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M&E cost vs time output

3 replies [Last post]
Wed, 2005-02-16 12:43
ian peacock
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Does anyone know of a cost vs time output rate for M&E installation?. IE. given a provisional sum what would be the average installation time?
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Replies

Mon, 2005-02-21 05:22
#1
Paul Kidston
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Ian
David’s reply refers to work we have done and are developing in Taylor Woodrow to provide so called "rough and ready" outputs. It has never been published for a number of reasons, not least because it is important to understand the project involved when using the data. I just ran the example that David alluded to through our figures on M&E and came up with the same answer, using the average outputs.

But if you take the maximum and minimum figures we have collected the range of answers gives you double the output for the highest compared with the lowest! Admittedly these are both special cases, but illustrate the need to have this knowledge.

On the other hand, when we have used the outputs intelligently we have been remarkably accurate in predicting labour requirements, so often this rough and ready method is appropriate.

Anyone using EVA (using labour and/or money) as a measure is able to collect this data, although there is always some effort involved in ensuring accurate recording, particularly at the latter end of the project,and in making sure data is collected before it is archived!

Regards

Paul
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Fri, 2005-02-18 00:23
#2
Alex Wong
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Ian

Correct me if I am wrong, you are asking the relationship between $ (Scale) of the project related to installation time.

ie a $100M M&E contract will take how long to built...

To help answer your question, you have to identify where is the project and what you actually building,

Say you can finish building $2 billion a power plant in 2 years, including design in ASIA.

or

Building a $4 million substation in 2 years in Australia

The result vary due to where, when, how and what, and of course who is building it.

May be PPs in UK can help.

Regards

Alex


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Thu, 2005-02-17 09:56
#3
David Bordoli
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Ian

The only published data on this I have comes from a 1977 article in what was then the Institute of Building’s journal (can’t remember what it was called. I culled it from a piece on how to estimate the size of welfare facilities based on the number of operatives on site. If I recall correctly the research was attributed to Costain.

Anyhow the figures given for M & E type activities were:
Plumbing 29%
Mechanical services 29%
Electrician 36%

The percentages are the labour content of a sum. So, say the Electrical package was worth £250,000 the labour content would be around £250,000 x 36% = £90,000. Say the average cost to employ is £800 pw then the labour content is £90,000/£800, say 112 weeks. Then guestimate an average gang size, say 8, the overall period is around 112/8, about 14 or 15 weeks. Sorry if this seems like teaching you to suck eggs and I agree it’s very rough and ready.

Paul Kidston of Taylor Woodrow has done some really neat work on EVA and has lots of data about labour content –v- contract sum. Although as far as I know though the raw data hasn’t been published.

Best of luck

David
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