Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil

Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

STANDARDIZING AND ENHANCING BILLS OF

QUANTITIES FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS USING
THE MALAYSIAN STANDARD METHOD OF
MESUREMENT FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS

CONSULTING ENGINEER’S PERSPECTIVES

ON SMM IN CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS

31ST MARCH 2010

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

CONTENTS OF PRESENTATION

OBJECTIVE OF CESMM
HISTORY OF CESMM AND BILL OF QUANTITIES (BQ)
SOME BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 3 SMMs
USAGE OF SMM IN MALAYSIA
SOME DEFINITIONS OF BILL OF QUANTITIES (BQ)
WHY DO WE USE BILL OF QUANTITIES?
SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM
CONCLUSION

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

OBJECTIVE OF CESMM

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CESMM IS TO SET FORTH THE

PROCEDURE FOR MEASUREMENT OF THE WORK
ACCORDING TO WHICH THE BILL OF QUANTITIES
SHALL BE PREPARED AND PRICED.

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

HISTORY OF CESMM & BQ

1859 – Formal BQ was introduced.
1933 – ICE introduced standard procedure for BQ.
1953 – SMM for Civil Engineering Quantities (ICE).
1967 – CIRIA report 34.
1968 – SMM for Civil Eng Quantities (metric) (ICE).
1976 – 1st Edition of CESMM-UK.
1985 – 2nd Edition of CESMM-UK.
1991 – 3rd Edition of CESMM-UK.

SMM IN MALAYSIA
CESMM3 – UK - 1991
SMM2 – ISM – 2001
CESMM – CIDB - 2003

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 3 SMMs

SMM2-ISM covers mainly building works and does not cover
civil engineering works
CESMM-CIDB covers mainly civil engineering works and
does not cover building works
CESMM-CIDB in tabulated format whereas SMM2-ISM in
descriptive format
CESMM3-UK has separate items for supply and lay whereas
CESMM-CIDB has supply and lay under 1 item
e.g. concreting works
CESMM3-UK – supply (1), lay (2)
CESMM-CIDB – supply and lay (1)
Consulting Engineer’s Perspective
 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)
USAGE OF SMM IN MALAYSIA
Based on 41 respondents from Stakeholders in Water and
Wastewater Industry
No, 12, 29%

Yes, 29, 71%

Contractors, 6, 21%
Operators, 3, 25%
Operators, 9, 31%

Contractors, 6, 50%

Consultants, 3, 25%
Consultants, 14, 48%

Stakeholders Using SMM Stakeholders Not Using SMM

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)
USAGE OF SMM IN MALAYSIA
Based on 41 respondents from Stakeholders in Water and
Wastewater Industry

25
21
20

14
15
12
11
10
7
6
5 5
4
5 3 3
1
0
CESMM-UK SMM-ISM CESMM-CIDB

Operators Consultants Contractors Total

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME DEFINITIONS OF BILL OF QUANTITIES (BQ)

The Bill of Quantities (BQ) is a document with detailed
information about the type, nature and quantities of the
finished work in a construction.
It is compiled with the Forms of Tender, Specifications and
Drawings.
The essential functions of the BQ is to limit the difficulty the
Client has in forecasting and defining to a Contractor what is
required to do.
On the other hand it limits the difficulty the Contractor has in
forecasting precisely what the work will cost.

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

WHY USE BILL OF QUANTITIES?

Avoid unnecessary effort from multiple contractors to
prepare the tender
Provide standard basis for tender
Provide Quality control
Assist tender evaluation
Provide rates for valuation of variations
Provide the basis for payment purpose
Provide basis for financial reporting/cash flow

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM

 Although the Civil Engineering Standard Method of

Measurement (CESMM) by ICE UK is often used for works
of a civil engineering nature but there are many occasions
particularly for, water supply and wastewater works, where
Consultants utilize their own Standard Method of
Measurement.

 Engineers indicate methods of measurement in the

Preamble to the BQ, the Specifications and the Drawings.
 Different consultants may have different methods of
measurements.

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM

 There are too many SMMs to follow:
 JKR 203A (Rev. 10/83)
• Clause 26(b) requires the BQ to be prepared in accordance with
the SMM for Building Works prepared by Institute of Surveyors,
Malaysia
 JKR 203A (2007)
• Clause 26.4 in the new form allows SMM for preparation of BQ
to be also based on CESMM by ICE or any Method of
Measurement as set out in the BQ in addition to the SMM for
Building Works by ISM.
 When you have disputes in say concrete works which is
common to all 3 SMMs which one governs?

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)
SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM
 Some Confusion on Method of Payment for Work Done
- Trench Excavation
Payment
Or this
based on this
width??
width??

If this width,
what angle to
use??

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM

 Grade 35A for water retaining structures (not in CESMM3-

UK or CESMM-CIDB)
 Pipelines
 Under 1 Item - Supply, lay, including excavation, valves, thrust
blocks, etc
 Under 4 Items - Excavation (I), Supply & Lay including joints (2),
Valve (3), Thrust blocks (4)
 Under 7 Items - Excavation (I), Supply (2), Lay (3), Cutting of Pipes
(4), Joints (5), Valve (6), Thrust blocks (7)

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM

 Piling works

SOME SAY OTHERS

3m

Pay 10m for supply and Pay 7m for supply and

7 m for driving 7m 7 m for driving

Who can say exactly what depth

of pile to be driven??

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM

 Code numbers - based on 41 respondents from
Stakeholders in Water and Wastewater Industry – does
your BQ have code numbers?

N/A, 5, 12%
Yes, 10, 24%

No, 26, 64%

 Code numbers are important feature in CESMM but it is

the most difficult to use and therefore not widely used.
Consulting Engineer’s Perspective
 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

SOME ISSUES IN USING SMM

 Code numbers - based on 41 respondents from
Stakeholders in Water and Wastewater Industry – 73% of
respondents are of the opinion that work classes and code
numbers are useful in preparation of BQ

N/A, 4, 10%

No, 7, 17%

Yes, 30, 73%

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

OTHER RESPONSES FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS

 Standardisation on method of preparation of BQ as
well measurement.
 M&E Works with more items breakdown with quantity,
unit rate and amount instead of lump sum items.
 Method of measurement must be detailed properly so
as not to cause disputes in the future.
 Contractors need to be familiar with SMM.
 Too many types of SMM. The industry should
standardizes and use one type of SMM.

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

CONCLUSION

 A STANDARD METHOD OF MEASUREMENT IN THE

CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS WILL ENSURE A
STANDARD BASIS FOR CONTRACTORS TO TENDER
AND A UNIFORM BASIS FOR VALUATION AND
PAYMENT TO THE CONTRACTOR.

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective

 Standardizing & Enhancing BQ for Civil
Engineering Works using CESMM (M)

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR KIND
ATTENTION

Consulting Engineer’s Perspective