Wednesday, August 5, 2009

#12 Project Schedule Cash flow predictions

Cost estimates for labor, materials and equipment without an overhead and profit component represent direct costs for on site construction activity.



Overhead cost estimates represent off-site indirect costs including home office management of the project, cost line of credit or borrowing, insurance, training, safety programs...



The ratio of construction activity direct costs between labor, materials and equipment will vary by type of activity, using NCCE we can view cost ratios;



-site grading can be accomplished with large equipment and a relatively few workers per piece of equipment and minimal material costs



-asphalt paving requires a large cash outlay for materials, use of large pieces of equipment and a relatively large number of workers per piece of equipment, but the material cost dominates



-layout work is skilled labor intensive with no accounting for equipment costs, it is possible to provide cost for stakes and reference points but they represent a relatively minimal cost for the task



For the purposes of creating cash flow predictions we will group labor, equipment and material into a single cost value.



The payment voucher reports this value plus overhead and profit as "completed and stored to date". The payment received by the GC from the owner is this value less retainage less received to date.



Assuming the project delivery each voucher period is a perfect match to the project schedule, in reality some tasks will have problems that produce delays and some items may have been scheduled with excess pessimism.

Assuming cash outflow cost are experienced simultaneous with task activity.

Cash outflow from the GC for "direct costs" on-site cost items may be due at differing times;

Labor;

-payroll each week

Materials;

-pay when ordered

-pay before delivery

-pay when received

-30 day payment

Components;

-pay in advance for shop drawings

-pay deposit for fabrication

-pay before delivery scheduled

-30 day payment

Equipment;

-portion of lease and maintenance cost applied to task

-rental payment in advance

-portion of equipment loan and maintenance applied to task

As we noted from a previous assignment comparing labor, materials and equipment costs with duration of project a single material group "asphalt" may have a disproportionate impact on cash outlay.

The objective of the scheduling exercise is to provide the GC's team with information on optimal resource allocation. The MS Project software provides for the opportunity to test differing scenarios.

The object of the cost estimating and schedule of values exercises in conjunction with scheduling provide the GC's team with information on allocation of cash resources and advance information on borrowing or line of credit needs.

Final assignment due Sunday August 9 not later than midnight;

Introduce a change order for wood light poles assume approved for voucher period #2
Revise schedule of values, MS Project Schedule and multi line graph.

For the purpose of the exercise delete the entire metal pole assembly and replace with the wood pole assembly.

Discuss how this change impacts the GC and the Owner.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

#11 Return to GC's Project Schedule - Lead Time - Submitals - Delivery

Identify off-site tasks;

Subcontractors;
-scope of work
-negotiate subcontract
-availability
-equipment to be supplied by GC
-materials to be supplied by GC

GC workforce;
-trades required for tasks, scope of task
-trades available within GC's permanent workforce
-trades to be hired for task, for project

GC equipment;
-equipment required for tasks
-equipment available within GC's stable
-equipment to be rented/leased
-equipment to be purchased
-fuel and service equipment during project

Materials;
-materials required for tasks
-identify GC or subcontractor supply
-identify sources
-negotiate cost, deliver or GC pick-up
-identify submital requirement and approval schedule

Components
-components installation tasks
-workforce and equipment requirements
-submital and approval schedule
-negotiate cost, deliver, or GC pick-up

Clean-up

-GC workforce required for general site mantainance and periodic clean-up

Example;

Off site arrangements for task; Metal light pole system;

Subcontractors;
-Rigger
-Excavator
-Concrete Sub
-Electrician

Equipment;
-Boom truck by rigger
-Auger and trencher by excavator
-Bucket truck by electrician

Materials;
-Concrete; order and pay ready mix by concrete subcontractor
-tube form; supply and install by concrete subcontractor
-reinforcing cage; supply and install by concrete subcontractor
-conduit and cable; supply and install by electrical subcontractor
-PA 2B or stone dust cable trench fill by excavation subcontractor
-crushed stone base for concrete by excavation subcontractor

On site inspections
-3rd party engineer inspections by GC's testing subcontractor
-Local building inspector, call inspection request by GC's site supervisor

On site layout including elevation reference
-Layout survey crew by GC's survey consultant

Components -Metal Light Pole
-Negotiate price, delivery and ordered by GC
-Setting plate for top of concrete base (set by concrete sub from reference by layout crew)
-Light pole (rigger install, electrician wire)
-Light fixtures (rigger hang fixture, electrician wire and install lamp)


Assignment; for Wednesday;
MS Project insert lead time; submital, order and delivery for light poles as a sub element under light poles.
You may negotiate with subs and suppliers before notice to proceed but probably not have a contract with subs or place order for components until order to proceed is issued.


Coming next:

#12 Project Schedule Cash flow predictions

Final assignment due Sunday August 9 not later than midnight;


Introduce a change order for wood light poles assume approved for voucher period #2

Revise schedule of values, MS Project Schedule and multi line graph, Discuss how this change impacts the GC and the Owner.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

#10 Payment voucher/cash flow


Text Chapter 11 Controlling Project Cost, Time and Quality; Construction Project Management by Gould and Joyce

Project Estimated Cost / Project Actual Cost Difference
-Subcontracts
-Materials
-Components
-Labor
-Site Conditions

Project Control and Monitoring / Feedback Loop
-Reports from field
-Schedule adjustments
-Ontime resource supply
-Task duration
-Communication/direction
-Anticipated/unanticipated items

-OSHA compliant site
-Trash and debris control

-Staging and handling materials and component delivery

-Quality control procedure


Excessive Project Control
-Understanding knowledge base of the workforce and subcontractors and learning curve.

Tracking tasks;
-Scheduled activities
-Duration
-Resources/shared resources
-Preceding and dependent tasks
-Direct task costs
-Indirect task costs

Cash Flow
-Scheduled payments to; suppliers, subcontractors, workforce...
-Overhead costs prorated to schedule payment periods
-Projected payment voucher receipts

Project Meetings
-Present; owner rep, architect/engineer, lender rep, agency rep, GC...
-Progress reporting, schedule revision, items of concern, anticipated progress.

Payment Voucher Project Meeting
-Items/tasks percentage complete for payment voucher meeting
-Documentation and submital requirements for task
-Meeting site walk through; is site organized, neat and undercontrol.



Assignment for Monday;
Prepare G703 for all 6 vouchers periods, include columns and totals for labor, materials, equipment, overhead, profit, total claimed to date each period and retainage.

Use excel to prepare a multi color line graph for items above; dollar vertical axis, time horizontal axis.

Include a few paragraphs below your graph and discuss your analysis of the information in the graphs


Coming next:
#11 Return to GC's Project Schedule - Lead Time - Submitals - Delivery
Assignment; for Wednesday; insert lead time; submital, order and delivery for light poles

#12 Project Schedule Cash flow predictions
Final assignment due Sunday August 9 not later than midnight;
Introduce a change order for wood light poles assume approved for voucher period #2
Revise schedule of values, MS Project Schedule and multi line graph,
Discuss how this change impacts the GC and the Owner.

Monday, July 27, 2009

#9 Schedule of values - Project Schedule - Value engineering

Schedule of Values
The bid may include a requirement for schedule of values formatted to work with AIA G703.

Information presented in a uniform format from all bidders will ease the process of bid evaluation.

Scheduled items that vary wildly across the bidders may indicate;
-the bid documents including drawings and specification are not adequately conveying information to the bidders.
-some of the bidders are not sufficiently experienced for this type or scale of project
-low prices may indicate a bidder profit margin to low for viability
-high prices may indicate a bidder that may not want to win the bid, but wants to be keep on the bid list for future projects.

The schedule of values may be modified in contract negotiations in the period between identification of the winning bid and contract signing;
-the GC may adjust values to better reflect actual costs as information from subcontractors and suppliers is refined, without changing the total agreed bid price.
-the Owner may request changes to reflect their analysis of the proposed work schedule and the owners own cost estimate, without change to the total agreed bid price.

The schedule values include overhead and profit percentage modifiers, which are GC's internal information only.





The owner may use the schedule of values in combination with the Project schedule to predict each months payment request value, to establish borrowing needs.

The GC may use the schedule of values in combination with the Project scheduled and additional excel columns for overhead and profit to predict project cash flow needs and profit potential during construction.

Project Schedule

A project schedule based on items from schedule of values will be prepared by the GC in the period between wining the bid and contract signing. The owner may required a detailed Gantt schedule for complex project with time critical elements.

The GC will for internal management use develop a more detailed Gantt schedule including time critical activities;
-negotiate and schedule material and component deliveries
-negotiate and schedule subcontractors
-submital schedules and shop drawing procedure
-resource management of equipment and workforce across multiple projects.

Value Engineering
Ideally value engineering should be part of the design process from feasibility through to issue of bid documents;
-asphalt surface or gravel, the gravel is porous and may reduce the costs for stormwater management, but will potentially increase operating costs for maintenance and potential damage to cars from loose gravel.
-overhead power to light poles, reduce trenching and conduit costs, but less attractive
-wood light poles in auger holes with compacted soil rather than metal poles with concrete base, lower cost but less attractive.

Value engineering during feasibility may inform the owner and guide budgetary discussion;
-how long will the site be used as a parking lot?
-what does the potential parking lot customer expect from an airport parking lot?
-what services and qualities do competing airport parking lots provide?

The owner for budgetary reasons may decide that that the aesthetic qualities of the parking lot represent a necessary cost for competitive reasons.

Value engineering prior to issuance of bid documents, may inform the owner on options for construction types that produce the quality desired within projected maintenance constraints at a lower cost.

Value engineering by the owners team may be performed by the design team, owners own staff or an independent value engineering consultant. The produce of the value engineering activity may be incorporated into the final bid documents, or may be provided as alternates for bid;
-the owner decides asphalt paving is a necessary expense for quality, liability and maintenance of the parking surface, but changes from metal light poles with concrete base and conduit, to wood poles with compacted auger hole and overhead wires producing same surface illumination at lower cost.

The owner may have light pole change as part of the bid document or keep the metal poles and have the wood poles as as alternate.

Value engineering during contract negotiations, may be driven by bid costs higher than anticipated or economic forces reducing project funding or projected revenue;

The owners team with the GC's team review the construction documents and specifications for potential cost saving items.

The procedure for value engineering before a contract is awarded should be provided in the information to bidders, and may include value engineering discussion with a number of the bidders.

The product of value engineering will be part of the revised schedule of values and contract drawing revisions.

Value engineering after construction contract signing, may be driven by the same pressures as during negotiations; economic conditions, changes in owner borrowing, changes in projected revenue.

Changes may be proposed by the owners team, or the owner may request the GC to investigate potential cost reductions.

Changes after the contract is signed will change the contract value by "Change Order".

Assignment for Wednesday;

Add three columns to your excel version of G703; overhead 12%, profit 12% and scheduled value sum of estimated cost + overhead + profit.

MS Project Gantt schedule for schedule of value items using duration from NCCE or guesstimate, with preceedors (some of you already have this)

Produce a G703 with work completed the first payment period, 1 month. Items in progress can be claimed as a % complete of scheduled value.

Coming next;

#10 Payment voucher/cash flow
Chapter 11 Controlling Project Cost, Time and Quality; Construction Project Management by Gould and Joyce
#11 Return to GC's Project Schedule - Lead Time - Submitals - Delivery
#12 Project Schedule Cash flow predictions

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

#8 Cost Estimate and Bid Documents

Read Chapter 7 Bidding and Procurement in Construction Project Management by Gould and Joyce
Factors of Bid Process

If a project has the ingredients necessary to return a good profit, the motivation to bid is high.

The factors that make one company succeed over another include:
- Relationships with key subcontractors
- Knowledge of and experience with the specific type of project
- Ability to buy out the job
- Estimating capability
- Project team setup
- Safety records
- How efficiently they conduct their business
- Overhead costs

Direct costs + Indirect Costs = Cost of the work
Cost of the work + % of Overhead and Profit = Total Cost to the Owner



Invitation to Bid/Bid Advertisement
-Abstract description of the project
-Critical time lines
-Contact information
-Information on obtaining bid documents
-Reference to regulatory requirements

Information contained within Bid Documents

-Instructions to Bidders
-Project Manual/Construction Documents
-Bidder Qualifications/Pre-qualified bidder
-Bid Form
-Alternatives
-Unit prices
-Bidder proposed alternatives
-Bid Addenda

Contractual Information
-Form of Owner/General Contractor Agreement (Contract)
-General Conditions of the Contract
-Special Conditions
-Bid Bond
-Performance Bond
-Insurance requirements
-Requests for bid clarification/question period and procedure
-Required prebid meeting
-Site availability to for prebid existing conditions review

Insurance

Workers’ compensation: State law that compensates employees who are injured on the job. (covers disability and medical treatments)

Comprehensive liability: Protects the contractor against third-party claims.

Builder’s risk: Property insurance for the building, while it is under control of the contractor. Protects against property damage during construction. (covers losses resulting from fire, smoke, water, explosions, vandalism, and theft)

Bonds

Bid Bond: If the contractor withdraws, he or she agrees to pay a percentage of the bid cost as stipulated in the bid documents—usually 5 to 10 percent of the bid itself.

Performance Bond: If the contractor goes bankrupt or otherwise cannot complete the work, the bonding company becomes liable for it.

Payment Bond: Also called labor and material bonds. This assures that the contractor will pay all the bills, thus leaving the owner unharmed by claims and liens.

Bid submital procedure
-Location Time and Date specific for receipt of bids and procedure
-Bid opening procedure, Location, Time and Date, public or private
-Definition of a complete and responsive bid

Bid analysis procedure
-Public agency requirements; public record
-Non-public entity; requirements developed to comply with regulatory requirements for entity
-Review of documents required with bid
-Review and comparison of bid total, requested itemized costs, requested unit costs, requested alternate costs, bidder offered alternates.
-Review of bidder qualifications and previous projects of similar type
-Review of credit history, accountants statement, current and prior legal actions.
-Review insurance and bonds

Contract Award procedure
Identify bid that conforms with definitions provided in bid documents for qualified responsive bidder in the best interest of owner, which may not be the lowest bidder. There owners bid team may identify a number of bidders that that fit this definition, the bid team may then meet with the bidders individually to review the bid before making an award of contract.

If a public entity; all bidders must be notified that a contract has been awarded, additional details for the notification may be required by regulation of the entity.

If a private entity; notification to other bidders of the contract award may be required by the structure of the entity and nature of regulation.

If any part of the bid process involves a publicly traded entity; Securities and Exchange Commission regulations must be followed, including limits on insider trading for all individuals that are part of the bid process.

Public agencies, publicly traded entities, private corporations and partnerships, and larger private entities will have legal staff review the bid procedure and award before an award is made.

Requirements; award of contract to notice to proceed
Upon award of contract the GC will commence assembling required project administrative documentation which may include;
-Project insurance for the site and proposed work
-General Liability insurance for the project, listing the owner
-Confirm other insurance including; workers compensation, vehicles and equipment
-Performance bond

Identify key GC staff for the project, and contact information;
-GC's Construction Management team and site supervision team

Schedule of Values
GC prepares final schedule of value for major work categories for use in payment request during construction, to be reviewed and approved by owners project team, with contract award total.

Project Schedule
GC prepares project schedule with major categories from schedule of value, to be reviewed and approved by owners project team. The GC for internal and project management use will prepare a more expansive and detailed project schedule.

Notice to Proceed
Upon satisfactory review by the owners team of required documentation, schedule of values and project schedule the owner will issue a "Notice to Proceed" with a specific date and time. The GC has sole control and responsibility for the project site, as defined in the notice to proceed, including access by owners team, until substantial completion.

The GC will commence preconstruction activity including;
-secure contract required permits and meet with local inspectors
-subcontract final negotiation and sign contracts
-material and component supply contracts
-meet with utility providers and confirm schedules
-initiate "One-Call" procedure
-schedule mobilisation activity

Commence on site activity

Assignment for Monday
Prepare schedule of values for payment voucher (major items without labor, material and equipment or quantity breakdown)
-Mobilization
-Storm water management during construction
-Site grade to establish rough sub paving grade
-Below grade permanent stormwater management system
-Light Pole complete system
-Curbing
-Paving system including stripping
-Concrete pads
-Prefab structure and gate control (allowance $175,000)
-Landscape (allowance $200,000)
-Permanent fence

Prepare project schedule for same items, an item may be subdivided into parts; A, B, C,... but don't create sub-elements for this schedule.
Use the crew hrs line for scheduled item duration from NCCE, or make a reasonable guesstimate.

Coming next;

#9 Schedule of values - Project Schedule - Value engineering

#10 Payment voucher/cash flow

Chapter 11 Controlling Project Cost, Time and Quality; Construction Project Management by Gould and Joyce

Monday, July 20, 2009

#7 Task cost estimate; mark-up, overhead, profit, competitive advantage

The preliminary cost estimate with subcontractor, material, component, including mark-up and labor costs, and general conditions items including temporary facilities, mobilization, on site testing and onsite management staff, will reach a development stage where further refinement produces minimal change and or time pressure to submit a bid establishes completion (at this time) of the cost estimate.

The cost estimate represent for the GC a prediction of the direct cost of performing the work of the contract, but does not include the cost of managing or funding the project

Overhead
Portion of home office expenses directly assigned to the project as a percentage of project cost
-Administrative staff and costs
-Office rent, lease or mortgage
-Utilities, insurance
-Cost of money; line of credit, direct borrowing, opportunity cost.

Profit
The GC's gross profit is the difference between all expenses to complete the project and the contract cost as expressed in the bid or negotiated with the owner/developer. A discussion on net profit is better left to accountants and tax professionals, and will in part be a function of the ownership structure of the GC.

The GC will establish a gross profit target to produce a cash surplus beyond the overall cost of the project. Part of the gross profit will be assigned to GC's expenses not directly allocated to the project; marketing, administrative cost for bids including those the GC does not win, accounting, legal costs...

The project target profit will be assigned as a percentage of the cost estimate and overhead.

Competitive advantage/disadvantage

An adjustment to the project bid price which may be a result of multiple cost factors including;
-Prior history of other bidders competing for the project
-Prior history of Owners project team including ability to timely meet financial obligations.
-Project time and location pressures
-Local political environment
-Local organized labor environment
-Local, regional and national economic environment including current economic and political events;

Philadelphia Stops Paying Vendors, Citing Cash Crisis
2:28 pm ET 07/17/2009- Dow Jones

By Peter Loftus Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES PHILADELPHIA (Dow Jones)-

-Philadelphia's city government has stopped paying its vendors and suppliers, citing a cash crisis. Mayor Michael Nutter on Friday blamed the drastic move on the failure of the Pennsylvania legislature to act on his request for authorization to raise the city sales tax and change the formula for the city's contribution to its employee pension plan. Nutter says these items are necessary to help close a projected city budget deficit of $1.4 billion over the next five years. The sixth-largest U.S. city by population will delay spending on anything other than payroll, debt service and emergencies, until passage in Harrisburg of a state budget and laws related to the sales-tax and pension proposals. Philadelphia's sales tax would increase by one percentage point to 8% for five years under the proposal.


A cost adjustment for competitive advantage or disadvantage will be an adjustment to profit. assuming the GC is confident that a competitive advantage over other bidders will provide for a increase in profit and still keep the bid price in a wining position; the GC may be able to realise an increased potential profit.
Factors that may place the GC at a competitive disadvantage may result in reduction in potential profit or a bid price that is not in a wining position.

Wishful thinking may cause a GC to ignore or minimize disadvantages and exaggerate advantages.

Coming next;
#8 Project bid cost estimate and documents required with bid
Chapter 7 Bidding and Procurement in Construction Project Management by Gould and Joyce

#9 Schedule of values /Project Schedule

#10 Payment voucher/cash flow

Chapter 11 Controlling Project Cost, Time and Quality; Construction Project Management by Gould and Joyce

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

#6 Task cost estimate; workforce, materials, equipment.

Using National Construction Cost Estimator (NCCE)

Quantity take-off
All construction estimating, by any software program or hand written, use as a first step a "take off" of unit quantity from the contract or construction documents.

A square foot of brick work installed will have a material, labor and equipment component. The Unit cost of a installed element, brick work, can be costed as a complete assembly based on historical data, or can be broken down to sub-elements each with their own historical cost data.

National Construction Cost Estimator and most estimating software provide both assembly costs and sub-element costs based on the software companies past construction industry cost research reduced to statistical means.
So by definition all cost data is not current, and may not accurately reflect true costs for specific conditions and a particular project.

The software approach to cost estimating produces values for a typical project by a typical GC. Each project and GC with have specific conditions that may not be accounted for in the software, and take-off elements may not have an exact correlation in the software data base.

The quantity take-off, or quantity survey (a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in the countries of the British Commonwealth and Ireland is a licensed professional) provides a detailed list of quantities and components that will become materially part of the finished project, and the processes and operations to complete the project.

The Estimators Role
The GC's estimating staff, or estimating consultant in the first run of a project estimate assigns dollar values based on the GC's cost data from previous projects, quotes from sub-contractors and suppliers, and assigned values from estimating software where real numbers are not yet available.

The GC's project staff will review the first run of the estimate with a preliminary project schedule and may make adjustments to schedule and estimate. The estimate develops with updated information.

Subcontractor and component mark-up
The GC's project staff will assign mark-up percentages to each subcontractor, components and activities that are not performed directly by the GC.

The estimate at some point in time before the bid due date will reach a stage at which further refinement produces minimal change.

The GC's project staff will then review and assign percentages for overhead, profit and competitive advantage.

The assignment for Monday will be a sub-element assignment of cost from NCCE for asphalt paving and curbing, assume subgrade below stone base has been established, include layout crew. Do not include overhead and profit.

Coming next;
#7 Task cost estimate; mark-up, overhead, profit, competitive advantage
#8 Project bid cost estimate and documents required with bid
#9 Schedule of values /Project Schedule
#10 Payment voucher/cash flow


To be discussed;


Monday, July 13, 2009

#5 Tasks, sub-tasks and preceeding tasks in MS Project

We are building a model of the work activity in the computer which can be manipulated, more time or less time for specific tasks, increasing or decreasing resources,... add in cost factors,... then produce predictions of cash flow and potential profit.

This is just preliminary modeling, in reality the GC will use feedback from work in progress and previous projects to produce better predictions and target problem areas.
There is a limit to utility of fine grained task information for example;
-Concrete footings; date start, date completed.

or

-Concrete footings; establish rough grade, survey crew stake out and reference datum, excavate, test soil bearing, L&I inspector on site, set rebar, concrete slump/air entrain testing, pour concrete, protect concrete. Preceding tasks/event would be rebar shop drawings procedure and order for delivery, order concrete. Dependent tasks/events for which the concrete footings are a preceding event will be foundation walls and backfill.

The degree of information granularity will be driven by the needs of the information end user.

Information for use in the Request for Payment Voucher only requires completion or percentage completion of the item.

For a window system;

Internal GC tracking of required window system submittal materials will require dates for; contract documents provided to fabricator, fabricators shop drawing and delivery schedule, shop drawings received from fabricator, shop drawings submitted to arch/eng, shop drawing review received from arch/ eng, shop drawing review submitted to fabricator, fabricator delivery date, installation crew scheduled.

The GC's accounting system will track payments to the fabricator for shop drawings, partial payment to commence fabrication, payments for fabrication completion before shipping, payment upon deliver,... and installation crew costs.

Depending on the level of GC's management sophistication there will be an ability to predict if the task "window system" will be completed as scheduled and produce the targeted profit.


Column inputs;
MasterFormat numbers are a low priority at this time, but will be useful later for tracking items or create a link back to specification sections, if you have the time make a new excel column or change a heading on one of the columns you are not using.

Utility Trenching:
Trenching is by linear foot, same dimension for pipe or conduit length, when pricing this item as an assembly the assembly will have costs for bedding material and fill as part of the assembly.

If we cost for conduit trenching machine "DitchWitch" then it becomes a simple calculation based on machine rental with operator, installation crew and pipe or conduit material cost. A Ditch Witch type trenching machine for conduit or pipe up to about 6" diameter that can be assembled and jointed outside the trench has a cost advantage over a backhoe cut trench with 24" or 36" bucket, but large pipe sections that must be assembled and jointed in the trench will probably cost out lower with backhoe rather than the larger trenching machines. It is possible to install very large pipe with jointing outside the trench with a large trenching machine but economy of scale savings will not be present for short pipe runs or pipe runs with many lateral connections.

http://www.ditchwitch.com/trenchers-plows/heavy-duty

OSHA requires shoring of trenching more than 4ft deep for safety of workers in the trench and also for support of equipment adjacent to a trench. The type of shoring will be a function of soil type and trench width. A safe work space can be created without shoring by over excavating trench sides to produce benches at not more than 4ft vertical step, but requires more excavation, and will limit close proximity to the trench sides for large pieces of equipment. Use of DitchWitch type trenching machines reduces the need for the workforce to enter a trench.



The take-off assignment produces raw data that can be used with software to produce a base estimate, then GC will adjust with their own historical information from previous projects and call subcontractors or equipment rental companies to seek reductions in costs, reduce labor, reduce task duration time.

Assignment for Wednesday #6

Application and Certificate of Payment AIA form G702 and G703

Create an excel spreadsheet for G703 columns A through I add B2 Workforce, B3 Materials, B4 Equipment. B2 through B4 are for GC's internal use only and are not part of the Certificate for Payment:

Rows:

01 General Requirements

-Mobilization

-Erosion Control

03 Concrete

-Pads

-Light pole base

31 Earthwork

-Site Clearing

-Site Grading

-Cut and Fill

-Rip Rap

-Trenching

32 Exterior Improvements

-Asphalt Paving

-Curbs

-Striping and marking

-Fence

33 Utilities

-Potable water

-Sanitary Plumbing

-Stormwater system

Produce cost values for the above categories in B2 through B4, using National Construction Cost Estimator and unit quantities from the previous exercise. Use subtasks and assembly unit cost from the Estimator.

Coming next;
#6 Task cost estimate; workforce, materials, equipment.
#7 Task cost estimate; overhead, profit, competitive advantage
#8 Project bid cost estimate and documents required with bid
#9 Schedule of values /Project Schedule
#10 Payment voucher/cash flow

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

#4 Quantity Survey /Take-Off

During the bid process the GC's estimator will have prepared a quantity take-off of the construction documents.

Estimating Software including;
-Means from McGraw-Hill
-National Construction Cost Estimator from Craftsman
Provide installed assembly, material, component, equipment and workforce unit costs. The publishers base unit cost on data collected from construction industry bids and actual costs, adjusted by location with updates at each log-on to their system.

More sophisticated applications of estimating software can integrate with construction documents containing BIM tags.

For this class using the Airport Parking Facility drawings, we will be taking a less sophisticated approach;

Measure drawings to produce assembly quantities;
-Square Foot site area
-Square Foot disturbed area
-Linear foot "super silt fence"
-Linear foot temporary security fence
-Square Foot site entrance "rip-rap"
-Cubic Yard, 6" deep vegetable soil to be removed (recycle yard less than 15 miles in Trainer PA)
-Cubic Yard cut and fill on site material
-Cubic Yard imported soil material (recycled material from Trainer PA)
-Linear foot storm sewer trench cut and fill
-Linear foot storm sewer and bedding
-Quantity new manhole
-Quantity modify existing manhole
-Linear foot electric conduit and trench cut and fill
-Number of light pole footing, and light poles
-Linear foot straight curb and linear foot curved curb
-Square foot prefab structure pads
-Square foot paved area, stone base, asphalt base, asphalt wear coat, striping
-Linear foot permanent fence

The gate, entry booth and gate control system will typically be supplied and installed by a control system subcontractor, but the GC will provide power, trenching and pads.

Please review General Conditions costs in National Construction Cost Estimator, for cost that are project costs but do not represent a direct cost for construction assemblies, these costs will be reported under Mobilization and may be prorated over the proposed contract period and will include temporary facilities such as site trailer, WC, temporary utilities, installation and removal.

Storm Water Management during construction is a contract requirement and will include erection, maintenance and removal. While this item is a temporary facility it will be costed and included on the payment voucher as a separate line item.

Assume all engineering testing is by the owners team.

Coming next;
#5 MS Project 2007 assign major tasks and sub-tasks
#6 Task cost estimate; workforce, materials, equipment.
#7 Task cost estimate; overhead, profit, competitive advantage
#8 Project bid cost estimate
#9 Schedule of values /Project Schedule
#10 Payment voucher/cash flow

Monday, July 6, 2009

#3 Task Dependencies and Predeccesors

"just one thing after another"


Commencement of a work task requires preceding events or tasks to be complete.


Each preceding event or task will have sub components with their own preceding events;


Workforce and subcontractors on site for tasks

-Hire or assign GC's workforce for project and task
-Negotiate and contract subcontractors, with defined scope of work and schedule
-Daily and or weekly assignments and locations on site


Materials and equipment on site for tasks

-Supplier contracts and payment periods

-Submital procedures and critical time lines

-Delivery schedules, and crew on site to receive deliver


Testing and inspection protocol

-Negotiate and contract with engineering testing company

-Meet with public agency inspectors to confirm inspection and notification requirements

Meet with and develop relationship with;

-Public agency inspectors
-Architect or engineer of record and designated representative.
-Owners designated representative or Resident Project Representative
-Utility providers designated representative
-Funding source or sources designated representative; bank, public agency, investor,...


A preliminary project schedule can be prepared using the identified tasks, and can be modified at any time with updated task information including adding or modifying predecessors, must start and must finish dates.


Distribute preliminary contract required "major items" construction schedule.

Distribute preliminary subcontractor schedule and calender.

Distribute schedule a values to owners project team only, prepared with total value equal to the contract value as awarded, using preliminary cost estimating from the bid process and updated with information from subcontractors and material and component suppliers


During the bid process the GC's construction cost estimating team will have prepared a quantity take-off, or quantity survey, of the bid documents and prepared a line item construction cost estimate.

Once the contract value has been established in the Owner/Contractor agreement the total value or any modified may only be by change order.

Coming next;
#4 Quantity Survey
#5 MS Project 2007
#6 Task cost estimate; workforce, materials, equipment.
#7 Task cost estimate; overhead, profit, competitive advantage
#9 Project bid cost estimate
#10 Schedule of values /Project Schedule
#11 Payment voucher/cash flow


The assignment for Monday July 13, 2009 due by email midnight Sunday July 12, 2009;

Assume all work is by subcontractor, use the drawing set and Construction Specifiers Institute Format to break the work down to major tasks and sub-tasks within those major tasks, then allocate work tasks to sub contractors, then create a scope of work for each subcontractor.

Insert the task information into MS Project 2007 and assign predecessors to each task.


In the following week we will use National Construction Cost Estimator 2007 to assign cost values to those tasks including; workforce, materials and components, equipment, overhead, profit and competitive advantage.


You can work with a partner, but submit your work separately and identify your partner.

Read Construction Project Management 3rd Edition by Gould and Joyce Chapter 9 and 10.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

#2 Define work by task part 2


Airport Parking Site Major tasks;

Temporary Facilities and Controls are items and tasks that are not part of the permanent installation. Usually organized at Division 01 in the CSI format;

-Site security Fence

-Storm water, erosion and sedimentation controls during construction

-Temporary utilities during construction

-Survey and layout

-Engineering testing during construction

-Site office trailer and WC

-Site janitorial and waste management

-Close-out procedures


Site work (CSI division 02); preparation or taking the site from existing condition to ready for new work, which may include; demolition, removing trees, removing vegetable soils and rough grade. Usually organized at division 02 in the CSI format; -Rough grade including permanent storm water retention swales, to reference datum establish by survey/layout crew.

-Haul and dispose of excavated material to be removed from the site, cut and fill will require some of the clean excavated material to be stock-piled on site.

-Import, place and compact engineered fill material to achieve design subgrade for paving system.

-Excavate for utility trenching including back-fill and compaction.

-Excavation and preparation including base materials for concrete curbs, pads and footings.

-Asphaltic Paving system including supply and placement.

-Paving stripping.

Concrete (CSI division 03); work will include placing and striking formwork, reinforcing bar and mat supply and placement, concrete supply, placement and finish, protection of concrete in place.

Metals (CSI division 05); work will include supply and install permanent fence system, the fence contractor will be responsible for supplying fence post hole auger and concrete.

Sub-Grade utilities;

Storm and Sanitary plumbing (CSI division 22), including supply and install; pipe, inlets, manholes,...

Electric supply and distribution (CSI division 26), including service connection, distribution panel, conduit, distribution, light poles,...

Prefab security booth and gate system (CSI division 13), including supply and install including control system wiring.

Landscaping (CSI division 32), including supply and install topsoil, mulch, plant materials and one year maintenance for plant material establishment.

Sample Scope of Work for Curbing Subcontractor;

Refer to attached drawing set Dated --/--/----;

Provide all materials, equipment and manpower required for complete installation of curbing as shown on the drawing set.

Coordinate with excavation contractor for preparation of curbing sub-base and backfill.

Coordinate with survey layout crew for curb location, curved curbs and top of curb elevation.

Coordinate with engineering testing field inspector for specification conformance of concrete, formwork, finish quality, control joints and expansion joints.

Coming next;

#3 Task Dependencies

#4 Quantity Survey

#5 MS Project 2007

#6 Task cost estimate; workforce, materials, equipment.

#7 Task cost estimate; overhead, profit, competitive advantage

#9 Project bid cost estimate

#10 Schedule of values /Project Schedule

#11 Payment voucher/cash flow

Monday, June 29, 2009

#1 Define Work by Major Task

The construction process is "just one thing after another"

All the things that make up a construction process can be be defined as tasks;

-Site clearing
-Foundation system
-Structural system
-Exterior wall systems
-Roofing Systems
-Interior finishes,...

Each task can be further broken down to sub-tasks within a larger task and the tasks can be allocated to the individual trades and subcontractors.

Construction cost estimates may be defined by the intended end use;
-Preliminary cost estimate for owner budget development, usually prepared by the design architect or engineer based on historical square foot cost data for similar projects and may be presented as range high-average-low.

-Design development cost estimate for owner budget development, prepared by the design architect or engineer, or by the owners construction manager, or estimating consultant; based on historical cost data and applied to the project for construction type, components and quantities.

-General Contractor bid proposal, prepared by the general contractors bid team and or an estimating consultant; using industry historic cost data, subcontractors and suppliers preliminary proposals to the GC, and the general contractors in house historical cost data on similar projects. The general contractor will then apply multiplier factors to the cost estimate to account for overhead costs, profit target, and bid competition.
Adjustment may be made up or down for known history within the industry of working with the particular owner, architect, engineer, construction manager, regulator authority,...

-The General Contractor upon being awarded the contract will prepare a preliminary project schedule and schedule of values for review by the owner project team which may include architect, engineer and construction manager. In preparing the bid the GC will have blocked out a preliminary schedule and reviewed sub-tasks within the schedule with subcontractors and suppliers for availability of resources.

The assignment for Monday July 13, 2009 due by email midnight Sunday July 12, 2009;

Assume all work is by subcontractor, use the drawing set and Construction Specifiers Institute Format to break the work down to major tasks and sub-tasks within those major tasks, then allocate work tasks to sub contractors, then create a scope of work for each subcontractor. Insert the task information into MS Project 2007 and assign dependencies to each task.

In the following week we will use National Construction Cost Estimator 2007 to assign cost values to those tasks including; workforce, materials and components, equipment, overhead, profit and competitive advantage.

You can work with a partner, but submit your work separately and identify your partner.


Read Construction Project Management 3rd Edition by Gould and Joyce Chapter 9 and 10.

Construction Management 2

CM2 will focus on scheduling, quanitity take-off and construction cost estimating from the perspective of the General Contractor.

Scheduling using MS Project 2007;
Current editions of MS Office Professional edition contain MS Project 2007.
MS Project 2007 is also available on some computers in the A&D building, check with PhilaU OIT for access.

Quantity Take-Off;
We will be using full size drawing, for the take-off section including; cut and fill calculations, stormwater management and environmental remediation.

Construction Cost Estimating;
Information from the quantity take-off will be used for construction cost estimating using "National Construction Estimator 2007 from Craftsman"

Project Cash Flow;
Data from the cost estimating program with overhead and profit factors will be used with the Schedule to inform cash flow, line of credit, gross profit and net profit.

Review impact of project delay from; owner, arch/eng, GC, regulatory, weather, industrial action,....

Review impact of project change order on cash flow and overhead and profit.