Construction during World War II: Management and financial administration

A recent report on the teaching of construction history in Britain identified that there were few formal lectures at either undergraduate or postgraduate level. The vast re-armament and war production programmes of 1936 and onwards to 1945 required building and civil engineering construction on a scale, and at a speed, not previously undertaken. The aim of this research is to identify the government controls and the types of projects undertaken during this period and to investigate the role of the quantity surveyor and the relevant payment procedures. The research is reinforced with a detailed case study of the Mulberry Harbour one of the greatest construction and organisational achievements of the 20th century. The research is confined to published literature, initially difficult to locate, and much of which at the time was subject to the Official Secrets Act. The investigation has identified that all construction projects during WWII were subject to stringent controls by the British Government. A vast range of major construction works including ports, factories, airfields, barracks and military defences were executed during a period of severe shortages of skilled labour, materials and construction equipment. Payment methods to the contractors were initially based on target cost contracts and subsequently replaced by lump sum prices based on known norms incorporated into the Standard Schedules of Prices. Despite comprehensive control systems, national shortages of labour materials and plant the U.K. construction industry rose to the challenge during WWII and completed some remarkable projects not least the Mulberry Harbour.