Civil Engineering

1 Methods of commissioning works.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Importance of feasibility studies.- 1.3 Overall approaches to design and construction.- 1.4 Options for design.- 1.5 Options for construction.- 1.6 Design and construct and other options.- 1.7 Payment for construction.- 1.8 Nature of risks and their effect on prices.- 1.9 Summary of possible arrangements.- 1.10 Initial cost estimate for a project.- 1.11 Estimating the cost of a project at design stage.- 1.12 Project cost control.- References.- 2 Contractual arrangements.- 2.1 Standard conditions of contract.- 2.2 Conditions for civil engineering work.- 2.3 Conditions for civil engineering or building work.- 2.4 Conditions mainly for plant and equipment supply.- 2.5 A recent report on the UK construction industry: the Latham Report.- 2.6 Roles of the key participants in a construction contract.- 2.7 Contract documents.- 2.8 Writing specifications.- 2.9 Coordinating contracts for construction.- 2.10 Specification of general requirements.- 2.11 Specification for workmanship and materials.- References.- 3 Tendering.- 3.1 Methods used for obtaining tenders.- 3.2 Tendering requirements and EU rules.- 3.3 Procedures under selective tendering.- 3.4 Issuing documents.- 3.5 Considering tenders.- 3.6 Checking prices and comparing tenders.- 3.7 Choosing a tender.- 3.8 Offer by a tenderer to complete early.- 3.9 Procedure for accepting a tender.- 3.10 Bond and insurance.- Publications giving guidance on tendering.- 4 The contractor's site organization.- 4.1 Key site personnel for contractor.- 4.2 The agent.- 4.3 Sub-agents and section engineers.- 4.4 The plant manager or site coordinator.- 4.5 The general foreman.- 4.6 The office manager and his staff.- 4.7 Skilled tradesmen and labourers.- 4.8 Accounting methods.- 4.9 Providing constructional plant and equipment.- 4.10 The contractor's use of subcontractors.- 4.11 Safety requirements.- 4.12 New safety regulations.- References.- 5 The engineer and his staff.- 5.1 The engineer's responsibilities for construction.- 5.2 Limitations on the powers of the engineer.- 5.3 The engineer's design responsibilities.- 5.4 The position held by the resident engineer.- 5.5 Powers and duties of the resident engineer.- 5.6 Some problems of responsibility.- 5.7 Some important points to watch.- 5.8 The resident engineer's responsibilities for safety.- 5.9 Relationship between resident engineer and agent.- 5.10 Handling troubles.- 5.11 More difficult cases of trouble.- 5.12 The resident engineer's staff.- 5.13 Quality assurance.- 5.14 Gifts and hospitality.- References.- 6 Starting the construction work.- 6.1 Pre-commencement meeting and start-up arrangements.- 6.2 The contractor's initial work.- 6.3 The resident engineer's work.- 6.4 Early matters to discuss with the contractor.- 6.5 Some early tasks for the resident engineer.- 6.6 Meeting the employer.- 6.7 Setting up the clerical work.- 7 Site surveys, investigations and layout.- 7.1 Site surveys.- 7.2 Setting out buildings.- 7.3 Setting out larger sites.- 7.4 Setting out floor levels.- 7.5 Site investigations.- 7.6 Trial pits.- 7.7 Test borings.- 7.8 Other means of ground investigation.- 7.9 Judging the safe bearing value of a foundation.- 7.10 Testing apparatus for a site soils laboratory.- 7.11 Site layout considerations.- 7.12 Temporary works.- 7.13 Work in public roads.- 7.14 Site drainage.- References.- 8 The resident engineer's office records.- 8.1 Importance of records.- 8.2 Types of records.- 8.3 Correspondence filing system.- 8.4 CVIs from contractor and instructions to contractor.- 8.5 Register of drawings.- 8.6 Daily and other progress records.- 8.7 Quantity records.- 8.8 The contractor's interim payment applications.- 8.9 Authorization of dayworks.- 8.10 Filing system for dayworks sheets.- 8.11 Check of materials on site.- 8.12 Price increase records.- 8.13 Supply contract records.- 8.14 Registers of test results.- 8.15 Photographs.- 8.16 Record drawings.- 8.17 Other records.- 9 Programme and progress charts.- 9.1 Responsibilities for programming the construction.- 9.2 Alternative ways of handling delivery problems.- 9.3 Role of the resident engineer.- 9.4 Programme considerations.- 9.5 Time schedules.- 9.6 Bar charts.- 9.7 Progress charts.- 9.8 Network diagrams and critical path planning.- 9.9 Part played by the agent in achieving progress.- 9.10 Estimating the probable final cost of works.- 10 Measurement and bills of quantities.- 10.1 Principles of pricing and payment.- 10.2 Methods of measurement for bills of quantities.- 10.3 The ICE standard method of measurement (CESMM).- 10.4 Classification and number of items.- 10.5 Accuracy of quantities: provisional quantities.- 10.6 Billing of quantities for building work.- 10.7 Some problems of billing.- 10.8 Use of nominated subcontractors.- 10.9 Prime cost items.- 10.10 Preliminaries bill and method-related items.- 10.11 Adjustment item to the total price.- 10.12 Preamble to bill of quantities.- 10.13 List of principal quantities.- 11 Interim monthly payments.- 11.1 Handling interim payments.- 11.2 Agreeing quantities for payment.- 11.3 Payment for extra work, dayworks, and claims.- 11.4 Payment of lump sums, method-related items, and any adjustment items.- 11.5 Payment for materials on site.- 11.6 Payment for materials manufactured off site.- 11.7 Payment for manufactured items shipped overseas.- 11.8 Price adjustment.- 11.9 Retention and other matters.- 12 Variations and claims.- 12.1 Who deals with variations and claims?.- 12.2 Payment for increased quantities.- 12.3 Ordered variations.- 12.4 Rates for ordered variations.- 12.5 Variations proposed by the contractor.- 12.6 Claims from the contractor.- 12.7 Sheets submitted 'for record purposes only'.- 12.8 Clause 12 claims for unforeseen conditions.- 12.9 Payment for unforeseen conditions.- 12.10 Delay claims.- 12.11 Estimating delay costs.- 12.12 Quotations from a contractor for undertaking variations.- 12.13 Time limits and interest payable on late payments.- 12.14 Arbitration.- 12.15 Alternative dispute resolution (ADR).- 12.16 Minimizing claims and disputes.- 13 Earthworks and pipelines.- 13.1 Excavating and earth-placing machinery.- 13.2 Controlling excavation.- 13.3 Haulage of excavated material.- 13.4 Placing and compacting fill.- 13.5 Watching fill quantity.- 13.6 Site roads.- 13.7 Trenching for pipelines.- 13.8 Thrust blocks and testing pipelines.- 13.9 Handling and jointing large pipes and fittings.- 14 Site concreting and reinforcement.- 14.1 Development of concrete practice.- 14.2 Standards for concrete quality.- 14.3 Practical compliance with concrete standards.- 14.4 Grading of aggregates and their suitable mixing.- 14.5 Workability of concrete and admixtures.- 14.6 Practical points in producing good concrete.- 14.7 Some causes of unsatisfactory concrete.- 14.8 Site checks on concrete quality.- 14.9 Conveyance and placing of concrete.- 14.10 Construction and other joints.- 14.11 Concrete finish problems.- 14.12 Handling and fixing steel reinforcement.- References.