Essential Guide to Metric Computations
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ScribdTranslationsEssential Guide to Metric Computations
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ScribdTranslationsINTRODUCTION
A civil engineering project must be the search for an intelligent solution to
statement of the requirements or needs. The professional in charge of
calculate and determine the corresponding metric computations for a project, and the
costs associated with this, must as a first measure be perfectly
substantiated with the provided documentation, which must be
composed of: floor plans and cuts at convenient scales, sheets of
locales, specifications sheets, construction details, descriptive report,
etc.
Metric Computations
Definition
Metric computations are problems of measuring lengths, areas, and
volumes that require the use of geometric formulas for their calculation; the
The terms computation, cubication, and measurement are equivalent words.
Despite its simplicity, metric computation requires knowledge of
constructive procedures and a tidy and systematic job. The
the responsibility of the person in charge of the calculations is very important.
importance, because this work can represent losses or gains to
the owners or contractors
The metric computation consists of the detailed calculation of the quantities of works.
They can be executed using marked plans and forms, generating items.
which will be used to prepare the project budget.
When the counting is done on-site, it consists of verifying the quantities.
of works actually executed, also called measurements of works.
Importance of metric calculations
The activity of Metric Computation is a detailed study of all the
project elements, to determine how much materials and what
amount of work required and of course how much it will cost to make that a reality
project. To carry out more accurate metric calculations, one must follow a
series of important steps and being attentive to everything related to the
execution of the work, making sure that no detail escapes in such a way
that we do not have a calculation far from reality and in the end the work turns out to be
much more expensive than we had thought. First, the profile of the accountant
It must be the following: a professional in Architecture, Civil Engineering, or a T.S.U.
in Civil Construction; who has experience in construction, and this is the most
important since a project can present all the details in plans
construction of the work can be very well done, but always in the work
There are some situations that vary in some way the details that do not.
they appear in the project, so the computer scientist must have knowledge of the
Activity to not overlook some things. A simple example is the following:
When determining the number of laundries in a building, we can say that there are 40.
apartments because we placed 40 granite bathtubs and that's it, but it turns out that
that tray is supported on a block wall that in turn is plastered by
both sides and along the front edge. Let us suppose that this wall is 60 cm long.
long by 70 cm in height, which gives an area of 0.42 m2 of block wall, plus
the frieze on both sides gives 0.84 m2, plus the frieze at the edge of the wall would give us
0.07 m2 for a total of 0.91 m2 of molding, if we add the paint to this, plus
1.30 ml of baseboard is generating a cost that we had previously disregarded and
if we multiply that amount you gave us by the 40 apartments, in the end it will give
a good amount of money that we have overlooked and that can influence the
total cost of the work. If the estimator has never been on site, he will not have in
that detail will be counted and that's where it will start to fail in the final computation.
Objective that the metric computation fulfills within a civil work
Establish the cost of a work or one of its parts
Determine the amount of material necessary to carry out a work.
Establish work volumes and partial costs for payment purposes
work valuations
Interpret and apply the symbolism used in drinking water plans.
sewerage
Know, select and apply the appropriate scale to the project plan
that will be crafted and/or employed.
Interpret the indications of a plan in order to intervene with
precision and timeliness in the field
The metric computations are problems of measuring lengths, areas and
volumes that require the handling of geometric formulas; the terms
computation, cubic measurement and footage are equivalent words. The metric computation in
civil works require knowledge of construction procedures and of a
ordered and systematic work. The responsibility of the person in charge of
the computations are very important, because this work can
to represent losses or gains to the owners or contractors.
It is the ordered quantification of the different items that make up a work,
according to the unit of measure established by the assumed specifications.
In Venezuela, the most commonly used specifications are those established by the
COVENIN standards. Some tips to achieve very accurate metric calculations.
close to reality.
The process of metric calculations is carried out in the office stage, before the
work, On the plans.
According to documentation, there is another measurement 'according to work'.
It involves the use of geometric formulas (PERIMETER, AREA,
VOLUMES
Arithmetic calculations, units of measurement.
Requires knowledge of construction practice.
Necessary documents
A good measurement task, then, will rely on the quantity and quality of
information provided by the documentation given to the computer scientist.
Many times in practice, one only relies on the expertise of the person performing the task.
task. The necessary documents are:
1. Construction plans: floor plan, sections, elevations (final plans, otherwise it implies
rectify the Measurement.
2. Local form.
[Link] and worksheets of structures.
[Link] plans.
5. Terms of reference: specific clauses and/or work lists.
[Link] plans.
In case this documentation is contradictory, the terms and conditions
they usually establish the order of priority in which the different ones should be considered
documents of the work. If it is not explicitly stated, three general principles apply:
1- The project documents (terms of reference, specifications,
plans, etc.). If the information does not appear in one of them, but is in
another within all the written or graphic documentation, it is mandatory to take
this.
2- If there are differences between the measured dimensions and the verification of the same
What the operator must do, the first one is taken.
If contradictions appear between two or more documents, the one that has
It has been studied for that work, for example: send the detail plan regarding it.
the plans
A logical order is:
list of locations
particular conditions
techniques; 7th) budget.
General principles for performing the computation
1. Study the documentation. Through this operation, one gets the first idea.
Regarding the progress of the computation, the interpretation of a plan cannot be achieved if not
the vision of the whole work is present. The review of the plans must be
made jointly with the specification document.
2. Respect the Plans. The measurement must correspond to the work, the computation
will do following the instruction of the plans and sheets. During the calculation, it is placed
evidence the errors and omissions obtained from the drawing, from which it results that the
The calculator is an effective collaborator of the designer.
3. Measure Accurately. Within reasonable tolerance limits, they must be achieved.
a degree of accuracy, greater the larger the category being studied. For
an example is not the same to dismiss 1 m2 of plaster as 1 m2 of cladding
made of marble. No matter how small their cost, the items should not be underestimated.
that are part of a construction.
Computing techniques
The work is divided into stages, each of which constitutes a category of
budget, this classification by item should be made with the criterion of separating
all parts of different cost, not only to facilitate the formation of
budget but also because it is a contract document, which serves
as an indicative list of the works carried out.
The work must be detailed in all its parts to facilitate its review.
correction and/or modification.
Recommendations for carrying out the metric calculations
A comprehensive study of the plans and technical specifications must be carried out.
project related to each other the plans of Architecture, Structures, Installations
Sanitary and Electrical, in the case of being a civil construction (housing or building
multifamily.
Specify the area of studies or metric calculations and work that will be
execute.
The order for preparing the metric calculations is essential, as it will give us the
sequence in which the measurements or readings of the plans are taken, enumerated
the pages on which the amounts are written including the
relevant observations. All this will give us the guideline to carry out a check
faster and to be able to find the errors if applicable.
CONCLUSION
Currently, thanks to the service provided by computing, we work with
electronic forms or programs that compute the different parts of a
construction. These forms or programs must be filled out or completed by the
computer scientist. It should be clear that if we make a mistake loading data, the
the results we obtain will also be erroneous, and we cannot blame it on
blame the system.