Q&C 2 Flashcards
What criteria should be considered when deciding on tenderer?
a. Price
b. Method statement
c. Health & safety
d. Environmental
e. Resources
f. Supply chain
g. Technical
What would you do if the lowest tender has lowest quality?
a. Implication of this should be explained to client - high maintenance costs
b. Clients decision ultimately
What are the dangers of accepting the lowest tenders?
a. They may have missed some of the works
b. Quality may be lower than other tenders had allowed
c. Once on site, they may try to recover costs by large variations / claims for EOT & L&E
d. Could lead to adversarial relationships
What happens if tender returns higher than cost plan / PTE?
a. Could be market differences
b. Delay / lag in tendering works e.g. 3 years on landscaping package
c. Need to reconcile major differences
d. VE process to tackle those elements
e. Design may have been developed much further since cost plan
How would you deal with an error in tender return?
a. Option 1 - amend errors arriving at new tender sum, inform the contractor who can choose to confirm or withdraw
b. Option 2 - same process but contractor can confirm, amend of withdraw
What would you do in a traditional procurement route, if the tenderer returned an alternative tender with a different method of construction?
a. Assuming I had asked for it, assess with others & give recommendation with client
b. Ask for compliant tender
How do you deal with qualifications within the tender?
a. Procedure should be outlined when you go out to tender in the instructions
b. If unauthorised it might disqualify the tender
On what grounds would you advise the client to retender?
a. Not enough tender returns
b. Tendering process believed to have been compromised
c. Retendering is believed to achieve different results
d. VE /design changes
How do you carry out a tender evaluation?
a. Breakdown of tenders, check to ensure no errors, quantities ok and no exclusions
b. Follow JCT procedure if errors found
c. Compare against PTE to check high / low rates & prepare tender queries / report
d. Ensure all tender amendments made have been incorporated during tender process
What is included within a tender report?
a. List of tenders received
b. Initial returns total
c. Any qualifications identified
d. Post-tender adjustment
e. Revised tender sums
f. Issues to be resolved
g. VE proposal
h. Comparison of tender returns
i. Comparison with PTE
j. Recommendation
Describe the QS role in the tender process?
a. Produce PTE with available design information
b. Prepare tender document pack for submission to subcontractors
c. Receive tender returns
d. Form tender query schedule, post-tender interviews, VE workshops
e. Tender alignment report
f. Tender recommendation report
What is a guaranteed maximum price?
a. Lump sum contract whereby there are no adjustments to the contract sum unless the scope is amended by client instructions
b. Tenders give one price which is maximum price
ADV
i. Greater price certainty
ii. Contractor takes risk
iii. Greater control of overspending
iv. Quick settlement of final account
DISADV
i. Client pays too much - inflated MC risk
ii. Scope changes very expensive
iii. Adversarial - DD or scope change
iv. Hard to hold MC to lump sum if client makes a lot of changes
What is a target cost?
a. Incentivises the contractor by offering an agreed bonus for completing the contract below the agreed target cost
b. Conversely, damages may apply if target is exceeded
What are pain / gain mechanisms?
a. Client / contractor share the rewards / costs of the project
What is a PTE?
a. Pre-tender estimate
Can if there is inadequate design, however would advise not tendering until design is sufficient for a breakdown price - need to know market cost of
element
i.
b. Shouldn’t contain any prov sums or allowances
c. Based off tender information and can occur at any stage of the construction process
What is the ICMS?
a. International construction measurement standards
b. Provide greater consistency in global constructing
c. 1st issue focused on capital costs
What is the ICMS trying to solve?
a. Currently lack of common language & framework
b. Benchmarking standard
What are the benefits of ICMS?
a. Construction costs to be consistently & transparently benchmarked
b. The causes of differences in costs between projects identified
c. More informed decision making about design & location of projects
d. Data used with confidence for construction financing & investment
What is the IPMS?
a. International property measurement standards
b. Creation of an internationally used process for measurement of building
Should you use IPMS over COMP?
a. Yes as it is the newest best practice document
Tailor to my client’s needs - a lot of internal benchmark data will be based on RICS measurement, therefore there will be cost disparity between the best
practice routes
b.
c. On the RICS website there is a converter from IPMS to RICS code of measurement practice 6th edition
How do the IPMS standards compare to COMP 6th?
a. IPMS1 - GEA / Balconies are included but stated separately
b. IPMS2 - GIA / Balconies are included
c. IPMS3 - NIA / Included columns, piers, window reveals, lift lobbies but stated separately
Can you describe what’s changed with IPMS1?
a. Requirement to measure & separately state balconies, covered galleries, open lightwells, external staircases, accessible roof tops
b. GEA may increase significantly
c. May increase planning / statutory charges (section 106, 278, CIL)
Can you describe what’s changed with IPMS2?
a. Specific to office use
b. Internal dominant face: Defined as the inside finished surface comprising of 50% or more of the surface area for each vertical section forming an internal perimeter
c. Vertical Section: Each part of a window, wall or external construction feature where the inside finished surface area varies from the inside finished surface area of the
adjoining window
d. Calls for greater granulations of area information
i. Vertical penetrations - lift shafts / risers
ii. Structural elements - walls & columns
iii. Technical services - plant & motor lift rooms
iv. Hygiene areas - WCs, shower rooms
v. Circulation areas - corridors
vi. Amenities - cafes, fitness, prayer rooms
vii. Workspace - occupy-able areas available for personal
viii. Other - balconies, car parking, storage
e. Creates commonality across properties = design occupancy benchmarking
Can you describe the changes in IPMS3?
a. Internal dominant face occurs here too
b. Includes the footprint of all internal walls & columns
c. Where there are party walls, area is taken to the centre line of wall
d. 3a) External areas
e. 3b) GIA - internal areas including internal walls
f. 3c) NSA - net sellable area (floor plate), doesn’t include walls etc (most similar to NIA)
g. Reason is to account for different international standards
What is the internal dominant face?
a. The inside finished surface comprising of 50% or more of the surface area for each vertical section forming an internal perimeter
What are the issues with IDF?
a. Raised access floors, suspended ceilings & bulkheads - do they affect the dominant face proportion to above or below the 50% threshold
b. Skirting & decorative elements are deemed to not form part of the wall, as such they would form part of the IPMS 3 calculation
c. Opportunity for interpretation is problematic - at what point does a 120m thick wall lining cease being decorative element & become dominant face
What is the future of IPMS?
a. Duplication of effort will be required until the market / clients are happy with IPMS
b. Increase in time required, analysis & therefore fees
c. Dominant face must be clarified at feasibility stage as will be critical to minimise risk of appraisal viability erosion
What are the 3 NRM documents?
a. NRM1 - Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works
b. NRM2 - Detailed measurement for building works
c. NRM3 - Order of cost estimating and cost planning for building maintenance works
How would you cost a volumetric model?
a. At an early stage, cost per £/ft2
b. Similar to a building, start with frame unit
c. CLT beams & columns
d. Fully electrical MEP system
e. SVP runs outside unit
What assumptions would you make at feasibility stage?
a. Façade depth
b. Façade system
c. Assumed height of perimeter glazed elements
d. Floor to ceiling height
e. Perimeter heating / cooling strategy
What are overheads?
a. The costs of head office set up & administration proportioned to each contact by the main contractor
b. Excludes:
i. Visiting management & staff for which an allowance has been made within the MC’s prelims
ii. Extraordinary support costs for which an allowance has been made within the main contractors preliminaries
What is profit?
a. The amount of net profit that the MC needs to achieve
What are the ER’s in terms of MC prelims?
a. Site accommodation
b. Site records
c. Completion & post-completion requirements
What are the cost items within prelims under NRM1?
a. Management & staff
b. Site establishment
c. Temporary services
d. Security
e. Safety & environment protection
f. Mechanical plant
g. Temporary works
h. Cleaning
i. Fees & charges
j. Insurances, bonds, guarantees & warranties
What are other project costs under NRM?
a. Land acquisition
b. Employer finance
c. Fees (planning, licenses, permits)
d. Charges (highways, services)
e. Planning contributions (106, 278)
f. Insurances
g. Marketing costs
What are the risk categories under NRM1?
a. Design development
i. Inadequate / unclear project brief
ii. Unclear design team responsibilities
iii. Unrealistic design programme
iv. Ineffective QS procedures
v. Planning constraints
vi. Constructability of design
vii. Ineffective design coordination
viii. Reliability of area schedules
b. Construction
i. Inadequate site investigation
ii. Contaminated ground
iii. Asbestos
iv. Existing services
v. Statutory undertakers
vi. Availability of materials
vii. Incomplete design
viii. Health & safety
ix. Defects
c. Employer change
i. Specific changes to requirements / brief
ii. Changes in quality / spec
iii. Changes in time
iv. Variations
v. Effect on construction duration
vi. Cumulative effect of numerous changes
d. Employer other
i. Land acquisition
ii. Employer finance
iii. Fees (planning, licenses, permits)
iv. Charges (highways, services)
v. Planning contributions (106, 278)
vi. Insurances
vii. Marketing costs
What items would you include when measuring a basement?
a. Excavate & disposal of topsoil (m3)
b. Basement retaining wall (m)
c. Prep excavated surface (m3)
d. Waterproofing (m2)
e. Concrete to basement slab & walls (m3)
f. Reinforcement (t)
g. Formwork (m2)
h. Finishes to concrete (m2)
How does NRM split prelims?
a. Information & requirements (qualitative)
i. Project particulars
ii. Tender / contract docs
iii. Scope
iv. Quality control
v. Tender procedure
vi. Management of the works
vii. Security
b. Pricing schedule (quantitative)
i. We as a PQS cannot quantify MC prelims as it is for the contractor to interpret information provided to them as part of the t ender process
ii. Divided into ER’s & MC items e.g.:
iii. Management staff
iv. Site accommodation
v. Services & facilities
vi. Mechanical plant
vii. Temporary works
What are preliminaries?
a. Cost of administering a project & providing plant, site staff, site based activities & other items not included in the rates for measured works
b. Use NRM2 as definitive guide
Can you describe how you would price a construction element of your choice?
a. Install guide wall m3
b. Excavation m3
c. Disposal m3
d. Secant piles
e. Female install depth m
f. Male install depth m
g. Reinforcement t
h. Capping beam m3 concrete
i. Reinforcement t
j. Formwork m2
What is a bill of quantities?
a. An itemised list of materials, parts and labour required to construct, maintain or repair a specific structure
What is the composition of a BoQ?
a. Form of tender
b. Summary
c. Preliminaries
d. Measured work
e. Risks
f. Prov sums
g. Credits (for materials arsing from works)
h. Dayworks
i. Annexes
What is a tender?
a. A submission made by a contractor in response to an invitation to tender
How would you put together tender documents?
a. Invitation to tender
b. Instruction to tenderers (date & time for return, programme, scoring matrix & confirmation of receipt)
c. Conditions of proposed contract
d. Prelims, pricing doc (BoQ)
e. Specification
f. Drawings
g. ER’s
h. CP’s
i. Pre construction health & safety information
j. Site information
k. Form of tender (details relating to offer including lump sum they are offering to finish works)
l. Submission of bona fide tender (entering contract with good intentions0
m. Return envelope
What are the key tender documents to remember?
a. Letter
b. Invitation to tender
c. Form of tender
d. Contract amendments
e. Pricing document
f. Drawings
g. Specification
h. Relevant surveys
What is a tender return?
a. A tender is a submission made by a prospective supplier in response to an invitation to tender
b. Makes an offer for the supply of goods or services
What information would the instructions to tender contain?
a. Date for return
b. Address to return to
c. Site visit details
d. Programme length
e. Confirmation of receipt
f. How tender should be submitted
What is the form of tender?
a. A pre-printed formal statement in which the tenderer fills in name, address & sum of money offered to carry out the works
What are the contractors proposals?
a. Contractors response to the ER’s
b. Key documents to consider at tender return review
c. Plans, elevations, design proposals, sections
d. Specification, workmanship, materials
What are the employers requirements?
a. Set out client requirements regarding function, size, accommodation, quality
b. Level of detail depends on how much design has been done prior to tender
c. Normally includes current state of planning permission
d. Should detail level of design, structure & specification
Can you give me some typical cost/ft2 for prime residential sector?
a. Substructure - £20-40/ft2
b. Frame - £60-80/ft2
c. External walls - £60-100/ft2
d. Internal walls / doors - £25-40/ft2
e. Finishes - £90-120/ft12
f. Fittings - £60-80/ft2
g. MEP - £120-140/ft2
h. Lifts - £8-16/ft2
i. BWIC -£6-10/ft2
j. Shell & core -
k. Fitout - £200-300/ft2
What is a preliminary enquiry letter & what would you include?
a. 1 month prior to tendering, letter to ascertain firms willingness to submit a bona fide tender
b. Sufficient information given to allow for decision
c. Information of other requirements - Collateral warranties, bonds, PCGs
How did you decide which contractor to go out to?
a. Preliminary enquiries based on design team recommendations / MC
b. Issued PQQ
c. Took into account financial situation, relevant experience, capability & health and safety records
What is a provisional sum?
a. Where work cannot be described & given in accordance with NRM, it shall be given as a defined or undefined provisional sum
What is a defined provisional sum?
a. Relates to work that cannot be accurately measured, but there is sufficient information about the works to allow planning, programming and pricing of
prelims
b. Contractor can only claim for an increase in cost of physical works
What is an undefined provisional sum?
a. Work that is less well described and where the contractor cannot be reasonably expected to make an allowance for them in programming, prelims, planning
b. May be entitled to EOTs / additional payments
c. e.g. work below an existing structure, where the ground conditions & extent of work required cannot be determined until demolition
d. Client typically bears the price & scheduling risk
How would you price a provisional sum?
a. All dependant on the level of information available
b. Use DWGS to ascertain any possible quantities & build up rate based on contract rates of similar work
c. Price allowances for access, abortive works, BWIC
d. Specialist spec / plant - use market testing / benchmarking
e. Included oh&p
What is a prime cost sum?
a. It is a supply only rate for materials or goods where the precise quality of those materials or goods is unknown
b. Excludes all costs associated with fixing or installing, all ancillary or sundry materials, prelims, design fees, OH&P
How would you agree a prime cost?
a. When agreeing prime costs the only costs should be the supply + oh&p
What are some examples of provisional sums on your job?
a. Signage (125k) / pool and spa fitout (£300k)
b. Cupola removal, storage, repair, reinstatement (£50k)
What is CAT A / CAT B?
cat a - basic landlord fit out, sockets + MEP, RAF, Suspended ceilings, Blank canvas
cat b - More tenant specific fit out, partitions and doors, floor finishes, av/it, branding
What is the difference between shell & core to other finished methods
a. No definitive split
b. Landlord & core areas
c. Structure, roof, receptions
d. Contractors split differently into a package by package basis
How do you take quantities off a BIM model?
a. Extract quantities to costX
b. Pre-completed template, extract into dimensions group
c. Quantities only as good as the inputs
d. Automatically tracks changes as model updated
What is the purpose of RICS code of measuring practice?
a. Purpose is to provide succinct definitions to permit the accurate measurement of buildings & land
What is GEA?
a. Gross external area
b. Area of a building measured externally at each floor level
What is GIA?
a. Gross internal area
b. Area of a building measured to internal face of perimeter walls at each floor level
What is NIA?
a. Net internal area
b. The usable area within a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level
What are typical exclusions in GEA?
a. External balconies
b. Canopies
c. Voids over or under structural, raked or stepped floors
d. Greenhouses
What are typical exclusions in GIA?
a. Perimeter wall thickness
b. Same as GEA
What are typical exclusions in NIA?
a. Toilets
b. Corridors / circulation areas
c. Lift rooms / plant
d. Internal structural walls, columns etc.
e. Space occupied by permanent ACU
f. Vehicle parking areas
How would you measure steel?
a. Measure by lm
b. Converter changes it to kgs - then price into tonnes
c. Allowance for connections (3-5%), intumescent paint
How to measure concrete?
a. Formwork m2 for surface
b. Formwork lm for edge
c. Concrete m3 = thickness x area
d. Rebar t
e. Price for finish
f. For slab - PT tendons t
How to measure internal wall partition?
a. NRM2 - m2 E/O for items not covered
How to measure concrete column?
a. Length x pi r2
How to measure basement?
a. Site set up / cabins / hoarding
b. Ground surveys
c. First layer excavation
d. Pilling matt
e. Rig / install secant pile wall
f. Environmental tests
g. Standard excavation
h. Temporary props
i. Capping beam
j. Raft slab
k. Waterproofing (grade required)
l. Install permanent columns
m. Remove temporary
n. Install level slabs
o. Close
How to measure external walls?
a. Brickwork
b. Cavity
c. DPC
d. Insulation
e. Vapour barrier
f. Plasterboard
g. Wall finish
What is a variation?
a. It is defined in the JCT contract as the alteration or modification of the design, quality or quantity of the works, including:
i. Addition, omission or substitution of work
ii. Alteration to kind or standard of materials used
iii. Removal from site any work or materials not in contract
How would you measure a variation?
a. Check against contract drawings
b. Measure abortive / omissions
c. Measure additions
What is the schedule 2 quotation in the JCT contract?
a. The amount of the adjustment to contract sum including and L&E
b. Effect of instruction on any other work
c. Contract rates, measures, prelims needed
d. Any adjustments to time required
e. Fair & reasonable assessment of cost
f. Where specified in CAI - method / additional resources
g. Variation for which the contractor has submitted a VQ shall not be carried out until he receives a confirmed acceptance
What is daywork?
a. Means by which a contractor is paid for specifically instructed work on the basis of the cost of labour, materials & plant plus a mark-up for OH&P
b. Where additional work cannot be valued in accordance with measured work or CDP
What is a deed of variation?
a. Used to amend an existing contract. It contains optional clauses by which a 3rd party guarantor may consent to the variations
