MATERIAL ESTIMATES consist of a listing and description of the various materials and the quantities required to construct a given project. Obtain the information you will need to prepare material estimates from the activity estimates, drawings, and specifications. A material estimate is sometimes referred to as a "Bill of Material (BM)" or a "Material Takeoff (MTO)" sheet. (We will cover the BM and the MTO a little later in this chapter.)
EQUIPMENT ESTIMATES are listings of the various types of equipment, the amount of time, and the number of pieces of equipment required for you to construct a given project. Information, such as that obtained from activity estimates, drawings, specifications, and an inspection of the site, provides the basis for preparing the equipment estimates.
The LABOR ESTIMATES consist of a listing of the number of direct labor man-days required to complete the various activities of a specific project. These estimates may show only the man-days for each activity, or they may be in sufficient detail to list the number of man-days for each rating in each activity - Builder (BU), Construction Electrician (CE), Equipment Operator (EO), Steelworker (SW), and Utilitiesman (UT). Man-day estimates are used for determining the number of personnel and the ratings required on a deployment. They also provide the basis for scheduling labor in relation to construction progress.
When the Seabee Planner's and Estimator's Handbook, NAVFAC P - 405, is used, a man - day is a unit of work performed by one person in one 8 - hour day.
Battalions set their own schedules, as needed, to complete their assigned tasks. In general, the work schedule of the battalions based on an average of 55 hours per person per week The duration of the workday is 10 hours per day, which starts and ends at the jobsite.
Direct labor includes all labor expended directly on assigned construction tasks (either in the field or in the shop) that contributes directly to the completion of the end product. Direct labor must be reported separately for each assigned construction item. In addition to direct labor, the estimator must also consider indirect labor and readiness and training. Indirect labor includes labor required to support construction operations but does not, in itself, produce an end product. Refer to the COMSECONDNCB/COMTHIRDNCBINST 5312.1 for more information on labor.
An ESTIMATOR is a person who evaluates the requirements of a task. A construction estimator must be able to picture the separate operations of the job mentally, as the work progresses through the various stages of construction and be able to read and obtain accurate measurements from drawings. The estimator must have an understanding of math, previous construction experience, and a working knowledge of all branches of construction. The estimator must use good judgment to determine what effect numerous factors and conditions have on project construction and what allowances should be made for each of them. The estimator must be able to do careful and accurate work. A Seabee estimator must have ready access to information about the material, equipment, and labor required to perform various types of work under conditions encountered in Seabee deployments. The collection of such information on construction performance is part of estimating. Since this kind of reference information may change from time to time, the estimator should review it frequently.
The tables and diagrams in the Seabee Planner 3 and Estimator's Handbook, NAVFAC P-405, will save you time in preparing estimates, and when understood and used properly, provide you with accurate results. Whenever possible, the tables and the diagrams used were based on Seabee experience. Where suitable information was not available, construction experience was adjusted to represent production under the range of conditions encountered in Seabee construction. A thorough knowledge of the project drawings and specifications makes you alert to the various areas in which errors may occur.
QUANTITY ESTIMATES are the basis for purchasing materials, determining equipment, and determining manpower requirements. They are also the basis for scheduling in terms of material deliveries, equipment, and manpower. Accuracy in preparing quantity estimates is extremely important since these estimates have widespread uses, and errors can be multiplied many times. Say, for example, a concrete slab is to measure 100 feet by 800 feet. If you misread the dimension for the 800-foot side as 300 feet, the computed area of the slab will be 30,000 square feet, when it should actually be 80,000 square feet. Since area is the basis for ordering materials, there will be
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