Describing Quantity Surveying-The Lost Art Of Measurement
Why Is Quantity Surveying The Lost Art Of Measurement.
Just like any other profession, Quantity survey has greatly evolved as a result of rapid developments in technology over the past years. The computer based solution has created an influx of illusion that the traditional methods of measuring the Bills of Quantities are outdated, outmoded and should be put out to pastures. However, there are still strong cases that the traditional methods of measurements are the best since they offer the construction and building services including the qualified CDMs Co-coordinators and the Chartered Quantity Survey.
The traditional art of measurements has greatly lost its value as a result of inadequate studies at the degree levels and huge technological advances. However, this is unfortunate because the entire commercial pivots in the construction industry are the bill for quantities. Measurements always offer an in-depth knowledge of the whole project.
What are the traditional methods of measuring in Quantity Surveying?
Before any construction begins the quantity survey has to be done to propose works so as to produce a Bill of Quantities, a detailed and itemized document showing the breakdown cost of the building materials, parts, and the labor force. For the surveyor to produce the Bill of Quantities, he or she has to the measure the quantities based on the standards of rules and definitions. Measurements need much more qualified personnel so that they can be able to measure items not indicated or shown in the drawings. Measurements are always a hard and a daunting task for newly employed personnel.
Advantages of the traditional methods?
The criteria by which the traditional methods of quantities of measurement predetermine results produced inconsistent manners that are familiar to the construction industry. The traditional methods make an evaluation, costing, valuing and variation of the building works a lot easier to predict, especially when the construction work has progressed.
What methods are replacing the traditional methods of measurement in Quantity Surveying?
Over the past years, surveyors are using a software solution like the 3D model packages in preference to the traditional methods. As much as it produces the fastest results, such methods are inconsistent from one program to another, making the Bills of Quantity less accurate for various clients. Thus, this will make the jobs harder in correctly and accurately predicting control.
But is the measurement in Quantity Surveying profession a “lost art”?
It really might not be over yet as of now, but in the coming years, it will be a lost art. The 2010 article in the Built Environment laments and argues that role of quantity surveying is diminishing because the standards of measurements have considerably decreased over the past ten years.
As cited in the article, there is an increasing demand for the workload for the modern quantity surveyor causing a greater focus to the task of project management. Such shift of focus has created this eschewing of the traditional quantity survey methods of measurements.
Why don’t all the Quantity Surveyors offer traditional methods of measurement?
The main reason they don’t offer such measurements is to save on efforts and time for them and clients to need fast results. Clients need to have the best and the highest quality of services, thus, it is important to stick to the traditional methods of producing results that are accurate, reliable and precise. This will highlight on the aspects as to why is quantity survey-the lost art of measurement.
Sources
http://www.building.co.uk/chapter-and-verse/3074939.article
http://kok-surveyors.co.uk/quantity-surveying-the-lost-art-of-measurement/
