Quantities For The Two Manholes Shown

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Take off quantities for the two manholes shown and specified on the drawing.

Notes

Provide a taking-off list and attach a query sheet to the front of your measurements showing details of any assumptions you have made.

You are not required to square the dimensions.

MANHOLES 1

MANHOLES 2

MANHOLES 3

MANHOLES 4

MANHOLES 5

MANHOLES 6

MANHOLES 7

MANHOLES 8

QUESTION 2

Poor design and production information is often a cause of project failures in the construction industry.

Identify causes of poor information and the effects that these may have during the pre- and post-tender stages of a project.

Identify methods that have been developed to overcome these problems.

a.

Typical causes of project failure occur when a number of criteria necessary to achieve success are not met. Such criteria are on time delivery; on or under budget; and the acceptance by client based on stated scope of work.

Only a few projects achieve all three criteria. Many more are delivered which fail on one or more of the above mentioned criteria, and a substantial number fail badly enough that they are cancelled.

Projects often fail because of either poor planning, lack of leadership, inadequate knowledge, people problems, or lifecycle problems.

Poor planning can include lack of communication, not breaking down development into phases or steps, and no or inadequate business plan. They can also be caused due to unrealistic expectations set, such as financial investment, time required, and set-up costs.

Inadequate capital or poor use of capital, lack of time commitment, and unrealistic scheduling, could also be lead to project failure.

Meanwhile as mentioned above a project could fail due to lack of leadership such as not defining ownership or the leadership structure or not identifying decision makers, not making decisions timely or decisively, not having a strategic vision and by holding unrealistic expectations of others.

Inadequate knowledge can include lacking skills, not estimating, monitoring, or controlling expenditures, or having an incomplete or vague project work plan.

Other factors could be people and lifecycle problems. The former could be lacking leadership, lacking effective project team integration between clients, the supplier team, and the supply chain or by not having adequate resources due to under or over estimation of work. Meanwhile the latter could be resulted by failing to clearly and completely define the requirements, resulting in building the wrong features or gaps in the features needed. Other factors could be using a poor technical design that does not allow for modification or is not scalable or changing requirements late in the project and continuing change requests which cause the project to drift.

At pre tender stage it can be argued that if information was missing from the pre-tender documents, this will result in incorrectly priced bills of quantities, delays to tender period awaiting missing information, and client contract sum available could be incorrect.

Meanwhile at post tender stage missing information could give rise to problems agreeing variations, possible problems settling final accounts and most probable could give rise to contractual disputes.

As mentioned previosuly, inaccurate estimates at post tender stage can lead to a lot of variations, delays, conflicts and tension between team members. When variations or extra works are included in the contract measured bill of quantities and not listed seperately at the end, backed up by site instructions given by the managers, then it would be difficult for the client or his representatives to approve such works.

Site meetings not correctly minuted could also be a problem onsite at post tender stage. Such issues can result in misleading information and waste of time and resources, eventually causing delays and extra costs for the client.

Conflict and personal matters within the building teams may aslo lead to no coordination between members, and will eventually create problems on site such as logistic problems when dealing with contractors at post tender stage.

It is thus clear that the brief and its interpretation, effective schedule and control, together with continued client involvement are at the highest levels for any project’s success. It is also ideal to always plan a backup to the original plan, that is contingency planning. Contingency planning is a way of allowing for adverse changes and generally means making monetary allowance for items beyond control.

b.

Methods that have been developed to overcome problems mentioned above in the previous question is by implementing the ones outlines by the Royal Institute of Brithish Architects, referred to as RIBA. As mentioned on the outline plan of works, the sequence or content of Work Stages may vary or they may overlap to suit the procurement method.

The diagrams illustrate different sequences for completion of work stages for various procurement methods, but are not representative of time. In arriving at an acceptable timescale the choice of procurement method may be as relevant as other more obvious factors such as the amount of work to be done, the client’s tendering requirements, risks associated with third party approvals or funding.

The process of planning, designing, financing, constructing and operating physical facilities have a different perspective on project management for construction.

Specialized knowledge can be very beneficial, particularly in large and complicated projects, since experts in various specialties can provide valuable services.

Five stages of Preparation, Design, Pre-Construction, Construction and Use, make up the ‘RIBA Outline Plan of Work’.

The ‘Briefing stage’ refers to the inception of the project and the feasibility study.

A general outline of the requirements is prepared and the general action is planned. Client organization is set up for briefing and requirements are considered with interested parties. An architect is also appointed for the professional support.

The feasibility study is necessary to provide the client with an appraisal and recommendation in order that he or she may determine the form in which the project will proceed, ensuring that it is feasible, being functionally, technically and financially. Studies for user requirements, site conditions, planning, design and cost are carried out as necessary to reach decisions. This stage will involve meetings, interviews and discussions, site visit, inspections and surveys. Within this stage specific tasks such as development of brief and site studies take place.

The second stage refers to the ‘Plan Stage’. General approach to layout, design and construction is determined in order to obtain authoritative approval of the client on the outline proposals and accompanying report. The brief is developed further. Studies are carried out on user requirements, technical problems, planning, design and costs are carried out as necessary to reach decisions.

Meanwhile the brief is completed and decisions on particular proposals, including planning arrangement, appearance, constructional method, outline specification and costs are taken and approvals obtained. Once that the brief is completely developed, the architects prepare their full designs, engineers their preliminary designs and a full explanatory cost plan is prepared.

During the third stage, ‘Working Drawing Stage’, final decisions on every matter relating to design, specifications, construction and cost are obtained. Every part and every component of the building is designed with the help of all concerned. A complete cost check on design is carried out.

Production information is prepared, making final detailed decisions on how to carry out the work and final drawings, schedules and specifications.

All information and arrangements are prepared and completed by the preparation of bills of quantities and tender documents. The Bills of Quantity provide a list of items of works to be carried out. The bills also provide a measure of the extent of works and this allows the same works to be priced.

Afterwards, a call for tender is made by either general tendering or selective tendering, and identification and evaluation of potential contractors and or specialists for the construction of the Project is made.

At the ‘Site Operation Stage’, work can start on site and it consists of three separate stages. These are project planning, operations on site and completion. Detailed planning of the project is carried out with the contractor including the nomination of sub-contractors, then the building contraction is carried out by the contractor and over a stipulated timeframe the building is completed and commissioned.

Last stage would be that of the ‘Feedback’. The management construction and performance of the project are analysed. The completed building is inspected and studies of it in use are made.

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