Bridging is a vital element of any construction project, and estimation forms the baseline of any bridge project. This is an estimation of the rough quantities of the works, materials, man and other power, plant and other tools, etc. required to accomplish the same in given budgets and time frames. It directly influences the planning and scheduling of the project activities and any wrong estimate affects the whole project plan. Therefore, estimators have to produce detailed and accurate estimates to help schedulers and project managers develop proper activity schedules.
Scheduling Is a Critical Function In Any Project
A well-prepared schedule of cost is the cornerstone for proper planning and time management. It assists in the definition of all the manpower resources necessary to undertake the work and the types and quantities of equipment needed to execute the activities during the stipulated periods. Any errors or missing items in the estimate will get carried into the schedule, potentially leading to:
- Disadvantages include the following, where some of the work takes more time than planned.
- Lack of resources if there is not enough labor/equipment planned for.
- Budget issues arising out of a need to purchase additional materials or services
Therefore, the estimate is linked to scheduling, and underestimations can severely affect the feasibility of the schedule, while overestimations make unnecessary budget arrangements.
Estimation Impacts on Levels of Project Schedule
There is a range of schedules that starts with a high-level master schedule and ends with a detailed task schedule. The estimation accuracy required varies for different schedule types:
- Master Schedules: Gross cost estimates used for prioritizing the major milestones and phases of a project. Lack of detail can also mean neglecting important activities.
- Phase Schedules: More accurate estimate with major disciplines/areas quantified. Gaps can make the phase planning a complicated affair.
- Task Schedules: A lot of counting for all materials and days required to accomplish each step. Errors affect the time taken to complete tasks to unrealistic levels.
Consequently, the estimator must know what schedule is being prepared by the Construction Takeoff planner to estimate at an adequate level of detail for that schedule. If there are gaps in the estimate or if too much detail is provided, the value of the schematic decreases.
The Impact of Electrical Engineering on Estimation Precision
In a construction project for work to be done on time, the estimator has to factor into the cost estimate services such as electrical engineering apart from structural, finishing, and MEP costs.
Key electrical services that the estimator must plan for include:
- Transmission towers and tie lines
- Lighting and electrical fittings various types of products fall under this category, and they include the following:
- Earthing and lightning protection systems
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Specialized communication systems
For complicated projects, the estimator may involve Electrical Engineering Services such as Xactimate electrical estimators at the initial stage to give full costing of all electrical systems, labor, and equipment required. Precise estimation of necessary electrical works to be incorporated in the estimate is vital, so electrical works can be well fitted into the general project duration. There are likely to be issues with time especially when acquiring specialized electrical works.
Employing Digital Estimating Tools
The manual paper-based approach is also known to be slow, and monotonous and may involve a high level of inaccuracies. Estimators who integrate their estimating activities with digital estimating tools such as Xactimate have the added advantage of providing better construction estimates within the shortest time possible. Key benefits include:
- Xactimate has the provision of the latest and historical cost data to compare the estimated costs.
- Measures such as digital takeoff with Xactimate sketching make it easy to estimate the amount of materials required.
- Estimations made through automated calculations are less prone to errors in quantity take-offs and pricing.
- To get to the optimum budget, one can compare different estimate scenarios.
- Having estimate data integrated provides a way of using the estimate data for scheduling without any complications.
Digital tools that improve accurate and timely estimating provide the best data for activity definition and resource allocation during project scheduling. This helps avoid changes to the timeline on account of the wrong time or budget estimate having been accorded to a particular activity during scheduling.
The Bottom Line
Proper estimation, allows the schedulers to develop realistic schedules that incorporate all the services and tasks required within the scope of the project. Thus, estimators have to liaise with project managers and schedulers to learn about the schedules needed and provide other estimates that incorporate all the necessary components. Successful implementation of digital estimation improves accuracy as well as the speed of cost calculations and takeoffs. Getting the right level of detail in estimates to satisfy project scheduling requirements is the goal, while avoiding the provision of more detail than necessary thus contributing to time or cost overruns when project implementation has started.
Conclusion
In conclusion, accurate estimation is the cornerstone on which efficient scheduling and reporting is possible within project management. The gaps, errors, or any unnecessary contingent in construction estimates will compound into more problems such as budget overruns or resource scarcities when implementing the project – significantly affecting the schedule. Thus Xactimate Estimators need to coordinate closely with planners through means such as detailed estimating using Xactimate, specialized engineering consultations, and digital takeoffs among others. The integration of estimating and scheduling is critical in achieving the goals of construction project delivery under the planned schedule baseline.
