Importance of Quantity Surveying Practice

Quantity surveying practice is a critical component of the construction industry, playing a vital role in ensuring the successful delivery of construction projects. This essay will explore the importance of quantity surveying practice and its significance within the field of construction management. Quantity surveying can be defined as a profession that involves managing costs and contracts during all stages of construction projects (Odubiyi et al., 2019). The scope of quantity surveying encompasses various activities such as cost estimation, budgeting, material procurement, contract administration, risk management, value engineering, and dispute resolution.

Budgeting Skills

A quantity surveyor holds multifaceted responsibilities throughout the project lifecycle. They are responsible for preparing estimates and budgets based on accurate measurements from architectural drawings or specifications. Moreover, they play a key role in monitoring project costs to ensure adherence to budgetary constraints (Ebunoluwa & Ojo, 2021).

Accurate cost estimation is crucial for successful construction projects as it enables stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and financial planning. Quantity surveyors utilize their expertise to determine realistic cost projections by considering factors such as labor requirements, material quantities, overhead expenses, and market conditions (Yasui & Nakano, 2022).

Budgeting is another critical aspect managed by quantity surveyors in construction management. By developing detailed budgets that account for all project elements including design development, permits and approvals processes, labor costs, materials procurement expenses etc., they facilitate effective financial control throughout the project’s life cycle.

Effective material procurement is paramount for timely project completion while maintaining quality standards. Quantity surveyors contribute significantly by assisting with sourcing materials from reputable suppliers at competitive prices whilst ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. Additionally, they oversee quality control measures through rigorous inspection and testing protocols to ensure that only materials meeting specified requirements are used (Odubiyi et al., 2019). By efficiently managing material quantities, specifications, and costs, quantity surveyors mitigate the risk of delays, cost overruns, and potential litigation.

Quantity surveyors play a critical role in contract administration by providing valuable expertise throughout the procurement process. They contribute to tender evaluation and negotiation while ensuring compliance with legal frameworks. Quantity surveyors also facilitate effective contract documentation by drafting clear terms and conditions that protect stakeholders’ interests (Ebunoluwa & Ojo, 2021). Effective contract administration is essential for successful project delivery as it minimizes disputes or conflicts between parties involved. The involvement of quantity surveyors ensures that projects proceed smoothly according to agreed-upon timelines and contractual obligations.

Quantity Surveying Practice Dissertations
Quantity Surveying Practice Dissertations

Risk Management

Risk management is a crucial aspect of any construction project. Quantity surveyors assist in identifying potential risks associated with construction projects through comprehensive risk assessments. By evaluating possible hazards such as health and safety concerns, environmental impact factors, financial risks etc., they help develop mitigation strategies. Implementing these strategies enhances project safety while minimizing disruptions or unforeseen expenses (Ogunsina et al., 2018).

Value Engineering

Value engineering is an integral part of quantity surveying practice aimed at optimizing costs without compromising quality or functionality. Quantity surveyors collaborate closely with architects, engineers, and other professionals to identify opportunities for cost savings during the design phase. This collaborative effort allows them to suggest alternative materials or design modifications that maintain performance standards while reducing overall project costs.

Dispute Resolution

Disputes can arise during construction projects due to variations in designs, changes in scope, or disagreements over contractual obligations. In such situations, quantity surveyors provide expert advice on resolving disputes related to contracts claims or variations during construction projects. Alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation or arbitration are commonly employed by quantity surveyors to achieve amicable resolutions and avoid lengthy litigation processes (Ogunsina et al., 2018).

To summarize, quantity surveying practice is integral to the success of construction management projects. It encompasses various responsibilities including cost estimation and budgeting, material procurement and management, contract administration, risk management, value engineering, and dispute resolution. The expertise provided by quantity surveyors ensures accurate financial planning, timely project delivery, effective resource allocation, and minimization of potential risks or disputes.

Acknowledging the importance of quantity surveying practice in construction management leads to enhanced project outcomes while safeguarding stakeholders’ interests. By leveraging their knowledge and skills throughout all stages of a construction project, quantity surveyors contribute significantly to achieving successful outcomes in the industry.

Works Cited

Odubiyi, T. B., Aghimien, D., Aigbavboa, C., and Thwala, W. “Bridging the Gap between Academic and Practice Quantity Surveying in Nigerian Construction Industry.” Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC) Summit Proceedings, 2019, pp. 528-535.

Ebunoluwa, E. I., and Ojo, G. K. “External Marketing Relationship Practice of Quantity Surveying Firms in the Selected States in Nigeria.” Built Environment Journal, vol. 18, no. 2, 2021, pp. 97.

Yasui, Y., and Nakano, J. “A stochastic generative model for citation networks among academic papers.” PLOS ONE, vol. 17, no. 6, 2022, e0269845.

Ogunsina, O., Ekwus Obiegbu, M., and Adeniyi, O. “Factors confronting quantity surveying practice: the case of Nigeria.” Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 16, no. 5, 2018, pp. 767-782.

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Modern Slavery in Construction Supply Chains

Modern Slavery in Construction Supply Chains Dissertation

There is recognition that the UK construction industry is a danger sector for harbouring Modern Slavery abuses. While contractors are unlikely to be directly employing any slave labour, complex supply chain systems, can be found to be hiding a wide range of abuses. The UK government has already issued the Modern slavery act 2015 which provides a legislative means to deal with modern slavery perpetrators.

Modern Slavery Construction Supply Chains Dissertation
Modern Slavery Construction Supply Chains Dissertation

This dissertation investigates how contractors can eliminate the problem by successfully detecting (i.e. Identify, trace and eliminate) Modern slavery construction supply chains. In a critical review of the literature, the challenges of slavery to supply chain management are conceptualised, focusing on what makes construction a vulnerable industry. The paper then presents the findings from an extensive programme of interviews with UK Industry and labour welfare groups, which investigate the issues surrounding modern slavery in the UK and help obtain an understanding of the role contractors can play in the elimination of modern slavery within the supply chain. Eventually proposing a multi-stakeholder system contractors’ can implement to detect slavery.

This aim is broken down into the below dissertation objectives which guides the research:

  • Understand state of the art knowledge on MS and how it relates to the UK construction industry
  • Determine how well the industry has responded to the 2015 MS Act
  • Identify the challenges to detecting MS in multi-layered supply chains used by contractors
  • Assess the current MS detection methods used by contractors and identify which are most successful
  • Develop proposals on how contractors can improve their detection of MS in construction supply chains

Dissertation Contents

1 – Introduction
Background to the problem
Rationale
Aim
Objectives
Research overview and approach

2 – Literature Review
Definitions
The construction industry
Supply chain management
Traditional Slavery
MS and labour exploitation
Constituents of slavery
Migrant workers
Forced labour
Human Trafficking
Bonded Labour
The problem
Employment and the slavery business model
The Informal Economy
Traceability, Transparency and Multi-layer Supply Chains
Current Solutions
Legislation
Detectors
Prevention and Compliance

3 – Research Methodology
What is research
Narrowing the research topic
Literature review
Rationale
Sources
Research strategies (quantitative and qualitative)
Discounted Strategies
Data collection approach
Interview
Structure
Interview design
Development and Piloting
Sample Selection
Thematic Data analysis Method
Ethics and risks

4 – Data Collection
Background
Understanding the scope of MS
Awareness of MS
Prevalence of MS in Construction
Contractor responsibility
Impact of the 2015 MS Act
Vulnerabilities in the industry
Industry characteristics contributing towards vulnerability
Future MS detection techniques
Difficulties in detecting MS
Mechanisms For Detection and Prevention

5 – Discussion
The Understanding and Awareness of Modern Slavery
Collaboration and Supply Chain Relationships
Effective detection techniques
Impact of legislation

6 – Conclusions and Recommendations
Project overview
Key findings
Recommendations to the industry (contractors)
Limitations to research
Recommendations for further research

References

Appendix

Access This Dissertation Here: Modern Slavery Construction Supply Chains Dissertation

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Modular Construction Dissertation

The Benefits and Uptake of UK Modular Construction

The objective of this dissertation is to examine the size and dynamics of the UK modular industry now whilst exploring the government legislation and policies impacting its growth and uptake. A review on how the industry is set to evolve and grow in future is undertaken by study of present literature and qualitative interview analysis. The dissertation goes on to examine the benefits that will occur in the future as a result of this growth, both to the industry as a whole and at a more detailed level the modular construction industry.

The UK construction industry has continued to grow year on year since 2012 with an increased activity in commercial building, the housing market and civil engineering infrastructure. With this steady growth construction firms have been more willing to invest and expand to meet demand as government incentives such as the ‘help to buy’ scheme has made the housing market especially buoyant, helping to boost the whole industry but especially the modular construction sector.

The construction market is forecasted to slow in growth throughout 2018 however the construction industry will still receive the most investment of any major industry due to the rise in demand for office blocks, infrastructure and housing. With this steady growth it is to be expected that modular construction within the industry will also increase in correlation with this. The benefits of modular construction have been well documented. Its use throughout the history of the UK construction industry started with the introduction of prefabricated sections which were fast to install and avoided longer assembly times on site. The ability for offsite fabrication to reduce construction time has been seen as a benefit since the skill shortages and large scale need for fast construction that was created after the end of World War II. However, at this time the technology was not in place to provide this combination of high quality building and faster programme and so it fell out of favour with contractors and clients alike who were not willing to compromise quality with speed.

This bad image through the ages has left a stigma on pre-fabrication in the construction industry which developers are trying to shift in order to access the rewards offered by it. More recently however technological advances have now improved to accommodate a combination of quality and speed however uptake is still not as high as one might expect for such a seemingly revolutionary technology.

Dissertation Objectives

  • Investigate the government policies that promotes the use of modular construction in the UK industry
  • Research what benefits modular construction can provide to the current housing shortage faced by the UK
  • Investigate the economic benefits that a more active modular construction industry would bring
  • Investigate areas of future expansion for modular construction, exploring less conventional methods of application

Modular Construction Dissertation
Modular Construction Dissertation

Dissertation Contents

1: Introduction
Research background
Research Gap
Aim
Research Objectives
Dissertation Structure

2: Literature Review
An overview of modular construction
What is modular construction?
Benefits of modular construction
How large is the modular construction industry
Government legislation affecting the modular construction industry
Government strategy pushing modular construction
Modular building framework
Modular construction to help with skill shortage
To what extent can modular construction alleviate the UK housing shortage?
Previous impact of modular construction on the housing sector
Benefits that modern modular construction can bring to the UK housing shortage
What areas of future expansion are there for modular?
Hybrid modular systems
Removing limitations of delivering modules to site
Modular construction in civil engineering
What benefits will a more active modular construction industry bring
Research questions

3: Research Methodology
Research Approach
Data Collection
Primary Data
Secondary Data
Selection of Data Collection Method
Interview Design
Interviewee Sampling
Ethical Considerations
Limitations

4: Analysis and Results
Thematic analysis
Interview Structure
Interviewee profiles
Analysis and results
The importance of modular construction
How important government policy is on construction trends
Experience of working with modular construction
Making modular a more attractive alternative in the industry
The future of modular construction

5: Discussion
Discussion of objectives
Discussion of research questions

6: Conclusion and Recommendations
Conclusion on the Results
Limitation of the Research
Further Research Recommendation

Appendix
Interview Questions

View This Dissertation Here: Quantity Surveying Dissertation UK Modular Construction

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Dissertation UK Construction Joint Ventures

Effectiveness of UK Construction Joint Ventures

In recent years there has been an increase in UK construction companies forming Joint Ventures (JV) in order to compete for construction projects. JVs are an arrangement where companies combine their expertise, capital, property, skills and knowledge in order to execute a specific project. Despite the rise of Construction Joint Ventures (CJV), it has been reported that Joint Ventures are often problematic and result in disputes between the partners.

There is an abundance of research which focuses on different countries like China, Japan, and UAE, but there is very limited research that examines CJVs in the UK construction industry. This research aims to examine this CJV formation in the UK. It will identify the motives of UK companies forming Construction Joint Ventures, the reasons of failure, the factors of success. It also investigates the spike of UK CJV formation.

Initially, a literature review was carried out on the existing body of knowledge. Then a series of interviews were conducted with professionals that have been involved in different lengths with UK CJVs. The interview questions addressed all the aims and objectives of the research. Following an in-depth discussion of the literature and the data findings, it was revealed that the main motives that companies have to form a joint venture are to gain enough financial strength, exchange expertise, satisfy client needs, share risk and enter new geographical markets within the UK.

Construction Joint Ventures Dissertation
Construction Joint Ventures Dissertation

It was identified that the main risks of failure are choosing an unsuitable partner and inefficient collaboration. The study found that the spike of CJVs is due to the recession of 2008, the ‘Egan reports’ and client demand. The factors of success that were found are partners having common aims and objectives, clear procedures and being compatible with each other. In conclusion, the study provided an insight into the formation of CJV in the UK that did not exist previously.

Dissertation Objectives

  • Identify the motives of companies to form a CJV
  • Identify the risks and reasons of failure of CJVs
  • Investigate the increase of CJVs in the UK construction industry
  • Provide an updated account on factors of success of UK CJVs

Dissertation Contents

1 – Introduction
Aim
Objectives
Research Need
Research Method
Dissertation structure

2 – Literature Review
Definition of Joint ventures
Difference between JV and CJVs
Operation of CJVs
Motives to form Joint Ventures
Risks and reasons of failure of CJV
Determinant of Success
Factors of success of CJV in different industries
Differences between Industries
Common Trends throughout the Literature
CJVs in the UK industry

3 – Methodology
Quantitative research
Qualitative research
Comparison of types of research
Interviews
Interviewees Profile

4 – Data Analysis
Interview Responses

5 – Discussion
Key objective 1: Identify the motives of companies to form a CJV
Key objective 2: Identify the risks and reasons of failure of CJVs
Key objective 3: Investigation of increase of CJVs in the UK construction industry
Key objective 4: Provide an updated account on factors of success of UK CJVs

6 – Conclusions
Aim of the research
Research Objectives
Limitations
Recommendations

References

Appendix

Click Here To View The Dissertation In Full – Effectiveness of UK Construction Joint Ventures

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New Rules Measurement Quantity Surveying

Is New Rules Measurement A Real Success Story?

Title: NRM – Is New Rules of Measurement A Real Success Story? There has been many pieces of literature in the UK construction industry which say the implementation of NRM has been successful however there has been very little surveys carried out which provide true data not opinions. Through analysing NRM in depth looking at the perceived advantages and barriers to their adoption it provided a better understanding of what the RICS were trying to achieve with New Rules Measurement. The dissertation aimed evaluate the impact of New Rules Measurement has had on the UK construction industry and how well the suite of documents were understood and utilised.

The method of data collection used in this research dissertation was questionnaires; this provided quantitative data which there was a lack of on this subject. This data was collected through the questionnaire which was sent to various companies to gain a greater understanding of the impact of New Rules Measurement across the industry. The main findings in the research were that many QS’s surveyed had not been given any training on New Rules Measurement as there was a small number of projects requesting its use. Quantity surveyors surveyed also believe there are benefits to using New Rules Measurement however they are not willing to seek training without a higher demand in New Rules Measurement use from clients.

NRM New Rules Measurement Dissertation
NRM New Rules Measurement Dissertation

A conclusion that can be drawn from the dissertation is that New Rules Measurement has yet to impact the industry as a whole, as many quantity surveyors do not fully understand what the documents are or what they are trying to achieve. The RICS should endeavour to keep promoting this publication to ensure the benefits are realised across the industry so that it becomes industry standard. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of New Rules Measurement and how it is being utilised in the UK construction industry and to evaluate the impact and utilisation. This research hopes to identify any barriers that may hinder the full integration of New Rules Measurement and therefore allows any issues to be clearly identified for the UK construction industry.

Research Objectives

  • Investigate the need for the UK construction industry to update from SMM7 to New Rules Measurement
  • Critical appraisal of New Rules Measurement to produce an understanding of its contents
    Identification of barriers that hold back New Rules Measurement
  • Evaluation of New Rules Measurement’s potential benefits
  • What are the opinions of those in industry on New Rules Measurement and how it is being used

Dissertation Contents

Introduction
Rationale
Hypothesis
Research Aim Research Objectives
Research Method and Scope
Structure

Analysis of NRM and its impact
Background Information
Historical Role
Problems in current Quantity Surveying Practice
The need for NRM
Barriers to use of NRM in UK construction industry
Advantages of NRM
Updated
Global Appeal
BIM integration
Innovation in the construction industry

Research Methodology
Research Aim
Research Methodology
Research Approaches
Quantitative
Qualitative
Questionnaire Aim
The Participants
Response Rate
Questionnaire Structure
Rational for Questionnaire
Data Analysis

Data Analysis
Questionnaires
Participants
Experience of Participants
Knowledge of Current Industry Standards
Use of Current Industry Standards
Knowledge of NRM
Use of NRM
Training on NRM
NRM being beneficial
Projects that used NRM in 2015
Projects that will use NRM in 2016
Barriers to NRM
NRM providing cost consistency and accuracy
Opinions on NRM
If it were your choice would you use NRM
Advantages of NRM

Conclusion and Recommendation
Hypothesis
Aims & Objectives
Comments on objectives
Investigate the need to update from SMM7 to NRM
Critical appraisal of NRM
Barriers of NRM
NRM’s benefits
Opinions on NRM and how it is being used
Conclusion
Recommendation
Limitations
Future Research

References

Appendix
Questionnaire

View This Dissertation Here

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