Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
6.1 Crane selection factors
Crane selection
The selection of lifting equipment is influenced by:
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site access conditions and space around the building (especially boundary space
situations)
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form of construction, i.e. steel frames, in-situ concrete or precast frame
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area or radius to be covered by crane
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height of building
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weight of critical loads at maximum radius of crane
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ground conditions and type of base required for crane
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lifting restrictions imposed by site location - access for delivery vehicles
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proximity hazards - overhead power lines or moving loads over adjacent buildings
or roads.
Inclusion of plant allowances at tender stage
Plant and equipment is included in this estimate build-up on a time and related fixed
cost assessment. A breakdown of the costs is required for valuation purposes.
A major item of plant such as a tower crane would include fixed costs such as:
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delivery to site
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provision of crane base
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erection of crane
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provision of power and services
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dismantling of crane.
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removal from site
and time-related costs:
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hire of crane and drivers
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fuel and servicing.
Monies for plant are claimed at each monthly valuation stage. The contractor is
required to provide the client's surveyors with a breakdown of plant costs for
valuation purposes. The majority of plant costs are included in the contract
preliminaries section of the bill.
Alternative plant and method proposals - value engineering
On competitive tenders the contractor may propose monetary savings resulting
from an analysis of alternative methods of construction. This may bring savings in
plant costs. Value engineering tasks are undertaken in order to provide a more
