What Makes a Site Diary Essential for Construction Project Success?

The Site Diary is one of those tools which has been a staple of construction projects since time immemorial. Yet, it may be because of this exact point that its importance and weight has been somewhat forgotten or diluted over time. There are many reasons why a site diary is still an important tool on any construction project.

From its humble beginnings as a site manager’s end of day record, arguably begrudgingly and fleetingly written by hand into paper notebooks, to now the myriad of sophisticated computerised and cloud based applications that can be accessed on mobile phones or tablets. These modern site diaries not only facilitate incorporation of traditional journal entries, but now allow links to drawings, all manner of project documents and photographs. These can then be marked up, directly annotated and recorded, and all documents linked together for clearer access and records.

Whichever tool option is used the necessity has remained constant, the need to articulate clearly the ‘history’ of the project on a day-by-day basis, capturing progress, resource numbers, changes, latent conditions, quantities, key events/incidents, deliveries, release of documentation, inclement weather, delays, etc.

In the area of project time management, the site diary if kept correctly and diligently is an invaluable tool when it comes to presenting delay and/or disruption on a project when claiming Extensions of Time.

Delay analysis and assessment invariably involves the requirement to ascertain correct status of a project’s programme at a relevant point.

It is one thing to demonstrate delay on a programme via any number of established methodologies but generally and all too common project programmes are not robust or complete and/or do not portray the ‘plan’ to completion correctly. They may suffer from:

• Initial mismanagement or lack of ongoing management through the life of the project.
• Lack of progress records to even allow a status of the programme.
• Lack of information to clearly articulate a delay event and what it has affected on site.
• Lack of updates to clearly show the ‘updated plan or approach’ over time as the project unfolds.

This is where a properly kept site diary plays a role in facilitating the accurate updating of the programme in order to allow it to become a useful tool in delay presentation and analysis.

Projects are complex and involve numerous stakeholders and participants each playing their role and providing inputs (documentation, supply of goods and services, labour, management directions and decisions as a few examples) that allow a project to progress towards completion. 

The site diary can record the chronology and history of a project delay issue and each project participant’s involvement, providing a succinct ‘trail’ of documentation which will then allow a delay issue to be:

• Presented in a much more detailed and evidentiary based manner. 
• Better articulated and provide supporting documentary evidence to the delay impacts being portrayed in delay impacted programmes as part of Extension of Time claims.
• Represented in the impacted programmes in a more robust and detailed manner and stand up under analysis or scrutiny.

A properly kept site diary avoids the need for extensive forensic work in either preparing and/or analysing a delay.

Key Elements to Include in a Site Diary

An effective site diary should incorporate as a minimum the following elements:

• Project Progress/Work Completed/Key Milestones Achieved: Detailed descriptions of tasks’ progression, recording of actual start and completion dates. Most importantly both off-site progress – design, key decisions, approvals, procurement and on-site progress – construction activities should be recorded.
• Weather Conditions: Document weather experienced each day inclusive of any resulting impacts (such as ‘rain’ directly affecting the project – specify which areas, what trades or consequential impacts such as ‘overnight rain’ (non-working hours) which may have affected areas of the project with flooding and required dewatering or making access safe before work can commence the following day.
• Daily workforce counts: From management staff to subcontractors, recording of site attendance – numbers and areas of work.
• Materials and Equipment: Recording of materials deliveries or key long lead items. Equipment hire and usage.
• Productivity Records: Recording daily productivity achieved for specific tasks, for example excavated material removed from site, number of structural steel members erected daily.
• Onsite Progress Photographs: Photographs especially annotated or marked up photographs highlighting progress or issues serve as clear evidence of progress and/or delay events/issues. Photographs should be date and time stamped.
• Safety Observations: Identifying safety issues/hazards including their resolution timing.
• Delays and Disruption: Documenting delays and disruption. Recording start and completion dates, what has been affected or is being impacted and how this is playing out for example reduced productivity, redeployment of resources and recording of any mitigating initiatives activated to either reduce or overcome the impacts.
• External Visitor Records: Maintaining a log of all site visitors, including authorities, inspectors and all non-regular site visitors.

The humble site diary still remains an important tool of any construction project. If diligently maintained, it is a vital project document for the preparation, representation and substantiation of delay and disruption Extension of Time claims. Its importance cannot be ignored.

- Claudio Orellana

If you need assistance with Delay and Disruption issues on your project please do not hesitate to reach out to Zancon – your Construction Planning Experts. And follow us on LinkedIn for updates.