Civil Engineering Project Management (4th Edition)

180 Civil Engineering Project Management
15.3 The ICE standard method of measurement
The ICE standard method of measurement is not mandatory, but the ICE
conditions require the method to be used – ‘unless general or detailed description
of the work in the bill of quantities or any other statement shows clearly
to the contrary’. The most recent (3rd) edition of the CESMM was published
in 1991 with corrections in 1992, and is commonly referred to as CESMM3. The
standard method is not a contract document, and thus is not used in interpreting
the contract – except in so far as its provisions are repeated in the contract
documents (see below). Its use is solely as a recommended method of measurement
in conjunction with the ICE Conditions, and is generally on the basis
that all the works will be designed by the employer or his engineer.
Problems in the use of the standard method. The use of CESMM over a number
of years has indicated several potential problems in the compilation of bills of
quantities and measurement. There are seven introductory sections printed in
the method and, although these are largely guidance notes for people preparing
a bill, some parts need to be included in a contract, such as the parts dealing
with adjustment items or method-related items. Other parts of the guidance
notes may need exclusion to prevent the parties trying to alter the method of
measurement after award of contract.
The parts of the CESMM’s preliminary sections which are needed should be
written into the contract documents themselves. Also the measurement rules
may not apply, or may not be suitable if the contractor is required to undertake
some element of design, such as in providing bearing piles.
However, it is not usual to depart from the units of measurement in
CESMM3, or the measurement rules and coverage rules set out in the Work
Classification sections of the CESMM. The measurement rules say, for instance,
that when measuring concrete volume there is to be no deduction for the volume
occupied by reinforcement, rebates, grooves and holes up to a certain size,
etc. The coverage rules denote, for instance, that an item for supply of timber
components includes their fixing, boring, cutting and jointing. Such rules are
useful in making clear what the bill items are intended to include.
The standard method results in lengthy bills and for some types of work
may seem to give an unnecessary number of items, or to divide work down
into such detail that considerable thought has to be given to billing and pricing.
Modifications to the method must, however, be very clearly put in the
contract in order to avoid the possibility of the parties trying to argue for
re-measurement or additional measurement where this was not intended.
For instance, instead of itemizing painting of step irons, ladders, etc. separately,
a sub-heading can be put at an appropriate position in the bill stating:
‘The following items to include painting after fixing’. The CESMM mentions
that a line must be drawn across the description column in the bill below the
last item to which the sub-heading is to refer. If, however, there is so much
painting to do that a contractor would probably sublet it to a painting subcontractor,
a non-CESMM item might be put in the bill of quantities, such as