RICS Q&A > Quantification and Costing > Flashcards

Quantification and Costing Flashcards

(38 cards)

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1
Q

What are the different NRM documents?

A
  • NRM 1 – Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works
  • NRM 2 – Detailed measurements for building works
  • NRM 3 – Order of cost estimating and cost planning for maintenance works
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2
Q

What are the NRM measuring elements?

A
  • Group Element 0 : Facilitating Works
  • Group Element 1 : Substructure
  • Group Element 2 : Superstructure
  • Group Element 3 : Internal Finishes
  • Group Element 4 : Fittings, Furnishings and Equipment
  • Group Element 5 : Services
  • Group Element 6 : Pre-fabricated Buildings and Building Units
  • Group Element 7 : Work to Existing Buildings
  • Group Element 8 : External Works
  • Group Element 9 : Main Contractor Prelims
  • Group Element 10 : Main Contractor OH&P
  • Group Element 11 : Project and Design Team Fees
  • Group Element 12 : Other Project Costs
  • Group Element 13 : Risks
  • Group Element 14 : Inflation
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3
Q

What are the sub-elements under group element 5?

A
  • 5.1 Sanitary Installations
  • 5.2 Services Equipment
  • 5.3 Disposal Installations
  • 5.4 Water Installations
  • 5.5 Heat Source
  • 5.6 Space Heating and Air Conditioning Systems
  • 5.7 Ventilation Systems
  • 5.8 Electrical Installations
  • 5.9 Fuel Installations
  • 5.10 Lift and Conveyor Installations
  • 5.11 Fire and Lightning Protection
  • 5.12 Communication, Security and Control Systems
  • 5.13 Specialist Installations
  • 5.14 Builders Work in Connection with Services
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4
Q

Can you name the Pricing documents?

A
  • Bill of Quantities (BOQ) – provides the quantities of materials or works on a project which the contractor then applies rates to.
  • Schedule of Rates (SoR) – a list of rates that is provided by the contractor from potential materials to labour, prelims etc where the quantities are unknown at that stage.
  • Contract Sum Analysis (CSA) – a document provided to the contractor with all works broken down, so that the contractor can fill in their quantities and rates to a specific format. Once all contractors have priced this the client team can then easily compare them against each other.
  • Schedule of Works (SoW) – simply lists all the works required (without quantities) that the contractor can then price.
  • Priced activity schedule – a list of activities that are priced and add up to the contract sum. Payments are then made against the completion of the activity rather than by specific material or works.
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5
Q

What is BCIS?

A

Building Cost Information Service

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6
Q

What is SPONS?

A

A pricing book widely used

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7
Q

What is CostX?

A

Measurement software that is BIM compatible

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8
Q

What is BIM?

A

Building Information Modelling

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9
Q

What is the ICMS?

A

International Construction Measuring Standards

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10
Q

What are location factors?

A

They are factors that allow for benchmarking costs in one location vs another

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11
Q

How do you build up a rate?

A

Labour, plant, material, overheads and profit, allowances

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12
Q

What section of the JCT does change management fall under?

A

Section 5, Variations

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13
Q

How does change management under NEC differ to JCT

A

Under NEC they use an early warning system and call variations compensation events.

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14
Q

What is a cost plan?

A

A cost plan is a document that includes anticipated costs of a construction project and is used as a guide by the QS throughout as a way of monitoring actual progress.

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15
Q

How does this differ from a cost estimate?

A

A cost estimate is a build up of the cost of a project

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16
Q

What is excluded from a cost plan?

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A
  • VAT, agent fees, client employee costs
  • Unforeseen site conditions
  • Tenant costs
17
Q

What typical design efficiencies do you use for data centre projects when undertaking a cost plan?

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A
  • Data Hall Density (look for 2.5kW/m2)
  • £/mW
  • £/m2
  • Net to Gross (Typically look for 60:40 NIA:GIA due to the plant space usually being larger in data centres)
18
Q

What is NIA, GIA and GEA?

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A
  • NIA= Net Internal Area = Rentable/usable area of building
  • GIA= Gross Internal Area = Area measured to the internal face of the perimeter wall.
  • GEA= Gross External Area = Measured to the external face of the building
19
Q

What are the different ways in which you can price data centre works?

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A
  • Elemental
  • M2 or Sqft
  • Per MW on Data centres
20
Q

What is a valuation?

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A

A valuation is an assessment of the works done at a specific point in time before the final completion of a project.

21
Q

What are the RICS guidance notes on valuations?

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A

RICS interim valuations and payment guidance notes 1st edition, first published August 2015

22
Q

What do the valuation and payment guidance notes include?

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A

The notes include guidance on how to prepare interim valuations. It goes through key principles, contract terms and uses of measurement rules.

23
Q

Which NRM doc would you use to complete measures for valuations?

24
Q

What is a final account?

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A

It is a conclusive financial statement of works completed for a construction project. It is the final agreed amount between employer and employee.

25
What does NRM stand for?
- New Rules of Measurement
26
What does NRM do?
- It is a standard set of rules published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the UK. This suite of guidelines provides a consistent framework for the cost management of construction and maintenance projects, covering everything from initial cost estimating and cost planning to the detailed measurement of works for pricing documents.
27
How do you measure brickwork under NRM?
- Brickwork is measured on the centre line of the wall in square meters (m²)
28
At what RIBA stage would you prepare a cost estimate?
- RIBA stage 0
29
What is a section 106 agreement?
- A Section 106 agreement is a legally binding contract between a developer and a local planning authority that makes a development acceptable in planning terms by securing developer contributions for community benefits
30
What needs to be in place to include payments for materials on site?
- The construction contract must clearly define an adequate payment mechanism, including how materials will be valued and when they become due. Both on-site and some off-site materials can be valued, provided they are safeguarded and a vesting certificate is issued.
31
What is a method of measurement?
It is a standardised rule or procedure on measuring a specific element of a construction project.
32
Why do we need methods of measurement?
In order to standardise and create consistency.
33
How does technology aid in measuring works?
- Allows measurement from digital files, no need to print off - Can import existing data to help speed up the process - Can collaborate in real time
34
What are the disadvantages of using technology to measure works?
- System crashes/ failures - Other users can amend or delete your work
35
Can you give an example of when you needed to carry out a measurement for a valuation and negotiated your position?
Recently I had to carry out a ductwork measure as the applied amount didn't match what I could see installed on site.
36
How did you manage the process between a stage 2 cost plan and a stage 3 cost plan?
Once the cost plan was submitted I attended review meetings and design meetings keeping a note of any proposed changes. Before the stage 3 design was released I undertook cost exercises on any potential changes in anticipation of what could be released at stage 3. Any amendments from stage 2 during this time were kept in a design tracker.
37
Talk me through how you went about putting your stage 2 cost plan together?
After receiving the stage 2 design pack, I reviewed the design pack to se what information was available, making note of what could be measured and what would require an elemental cost. Appropriate rates were used from cost data, benchmarking, market testing and when needed, building rates up from first principles.
38
Can you give an example of how NRM adapted rules from the ICMS?
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