Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
2008
Property & Construction
Industry Handbook
contents
Foreword 1
History of Davis Langdon in the Middle East 2
Service Lines 3
Industry Awards 4
Exchange Rates 5
Statistics - 2006 6
Due Diligence 51
Funders’ Technical Advisor 53
Insurance Reinstatement Cost Valuation 54
Building Areas Definitions 55
Building Services Standards 59
Sustainable Development 62
Davis Langdon
Foreword
History of Davis Langdon in the Middle East
Service Lines
Industry Awards
Our Core Ideology, is to be
passionate about recruiting
and developing the best
people, working with the
best teams and delivering
successful solutions that
respect the environment.
Foreword
Rob Smith
Senior Partner
Davis Langdon LLP
one davis langdon
UK & Europe
England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Spain and Russia
United States
Boston, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia,
Sacramento, San Francisco and Seattle
Australia
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart,
Melbourne, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Townsville
New Zealand
Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington
Asia
Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
Africa
Botswana and South Africa
davis langdon one
Service Lines
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Industry Awards
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Chapter Two
Construction
Output as a % 2.3% 4.3% 3.8% 3.0% 5.8% 2.3% 4.8% 3.9% 6.4% 2.3%
of GDP
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Chapter Three
Building Type London New York Los Singapore Manila Hong Kong Beijing Sydney Jo’burg
Angeles
Residential
Multi Unit – Low Rise 3050 1800 1800 1210 470 1100 365 1200 785
Medium Quality – High Rise 4000 3000 2800 960 620 1230 400 1400 930
High Quality – Low Rise 4700 3400 3100 1700 610 1480 510 1800 1000
High Quality – High Rise 5500 3800 3400 2130 780 1530 545 2100 1150
Podium Car Parking 840 1800 1400 480 320 685 330 400 375
Basement Car Parking 1800 2000 1800 975 370 1400 400 1100 450
Commercial (excluding Fit-Out)
Average Standard Offices
- Low Rise 2200 1800 1600 1120 385 1500 450 1000 685
- Medium Rise 3100 2300 2100 1190 520 1530 515 1500 900
construction cost data
- High Rise 4300 2700 2400 1290 650 1550 625 1600 1150
High Standard Offices
- Medium Rise 3850 2700 2400 1470 620 1910 700 2100 1150
- High Rise 5400 3000 2700 1710 750 1940 890 2900 1360
Building Type London New York Los Singapore Manila Hong Kong Beijing Sydney Jo’burg
Angeles
Industrial
Light Industrial 1425 900 900 770 340 850 N/A 500 360
Heavy Industrial 2275 1600 1500 960 385 920 N/A 600 485
Attached Offices 2225 1300 1200 N/A N/A 1100 444 1200 720
Hotel (including FF&E)
3 Star/Budget 2800 2500 2300 1760 980 1970 955 3400 900
5 Star/Luxury 2600 4000 3750 2400 1290 2530 1425 4400 1940
5 Star/Resort N/A 4000 3750 2400 1150 N/A 1215 4400 1420
Health (excluding loose FF&E)
District Medical Centre 3000 4500 4400 N/A 970 1880 N/A 1600 1000
District Hospital 5000 6000 8000 N/A 900 2430 795 2400 1100
Retail (excluding Fit-Out)
District Centre N/A 1350 1300 1260 435 1660 680 600 850
Regional Shopping Mall 3000 1500 1400 1400 480 1980 955 1400 1100
construction cost data
Exchange Rates GBP USD USD SGD PHP HKD CNY AUD ZAR
Mid Year 2007 USD 1 = 0.50 1.00 1.00 1.53 47.00 7.81 7.56 1.22 7.00
NB: Large fluctuations in exchange rates can create short-term anomalies. These cost rates (USD/m2) represent average competitive tender prices as at mid 2007; are
• inclusive of: service installations and preliminaries; but
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• exclusive of: external works and services; tenant fit-out; FF&E (furniture, fittings and equipment); professional fees; land; finance; etc. and VAT (Value Added Tax) where applicable.
Regional Building Cost Comparison (USD/m2) 2Q 2007
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NB: These cost rates (USD/m2) represent average competitive tender prices as at mid 2007; are
• inclusive of: service installations and preliminaries; but
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• exclusive of: external works and services; tenant fit-out; FF&E (furniture, fittings and equipment); professional fees; land; finance; etc. and VAT (Value Added Tax) where applicable.
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Regional Mechanical & Electrical Cost Comparison (USD/m2) 2Q 2007
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NB: These cost rates (USD/m2) represent average competitive tender prices as at mid 2007 for service installations within buildings; are
• inclusive of: subcontractor preliminaries and main contractor mark-up; but
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• exclusive of: incoming service utility lines and connections; site distribution networks; associated builder’s work; and VAT (Value Added Tax) where applicable.
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Major Measured Unit Rates for the Middle East Region (USD) 2Q 2007
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NB: These cost rates (USD) represent average tender rates as at mid 2007 for average specification quality works, supplied and installed complete; but are
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• exclusive of: contractor’s preliminaries (site establishment, scaffolding, hoisting, etc.) and VAT (Value Added Tax) where applicable.
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Major Material Prices for the Middle East Region (USD) 2Q 2007
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NB: These cost rates (USD) represent merchant charges for respective material products supplied and delivered to site (in reasonably large bulk quantity orders); but are
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• exclusive of: contractor mark-up for overhead and profit; and VAT (Value Added Tax) where applicable.
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Labour Costs for the Middle East Region (USD) 2Q 2007
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NB: These cost rates (USD) represent all-in unit cost of respective operatives and personnel, including: wages, salaries and other remunerations prescribed by local labour legislation; and
average allowances for costs of employment; recruitment; visas/permits; paid leave; travel; accommodation; health and welfare; etc; but are
• exclusive of: overtime working; contractor mark-up for overhead and profit; and VAT (Value Added Tax) where applicable.
These cost rates are NOT and should not be confused with ‘Contractor’s Daywork Rates’.
Middle East Region Labour/Materials/Plant Ratios
Trades Labour : Material : Plant Trades Labour : Material : Plant
Air Conditioning Installations 15% 85% 0% Lift Installations 10% 90% 0%
Carpentry 20% 80% 0% Masonry 20% 80% 0%
Carpet 5% 95% 0% Metalwork 10% 90% 0%
Demolition 35% 22% 43% Painting 30% 70% 0%
Drainage 15% 65% 20% Paving 30% 70% 0%
Electrical Installations 15% 85% 0% Piling Works 8% 63% 29%
Excavation 16% 14% 70% Plastering 17% 83% 0%
Fire Protection 15% 85% 0% Precast Concrete 8% 92% 0%
Formwork 30% 70% 0% Preliminaries 20% 10% 70%
Glazing 10% 90% 0% Reinforcement 8% 92% 0%
Hard Landscaping 8% 42% 50% Structural Steelwork 5% 70% 25%
In Situ Concrete 10% 90% 0% Suspended Ceilings 17% 83% 0%
construction cost data
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NB: The above are approximate avereage ratios across the whole region.
three construction cost data
Inflation/Escalation
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construction cost data three
2006 2007
2006 2007
There are various macro and micro economic factors that affect
construction price inflation within the Dubai market.
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construction cost data three
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Overview
Davis Langdon believe that cost should be a determinant of
design rather than its by-product. The cost planning process
needs to be pro-active and positive and a cost framework for
the project should be established at the earliest opportunity.
Types of Estimate
It is essential that the right type of estimate is prepared
according to the level of information available and the
requirements of the client.
There are two main types of estimate carried out during the
pre-contract stage of a project: the feasibility estimate and the
cost plan.
Feasibility Estimates
Rate per m² / functional unit
Early estimates prepared during the inception and feasibility
stages. There may be little information available other than
the type of building and its approximate floor area or other
functional requirements. Feasibility estimates can be prepared
based on rates per m² or cost per functional unit (eg. hotel
room).
Cost Models
By studying cost analyses of previous projects and making
suitable adjustments (for quality, time, location, etc) allowances
can be included for each element which will, when summed-up,
provide an overall estimate for the project.
Cost Plans
Once design information is available it is possible to break the
project into elements or work sections and a more detailed
estimate, generally termed a ‘cost plan’ can be produced.
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construction cost data three
A cost plan will detail the amount allowed for each element, set
targets, and define specification levels achievable within the
budget allocations.
Cost Checking
At all stages of the project design, a continuing process of cost
checking is necessary, in order to confirm that current design
solutions are in line with previously set targets.
2. Specialist Advice
Davis Langdon has in-house specialist teams to advise on MEP,
structural works and cladding, and this provides a valuable input
into the estimating process. External specialist advice is also
sought where required.
3. Measurement
The level of measurement undertaken will depend on the level
of design information available and is generally undertaken
directly from the AutoCAD drawings.
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three construction cost data
5. Presentation
Estimates are presented in a standard report format, although
these can be adapted to suit any specific project or client
requirements.
• Estimate cover
• Contents page
• Executive summary
• Basis of estimate
• Assumptions
• Exclusions
• Schedules of areas
• Pricing pages
• Method of procurement
• Regional variation
• Programme
• Recent changes in legislation
• Quality level and specification
• Project specifics
• Exclusions
• Contingencies
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construction cost data three
• Type of façade
• Wall-to-floor ratio
• Structural grid, clear spans and design loads
• Storey heights
• Atrium
• Abnormal costs
• Industry sector
• Level of quality and specification
• Car parking ratios and strategy
Benchmarking
Benchmarking can be used to compare the cost and design
criteria of various projects by comparing them with the
benchmark set by similar projects.
• Speed of construction
• Net : gross floor area efficiencies
• Wall-to-floor ratios
• Structural design criteria
• Services design criteria
• Preliminaries costs
Benchmarking comparisons involve adjusting the cost of
projects onto a like-for-like basis to allow for location, time and
procurement route variables.
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Tall Buildings
In its own context, the Middle East has powered ahead, with
some of their major cities amongst the fastest – and tallest
– construction markets in the world.
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construction cost data three
Structure
The building’s height, volumetric shape, plan form, core location
and column spacing all combine to determine the most efficient
and cost-effective structural solution.
Façades
Tall buildings are typically designed with a totally sealed
external envelope. More often than not, tall buildings will be
all-glazed and the façades will comprise double walls (triple
glazed).
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Vertical Transportation
Core design is the crucial starting point for developing the
internal operation of a tall building. It determines both of
the building’s development efficiency and its operational
effectiveness.
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construction cost data three
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Chapter Four
Project Management
Public Private Partnership
Middle East Forms of Contract
Specifications
Integrated Project Management
Value and Risk Management
Planning and Programming
Procurement Routes
Partnering
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project management four
The PPP model is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. As with
anything new and breaking with tradition, the parties must be
well-advised and fully briefed, with the right mindset and strong
partnerships in place.
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Lebanon
Construction contracts in Lebanon are generally based upon
the FIDIC forms of contract. Some large scale developers in
Lebanon, as well as the Lebanese government, have promoted
the development and use of bespoke forms of contract, tailored
to each client. Such contracts generally use the FIDIC 4 form
as a basis, amended to a greater or lesser degree depending
upon the risk profile of each client.
Qatar
In Qatar, there are a limited number of construction contracts
in common usage. The most common forms for building works
are those issued by the Public Works departments through
the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA) and
the Qatar Petroleum Company (QP). These are lump sum
contracts, generally using bills of quantities or specifications
and drawings. These contracts are onerous and slanted
towards the client, but are usually administered in a reasonable
manner.
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project management four
Bahrain
Government work in the Kingdom of Bahrain is completed
under an old JCT Standard Form of Contract, where the terms
and conditions have now been superseded by existing case
law. Currently the Bahrain government is in the process of
updating its contracts and specifications to reflect international
standards, incorporating the necessary amendments for the
local market.
UAE
Construction contracts in the UAE are predominantly based
upon the FIDIC Forms of Contract. The growing number of
large scale developers and major repeat clients in the region
has led to the development of bespoke forms of contract,
tailored to each individual client. Such contracts generally use
the FIDIC 4 form as a basis, amended to a greater or lesser
degree depending upon the risk profile of each client. This also
applies to works procured by Dubai Municipality. Abu Dhabi
Municipality, however, bases its contract on a modified FIDIC 3
form.
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Specifications
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4. Commissioning &
Asset Management
DDA Compliance
Benchmarking
Project review
Legal & dispute resolution
Engineering services
Building management
Portfolio strategy
Re-location management
FM consulting
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project management four
2. Project Strategy
& Development
Feasibility analysis
Project brief
Risk & Value management
Procurement strategy
Team building
Programming & Planning
Design Management
Specification writing
3. Project Control
& Delivery
Cost Management
Contract Management
Project control
Change control
Cost control
Engineering management
Project collaboration
Supply chain management
Health & Safety
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project management four
Benefits
• Puts projects and teams on the right footing from the outset
• Accurately diagnoses the state of health of a project
• Identifies focused, project-specific activities to treat
shortcomings
• Imparts clarity, realism and commitment throughout the team
• Enhances understanding of project imperatives by the whole
team
• Provides a sound basis for ongoing project management
With the team, we explore the complex issues which can affect
construction projects. Each project is reviewed as a whole to
provide the team with a clear steer on the relative strengths and
weaknesses of the project, illustrated in a “Traffic Light” model:
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Value Management
The main purpose of Value Management is to maximise the
benefits to the client undertaking a project. It also provides a
basis for more effective project delivery.
Benefits
An effective value management process helps people to work
well together and delivers the following direct benefits.
Key Steps
In the first instance the project team should identify what is
necessary to achieve a project which meets the stakeholders’
needs (Function Analysis).
Value Risk
Success
People
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project management four
In a major project, there are five key stages when formal value
management studies may be undertaken, as detailed below.
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Risk Management
Project Risk Management is concerned with improving client
confidence in the delivery of the expected business benefits. A
generic approach to risk management is shown below.
Benefits
A tailored risk management process will deliver the following
direct benefits:
Key Steps
3.
1. 2. Analysis 4. 5.
Preparation Identification qualitative Management Review
or quantitative
1. Preparation
Gather all relevant background information from the project
team in order to fully understand the project and tailor the risk
management service to suit the project requirements.
2. Identification.
Identify all specific risks which could impact on the project.
Describe each risk and its consequences in a risk register.
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project management four
3. Analysis
Undertake a qualitative/quantitative assessment of each
risk identified in the previous phase. Assign a likelihood and
impact rating and record it within the risk register; rank risks
accordingly in order to prioritise management actions.
4. Management
Specify planned management actions to manage the
risks. Nominate action owners for all risks requiring active
management. The risk register then forms the active tool by
which risks are managed throughout the life of the project.
Prepare a risk management report summarising all work
undertaken. Advise on a risk management plan for the duration
of the project.
5. Review
Undertake periodic review of the risk management plan
(incorporating the risk register) to monitor risks and encourage
management actions in order to reduce risk rating values.
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Benefits
Professional Planning and Programming
Key Steps
Our Planning and Programming team can provide the Project
Manager with a route map to success, assist navigation and act
as an instrument panel to monitor progress.
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Procurement Routes
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Partnering
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project management four
Nigel Truscott
Partner
Trowers & Hamlins
ntruscott@trowers.com
+971 4 351 9201
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Chapter Five
Property Investment
Due Diligence
Funders’ Technical Advisor
Insurance Reinstatement Valuation
Building Area Definitions
Building Services Standards
Sustainable Development
five property investment
Due Diligence
Valuation
• right price of acquisition
• future capital expenditure provided for
• certainty of market and revenue streams
• demographics
Physical
• condition, performance and maintenance of building fabric
and services
• regulatory and essential service compliance
• environmental issues
• lettable areas title, easements and encroachments
• town planning
Legal
• lease conditions
• contracts of sale
• development agreements
• agreements to lease
Other
• maintenance
• capital expenditure
• outgoings
• insurance
• depreciation
• asset registers
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Project Audit
Prior to taking the decision to finance or invest in a
project, those considering such decisions might wish to seek
expert opinion on the technical feasibility of the project and the
technical capability of the project promoters, contractors and
professional team.
Project Recovery
Sometimes projects go wrong financially and/or technically
due to mismanagement, market forces, or a combination of
both. In such circumstances, funders are left with the difficult
and sometimes extremely complex decision of whether to
withdraw their support for the project promoter/contractor, or
whether to take over the management and continue supporting
the project through to completion. As far as the funders are
concerned, such decisions will generally (but not always)
be dependent upon economic considerations: in short, the
cheapest exit route. Frequently, such considerations will be
complex and involve numerous technical issues, requiring
expert advice.
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Includes:
• Perimeter wall thicknesses and external projections
• Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
• Columns, piers, chimney breasts, stairwells, lift-wells, and
the like
• Atria with clear height above, measured at base level only
• Internal balconies
• Structural, raked or stepped floors are to be treated as a level
floor measured horizontally
• Horizontal floors, whether accessible or not, below structural,
raked or stepped floors
• Mezzanine areas intended for use with permanent access
• Lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel stores, tank rooms which
are housed in a covered structure of a permanent nature,
whether or not above main roof level
• Outbuildings which share at least one wall with the main
building
• Loading bays
• Areas with a headroom of less than 1.5m
• Pavement vaults
• Garages
• Conservatories
Excludes:
• External open-sided balconies, covered ways and fire
escapes
• Canopies
• Open vehicle parking areas, roof terraces, and the like
• Voids over or under structural, raked or stepped floors
• Greenhouses, garden stores, and the like in residential
property
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property investment five
Includes:
• Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
• Columns, piers, chimney breasts, stairwells, lift-wells, other
internal projections, vertical ducts, and the like
• Atria with clear height above, measured at base level only
• Internal open-sided balconies and the like
• Structural, raked or stepped floors are to be treated as a level
floor measured
• Horizontal floors, with permanent access, below structural,
raked or stepped floors
• Corridors of a permanent essential nature (e.g. fire corridors,
smoke lobbies, etc.)
• Mezzanine areas intended for use with permanent access
• Lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel stores, tank rooms which
are housed in a covered structure of a permanent nature,
whether or not above main roof level
• Service accommodation such as toilets, toilet lobbies,
bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, cleaners’ rooms, and
the like
• Projection rooms
• Voids over stairwells and lift shafts on upper floors
• Loading bays
• Areas with a headroom of less than 1.5m
• Pavement vaults
• Garages
• Conservatories
Excludes:
• Perimeter wall thicknesses and external projections
• External open-sided balconies, covered ways and fire
escapes
• Canopies
• Voids over or under structural, raked or stepped floors
• Greenhouses, garden stores, fuel stores, and the like in
residential property
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five property investment
Includes:
• Areas occupied by partitions, columns, chimney breasts,
internal structural or party walls, stairwells, lift-wells, and the
like
• Lift, plant, tank rooms and the like above main roof slab
Note:
• Sloping surfaces such as staircases, galleries, tiered terraces
and the like should be measured flat on plan.
Excludes:
• Any spaces fulfilling the functional requirements of the
building which are not enclosed spaces (e.g. open ground
floors, open covered ways and the like). These should each
be shown separately
• Private balconies and private verandahs which should be
shown separately
Includes:
• Atria with clear height above, measured at base level only
• Entrance halls
• Notional lift lobbies
• Kitchens
• Built-in units, cupboards, and the like occupying usable areas
• Ramps of lightweight construction to false floors
• Area occupied by ventilation/heating grilles
• Area occupied by skirting and perimeter trunking
• Areas severed by internal non-structural walls, demountable
partitions, whether or not permanent, and the like, where
the purpose of the division is partition of use, not support,
provided the area beyond is not used in common
• Pavement vaults
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Building Footprint
‘Building Footprint’ is not a term defined by the RICS, but is
generally understood to mean the area of the land upon which
the building sits (including all basements), measured to the
outside face of external walls.
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Building Services Standards
five
Fresh Air Supplies 12 - 16 litres (*) 10 litres (*) 12 - 16 litres (*) 12 - 16 litres (*) 12 - 16 litres (*)
(*) litres per second per person
Ventilation - WCs (Extract) None stated 12 (*) 3 - 10 (*) 10 (*) None stated
(*) air changes per hour
BCO (UK) Bahrain Dubai Qater Lebanon
Subject
Specification Feb 05 Specification (†) Specification Specification Specification
Internal Heat Gains - 12 w/m² 15 w/m² 12 - 15 w/m² 12 - 15 w/m² 12 w/m²
Lighting load
Internal Heat Gains - 12 w/m² 25 w/m² 15 w/m² 15 w/m² 12 w/m²
Equipment load (Typical)
Internal Heat Gains - None 60 - 215 w/m² 45 w/m² None None
Equipment load (Dealer)
Supplementary Cooling 25 w/m² None 25 w/m² to None 25 w/m²,
Allowance (e.o/% area) 25% area 25% area 25% area
Acoustics - Offices NR 35 - 38 NR 35 NR 30 - 35 NR 30 - 35 NR 35 - 38
Acoustics - Common Areas NR 40 - 45 NR 40 NR 40 - 45 NR 40 NR 40 - 45
Primary Power - Lighting 12 w/m² 15 w/m² 12 - 15 w/m² 12 - 15 w/m² 12 w/m²
Primary Power - Typical 15 - 25 w/m² 35 w/m² 30 - 45 w/m² 30 - 40 w/m² 15 - 25 w/m²
Primary Power - Dealer None 400, 800 or 1,500 800 or 1,600 None None
property investment
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BCO (UK) Bahrain Dubai Qater Lebanon
Subject
Specification Feb 05 Specification (†) Specification Specification Specification
five
Lighting - Office 300 - 500 lux, 400 - 500 lux 350 - 500 lux, 500 lux 300 - 500 lux,
uniformity ratio 0.8 uniformity ratio 0.8 uniformity ratio 0.8
Lighting - Stairs/Circulation 200 - 270 lux 250 lux
Lighting - WCs 215 lux 200 lux
Lighting - Plantrooms 215 lux 150 lux
Passenger Lifts - 80% loading with 80% loading with 80% loading with 80% loading with 80% loading with
Capacity and Waiting Times 30 second waiting 35 second waiting 30 second waiting 30 second waiting 30 second waiting
interval, handling interval, handling interval, handling interval, handling interval, handling
15% in 5 minutes. capacity of 11% to 15% in 5 minutes. 15% in 5 minutes. 15% in 5 minutes.
Population density 17% in 5 minutes. Population density Population density Population density
1:14 Population density 1:14 1:14 1:14
property investment
1:12
(†) We would like to acknowledge the contribution made by MSCEB, Manama, Bahrain.
property investment five
Sustainable Development
The last few years have seen a rapid rise in the interest and
significance of sustainability not just as a concept but as a
genuine strategy in the built environment. However, despite all
the hype the number of people actually trying to make genuine
efforts to enhance the sustainability of our buildings is still very
small. This is perhaps due to the still limited understanding of
the true meaning and objective of sustainability.
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Chapter Six
Building Control
Building Regulations and Compliance
six building control
Lebanon
Obtaining a building permit in Lebanon requires various
procedures and approvals from Local Municipality, Real Estate
Registry, Urban Planning (Development) Department and Order
of Engineers. The time needed to obtain these approvals is
typically six to twelve months.
Phase 1:
Obtaining ‘Ifadat Takhteet and Tasneef’ which requires the
following documents:
1. Real Estate Registry from the Real Estate Department in
each Mohafaza.
2. Topographic map from the Topographic Department.
3. ‘Takhteet and Irtifak’ from the Municipality.
4. Submit the file including the above documents to the Urban
Development Department in order to obtain ‘Ifadat Takhteet
and Tasneef’.
Phase 2:
Appoint a registered civil engineer or an architect in the Order of
Engineers and Architects to finish the permit file. The engineer
must submit the following documents:
1. Contract Agreement between the owner and the appointed
engineer.
2. Four copies of preliminary design drawings
3. A written undertaking from the appointed engineer to submit
the execution drawings.
4. Contract of other engineers involved in the project.
Phase 3:
Submit the building permit file to the Order of Engineers and
Architects for their approval.
1. The appointed engineer should also submit an application for
power connection to ‘Electricité du Liban’ (EDL).
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building control six
Phase 4:
Study of building permit file.
1. Submit the construction file to the Urban Development
Department. The Urban Development Department will inspect
the property and plans to ensure that they conform to the
construction laws and regulations, and then issue its clearance
for the issuance of the construction permit.
2. The Municipality calculates the construction permit taxes
depending on the area of the building and the region in which
this building is located.
3. Pay the building permit taxes to the Municipality.
Qatar
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six building control
Bahrain
Procuring the Municipal Building Permit in Bahrain comprises a
three stage process:
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building control six
UAE
The following is a general outline of the procedure, but there
are many further obligations and procedures to be completed
within each of the stages. For example, the Building Permit
Application Stage 4 requires no less than 15 different forms,
documents and separate approvals to be submitted as part of
the application.
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Chapter Seven
Length
1 millimetre (mm) = 0.0394 in
1 centimetre (cm) = 10 mm = 0.3937 in
1 metre (m) = 100 cm = 1.0936 yd
1 kilometre (km) = 1000 m = 0.6214 mile
Area
1 sq cm (cm2) = 100 mm2 = 0.1550 in2
1 sq metre (m2) = 10 000 cm2 = 1.1960 yd2
1 hectare (ha) = 10 000 m2 = 2.4711 acres
1 sq km (km2) = 100 ha = 0.3861 mile2
Capacity/Volume
1 cu cm (cm3) = 0.0610 in3
1 cu decimetre (dm3) = 1000 cm3 = 0.0353 ft3
1 cu metre (m3) = 1000 dm3 = 1.3080 yd3
1 litre (litre) = 1 dm3 = 1.76 pt
1 hectolitre (hl) = 100 litre = 21.997 gal
Mass (Weight)
1 milligram (mg) = 0.0154 grain
1 gram (g) = 1000 mg = 0.0353 oz
1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 g = 2.2046 lb
1 tonne (t) = 1000 kg = 0.9842 ton
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weights and measures seven
Length
1 inch (in) = 2.54 cm
1 foot (ft) = 12 in = 0.3048 m
1 yard (yd) = 3 ft = 0.9144 m
1 mile = 1760 yd = 1.6093 km
1 int. nautical mile = 2025.4 yd = 1.853 km
Area
1 sq inch (in2) = 6.4516 cm2
1 sq foot (ft2) = 144 in2 = 0.0929 m2
1 sq yard (yd2) = 9 ft2 = 0.8361 m2
1 acre = 4840 yd2 = 4046.9 m2
1 sq mile (mile2) = 640 acres = 2.59 km2
Capacity/Volume
1 cu inch (in3) = 16.387 cm3
1 cu foot (ft3) = 1728 in3 = 0.0283 m3
1 fluid ounce (fl oz) = 28.413 ml
1 pint (pt) = 20 fl oz = 0.5683 litre
1 gallon (gal) = 8 pt = 4.5461 litre
Mass (Weight)
1 ounce (oz) = 437.5 grains = 28.35 g
1 pound (lb) = 16 oz = 0.4536 kg
1 stone = 14 lb = 6.3503 kg
1 hundredweight (cwt) = 112 lb = 50.802 kg
1 ton = 20 cwt = 1.016 t
Temperature Conversion
C = 5/9 (F – 32) F = (9/5 C) + 32
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Chapter Eight
Origins
There are very few surviving examples of the ‘Arabic’ system’s
early use, and a great deal of controversy over its origins. The
symbols (glyphs) used to represent the numbers – in European
script these are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 – are independent
of the system itself. Because Chinese also has a positional
base-10 system, the Arabic system is sometimes speculated
to have been conceived in China and carried to India in 400-
700 CE by Buddhist pilgrims. Other researchers believe it
was developed in India between the 2nd century BCE and the
6th century CE. Either way, there is no doubt the system was
present in India before reaching the Arabic-speaking world: the
numerals used in Arabic are called arqam hindiyyah
( ), which means ‘Indian numbers’.
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1
(previous page) The word ‘algorism’, defined as ’comprising all of the
rules of performing arithmetic computations using a decimal system
for representing numbers,’ is a derivation of ‘al-Khwarizmi’, who is also
credited with founding algebra and thus being responsible for an entirely
new way of thinking about numbers – as abstract quantities.
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b) Development of 6 - 9
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Measurement
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Built around 4,500 years ago, the Great Pyramids and other
structures illustrate that the ancient Egyptians had control
of a precise and detailed system of weights and measures.
In fact, such a system would have been essential to ensure
the smooth running of their society, which relied upon bulk
bartering of commodities. There is much debate among
modern Egyptologists over the units of measurement used in
constructing the pyramids, but what is clear is that the length of
their base, slope and height, as well as their angle of inclination,
are so precise that they cannot have been left to mere chance.
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Timekeeping
In about 200 BCE, the Greek Hipparchus studied the two yearly
equinoxes, when the sun’s path apparently crosses the equator,
marking the transition from winter to spring and from summer
to autumn. He found that the equinox points were shifting
westward at the rate of 2 degrees in 150 years, meaning that
the solar year was about 11 minutes shorter than previously
thought. Hipparchus recalculated the year at 365.242 days;
uncannily close to today’s reckoning of 365.242199 days.
He also calculated the lunar month at 29.53058 days, again
impressively close to its current 29.53059 days. It is for this
reason that today’s Western calendar allows for an extra day
each ‘leap year’, and an extra second in each ‘leap minute’.
Timekeeping
The most obvious way of keeping track of the time of day is by
observing the changing angles of the sun’s rays. It is most likely
that people first made use of the shadows cast by trees and
other objects, progressing perhaps to placing sticks in the earth.
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Money
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This currency gave rise to the term ‘shelling out’), and cattle (all
over the world). Salt, pepper and other spices have also been
used as money, hence the expression ‘worth his salt’. To be
sustainable as a form of currency, an item must be scarce and
difficult to counterfeit. It must also be easy to divide, transport,
save, store, and retrieve – and its value must be predictable
when it is retrieved.
The first banking systems evolved long before the first coins
were cut. In ancient Mesopotamia, palaces and temples
contained special rooms to store grain and other commodities.
Receipts were issued to depositors, and these could be passed
on to third parties. Private houses began to adopt similar
practices, and laws were passed to regulate banking systems.
Similarly, the ancient Egyptians built state-run grain warehouses
where people could store their harvests for safety and
convenience. Such deposits were represented in writing, and
these documents came to be used as a way of paying debts,
taxes, and other accounts. Even after coinage was introduced,
these grain banks continued to be used for local transactions, in
order to reserve precious metals for foreign trade.
Some of the oldest ‘coins’ were made in China around the end
of the second millennium BCE, cast from bronze or copper in
the shape of tools and cowrie shells. The ancient Greeks used
iron nails as coins, and the ancient Britons used sword blades.
However none of these were really suited to the purpose of
currency. Because they were made of base metals they were
relatively easy to forge and carried low intrinsic worth, meaning
that they were heavy to carry around and it was difficult to use
them for large transactions.
The banknotes and coins used today are not money itself, but
representative of money. Gold and silver still retain their intrinsic
value, but in most cases commodity money evolved into a
system of representative money.
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In India the word for money is ‘rupee’, which is also the name
of the currency. The word is derived from the Hindi ‘rupay’,
from the verb ‘rpam’, ‘to shape’. The Russian ‘rouble’ derives
from the same meaning, where ‘rubit’ means to ‘shape’ a coin
from a bar of silver. The idea of ‘shaping’ is also present in the
Chinese currency ‘yuan’.
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Astronomy
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A narrow shaft,
extending from the main
burial chamber through
the body of the Great
Pyramid, points directly
towards the part of the
sky thought by ancient
Egyptians to be the
physical gateway into
the heavens. Another
way to reach the
heavens, according to ancient texts, was along the sunbeams,
and the shape of the pyramids might represent the spread of
light as it descends from the sun. Most pyramids were finished
with polished white limestone, which made them gleam when
viewed from afar, and were given names such as The Southern
Shining Pyramid and Senwosret is Shining.
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They would then have been pushed and/or pulled into their
positions, probably with the help of papyrus twine, along a
system of gradually sloping straight or spiral ramps that were
coated with mud and water to reduce friction. Finally, the outer
layer of casing stones was finished from the top down and the
ramps dismantled as the work was completed.
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Chapter Nine
Directory
Middle East Regional Offices
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E: richard.vaughan@davislangdon.com
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Davis Langdon
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India
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Davis Langdon & Seah Philippines Inc
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Vietnam
Davis Langdon & Seah
Hanoi Branch Office
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Australasia
Australia
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Victoria 3000
Australia
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New Zealand
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Europe
United Kingdom
Davis Langdon LLP
Davis Langdon Crosher & James
Davis Langdon Mott Green Wall
Davis Langdon Schumann Smith
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Ireland
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Spain
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USA
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