Construction Management 582
Heavy Construction Estimating

Course Introduction

Overview

Welcome to Construction Management 582. Estimating is a combination of art and science. The more you get to know about construction methods, sequencing of work, resource estimates, and bidding strategies, the more you will excel in estimating. If you are interested in exploring how an estimate is developed for public infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and earthwork projects, then this course will provide you with the basic knowledge you need to start estimating heavy construction projects.

This course covers principles and methods used in cost estimating and pricing heavy construction projects. Topics include

• a structured estimating process;
• earthwork operations;
• pavement-work operations;
• pile foundations;
• concrete operations; and
• general requirements and bid pricing.

Each topic includes doing quantity take-off, using standards and specifications, and determining the work crews required to execute the job. In addition, some topics will include detailed explanation of the construction methods involved, and all will be illustrated with examples. You will also use the contract documents, specifications, and plans of actual highway bridge projects from Alberta and California to complete one of the assignments.

Last, you will investigate and prepare a term paper on heavy construction methods or estimating, and take a final exam.

Prerequisites

To take advantage of all this course offers and to actively participate in the learning process, you need knowledge of construction methods and materials. Therefore, you must have an undergraduate degree in either construction management or civil and environmental engineering before enrolling in this course.

Learning Objectives

On completion of this course you will be able to

• describe the characteristics of heavy construction projects and their contracts;
• develop a structured estimating process in unit price estimating;
• develop estimates for earthwork operations, pile work operations, pavement work operations, and concrete work operations; and
• prepare general requirements and price heavy construction projects.

Required Materials

Textbooks and Other Readings

Heavy construction is a broad field of specialties that no single book can comprehensively cover. While there are many books about heavy construction methods, there are very few on heavy construction estimating. The instructions and work in this course, therefore, will rely on the required textbooks and chapters taken from the recommended texts.

You will need to purchase the following textbooks:

• R. S. Means Metric Construction Cost Data. Kingston, MA: R. S. Means Construction Publishers & Consultants, 2007. ISBN 087629865-X
  This book covers major cost data in the United States and Canada presented in the metric system. It will help you complete course assignments and, more than that, will be very helpful in pricing heavy construction projects for your company. Since most federal work uses the metric system, the metric version of the book will be most helpful. We will be talking about this book, but if you are not familiar with the R. S. Means annual Cost Data books and would like more information, you may also wish to consult:
• Peurifoy, R. L. and Oberlender, G., 2002. Estimating Construction Costs. Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill Books
  This book is an excellent reference in estimating; it covers the basics for many of the topics we will be discussing in the course. Several chapters will be used in lessons of this course. The book has excellent coverage of estimating topics in building construction, and good coverage of heavy construction. Further, the book comes with a copy of the software program Heavy Bid, which you can use to practice estimating.

You will also be required to read selections from the following texts, although you will not need to purchase them:

• Bartholomew, Stuart H. 2000. Estimating and Bidding for Heavy Construction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0-13-598327-4.
  This book reasonably explains the estimating process, quantity take-off, excavation, drill and blast operations, concrete operations, and bid pricing. The two chapters we will use in this course are available at the "CM 582 Readings" link in your online syllabus.
• Clark, J. E. 1983. Structural Concrete Cost Estimating. Columbus, OH: McGraw. ISBN: 0-07-011163-4.
  This book emphasizes mainly the form work and concrete operations of heavy construction projects. This magnificent text describes the estimating process for concrete operations in bridges. This text will be supplied to you when you register for this course.
• Clough, Richard H. and Glenn A. Sears. 1991. Construction Project Management, Third Ed. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The selections we will use in this course are available at the "CM 582 Readings" link in your online syllabus.

Technology

You will need to be able to use the following electronic tools in order to participate in this course:

• The threaded online discussion board for this class provides you with a place to exchange ideas outside of class, any time, from any Internet-connected computer.
• The online turn-in area for assignments avoids e-mail attachments and makes it easier to collect, manage, and download your work. You will submit some of your work using this tool.
• Software applications: in order to view some of the material and complete some of the assignments, you will need to be able to use a word processor such as Word, a spreadsheet such as Excel, and the presentation program PowerPoint.
• Streaming video: this course includes two videos; to view them, you will need to have Microsoft's Windows Media Player installed on your computer. You can download and install this software for free from.
  

Course Structure

The course is ten weeks long, so you should spend approximately one week on each of the ten lessons (described below). You'll find a course schedule in your online syllabus.

You are expected to spend from six to nine hours per week in reading and doing assignments. The more the time you spend in reading about heavy construction, the more proficient you will become in heavy construction estimating.

Lesson One: Introduction to heavy construction Projects

This lesson describes the major characteristics of heavy construction projects and the types of contracts and documents routinely used in their procurement. Through online streamed video, you will explore two, large heavy construction projects, the Canadian Confederation Bridge, and the Vancouver Elevated Guideway. In assignment 1, you will explore the actual standards and specifications used by states and provinces in the procurement of heavy construction projects. Lesson topics include

• characteristics of heavy construction;
• where to find heavy construction bids in the United States, Canada, and world;
• heavy construction unit price contracts and an overview of contract documents; and
• major heavy construction estimating software (HCSS).

Lesson Two: Structured Estimating Process

This lesson describes a structured process for estimating heavy construction projects, and explains how this process is useful in the preparation of project estimates, and subsequent project cost control. Elements that affect the estimate of projects are described. After explanation of the principles with examples, you will have the opportunity to develop a work breakdown structure, or WBS, of an actual bridge project, including description of CSI/Uniformat codes that might be used in the WBS. Topics include

• a structured estimating process and estimating forms;
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), CSI Masterformat, and Uniformat;
• cost elements or resources, including labor, material, equipment and sub-contractors; and
• bid pricing, including overhead costs and mark-up.

Lesson Three: Earthwork Operations

Figure i.1—Hydraulic Excavator Caterpillar 375 L ME

Courtesy of http://www.cat.com

This two-week lesson covers estimating of earthwork operations, including clearing and grubbing, earthwork and excavation, and hauling operations, including techniques such as mass diagrams and the contour-grid method. Examples show the functioning of these techniques. You will estimate earthwork operation of an actual project in assignment 3. Topics covered include

• QTO, specifications, and units;
• equipment, work crews, and production rates;
• mass diagrams and contour-grid area methods; and
• estimating factors or elements, costing, and pricing.

Lessons Four: Highway Pavement Works

This lesson covers highway pavement operations. Topics include

• concrete and asphalt pavements;
• QTO, specifications, and units;
• equipment, work crews, and production rates; and
• estimating factors or elements, costing, and pricing.

Lesson Five: Pile Foundation Works

Pile foundations are an important part of heavy construction. This lesson covers

• concrete piles, steel piles, sheet piles, and drilled shafts;
• pile foundation equipment, work crews, and production rates; and
• estimating factors or elements, costing, and pricing.

Lesson Six: Structural Concrete

This two-week lesson addresses structural concrete. The first week focuses on form work and reinforcements, and the second week emphasizes concrete placing, curing, and finishing. Topics include

• form work for foundations, walls, columns, piers, and bridge decks;
• QTO, specifications, and units;
• equipment, work crews, and production rates; and
• estimating factors or elements, costing, and pricing.

Figure i.2—Segmental Bridge Construction

The second week on structural concrete covers concrete placing, curing, and finishing, including

• QTO, specifications, and units;
• equipment, work crews, and production rates; and
• estimating factors or elements, costing, and pricing.

Lesson Seven: General Requirements Estimating

This lesson addresses general requirements and bid closing, including

• general requirements;
• indirect costs;
• mobilization;
• subcontract quotes; and
• unbalanced bids.

Lesson Eight: Exam Preparation

This lesson addresses how to complete the course, including completing and submitting your final paper or report and preparing for the final exam.

Assessment

All elements of the course will be assessed, with the following weight given to each:

40%	Lesson Assignments
15%	Term Paper
10%	Discussion-forum Participation
35%	Final Exam

Submission Process and Deadlines

You will submit your responses to lesson assignments on or before the due date, normally within one week using either an e-mail attachment, or the online turn-in area. I will mark and comment on the answers.

About the Term Paper

There are two parts to the term paper:

• in the second week of the course, you will select a topic and a company to study, and submit a project proposal for the instructor's approval;
• you will then complete your term paper and submit it during the last week of this course.

See the course schedule in your online syllabus for exact due dates for your project proposal and term paper.

The term paper accounts for 15% of the course grade, distributed as follows:

• 30% report organization, writing, and illustrations, and,
• 70% report contents and coverage.

Submit your term paper either in the "Term Paper" section of the online turn-in area, or via direct e-mail attachment to the instructor.

Your term paper should be a word-processed file supplemented by spreadsheets for quantity take-off and estimating sheets. You are strongly encouraged to include illustrations of construction methods, and they will be considered in the grade for your paper.

To write your term paper, you will consult with a general-contracting or subcontracting company. You will report on the construction method and detailed estimate of a selected work item of a heavy construction project undertaken by this company. If no company or project is available to you, you may do the research for your paper by reading articles and books about the subject you choose.

The Project Proposal

Your project proposal should include description of the work you are going to cover and estimate, and the expected organization of the report.

The following are examples of construction-work items your paper can focus on:

• Pile foundation
• Road work and paving
• Underground utilities
• Site work operations
• Concrete operations
• Pre-stressing tendons in pre-stressed post tension works/bridges
• Bridge or highway construction
• Cable stays in cable-stayed bridges
• Box girders in box-girder-bridges

The Term Paper

Your final term paper should describe at least the following:

• Company and project
  • Company name, location, type of work, clients, and annual volume
  • Project name, location, owner, bid amount, bidding, and contract including delivery system, procurement method, contract type, and selection process.
• Construction method
  • Operations involved in the construction method
  • Logic among the operations of the construction method
  • Cycle time and production rate for the construction method
  • Duration to do a unit of the job and the total job using the selected construction method
  • Other methods that could be used instead of the selected method
• Work crews for each operation of the construction method
  • Equipment, including type, production rate, and hourly rate
  • Labor, including type and hourly rate
• Cost estimate
  • Quantity take-off and take-off sheets
  • Complete and detailed direct cost estimate
  • Indirect cost
  • Pricing parameter

Final Exam

You will take the final final examination for this course in person. Please see the Online Student Handbook in your online syllabus for details about arranging for your proctored exam.

Strategies for Success

Read the online lesson narrative, carry out the reading assignment for the lesson, and then complete the lesson assignment.

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