Improve your project management and estimating skills with newly launched cloud based estimating & project management applications

Now-a-days various construction companies utilize high-tech mobile gadgets to handle their estimating and project management data in the cloud. Several new cloud based applications are emerging in the market to make the construction processes easy and uncomplicated.

Of late, Calif based Corecon Technologies Inc., www.corecon.com, launched Corecon Mobile for Apple’s iPhone and iPad. This latest application was designed to be applied with Corecon V7, a web based estimating, project management, and job-cost suite of construction software.
 

The Corecon Mobile application contains all of the tools included in the present version. Besides, it comes with superior functionality and an advanced user interface that is well matched with Apple’s iPhone or iPad capabilities.

The iOS platform has been totally redesigned and customized for construction site functions. The field associates will be able to snap development photos, revise checklist and punchlist items as well as import contacts from mobile gadgets straightway. Apple’s speech-to-text is also utilized with this newest application to copy out voice dictation into written or printed form if it becomes difficult to use text.

All of Corecon’s products are tied with a shared platform and this feature facilitates the field stuff to log daily as well as enter timecards directly in the iPhone/iPad application to be shown in Corecon V7 instantly.

So the mobile based application facilitates the project team members to grab a superior level of realtime project management by the application of smartphone and tablet appliances.

  

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Visual Building - Editing roof wood construction

This tutorial video demonstrates how in Visual Building you can examine and edit the wood construction components within the roof.

This video is applicable to: Visual Building Lite, Visual Building Basic, Visual Building Professional, Visual Building Premium and Visual Building Solar Designer.

Visual Building is a building / house design software application, that will enable you to design your own home producing quality floorplans and 3D Visualisations.

Visual Building is a building / house design software application, that will enable you to design your own home producune qualty floorplans and 3D Visualisations.

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Flat Roof and Subcontractor for Coverings Estimating Module

This video clip will show you how the Flat Roof and Subcontractor for Coverings Estimating Module works.

Easy Price Pro has over 135 Estimating Modules to select from - you are able to add them to your Renovations and Alterations Utlra program.

The program will make all the calculations for you and will produce a range of professional reports (e.g. Material Order Sheet, Bill of Quantities, Written Quotation) automatically.

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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World's Longest Sea Bridge Construction

An engineering marvel the Jiaozhou bay bridge has finally opened up after four years of construction. The 26.3 miles long bridge links the port city of Qingdao to the island of Huangdao.

The road bridge, which is 110ft wide and is the longest of its kind, cost nearly £1billion to build.

A bridge over misty waters: The immense £1billion structure which is supported by more than 5,000 pillars stretches for 24 miles along China's eastern port city of Qingdao to the offshore island Huangdao.

It took four years to build the bridge, which is supported by more than 5,000 pillars across the bay, and it is almost three miles longer than the previous record-holder - the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana.

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Make your construction estimating process smarter with aspenOne V8.6

Aspen Technology, Inc. (AZPN), the most trusted solution provider in engineering and optimization software, just unveiled the availability of aspenONE version 8.6 software. The latest AspenTech software is ideal for Engineering & Construction (E&C) as well as Oil, Gas and Chemicals industries to design and maneuver protected plants, calculate project costs precisely from concept to construction.

Benefits of construction estimators:-

Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE) comprises of newest detailed unit rate estimating which allows the estimators to make calculations into the detailed estimating phase of a project. ACCE V8.6 can easily modify the labor and material unit rates along with materials of construction. This feature enables organization to gain up to +/- 10% exactness and minimize project risk as well as enhance decision creation around the utilization of capital.

ACCE V8.6 facilitates the user to penetrate unit pricing, unit labor, and alter the description of line items in the bulks. Now ACCE can also be applied for figuring out detailed estimates as previously the users were unable to use detailed pricing which is now resolved.

ACCE V8.6 is will save considerable time on estimate, develop the correctness and accuracy of estimates with the progression of any project. The communication amid the estimator and the client as well as will collaboration among engineering disciplines will be enhanced to a great extent. The owners will be able to utilize their capital resource in a superior way under the escalation of cost in the energy and chemical sectors. Strategic Estimating Systems (SES) will be mostly benefitted with this new functionality.

The V8.6 release of aspenONE software, featuring updates to Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, and Aspen Capital Cost Estimator, is available immediately. Customers having the aspenONE Licensing Model can promote to the new version without incurring any extra cost.

For getting more updates visit, http://www.aspentech.com/products/v8-release

  

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Perform Multi-Component Estimates inside One Framework through PRICE TruePlanning

PRICE TruePlanning™ is a cost estimating framework useful for estimating, business management, engineering & program management. It aids in minimizing the time and experience necessary to perform convincing, data-driven parametric estimating required at all stages of an organization ranging from executive, financial, and project/program estimating and management.

It performs as the only cost estimating supporting structure that can incorporate numerous cost models along with hardware, software, IT, assembly, and program management costs inside the same estimate. The PRICE TruePlanning framework develops the importance of numerous PRICE® Cost Models, facilitating estimators to be benefitted with quicker, more insightful, more consistent parametric estimating.

PRICE TruePlanning also allows clarifying the value of project cost histories in the parametric estimating procedure (by PRICE® TrueFindings™) and providing supports to combine dynamic Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Cost Element Structure (CES) mapping (through PRICE® TrueMapper™).

 PRICE TruePlanning comes with great features and benefits that will help to create estimates as per your detailed requirements and preferences. Besides, TruePlanning cost estimating applies "discrete numerical values" for leading cost drivers, associated with historical data, to produce for more authentic calibration than competitive alternatives.

TruePlanning contains the following exclusive features:-

• Generate estimates instantly and it helps users to make 30-60% savings in cost and cycle time.

• Make analysis of alternatives (AoAs) easy, by contrasting the impacts of multiple variables.

• Provide a basis for program maintenance activities throughout the prolonged period, for a superior life cycle cost estimating.

• A product breakdown structure for System of Systems (SOS) estimating combining several components under one framework, involving parent-child file relationships that maintain all systems, subsystems, components, and processes inside a single file hierarchy.

• The capacity to relate and view product breakdown structures, cost drivers and outputs in a solitary screen view simplifies the capacity to calculate design tradeoffs across diversified project variables.

• Supplementary program attributes make flexibility in arranging, scrutinizing, and handling cost estimating data and procedures for better insight along with search and mass-edit, year-by-year and total-life-cycle-cost viewing, capability to evaluate views across numerous projects over time, and endless charting combinations to assure exceptional reporting requirements.

• TruePlanning also comes with a wide array of Companion Applications that facilitate users to create custom applications and bring them into the TruePlanning estimation engine and cost models. These consist of an Activity Mapper, an Excel Solution bi-directional interface, Parametric Data Forms, a Sensitivity Analyzer, @Risk Integration, and Crystal Ball Integration.

  

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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General Construction Estimate Spreadsheet

General Construction Estimate Spreadsheet is Microsoft excel workbook that can be edited completely. This estimating spreadsheet is formed with 16 division CSI Master format. The sheet includes numerous quantities, and unit costs associated with labor, material, and subcontractor. By applying this spreadsheet, one can figure out totals as well as provide a sales tax rate, overhead mark-up rate, performance and payment bonds, insurance, profit, contingencies, business license, permit etc.

The spreadsheet contains the following features:

• Comes with 16 divisions scheduled on the Estimate Worksheet compliant with the CSI Masterformat 1995 Edition.

• The complete Worksheet consists of a section for inserting a performance and payment bond based on the users input limits and rates per thousands. Once the bond rates and limits are assigned by the users, a P&P bond can be affixed by simply clicking a check box.

• Payroll Taxes and Insurance (Labor Burden) rate can be assigned to all items narrated in the "Labor" Column of the Estimate Worksheet.

• Material Tax rate can be assigned to all items mentioined in the "Material" Column of the Estimate Worksheet.

• Both PT&I (Labor Burden) and Material Tax are distributed from the Totals Worksheet to the individual activities on the Estimate Worksheet by marking a checkbox.

• The General Construction Estimate template will also work out a square foot cost breakdown on the Totals Worksheet on the basis of the total square feet submitted by the user on the Estimate Worksheet.

  

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Solidworks costing tool review

The SolidWorks Costing tool helps you calculate how much it costs to manufacture sheet metal and machined parts by automating the cost estimation and quotation process. The tool helps designers make design decisions based on the cost to manufacture, and helps manufacturers create quotes for customers.

The Costing tool is driven by manufacturing and material information in templates that determine the manufacturing cost. In the templates you can specify the material used to create the part, the manufacturing processes (such as laser cutting, bending, or milling), and the associated costs of these materials and manufacturing operations.

See how easy can be to estimate manufacturing cost and provide price quotations for your products with SolidWorks Costing Tool!

 

  

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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The importance of construction cost database

At the time of construction projects, the general contractors utilize construction cost database with respect to cost estimation and budgeting progressions.

The construction cost database can be very effective in a short time span. With the help of a computer program, the general contractors can execute all construction projects promptly and competently.

The general contractors can buy a construction cost database and set up it on their computer. The cost database can also be web-supported. The general contractors can apply cost database for general purpose by scrutinizing the overall cost of a project and it can be also customized by the general contractors according to their requirements. There exist some programs catering to definite sections of the construction industry ranging from residential to general to heavy construction.

There also exist programs in support of carpentry estimating; conceptual estimating; concrete estimating and insurance claims estimating, plus diverse estimating work that should be executed. Some construction cost software programs like specializing in plumbing, piping and HVAC, as well as repair and remodeling tasks also present there.

A normal construction cost database can be obtained at a price of $60 and $250, based on the capacities of the software. Most construction cost databases is compatible with Microsoft's Excel program whereas some of them are stand-alone.

A construction cost database provides significant benefits to the general contractors. By applying software programs to supervise budgets and construction costs persistently, general contractors get the ability to monitor of the financial position on day by day or hourly basis. All budgetary information is preserved in a single location and can be availed without difficulty.

A construction cost database can improve the bottom line of a project because it decreases the number of required employees to fruitfully proceed to completion. By applying a software program, an individual person can keep track of a project, or part of a project's, budget.

 

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Sheet Metal Manufacturing and Estimating Software

PractiCAM - Best in the world automated sheet metal manufacturing and estimating system. Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, Construction, Custom fabrication, Machine building, Ship building, Kitchen equipment, Architecturals, Signmaking, Metal art and any other sheet metal product you can think of.

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Advantages of Using Construction Estimating Software

There are various factors that must be considered while compiling bid for a construction project. It is important to know that all the bases are covered be it for a residential, industrial or governmental contract. Missing details or underestimating costs of a job can lead to losing a bid entirely.

Construction estimating software helps in simplifying the process of calculating the bottom line. The best construction estimators like ProContractorMX, Estimation and Bid4Build eliminate many common mistakes that could cost an estimator extra expenses. Besides, software can track and compare the estimated cost with the actual cost during and after the job itself.

Using construction-bidding software allows the bidder to manage job costs as well as subcontractor bids, all while generating detailed and profitable bids. Construction estimators account for all aspects of construction, including equipment, labor and materials, so that the bidder does not face unforeseen costs.

Construction Estimating Software should be able to develop and monitor outgoing bids efficiently and precisely. The best construction estimating software supports completion a number of other tasks that constitute the daily business functions of a busy contractor.

Investing in construction management software increases speed and accuracy in creating and presenting bids. Though estimating software application do not guarantee winning every bid, using estimating software helps in creating the best bid possible.

Features: Construction estimating software should have tools that simplify the job. It should be able to track job costs and bids, and to perform general office-management functions such as document preparation, purchase-order processing and archiving previous projects. It should also create invoices and perform some accounting tasks.

Good construction software provides the flexibility required to create bids for a variety of projects. It should also accept customized formulas and calculations, prepare reports, import national cost indexes, compare subcontractor and vendor quotes, and track jobs by divisions and sub-divisions.

Ease of Use: Construction estimating software manages many variables. Though it can be complex, but using the software should be easy. Good estimating applications are well organized and presented in a logical manner so that bidder can get the most out of them in a short amount of time.

Integration: High quality construction estimating software can seamlessly integrate with other third-party applications already being used by the bidder. Integration with accounting software such as QuickBooks, CAD software, Microsoft Project and more will enable saving time and money by consolidating the resources of the bidder. Besides, compatibility with mobile devices such as iPads and smartphones allows updating project information easily.

Help & Support: It is important that the software is complimented with tutorials, training classes or online demonstrations to provide better learning. This type of software involves many aspects; hence it is necessary to know how to utilize all of the features in a productive manner. Apart from tutorials, customer support should also be easily available through various means, and the support team should respond to inquiries promptly and thoroughly.

  

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Published By

Arka Roy

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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