Module 2: Lesson 2 The design drawings should include the

following aspects:
Calculations and Specifications
site layout and the location of the works to be
Technical Data constructed plan views

The design drawings and technical specifications  detailed designs and cross-sectional profiles
should include: of the works
 dimensions and units gradients titles and
 Design drawings – these set out design scales that meet the required standards and
information and procedures which are units
required to be used on the works.  adequate labelling elevations that are
Bill of Quantities – this itemizes the quantity of
referenced to meters
materials to enable a tenderer to accurately cost the
work for which they are bidding. Computational devices and computer aided drafting
 Material specifications – such as diameter, and design (CADD) packages have made the creation
type and grade of material for pipes (e.g.
of project design information in digital form
polyethylene pipes or UPVC), joining methods
commonplace. Construction machine guidance is now
(e.g. electro-fused or compression fittings
etc), or 28- day compressive strength of a widely adopted tool in the construction industry,
concrete. particularly in earthwork operations, due to its
Requirements for Material Testing e.g. testing accuracy and ease of use. Thisis an important
required for earthworks (i.e. minimum required consideration for the transfer of engineering design
compaction and moisture range to be achieved), data in electronic form for import into these global
frequency of testing (e.g. one soil density test per positioning system (GPS) guidance software and
1,000 m3 of bulk earthworks) or the number of tests systems
per 1,000 m2 of area for hydraulic conductivity tests
in sedimentation ponds. Technical Specifications
 Construction and installation methods.
 Development approval conditions that have A contract or tender document often references
to be complied with throughout the technical specifications about the specific
construction requirements and construction standards for various
area for hydraulic conductivity tests in sedimentation elements of a project. This includes how the work will
ponds. be done, the quality of workmanship and methods of
Construction and installation methods. testing. Typically, construction projects require
Development approval conditions that have to be construction of various elements and use of various
complied with throughout the materials. More than one technical specification may
construction be required for the whole project. For example, a
Design documents
construction project may require individual technical
Design documents relate to the design, construction, specifications for
and commissioning of the project works. Typically,
 earthworks
the documents should include:
 erosion and sediment controls
 design drawings  concrete works
 construction specifications  fencing building
 works roads
Design drawings  electrical systems
 water reticulation systems
Design drawings for construction contain all the
information necessary for the construction contractor For small projects, the material and construction
to bid on and build a particular project. Typically, the specifications may be documented in the form of
preparation of design drawings provides a detailed notes on the design drawings. For larger projects, a
record of the design and structural requirements of separate specification document is more practical.
the works. A contract or tender document often
references design drawings. Designers will usually have suitable standard
technical specification documents. However, as a
Design drawings should show details on layout, guide a specification might include:
measurements, plan, cross-sectional and vertical
profiles. This information is prepared as scale  descriptive title, number, identifier etc. of the
drawings of the works to be constructed. specification date of last effective revision
and revision designation
Design drawings should be presented in such a  logo or trademark to indicate the document
way that: copyright, ownership and origin Table of
Contents (TOC) if the document is long
 the project can easily be understood they  person or office responsible for questions on
visually communicate the concept to the lot the specification, updates and deviations
feeder and the construction contractor  the significance, scope or importance of the
 they are legible specification and its intended use
 they include all information from previous  terminology, definitions and abbreviations to
revisions and updates. clarify the meanings of the specification
  references and Standards used or to be done on the basis of conceptual drawings, or in case
complied with test of any non-availability of such drawings, it is done on
 methods for measuring all specified a thumb-rule basis utilizing expertise and experience
characteristics of specialists.
 material requirements: physical, mechanical,
electrical, chemical In general, we can describe a quantity survey as
 targets and tolerances follows:
 acceptance testing, including performance
1. Description and preparation of the bill of quantities
testing requirements and tolerances
and its items required for the tender.
 workmanship
 certifications required 2. Preparation of the site material, material types,
 safety considerations and requirements and material distribution
environmental
 considerations and requirements approval The required skills of quantity surveyors are:
authority
1. Ability to understand the drawing details,
 considerations and requirements
design drawings, shop drawings, and as-
 quality control requirements, acceptance
builts.
sampling, inspections, acceptance criteria
2. Excellent knowledge of the calculation of the
 person or office responsible for enforcement
areas and volumes, and knowledge of fees of
of the specification completion and delivery
workers, technicians, rules, and law of the
 provisions for rejection, reinspection,
contracts.
rehearing, corrective measures
3. In addition to the knowledge of related
Technical specifications may specify a performance financial issues/taxes, bank transactions,
goal (a performance standard) or procedures used to insurances, and its implication.
meet the performance goal (design standard). A 4. Knowledge of the productivity of the workers
performance standard permits flexibility and change. and technicians
For example, a performance specification for a Feed
Taking off Quantities
processing system may specify that the capacity be
some nominated tons per hour Taking off is the process of measuring dimensions
from working drawings and recording them in a
Summary
systematic and concise manner along with the
Technical specifications are an integral and important description of each item.
component of a construction project.
Billing – it is a claim for the amount of work done or
 For small projects, the material and materials supplied. It is consisting of:
construction specifications may be
1. Work Order or Agreement No.
documented in the form of notes on the
design drawings. 2. Item No.
 For larger projects, the preparation of a
separate specification document is more 3. Complete Description of Item
practical.
4. Unit of Item
Ensure adherence to the technical specifications as
this determines the quality of the project and 5. Quantities of Item executed
influences the performance of the constructed 6. Rate of Item (as per BOQ)
facility.
7. Total Amount of Individual Item
Ensure that all parties responsible for the creation,
processing or supply of drawings and diagrams 8. Total Billed Amount
standardize the layout and content of all drawings.
Ensure that electronic design data is compatible with 9. Standard Deduction, as applicable
construction contractor GPS-based machine control
Cost Estimates
systems
Rate analysis is to determine the current rate per
Module 2: Lesson 3 unit of an item at the locality. The purpose of rate
Quantity Surveying and Cost Estimates analysis is to examine the viability of rates offered
by, to the client, or contractor, to fix up the agency or
Quantity Survey labor contractor to do the job, and to fix the cost
targets towards labor, material, equipment, and
Quantity Survey (QS) is a process that deals with the other heads and to measure the performance of the
monitoring and management of construction project project in financial terms.
costs. QS Measurement relies on sophisticated
measurement rules that are understood by It is classified under three heads:
experienced practitioners
1. Direct expenses
Quantity Surveying is the estimation of quantities
and cost of different items of work to be executed in 2. Indirect expenses
a project. At the conceptual stage, such estimation is
3. Profit To be submitted together with such application
are at least five sets of corresponding plans and
The following sub-heads are estimated and a
summation of these is the rate per unit of an item:
specifications prepared, signed and sealed by a
duly registered mechanical engineer in case of
1. Quantity of materials and costs mechanical plans, and by a registered electrical
engineer in case of electrical plans, except in
2. Labor costs
those cases exempted or not required by the
3. Cost of equipment of tools and plant Building Official under this Code
4. Contingencies NBCP Section 303 Processing of Building
Permits
5. Different heads of indirect expenses to be
considered in the estimation The processing of building permits shall be
6. Profit under the overall administrative control and
supervision of the Building Official and his
Module 2: Lesson 4 technical staff of qualified professionals.
Building Permit In processing an application for a building
permit, the Building Official shall see to it that
Introduction
the applicant satisfies and conforms with
Building permits are required in nearly all approved standard requirements on zoning and
communities. A permit is an authorization to land use, lines and grades, structural design,
begin work. It also serves as a public record, a sanitary and sewerage, environmental health,
public notice, a planning checklist, a statistical electrical and mechanical safety as well as with
record, an inspection record, and a receipt. It other rules and regulations promulgated in
provides general information to the permittee accordance with the provisions of this Code.
and the public. Although the building plans may
NBCP Section 304 Issuance of Building
be destroyed after some time, the permit form
Permits
is usually kept on file indefinitely.
When satisfied that the work described in an
NBCP Section 301 Building Permits
application for building permit and the plans
No person, firm or corporation, including any and specifications submitted therewith, conform
agency or instrumentality of the government, to the requirements of this Code and other
shall erect, construct, alter, repair, move, pertinent rules and regulations, the Building
convert or demolish any building or structure or Official shall, within fifteen days from payment
cause the same to be done without first of the required fees by the applicant, issue the
obtaining a building permit therefor from the building permit applied for.
Building Official assigned in the place where the
The Building Official may issue a permit for the
subject building is located or the building work
construction of only a part or portion of a
is to be done.
building or structure whenever the plans and
NBCP Section 302 Application for Permits specifications submitted together with the
application do not cover the entire building or
In order to obtain a building permit, the structure.
applicant shall file an application therefor in
writing and on the prescribed form from the Approved plans and specifications shall not be
Office of the Building Official. Every application changed, modified or altered without the
shall provide at least the following information: approval of the Building Official and the work
shall be done strictly in accordance thereto.
(1) A description of the work to be covered by
the permit applied for; NBCP Section 305 Validity of Building
Permits
(2) Certified true copy of the TCT covering the
lot on which the proposed work is to be done. If The issuance of a building permit shall not be
the applicant is not the registered owner, in construed as an approval or authorization to the
addition to the TCT, a copy of the contract of permittee to disregard or violate any of the
lease shall be submitted provisions of this Code.

(3) The use or occupancy for which the proposal Whenever the issuance of a permit is based on
work is intended; approved plans and specifications which are
subsequently found defective, the Building
(4) Estimated cost of the proposed work. Official is not precluded from requiring
permittee to effect the necessary corrections in
said plans and specifications or from preventing
or ordering the stoppage of any or all building There shall be kept at the jobsite at all times a
operations being carried on thereunder which logbook wherein the actual progress of
are in violation of this Code. construction including tests conducted, weather
conditions and other pertinent data are to be
A building permit issued under the provisions of recorded.
this Code shall expire and become null and void
if the building or work authorized therein is not Upon completion of the construction, the said
commenced within a period of one year from licensed architect or civil engineer shall submit
the date of such permit, or if the building or
work so authorized is suspended or abandoned the logbook, duly signed and sealed, to the
at any time after it has been commenced, for a Building Official. He shall also prepare and
period of 120 days. submit a Certificate of Completion of the project
stating that the construction of building
NBCP Section 306 Non-Issuance, conforms to the provisions of this Code as well
Suspension or Revocation of Building as with the approved plans and specifications.
Permits
NBCP Section 309 Certificate of Occupancy
The Building Official may order or cause the
non-issuance, suspension or revocation of No building or structure shall be used or
building permits on any or all of the following occupied and no change in the existing use or
reasons or grounds: occupancy classification of a building or
structure or portion thereof shall be made until
(a) Errors found in the plans and specifications; theBuilding Official has issued a Certificate of
Occupancy therefor as provided in this Code.
(b) Incorrect or inaccurate data or information
supplied; A Certificate of Occupancy shall be issued by
the Building Official within thirty (30) days if
(c) Non-compliance with the provisions of this after final inspection and submittal of a
Code or of any rule or regulation. Certificate of Completion referred to in the
Notice of non-issuance, suspension or preceding Section, it is found that the building
revocation of building permits shall always be or structure complies with the provisions of this
made in writing, stating the reason or grounds Code.
therefor. The Certificate of Occupancy shall be posted or
NBCP Section 307 Appeal displayed in a conspicuous place on the
premises and shall not be removed except upon
Within fifteen (15) days from the date of receipt order of the Building Official.
of advice of the non-issuance, suspension or
revocation of permits, the applicant/permittee The non-issuance, suspension, and revocation
may file an appeal with the Secretary who shall of Certificates of Occupancy and the procedure
render his decision within fifteen days from date for appeal therefrom shall be governed in so far
of receipt of notice of appeal. The decision of as applicable, by the provisions of Section
the Secretary shall be final subject only to 306and 307 of this Code.
review by the Office of the President. Summary
NBCP Section 308 Inspection and  A building permit is discussed and
Supervision of Work implemented under P.D. 1096, National
The owner of the Building who is issued or Building Code ofthe Philippines.
granted a building permit under this Code shall  The application of building permits is
engage the services of a duly licensed architect mandated for all new and renovation
or civil engineer to undertake the full time construction.
inspection and supervision of the construction  The processing of building permits shall
work. be under the overall administrative
control and supervision of the Building
Such architect or civil engineer may or may not Official and his technical staff of qualified
be the same architect or civil engineer who is professionals.
responsible for the design of the building.  The Building Official may issue a permit
for the construction of only a part or
It is understood however that in either case,
portion of a building or structure
the designing architect or civil engineer is not
whenever the plans and specifications
precluded from conducting inspection of the
submitted together with the application
construction work to check and determine
do not cover the entire building or
compliance with the plans and specifications of
structure.
the building as submitted.
 A building permit issued shall expire and
become null and void if the building or
work authorized therein is not
commenced within a period of one year
from the date of such permit,or if the
building or work so authorized is
suspended or abandoned at any time
after it has been commenced, for a
period of 120 days.
 A Certificate of Occupancy shall be
issued by the Building Official within
thirty (30) days if after final inspection
and submittal of a Certificate of
Completion.