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CHAPTER V
Purposes of Estimation
The main purposes of costing or estimating are to:
- know the volume of work in reference to the fund available
- determine actual cost per unit of item
- identifying engineering estimate of the work for bidding purpose
- work out economical use of materials, labor and equipments
- in cases of variations to determine the extra cost to be incurred
- when changes in cost due to legislation happens, to work out the escalation in cost.
3. Revised Estimate
A detailed estimate prepared afresh when the original detailed estimate is beyond an acceptable
range. It should be accompanied by all the papers as in the case of the detailed estimate and also
should include the comparative statements of variations in each item of works.
4. Supplementary Estimate
When additional works are there, a fresh detailed estimate is prepared to supplement the original
work.
Total cost per unit of work (TC) may be grouped into two components; direct cost and indirect cost.
The direct cost (DC) includes cost due to material, cost due to labor, cost due to equipment, whereas
the indirect cost (IC) covers overhead costs, and contractor’s profit. Overhead costs are expenses for
general office facility, rents, taxes, electrical light, water, and other miscellaneous items.
In order to facilitate estimation of cost due to material, it is important to know the quantities of
various materials involved in construction of various parts of the building or construction work i.e.
material break down is essential.
Material Breakdown
1. Quantity of materials required for brick masonry laid in 1:4 cement mortar
Qty of brick masonry = 1m3 (4m2 for 25cm thick brick wall)
Size of one brick = 24x12x6 cm (common in Ethiopia)
Size of one mortared brick = 25x13x7 cm;
Volume of each mortared brick = 0.25x0.13x0.07 = 2.275x10-3m3
Number of bricks required = 1/ 2.275x10-3m3 = 440 mortared bricks per m3
Add 2% for breakage = 9
Take 450 bricks per m3 or 450/4 = 112.5 bricks/ m2; take 115 bricks/ m2
Volume of one nominal (un-mortared) brick = 0.24x0.12x0.06 = 1.728x10-3m3
Volume of 440 un-mortared bricks = 440x1.728x10-3m3 = 0.76032m3
Volume of wet mortar in 1m3 of wet masonry = 1 - 0.76032 = 0.23968m3
ASTU/Civil Engineering Department 3
Quantity Surveying, Specifications and Contracts (CENG-3002) Lecture Note
Factor of conversion of wet mortar into dry mortar (quantity for dry base analysis)
Volume of wet mortar in 1m3 of wet masonry = 0.23968m3
Add 10% for wastage = 0.023968m3
Sum Total = 0.263648 m3
Assume 20% voids in sand (Note that cement fills the voids b/n sand particles)
Volume of dry base analysis = wet mortar volume + increment because of voids in sand
= 0.263648 m3 + 20/100* 0.263648 m3
= 0.31638m3 ; nearly 30% of the volume of construction
Factor of conversion = volume of material required on dry base/ volume of wet mortar
= 0.31638m3 / 0.263648 m3 =1.2
Cement mortar of 1:4 mix by volume (1+4 = 5)
Qty of cement required = 1/5 * 0.316 = 0.0632m3/m3 of construction
Number of bags of cement = 0.0632m3/ 0.035 m3per bag = 1.81 bags per m3 of construction; 1.81/4
= 0.45 bags per m2
Qty of sand required = 4/5 * 0.316 = 0.253m3 per m3 of construction = 0.063m3/m2.
Exercise: Define qty of materials required to construct 1m2 HCB wall laid in 1: 4 cement mortar;
Take nominal size of blocks as 40x20x20 cm, 40x20x15cm, or 40x20x10 cm.
3. Quantity of Materials required for stone masonry laid in 1:3 cement mortar
Quantity of stone masonry work ….= 1m3
Quantity of undressed stone ………= 1.1m3 (taken 110%)
Quantity of mortar required……….= 0.35m3 (taken 35%)
Quantity of cement ………………. = 1/4 *0.35 = 0.0875m3 = 0.0875/0.035 = 2.5 bags
Quantity of sand required …………= 3/4 * 0.35 = 0.263m3
II. Unit price for C -25 concrete per m3 of work (formwork and reinforcement m/s)
Material cost
Cement = 7.1bags/m3* 50Br/bag = 355Br
Sand = 0.5m3*120Br/m3 = 60 Br
Coarse Aggregate = 0.75m3*120Br/m3 = 90 Br
MC = 505 Br/m3
Labour cost
The crew consists of a mason, two assistants, and four daily laborers at the wage rates given above
for brick masonry work.
Site Engineer/Manager 4000Br/month = 4000Br/(22days*8hrs/day) = 22.70Br/hr
For a utilization factor of 1/10 (for 10 formen under him)
= 22.70*1/10 = 2.27Br/hr
Forman daily wage = 40Br/day = 40/8*(1/4) = 1.25 Br/hr, for 4 crews
Mason daily wage = 30Br/day = 3.75Br/hr , UF = 1
Assistant mason daily wage = 20Br/day = 2.5 Br/hr, UF = 1
Daily laborers, daily wage = 10Br/day =1.25Br/hr, UF = 1
Labor out put (productivity) for the work = 2m3/day = 0.25m3/hr