Questionnaire for Quantity Surveyor

Q1 Are you conversant with FIDIC form of contract and ‘CESMM3’ (Civil
Engineering Standard Method of Measurements).

Note: The candidate is not likely to be conversant with CESMM3 since in India,
this document is not used anywhere. If his answer is yes, then he can be
asked to quote the names of some of the section of the CESMM3, such as

Class A - General Items

Class D - Demolition
Class E – Earthworks
Class F – Concrete
Class I – Pipe work
Class R – Road works

If the candidate conveys his ignorance about CESMM3 but states that he has
knowledge of FIDIC, then we can proceed with Q2 to Q30 below. If he conveys
his ignorance about CESMM3 as well as FIDIC, then proceeding with the
interview may not be of any use.

Q2 what do you understand by a contract. What documents normally form a

contract?

A2. A contract is an agreement between the parties, recognized by law,

under which one party undertakes to carry out work or supply
materials against a certain consideration by the other party.

The documents that form a contract are generally as follows:

a. The contract agreement
b. The tender and Appendix to tender
c. The conditions of contract part 1 and 2
d. Specifications
e. Drawings
f. Bill of Quantities

Q3. What do you understand by Performance bond?

A3. The performance bond is an unconditional bond provided by the
contractor, for a value of about 10% of the contract price, as a
guarantee against successful completion of the contract works.

Q4. What do you understand by a Taking over Certificate?

A4. It is the certificate issued by the Engineer, when works are
substantially completed.

Questionnaire – Page 1 of 6
Q5. What do you understand by a Defect Liability Certificate.
A5. This is the certificate that is issued at end of the Defect Liability
Period, once the contractor has completed all the snags and
outstanding works in the contract.

Q6. When do we release Retention Money.

A6. 50% at the time issuance of Taking Over Certificate and 50% at the
expiry of Defect Liability Period.

Q7. What is the definition of cost.

A7. Cost is the sum all expenditure incurred in connection with a work
which includes labor, plant, material and overheads, but excludes
Profit.

Q8. What is force majeure

A8. Its an event which is outside the control of the employer or the
contractor, such as flood, rains, war, riots etc.

Q9. What are the events which fall under employer’s risk in respect of damage
to works?
A9. The employer’s risks are;
(a) War, revolution, civil war
(b) Damage from radioactive or nuclear radiations
(c) Damage from pressure waves of supersonic aircrafts
(d) Acts of God
(e) Damage due to occupation of the works by employer
(f) Damage due to design of works by employer

Q10. If the Contractor is delayed, what kind of notice is required to be sent to

him and asking for what.
A10. If the contractor is delayed, a notice under clause 46.1 is required to
be sent to him, asking him to submit the steps that he proposes to
take to catch up the delays. Also, a revised program pursuant to
clause 14.2 is to be asked for.

Q10A. What do you understand by a Statement at Completion and a Final

Statement.
A10A. A Statement at Completion is submitted by the contractor, within 84
days of the issuance of the Taking Over Certificate. This statement
shall include the value of all the works completed as of date of
Taking Over certificate + Value of all the claims + estimated value of
the works that will is likely to be due to him in addition to the value of
the works completed already. This shall include the value of the
outstanding works at the time of the issuance of the Taking Over
Certificate.

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 A draft Final Statement is to be submitted by the contractor within 56
days of the issuance of the Defect Liability Certificate and shall
include the value of all the works done + value of all the claims.
Upon agreement of the draft Final Statement value between the
contractor and engineer, the contractor shall submit the Final
Statement.

Q11. What is the difference between a Tender and Contract.

A11. The tender is a priced offer submitted by the contractor. If this offer
is accepted by the employer and an agreement is formed between
the successful contractor and the employer, it is called a contract.

Q12. What is the difference between the function of a Bill of Quantities in a Re-
measurement Contract and a Lump Sum Contract.
A12. The Bill of Quantities is considered a Bill of approximate quantities
in re-measurement contract, and the final value of the works is
ascertained based on the actual final re-measured quantities using
the rates from the Bill of Quantities.

However, in a lump sum contract, the final payment to the contractor

is same as the total amount quoted by the contractor and is not
based on the re-measurement of the actual quantities. The BOQ rates
are used for interim payment purposes and for evaluating any
variations in the contract.

Q13. What is the authority of the engineer to instruct a variation in the contract.,
i.e. what kind of variation can be ordered by the Engineer and under which
clause.
A13. The engineer can instruct the variation under clause 51.1 for the
following items.

(a) To increase or decrease the quantities of any work

(b) To omit any work (but not if the omitted work is to carried out by
another contractor)
(c) Change the character or quality of the work
(d) Change the lines or levels
(e) To execute additional works of any kind for completion of the
works

Q14. How the varied works are to be evaluated.

A14. The varied works are to bee evaluated pursuant to clause 52.1, in the
following order.

(a) At the BOQ rates, if applicable

(b) If BOQ does not contain a rate, then rates in the BOQ shall be
used as a basis to evaluate a new rate.

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 (c) If BOQ does not contain any similar item, then a suitable rate is to
be agreed between the engineer and the contractor.
(d) Failing above, the Engineer shall fix the rate

Q15. What kind of insurances the contractor is required to obtain.

A15. (a) Insurance of the Works
(b) Insurance of the Contractor’s equipment
(c) Insurance of third party property
(d) Insurance of the contractor workforce (Workmen compensation)

Q16. What do you understand by Claim

A16. It is the assertion of a right for the payment by the contractor,
towards incurring of the cost towards a certain item, which he
considers that it is not covered by his tendered price.

Q17. Give some examples of the clauses in the FIDIC, which can form the
basis of a claim.
A17. (a) Clause 6.3 Delay in issuance of the drawings by engineer.
(b) Clause 12.2 Adverse physical conditions
(c) Clause 20.3 Loss or damage due to employer’s risk
(d) Clause 36.5 Additional test
(e) Clause 40 Suspension of works

Q18 What clause deals with Extension of Time in the contract and what are the
grounds based on which the contractor may request for an extension of
time
A18. The clause 44 deals with the extension of time. The grounds for
requesting an extension of time are as follows.

(a) Any additional work instructed by the engineer

(b) Any cause of delay referred in the conditions of contract
(c) Exceptionally adverse climatic conditions
(d) Any delay or prevention by employer
(e) Any other special circumstances, that could not have been
foreseen by the contractor

Q19. What kind of costs are to reimbursed as prolongation cost in case of

Extension of Time.
A1 (a) Site preliminaries calculated from the time related items in the
preliminaries bill.

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 (b) Head office overheads based on the head office overheads %age
quoted by the contractor in the BOQ or as substantiated by the
contractor on actual.

Q20. What is the remedy in the contract, if the contractor disagrees with the
engineer on any of the matter?
A20. Arbitration under clause 67

Q21. What are pre-requisites for payment for Material on Site?

A21 (a) Delivery notes
(b) Invoices
(c) Physical checking of the quantity and quality of the material
Delivered
(d) Proper storage of materials on site
(e) To ensure that the materials which are procured much in advance
of the actual requirement date should not be paid

Q21 What rate should be paid for material on site? Invoice rate or the rate
worked out from material %breakdown of BOQ rate.
A21. Lesser of the two.

Q22. How do you measure the earthwork x-sections?

A22. Area of the x-sections by cross-coordinate method using offset and
level at each point. It can be done thru Autocad or thru
programmable calculators or by putting the formulae in Excel. Once
area of the each of the x-section at about 20 m is calculated, then the
volume can be calculated using average end area method.

Q23 What is the command for calculating an area of a closed figure in Autocad.
A23. Enquiry-----Area-----click the end points or the boundary of the
figure.

Q24. What is the area of a cone?

A24. 1/3 x area of base x height

Q25. Draw any standard road x-section

Q26. Draw any standard earthwork x-sections in a fill area

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Q27. Draw a typical sketch for a pier showing the pile cap and piling

Q28 Draw a typical sketch for a bridge deck showing the post tensioning
strands

Q29 What is the area of a triangle, with sides a, b and c

A29. Sqr root of (S (S-a) (S-b) (S-c)), where S=(a+b+c)/2

Q30. Are you conversant with CPM method of networked programs. What do
you understand by critical path and float.
A30. Critical path is the path in a program along which the float is the
least
(Or 0). Float is the time which can be defined as the (Late Start - Early
Start) or (Late finish – Early Finish)

Questionnaire – Page 6 of 6