Direct Mnpower cost Construction Estimates

The first step when an estimator start his costing of erection work is to find out how much direct manpower is to be employed from starting of the project work up to completion of the works as specified on the contract document. In general the detail description of the works to be completed is clearly mentioned in the request for quotation document(RFQ).Many a cases a detailed bill of quantities(BOQ) are also attached with the (RFQ).Based on the bill of quantity the direct manpower cost is calculated. Direct manpower means leaving the supervisory staff for that work the required number of labourers required in various categories. These people are. Mostly in the capacity of technicians like welders, Fitters, khalasis,Riggers and helpers in case of mechanical erection works. For civil works the calculation will be for masons for masonry work, carpenters, bar benders, and. helpers. Similarly the direct manpower for electrical and instrumentation works will be qualified electricians for HT and electricians who can handle LT works and along with tem the number of helpers required for assisting the technicians. Fitters are further categorised in India as fabricator and fitter.

 Fabricator is a technician who do the  mechanical works and knows the works of development and can fabricate materials from structural steel. The fabricators in Indian conditions are considered to be well trained fitter who himself can do the work and help two or three fitters in their works also. The quality of the fabricators is such that they are capable of reading site drawings and can work independently. Fitters either work with fabricators or they work under the guidance of supervisors. In India there are many ITI institutes to teach fitting process. There fitters are taught fitting works get trained and come out with qualified certificates and start work in construction sites. But most of the cases the fitters who work in Indian construction sites don’t depend upon the certificates and get their practical experience when they work with some fitting technicians and with reference and try they become fitters. Initially the juniors who work with fabricators help in assisting them in measurements etc and understand the process of fitting. They are not fully skilled but have semi skilled.

The welders are costlier and difficult to get commodities in construction sites since there presence will be required in every step when work progresses. In welders too there are welders qualified for working in steel ,pipeline works. .Welders working in pipe line construction works have lot of further sub categories .The welders qualified for different position welding in pipe works and they get paid according to their capability. The materials of construction in pipe works are many. Carbon steel pipe line works, alloy steel pipe line works, stainless steel pipeline works etc.All the welders cannot work in all kinds of materials. They need to be qualified for different positions and for different materials. The welders .who can only work in structural steel works are called as structural steel welders. The helpers of the welders get their training under the supervision of the elder while on work and become a structural welder and further get him qualified in other fields.

Project construction is a voluminous field which involves shifting and lifting of materials. The lifting and shifting of the materials can either be done my machinery or by manpower. Even though mostly machineries are used for shifting and lifting the presence of manpower becomes inevitable in certain cases where in congested areas machineries cannot be operated. The persons helping in such activities are called as Riggers and experienced riggers are termed as sarongs. The juniors who work with the help of sarongs are called as khalasis

..In electrical works electricians are the persons who can check up wiring in panels. Technicians who works in electrical works are used for termination of wires, give connection to rotary equipments. In electrical works riggers are mainly used for the laying of cables underground and on trays, erection of electrical panels etc.The electrical works also the involvement of welders, fitters are there. Fitter works on installation of cable trays and cable tray supports. Welder helps them in fixing the cable trays where ever required. The panel supports are mostly site made and fabricated at site.

Instrumentation works also have similar sequence of operations like cable tray fixing, laying of cables, installation of junction boxes, cable termination where again the described technicians comes into picture. So it becomes necessary for the estimator to understand the work involvement and actual requirement of people of different disciplines. Without understanding and not knowing the quantum of work involvement the estimation will not be accurate. Based on the bill of quantity and with the experience of the estimator the total requirement of direct manpower is calculated. The basis of calculation of direct manpower is productivity.

                                  For productivity please see my next post