Introduction

Cost Estimation is a program in the IMPACT family of programs. Cost estimation calculates cost and time for a specific project.  After opening a project, there is a project tab (figure 1) and a settings tab (figure 2).

Figure 1, Project tab

Figure 2, Settings tab

Common Features

Here are some links to features that Cost Estimation offers that other applications also have.

• Customizable grid layout

Cost Estimation Access Rights

Project
The project tab shows the currently open project. The user can calculate production time and cost. The user can also view the components of the project.

Filter for time and cost

In Cost Estimation under Production Time and Production Cost you are able to set a filter, filtering out all element marks that do not match. You can filter based upon factory, element status, and if there are any elements connected to that element mark (sum=0).

Figure 3, Production Cost Filter

The changes made to this filter will be remembered when the application closes, meaning the filter will be the same next time you start cost estimation.

Production Time

The user may choose to check the time calculation before carrying out the calculation itself. The program then checks if the selected element/elements have time codes to enable a complete calculation of the element time. The user may choose to save the element time check data, this data is then saved as a text-file. Printing of a report concerning the selected element/elements is also available.

In the project tab, calculations concerning time and cost for each element or the entire project can be carried out, right-click an element or node, and select calculate, see figure 4.

Figure 4, calculation, check, and print of time

Graphical view of production time/data

Production time can also be presented as a pie-chart, see figure 4. 

Figure 5, graphical view of production time data as a pie-chart

The pie-chart describes the distribution of the calculated times in the selected project. The following time estimates are presented:

1. Base Time
2. Insulation Time
   • The time required for isolation work
3. RC Time
   • The time required for reinforcement work
4. CIM Time
   • The time required for Cast in materials work
5. Form Time
   • The time required for formwork
6. Opening Time
   • The time required for the creation of openings
7. Endcap Time
   • The time required for endcap work
8. Surface Time
   • The time required for surface work (for example paintwork)
9. Manual Time
10. Skewed Ends Time
    • The time required for skewed ends

These times are set in time lists by the user.
 

Time Calculation

The time calculation is done on the service side. The service retrieves information about the selected element marks. If a time does not exist then the service will write into a log. Notice that this is a rough overview of how time is calculated in Cost Estimation.

Insulation Time

Insulation time is calculated as (area or mass or volume * duration).

Surface Time

Surface time calculation (area * duration).

Endcap time

Endcap time is calculated as (duration * (length of endcap / 1000)) (The duration is set differently for different element types).

CIM Time

Cast-in materials time is calculated by taking the cut length multiplied with duration (cut length * duration).

Form Time

Form time is calculated differently depending on MaterialTypeCost:

• For cut element ((length / 1000) * duration)
• For skewed end (element skewed end * duration)
• For elements, it depends on the parameter.
  • For area (area * duration)
  • For net area (net area * duration)
  • For bounding box (bounding box * duration)
  • For volume (volume * duration)
  • For perimeter ((perimeter / 1000) * duration)
  • For piece (piece * duration)
• Small is also dependent on the parameter.
  • For area (area * duration)
  • For volume (volume * duration)
  • For perimeter ((perimeter / 1000) * duration)
  • For piece (amount * duration)
• Medium and large are calculated the same way as small.

Base Time

The base time is calculated by taking the value from a curved parameter item:
(Curved parameter item * parameter type value + fixed time)

The parameter value is dependent on the parameter type:

• Area, net area, bounding box, mass, volume, and piece is taken from the record without any other calculations.
• Length, width, and height are calculated by taking the record value divided by 1000.

Reinforcement Time

The time calculation is dependent on the parameter type:

• For length ((length / 1000 ) * duration)
• For area (area * duration)
• For mass (mass * duration)
• For piece (piece * duration)

The duration time is dependent upon the reinforcement type.

Opening Time

The opening time is calculated by going through a list stored in the database.
Each item in the list can have different levels of standards. This is prioritized by project first, then factory and lastly by the company. If there is no standard set, then the item is skipped.
A list of durations is taken from the database. To get the duration that is to be used to calculate the opening time. The current items production code is used to retrieve the correct duration from the duration list.

To finally calculate the opening time we have to look at the parameter type of the item:

• For area (area * duration)
• For volume (volume * duration)
• For piece (number of pieces * duration)
• For perimeter ((perimeter / 1000) * duration)

Production Cost

The time calculation is done on the service side. The service retrieves information about the selected element marks. Notice that this is a rough overview of how cost is calculated in Cost Estimation.

Insulation Cost

First, the service checks if there is any insulation by looking at element types. If not then it registers this information into the log.

The calculations are dependent on parameter types using the following way. Any other types will set the cost to zero.

• For net area (area * cost)
• For mass (mass * cost)
• For volume (volume * cost)

Reinforcement Cost

Before performing any calculations the system looks at what reinforcement types that are used. For calculating the cost the system takes into consideration a parameter type and cost. The parameter type is set to either mass, length or area and depends on the reinforcement types. What each of the following reinforcement types (bar, stirrup, mesh, bended mesh, and group) sets the parameter type to is dependent on the user settings.

The value of cost is set differently depending on reinforcement types. The system retrieves a list from the database that contains what cost mesh, bended mesh, and the group should have. Everything else takes into consideration not only reinforcement types but also quality and diameter.

Once the cost value and parameter type are set the cost calculation for reinforcement is done in the following manner.

• For length ((length / 1000) * cost)
• For area (area * cost)
• For mass (mass * cost)

Working Cost

The cost is taken by retrieving personal cost for different material types from the database.
The cost is then calculated by taking the cost based on manual, base, CiM, form, opening, insulation, end caps or surface and multiply it by the element's duration (material type * duration).

If personnel cost per element group is enabled then it will use the cost set for the given group if that group exists, groups can be created in Resource Manager under settings.

Surface Cost

If the element type is that of a wall, double wall, sandwich wall or an insulated wall the calculation is done by taking the area and multiply it with the cost (area * cost). The cost is dependent on the element type and a cost code defined by the user.

For other element types, it looks at different geometric layers. Looping through each and calculating each (surface cost = geometry layer’s area * cost).

Endcaps Cost

The cost will be different depending on the standard. The system prioritizes project first, then factory and lastly company. After retrieving the cost that is based upon standard the calculation is done in the following manner.
(cost * (endcap length / 1000))

Form Cost

The form cost is dependent on the material types cut element, skewed end, element, small, medium and large.

• For skewed end (number of skewed ends * cost)
• For element, it depends on the parameter type
  • For area (area * cost)
  • For net area (net area * cost)
  • For bounding box area (bounding box area * cost)
  • For volume (volume * cost)
  • For perimeter ((perimeter /1000) * cost)
  • For piece (number of pieces * cost)
• For small, medium and large it depends on the parameter type
  • For area (area * cost)
  • For volume (volume * cost)
  • For perimeter ((perimeter /1000) * cost)
  • For piece (number of pieces * cost)

Concrete Cost

If the element type is that of a wall, double wall, sandwich wall or an insulated wall the calculations are done more direct. Otherwise, the system looks at the geometry layers to calculate. All concrete calculations are done differently depending on parameters.

• For mass (mass * cost)
• For volume (volume * cost)

CIM Cost

The system goes through all the cast-in materials that belong to the element. The calculations are done by taking the cut length and multiply it with the cost that the user has set the cost to be in the default price list (cut length * cost).

Opening Cost

The opening cost is dependent on standards, prioritizing project first, then factory and lastly company. The opening costs calculation is dependent on the parameter, the calculations are done in the following manner.

• For area (area * cost)
• For volume (volume * cost)
• For perimeter (perimeter * cost / 1000)
• For piece (number of pieces * cost)

Material Cost

Material cost simply adds together costs besides working cost.

Calculation: Concrete cost + insulation cost + reinforcement cost + manual cost + CiM cost + form cost + opening cost + surface cost + end cap cost

Total Cost

The total cost is simply material cost and working cost together.

Calculation: Material cost (Concrete cost + insulation cost + reinforcement cost + manual cost + CiM cost + form cost + opening cost + surface cost + end cap cost) + working cost

Components

Here you are able to view components associated with the project and change information related to its cost. For example, concrete recipe, curve and production code.

Openings

While viewing project-specific openings you are able to change the components/definitions production code. This can be done by opening a drop-down box and selecting one of the currently available codes or by typing in a new code. In the image below you can see a drop-down box with different codes. The codes with blue text are project-specific and the ones with black text belong to the standard.

Figure 6, Project-specific opening codes

In order to create a new project-specific code, you have to write in a new text and save it. A message will appear if the code is new, letting the user know they are about to create a project-specific code.

Figure 7, Notification of creating a new project-specific opening code

Once created you will be able to change the time, cost and time parameter associated with the code. Notice that you can not change this if the code is connected to the standard, only with project-specific codes.

Settings

Operating Cost

The user can set an operating cost for element types. This cost can be based on length, width, height, gross area, mass volume, perimeter, net area, bounding box area, time and percentage of cost.

Figure 8, changing parameter for Operating Cost

If no element type is selected then all element types will be affected and in the production cost grid, the cost will be displayed as Operating Cost Company instead of Operating Cost Product.

Setting Up Surface Time/Cost

When you are under settings in Cost Estimation you can create codes both for time and for cost as displayed in the figure below.

Figure 9, view over surface time codes

These codes can then be used to set prices for different definitions both on a project level or on the standard. To set the prices for the standard you go to Settings -> Components -> Surface and to set it on a project you go to Project -> Components -> Surface. Pay attention to that the available surface treatments will not be shown if you do not have that set up in Standard Admin. An example from Standard Admin that enables the user to see and set time for different surface treatments are shown in the figure below.

Figure 10, displaying where to change field type for surface treatments

While you are setting surface time/cost for a project you will only be able to see the available treatments that the project uses. You can edit a drawing's specification in the Project Manager to change the surface treatment.

Figure 11, going to the properties of a drawing

Figure 12, going to a drawings specifications

Figure 13, changing a drawings surface treatments

One thing to keep in mind is that Cost Estimation will use both Surface Treatment, Moulding, and Up in Mould. So that if you use the same treatment for them then the surface cost/time will be calculated for both sides (doubling the price/time).

There is one more filed that works exactly the same as Surface Treatment and that is Surface Material.

Figure 14, displaying where to change field type for surface material

Personnel Cost

Under each price list, there is a "Personnel" node. There is always a default node.

Figure 15, default personnel group

The default price will always be used if you do not enable personnel cost per element group under production company settings.

Figure 16, setting personnel cost per price list

When personnel cost is enabled then all the available groups are seen under the personnel node. Each group can have different prices. When calculating the price of an element mark the system will look for the group, if it does not find the group, it will use the default group. The system then looks at the cost belonging to a group and multiples the cost with the time.

Figure 17, setting different costs for a group

Different personnel costs for different element groups

It is now possible to set the personnel cost per element group. To enable this you have to change the production company setting.

Figure 18, Production Company Settings - Personnel Cost

The element group can be created under settings in RM.

Figure 19, Resource Manager - Creating Element Groups

Under Company Settings in Cost Estimation, you can now go to price list and see group under personnel. Here you can see the costs that are based upon element groups.

Figure 20, Edit cost for personnel group

Strand Time

Under reinforcement, strands different times and parameters can be set depending on element types. Meaning calculating the reinforcement time when dealing with strands will be different for different element types.

This can be found under "Settings -> Time List -> Reinforcement -> Strands".

Figure 21, Element types for strand time

Cost Estimation Settings

There is now an additional node under settings in cost at the top. By selecting the top nod there will now come up settings that were previously in Resource Manager that only affects Cost Estimation.

A detailed calculation of small recesses is also available in these settings. If the box "Recesses Area Less Than 0.1 m2" is checked then the user can set different calculations depending on the Element Types.

Figure 22, Cost Estimation Settings

Currency symbol can still be found in Resource Manager settings as well but under the tab "Properties".

Figure 23, Resource Manager - Editing currency without Cost Estimation