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How to get Take-Off qty’s???

13 replies [Last post]
Richard Smith
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Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 4
Hi all,

I wish to learn how do you get take-off quantities??? I will appreciate any comments about this issue. Thank you in advance.

Richard.

Replies

Sam Mohan
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Joined: 17 Dec 2007
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Hi Richard,


Depends on whether the take off is for planning purpose or costing/payment purpose.

Good to read Principle of Measurement International (POMI)
or Standard Method of Measurements(SMM7) etc to get good understanding. I don’t know what measurement standards are practiced in USA.

HOPE THIS HELPS


Sam




Willem Kaltwasser
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Joined: 7 Feb 2007
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Hi Richard,

If you have your drawings in PDF format, you can do your take offs in Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional as well.
Ronald Romero
User offline. Last seen 35 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 13 Nov 2006
Posts: 63
Try this one. This works for me in Autocad VBA

Sub Get_distance_polyline()
Dim entry As Object
Dim lineLen As Double
Dim totalLen As Double
On Error Resume Next
For Each entry In sset
lineLen = entry.Length
totalLen = totalLen + lineLen
Next entry
MsgBox "The total Lenght of all lines is: " & Round(0.001 * totalLen, 2), vbInformation, "Total Length "

End Sub

regards
venkatesh K
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intially u should have imaginate about the structure. then automatically it will show what’s Qty and how to get. without that i cant say anything because its not a software calculating wt like.

Manuel Parra Pala...
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Joined: 7 Dec 2007
Posts: 24
If you want an accurate measurement of quantities you have to take into account not only every drawing and spec but also every standard used in the proyect.
If you dont need to be so near of the truth or maybe the project is not so advance maybe ratios can help you to have in mind what is the overall amount of work to be done.

It is easier and sometimes, as far as statistics are near reality, it works.
ashraf alawady
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Joined: 27 Aug 2006
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In order to take off quantities, you have to gain exprianse in the following:
Analizing the contract drawings.
Knowing the basic measurement techniques and methods including the traditional ones.
Making work breakdown structure(WBS).
Collecting the required activities and doing proper identifications and dicritions in separate items with related uints of mesuremants.
Using AUTO CADD software.
Analizing the provisional sum and the general items.
Marcio Sampaio
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Joined: 7 Nov 2005
Posts: 658
I suggest to study how to read a tecnical drawings (mechanical, piping, eletrical, structure ...) There is a lot os curses and books for this.

Regards.
John Lawson
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Joined: 6 Oct 2004
Posts: 113
Hi Richard

Try the traditional way, get a full set of full size drawings, (avoid having on A3 shot downs), along with the full specifications, contract etc, good scale rule, and a set of coloured pens / pencils. (Note: Always be weary with scalling directly from drawings - always believe the dimensions)

Have a good read of the contract, specifications and drawings, try to understand what you are trying to build etc.

Work out the sequence that the work will be carried out, if its a steel framed building, start with ground clearance, drainage, foundations, steel work, floors, claddings, outfitting etc etc .

Work out a colour coding for your pens / pencils against the work you will need to identify.

Produce a proforma sheet of paper (or spread sheet), usual headings, item no., description, qty, size, etc etc.

Then "flog" thro the drawings /specs. in your predetermined order. As you "take-off" items/quantities color the drawing item in and make notes etc, then add/update your proforma / Spread sheets. At the end of the job you will need to rationalize similiar types / quatities etc.

Work out a percentage error that you think you may have made, i.e. not a full set of drawings, holds on drawings and add to your quatities, and qualify what you have done.

If the drawings are in CAD format and you have access to the CAD system, then you can use CAD to do a lot of your calculations. (great for really fancy profiles in steel plate etc).

At the end of the job you will not only be an expert on the building but also you will know all the quanties etc.

Their are various bits of computer software you can use to help you - try trawling the webb for details.

Best of luck

John
Harold Martin
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You can used AutoCADD to get it. Tools...inquiry...distance...area then click to the sides of materials you want to know.
Edgar Ariete
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just hire a Q.S.
Richard Smith
User offline. Last seen 17 years 51 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 4
Thanks for your answers. I do not have too much experience analyzing drawings and I am interested in learning to get take-off quantities from all the disciplines (civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation), specially the mechanical works (structural, piping, equipments, etc.).

Thank you in advance.
Shareef Abdul Azeez
User offline. Last seen 2 years 42 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 183
Just use basic mensuration techniques on drwing
Basically L X B X H=.....Volume

and L X B =....Area

:D


Thats all ...........

Then the rest depends on what kind of quantities you are searching for!
Marcio Sampaio
User offline. Last seen 11 years 33 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 7 Nov 2005
Posts: 658
Do u have experience in analizing drws??