Construction project management reference
for libraries

Construction Project Management: A Complete Introduction by Alison Dykstra is recommended by the American Library Association’s Choice:

Dykstra, an architect and teacher of construction management courses, offers an introduction to managing contracted construction projects in 25 chapters.

Chapters 1-7 describe the construction project environment. Chapters 8-16 address the contract documents and the bidding process. Chapters 17-22 describe the actual construction of the facility. The author wraps up the book in the final three chapters that deal with payments, contract closeout, and litigation.

By and large, the chapters tend to address issues of the construction contract process chronologically, and this feature is helpful to the reader.

Additionally, each chapter contains definitions of the relevant nomenclature and a set of self-test questions. The premise of the coverage of topics is that the design of the work has already been completed, and that the actual implementation of the construction will need to be accomplished by a construction contractor. Although the book discusses project management topics such as estimating and scheduling, the thrust of the work is on contract management issues such as the bidding environment, bidding process, incremental payments, and contract-related negotiations.

This book is useful for students taking introductory courses in construction management at both four-year and two-year colleges.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates and two-year technical program students.

–ALA Choice, July 2011

Table of contents here

Index here

Glossary here

ALA review, TOC, index, and glossary above represent the 1st edition; info below is for the currently-available 2nd edition (2018):

US $76.00

xxi, 457 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

ISBN 9780982703434 ; 0982703430

OCLC 1028883097

WorldCat: https://worldcat.org/title/1028883097

Construction Project Management can be ordered through Ingram and Amazon .

3rd edition coming in Oct. 2023


  • "Construction Project Management is informative and easy to read. It clearly outlines the professional building processes and procedures. It is a great book not only for students, but for the building professional as well."
    ~ Andy Briglio, contractor

    For more information: Construction Project Management

    "This book is a great introduction to the field and represents a powerful argument for an increased focus on green construction. Dykstra's writing is clear, concise and well informed by decades of experience in the field."
    ~ Jerry Yudelson, PE, LEED Fellow, author and speaker, founder of the Yudelson Associates consultancy

    Available now; for more information:
    Green Construction: An Introduction to a Changing Industry