History : The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS)

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS)

 

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors was founded in 1969 by Nigerians who had trained, qualified and practised quantity surveying in the United Kingdom but who returned to Nigeria and felt the need to develop the profession in Nigeria.

The regulated and other Provisions) Act of 1978 recognised quantity surveying as one of the scheduled professions. Decree No. 31 of 1986 gave legal backing and recognition to the quantity surveying profession and also established the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) to regulate the profession.

The vision of the NIQS is “To be the profession in Nigeria responsible for total cost and procurement management, for the achievement of client’s objectives in all types of capital projects and developments, from conception to commissioning and maintenance, in all sectors of the economy, for the attainment of sustainable national development and goals.”

The aims and objectives of the institute are:

(      a)  To promote the science and practice of the quantity surveying profession in all its ramifications.

(b) To provide a platform or forum for meeting and discussing matters of mutual interest to quantity surveyors in Nigeria and to preserve and further the interest of quantity surveyors.

 (c) To promote and stimulate the improvement of the technical and general knowledge of persons engaged in the profession of quantity surveying.

(d) To organize continuing education and professional training of those seeking to become professional quantity surveyors and assist and procure its members to be registered by the QSRBN.

(e) To undertake research study and to collate information from any quantity surveying bodies from any part of the world on the latest developments and technologies in the practice of quantity surveying and to make available such information to its members.

(f) To cooperate with the QSRBN in training of quantity surveyors and regulating and controlling the practice of quantity surveying in Nigeria.

(g) Generally to disseminate information and promote understanding of quantity surveying among members of the public and to cooperate with other professional bodies in Nigeria.

 (h) The maintenance of the highest standards of discipline and professional conduct.

The services offered by the quantity surveyor include:

(a) Feasibility studies of capital projects         (h) Facilities management

(b) Cost modelling              (i) Direct labour project procurement and management

(c) Contract documentation and procurement

(j) Arbitration           (d) Contract administration and management

(k) Expert witness              (e) Monitoring of capital projects

(l) Fire insurance assessment        (f) Preparation of cost reports, pricing of bills etc

(m) Dilapidation       (g) Project management

13 Duties of the Quantity Surveyor

Duties of the Quantity Surveyor

1.     Preliminary Cost Advice The quantity surveyor gives practical advice on:

• The likely cost of the scheme – however complicated or unusual it may be.

• The comparative costs of alternative layouts, materials, components and methods of construction. • The likely duration of project.

• The likely cost of future maintenance and operating costs. The quantity surveyor can, from the client’s brief, prepare a realistic budget and a cost plan showing the distribution of costs over the various elements.

2. Cost Planning Cost planning is a specialist technique used by quantity surveyor’s, which aims to help all members of the design team to arrive jointly at practical and efficient designs for the project and to keep within the budget. Once a realistic estimate is set from the cost plan, constant monitoring reduces the risk of overspending by noting problem areas at an early stage and applying prompt corrective action.

3. Contractual Methods The quantity surveyor can advise on the best type of tendering and the best form of contract that will best suit a specific project. The quantity surveyor prepares the documents for obtaining the tenders and arranging the contract.

4. Bill of Quantities Competitive tendering remains a common basis for selection of contractor and bills of quantities are fundamental to the process. Bills translate the drawings into a document listing in detail all the component parts required for a project so that each contractor can calculate tender prices on exactly the same basis as his competitors. During construction, the bill forms the basis for preparing interim valuations, pricing of variations and effective cost control.

5. Choice of contractor The quantity surveyor analyses tenders and makes recommendations to the client for contractor selection after taking into consideration other factors such as the contractors reputation and past performance.

6. Contract Administration The quantity surveyor acts with the architect or engineer to ensure that the financial provisions of the contract are properly interpreted and applied so that the client’s financial interest is safeguarded and that the builder is paid the proper price for the work. He also exercises control during construction so that the cost is not exceeded without authority.

7. Valuation of construction work The quantity surveyor prepares interim valuations, values variations and prepares financial statements during construction. He will also settle the final accounts at project completion. He may also prepare statements of expenditure for tax or accounting purposes and assess the project’s replacement value for insurance purposes. Other services of the quantity surveyor include:

8. Construction management Construction management uses latest management techniques and other applications of programming, network analysis, risk analysis, cash flow forecasting, budgeting and other control mechanisms.

9. Building maintenance management Building maintenance management involves planning, programming, controlling and costing of maintenance and repair work.

10. Dilapidations The quantity surveyor prepares schedule of conditions at the beginning of a tenancy or lease and a schedule of dilapidations at the end giving details of an outgoing tenant’s liability.

11. Arbitration This is a formal process for settling disputes

12. Facilities management This involves all aspects of providing, operating, maintaining, developing and improving facilities which are property where people are accommodated and work.

13. Contractor Organisations The quantity surveyor may work in a contractor’s organisation.

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Lesson Note On How to Carry Out Surveying from a Known Point With Leica Total Station

How to Carry Out Surveying from a Known Point With 

Leica Total Station

When the total station is set up and level over the known point it will require another known point to help calculate the coordinate reference system that the unknown measurements will be measured with. That is to say that the total station will be able to know the angular relation between the easting, northing and elevation of itself and the Easting northing and elevation of the second known point (often referred to as the back sight). Then all of the angles and distances measurements calculated and computed with the laser will be translated into the same east, northing and elevation coordinate space as well.

Create a Measure Job File

From the main menu, select Meas job management by pressing the number 1 on the keypad (from the Main Menu).  The measure job created will be the file that your measured points in your survey will be recorded.

Next press F2 to open the Create new job menu.

Leave all settings at default and enter a new job name by using the letters on the keypad.

The F6 key (NUM) will switch the key pad between numbers and letters.  Note it may take some practice to get used to this switching back and forth.

After the new file name has been entered press F1 to continue.

Next ensure that the job file that you have just created is highlighted and select CONT again by selecting F1 from the keypad.

Create a Data Job File

The data job is where the known or fixed points are stored (the Data job file can be the same as the measure job file but often it is good survey practise to keep these two files separate).

Steps followed for creating a data job file are very similar to those mentioned above for creating a measure job.

From the main menu, select data job management by pressing the number 2 on the keypad.

Next press F2 to open the Create new job menu (and provide a file name like you did above) or select an existing data job file if one exists. Then press F1 to continue.

If it is a new data job file then you will need to input values for the known points.

Select the FNC key from the bottom grey keypad.

Select menu item 5 Data view and Edit

On the next screen select Input from the function key options by pressing the F3 key.

Enter the name of the point id of the known point you wish to create.

Enter the known Easting, Northing and Elevation values for this point.

Press REC to accept the value of the point id

Repeat the steps to enter all the known points that you wish to use in your survey and then use the ESC key until you reach the main menu again.

Select your Codelist

From the main menu, select codelist management by pressing the number 3 on the keypad.

Select the name of the code list you created earlier with the Leica Survey Office software and uploaded to the memory card. Then press F1 to continue.

Record Backsight Locations

From the Main Menu select Setup from the bottom of the screen by pressing F5.

In the Job settings menu you should see the name of your measure job, data job, and code list. If either looks incorrect than go back and select them again using the instructions from the start of this manual.

Select QSET (quickset) from the bottom of the menu using F4.

For the Station Id enter the point id of the known point for the surveying monument that you have the total station set up upon.

Next enter the Backs. Id to select the backsight point id

Enter the instrument height of the total station that you recorded previously in the initial setup.

Enter the base height of the reflector poles used to collect the various points during the survey.  The number to enter here will be the value found above the grasp of the reflector pole. A height of 2 meters is common height for reflector poles in most surveys but sometimes there is a need to use different height values.

Aim the total station instrument towards the survey prism with the and press F2 on the key pad which selects DIST. Ensure that the range pole is vertical and plumb by centering the bubble on the pole. This will allow the Total Station to compute the delta of what you told it where it was and where it is based on the reading of shooting the pole.

Take note of the delta horizontal distance on the screen. Anything under 2cm is considered an acceptable value. Once accuracy under 2cm is achieved hit CONT by pressing F4 on the key pad.  The unit will now know spatially where it is located and surveying of the unknown points can commence.

The screen should now have an option MEAS appear in the lower right corner of the screen, this is an indication that you can now shoot to any unknown point with the reflector. 

 Press the F6 function key to enter into the measure and Record menu. Here you can point and aim at the reflector, enter the point Id value and then press the F3 function key to record the coordinate values of that point. The total station will increment the point ids taken automatically, or you can change the values manually each time.

Tip: Remember to adjust the height of reflector on this screen if the height of the reflector unit is adjusted during the survey.

To finishing surveying simply press ESC until the screen is back to the main menu. Press both the ON button and the left arrow button at the same time to shut down the unit.

Tip: How to adjust the view of the Total Station

Use the “sight” on the total station to roughly point the Total station at the reflector.  Then use the knobs to fine tune the view at the reflector target.  Use the focus on the lens to ensure a clear and focused view of the target and that the cross hairs are centered on the center of the target.