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BIM & The Role of Quantity Surveyors: Possible Changes, Threats, Opportunities and Challenges
Introduction Quantity Surveying is usually a client-led profession where the overall role of the Quantity Surveyor is to respond to the needs and requirements of the client. The line of the QS skills development is, therefore, largely relied on the ever-changing needs...
What the NCA ‘X’ Sign Means
Who is NCA? The NCA (National Construction Authority) is a Kenyan government entity which was established by the National Construction Authority Act No. 41 of 2011 (Chapter 449a, Laws of Kenya). This authority has the responsibility of overseeing the Kenyan...
Landscaping and Gardening: What Practice Merits the “Green” Label?
Landscaping and gardening are areas of concern in the modern-day practices of architecture and urbanism. Past discussions by construction industry stakeholders have voiced the concern and need to build sustainable and resilient buildings, cities and urban centres....
What is a Unit Rate in Construction Estimating?
A unit rate can be described as the monetary value allocated to a unit of measurement for a given item in a bill of quantities, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This can be the cost per square meter of floor area, cost per kilogramme of...
What is a Bill of Quantities and its Use in Construction?
A Bill of Quantities, as defined by the Business Dictionary, is an itemized list of materials, parts and labour with their costs, required to undertake construction work. It can also be defined as a document compiled for construction projects in which all elements of...
Why is Concrete Reinforced?
If you take a look around you, you will realise that most structures (buildings, bridges, retaining walls, etc.) around you are made from concrete. It is true that concrete is one of the world’s most common building materials as the editors of Britannica Encyclopaedia...
Writing a Statement of Works for a Construction Project
A statement of works is a document that provides a definition of the project requirements. These requirements are captured through a proper description of the works, the project timelines, performance criteria, the project deliverables and the skills required to...
Different Types of Concrete Mixing Machines Explained
Concrete consists of cement, water and aggregates that have been mixed together in proper proportions and allowed to cure and gain strength. There are two types of concrete mixing operations; transit mixed which involves the concrete being batched in a central plant...
What is Bluebeam Revu? Intuitive Award-winning PDF Solution for Construction, Architecture & Manufacturing
What is Bluebeam Revu®? Bluebeam Revu is a software application that allows users to mark-up, take-off, organize and collaborate with PDF files. It is mostly used by people in the Construction, Architecture, Engineering and Manufacturing industries. Bluebeam Revu is...
Historical Background of the Procurement of Building and Associated Civil Engineering Works in Kenya
Public procurement is “the process of acquisition, normally through contractual arrangements, of goods, works and services by the public service” (Kuloba, 2015). He further added that procurement covers issues of procurement strategy, storage, distributions, contract...
The Construction Project as a System
The Project Management Institute defines a project as “an endeavour with a definite beginning and a definite end undertaken to create a unique product or service”. A construction project falls in this definition, as it involves a temporary endeavour which is the...
Historical Evolution of Quantity Surveying
According to Kirkham (2015), the Quantity Surveying profession can date its roots back to the rebuilding of London after the great fire in 1666. Prior to that, Seeley (1996) says that masons, carpenters and other craftsmen used to be paid per day, i.e. there was no...