Some aspects of building administration and organisation
AN earlier article in this series
(H. K. & F. E. Builder October 1962) discussed the extent of the architect's responsibility for the proper organisation of work on the site.
This article discusses some other factors, affecting the efficiency of the building industry and over a wider field.
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The building industry in Hong Kong is developing fast in some re- spects, but in others there still exist processes and procedures which are not conducive to efficient building.
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The most marked development in the industry is the wider use being made of bills of quantities prepar- ed by quantity surveyors both tendering and as part of the con- tract. The first stage was the em- ployment of quantity surveyors by the contractors themselves when in- vited to tender, but now building owners are realizing the advantages of employing a quantity surveyor direct to prepare bills of quantities on their behalf.
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The advantages are that the bill can be prepared whilst the final drawings are being completed; there is more time for its prepara- tion; the building owner and his architect have the use of it, par- ticularly advantageous in ing and pricing variations and in the initial examination of the ten- ders; and under these circumstances it has great value as a contract document. The cost of its prepara- tion in both cases falls on the build- ing owner. When it is prepared on the initiative of the tendering con- tractors, the cost is hidden in the tendered lump sum figure; when commissioned by the building own. er the quantity surveyor's fees are paid direct.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER
Lump sum tendering without bills of quantities is still carried out in Hong Kong, even on large pro jects; accurate estimating is impos- sible and tenders must be kept un- necessarily high to safeguard against the unknowns, which can be of considerable magnitude. The larger the project, the greater the need for bills of quantities.
However, the use of bills of quan- tities, developing though it is, is still not sufficiently widespread to make the building industry efficient in its estimating and tendering procedures; this is a fundamental requirement for an efficient building industry.
By
Professor
W. G. Gregory,
University of Hong Kong.
A second development of note is the increasing use of mechanical plant, not because it is cheaper than manual labour in first cost, on the contrary, but because of the saving in time and the economies in over- heads resulting and allowing for a greater turnover of work. But there is evidence to indicate that mechani- cal plant is not properly maintained and not periodically serviced, reduc- ing its life and causing delay All mechani- through breakdowns.
cal plant should be subject to a maintenance schedule, which should be strictly enforced, and part of the site of works should be allocated as a properly equipped maintenance bay.
It is not generally appreciated in Hong Kong how important it is for the general contractor to co-ordinate the work of nominated sub-contrac- tors, a responsibility that is often shirked. The R.I.B.A. form of contract and many others based upon it provides for the direct employment of nominated sub-con- tractors by the general contractor,
VOLUME 18, NUMBER 1
If, as happened in the past, the main contract and the sub-contracts for specialist work were let separate- ly, the architect inevitably found himself endeavouring to co-ordinate. the work of them all on the site an impossible position to maintain, not having control of the full opera- tion, the employment and payment of labour, the purchase of the materials, and the use of tools and plant. This is not the function of the architect. as has been well establish- ed in the United Kingdom.
The system whereby the general contractor employs and pays sub- contractors, even though they are named by the architect, gives him jurisdiction over them, allows him to co-ordinate their work with his. gives him full control of the works and establishes the responsibility of the general contractor for their work (as well as his own).
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Nominated sub-contractors Hong Kong resist this procedure and tend to deal direct with the architect and not through the gen- eral contractor. Architects should avoid these direct dealings as it undermines the authority of the general contractor and leads to con- fusion. Site instructions referring to the work of these sub-contractors,
should be given to the general contractor, a procedure which establishes who is, in fact, in charge of the whole works.
Sub-contractors in this category have the right to refer grievances to the architect, particularly when it is a question of non-payment by the general contractor of money certified by the architect as due to them.
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This procedure should also be ap- plied to the public utility companies
services providing the buildings; their status should be established as nominated sub-con- tractors. Government departments, who provide services should be regarded in the same
way, but unfortunately this is not easy to establish. Demand notes for pay- ments in advance of work are sent to architects for payment by the building owner and the work is organized and co-ordinated through the architect. To be consistent, all work provided by Government de- partments should be co-ordinated by the general contractor and paid for by him, to be re-imbursed sub.
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