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QUANTITY SURVEYING – 1
UNIT – I
The Role of Measurement in construction – basic measurement rules
Measurement of Land and building works.
UNIT – II
Method of measurement of woks – Introduction – general rules – units of works
– Earthwork – Brick work – Concrete works – other related civil works – road work –
Dismantling & demolishing.

ROLE OF MEASUREMENT IN CONSTRUCTION

Measurement of work occupies a very important place in the planning and
execution of any civil engineering project from the time of first estimates to final
completion and settlement of payments. Methods followed for the measurement are
not uniform, and considerable differences exist between the practices followed by
different construction agencies and also between various central and State
Government Departments. While it is recognized that each system of measurement
has to be specifically related to administrative and financial organization with
departments responsible for the work, a unification of the various systems at the
technical level has been accepted as very desirable, specially as it permits a wider
circle of operation for civil engineering contractors, and eliminates ambiguities and
misunderstandings, arising out of inadequate information and knowledge of various
systems followed.
Indian Standards on method of measurement of building and civil engineering
work have, therefore, been formulated which have been covered in various parts of
IS: 1200 based on the trades. These parts are further amended and revised from
time to time so as to keep the same based on the latest practices being followed by
the major construction agencies. So far, 25 parts have been prepared covering
various trades.
BASIC MEASUREMENT RULES
General
The methods of measurement of works are not uniform in various Central and
State Government departments. Considerable difference exists between various
departments. As the measurement occupies a very important place in the planning
and execution of the Civil Engineering works from the first estimate to the final
completion and settlement of payments of the works. It is recognized that each
system of measurement has to be specifically related to the administrative and
financial organization within the department which is responsible for the work. The
necessity for the uniformity of method of measurement of works was being felt for a
long time for permitting wider circle of operation for Civil Engineering Contractors
and for eliminating ambiguities and misunderstandings arising out of the
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inadequate understanding of various systems followed. This chapter based is on
ISI200.
Rules for Rounding off Numerical Values
While doing calculations the value obtained is rounded off to retain a certain
number of figures, counted from the left, and drop others so as to give a more
rational form to the value.
Rule I
When the figure next beyond the last figure or place to be retained is less than
5, the figure in the last place retained shall be left unchanged.
Rule II
When the figure next beyond the last figure or place to be retained is more
than 5 or is 5 followed by any figure other than zeros, the figure in the last place
retained shall be increased by 1.
Rule III
When the figure next beyond the last figure or place to the retained is 5 alone
or is 5 followed by zeros only, the figure in the last place retained shall be (i)
increased by 1 if it is odd and (ii) left unchanged if even ( zero would be regarded as
an even number for this purpose).
Rule IV
When rounding to a fineness n, other than unity, the given value shall be
divisible by n. The quotient shall be rounded off to the nearest whole number in
accordance with the rules laid down above for unit fineness of rounding. The
number so obtained, that is the rounded quotient, shall then be multiplied by n to
get the final rounded value.
Rule V
When rounding to 5 units, the given value shall be doubled and rounded off to
twice the required fineness of rounding in accordance with illustration 1 below. The
value, thus obtained, shall be halved to get the final rounded value.
Illustration 1
When 4.52 are rounded off to fineness of 0.10, it will be 4.60, when 242 and
515 are rounded off to the fineness 10; they become 350 and 620 respectively.
Rule VI
When rounding to 2 units, the given value shall be halved and rounded off to
half the required fineness of rounding. The value thus obtained shall then be
doubled to get the final rounded value.
For example, in rounding off 2.70 to the nearest 0.2, 2.70 is halved giving 1.35
which become 1.4when rounded off to the nearest 0.1. Now when 1.4is doubled the
resulting number 2.8 is the rounded value.
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Successive Rounding
The final rounded value shall be obtained from the most precise value
available in one step and not from a series of successive rounding. For example, the
value of 2.5499 when rounded to one significant figure shall be written as 2.5 and
not 2.6 which is obtained as a result of successive rounding to 2.550, 2.5 and 2.6.
It is obvious that the most precise value available is nearer to 0.5 and not to 0.6,
and that the error involved is less in the former case. Similarly 3.3501 shall be
rounded off to 3.4 in one step and not successively to 3.350, 3.35 and 3.3, since
the most precise value available here is nearer to 3.4 than to 3.3.
Number of Figures to be retained
Gives the following guide to the number of places of figures to the retained in
the calculations involving the arithmetical operations with rounded or approximate
values
a) Addition
The more accurate values shall be rounded off so as to retain one more place
than the last signified figure in the least accurate value. The resulting sum shall
then be rounded off to the last significant place in the least accurate value.
b) Subtraction
The more accurate value (of the two given values) shall be rounded off before
subtraction, to the same place as the last significant figure in less accurate value,
and the result shall be reported as such.
c) Multiplication and Division
The number of significant figures retained in the more accurate values shall be
kept one more than that in the least accurate value. The result shall then be
rounded off to the same number of significant figures as in the least accurate value.
d) When a long computation is carried out in several steps, the intermediate
results shall be properly rounded off the end of each step so as to avoid the
accumulation of rounding errors in such cases. It is recommended that, at the end
of each step, one more significant figure may be retained that is required under (a),
(b) and (c) above.
MEASUREMENT OF LAND AND BUILDING WORK
General
One of the primary objects of land measurement is to determine the area of the
portion surveyed and to determine the quantities of earthwork. The area of land
plane surveying means the area as projected on a horizontal plane. The units of
measurement of area in English units are sq. ft or acres, while in metric units; the
units are sq. metres or hectares.
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Table British Units of square measure with metric equivalents
Sq.
Sq. Square poles Square Square Square Metric
Acres
mile chains or yards feet links Equivalents
Perches
1 640 6,400 102,400 3,097,000 - - 258.99 ha
1 10 160 4,840 43,840 100,000 0.40467 ha
1 16 484 4,356 10,000 404.67 m2
1 30.25 272.25 625 25.29 m2
1 9 20.7 0.836 m2
1 2.3 929 m2
1 404.67 cm2
Note. The standard of square measure is the Acre.
Table Metrics units of square measure with British equivalents
Square Sq.
Hectares Sq. meter British
Kilometre Are (a) centimeter
(ha) (m2) Equivalents
(km2) (cm2)
1 100 10,000 1,000,000 - 0.3861 sq. mile
1 100 10,000 - 2.4710 acres
1 100 1,000,000 1076.4 sq. ft.
1 10,000 10.764 sq. ft.
1 0.155 sq.ft
General methods of determining areas
The following are the general methods of calculating areas
(1) By computations based directly on field measurements:
These include:
(a) By dividing the area into a number of triangle
(b) By offsets to base line
(c) By latitudes and departures:
(i) by double meridian distance (D.M.D. methods)
(ii) by double parallel distance (D.P.D. method)
(d) By co – ordinates
(2) By computation based on measurements scaled from a map.
(3) By mechanical method : Usually by means of a planimeter.
These methods are described in details at various surveying textbooks.
Chain Triangulation
Chain surveying is that type of surveying in which only linear measurements
are made in the field. This type of surveying is suitable for survey of small extent on
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open ground to secure data for exact description of the boundaries of a piece of
land or to take simple details.
Land measurements
There are four kinds of measurements used in plane surveying:
(1) Horizontal distance
(2) Vertical distance
(3) Horizontal angle
(4) Vertical angle
Linear Measures
According to the Standards of Weights and Measures Act (India), 1956 the unit
of measurement of distance is metres and centimeters. Prior to the introduction of
metric unit in India, feet, tenths and hundredths of a foot were used.
Table 1Gives the basic liner measured, both in metric as well as in British system.
British Units Metric Units
12 inches = 1 foot 10 millimeters = 1 centimeter
3 feet = 1 yard 10 centimetres = 1 decimetre
5½ = 1 rod, pole or perch 10decimetres = 1 meter
4 poles = 1 chain (66 feet) 10 metres = 1 decametre
10 chains = 1 furlong 10 decametres = 1 hectometre
8 furlongs = 1 mile 10 hectometres = 1 kilometre
100 links = 1 chain 1852 metres = 1 nautical mile
(international)
= 66 feet
6 feet - 1 fathom
120 = 1 cable length
fathoms
6080 feet = 1 nautical mile
Table Conversion Factors
(metres, yards, feet and inches)
Metres Yards Feet Inches
1 1.0936 3.2808 39.3701
0.9144 1 3 36
0.3048 0.333 1 12
0.0254 0.0278 0.0833 1
Table Conversion Factors
(Kilometres, nautical miles and Miles)