CIVILS BITES

Quick, Distilled, and Discussed Civil Engineering Matters

Youtube Linkedin

BLOG POSTS

Latest Videos

Civils Bites

I have over 20 years of hands-on experience providing of civil engineering, cost management, and cost estimation services in the fields of infrastructure, transport, utilities, and urban regeneration. Starting off as a Construction Manager back in 1999, throughout my career I’ve tried to maintain strong professional relationships with my colleagues and business clients.

Civils Bites
Whole life cycle costs entail all costs related to the existence of a structure, from commencement to development, occupation, and activity, and removal. Whole life cycle costing is a technique for the structured economic assessment used to build up the absolute expense of proprietorship, or the whole life costing of choice evaluations. It is an organized methodology considering all expenses regarding a structure or office (including construction, renewals, occupancy, maintenance, environmental, operation, and end of life). In this manner, it gives a more powerful knowledge into long-haul expenses and investment funds, contrasted with ROI-based estimations. It very well may be utilized to create consumption profiles of a building or office over its expected life expectancy or characterized time of the investigation. Whole life cycling costing is viewed as an effective method of evaluating value for money than construction costs, which can bring about lower short-term expenses but higher continuous expenses through the term of the building. Estimate, Estimation, Cost Management, Civil Engineering, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Infrastructure Estimate, Estimation, Cost Management, Civil Engineering, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Infrastructure Whole life cycle costing is a procedure of giving data about the probable existence of a venture to empower decisions to be made with regards to value for money in the plan devising stages. Information about whole life cycle costs is made by various individuals at various phases of the project. Whole life cycle costing is a method used for estimating and dealing with the lifetime expenses of any project or resource. In construction, it empowers design choices to be contrasted according to a lifetime viewpoint to decrease the entire cost. The goal of the whole life cycle costing investigation is to choose the most financially savvy (least cost) approach among different choices to accomplish the least long haul cost of possession. One of the key benefits of whole life cycle costing is that it is an administrative decision method utilized in picking the best project among a few other options.
Optimism bias is the inclination of people to anticipate better compared to average results from their activities. Basically, Optimism bias in construction projects is the inclination, unknowingly or intentionally, to exaggerate anticipated advantages and minimize the degree of intricacy of the project bringing about underestimates of expenses and timetables. Optimism bias can prompt underestimation of the project term, misjudgement of its advantages, and underestimation of its absolute expense Why Optimism Bias Is Used in Civil Engineering? To work in a highly competitive industry, we really want a sound portion of positivism. However, there is a disadvantage to optimism, it makes blind points and blurs the analytical skills of individuals that they escape the realities. At one point, it can cloud our decisive reasoning and permit us to acknowledge ridiculous presumptions and assessments. Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Optimism Bias Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Optimism Bias One of the significant difficulties for any project is to make a feasible pattern timetable that guarantees the success of the project rather than setting its way for failure. Optimism bias is therefore used in civil engineering projects to prepare the project schedule along with the estimated costs and expected benefits. However, optimism bias ended up being broadly acknowledged as a significant reason for unreasonable scheduling for projects. While setting up the project base, a major concern is the value of the project, for instance, estimated costs and expected profits. One significant way of doing this to be certain of the project value is to really construct it, find whether individuals use it, and check whether it has the ideal impact. What’s more, we have the confusion of isolating the impacts of the change from different changes we make simultaneously. We can isolate the difference among appraisals and actuals into two sections: bias and random changeability. Bias appears when we sum up and measure the float from the real. It is widely known that in Civil Engineering projects optimism bias prompts evaluations of project terms that are around 20% more limited than real and with cost overwhelms of around half, even after a thorough conducted analysis. Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Optimism Bias Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Optimism Bias Strategy for Calculating Optimism Bias for Cost The following are the primary steps that are to be taken when calculating optimism bias for cost in a civil engineering project. Establish the reference class and the kind of project. Settle on the phase of the project. Settle on the appropriate upper-headed value for optimism bias given for the project. Determine the contributory variables to the upper bound optimism bias for the venture kind. Complete a risk evaluation of the contributory elements, knowing the “relief factor” (somewhere in the range of 0 and 1) and the “cost of risk management”. Include the successfully overseen commitments to the optimism bias for each venture risk area. Calculate the updated optimism bias %, capital effect of optimism bias, the expense of risk diminution, and the modified capital appraisal. Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Optimism Bias Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Optimism Bias Why Optimism Bias Is Exploited? According to the construction industry institute, often projects experience the ill effects of over-optimism, bringing out below-par project performance. Project funding is sanctioned based on the stated project schedule. Through optimism bias, the desired date is achieved by which funding for the project can be approved. But the problem comes, when in reality, the project fails to complete at the announced date. This is the most common exploitation of optimism bias. This is a common practice that can be seen in infrastructure development of highways, water rehabilitation, local infrastructure projects, roads structure, and rail construction. The huge investments made on infrastructure construction projects, give people immense hopes of economic development in the areas where these projects are intended to build. However, when the same projects are not completed in the given time and fail to provide value, they add disappointment to the hopes of people and waste the state’s money. Municipal heads and people want these ventures finished and subsidized as planned, yet the application of optimism bias put the project managers at risk of acknowledging unreasonable suppositions.
Urban regeneration includes the investment of private and public cash into regions needing enduring improvement. Generally, there are three kinds of urban regeneration: 1. Economic 2. Environmental 3. Cultural/social Various urban regeneration interventions are done for different purposes. Such as: a) Improving the housing conditions to satisfy the residents’ basic shelter needs b) Making regions more alluring to occupants and financial investors c) Generating opportunities for underprivileged people d) Handling impediments to development e) Unleashing capabilities in denied regions. Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Urban Regeneration, Infrastructure Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Urban Regeneration, Infrastructure The aims of urban regeneration interventions are to foster economic development and give people a quality life. The fall in Britain’s manufacturing and industrial economy has left numerous downtown regions scourged by joblessness, loaded with substandard housing, and socially avoided from a more prosperous locale. Not only did this collapse create the need for urban regeneration intervention but also, the increasing number of people migrating to urban areas compelled the states to concentrate on urban regeneration. Approximately 1.5 million individuals move to an urban region every week, thus putting more strain on resources. This directs the need to fundamentally further develop local infrastructures particularly for housing, water, food, and waste. Urban regeneration is significant because we want to guarantee that our urban areas, living spaces, and our functioning spaces are good for the future and empower the residents to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Urban regeneration might be one of the principal errands for our social orders to handle, yet it likewise gives a chance to make superior, reasonable, and manageable structures. Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Urban Regeneration, Infrastructure Estimate, Estimation, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Urban Regeneration, Infrastructure One significant pattern has arisen over time which is, the prior projects generally have concentrated on physical regeneration typically housing, while later projects have endeavoured to invigorate social and financial regeneration. The economic regeneration projects are assigned to the regional development agencies (RDA). The RDAs have been given more money and adaptability to spend on provincial needs. Urban regeneration initiatives are implemented in many countries to optimize resources and meet the needs of the growing population. Some of the popular urban renewal projects include: UK’s Canary Wharf Singapore’s Marina Bay UK’s Albert Dock France’s Promenade Plantée The common thing in all these projects is that these urban renewal projects were successful enough to mark themselves as one of the main elements of a city’s brand. European Union supports the urban regeneration interventions through the Structural Funds, to which EU nations can get to partake in the European projects in urbanism. EU financing for urban renewal projects is produced using European Social Fund and European Fund for Regional Development. There are exceptionally complicated tasks, which contain arrangements to whole city scale, their pith is to make a predominant solace and a feel-good change. Urban regeneration not only projects at improving the quality of life of people but also, plans to streamline, protect and reinvigorate the entire existing metropolitan capital. Charlie Urban areas in developing countries are usually described by the high population, centre of modern resources and production, and social and innovative infrastructure. However, all the urban communities are difficult in nature and dynamic. But the availability of modern infrastructure and resources doesn’t make urbanization a fancy term because, with the availability of these resources, the number of people consuming these resources also increases. The powerful urban framework reflects many main thrusts like social, environmental, and economic powers that change the urban structure with time and need. Without urban regeneration interventions, the resources will grow scarce and hence no economic growth can be achieved. The dynamics of the city acts as the driving force for urban regeneration interventions. With the increase in population, you will need more resources, capital, and technology to integrate into the urban infrastructure to meet the needs of the rising population. Urban regeneration considers those driving factors to restructure the urban system to fulfil the current and future demand. Urban renewal of the old downtown regions happens as a planning framework to satisfy the growing financial needs and to oblige the populace’s deluge.
If you have read our recent blogs, you may know that previously we talked about how it is justified to spend ample money on infrastructure in rural clusters. Today we intend to talk more about it but from different perspectives. By seeing the role of rural clusters in driving rural development we presented the view that it is justified to outlay money on infrastructure in rural clusters. However, there are other perspectives too regarding rural development and infrastructure spending. Estimation, Estimate, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure. Estimation, Estimate, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure. One of the main points that go against high spending on rural infrastructure is that money and resources are wasted when invested in rural infrastructure because the benefits of the development are limited to a few people (local residues) and not the whole community. This point makes sense especially when we look through the financial lenses. Secondly, disbursement of a greater amount of money on urban infrastructure is logical because the states run from the revenue generated from the urban areas. Spending on urban infrastructure is an investment that reaps benefits from time to time. Offering great convenience and facilities to the urban population is dually justified. The economy of any country is always boosted through urban investments. One significant comment worth mentioning is of Crispin Truman, Chief executive of CPRE, the countryside charity said: ‘For a really long time, rural localities have been abandoned with regards to government financing. With more individuals than any other time in recent time looking to our superb wide open as a spot to live, raise families, and visit, the public authority must rebalance this immediately. Taking measures against unjustifiable financing funds allotment is a characterizing challenge within recent times. Ongoing many years show the effects of underfunding: almost no authentic local public transport, poor web availability and a severe rural housing issue that is seething through our countryside’ Crispin Truman, Chief executive of CPRE Estimation, Estimate, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure. Estimation, Estimate, Cost Management, Whole Life Cycle Costing, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure. The economic research revealed many other facts too. Public investment and strategy making prioritize seeking urban solutions than rural issues. The perspectives and requirements of rural localities are neglected because of urban prejudiced decision-making. This again connects with our first point which supported high spending on urban infrastructure, prioritizing urban development as it reaps benefits. It can be said that to some policymakers, a biased inclination for urban areas would naturally occur. On the other hand, underfunding for so many decades has left a devastating impact on rural areas. Insufficient investment in fundamental public administrations like schooling has a destructive impact, where fewer students, more warming, and maintenance expenses add up to higher fixed expenses per student in rural schools as compared to urban schools. Therefore, the rural residues are confronted with a lot of difficulties including greater expenses, lower financing, and greater requirements. After going through different contrasting perspectives and views regarding infrastructure spending in the infrastructure of urban and rural areas, one thing that occurred to us is that indeed it makes sense to spend more on urban infrastructure as it benefits a large number of people and for the obvious reason that urban cities are lifelines of any country (especially the ones which are its economic hubs). Having said that, we also intend to say that there should be balanced funding provided to rural development. Understandably it can be less than urban areas as urban areas are densely populated as compared to rural areas. But rural communities should not be left alone to survive in poor conditions. We are living in 2021, and despite getting involved in urban and rural biased perspectives issues, one common smart solution can be devised with the latest technology.
There is a constant need for expertise within infrastructure development. It can the driving force between a fledgeling idea and successful implementation. Often, an organisation can tap into it’s the existing staff, utilising their in-house knowledge and understanding of the business, calling upon their prior expertise in order to see a project through to completion. However, there is an argument to be made that an external consultancy can provide knowledge and expertise that may otherwise miss. Estimate Construction IN-HOUSE VS CONSULTANCY Is there an advantage to in-house expertise, or is utilising a consultancy firm the surest way forwards? There is, without a doubt, an immense value to having existing staff taking on premier roles within a project. Their existing knowledge of the fabric of the business, its scope and requirements are elements that are only understood after years of working within an organisation. Being able to tap into the existing skills of a workforce can reap tangible benefits. “There was no major consultant or major contractor involved,” said Matthew Philpot, director of the Water Management Alliance, speaking to New Civil Engineer on their £2.1m water storage project, “our own staff delivered it.” Philpot acknowledges that this project can act as a catalyst for training and developing staff’s capabilities, allowing for an increased future scope for future projects: “The WMA really tries to keep those skills in-house so that we can deliver projects if we need to.” But in order to operate in this way, there has to be a vast amount of knowledge and skills on hand, requiring a diverse, talented workforce and the capability to coordinate them efficiently. This is where the field of consultancy shines – offering a client organisation a wealth of expertise and management process that could otherwise be vacant. In the UK, the consulting industry is worth around £10 billion, contributing to the UK economy across a vast array of sectors. This allows for projects of a vast scope to be executed as effectively as possible, using the knowledge and experience of some of the world’s leading consultants. A consultancy can draw on their experiences of working on similar projects that most client organisations simply cannot. They are experts in their field, and have the know-how and drive to optimise projects, ensuring efficient and effective delivery. The team behind Heathrow’s £14billion expansion plans comprised seven leading consultancy firms, each offering a unique and valuable insight into how best to proceed. It is the expertise that would not exist within one organisation. Not only this, but the competitive selection process means that there is diligence in the cost-effectiveness of the seven organisation’s proposals, offering security in the value being delivered. So, is there any significant value in using a consultancy over in-house staff? The answer is not clear cut. The value of in-house staff should never be overlooked, and the chance of progressing an organisation parallel to a large-scale project can be highly beneficial. Consultancy offers a direct, results-driven approach to project completion that can utilise a vast array of expertise that may otherwise be inaccessible. What is vital is that they consider all options with the objectives in mind.
Before we talk about how the five whys of pragmatic approach can improve civil engineering projects, let’s first have a look at what Pragmatic Approach is. The pragmatic approach refers to taking decisions on practical reflections rather than theoretical ones. A person who opts pragmatic approach manages things practically. The emphasis of the Pragmatic approach is on logic or reality. A person who considers things from a pragmatic view means that he doesn’t apply abstract terms. When it comes to handling problems, a pragmatic person works on those problems in a logical way. Also, looking at things rationally rather than emotionally helps in critical thinking. At present, pragmatism has impacted education immensely. It is a viable and utilitarian way of thinking. It makes action the premise of all instructing and learning. It makes learning intentional and injects a feeling of reality into education. The pragmatism approach can bring evolution in many fields because it deals with logic and rationality. When we look at civil engineering, unpredicted issues might happen in any team, system, or procedure. Such issues can have an unfathomable impact on the outcome. Nonetheless, problems are only indications of more profound issues. Fixing an issue rapidly may appear favourable, but it doesn’t secure your work from continual errors. Temporarily you can solve the problem but it remains there at deeper levels, this is the reason that it is indispensable to locate the root cause and deal with it appropriately. Once the root cause is eradicated, no more time, effort, and resources will be utilized to resolve the recurring problems. While in the mid of a construction project, a civil engineer may get stuck in issues like: Material Shortage Maintenance Approvals Scarcity of Labours. All these issues can directly impact the project delivery at the scheduled time. In such situations, either everyone in the team gets blamed, or all the blame is put on the product. However, that may not be true in all cases. It is significant to find the real cause of the damage so that it can be rectified in the future. Utilizing the 5 Whys will assist you with identifying the real cause of any issue and save the procedure from repeating faults and disappointments. Answering 5 Whys Curiosity is the key to getting the right answer. The 5 ways of the pragmatic approach refer to asking 5 times ‘WHY” in case any issue arises. When you repeat Whys 5 times, the kind of problem and its appropriate answer or solution turns out to be clear. And that too effectively and in time. Not every problem has a single root cause, in case there is more than one root cause, the technique must be repeated for every assumed cause. This entire method aims to reach the real underlying issue so that it can be solved. Basically, you just continue to inquire “Why?” each time you find a contributing reason and the hypothesis is that after 5 rounds you will have reached or be close to arriving at the underlying issue. This technique has to be very well organized so the team can reach the right root cause and not stop at any other cause which apparently seems like the real cause but is not the root cause. For instance: Why the machines went shut down? Because the main wire had electricity issues. Why these electricity issues are arising? Because the machine has been used for a long time, and needs to get replaced. Why the machine wasn’t yet replaced? Because it took time for the approvals. Why it took long for the approvals? Because it was rectified late, just before the project completion day, and hence the proposal for machine replacement was not sent timely. Why it was rectified late? Because the engineers were focusing on other projects and gave less time to this project and machinery related to it. Now after using this 5 whys technique, the team leader can reach the real cause that shows human error and negligence. In other circumstances, it would have been declared that the machine had technical issues and hence the entire blame could easily be put on the product. In case the team doesn’t get to the root cause, the machine would keep on obstructing the construction projects due to technical issues and time and resources would be continually utilized to fix the fault temporarily. One of the vital elements for the successful execution of the strategy is to settle on an educated choice. This implies that the decision-making procedure should be founded on a canny comprehension of what is really occurring in the work. All in all, the underlying driver examination procedure should incorporate individuals with reasonable experience. Consistently, they can give you the most important data in regards to any issue that shows up in their subject matter. For instance, the individual heading the evaluation team would better know the rationality and possibility of the identified root cause. Charlie
The construction work entrusted to a contractor by the owner furnishes a bill of quantities if he intends to get an offer from the tenderer on an item rate basis. The client prepares such a bill of quantities by extracting those items from the sanctioned estimate which is proposed to be entrusted to a contractor. The tenderer will quote his rates against the items of the bill of quantities. Estimate infrastructure The tenderer will, however, prepare his bill of quantities, which form the basis of his offer, and later assist him in planning, scheduling, and construction of the work. Programme of Work: As a prerequisite to preparing the contractor’s bill of quantities, he/she should: a) study the tender documents carefully. b) visit the site of work and collect detailed information that will help him in preparing the bill of quantities. c) prepare a tentative construction programme. This programme shows the principal items of construction, the duration required by them, and the scheduled dates of their start and completion. Such a programme is of considerable help to inaccurate pricing of material, labour, plant, and equipment, scaffolding, etc. Estimate construction Important divisions of the contractor’s bill of quantities are as below: 1) Contractors’ Work Many contractors carry out only certain items of work by employing their labour. The contractor should identify these items. He should then build up the rate for the unit item, considering materials, labour, and plant equipment. The items should be priced based on these rates. 2) Work by the Sub-contractor The contractor entrusts certain items of the work to his sub-contractors after obtaining the client’s approval. The contractor gets the subcontractor’s bids, selects the most competitive bid. To this, he adds his expenses and profit, Supervision, and any other reason and adds the total amount in his bill of quantities. 3) Nominated Sub-contractor and/or Supplier The contractor has to get a certain portion of the work by a sub-contractor nominated by the owner and/or get certain materials from suppliers nominated by the owner. They include these items under provisional sums or prime cost sums. The contractor has to add to the work he has to do in connection with these items such as unloading, handling, storing, fixing, supervision and his margin of profit. 4) Insurances It required the contractor to ensure the works against potential damage due to fire or other risks. Such insurances have to be priced as per the requirement of contract conditions. Besides, the above provision has to be made for the following. i) transport to and from the site; erection and dismantling of large plant and equipment. ii) Scaffolding. iii) Setting out works. iv) Watch and ward. v) Providing and maintaining access roads to the site as long as facilities like offices, stores, canteen, roads, and portable toilets in the works area. vi) Lighting and water and power. vii) Bailing out water. viii) Telephone facilities. ix) Expenditure on hospitality. x) Any other related expenditure. All the expenses discussed above total up to the cost, which the contractor will have to spend on the construction work. Besides the profits, the contractor will arrive at the price he can offer to the client.
Infrastructure is a familiar term, traditionally denoting networks and systems that provide us with essential services such as water, power, and transport. Green infrastructure is more than just delivering each of these services in greener ways. #estimate, #costmanagement Estimate, estimation, cost management It should stress multifunctionality, using urban networks of natural and semi-natural features, such as green spaces, rivers, street trees and parks, to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. More emotive language describes green infrastructure as our “natural life support system” that enables us to work with the grain of nature. Whether we use technocratic or populist language, there is considerable support for the potential of green infrastructure to deliver a wide range of benefits to society, environment, and economy. #estimate, #costmanagement Enhance people’s health and wellbeing is just one of these benefits. A correct definition of green infrastructure should be the one that includes networks and multifunctionality and implies landscape and infrastructure. The most correct definition should be also the most comprehensive and define green infrastructure as a strategically planned network of high quality natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features; which is designed and delivered a wide range of ecosystem services and protect biodiversity in both rural and urban settings. Our cities face many challenges, yet they often approach these as separate issues. The idea of green infrastructure evolved during the ‘90s in response to a growing recognition that those planning and designing complex urban areas often ignored the interactions between issues such as public health, flood management, housing delivery, biodiversity, climate change adaptation and so on. This ‘silo’ approach prevented the adoption of more dynamic, integrated, and forward-thinking solutions. #estimate, #costmanagement Estimate, estimation, cost management Green infrastructure offers an alternative to this narrow-minded approach – a way of tackling enormous challenges head on and delivering multiple secondary benefits at the same time. This integrated approach uses the ability of nature to provide us with the ecological services that we need and helps unlock the potential of our towns and cities to support healthier lives. Imagine a city which has cleaned up its rivers and streams, provides footpaths and cycleways along them, links these with larger open spaces such as parks and squares, invests in tree planting in large and small public spaces and streets. A city that develops community gardens has an educational programme that encourages hard to reach groups to be more active, and it commits to implement sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). That city’s urban heat island effect and flood risk will reduce; there will be increases in air and water quality, active travel, the number of people walking, running and cycling for fun, and growing their own food. There will also be more opportunities for formal and informal education focused on enhanced wildlife. All these changes will have positive impacts on people’s health and wellbeing.
If you have been following our blogs, you may have read in detail about Circular Economy and its various benefits. Today we are going to talk about the numerous benefits which the circular economy offers to civil engineering. Let’s explore now how the circular economy model approach is favourable for civil engineering. It is debatable that the approach of the circular economy has the capability of bringing a significant change in civil engineering and infrastructure projects specifically. The key to this guideline is keeping up with the most utmost resource worth of materials while keeping misfortunes from the framework, so keeping up with items and materials that are being used is highly crucial. If reusable materials in use are found to be impaired, they can cause loss to the system. Estimate, Estimation, Cost Management Estimate, Estimation, Cost Management Therefore, the accomplishment of this item and procedure restructuring, just as new plans of action, will be a key development. The possible solution to this is different life cycle assessment tools that give data on the level of reused content in materials and items, and empower designers to test material choices to recognize where saving funds can be made just as investigating which end-of-life situations will decrease the effect. Fundamental investigations have observed substantial advantages for embracing this methodology as it identifies with analysing and directing sustainable engineering activities. Advantages of Circular Economy for Civil Engineering The grave issue of surpassing global resources consumption can be tamed down by adopting the circular economy approach. Estimate, Estimation, Cost Management Do you know that worldwide resource utilization surpassed 100 billion tons in 2017? Nearly multiplying the per capita utilization pace of 50 years prior, and hopping 8% in only 2 years. If you just look at the figures, you can realize the gravity of the situation and the need to combat this problem. Of this figure, the development business is liable for between 33% and 40% and a likewise high extent of waste, as not many development parts and materials are reused. Here, it is understandable how much recycling of materials is indispensable as it will cause the global resources consumption rate to decrease. To be sure, some development materials are never utilized before they are rejected, which is even worse. The research proposes that as much as 13% of the materials conveyed to building locales in the UK are disposed of without being utilized.
Load More... Subscribe