Construction cost library

[lunera]

I need to start a construction cost "database" for my group to do the estimations for our 2010 projects. Does anybody have any tips on how to set up a cost database that is based on past projects? I can't use a database like RS Means because this is for the railroad, and it doesn't really give me what I'm looking for. I'm somewhat lost over how to keep it all organized. The material estimation is the easiest. It is when I get to the construction costs that it gets tricky. I guess I'm just looking for an example for how to organize all the data. Does anybody have an example of a cost-estimation "library" made from past projects?

 

[ishvaaag]

In Spain there are standards that are followed by the firms that produce software for estimates; private and government institutions produce yearly libraries for the forecasted costs for the year that *** may *** have even some institutional value when from government bodies. FIEDBC I think is called the more common format.

Even so I have seen some chatter in the web by the same people that makes the software critizicing the need of keeping some of the of more doubtful values things therein implemented. I remember something of the kind of "this maybe perhaps of some use to those once establishing a price, but for the software itself, and for users, this is but making the things clumsier".

I frankly as an architect have evolved a personal theory on the origin of the budget setting question; most people didn't know how to imagine, reason and draw plans, nor interpret them, and writing and reading were far more common abilities; plus, one good contractor, attorney and judge can make most of some sums than of a nice set of plans. So I soon became convinced (seeing what I saw) of that project budgets were there to have a tool for the fights and truces; and everyone reads in the news to what extents some go for the dough, as Dick Tracy would put.

 

[lunera]

Thank you for that. I did look up FIEDBC and I'm lucky that I can read Spanish, so I'm gathering that it is a software. I am looking to complete this with an Excel Spreadsheet/workbook.

As for why I need this estimating information, we need it in order to wisely predict which projects we will be able to complete with the year's budgeted money.

Consider this as an estimation for "internal" use, meaning that it will not be used by any contractor or outside group.

 

[ishvaaag]

lunera, if I understand well, FIEDBC is a database format that has had some revisions, I don't know if FIEDBC 4 is the current one. So all the providers of libraries use the format, and then all the providers of software for budget estimates and cost control read (and write, you can create what we call "unidades de obra") such libraries as well. There are other standards and format converters but I think this is the more common. By looking a bit you may be able to get hand on some of the libraries, some are free, I think.

The other paragraph was just philosophy, one must not to forget that many others than who asks read what we write.