 |
|
|
                           
|
Site Layout
Site layoutThe Calculix measurement process collects the data in modules called UNITS. The Site Layout assembles these UNITS into BUILDINGS and the BUILDINGS are then assembled into the ESTATE. This arrangement provides great flexibility in the use of standard data and allows a wide range of documents to be easily produced.
Back to Top
Introduction to the site layoutThe calculix approach to taking-off is to store the measurement data in small packages which can then be collected together to produce the required Bills of Quantities. This, modular approach, allows the data to be manipulated and processed in easily manageable sections and also allows a flexible approach to the contents of a Bill enabling a wide range of different Bills to be produced at the touch of a button. In the first instance the data is stored on a room-by-room basis but each room is located in a UNIT and it is this UNIT that is used as the module for Bill production. It is generally expected that a UNIT will correspond to a complete Building of a Construction Project but it is also anticipated that in certain circumstances it will be convenient to make a UNIT a smaller package so that a complete building may include several UNITS. e.g. on a housing project it would probably be convenient to have an UNIT for and Inter terrace house, together with extra packages of adjustments which deal with end conditions, steps, staggers etc.. Each of these packages would be measured as a separate UNIT and then any particular real House Type would be represented by a mixture of the different UNITS as required. In the same way that a building may comprise one or more UNITS so a Construction Project may contain more than one BUILDING. The exact composition of the Project is set out on the ESTATE CONFIGURATION.
Back to Top
The modular approach - Site LayoutFrom the above it can be seen that the Calculix system analyses the requirements of a building contract into a series of modules which form a hierarchy starting with the basic item of measurement and building up through Elements, Rooms, Units and Buildings to finally define the requirements of the entire ESTATE.
The Element Schedule is a special form of Element and is incorporated into a Bill by entering the Element Schedule into the appropriate room. Other calculix input data in the form of Auto-trad take-off sheets and Worked-up data sheets are also incorporated into the Bills by reference to the Location code that the data is given.
Back to Top
Bill Types - Site LayoutThe bill type must be specified before it can be processed and Site Layout information and Estate configuration information will be contained in the Bill Type worksheet. See General Bill Data.
Back to Top
Formatting - Site LayoutFormatting is explained in a separate chapter (15) and can also be accessed from this menu and from Bill Production (Processing chapter 16).
Back to Top
Site Layout procedureThe Site Layout procedures are divided into two separate sections. The Building Configuration composes the Units which are used to make each building on the project and the Estate Configuration composes the Buildings which are used to make up the complete project. A variety of different Bills can be obtained by mixing and matching different Building and Estate configurations. Particularly useful is the ability to produce a Consolidated Bill for Tender purposes and then produce an individual Bill for each House type or Building.
Back to Top
Building configuration - GeneralThe Building Configuration defines the contents of each BUILDING in terms of it's constituent UNITS. The Building Configuration Worksheet takes the form of a schedule of UNITS which are required to make ONE of that particular BUILDING. It will produce quantities for one such BUILDING only. (Timesing factors for more than one identical buildings will be established in the Estate Configuration).
Back to Top
Building Name - Building ConfigurationThe name to be given to a BUILDING is entered at the top of the worksheet Each different BUILDING must have a unique name and be created on a separate worksheet.
Back to Top
Unit - Building ConfigurationEach UNIT code that is required to make up one BUILDING must be entered. There is a maximum of 18 Units in each Building but more Units could be allocated to another Building and both Buildings could then be used on the Estate configuration worksheet. Commonly a building will contain only one UNIT and the code for this UNIT will be entered in the field. The BUILDING CONFIGURATION MUST be set up even if the BUILDING contains only one UNIT.
Back to Top
Quantity - Building ConfigurationEach UNIT can have a timesing factor of 1 to 999. The field must be used and 1 is entered by default.
Back to Top
The Valuation Chart Column Offset - Building ConfigurationThe Building Configuration worksheet also contains the Valuation Chart Column offset field. This field is only used when processing a Valuation Chart and even then it is only relevant if there is a timesing factor entered in the preceding (timesing factor) field. IF THERE IS NO TIMESING FACTOR ENTER 0 (zero) AND PRESS ON. Normally, for Valuation purposes, the Value of an item is assigned to the column of the Valuation Chart given to the ROOM which contains the item. This is very straightforward but becomes a little complicated whenever Timesing Factors are introduced because in this case the same UNIT (and therefore the same ROOMS in that UNIT) will be processed more than once. Without any special arrangements, therefore, further processing of the same UNIT will automatically assign the value of the items to the same Valuation Columns as before and the value of all of these items will be added to the original values. This may very well be quite satisfactory in which case there is no problem but some times it will be desirable to keep successive UNITS apart so that they can be separately assessed for Valuation purposes. In this case it is necessary to indicate to which columns the item values of successive UNITS should be assigned. This is done by specifying how many columns are utilised by each UNIT and each successive UNIT is then OFFSET by this number of Columns and the data is repeated to the right-hand side of the Chart for each application of the Timesing factor. There are, therefore, two options : i) You can allocate a Valuation Chart Column Offset of 0 which will ensure that successive applications of the Timesing factor for a UNIT will add the Values of the items to the original column number, ii) You can enter the number of columns used by the relevant UNIT which will list out separately each successive application of the Timesing factor. e.g. For a UNIT whose rooms have been allocated to 3 separate valuation columns the first application of the Timesing Factor will simply create 3 columns on the Valuation Chart. 1st Application of the timesing factor Col 1 Col 2 Col 3 100.00 200.00 300.00 Subsequent applications of the Timesing Factor will either add the values to the existing 3 columns or create 3 new columns alongside the previous columns depending on the entry in the Offset field. 2nd Application of the timesing factor - Offset = 0 Col 1 Col 2 Col 3 200.00 400.00 600.00
2nd Application of the timesing factor - Offset = 3 Col 1 Col 2 Col 3 Col 4 Col 5 Col 6 100.00 200.00 300.00 100.00 200.00 300.00
The offset field has no relevance unless timesing factors are used. NOTE If the UNIT with a timesing factor uses 6 Valuation columns and some other number is entered for the Offset (other than zero of course) you will get a very strange Valuation Chart
Back to Top
Estate configuration - GeneralThe format of the ESTATE configuration is very similar to that of the BUILDING configuration. This worksheet schedules the various BUILDINGS which go to make up the contract. An ESTATE CONFIGURATION is used every time a bill or valuation Chart is produced and all the Rooms in all the Units in all the Buildings will be processed. A variety of different ESTATE configurations are possible to suit different Bill requirements. e.g. A Bill, for a single building type may be produced as well as a consolidated Bill containing several buildings. Both documents will use the same data which will be selected in accordance with the specified ESTATE configuration.
Back to Top
Estate Name - Estate ConfigurationEach different ESTATE CONFIGURATION is given a unique name. All Estate Configurations are stored in the system and the relevant one is used when the documents are produced. After a valid Estate name has been entered the Estate configuration worksheet is displayed
Back to Top
Building Name - Estate ConfigurationThe various Buildings that occur on the Estate are listed. The Building Names must be the same as are specified on the Building configuration worksheet. Usually just one BUILDING will be required and the name given to that BUILDING will be entered.
Back to Top
Quantity - Estate ConfigurationEach Building may be used up to 999 times. More can be used by entering the same Building on the next line together with a suitable timesing factor. The Timesing factor field must be completed and 1 should be inserted as the default.
Back to Top
Chart Start - Estate ConfigurationThe Chart start field determines which column will be the first Valuation Chart column for the BUILDING. An entry is required and "1" (one) should be used by default.
Back to Top
Chart Offset - Estate ConfigurationThe Offset column works in the same way as on the BUILDING Configuration chart. It has no relevance unless a timesing factor is used in the quantity field of the same line. It is expected that if more than one BUILDING does exist, each BUILDING will have its own valuation chart and in this case the offset feature is redundant. Although not always needed, this field should always be completed and a "0" (zero) should be used by default.
Back to Top
Standardised Estate Configuration dataIt is often helpful if the same naming system is used for all Contracts. If UNIT 1 is always used as the principal UNIT, block is always used as the principal BUILDING and estate is always used as the principal ESTATE then a standard set of BUILDING configuration and ESTATE configuration data can set up and copied for use on simple projects with only one building etc. In this way only the contracts with complex site layouts require any detailed attention. If these 'standard' configurations are entered into contract '0000' then any newly created contract will automatically have such data copied into it. This is true for all data entered in contract '0000' not simply Estate Configuration data.
Back to Top
|
|
Send mail to
|
with questions or comments about this web site.