Computer aided estimating for civil engineering contractors.

746 Pages·2017·12.94 MB·English

Loughborough University
Institutional Repository
Computer aided estimating
for civil engineering
contractors.
ThisitemwassubmittedtoLoughboroughUniversity’sInstitutionalRepository
by the/an author.
Additional Information:
• ADoctoralThesis. Submittedinpartialful(cid:28)lmentoftherequirementsfor
the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.
Metadata Record: https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/17215
Publisher: (cid:13)c Andrew Noel Baldwin
Rights: ThisworkismadeavailableaccordingtotheconditionsoftheCreative
CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives4.0International(CCBY-
NC-ND4.0)licence. Fulldetailsofthislicenceareavailableat: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc-nd/4.0/
Please cite the published version.
LOUGHBOROUGH
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
LIBRARY
<I.UTHOR/FILING TITLE
gA~.-I:>wt"' A r-.1
-----------------------~----------------------
--- -- -----------------------------------------......
4CCESSION/COPY NO
--·-.;o;:-r..~;;--------1-c}~~i~¥~~-----------------
, .
t - ---
I
I
~
I
'
~~ U-j...J-~,J-tr<;J:t:~tt--ffl:N. -1~!1!:1 '
.3 NOV ~
rVe_~
- 6 JUL 1990
..5 JUL 1991
'-vv• ·-
1
. \ . I '
COMPUTER AIDED ESTIMATING FOR
CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS
by
Andrew Noel Baldwin, M.Sc.,
B.Sc(Hons), C.Eng., M.I.C.E.
A Doctoral Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the Award of Doctor of
~Loughborough
Philosophy of University of Technology.
July 1982
ANJ>e~w NOEL BA~"vll\l
@) J-ovGtHBoedvCtH VNIV~I&SIT-j OF IE:Crl/'JDL.oGf /96'2
-
...
r..~rbcrough Unlvw-.
•f Te cbllelol.v L~r«y
- ~ 'S-'!..
--
a-
...
->/o
I I '2..'1. "q, '1-_
'
"
• >
SUMMARY
At the start of the research the impact of computers upon
the world of estimating for civil engineering works had been minimal
and barely touched the six thousand middle sized companies within the
construction industry, The challenge of the research was to:
determine the requirements of a computer aided estimating
system for civil engineering estimators:
to design a system to meet those requirements;
to produce and field test the system:
to explore the use of estimator's data within other
functions within the contractor's organization,
A study and critical appraisal of previous research ant.! the
six types of existing estimating systems was made to determine why
computers have failed to make an impact upon this area of the
construction industry, The estimating and tendering process was
examined by interviewing eight estimators from three different civil
engineering companies a minimum of four times over a period of one
year. Eleven existing methods of task analysis were examined, were
found satisfactory for the analysis of the estimator's tasks for the
purpose of the research, A hybrid method of analysis was developed
which was used to analyse the estimator's tasks for the purpose of
producing a Specification for a computer aided estimating system,
The system was produced by an iterative method of design,
development, testing and re-design until an acceptable solution was
reached,
.•
The system was tested by:
installing a minicomputer within the estimating department
of a civil engineering contractor's organization and
inviting six estimators to test and comment on the system;
demonstrating the system to individuals and groups of
practising estimators from forty construction companies
where comments on all asspects were noted,
As a result of the research a computer aided estimating system
that was acceptable to civil engineering estimators was produced, To
date eight such systems have been installed within contractor's offices
and this fact gives some indication of the success in meeting this
main obJective, The other outcome of this work is:
the determination of the implementation and user support
requirements for the introduction of computer aided estimating
systems into contractor's organizations;
the production of user support facilities for the system
including a comprehensive user manual and training programmes
for the system,
In addition the work has created a platform for the construction
of a completed linked suite of construction management programmes
unavailable before because of the paucity of existing computer aided
estimating systems,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents i
Appendices Vi1i
Figures ix
Tables X1ii
Acknowledgements xiv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 The Case for Using Computers in Estimating 1
1.3 Extent of Computer Use in Estimating 2
1.4 Estimators' Reasons for not Using Computers 3
1.5 The Research Undertaken 4
1.6 Aims 5
1.7 The Work Undertaken 7
1.8 Main Findings 11
1.9 Guide to the Thesis 22
2.0 The Estimating and Tendering Process 26
2.1 The Parties Involved in a Civil Engineering Contract 29
2,1.1 The Promotor 29
2.1.2 The Engineer 30
2.1.3 The Contractor 30
2.2 Methods of Selecting a Contractor 30
• 2.3 Estimating Methods 35
~ 2.4 The Estimating and Tendering Process 37
2.4.1 The Receipt of the Contract Documents and the 38
Decision to Tender for the Work
The Project Study and the Selection of an 39
Appropriate Method of Construction
2.4.3 The Selection of Sub-Contractors 43
• 2.4.4 Obtaining Materials Quotations 47