Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works

Data Required for Preparing an Estimate:

In order to prepare a detailed estimate the estimator must have with him the following data:
1. Plans, sections and other relevant details of the work.
2. Specifications indicating the exact nature and class of materials to be used.
3. The rates at which the different items of work are carried out.
To enable an estimator to take out the quantities accurately, the drawings must themselves be clear, true to the fact and scale, complete, and fully dimensioned. The estimator has also to bear in mind certain principles of taking out quantities.

. Steps in Preparation of an Estimate:

There are three clearly defined steps in the preparation of an estimate.
1 . Taking out quantities
In the first step of taking out quantities, the measurements are taken off from the drawings and entered on measurement sheet or dimension paper. The measurements to be taken out would depend upon the unit of measurement. For example, in the case of stone masonry in superstructure, length, thickness and height of the walls above plinth level would be taken out from the drawings and entered on the measurement sheet, whereas, in the case of plastering only the lengths and heights of the walls would be entered. Obviously, the unit of measurement in the first case is cubic meter and that in the second case is square meter
2. Squaring out
The second step consists of working out volumes, areas, etc. and casting up their total in recognized units.
3. Abstracting
In the third step all the items along with the net results obtained in the second step are transferred from measurement sheets to specially ruled sheets having rate column ready for pricing.
The second and third steps above are known as working up. All calculations in these stages and every entry transferred should be checked by another person to ensure that no mathematical or copying error occurs.

. Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works:

The different methods of measuring used by various Central and State Government departments and by construction agencies were found to be a serious difficulty to estimators and a standing cause of disputes. For this reason a unification of the various systems at the technical level had been accept­ed as very desirable and wanting.
Although the standard has no legal sanction and as such need not be adopted unless it is referred to in the contracts.

. Principles of Deciding Unit of Measurement:

A beginner may find it difficult to remember the units of measurement of different items. Memorizing of units of measurement would be greatly simplified if he knows the principles kept in view while selecting the units of measurements. Following are the most important principles of selection of unit of measurement:
1. The unit of measurement should be simple and convenient to measure, record and understand.
2. It should be one, which provides for fair payment for the work involved.
3. In the result it should yield quantities, which are neither too minute nor too large.
4. The price per unit should not be a very small figure or a very large one, that is, generally costlier items will be measured in smaller units, cheaper ones in larger units.
5. The unit of measurement may sometimes depend upon the unit for the raw material and/or labor and/or import­ant dimensions. For example, stone masonry is measured in cubic meters because raw materials are measured in cubic meters plastering or pointing is measured in square meters, as the labor is considerable.

Structural Engineering: Design for Structures and Construction

While you are doing any construction work, you have to use high quality material for your safety purpose.

When we are doing construction of any building, it is not a simple task. You have to be very careful about load

capacity, designing of columns, beams, floors, roofs etc. So, you have to choose expert structural designing

engineer for that, because only an expert civil engineer can do a right planning and apply a good strategy for

construction.

 Structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering and its applications are extremely diverse Structural

 engineers do design of things to be built and then helping to build them: buildings, bridges, tunnels, towers.

But a structural engineer might also be involved in the demolition or dismantling of a structure, either

permanently or in order to repair it. Structural engineers also inspect buildings, both during and after

construction and oversee the use of the concrete, steel and timber of which they are made. They must also

be aware of both obvious and unobvious uses for the structures and how these uses affect its design.

Structural engineers analyze, design, plan and research structural components and structural systems.

Structural engineer can decide which construction technique should be used to provide a most favorable

design that is easy to implement and cost-effective. A good structural design engineer can save your money,

time and efforts.

Typical structures designed by a structural engineer include buildings, towers, and bridges. Other structures

such as oil rigs, space satellites, aircraft and ships may also be designed by a structural engineer. In the

construction industry, they work closely with architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical

engineers, quantity surveyors, and construction managers.

Each construction project requires a structural engineer to employ different research. Factors such as wind

speed, snow loads and occupancy loads must be considered along with the plans detailed in the

architectural drawings.

Quality and Safety Control in Construction

A variety of different organizations are possible for quality and safety control during construction. One common model is to have a group responsible for quality assurance and another group primarily responsible for safety within an organization.

In large organizations, departments dedicated to quality assurance and to safety might assign specific individuals to assume responsibility for these functions on particular projects. For smaller projects, the project manager or an assistant might assume these and other responsibilities. In either case, insuring safe and quality construction is a concern of the project manager in overall charge of the project in addition to the concerns of personnel, cost, time and other management issues.
Inspectors and quality assurance personnel will be involved in a project to represent a variety of different organizations. Each of the parties directly concerned with the project may have their own quality and safety inspectors, including the owner, the engineer/architect, and the various constructor firms. These inspectors may be contractors from specialized quality assurance organizations. In addition to on-site inspections, samples of materials will commonly be tested by specialized laboratories to insure compliance. Inspectors to insure compliance with regulatory requirements will also be involved. Common examples are inspectors for the local government’s building department, for environmental agencies, and for occupational health and safety agencies.

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) routinely conducts site visits of work places in conjunction with approved state inspection agencies. OSHA inspectors are required by law to issue citations for all standard violations observed. Safety standards prescribe a variety of mechanical safeguards and procedures; for example, ladder safety is covered by over 140 regulations. In cases of extreme non-compliance with standards, OSHA inspectors can stop work on a project. However, only a small fraction of construction sites are visited by OSHA inspectors and most construction site accidents are not caused by violations of existing standards. As a result, safety is largely the responsibility of the managers on site rather than that of public inspectors.

While the multitude of participants involved in the construction process require the services of inspectors, it cannot be emphasized too strongly that inspectors are only a formal check on quality control. Quality control should be a primary objective for all the members of a project team. Managers should take responsibility for maintaining and improving quality control. Employee participation in quality control should be sought and rewarded, including the introduction of new ideas. Most important of all, quality improvement can serve as a catalyst for improved productivity. By suggesting new work methods, by avoiding rework, and by avoiding long term problems, good quality control can pay for itself. Owners should promote good quality control and seek out contractors who maintain such standards.

In addition to the various organizational bodies involved in quality control, issues of quality control arise in virtually all the functional areas of construction activities. For example, insuring accurate and useful information is an important part of maintaining quality performance. Other aspects of quality control include document control (including changes during the construction process), procurement, field inspection and testing, and final checkout of the facility.