. A foreman asks at 7 am whether a sleeve goes in this slab pour. What's the best response?
  3. 3. What's a look-ahead programme?
0 of 3 answered
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