Reading Materials

Reading Material A Brief History of Quantity Surveying

It is believed that the ancient Egyptians used a system of quantity surveying but it was not until the 17th century restoration of London after the Great Fire that Quantity Surveyors developed as an occupation.

Although Quantity Surveyors were probably active in Australia from our earliest settlement, it was not until 1853 that the first firm date is recorded when Mr. Moyes advertised in the Port Phillip Directory“Builders supplied with quantities of any contract they may wish to tender for”. From 1859 till the 1890’s depression, Quantity Surveyors were highly active in the building industry in both public and private sector in Victoria. In New South Wales, Evans and Pate opened a Sydney based partnership in 1892. Pate moved to Perth between 1904 and 1908.

John Anderson Wood of Melbourne opened an office in Sydney in 1908 and helped form the first recorded QS professional body in Australia— the Quantity Surveyors’ Association of NSW with a membership of nine.

Blackburn and Whyte (a Melbourne based firm) were established in Queensland in 1910 and an institute of seven members was formed in 1933.

An institute was formed in Western Australia before 1930 and it was not until 1948 that South Australia formed an institute (although Harry Farrar and Co were operating as Quantity Surveyors in 1879). Prior to 1927, Norman Newton established a QS office in Canberra.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s state institutes were developed separately, but in 1951 the first national QS organization was formed—The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors. However, the existing state institutes led by Queensland formed a separate national body called the Institute of Quantity Surveyors (Aust) in 1953.

By 1971 it was agreed to merge the two national institutes and incorporate as a limited guarantee company called the AIQS Limited. Approval was later obtained to omit limited from the common use title. The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors remains the professional association representing Quantity Surveyors, Construction Economists, Cost Managers, Estimators, Schedulers, Value Managers and Development Managers.

Notes

1. Although Quantity Surveyors were probably active in Australia from our earliest settlement, it was not until 1853 that the first firm date is recorded when Mr. Moyes advertised in the Port Phillip Directory“Builders supplied with quantities of any contract they may wish to tender for”.

虽然工料测量师很可能从我们最初定居在澳大利亚时就已经活跃起来，但是直到1853年才有确实的文字记载。当时Moyes先生在《菲利普港口指南》上刊登了一则广告：“能够为欲招标的任何合同提供工程量的建造师”。

note: it was not until...that... 直到⋯⋯才⋯⋯。

2. The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors remains the professional association representing Quantity Surveyors, Construction Economists, Cost Managers, Estimators, Schedulers, Value Managers and Development Managers.

澳洲工料测量师学会仍然作为代表着工料测量师、建造经济师、成本管理师、估价师、进度计划师、价值工程师和开发管理师的专业协会。

Reading Material B Just What does a Quantity Surveyor do?

NZIQS Rules state that a “Quantity Surveyor” means a person educated, trained and qualified, and who is particularly and regularly engaged, for the purpose of livelihood, in the following work:

● The preparation of Bills and/or Schedules of Quantities of materials, labour and services required in the construction and equipment of building, or engineering works, and;

● The preparation and valuation of progress and final payments in connection with any contract or sub-contract, and;

● The appraisal of the value of proposed constructions or other structures already erected, and;

● The preparation of specifications when required so to do, and;

● Acting as arbitrator in cases of dispute in connection with building, or engineering work, when required so to do, and;

● To advise from time to time on cost management, or value management.

● To carry out such other duties as may properly be those of a Quantity Surveyor.

So just what does a Quantity Surveyor do and how do you become one? Basically, the Quantity Surveyor is the person responsible for figuring out just what a building is going to cost and in some cases for making sure that construction costs and production are managed as efficiently as possible. In some of today’s projects there may be many millions of dollars involved.

A Quantity Surveyor can identify and collate the costs involved in order to develop an overall budget for any project. Then they can undertake cost planning which aims to help all members of the design team arrive at practical solutions and stay within the project budget. It is the final detailed estimate prepared by Quantity Surveyors, in consultation with a project architect, which forms a basis on which subsequent tenders can be evaluated. Schedules of Quantities translate the drawing, plans and specifications produced by the design team to enable each contractor to calculate tender prices fairly on exactly the same basis as the competitors.

Once tenders have been accepted, the Quantity Surveyor can provide cash flow data to enable a client to programme his resources adequately to meet contract commitments. In other words, the Quantity Surveyor decides how much of a job should be paid for at any one time. With interest rates the way they are, no one wants to hand over money before it is due.

In most of construction contracts, the contractor paid monthly and the Quantity Surveyor can value the work carried out each month submitting a recommendation for certified payment.

The Quantity Surveyor can also be called on to assess cost effects when changes occur and agree on variation with contractors.

Following completion of a contract, the Quantity Surveyor prepares a statement of final account, summarizing the cost charges that have occurred and arriving at a final contract sum.

Notes

1. It is the final detailed estimate prepared by the Quantity Surveyor, in consultation with a project architect, which forms a basis on which subsequent tenders can be evaluated. Schedules of Quantities translate the drawing, plans and specifications produced by the design team to enable each contractor to calculate tender prices fairly on exactly the same basis as the competitors.

最终的详细估算是由工料测量师与项目建筑师共同商讨完成的。该估算为之后的投标估价奠定了基础。工程量表解释了由设计团队做出的图纸、平面图和技术规范，使每个承包商在与其竞争者完全相同的基础上公平地计算投标价格。

2. In most of construction contracts, the contractor paid monthly and the Quantity Surveyor can value the work carried out each month submitting a recommendation for certified payment.

在大多数的施工合同中，承包商按月支付，工料测量师评估每月完成的工作，提交推荐书，证明其酬劳可付。

note: submitting a recommendation for certified payment为伴随状语，表示同时发生的事件。