CEng 134n: Quantity Surveying
Module 02: Bill of Quantities
Lesson 2.2 TIMBERWORKS
Lesson Overview
This lesson discusses the process of quantifying and costing of timber works which
includes the materials such as lumber and wooden panels as well as fasteners such
as nails, screws, and bolts, and treatment.
By the end of this lesson, the student must be able to apply the skills necessary for
estimating timberworks.
Coverage of Timberworks
Timberworks refers to construction using wood products as well as their fasteners
and treatments.
Timberworks cover a large scope, however, this usually use the following materials:
a. Timber/Lumber refers to solid wood sections that are used for structural and
finishing purposes. The most common sizes of Timber/Lumber, and their uses
are shown on the table below
Thick Wide
Board <2” ≥2”
2”- 4”
Dimension
Joist and Plank >4
Framing Lumber
Structural or
Light Framing 2”- 4” 2”- 4”
Decking 2”- 4” ≥4”
Timbers
Beams and Stringers ≥5” >2” larger than thick
Post and Timber ≥5” ≤2” larger than thick
Note: Measurements shown are for Rough Lumber.
These Timber/Lumbers may be bought as a Rough Lumber or Dressed Lumber.
For Dressed Lumber, the dimensions of the Rough Lumber are reduced
depending on the defect of the material, however, a common acceptable Dressed
dimension are shown on the table below.
Nominal/
(In) 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12 Over 12
Rough Size
Dressed (In) ¾ 1½ 2½ 3 ½ 4 ½ 5 ½ 7 ¼ 9 ¼ 11 ¼ ¾ Less
Size (mm) 19 38 64 89 114 140 184 235 286 19 less
The most common lengths available for Timber/Lumbers are 8 feet, 10 feet, or
12 feet.
1
CEng 134n: Quantity Surveying
Module 02: Bill of Quantities
The unit of measure for purchasing Timber/Lumber in a construction supply store
is usually in pieces or lengths, however, for lumber yards, they are sold by board
feet. This can be calculated using this equation:
Where,
TxWxL T = Thickness of the Timber/Lumber, in Inches
Bd Ft =
12 W = Width of the Timber/Lumber, in Inches
L = Length of Timber/Lumber, in Feet
b. Wood Panels refers to sheets with wooden cores that usually cover a large
surface area. This includes Plywood, Plyboards, and Fiberboards. These
materials usually come in the size of 4 feet by 8 feet with a thickness that may
vary from 1/4”, 1/2”, 3/4”, or 1” thick which are sold by sheet.
c. Fasteners refers to materials such as Nails, Screws, and Bolts, that are used to
secure the wooden materials.
1. Nails are the most common fasteners used for timberworks. It is flexible in
terms of usage from securing structural members to securing panels to
supports. Nails are normally sold in kilograms where the quantity may vary
depending on the length of the nail. The tables below shows the Common
Wire Nails (CWN) that is available in the market as well as the approximate
number per kilogram.
Length
½ 1 1¼ 1½ 1¾ 2 2½
(Inches)
Approx.
No. per 8,800 2,214 1,831 1,177 580 382 208
Kilogram
Length
3 4 5 6
(Inches)
Approx.
No. per 138 58 45 20
Kilogram
2. Screws are the next common fasteners used for timberworks. Although it
requires some equipment, it secures the materials better compared to nails if
done properly. Screws are sold in kilograms where the quantity may vary
depending on the length of the screw. The tables below shows the sizes of
wood screws that is available in the market as well as the approximate
number per kilogram.
Length
½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½
(Inches)
Approx.
No. per 6,211 3,443 2,329 1,779 1,414 1,186 1,126
Kilogram
Length
4 4½ 5 6
(Inches)
Approx.
No. per 910 739 655 515
Kilogram
2
CEng 134n: Quantity Surveying
Module 02: Bill of Quantities
3. Bolts are the fasteners that are normally used to secure structural members
such as post and girders as well as trusses since they are more heavy duty
than nails and screws. Bolts, usually paired with a nut, are usually sold
individually. Additional nuts can also be purchased individually. Washers are
also sold individually.
d. Treatment refer to a material applied to the wood which either enhance the wood
performance or protects the wood from termites and the likes. These are normally
sold in liter or gallon containers with a specific coverage area.
Estimating Timberworks
The process for estimating timberworks is as follows:
A. Plan and Specifications Reading
The following drawings and requirements are necessary to perform the plan reading
for Timberworks:
Floor Framing Plans - Location and Orientation of Items such as Posts,
Girders, Joints, Bridging, Ledge, and the likes
Roof Framing Plan - Location and orientation of roof framing such as
Trusses, Rafters, Purlins, Roof Girders or Girts, and
the likes
Schedule of Trusses - Sizes of Truss Members
Connection Details - Fastening method
- Sizes of members
Elevation and Spot - Architectural Finishes
Details
B. Quantity Take-off
Quantifying Timberworks depends on the materials being used. Below are the
different methods in quantifying the materials presented on the previous section.
a. Quantifying Timber/Lumber
1. Determine the Length of the Member (LM) to be quantified. Note: this
process can be expedited by preparing a Material Cut/Cutting List.
2. Divide the Length of the Member (LM) by the Length of Commercially
Available Timber/Lumber (L A) to determine the quantities (in lengths).
3. Multiply the quantity of Timber/Lumber (in lengths) by the conversion factor
for board foot to determine the required Quantity of Timber/Lumber (in
board foot).
3
CEng 134n: Quantity Surveying
Module 02: Bill of Quantities
b. Quantifying Panels
1. Determine the Area to be Covered (AC) by the panel.
2. Divide the Area to be Covered (AC) by the Area of Commercially Available
Panels(AA) to determine the Quantity of Panels (in sheets).
c. Quantifying Fasteners
1. Count the Number of Required Connections (NR).
2. Divide the total Number of Required Connections (N R) by the
Approximate Number of Fasteners per Kilogram (N A) to determine the
Quantity of Fasteners (in kilograms).
d. Quantifying Treatment
1. Determine the Area to be Covered (AC) by the treatment.
2. Divide the Area to be Covered (AC) by the Coverage Area of the Material
(AA) to determine the Quantity of Liquid Volume (in liters or gallons).
C. Cost Computation
Cost for Timberworks will vary based on the units based on the commercially
available material. As a general process, the quantities determined are then
multiplied by the cost per unit of the material to determine the total cost.
End of Lesson