Measurement 4

Reflective Journal
Measurement is the most important skill to a qualified quantity surveyor, yet it is not that easy to learn. There are others knowledge that we need to incur to learn the correct method of  measurement, e.g. Construction technology.In this module,we have specified in learning measure bored pile, renovation and demolition works, and also various external works such as drainage, sump, manhole. We also learnt to write the correct description in accordance to design changes.

 I have gained a lot of experiences that were useful in my future in this 14 weeks. Although, I have meet a lots of problems and hardships that I need to break through in order to gain all these experiences. For example, we have a group assignments which needed an actual construction drawing to do the relevant measurement. To have these drawing, we need to call up construction company to ask for their permission. The most difficult we have meet in this project is the measurement part and prepare tender document as this is the first time that we have to measurement the requested elements from the actual drawing which might have missed a lot of significant information and prepared relevant documents. I have learnt how to prepare a tender document, even though I was not doing well in this assignment. After doing this assignment, I think that experience is the most important things that a qualified QS should have. This is a difficult module to me, yet also significant to my future career.

Besides that, I have learnt elemental cost analysis in a short term workshop. In this workshop, few of students were grouped together to complete the ECA form in a few days. Yet, I have learnt that a teamwork always is important in a group, just like we need to work with different people in the future. We held a lot of discussion to complete it together. Although it was a short workshop, it helped us to get more closer and we had a lot of fun together.

During ECA presentation section

   

Professional Practices

Reflective Journal
As a professional party, we need to have a basic idea and knowledge on professional and contractual responsibilities of a quantity surveyor from design stage to final account stage.Thought this module, we can clearly define needs and responsibilities of a quantity surveyor. It also focus to impart useful skills on the students in order to enhance their theory of quantity surveying and to prepare them for professional practice after graduating from University.

The role of quantity surveyor not only measure and estimate the cost of a building,yet it includes others responsibilities like construction contract and prepare tender document which also important to a project to go succeed. These module have covered the topic such as tendering, form of contract, principle of fee calculation, variation, valuation, extension of time and more. All these necessary theoretical base and practical skills will be used in practical to enable us to think analytically within a multi-disciplinary field.

We have given an individual assignment to recommend client on procurement, tendering and contractual relationship for a project with certain specific conditions. This assignment gained the base ideas in writing a proposal on recommending methods to a clients which maybe everyday a  quantity surveyor need to be done. This is also another tough module that we need to go through as it related to many theories, facts and contracts which required a lot of understanding and memorizing. Yet, I think is also one of the important module which we need to learn as a quantity surveyor.

Estimating

Reflective Journal 
As quantity surveyor, we also responsible for preparing and pricing tender packages to obtain construction contracts to our companies to keep them in business and keep them profitable. Estimating is a module which provides an understanding of the construction on the principle of estimating and components price such as material, plant, wastage, profit and labour. Estimating gave us the essential skills necessary to work after graduated to meet the growing demand for skilled construction estimators.

In this 14 weeks, we have learnt to identify, explain and distinguish the various terminology related to estimating, measurement and unit rates including the objectives and various components of estimating, measurement and unit rates at different stages of construction procurement. We also have been taught a systematic approach to estimate the unit rates by considering and evaluating other factors influencing the cost of the construction components and elements.

Our lecturer also gave our a group assignment which want us to tender a project and compete with others groups. This project aims to have us to find our own rates by applying the theories that have taught in class. We used a few weeks on doing the research on the rate of the construction materials, labours and plants. We also need to do our own adjustments to the price rate used in tender document such as wastage, profit and overheads to ensure the companies have a certain of profits. The price that we have priced in tender document was decided by weighting many others factors which might influence the final result of the tender awards. Afterwards, we also need to do a presentation which need to analysis and justify the errors have been made in the assignment for continuous improvement. This is a precious experience for us to pursue this career in the future.    

We also have a group presentation for a chosen topic to present and teach our classmate. This is a good way to shorten the distance between classmate to have a better relationship. It also can increase the understanding of theories that were taught. This is because we need to have a clear understanding before having a presentation. Thus, there were many research had been done to ensure the informations were correct.

Structures

Reflective Journal
Structures is a module that provides a basic understanding of the basic concept of structures taken in construction technology. This can help us in the communication with engineers and understanding the structural design of the building in order to increase cost effective of a project.  However, the structure of building also needs achieve a certain level of aesthetic, safety and fulfil the purposes of the building when changing the structure of the building to reduce cost.

A individual assignment also was given which needs to calculate the shear force and bending moment of a beams to identify the size and materials should be used for that beams. This assignment can help us to apply the theories and calculation in the actual drawing in the future. We also can identify the problems encountered in the building through the structure principles. This module provides us the ability to interpret the application of total integration of structural functions and actions with the overall design objectives.    

Exercises that we have done in class

Software Application for Quantity Surveying

Reflective Journal
In construction industry, the demand of using the software application for quantity surveying are getting higher and higher. It starts slowly replace the manual measurement but it does not take over the quantity surveyor's job as the software can further reduce the human mistake in measurement and reduce the burden of a quantity surveyor. Thus, we should have the basic knowledge on preparation of quantities taking off, preparation of rate build up and preparation of bill of quantities by using QS software in order to meet the demand of the construction industry.

Our lecturer have given us two assignments, one is an group assignment to compare and contrast the function and limitation of different software and also the manual measurement, CAD measurement and BIM measurement. It is a good assignment as we can understand and know different types of software programs available in the construction market. Therefore, we can know the feature, function and limitation of those QS software. We also can identify the differences between the manual measurement, CAD measurement and BIM measurement in different stages.

Another is a individual assignment which required us to prepare our own build-up rate and bill of quantities with the compete price for the measurement 4 group project. In order to develop technical knowledge and practical computer skills, this is a suitable assignment to train these skills in the preparation of bill of quantities and estimating for future. So, we can adapt quickly in a constantly changing technological environment. This is a fun module that I have learnt a lots from ours lecturer and these knowledges will help us in our future career.

One of the practice that I have done in build soft class.