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Quantity Surveying: Chapter Four

This document discusses quantity surveying, which involves measuring construction works, preparing specifications and cost estimates. Key points include: - Quantity surveying measures construction works to quantify materials, prepare bills of quantities (BOQ), and estimate project costs at different stages. This allows contractors to be paid appropriately as works are completed. - Tasks of quantity surveyors include preparing specifications, taking measurements and BOQs, preparing cost estimates at various stages, valuation of property, contract preparation and examination of tenders. - Quantities are developed by taking off quantities from designs, accounting for waste and other factors to reflect the full project scope. Standard units of measurement and methods ensure consistent quantification. - Technical specifications and standard methods

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
1K views

Quantity Surveying: Chapter Four

This document discusses quantity surveying, which involves measuring construction works, preparing specifications and cost estimates. Key points include: - Quantity surveying measures construction works to quantify materials, prepare bills of quantities (BOQ), and estimate project costs at different stages. This allows contractors to be paid appropriately as works are completed. - Tasks of quantity surveyors include preparing specifications, taking measurements and BOQs, preparing cost estimates at various stages, valuation of property, contract preparation and examination of tenders. - Quantities are developed by taking off quantities from designs, accounting for waste and other factors to reflect the full project scope. Standard units of measurement and methods ensure consistent quantification. - Technical specifications and standard methods

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Ayex Man
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

Chapter Four
4. Quantity Surveying
4.1. Introduction
Quantity surveying is a term or processes used in the construction industry to take measurements
of civil works, prepare specifications, and estimate the cost of works either for each trade of work
or for the whole project.

Before starting any construction, one has to have a thorough knowledge about the volume of the
work and the probable cost that may be required for the complication of the project. Otherwise,
the construction will be stopped before its completion due to shortage of money or material. It is
therefore necessary to prepare the probable cost or estimate for the proposed work.

Once a construction project is completed or depending on the form of contract upon completion
of certain parts of the work, the contractor must be paid for appropriately completed works. This
would then require that the actual works done be somehow estimated or measured for payment
purposes.

On the other hand, to estimate how much a civil engineering project may cost, the actual quantities
of materials, labor, equipment etc. that is needed for the construction work must be calculated at
the beginning of the work. Such work of calculating the amount of materials and other incidentals
necessary for the realization of the work is called quantity surveying.

The term “surveying” means to inspect, study, review, investigate, asses, and hence “to measure”
therefore the term “quantity surveying” means “quantity measuring” as applied to civil engineering
projects.

Quantity surveying is the application of standard methods of measurement to quantify the amount
of various items in a construction project, for the undertaking of valuation, and certifying
payments.

Quantity take-off: Why?


Owner perspective:
- Initial (preliminary) estimate of the project costs at the different stages of the project.
- Preparing the BOQ as a requirement of the contract documents.
- Estimating the work done for issuing the contractor payments.
Contractor perspective:
- Pricing different work items.
- Identifying the needed resources (Labor, Equipment, etc.).
- Project schedule.
- Preparing invoices for work done.
- Subcontractors’ payments.
- Review and control of crews’ production rates.

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

4.2. Tasks of Quantity Surveyor


The following tasks are covered in quantity surveying:
1. Preparation of Specification
2. Taking measurements of civil works (Taking off quantities and preparing BOQ)
3. Preparation of approximate (preliminary) cost estimate at the very early stage of the
project
4. Preparation of detail cost estimate at different stages (taking as built measurements and
preparing payment certificates or approval of payment certificates prepared by taking
measurements)
5. Valuation of property
6. Preparation of schedule of prices and negotiating of contracts with the selected contractor
7. Preparation of tender documents and examination of tenders and priced B.O.Qs and
reporting these findings
8. Preparation of the final account on completion of the entire contract works.
Quantity Development
Once the scope has been analyzed and broken down into construction tasks, each task must be
quantified prior to pricing. Equal emphasis should be placed on both accurate quantity calculation and
accurate pricing. Quantities should be shown in standard units of measure and should be consistent
with design units. Assistance for preparing “takeoffs” may be provided by others within the
organization in support of cost engineering; however, the responsibility for the accuracy of the
quantities remains with the cost engineer. Distinction should be made between “net” quantities without
waste versus quantities that include waste or loss. This is necessary to ensure duplication does not
occur within the estimate.
The detail to which the quantities are prepared for each task is dependent on the level of design detail.
Quantity calculations beyond design details are often necessary to determine a reasonable price to
complete the overall scope of work for the cost estimate.
A simple example would be fabrication waste material that is a material cost to the project. Project
notes will be added at the appropriate level in the estimate to explain the basis for the quantity
calculations, to clearly show assumed quantity allowances or quantity contingencies, and to record
quantities determined by cost engineering judgment that will be reconciled upon design refinement.
Use the following recommended guidelines in quantity development:
- Coordinate the quantity takeoff process and plan with the estimator.
- Ensure full project scope is reflected within the estimate.
- Include a list of materials in quantity takeoffs.
- Utilize a process that easily records the quantity development, i.e., document source and date,
estimator name and date, location within the project, demonstrated calculations and additions
such as waste or loss.
- Use a systematic approach similar to the construction methodology required.
- Check scales and dimensions on each drawing sheet.
- Highlight or mark drawing areas where quantities have been determined to ensure all scope is
captured but not double counted.
- Consider items that have no material but still require cost, e.g., job office overhead (JOOH),
task setup, training and certifications, and labor preparation.
- Develop quantities within a reasonable range for the work using decimals where critical.
- Add a certain amount of waste, loss, drop off, or length related to the material purchases for a
bulk order. Ensure this addition is separate from the original quantity measured.
- Select a natural stopping point during work interruptions.

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

- Coordinate with designers if the design appears in error, if a better approach is discovered, or a
value engineering process is warranted.
4.3. Technical Specification and Methods of Measurement for Building Project
Measurement of civil works includes the billing of each trade of work either from
drawings or the building itself for defining the extent of works under each trade.
In order to avoid ambiguity in measuring quantities, there is now a recommended
principle of measurement in construction activities.
Many professional organizations publish recommendations on units of measurement,
degree of accuracy etc. this assists in setting a common parameter so that dispute is
avoided.
The standard book, which is used in Ethiopia, is Standard Technical Specification &
Method of Measurement for Construction of Buildings by BaTCoDA, March 1991.
Ethiopian Road Authority Standard Specification, 2002 is used for Road Construction.
Principles of Measurement
The following are list of the basic principles of quantity surveying, applicable to all items
of work.
Each work section of a bill shall contain a brief description of the nature and location of
work.
Work shall be measured net as fixed in position.
Measure the full work area and adjust deductions later.
Items which are to be measured by area shall state the thickness or such other
information as may be appropriate.
Items which are to be measured by length or depth shall state the cross-sectional size
and shape, girth or ranges of girths or such other information as may be appropriate.
Items which are to be measured by weight shall state the material thickness and unit
weight if appropriate (Ex. Duct work)
Piece of work shall be taken in numbers.
For items of pipe work it shall be stated whether the diameter is internal or external.
Mass voluminous and thick works shall be measured in volume (cubic meter)
Thin, shallow and surface work shall be measured in area (meter square) specifying the
thickness.
Long and thin work shall be measured in length (linear measure, running meter)
Bills are deemed to include labor, materials, goods and plant and all associated costs for
fixing, assembling, etc.
Units of Measurement
Depending on the prevailing system of measurement in any locality, quantities may be
measured in the FPS system or the metric system.
Here in Ethiopia, the most common unit of measurement is the International System of
Units, or the metric system of units in which the various items are measured as follows:
o For the measurement of length Meter (m)
o For the measurement of mass Kilogram (Kg)
o For the measurement of time Second (s)
o For the measurement of current Ampere (A)
o For the measurement of temperature Degree Kelvin (K)
o For the measurement of luminous intensity Candles (Cd)

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

Degrees of accuracy in Measurement


All dimensions measure to the nearest 0.01m
Thickness of slab measure to the nearest 0.005m
Wood work measure to the nearest 0.002m
Steel work measure to the nearest 0.001m
Reinforcement measure to the nearest 0.005m
Road work measure to the nearest 0.005m
Areas measure to the nearest 0.01-meter square
Steel work areas measure to the nearest 0.001-meter square
Volume measure to the nearest 0.01-meter cube
Wood work volume measure to the nearest 0.001-meter cubes
Weights measure to the nearest 1 kg

The Process of Quantity Surveying


There are four clearly defined steps in preparation of Bill of Quantities:
I. Taking off
II. Squaring
III. Abstracting
IV. Writing the final Bill of Quantity
❖ The following specifications and methods of measurement are provided to guide the quantity
surveyor in the preparation of quantities for a building project.
❖ A typical building project will have the following work items.
A. Substructure
Any structure below the ground floor slab level including the basement, retaining walls,
ground slab, grade beam, and foundation is called a substructure.
In most of the cases, substructure work can be categorized as follows:
I. Excavation and earthworks (mandatory)
II. Concrete works (can be neglected sometimes)
III. Masonry works (mandatory)

I. Excavation and earth works


a) Site clearance
Carbonatious elements are not good in concrete, steel and timber works. In soils under
structures even 5% of these elements will damage the structure.
Therefore, these materials (including trees, bushes and the top 20 to 30 cm soil), termite
hills, any other obstruction, have to be cleared.
A working space of 1m is required on each side. It is sometimes necessary to prepare
separate specification for obstructions (demolition works) because reusable items like
doors and windows are there.
b) Excavation (bulk excavation)
Excavation to get reduced levels of every structural element below the ground level is
called bulk excavation. They are subdivided as follows depending on the subsurface
condition.
▪ Ordinary soil - with boulders and without boulders and can easily be removed by
shovel.
▪ Weathered rock - it can be divided easily without blasting
▪ Rock- bedded rocks that cannot be dug without blasting (requires using explosives)
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Note: - Working space for bulk excavation is 25 cm (not used for shallow masonry).
Depth of excavation less than 30 cm – measured per m2, depth > 30 cm per m3
c) Fill/ Embankment
Shall be measured in m3 of net volume to be filled.
Fill is required because the reduced level of every structural element above the structure
has to be covered.
Excavation and embankment should not be added at a time in computing their volume,
because their costs are different.
The major consideration under embankment is compaction.
Compaction is done usually at 20 cm lift thickness. The subdivisions under fill are:
▪ Back fill: - filling by using the excavated soil but by removing coarse particles.
▪ Borrow fill: - filling by using fill material from another place when there is shortage
of fill or when better quality material is required.
d) Disposal
Disposal - cleaning the building area including cart away.
d) Sundry Items
application of termite proof solution, providing hard coring, dust blinding, expansion
joints, etc are itemized as sundry items; measured in m2.
Excavation and embankment should not be added at a time in computing their volume,
because their costs are different.
The major consideration under embankment is compaction.
Compaction is done usually at 20 cm lift thickness.
II. Concrete works
a) Concrete
Cast in situ concrete – formed on site and requires formwork and reinforcement.
Cast in situ concrete shall be measured by volume except in ribbed slabs and grouting.
Prefabricated concrete –fabricated (manufactured) in a factory and brought to the site
and joined to make a building. It does not require formwork but needs a special care
when connecting the different elements.
Pre-tensioned (Post tensioned) Concrete –involves in bending up the concrete itself to
make it ready for the downward bending due to load
Concrete ancillaries - include windowsills, lintels, expansion joints, and permanent and
temporary embedded materials. It is measured in ml or enumerated.
❖ Grades of Concrete
▪ C5 - lean concrete, to protect the structural concrete from damage.
▪ C15 - for totally supported structural elements
▪ C20 - used for slabs; mix proportion is 1:2:4
▪ C25 - Commonly used grade of structural Concrete; mix proportion is 1:2:3
▪ C30 –Used for chemical stores and nuclear plants
b) Formwork
A temporary structural element, which supports slabs, beams in casting concrete. It shall be
designed and erected to safely support, vertical and lateral loads that might be applied until such
load can be supported by the concrete structure.
❖ Period of removal (minimum):
▪ Vertical formwork to columns, walls and beams: 16 hrs
▪ Soffits formwork to slab: 21 days

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

▪ props to cantilever slabs: 14 days


▪ Soffits formwork to beams: 21 days
▪ Props to cantilever beams: 14 days
c) Reinforcement Bars
The type and diameter should be clearly stated and shall be measured in Kg.
III. Masonry Works
Masonry works are works that are executed by laying building material units of specified
dimension through a binding material such as mortar.
Stone obtained from quarries shall be hard and sound, free from vents, cracks, fishers,
discoloration or other defects that will adversely affect strength or appearance.
Stone chips to be produced shall not be less than 450 mm average and 380 mm in
individual length. Stone for various masonry works shall be selected and shaped as
follows:
▪ stone for facing works shall generally be selected for consistency in grain, color and
texture, throughout the work
▪ stone for below ground work shall be chiseled from natural stone
❖ Stone wall is measured by volume, whereas stone pavement is measured by area, specifying
thickness.
Exercise (5%)
Explain works found in Superstructure.
4.4. Taking off
This is a process of measuring or scaling dimensions from drawings and recording all
dimensions in an easily understood format. This is coupled with the descriptions in the drawings
and specification. In this task the quantity surveyor “take off” the quantities from the drawings
and determines the volume of work to be done for the various components.
These quantities are calculated in a specially prepared format, as to aid accurate
preparation and enable checking/rechecking or adjusting of amounts and correcting
errors if any.
These special formats are called “Take off sheets” or “Dimension Paper”.
The dimension paper used for taking off is usually double-ruled as shown (A4 size) next
page.
Column 1 is used for stating the number of times an item occurs and is called the
timising column.
Column 2 is called dimension column as it is used to enter the dimensions of the items
of works.
The dimensions are entered in the order indicated below: Length, Width, Height or
Thickness.
Column 3 is called squaring column. The stated dimensions in column 2 are multiplied
to determine the quantity of the work either in ml, m2, m3 or in Pcs. or No.
Column 4 is called description column and description of the work item is briefly stated .

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

Take off Sheet


Client Date ___________
Project Name/Type Page ______
Location/Address _______
1 2 3 4 (Description) 1 2 3 4 (Description)

Contractor Supervisor

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

A separate sheet (Bar Schedule) is used to prepare reinforcement quantities as shown below.

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 3

The Process of Quantity Surveying


II. Squaring
The dimensions entered in Column 2 are squared or cubed as the case may be,
multiplied by the timising factor, and the result entered in Column 3. This task is
called squaring.
All squared dimensions should be carefully checked by another person before
abstracting, and if correct the item should be ticked with red. Use two decimal places.
III. Abstracting
The squared dimensions are transferred to abstract sheets and all similar dimensions
are collected in the same category to obtain the total quantity of each item.
IV. Writing the final bill
After the abstract sheets have been completed and checked, the final bill of quantity is
written.
The dimensions are copied from the abstracts, and as each item is transferred it should
be ticked by a vertical line from the abstract sheets.
The description of each item in the final BoQ should be short, precise and descriptive
as per the specification.

Basic principles of taking Off


The following tasks are part of the Taking Off:
▪ Describing the item,
▪ Bracketing (relating the description to the quantity),
▪ Timising,
▪ Dotting on (adding to the timising factor),
▪ The Ampersand (ditto),

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

▪ Waste calculations,
▪ Deduction of items,
▪ Correction of dimensions (nullifying).
1. Drawings shall be fully understood and clearly detailed.
2. Works, which cannot be measured accurately, shall be expressed as provisional quantity
(PQ) and will result in provisional sum (PS) and lump sum (LS)
3. There shall be the understanding that measurements are taken to the nearest cm.
4. Built items shall generally include all possible entrants like labor, materials (including
storing, loading, unloading and handling), fixing, use of plant and equipment, wastage
of materials, equipment; which will result in a better process for establishing prices and
profit.
5. Prior knowledge of the regulations is necessary (For E.g. roofing is measured in
horizontal projection).
6. Measurements of civil works shall be carried out in such a way that it can be easily
checked and audited.
Types of taking Off
Mensuration – the calculation of geometric quantities such as length, area, and
volume, from dimensions and angles that are already known.
Girth (perimeter) computation –linear measurement. There are various methods of
taking off quantities for computation of girth.
In- to- in and out- to-out method –some wall lengths are taken out to out and others
in to in (offsets are added to out to out lengths) and same are deducted from in -to-in
lengths; used for any type of measurement irrespective of condition of symmetry.
Centre line method –suitable only when the cross sections of all walls are
symmetrical. In this method Centre line length is found and same is used for taking
off quantities (therefore only width and depth vary).
Crossing method –lengths and breadths of walls as shown in plan are taken for
working out various items and this method is useful only if the offsets of footings are
symmetrical.
A. Out – to - Out and In – to – In Method
▪ Long Wall (Out – to - Out ) = Inner Length + 2 Times Thickness of the Wall
▪ Short Wall (In – to – In ) = Inner Length - 2 Times Thickness of the Wall
B. Center Line Method
▪ All dimensions are taken center to center
C. Crossing Method
▪ Long Wall (Out – to - Out) = Inner Length + 2 Times Thickness of the Wall
▪ Short Wall (In – to – In) = Inner Length
4.5. Bill of Quantity
Bill of Quantities

The Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is defined as a list of brief descriptions and estimated quantities. The
quantities are defined as estimated because they are subject to admeasurements and are not expected to
be totally accurate due to the unknown factors which occur in civil engineering work. The objective of
preparing the Bill of Quantities is to assist estimators to produce an accurate tender efficiently and to
assist the post- contract administration to be carried out in an efficient and cost-effective manner. It
should be noted that the quality of the drawings plays a major part in achieving these aims by enabling

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the taker-off to produce an accurate bill and also by allowing the estimator to make sound engineering
judgments on methods of working. Figure 4.1 shows a sample of a bill of quantities.

Bill of quantities sample

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

The bill of quantities, when completed, is traditionally presented in trade format; that is, in a given
order, for example:

- Demolition and alteration


- Groundwork
- Concrete work
- Masonry
- Etc.
Also, the bill of quantities is classified into the following work groups:

- Civil works which includes: Earth works (leveling, excavation, backfilling, transportation
of excavated soil); Foundation works (plain and reinforced concrete, piling foundations);
Brick works (internal and external); Skelton reinforce concrete (columns, beams, slabs and
stairs); Water proofing; Staircases; Plastering, Flooring; Painting; Metal works (windows,
doors, accessories); etc.
- Sanitary works which includes: Water feeding systems; Internal and external plumbing works;
Finishes of plumbing works; etc.
- Electrical works which includes: Electrical cables; Wiring; Accessories; Internal connections;
etc.
- Mechanical works which includes: Air conditioning systems; Elevators; etc.
Measurement Practice
It is vitally important that measurement practice applied to buildings is both accurate and consistent.
There are a number of situations that require a quantity surveyor to measure and record dimensions
from both drawings as well as on site, depending on the stage of the project. In order to standardize
measurement rules and conventions, there are a number of standard codes and methods of measurement
that are available. These are outlined below.

There are various approaches to measurement for bills of quantities and these are as follows:

- Each (numbers): Piles, doors, Windows, Precast concrete, etc.


- Length (meter): Windows sills, Pipes, Skirts, stair steps, etc.
- Area (Square meter): Flooring, painting, plastering, Brick walls (12 cm or less), etc.
- Volume (Cubic meter): Brick walls (>12 cm thick), Excavation, Backfilling, Reinforced
Concrete, etc.
- Weight (Kg): Metallic works, Reinforcement steel, etc.
- Lump Sum: Some electrical and plumbing works, Manholes, etc.
- Effort (Man-day): Renting of equipment or labor, etc.
1 Earth works
Earth works comprises site level, excavation, backfilling and transportation of excavated material.

Excavation:
- Quantities are calculated based on the dimensions of the foundation in plans from the owner
perspective.

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

- Contractors should consider the excess of material excavated to all for safe operations.
- Prices differ based on the soil type, deep of excavation, ground water level, site location,
shoring system, Equipment used, etc.
- Unit of measurement is cubic meter (volume).
- Consider the following example

Plan and cross section of building foundation

The length of excavation = 5.4 × 2 + (4.4 – 2) × 2 = 15.6 m

Depth of excavation = 1.8 m

Width of excavation = width of plain concrete footing = 1.0 m

Volume = 15.6 × 1.8 × 1.0 = 18.8 m3

- Consider another example (Figure 2.4). Plain concrete dimensions (1.2 × 2.0 × 0.2 m),
reinforced concrete footings dimensions (0.8 × 1.6 × 0.4 m); depth of excavation 1.2 m and
ground beams cross section is (0.25 × 0.4 m). Find the volume of the excavated material (see
Figure 2.4). Distance between centerlines is 5 m.

Footing foundation plan and cross section


Excavation for footings = 2 × 1.2 × 2.0 × 1.2 = 5.76 m3

Excavation for smell = (5 – 2 × 1) × 0.6 × 0.25 = 0.45 m3

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

Volume = 5.76 + 0.45 = 6.21 m3

Backfilling:

Backfilling quantities calculations


- Unit of measurement is cubic meter (volume)
- Backfilling = Excavation – volume of all works inside the excavated pit (footings, smells,
column necks, brickwork, etc.) + amount above GL (or – amount below GL) as shown in the
above figure.
- Consider the example shown in above figure, the volume of backfilling could be calculated as
follow:
Volume of backfilling = excavation – concrete – brick

Volume of concrete = 15.6 × 1 × 0.4 = 6.24 m3

Volume of brick = 15.6 × 0.4 × 1.4 = 8.736 m3

Volume of backfilling = 18.8 – (6.24 + 8.736) = 3.824 m3

Site leveling:
- Measured in m2 (area) if thickness less than 30 cm.

- Measured in m3 (volume) if thickness more than 30 cm.


Soil transportation:
- Transported soil = vol. of exc. – vol. of backfilling + additional soil at site
- Add swelling factor based on the soil type: 5% sandy soil. 15% clayey soil and 25% for
demolition material. (Owner or contractor)
2 Concrete works:
Concrete works comprises of both plain concrete (PC) and reinforced concrete (RC).

Plain concrete (PC):


- Measured in m2 (area) if thickness < 20 cm.

- Measured in m3 (volume) if thickness ≥ 20 cm.


- Average thickness should be mentioned when measurement is done by area.
Reinforced concrete (RC):
- All RC elements measured by volume (m3) except hollow block slabs measured by area (m2).
- Domes, cylindrical roofs and shells measured by area in the horizontal projection.

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3 Brick works:
The rules and precautions that should be followed when measuring brick works are described in the
following figure

- Measured in m2 (by area) if thickness <25 cm.

- Measured m3 (by volume) if thickness ≥25cm.


- Deduct all openings.
- Deduct half the area (volume) of arches.
- Deduct all Concrete elements.
- Facades are measured by area.
- Separate item for each brick type

Cross section of brick walls


4 Plastering:
Plaster works are measured according to its location of being internal or external works.
Internal plaster work measured as it is (engineering measurement).

Internal Plaster:
- Engineering measurement by area (m2).
- All openings are deducted.
- All openings sides are added.
- Inclined slabs are calculated based on their horizontal projection.
External plaster:

- Measured by area (m2).


- Openings with areas < 4 m2 are kept with deduction.

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Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

- Deduct half the area of the openings ≥ 4 m2.

- Openings with areas < 4 m2 are kept with deduction.


- Cantilever slabs < 1 m projection not added.
- Add half the area of cantilever slabs ≥ 1 m.
Example Application: Substructure

As with most measurement exercises it is good practice to start with a taking-off list containing all the
items that have to be included on a Substructure – taking-off list:

• Site preparation Removing trees and shrubs

Lifting turf

Top soil/removing/preserving

• Excavation Reduce levels/disposal of excavated material

Excavating trenches/disposal of excavated material


/filling/surface treatments

• Earthwork support to sides of reduced level/sides of trenches


• Concrete Foundations

Beds/formwork/damp-proof membrane

• Masonry Brick walls/facings

Forming cavities

Filling to cavities
Damp-proof courses
Site levels

Virgin sites will almost certainly be covered with a layer of vegetation that has to be removed prior to
excavation and stored separately or removed from site. Top soil cannot be used for backfilling as it
would, over time, cause damage to the substructure. The usual default depth for topsoil is 150 mm
although it could be more than this and a test pit may be dug to accurately determine the actual depth.
The following figure shows a 5 m grid of a survey of levels taken on a proposed site.

Grid survey of the proposed site

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The site is required to be reduced to a level of 35.62 and in order to calculate the volume of excavation
required the average level of the site must be determined. This can be quite easily done by calculating
the average level:

Average site level = (35.90 × 5 + 35.86 × 3 + 35.89 × 2 + 35.92 + 35.84 × 2 +

35.88 × 2 + 35.85 + 35.87 × 2) / 18 = 35.87 m

Reduced site level = 35.62 m

Average excavation depth = 0.25 m

Total excavation volume = 0.25 × 25 × 10 = 62.5 m3

The following figure shows the ground floor plan of the building with the external and internal walls.

Ground floor plan showing external and internal walls


A cross-section through the trench and reduced level excavation required for the external wall in the
Example application is shown below. Note that the levels have been reduced internally by 150 mm to
allow for a 150 mm thick bed of hardcore. The top of the hardcore bed when compacted will be
covered or blinded with sand to prevent the damp proof membrane, a layer of polythene sheet with a
minimum thickness of 0.30 mm, being perforated by the hardcore. It is important that the material
used as hardcore is inert and free from chemicals, vegetable or other deleterious matter. It is a
requirement of the Building Regulations that insulation is incorporated into the floor construction and
in this case 50 mm thick rigid insulation board has been used. The bottom of the trench excavation
when completed will be compacted prior to the concrete being poured, this is to prevent the soil being
incorporated into the concrete and weakening the mix. This is particularly important when reinforced
concrete is being used, where it is common to blind the bottom of the excavation with a weak mix
concrete before the reinforcement is placed in position.

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

Cross sections of external and internal walls


Working space
Working space is to be measured in circumstances where workmen have to operate in situations that
require them to work in trenches below ground level, for example when working with formwork,
rendering, tanking or protection. It is measurable as a superficial item where there is less than 600 mm
between the face of the excavation and the work; all additional earthwork support, disposal, backfilling
and breaking out are deemed to be included with the working space item. This is another contractor’s
risk item as he must decide and price what space he thinks is required as illustrated in the following
figure.

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

Work space allowance


The different quantities take-off is shown as presented below.

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

4.6.Exercises
1. Consider the following figure, it is required to prepare a quantity take-off for the following
types of work to be included on the bill of quantities:

a. Excavation.
b. Backfilling
c. Plain concrete footing
d. Reinforced concrete footings and smells and column necks till the ground level.
e. Insulation.

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu
Contract, Specification and Quantity surveying Chapter 4

2. Consider the following figure; find the same requirements as above.

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Instructors: - Ayele Mandefro, Biruk Tibebu and Mikias Alemu

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