Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Winter 2011
Winter 2011
W i n t e r 2 011
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Ontario accredited
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Winter 2011
Editor:
Joshua Mutize, PQS
Email: conecon@ciqs.org
12
14
Translation:
Andr Bernard, ECA
16
18
20
24
CIQS Council
President & NLAQS Rep:
Roy Lewis, PQS(F)
Email: president@ciqs.org
1st Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer & QSBC Rep
Mark Russell, PQS(F)
Email: qsbc@ciqs.org
2nd Vice President & NSAQS Rep
Mark Gardin, PQS(F)
Email: nsaqs@ciqs.org
Registrar & OIQS Rep
Jeff Logan, PQS
Email: oiqs@ciqs.org
AQSA Rep
Dave Burns, PQS
Email: aqsa@ciqs.org
12
AEQSQ Rep
Bertin Bois, CEC
Email: aeqsq@ciqs.org
16
Past President
Herv Couture, ECA
Education Administrator
David Lai, PQS(F)
Email: education@ciqs.org
Statements of fact and opinion expressed are those of
the authors and CIQS assumes no responsibility for the
content, nor do they represent official policy of CIQS.
24
4
Presidents message
5 Congratulations
6 Executive Directors message
7 Editors message
10 CPD Corner
19 Welcome new members
27 CIQS Affiliated
Association reports
Presidents Message
Professional Construction
Estimating Software
Save Paper go OnScreen
From WinEstimator www.winest.com
Message du Prsident
AEQSQ
Line Binet, PQS
Michel Deslauriers, CEC
Xuming Jian, CEC
ric Rioux, CEC
Simon Valle, CEC
Patrick Vallerand, PQS
QSBC
Gareth David, PQS
Paul Mitchell, PQS
Jeannie Simmons, CEC
CIQS
Ayodeji Ojo, PQS
Jegede Oladele, PQS
Parathan Rajeswaran, CEC
Executive Directors
Message
Rebranding and
the changes to come
Lois Metcalfe,
CIQS Executive Director
here has been much buzz
recently about re-branding
the Canadian Institute
of Quantity Surveyors.
The process is evolving and you will
continue to see many initiatives
unveiled over the next year or so.
Although selecting the new logo for
CIQS was difficult, I believe that
was the easy part and now the hard
work has begun. You will see all our
stationary, literature, including the
Construction Economist, redesigned
to incorporate our new image but the
largest project on our agenda will be a
new website and change in the names
of the affiliated associations.
The plan is that the six affiliated
associations will change their names
to reflect a common theme as research
indicated that the current names of
the affiliates appear to be problematic
and bear no relationship to each other.
These are the proposed changes:
Ontario Institute of Quantity
Surveyors will become the
Canadian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors Ontario
Quantity Surveyors of British
Columbia will become the
Canadian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors British Columbia
Association of Quantity
Surveyors of Alberta will
become Canadian Institute of
Quantity Surveyors Prairies
and Northwest Territories
Association of Quantity
Surveyors of Quebec will
become Canadian Institute of
Quantity Surveyors Quebec
Nova Scotia Association of
Quantity Surveyors will
become Canadian Institute
of Quantity Surveyors
Maritimes
Newfoundland and Labrador
Association of Quantity
Surveyors will become
Canadian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors Newfoundland and
Labrador
CIQS and all affiliates will also
use the same logo. This will show
a strong, unified, cohesive group
all related to each other. It is
important for members to note that
there will not be any changes to
duties and responsibilities of CIQS
or the affiliated associations.
Each affiliated association is
at different stages in the process
of changing their names. Some
affiliates have already had their
The process is
evolving and you
will continue to
see many initiatives
unveiled over the
next year or so.
Editors Message
I would like to
share with you my
experience with
the CIQS Council
members.
In this issues column, I would like
to share with you my experience with
the CIQS Council members. Having
been on Council for over four years, I
want you to know what it means to be
dedicated, positive and professional.
This Council and previous Council
members are an excellent example
of the most dedicated, positive and
professional people I have ever had
the pleasure of associating with. They
have a genuine interest in better education, member professional growth
and taking a decisive leadership role
in the construction industry.
While at this past Council meeting in Toronto, I was sitting with
David Lai and Lois Metcalfe, and
David shared a story about a young
man that he was mentoring for many
years and he saw him through college.
Upon the completion of his degree,
QUANTITY SURVEYORS
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We offer competitive salaries, benefits, training and potential for growth.
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16
Association
of Quantity Surveyors
Congress
th
Pacific
Brunei, Darussalam
Registration and
notifications of status of submissions
CPD Corner
Currently, there
are two options for
members to renew
annually, either online
or by mail.
their renewal. If they answered no,
they were unable to proceed with
the renewal payment process. For
mail-ins, members were required to
submit their CPD form for before
payment was processed. If the CPD
form was not provided, the member
was contacted by CIQS and the
www.firstchoicepersonnel.com
www.firstchoicepersonnel.com
905-660-0775 1-888-241-3033
CPD Corner
In other news
COMPLY
I COMPLY with the 2011 CPD requirements. I have completed a minimum of 50 points of CPD.
EXEMPT
Sa
m
pl
e
Maternity/Parenting/Family Care I did not work and was not involved in any
professional activity as a PQS or CEC for a total of 6 months or more between January
1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 in order to provide full-time care to either my child(ren)
who were under the age of 18 or for an elderly or ill family member.
Unemployment I did not work for a total of 6 months or more between January 1,
2011 and December 31, 2011.
Medical Leave I did not work and was not involved in any professional activity as a
PQS or CEC for a total of 6 months or more between January 1, 2011 and December
31, 2011. A letter from a physician confirming the diagnosis and prognosis, or other
such confirmation that I was not employed due to medical reasons during that time
period (e.g. letter from employer or disability claim form) is required and can be sent by
mail or emailed to info@ciqs.org.
Other I had extraordinary circumstances between January 1, 2011 and December 31,
2011 and am requesting an exemption on compassionate grounds. A letter is required
and can be sent to CIQS by mail or by email to info@ciqs.org.
DO NOT COMPLY
I DO NOT COMPLY with the CPD requirements in 2011. I plan to meet the mandatory CPD requirements
and I understand that I have 14 days to file in writing, an action plan describing how I plan to comply.
I understand that the Institute may request additional information to support my CPD Declaration and I
have maintained records of my CPD activities that will be made available upon request. I declare that the
information contained on this form is true and complete.
LACC et lICC
Robert Flis
Satisfied client since 2009
Endorsed by:
www.ciqs.tdinsurance.com
or call 1-866-296-0888
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex home and auto insurance program is underwritten by PRIMMUM INSURANCE COMPANY. The program may be distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc. in Quebec and by
Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada.
Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan.
*No purchase required. Contest organized jointly with Security National Insurance Company and open to members, employees and other eligible persons belonging to employer, professional and alumni groups which have an agreement with and are
entitled to group rates from the organizers. Contest ends on January 31, 2013. 1 prize to be won. The winner may choose the prize between a Lexus RX 450h with all basic standard features including freight and pre-delivery inspection for a total
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The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Canada and/or other countries.
2-MM8779-11_TDI.ENciqs (7x4.625).indd 1
11-12-08 12:15 PM
Province : Ontario
preuve # : 2
Hosted by NLAQS
Delta St. Johns
120 New Gower Street
St. John`s, NL A1C 6K4
www.deltahotels.com
Telephone: (709) 739-6404
Congress itinerary
Welcome Reception
Technical sessions
Luncheon
Dinners
Farewell breakfast
Local hospitality
Time
Event
9:00 am 4:00 pm
N/A
8:30 am 12:00 pm
Technical session(s)
$50.00
12:00 pm 2:00 pm
Thursday, July 5
$150.00
Lunch
$50.00
6:00 pm
No charge
$TBD
6:00 pm
Saturday, July 7
Dinner
$75.00
8:00 am
Farewell breakfast
No Charge
8:00 am 12:00 pm
1:30 pm
Sunday, July 8
SPONSORSHIP
GOLD Sponsorship
SILVER Sponsorship
BRONZE Sponsorship
$1,000.00
Up to $200.00
$500.00
$250.00
Visa
/ Mastercard
/ Amex
(circle one)
Card #:
Expiry Date:
Name on Card:
Authorized Signature:
Delegates Name:
Partners Name:
Address:
Telephone and email:
***Please make cheques payable to the Canadian Institute
of Quantity Surveyors for this amount only and mail to:
CIQS, 90 Nolan Court, Unit 19, Markham, ON L3R 4L9.
he Canadian Institute of
Quantity Surveyors and
Ontario Institute of Quantity
Surveyors celebrated the recognition
of six Ontario educational institutes
at an event at the Radisson Hotel in
Toronto on December 2, 2011.
The programs recognized were
fully accredited programs which
mean they have met all the academic
requirements of the CIQS syllabus
for architectural and structural
professional quantity surveyors.
These 25 subjects range from
measurement of construction work to
contract administration, construction
technology, construction economics
and cost planning. Having complied
Niagara College,
Construction Engineering Technology program
L to R Roy Lewis, CIQS President, Kevin Haliuk, Mohawk Professor, Jeff Logan,
OIQS President and David Lai, CIQS Education Administrator
New Members
The CIQS would like to welcome the following new members (Including Reinstatements):
A
23 Years of
In
Construction Union
Wage Rates Index
In the second quarter of2011,
the Canada Total Construction
Union Wage Rates Index (including
supplements) increase by0.6%
compared with the previous quarter.
It was1.6% higher compared with the
second quarter of2010.
On a regional basis, the index for
the Quebec Region registered the
highest quarterly change (+1.6%), followed by the Atlantic Region (+1.0%),
the Ontario Region (+0.5%) and the
Prairie Region (+0.3%). Only the
British Columbia Region remained
unchanged from the previous quarter.
New Housing Price Index
The New Housing Price Index
(2007=100) increased0.8% in the
second quarter of2011, up from the
previous quarterly increase of0.7%.
Qubec (+0.6%), Ontario (+1.5%), the
Prairie Region (+0.2%) and British
Columbia (+0.4%) all posted increases,
while the Atlantic Region remained
unchanged from the last quarter.
Charlottetown (+1.0%) posted the
only increase in the Atlantic Region
in the second quarter. The primary
reason for the increase was higher land
development costs. The metropolitan
areas of Saint John, Fredericton and
Moncton (-0.2%) as well as St. Johns
(-0.1%) posted decreases while Halifax
remained unchanged from last quarter.
In Montral (+0.9%), prices increased in the second quarter, as a
result of good market conditions.
Qubec (-0.1%) registered a decrease
due to lower land development costs.
Click Here to Return to Table of Contents
Non-residential Building
Construction Price Index
The composite price index for nonresidential building construction
increased by1.2% in the second
quarter compared with the previous
Apartment Building
Construction Price Index
The composite price index for
apartment building construction
increased1.1% in the second quarter
compared with the previous quarter.
The quarterly advance was mainly
a result of wage increases and the
continued strength of construction
material prices.
All seven of the census metropolitan areas (CMAs) surveyed reported
quarterly increases between0.7%
and1.4%. Toronto (+1.4%) and Calgary (+1.2%) posted the largest quarterly advance while Montral (+0.7%)
reported the smallest increase.
Year over year, the composite
price index for apartment building
construction was up2.9% in the
second quarter. Of the seven CMAs
surveyed, OttawaGatineau, Ontario
part (+3.8%) reported the largest
year-over-year increase, while Calgary
(+1.2%) showed the smallest advance.
CB ROSS
COST CONSULTING
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- Project Monitor
- Junior/Intermediate Cost Planner
C.B. Ross Cost Consulting is a consulting rm located in
Toronto, Ontario oering consulting services to a wide spectrum
of clients from project inception through to completion.
We have job opportunities in our
Project Monitoring and Cost Planning/Estimating departments.
Candidates must have:- relevant experience in the construction industry
- strong communication skills
- time management skills
- be working towards (or have interest in)
RICS and CIQS membership.
In return, we oer an extensive employee package
commensurate with expertise, qualications and skills.
If you are interested, please submit your resum
by email: mail@cbross.ca
or
by fax: (416) 487-3017
Only select candidates whose resums best
match our requirements will be contacted.
Automating
the takeoff
T
here are many options available in applying information technology to the takeoff and estimating process.
What software is available? What criteria should you use in
evaluating software? Which system is best for your operations? This paper tries to shed some light on your options.
Automating the takeoff process
Takeoff is the process of obtaining quantity measurements
from plans and specifications. Estimating, on the other
hand, is applying costs to these quantities. We first discuss
automating the takeoff, quantity surveying process before
reviewing estimating software.
Manual takeoff methods involve calculating quantities
from known dimensions or using an architectural scale. If
your organization spends more than eight hours per month
manually calculating quantities, you probably should
investigate automating this activity. Rates of returns on
takeoff software solutions can be substantial. For example,
if your company spends 100 hours per month performing
manual takeoffs, what is the value if the same amount of
work can be done in 30 hours?
Digitizer based takeoff of paper plans
Digitizer based takeoff systems replace your scale and
greatly speed up the takeoff process, especially for irregular
areas. Digitizing quantities can also eliminate potential
errors resulting from digit transposition, non-standard
scales and miscalculations. A digitizer is a hardware
device that is placed on a tabletop. Blueprints are then
placed on top of the digitizer, and by using an electronic
pointing device, a signal is sent through the plans and an
X,Y coordinate is generated by the digitizer. As you click or
trace around areas and lengths, X,Y coordinates provided
by the digitizer are used by the takeoff software to draw
and calculate quantities.
In order to implement a digitizer solution, you will need
to have a digitizer tablet along with software that turns the
digitizer coordinates into quantity measurements. There
are two types of digitizers: rigid, hard digitizers or roll-up
tablets. If you need portability the roll-up digitizers are
and
estimating
process.
On-Screen takeoff of drawing files
Distribution of drawing files is increasing in popularity. Drawing files of various types are currently distributed either on a
compact disc, via email or through the World Wide Web. Distribution of drawing files offers significant efficiency and cost
advantages in comparison with distributing paper blueprints.
As more and more companies utilize electronic plan distribution, software for performing the quantity takeoff on-screen
from drawing files is also increasing in popularity.
On-Screen takeoff programs allow the user to view a variety
of drawing files and electronically measure items using your
mouse rather than a scale or digitizer tablet. No additional
hardware is required. As items are measured, the on-screen
takeoff software should offer a choice of colors, line styles,
count symbols and area fill patterns of the items measured. If
working with a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel, ideally
the on-screen takeoff software should automatically record
the quantities and drawings into the spreadsheet cell.
Automatic takeoff from a shared project model
In association with the Building Technologies Department
of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the
International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) was created
Click Here to Return to Table of Contents
Other considerations
in selecting estimating software
In selecting a computerized estimating system, factors to
consider include:
How much more productive, knowledgeable and accurate
will you become by implementing a new system?
Will the takeoff, estimating, accounting, scheduling and
project management activities be integrated?
What is the cost? What are the benefits? Do benefits
greatly exceed costs? What is the projected rate of return?
Do you have the personnel with the time and capabilities
to implement and operate a new system?
Is the new system easy to implement and use?
What resources are required for training?
How much support and maintenance is required by the
system vendor and at what cost?
Who is using the software successfully and unsuccessfully?
Digitize Directly
Summary
If implementing a computerized estimating system, strong
consideration should be given to the development of Excel estimating templates to perform the task. You should be looking
at database, assembly driven commercially available takeoff
and estimating programs only if the features you are seeking
are not provided by a well-designed Excel, or other spreadsheet, estimating template. Digitizer based takeoff should
be considered if you spend more than ten hours per month
calculating quantities from paper plans. On-screen takeoff is
increasing in popularity and can reduce
costs and increase efficiencies in comparison with paper plan distribution.
Calculate
cuts & fills
by digitizing
on your screen.
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