Highway Construction and Engineering

Highway construction is a major process which includes many steps and tricks. These steps include planning, designing and building. Good roads lead to the path of growth.

The highway joins different cities and places, the highway network are most important for the economy of any country.

This article by Tarun Goel, published in http://www.brighthubengineering.com brings the guideline that how various aspects of the highway construction works.

Once upon a time human beings only trail the animal’s footprint to go at a distance. But thousands of thousands year have gone past.

For constructing any highway, planning is the most significant part. Then comes design portion of the road. It is followed by the execution process. Proper planning helps the proper estimation, capacity management and given opportunity to the engineers to modify it in the future too. Hit this links to get more knowledge of it.

The selection of the materials is very important. It depends on the type of the highway and the density of the traffic pressure.

The common materials are:

  • Bitumen (asphalt): Asphalt or Bitumen is blackish thick liquid or it may be semi-liquid as well used for road construction.
  • Concrete: Concrete is a compound material making mix of things in the likes of water, cement, stone-chips, additive and reinforcement.

Now days, the engineers are concentrating on the eco-friendly construction of roads andbridges. Some cast-off wastes are handy in this respect. Hit these links to get more knowledge.

Highway Safety Guidelines: Safety is the most significant aspect of the highway construction. The traffic, pedestrians and other vehicle drivers should feel safe along with morning or evening walkers.

These things should be in the line properly:-

  • Bott’s dots.
  • traffic lights
  • Walker’s marking
  • zebra crossings
  • traffic circle
  • GPS-based road traffic monitoring systems
Highway Construction and Engineering
References:- European Commission, New Road Construction Concepts (pdf), 
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Published By
Arka Roy
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Preparing for Design-Build Projects: A Primer for Owners, Engineers, and Contractors

In the public and private construction project design-build (DB) contracting gained much popularity. Many designers andconstructors are using DB for last two decade successfully and they have lauded about it. Some of the designers must slightly change their practice; they are now accustomed with the outcome.

Preparing for Design-Build Projects – this book is handy, not only for the engineers, but owners andcontractors.

ASCE Press have published thisbook, promoted by http://www.civilax.com is an excellent copy to be gathered by the people involving into theengineering sector.

The authors of the book are:

  • Douglas D Grandsberg, Ph. D and PE
  • James E Koch, Ph. D and PE
  • Keith R Molenaar, Ph. D.

The book is forwarded by Michel C Loulakis.

The core concentration of the authors was on the learning module. This could be a decision making ground braking process of ‘design-build (DB) contracting’. From constructor and engineers to owner everybody has different point of view on this.

This is a timely guide book on DB. The reader could assess the series of suggestions here too.

Download Preparing for Design-Build Projects

Preparing for Design-Build Projects: A Primer for Owners, Engineers, and Contractors

Image Courtesy: civilax.com

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Elaborate Cost of Concrete Pad

Concrete is best construction material and it is structurally perfect by each and every square foot. It can be done by own or a professional contractor can be appointed.

The concrete pad which is already made can be put up for sale by the cubic yard. Here size of the pad is also very significant. The rate can be measured on the size of the pad. But if you are not expert, then it is advisable to hire a professionalcontractor. Author Glenda Taylor of budgeting.thenest.com came up with this article in which we are presenting an excerpt.

Excavation: For making a concrete pad, you need to dig the passage to pour the concrete martial. If you want to hire an excavator, the daily wage would be around $150 to $300.

Forming the Pour: The dimensional lumber is cost $3 per 8-foot board, the price sometime may fluctuate. Two-by-fours are normally accepted. Purchase sufficient concrete to frame it around the perimeter. 4-inch thick concrete pad needed for steel strengthening. 1/2 –inch rebar bars gapped into 2 feet apart in crosswise pattern.

Fill Sand: To stabilize the base, sand filling and spreading up to 1 inch is suggested. The price of the sand may diverge here.

Concrete Costs: 4 inches thick and one yard of concrete is necessary for 9-by-9-foot pad. Some may take help of online calculator.

Tools and Supplies: You can rent those concrete tools in the likes of hand trowels, stinger vibrator, and bull float. It can generate good revenue.

Labour Cost: It is an important factor. It can be calculated per hour or day.

Elaborate Cost of Concrete Pad

Image Courtesy: asc.llnl.gov

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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10 biggest upcoming construction projects in U.S. started in November 2014

Go through the following lists which enlist the 10 biggest upcomingconstruction projects in U.S. started in November 2014.

The construction professionals can locate these types of projects geographically as well as get clear ideas regarding the commencement of the jobsite works.

The biggest projects categorized by their nature, can provide a great impact on total dollar and square footage volumes.

Besides, the time period and size of these projects also affect market forecasts.

  • New Jersey: Engineering/Civil – Hackensack River Wittpenn Bridge, New Jersey Department of Transportation – $200
  • New York: Engineering/Civil – Hugh L Carey Tunnel & Brooklyn Plaza, MTA Bridges & Tunnels – $283
  • New York: Commercial – South Ferry Terminal Complex Electical & HVAC, Whitehall St NTA New York City Transit – $194
  • Florida: Engineering/Civil – Tampa International Airport Automated People Mover, 4160 George J Bean Pkwy, Hillsborough Co Aviation Authority – $197
  • Kentucky: Jefferson County – Institutional, USACE Great Lakes District Building Facility, US Army Corps of Engineers District – $240
  • Louisville: Institutional – Louisville District Mission Boundaries Building, US Army Corps of Engineers Louisville – $200
  • Louisiana: Shreveport – Industrial, Benteler Steel Tube Manufacturing Plant, (1 structure; 1 story) 11650 Highway 1 Benteler Company, – $975
  • North Dakota: Engineering/Civil – Fargo Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Membrane, (1 structure) City of Fargo – $236
  • California: Commercial – Sacramento Kings Arena, (1 structure; 7 stories) L Street, Fulcrum Group – $448
  • San Francisco: Residential – Transbay Block 9 Apartments Design Build, (1 structure; 42 stories) 1st & Folsom Sts(Northwest Corner), BRIDGE Housing Corp – $250
10 biggest upcoming construction projects in U.S.
 
10 biggest upcoming construction projects in U.S.
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Published By
Arka Roy
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Make your material control system superior with Jovix

Birmingham based Atlas RFID Solutions introduced a newconstruction product called Jovix™.

This newest construction technology helps construction professionals to trace materials quickly as well as productivity of direct labor and minimize the usage of material recorders.

The construction professionals will get a clear idea that their construction project gets the proper materials at the right time and in the right condition. So Jovix will facilitate the construction professionals to combat with the supplementary material control issues on the industrial construction projects.

Jovix is compatible with mobile inspections and precautionary maintenance. Besides, it can deal with and resolve oversupply, shortfall, and damage issues, as well as foresee the accessibility of materials in future through supply and demand calculation.

The latest version of Jovix (2014.2) comes with some advanced features like importing drawing data fromengineering tools and inserting and controlling attachments inside the application. Besides, the mobile tablet interface is upgraded to make it more reliable and accessible by expanding material control powers to the jobsite and keeping aside the labor-intensive, paper-based practices from the jobsite.

With Jovix, the users can undertake anticipatory maintenance activities through the tablet to get incessant clarity and control all through the whole material lifecycle ranging from fabrication through installation.

Jovix enhances project efficiencies on the whole with the positive material by providing unprecedented access to executable, up-to-date toward the accessibility, status, and location of materials in the global supply chain.

In order to get the product, visit http://atlasrfid.com

Ref: atlasrfid.com

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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CostX Estimating Software – Subcontractor Comparison Training

This video is the on-screenestimating software. It can be two dimension or three dimension in nature.

The video will show how sub-contractors comparison can be inserted. Exactal has brought up this video in Youtube.

The main window consists of home, drawing, dimension, revision and Sub-contractors.

In the middle of the window, there are descriptions, quantity, rate, sub-total and factors columns are segregated.

The estimators can lock the estimate 

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Drywall Quantity Takeoff Worksheet

Here the clear value can be deducted from the calculation. There are descriptions, thickness, length and width, height and wall area have been distinctly segretaed for putting the measurement in.

Drywall take off quantities should be got hold of following:-

1. Measure the Square Footage, 2. Estimate Drywall Boards, 3. Estimate Drywall Tape, 4. Estimate Joint Compound, 5. Estimate Drywall Screws, 6. Estimate Corner Beads, 7. Estimate Drywall Miscellaneous, 8. Estimate Drywall Additional.

drywall quantity takeoff worksheet

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Comprehensive estimate

This is an estimating sheet which is separated into: labour, material, non-material, sub contractor, sub total, burden, sales tax, margin, grand total and cost/sq ft.

General contractors, sub contractors, developers and architects will be helpful by this estimation sheet.

At the extreme left of the sheet, there is ITEM under which General Requirment, site work, Concrete, Masonry, Steel, Carpentary-framing, Tharmal Moisture Protection, doors and finishing.

Rows for mechanical and electrical are separately segregated.

At the bottom, there are overhear and profit, builders risk, contingency and permit are to be put. And last but not the least is grand total.

Download

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Analysis of rates for building works

This is how the rate analyses are done for the construction (viz. Labor,materials, machinery, transport, overheads and profit).

Rate Analysis:

  • There tender has to be introduced with item rates.
  • Then make sure the tender rates and its viability.
  • Judging different labour, materials, machinery and money and resource optimization.
  • The rates for deviation would have to be computed. If to work on the extra items or not.
  • Comparing cost for amount to be approved.
  • Preparing budget and cash shift.

But if the under following elements are tagged in:

  • Material cost without considering the squanders.
  • Labour cost
  • Charges of using water
  • Taxes
  • Risk and insurance coverages
  • Profit and overheads

Some other important points:

  • Percentage of profit is 5-10 per cent. But the overhead is normally 3 – 7.5 per cent.
  • The cement constant includes waste product of 2.5 per cent.
  • The material constants are loading-unloading, supply price, empty bags and others.
  • Labour constants are generally covered by government schemes as well as IS – 7272, NBO, CPWD and MES.
  • Building material specifications are here
  • Basic cost is the cost of materials and labours.
  • Indirect cost is those of consulting charge or out source changes.

There are also some rates like standard schedule or derivative rates.

Building Work Rate Analysis

Ref: click here

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Published By

Arka Roy

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