Engineering college teaches you how to engineer. The project site teaches you how engineering is actually delivered.
What happens when the lowest bid is not really the lowest cost?
What should you do when a contractor's problem starts becoming your project's problem?
Why can a drawing delayed by seven days affect the site for far longer?
When should commissioning really begin?
And why is a project that is 95% complete sometimes nowhere near finished?
50 Project Lessons They Don't Teach You in Engineering College brings together practical lessons developed across more than 33 years of engineering and major-project experience.
Written by Omveer Singh, IIT Roorkee alumnus and former General Manager (Projects), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), the book takes the reader through the real project journey—from tendering, contracts and drawings to construction, contractor management, cost and schedule control, quality, safety, claims, commissioning and final handover.
Inside, you'll discover practical lessons on:
• Scope, specifications, tendering and bid evaluation
• Engineering drawings and constructability
• Contractor management and site leadership
• Planning, progress, cost and cash flow
• Measurements, expediting and project control
• Variations, extra items and claims
• Quality, safety and hidden work
• Communication, meetings and escalation
• Commissioning, handover and documentation
• Capturing lessons for the next project
Each lesson follows a simple UNDERSTAND → APPLY approach, converting project experience into practical questions, checks and memorable takeaways.
Eight illustrated Project Diary sections further bring together the most important lessons for quick reference.
This book is written for young engineers, site and construction engineers, project engineers, project managers, contractors, consultants, EPC/PMC professionals, engineering students and anyone involved in delivering projects.
It is not meant to replace engineering codes, contracts or company procedures.
It is the experienced project professional sitting beside you and asking: “Have you thought about this before you proceed?”
33+ years of experience. 50 practical lessons. One field companion for your project journey.