Advanced Measurements 1
Advanced Measurements 1
Standard method of measurement or the SMM is the foundation for a precise bill of quantities.
Here t in the assignment mainly discuss about what is a standard method of measurement, how it
is contributed for the preparation of bill of quantities, the principles of taking off, different
components of a bill of quantities, structure of a preliminary list, preamble document and a bill
of quantities.
TASK 01
Question 1
Quantity measurement for construction projects entails converting drawn information into
descriptions and quantities. This procedure is used to value, cost, and price construction work
while also allowing for effective management of the design and construction processes. The
measurement process does not end with the quantity surveyor preparing a bill of quantities for
contractors to price during the tendering process. It is also used in pre- contract work and post-
contract work, assisting in estimating the likely cost of the works and determining what
contractors and subcontractors should be paid for completed work.
The quantity surveyor will take measurements of the building during the early design stages to
deliver budget estimates, possibly based on assessing against similar buildings. They will
measure more detailed approximate quantities for cost estimating purposes as the design
progresses, ensuring that the design can be completed within the budget. After that, the quantity
surveyor measures the completed drawings to create a bill of quantities. Contractors bid on jobs
by pricing the work outlined in the bill of quantities.
What is a post-contract measurement?
The contractor may use measurement for the following purposes in post-contract works:
The process of identifying elements of construction works that can be measured and priced is
referred to as 'taking off.' These elements can be measured in terms of number, length, area,
volume, weight, or time, and then compiled and structured to create an unpriced bill of
quantities. Taking off is the basis to form the bill of quantities.
When taking off the quantities of multi-storey structure, complex architectural details and
services, there is a specific procedure to follow up and this procedure variates according to the
SMM (standard method of measurement) that is confirmed to be used to the project during the
tendering process.
To take off the quantities of a multi-storey structure, services and complex architectural details
mainly the principles of preliminaries and building components, units of each quantity that is
measured, tds sheets, queries should be considered.
Construction preliminary costs have an impact on the overall project and involve a wide variety
of equipment, labour, and supplies. Preliminaries can be one-time charges or continuous costs
that begin at the start of the project and continue until it is completed.
Work items: Work items are the each and every building component which the construction
comprised of. There are numerous work items found in SMMs and there are different methods of
measuring each and every work item and there are specific units mentioned in SMMs for each
quantity and those quantities should mention in the bill of quantities with the units mentioned in
SMMs.
1. Site clearance: Plants, shrubs, and/or other biodegradable and organic materials on soil’s
surface should be removed and measured in square meters.
2. Excavation of soil for trenches: The ground is excavated to the precise width and height
of the foundation trenches. These trenches' sides and bottoms are leveled longitudinally
and transversely. It is measured in cubic meters.
3. Earthwork in filling: This entails filling the excavated area to the desired depth, either
using earth excavated from the site or soil brought in from elsewhere. The filling is
determined by the quality and variety of soil excavated. It is measured in cubic meters.
4. Damp proof course: This is often a layer of 1:2:4 cement concrete mixture blended with a
water-proofing compound that is applied between the plinth and superstructure walls to
avoid capillary action seepage of water rising from the ground. It is calculated in square
meters.
5. Plain cement concrete works: In this case, the amount of plain cement concrete necessary
for the foundation, trenches, grade slabs, sills, etc must be calculated. If a slope is
supplied for the foundations, the quantity of the slope must be determined. It is measured
in cubic meters.
6. Reinforced cement concrete works: RCC amounts comprise the concrete in foundations,
grade slabs, plinth beams, floor beams, lintel beams, columns, and slabs. It is not
necessary to subtract the volume of reinforcement from the total volume of concrete. The
amount of reinforcement will be determined separately.
It is advised that formwork shuttering be determined separately. If reinforcement or
shuttering are included as a consolidated item with reinforcement cement concrete, they
must be adequately described in the item description. It is measured in cubic meters.
7. Steel work: The quantity is measured in tons and comprises bending and binding in
position. There is no need to pay for the binding wire separately. The amount of steel is
determined by deducting the percentage volume of reinforced concrete. However,
reinforcement is estimated from the bar bending schedule and paid after measuring the
bars prior to concrete work.
8. Formwork: Formwork costs about 30% of the cost of cement concrete. It is measured in
square meters by combining length and width. The exact surface in concrete with
concrete or another material needing formwork is measured. In general, examine the area
of constructed concrete structures.
9. Masonry work: The amount of brickwork is determined by multiplying the wall's length,
width, and height. It is measured in cubic meters.
10. Plastering work: The surface area of the wall prior to plastering is measured. The
necessary adjustment for windows and doors openings is thus determined. The area
between walls is used to calculate the plastering amount for the ceiling. Stair soffits are
also termed ceiling plastering.
11. Painting: This item contains the proportions needed to apply 2-3 applications of colour
wash, or emulsion paint. The quantity for painting, like the quantity for plastering, is
determined as an area.
Moreover, when taking off the quantities, there are specific units for each quantity that to be
mention precisely in the Bill of Quantities according to the approved Standard method of
measurement during the tendering process.
If there is any doubt during the process of taking off quantities, there is a separate document
called query sheet which is used to mention all the problems and doubts during taking off and
answers for them.
There are specific rules and regulations when stating off the preliminaries and work items in
SMMs. Rules differentiate from one SMM to another.
1. Multi-storey structure
A multi-storey structure is a word used to define a structure with numerous storeys above
ground. A structure with more than four floors is typically referred to as multi-storey structure.
There are both benefits and drawbacks of living in such a structure. A multi-storey structure is
defined as a three-dimensional or light-weight structure with numerous floors and vertical
circulation.
The significance of multi-storey structures is that they can be built faster than conventional
buildings. Almost all of the time, the design is accurate and high-quality materials are applied.
More significantly, it is economical and lighter.
To begin the taking off process of multi-storey structure, the preliminaries and building
components should be identified. To workout these tasks, a proper feasibility study should be
done which is an analytical process which provides all the critical aspects in detail which
determine whether the proposed project would be successful or not.
Examples where complex architectural details found: Stadiums, Towers, Bridges, Historical
buildings
Preliminaries and work items should be separately identified for these complex architectural
details.
3. Services
The three technical disciplines that comprise the features that allow building interiors to be fit for
human consumption and occupancy are known as MEP, or mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
services. MEP systems transform buildings from empty rooms into welcome and liveable spaces,
whether it's a 50-story structure or a laboratory to work in.
Here also the preliminaries and work items should be separately identified to prepare the bill of
quantities.
Question 02
Here, the standard method of measurement which is used to describe the principles of
measurement is NRM2. NRM stands for New Rules of Measurement. There are 3 NRM s. They
are NRM1, NRM2 and NRM3. NRM1 is used to estimate the order of the costs and plan the
costs for capital building works. NRM2 provides the measurements in detail for building works
and NRM3 is used to estimate and plan the costs for building maintenance works.
Preliminaries:
There is a specific way of preparing preliminaries for the bill of quantities in NRM2. First of all,
the overview or the basic details of the project such as the name of the project, nature, location of
the project etc. Then the specifications of the proposed structure should be mentioned. All the
specifications included in the tender document should mention separately while the other
specifications those are related to the contract but not mentioned in the tender documents must
include separately in the preliminary document. Then the drawings, details of the site and the
buildings that are existing, work descriptions, general constraints on executing the works,
conditions of the contract, requirements of the employer, and pricing schedule.
Work items:
Concrete works
Based by NRM2,
Formwork
Based by NRM2,
Soffit/side – 11.18.1.1-m2
Landing- 11.16.1-m2
Containment of cables- m
Cables- m
Terminators of cables- nr
Terminators of joints- nr
Primary equipment- nr
Terminal equipment- nr
Terminal fittings- nr
Commissioning- item
(nr-numbers)
TASK 02
Question 1
Pricing preambles
General overview
Items in the Bills of Quantities' preambles section are judged to qualify and form part of every
measurable job description to which they refer, including composite descriptions. No
amendments to these Bills of Quantities shall be made unless permitted in writing by the
Engineer. The Contractor shall not utilize these Bills of Quantities as a construction programme,
ordering supplies, or organizing sub-contracts. The designs, specifications, and instructions
supplied by the Engineer shall serve as references for these activities. These price preambles are
a standard and broad collection, and hence may surpass the needs of this specific project. The
bidder should consult the statutory provisions of these Preamble Notations.
Bidders are asked to ensure that no pages are missing or duplicated, and that all deals correspond
to the Brief of the Bill of Quantities.
The bill of quantities must be read in conjunction with the contract conditions, technical
specifications, drawings, and measurement method stated in this document. General instructions,
descriptions, and requirements for material and work are not always repeated included in the bill
of quantities While entering prices against each item in the bill of quantities, references to the
drawings and relevant portions of the Technical Specifications must be made.
Drawings, Specifications, Bills of Quantities, and every other documents are complementary,
and if any item appears in any of them, it is presumed to appear in all.
Amendments to the bid Bill of Quantities must be approved in writing by the Engineer's
Representative.
The sum of each page is collected at the end of each page and transferred to the page of
collection at the end of each part of these Bills of Quantities. The total of each section is then
transferred over to the Summary of bills.
The Contractor must permit for everything with a monetary worth in these Bills of Quantities,
either against the products or in the prices.
Payment unit rates accepted by the Engineer should not be certified in lump sums.
Payment for either item in the Bill of Quantities shall be made only if the contractor has
completed the item to the fulfillment of the Engineer. If the Contractor plans to use an alternate
method of construction, prior approval from the Engineer is required and completion of such task
in order to make sure payment for the relevant item.
Unless there is a dispute between them, unit rates can be utilized reciprocally in account
settlement.
As a result, the Contractor must guarantee that identical things appearing in subsequent bills are
not priced at different rates, except when this is his intended aim.
The Contractor must ensure each hardcopy of the Bills of Quantities is precise in terms of page
count and replication of each page by comparing it to the summary.
Prices and extensions for the Contractor must be written in waterproof ink.
Unit prices and extensions will be supplied in Sri Lankan Rupees to a maximal of two decimal
points.
The several documents referred to collectively as the Bills of Quantities hereunder collectively
constitute the Bill of Quantities referred to in the Contract Terms.
Work Involved
The scope of work stated in this Bills of Quantities shall include all work defined in the designs,
Specifications, and Bills of Quantities for the Renovation of Urban Stadium.
Estimated Quantities
Quantities in the Bill of Quantities are estimates and should not be relied on for material
procurement or the quantity of work to be completed in accordance with the drawings.
Materials
All materials and equipment given must be new and unused, with no flaws.
All materials, equipment, and accessories specified herein must be of the highest quality and
must meet the requirements of the applicable Standards, Specifications, or equivalent if such
exists. In all situations of permanent work, specifications, model numbers, makes, and other
technical data must be confirmed by the Engineer before an order is placed. and all materials,
tools, accessories, and spares must match the quality of the approved samples. The Engineer
reserves the right to reject any items that do not meet the quality standards of the approved items,
and all costs incurred as a result of this rejection will be incurred by the Contractor. All of these
rejected goods must be evacuated from the location The Contractor must supply the Engineer
with all essential information, including the dates and sources for collecting such goods.
Rates
The rate for each item should be extensive and include all costs associated with complying in all
respects with the requirements of the aforementioned Requirements, these Pricing Preambles,
and covering all obligations under the Contract, as well as all matters and things essential for the
efficient construction, completion, and maintenance of the Works. No demand for extra payment
will be accepted because of any inaccuracy or misunderstanding of the work involved by the
Contractor.
Rate Analysis
Bidders must produce a rate analysis for any entity if the Engineer requests it in the case of a
disagreement. The ultimate decision will be made by the Engineer.
Samples
When the Engineer requests approval, the rates for all items must include the provision of
specifications, model numbers, maintenance manuals, makes, technical information, catalogues,
and literature.
Dimensions
All dimensions for the goods included in the Bills of Quantities, drawings, or specifications
should be confirmed on-site by the Contractor before beginning any work. In the occasion of any
differences, the Contractor should contact the Engineer for further guidance.
Value Added Tax shall not be included in unit pricing. (VAT) The Bidder must supply his
projected VAT component separately, as well as the precise computation at the Grand summary,
as displayed. The Employer is required to pay VAT to the Contractor upon receipt of his invoice,
based on payment certifications issued by the Engineer.
Provisional sums
Payments for any preliminary items must be based on the exact measurements of work
completed on-site. The contractor is instructed to maintain accurate records for such goods with
the Engineer's approval.
Provisional Sums have been included in the Bills of Quantities and must be spent whole or
partially as required by the Engineer.
Except as otherwise provided for in the Contract, the unit and lump sum rates of the Bill of
Quantities are considered to conceal all responsibilities agreed in the contract, as well as all
issues or small details needed for the proper finalization and upkeep of the Tasks, and will
henceforth be resolved and adhering upon the Contractor.
Prime cost
Entries in the Bills of Quantities with a "Prime Cost" total reflect the grade of materials or work
required. The cost of escalation is not included, and it represents the market price where during
tender process.
Sub-contractors
Subcontractors, whether named or not, are to be hired on the basis of a current form of
subcontract prepared for use in cooperation with the General Terms of Contract, as revised as
necessary to integrate the relevant elements of the major Contract Conditions.
Before beginning work, the Contractor should get from subcontractors and suppliers specifics on
positions where chases, holes, mortises, and similar items will be needed to be made or left. No
claim for additional costs incurred as a result of the Contractor's failure to verify these specifics
will be accepted.
The Contractor must submit a list of subcontractors who will be working on the project for
approval. Any subcontractors that the Contractor plans to hire for the work must be approved by
the Engineer and the Employer.
If the Contractor is denied authorization to engage any of his recommended subcontractors, the
job must be sub-let to an approved subcontractor at no additional expense.
When a work is completed on a day-work basis in compliance with the General Terms of the
Contract, a Day-Works bill is added to the Bill of Quantities. Except by express instruction of the
Engineer, work should not perform as day-works.
Labour
Payment for labor used in the operation of day works must be paid at the pay rate
specified in the Day-work Bill. Separate payment shall be given for the salary of the
Contractor's Site Supervisory, Administrative Staff, or any minor categories of labor not
specifically stated.
Except for the cost of materials and constructional plant, the inserted labor rates will
include all bonuses, statutory charges, and all other expense and costs relating to or
related to the hiring of the said labor. The rate shall also include the expenses of portable
tools such as picks, shovels, barrows, hand-saws, buckets, trestles, hammers and all
things of a similar sort that are not considered Constructional Plant for the purpose of
day-labor work.
Payment for materials or goods utilized in the work carried out on a day-to-day basis shall be the
net cost of items or materials plus the needed percent addition mentioned in the tender Appendix.
The mentioned rate shall cover the costs of receiving and storing such materials or goods, in
addition to the use of any minor equipment not mentioned under machinery and equipment,
storage, overheads, and all other charges and costs relating to or incidental to the procurement
and handling of such items or materials.
The costs of transporting supplies from the on-site store or stock pile to the location where they
will be used must be paid for at the relevant day-work rates for labor and Constructional Plant.
Construction plant
The included rates for Constructional Plant must be paid for the plant while it is directly used in
the completion of the work on a day-to-day basis, apart from any travel time, associated
movement on the worksite with a prime mover, or idling hours. The following items must be
included in the rate.
a) Constructional Plant costs, including maintenance and parts, fuel and fuel circulation, oil
lubricants, and any other requirements.
b) Crew, operator/driver, and attendant costs.
Question 02
Question 03
Task 02