Choosing the “best” software for civil engineering largely depends on the specific needs of your projects, your budget, and your familiarity with the tool. Here’s a brief guide on the relative strengths of each software, considering their pros and cons: For General Civil Engineering Design AutoCAD Civil 3D For Structural Analysis and Design STAAD.Pro and…
The Essential Software for Civil Engineers in 2024
Civil engineering is a dynamic field that integrates the principles of engineering with the latest technological advancements to design, construct, and maintain essential infrastructure. To meet the demanding requirements of the profession, civil engineers rely heavily on specialized software tools. These programs not only improve productivity but also enhance accuracy, efficiency, and collaboration across projects….
RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION
Track or the Permanent way is the railroad on which trains run. It consists of two parallel rails having a specified distance in between and fastened to sleepers which are embedded in a layer of ballast of specified thickness spread over the formation. The rails are joined to each other by fish plates and bolts…
MINIMIZING DISPUTES ARISING FROM BILL OF QUANTITIES
Disputes in Contracts in the construction industry are becoming common today. The construction disputes vary in their nature, size, and complexity. If contract documents are poorly drafted and badly managed, the results will be inevitable additional costs and additional liabilities to the Client. Before becoming disputes or recognized as disputes, the parties to the contract…
PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE
What is Professional Indemnity Insurance? Professional indemnity insurance is a form of liability insurance that provides cover for the financial consequences of professional negligence, following a breach of professional duty by way of neglect, error, or omission. In addition, an indemnity is provided regarding the legal and other costs and expenses incurred in the defense…
CONSTRUCTION RISKS AND INSURANCE
Hazards & Risks in Construction Projects Hazard – A situation or event whose realization has the potential for damage to human life, society, the economy, or the environment. Risk – Risk is the uncertainty of loss. Risk = Hazard x Probability of Occurrence Uncertainty of loss covers a range of losses from life to property…
Writing Descriptions of work items in the Bill of Quantity
The essential of a description in a bill of quantities is that it should satisfy the requirements laid down in the Standard Method of Measurement – SMM. Technically, if any description fails to do, it can be considered incorrect. The various clauses in the SMM indicate the essentials of the description. But more information should…
Construction machinery/equipment – Renting vs. Purchasing equipment
The purchase of equipment represents a capital investment by the construction contractor. The contractor has to recover enough money to pay the ownership cost and operating costs of the equipment during its useful life. Together, he must make a profit on the investment. Therefore, any estimate must include the cost of equipment used on the…
Bid Evaluation – Domestic Preference
According to NPA* Guidelines / Sri Lanka Domestic preference is given to local contractors, to encourage the local contractors. Eligibility for Domestic Preference Application of the Preference Domestic Preference Category I – Bids offered by bidders eligible for domestic preference. Category II – Bids offered by others. *NPA – National Procurement Agency.
Mediation – in Construction Contracts
Mediation is an effective method of preventing, managing, and resolving conflicts. However, a mediation process requires more than the appointment of a high-profile individual to act as a third party. To be effective, opponents need to be convinced of the merits of mediation. Ad-hoc and poorly coordinated mediation efforts, even when launched with the best…
Arbitration in Construction contracts
Alternative Dispute Resolution – ADR ADR has been introduced to resolve disputes in construction contracts outside the Court system. It has come to play a very significant role in resolving disputes today. What does ADR mean? Any method of resolving disputes, other than those adopted by the courts of law as part of the system…
Decision to tender in construction contract
The decision to tender for a particular contract is mainly the responsibility of the senior management of the contracting firm. There are three possible stages during the estimating and tendering process where this decision must be made. The first is during the pre-selection stage if a pre-selection is carried out. This decision would be based…