Month: August 2010

Purpose of Specifications and types of Specifications

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What are Specifications?

Specifications describe the nature and the class of the work, materials to be used in the work, workmanship etc. and is very important for the execution of the work. The cost of a work depends much on the specifications. Specifications should be clear.

Types of Specifications
Types of Specifications

Purpose of giving Specifications

  • The cost of an unit quantity of work is governed by its specifications.
  • Specification of a work is required to describe the quality and quantity of different materials required for a construction work and is one of the essential contract documents.
  • This also specifies the workmanship and the method of doing the work. Thus specification of a work serves as a guide to a supervising staff of a contractor as well as to the owner to execute the work to their satisfaction.
  • A work is carried out according to its specification and the contractor is paid for the same. Any change in specification changes the tendered rate.
  • As the rate of work is based on the specification, a contractor can calculate the rates of various items of works in tender with his procurement rates of materials and labour. Thus tender rate without specification of works is baseless, incomplete and invalid.

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Methods to calculate Property Depreciation | Building Costing and Estimation

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Depreciation is the gradual exhaustion of the usefulness of a property. This may be defined as the decrease or loss in the value of a property due to structural deterioration, life wear and tear, decay and obsolescence.

Methods of Depreciation
Methods of Depreciation

Four Methods for calculating depreciation

  1. Straight line Method
  2. Constant percentage method
  3. Sinking Fund Method
  4. Quantity Survey Method

Straight Line Method

In this method, it is assumed that the property losses its value by the same amount every year. A fixed amount of the original cost is deducted every year, so that at the end of the utility period, only the scrap value is left.

Annual Depreciation, D = (original cost of the asset – Scrap Value)/life in years

For example, a vehicle that depreciates over 5 years, is purchased at a cost of US$17,000, and will have a salvage value of US$2000, will depreciate at US$3,000 per year: ($17,000 ? $2,000)/ 5 years = $3,000 annual straight-line depreciation expense. In other words, it is the depreciable cost of the asset divided by the number of years of its useful life.

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Major causes of Cracks in Buildings | Building Construction

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Causes of cracks in Buildings

In the previous article, we discussed the occurrence of cracks in buildings due to climatic factors and cracks occurred due to problem at the time of construction of the building. These fall under the category of Minor causes of Cracks in Buildings.

Now we will go ahead with our discussion on “Major causes of Cracks in a Building”.

Major causes of cracks in a building

  1. Movements of the ground
  2. Over loading
  3. Effect of gases, liquids and solids
  4. Effect of changes of temperature
  5. General causes such as vibrations etc
Unrestrained Movement of Building Materials
Unrestrained Movement of Building Materials

Movements of the ground

Mining subsidence, land slips, earthquakes, moisture changes due to clay shrinkable soils (for example, Black cotton soil).

Cracks occur because a part of the building is displaced from the rest without any change in the actual size of the material.

Overloading

  • Overloading of the ground
  • Overloading of the building itself
  • Overloading of the building parts result in cracks

For example; Cracks under a floor due to overloading of slab.

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Cracks in Buildings | Building Construction

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Cracks in Buildings

Cracks result in applied forces greater than those which the building or its part can withstand. These forces may have emerged externally to the building or internally within the building or have been developed in the materials of the building as a result of Chemical changes. There may be a single force or a combination of forces having a single cause or several causes.

Building at San Francisco
Building at San Francisco

This is a residential building at San Francisco. Major cracks have developed on the external facade of the building. The cracks running across the entire facade of the building are diagonally directed and diagonal cracks are generally structural cracks. They occur due to structural problems in the buildings. Structural cracks could be due to major or minor problem in the structural design. Intensity of structural problem is determined on the basis of the intensity of cracks developed.

Most cracks occur due to drying of construction water.

  • These are generally superficial
  • Do not affect the serviceability of the building
  • Can be easily repaired

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Design of India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

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Design of India Habitat Centre

Indian Habitat Centre is located in New Delhi, India. It was conceived to be a catalyst relationship between individuals and institutions that is, NGO’s working in habitat related areas to increase their effectiveness.

Architect of the India Habitat Centre

Joseph Allen Stein

India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

Purpose of the Construction of Indian Habitat Centre

Indian Habitat Centre has been constructed for various activities apart for commercial purposes. It is a centre for cultural, economic and social activities. Dramas, plays are also organized at the centre. There is banquet hall and party lawn and also a Restaurant. Basically, it is open for public use also. . The Habitat Centre would be a home not only to those offices and research organizations but in order to facilitate their interaction, the centre provides a range of facilities like conference venues, exhibition halls, seminar rooms, restaurants and performance venues for cultural activities.

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Retail Industry Scenario in India

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Booming Retail Industry in India

India is a developing country. Since it is still developing, there have been lot of growth in the industrial sector which provided job opportunities to the people. Retail Industry caught lot of attention in the past one decade. Due to the recent economic development of the country, people in India have enough to spend for their recreational activities and shop all they need. They have become fun loving and enjoy going shopping in huge shopping complexes even if the prices of the products at the shopping centre are higher than the products available in the open market.

Hyderabad Central, India
Hyderabad Central, India

The Indian Retail Industry is the largest of all the industries accounting on 10% of the country’s GDP growth and 8% of the country’s employment. The flourishing retail industry in India has reduced unemployment to a large extent. It has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industrial sector with several big players entering the market.

In India, the vast middle class and almost untapped retail industry are the key forces of attraction for global retail giants waiting to enter new markets. This attraction has stimulated the growth of the retail industry and is growing at a faster rate. It is estimated that the growth rate of the retail Industry will reach 25% at the end of the year.

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IPSA – Indore (AAYAM) | Sustainable Green Architecture

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Incorporation of Sustainable Green Features in the Design

Aayam in Sanskrit means dimension, and the presented design has provided innovative solutions in all the dimensions of creative world.

The entire building has been made in order to preserve the landscape and adapt suitable style pertaining to the topography. By determining the quantity and quality of light entering the spaces, they have eventually taken on greater reality. The galleries are woven into a modulated space, born of light and geometry.

IPSA - Indore (Sustainable Green Architecture)
IPSA - Indore (Sustainable Green Architecture)

The design is a centre of culture that is rooted in the region and reflecting contemporary art and architecture at the highest level that have come together with nature. The core of the annex is open to sky and the rigorous used of a geometric vocabulary. A reflection of land art with pure modernism, the convention centre is rooted to traditions and mirrors ideas if the youth of India.

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Capitalized Value and Year’s Purchase | Property Valuation System

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Property Valuation System

Capitalized Value and Year’s Purchase calculations are a necessary part of Building estimation system or we could simply term it as “Property Evaluation System”.  The Value of a property is listed into various different categories such as;

  1. Market Value
  2. Book Value
  3. Capital Cost
  4. Capitalized Value
Capitalized Value of a Property
Capitalized Value of a Property

In this article, we are going to discuss and study “what is capitalized value of a property?” which will form the part of Evaluation system and Year’s Purchase which will fall under the category of investment system.

Capitalized Value of a Property

The capitalized value of a property is the amount of money whose annual interest at the highest prevailing rate of interest will be equal to the net income from the property. To determine the capitalized value of a property, it is required to know the net income from the property and the highest prevailing rate of interest.

Therefore, Capitalized Value = Net income x year’s purchase

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Market Value, Book Value, Capital Cost | Property Valuation System

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Property Valuation System

Studying Building Estimation and Costing helps us evaluate the value of the property according to its current market trends. The Value of a property is listed into various different categories such as;

  1. Market Value
  2. Book Value
  3. Capital Cost
  4. Capitalized Value
Property Valuation System
Property Valuation System

In this article, we are going to discuss different categories under which a property is evaluated that is Valuation is done.

Market Value

The market value of a property is the amount which can be obtained at any particular time from the open market if the property is put for sale. The market value will differ from time to time according to demand and supply.

The market value also changes from time to time for various miscellaneous reasons such as changes in industry, changes in fashions, means of transport, cost of materials and labour etc.

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Six important Purposes of Property Valuation | Building Estimation and Costing

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Building Estimation and Costing

Building Estimation and Costing is a vital part of Civil Engineering. No project can begin without the total Building Estimation and Costing done by the Engineer. The entire Cost of construction and the infrastructure used for the purpose of construction is estimated and the final costing is done on the basis of which a certain percentage of the Project cost is paid to the Engineer, the Architect and other consultants involved in the project.

Building Construction
Building Construction

Valuation is one such important part of Building Estimation and Costing. Valuation is done after the project is complete on the latest trends of the land prices in the market.

In this article, we will discuss what is Valuation and the six important purposes of Valuation.

Valuation

Valuation is the technique of estimating and determining the fair price or value of a property such as a building, a factory or other engineering structures of various types, land etc.

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