https://www.jaquar.com/products/producttag/all
https://www.jaquar.com/products/pdf/Wellness-Price-List.pdf
21 November 2019
Plumbing & Sanitary Materials Web Sites links
https://www.plumbingmaterials.net
https://www.jaquar.com/products/producttag/all
https://www.jaquar.com/products/pdf/Wellness-Price-List.pdf
https://www.jaquar.com/products/producttag/all
https://www.jaquar.com/products/pdf/Wellness-Price-List.pdf
19 October 2019
Contractors Prospective - w.r.t Land Development & Civil-Structural Works
A Contractor should always take the contract with breakup as Land Development Works and Civil and RCC Works, which have advantage w.r.t to amending the change order and tracking the schedule.
M/s. ARK Builders Hyderabad where i worked has adopted this module and succeeded in getting advantage over schedule and cost.
Where as another contractor whom i worked M/s Navya Constructions -Vizag has met with huge loss in initial stage working in slanty terrain for a pretty project by taking earthwork/land development works along with Civil and RCC Works and lost huge money [almost 10% loss] and TIME overrun which mounts a pressure on the working team in spite of best efforts posted in project.
and we need to read the BOQ w.r.t specification where in it was written the measurement shall be done only in PCC line, and there was very much level differences in single floor, and we got only upto 5% of the work measured where as we have to do mass excavation to proceed / progress the works in this terrain.
M/s. ARK Builders Hyderabad where i worked has adopted this module and succeeded in getting advantage over schedule and cost.
Where as another contractor whom i worked M/s Navya Constructions -Vizag has met with huge loss in initial stage working in slanty terrain for a pretty project by taking earthwork/land development works along with Civil and RCC Works and lost huge money [almost 10% loss] and TIME overrun which mounts a pressure on the working team in spite of best efforts posted in project.
and we need to read the BOQ w.r.t specification where in it was written the measurement shall be done only in PCC line, and there was very much level differences in single floor, and we got only upto 5% of the work measured where as we have to do mass excavation to proceed / progress the works in this terrain.
05 October 2019
Cost control with Quality
People often complain that the construction expenses, while building a house, exceeded the estimated budget. However, experts say that with proper planning and execution, a beautiful house could be constructed without burning a hole in your pocket. By reducing the expenses, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the facilities that you wish to have in your dream abode. Instead, it just means to arrange all the required facilities, well within the estimated budget. Here are 10 tips to keep a tab on construction costs.
» Install false ceiling only if it is absolutely necessary. It is usually done to cover the areas where the beams ruin the beauty of the ceiling, to soundproof the interiors, to reduce the heat inside the house and also to install beautiful lighting. There is no need to build false ceilings everywhere in the house.
» More than building a vast and spacious kitchen, focus must be given in keeping the kitchen clean and well organized. In some houses, the kitchen area would comprise of a show kitchen, a working kitchen, work area and a store room. There is no need for such elaborate kitchen spaces. Arranging everything well within the reach would help save considerable amount of time. Show kitchen is a luxury that could be avoided. A kitchen with enough storage spaces and an adjacent work area would make cooking easier and fuss free.
» Paving tiles in the front yard has now become a status symbol for many. However, these tiles, which are paved to prevent rogue growth, may prevent the rain water from seeping into the earth. Besides, these are expensive as well.
» Keralites’ obsession with teak wood would only make the budget soar. There is a misconception that doors made using teak wood are extra strong and safe. Some might even install teak doors in a contemporary style house and apply paint to make these doors match with the general colour theme. There is no point in installing an expensive teak wood door and then painting it a different colour.
» It is better to construct just one or two bedrooms and then building a few multipurpose rooms. There is no point in spending lakhs of rupees to build a luxurious guest room for the guests who may not even stay over quite often.
» Try to limit the use of glass, especially if they are installed not based on the direction of the sun shine. Blindly following the trends may only increase the temperature inside the house.
» There is no need to build sunshades around the house. It could be built only above the windows, that too, using less expensive materials like iron frames and roofing sheets. These are attractive and do not cost as much as the sunshades built using bricks and cement.
» It is better to choose lighter shades of hues for painting. You could highlight a few walls using bright colors. Besides, you could add a hint of color by aesthetically designing the furnishings. Buying paints of multiple colors would only increase the expenses.
» Reduce the number of interior walls to make the spaces vast. A movable shelf could be placed as a partition between the kitchen and the work area. Similarly, there shouldn’t be extensive partitions betweens formal and family living spaces and the dining area. Television panels or semi partition walls would be enough to separate the spaces. Besides saving the money, it makes the interiors spacious as well.
» Machinery like mortar could be used while plastering with concrete. Besides helping lower the labor charges, it could save the cement up to 10%. These are durable and the works can be finished in a limited time.
30 June 2019
Ways To Reduce Air Conditioner Power Consumption
Down below are a list of measures that you should definitely carry out to reduce your electricity bill and increase the overall efficiency of your air conditioner. Moreover, you need to follow these steps regularly to get the best out of it.
1. Thermostat Control
1. Thermostat Control
A thermostat is a device that regulates the temperature. In simpler words, its the temperature that you set for your room. A thermostat works by checking the temperature of your room and stops the compressor when the temperature of the room reaches the set point. It is no where related to cooling your room faster or better instead its just a way by which your AC measures the temperature inside your room.
So, no matter if you bring the thermostat to a lower level i.e. if you set your thermostat at 18 degree that does not mean your AC will cool the room faster than if set at 25 degrees. It’s a common misconception people often lower the thermostat to 16 degrees thinking the unit will work faster and better. But, the truth is when you bring the thermostat down it consumes more electricity than the required amount. It is because the compressor takes longer time to reach the set temperature and in turn consumes more electricity.
So, keeping your thermostat somewhere between 22-24 degrees is a powerful way to save your electricity bill in summers.
2. Clean The Filters
Think when was the last time you replaced or cleaned the filters. If it’s been a while, it can accumulate dirt and dust reducing the efficiency of unit by decreasing the air flow rate. When the filters are dirty, the air takes time to flow inside the room putting more pressure on the compressor. This further makes the compressor to work harder and in turn increases the power consumption rate. Not only this, if the filters are not cleaned regularly the life of your AC unit comes to half.
We advise you to clean the air filters once a month. Keeping them clean decreases the load on the compressor and there by reducing the energy consumption by 5-15 percent.
3. Reduce Heat Sources
While sunlight is always nice, but in summer season can raise the temperature of your room significantly. Prefer closing the curtains or blinds or try to invest in blackout curtains as they reduce the exterior heat coming inside the room.Further, also keep the heat producing appliance like TV, lamps, charger, etc away from the unit. It is because the heat produced by them may force the thermostat to work harder to cool the room, in turn using more power.
4. Keep The Air Flowing
Make sure the air keeps flowing inside your room evenly. There should be no hindrances. For the same, you can carry out the following steps.
- Use fans: Fans circulate the air all around the room and moving air helps your body enjoy the natural conditioning. Keep your fan on only when you are inside the room.
- Re-arrange your furniture: Make sure the chairs and sofa’s in the room are not blocking the air flow from your HVAC vents.
- Seal the air leaks: Any small to large hole in the your room, can make your air conditioner work harder. A open hole hinders in air flow and thus forcing the compressor to work harder and longer. So, make sure that there is no hole, space vent, etc in your room that are forcing your unit to work harder to cool the room.
- Keep the door closed: When the AC is on, it is advised to close the doors and windows. It is because when they are closed the air is not escaped out and the room temperature remains constant all the time.
5. Maintain The Ducts And Vents
When using an AC unit make sure that the air ducts are properly insulated, especially the ones that go through the attic or any other areas that are not air-conditioned. Leakages in the ducts and vents decreases the cooling efficiency of the unit put more pressure on the compressor and eventually force the unit to consumer more electricity.
We recommend you to get a expert check done once a year for any kind of hole or leaks in the ducts or the vents. You can repair a hole or leak in the duct using a duct tape temporarily but holes and leak need professional fixing. If you have any leakages, fix them as soon as possible for better cooling and more life of the unit.
6. Reduce Humidity
If your room has excess of humidity it will just make you feel uncomfortable. The natural way to remove humidity from the room is natural ventilation. Open the doors and windows in your room for at least an hour everyday. When they open there is cross ventilation leading to reduce humidity inside the room.
The most effective way to reduce the humidity in the room is by using a de-humidifier. They not only reduce the humidity in your room but also reduce the burden on your AC unit. Your body can stand a couple of extra degrees if the air is dry and moving. This way you will end up using your thermostat at the standard level.
7. Air Condition Maintenance
An AC unit draws the largest amount of electricity. The old and poorly maintained units draws much more electricity. Do the following things to maintain your AC unit.
- Replace your AC with a modern high efficiency Energy Star unit. The new units consume a much lesser electricity and promise to reduce the electricity bill by 40%. Nowadays, many AC come with a 5 star rating. The higher the bee rating the lesser electricity it will consume. So, if you are using the same old technology AC prefer, replacing it with a new energy efficient AC to save your money in the longer run
- Replace the filers once a year as as per the requirement. We recommend to schedule a filter checkup once a year to make sure they are working fine.
- Keep your air conditioner out of the sun: Prefer installing your unit in a shady side of the the house to keep the direct sun rays away. It is because direct rays force the compressor to overwork and thus raise the electricity bill.
If you follow all or most of the tips mentioned above you will certainly reduce your the power consumption and save money. Depending on the place where your leave and the regularity with which you follow these proactive measures the savings could be hundred to thousands a year.
26 June 2019
21 April 2019
20 Tips For Better Project Plans
You know what it takes to carry your project plans forward. Some of you have been delivering projects for years. Every so often it helps to brush up on all the little things that help make your project planning skills optimized for the projects you’re working on today.
Follow our 20 tips that serve as good reminders for helping you execute your projects on time and under budget. Where helpful, we’ve added links to some of the ProjectManager.com tutorials, articles and even support videos, too. Even though you might not be a user of our particular software, these tutorials offer detailed views and step-by-step walkthroughs of how to apply some of these tips in action.
1. Link Plans To Timesheets
Your project plan should be linked to your project team’s timesheet app. This means that as they work on tasks and make progress towards completing them, the schedule will automatically update to say that the work is underway. It’s a fast way of getting status updates where no one has to do any extra work.
2. Add New Tasks Regularly
It’s no small task remembering to add every task, especially when you’ve got back-to-back meetings, phone calls, fires to put out and constraints like the 8-5 work week. Try to add new tasks as you go, when you’re on the go, rather than at the end of the week. Use your mobile phone to quickly jot down tasks when you’re chatting with that colleague or when you’ve figured out how to put out that fire. When you sit back at your desk, add your captured notes right away. Consider task tracking part of your daily multi-tasking effort.
3. Create Baselines
Take a baseline of your plan. This is a snapshot in time. It’s useful because you can then look back and see what was originally agreed and how things have changed since then. Check out Jennifer Bridges video training guide on how to create baselines.
4. Add Resources
Each task on your plan should be assigned to a person, rather than floating in the breeze with no accountability. That not only helps you understand who is doing what, it helps them see their complete work program and plan their time accordingly.
5. Use Milestones
Milestones mark key points in the project like the completion of a phase or the start of a new tranche of work. They are also really helpful when it comes to reporting, as you can measure your progress against these key points and not every single task.
6. Establish The Critical Path
The critical path is the shortest path through the project. If anything along this route changes, such as more work being added, then the project will take longer. If you know the tasks on the critical path, you can make sure that they don’t slow down so you will reach your end date as planned. To learn more about how to determine your project’s critical path, check out this video tutorial with Jennifer Bridges.
7. Involve Your Team
You can’t produce a plan by yourself. Make sure that your whole project team gets involved—and stays involved. They will have useful insight into the work that needs to be done.
8. Get It Approved
Once your plan is produced ask to discuss it with your sponsor. Get them to approve the plan as it stands so that you have a clear mandate to proceed.
9. Use Change Control
When the plan changes (and it will!) use a formal change control process to evaluate the change and then update the plan. You might want to take another baseline view at this point. Change control helps you manage changes in a structured way.
10. Be Iterative
Don’t expect to get it right first time. An iterative plan is one that evolves over time as more clarity is gained on the project. This is the way that Agile project teams work, and it’s also something you can do in a non-Agile environment.
11. Do Risky Work First
Put the tasks with the highest degree of risk at the beginning of the project, if you can. Then if anything goes wrong you have the longest possible time to sort it out!
12: Establish Costs
How much are your tasks going to cost? Make sure you prepare budget estimates for each task as this is a great way to get a comprehensive project budget.
13. Use Online Tools
Online project management tools are the easiest way to manage your project plans. Anyone can make changes from wherever they are, or if you prefer you can limit access to only yourself. Being online makes it easier to check status or to add a new task even if you aren’t at your desk. Read Jason Westland’s article on how to get the most out of your online tools here.
14. Use a Gantt Chart
Gantt charts are an easy way to visualize the project and the work involved. You can also see how tasks link together and how long the whole thing is going to take.
15. Create Dependencies
Dependencies are the way in which tasks link to each other. Sometimes one task has to finish before another one can start. Or a task has to start at the same time as another task. It’s easy to add dependencies on a Gantt chart or a project schedule, and your software will automate the planning to show you how long the work will take once all the dependencies are taken into account.
16. Let Your Team Update It
If you are the only person who can update the plan, then more of the work falls to you. Find ways to let your trusted project team members update certain tasks so that you split the burden between you. This could be automatically through an interface (like timesheets) or directly into the plan itself.
17. Plan Backwards
You might not be able to do this on all projects, but if you have a fixed date in mind for the delivery of your work then planning back from that will help you work out if you have enough time to do everything. If you find out that you don’t have enough time, you can then work out how to handle that!18. Control Scope Creep
Scope creep is where extra work is added to the plan in an uncontrolled way. Make sure that everyone on the team knows that all changes have to go through the formal process so that you don’t find yourself working on a never ending project.
19. Add Contingency Time
Projects always take longer than you expect because generally you are doing something that the company has not done before ,which makes it hard to plan accurately. Add some contingency time of between 5% and 20% to allow for this and for unforeseen problems.
20. Share It
Make sure your plan is accessible to everyone on the team by sharing it. Someone will spot something that isn’t accurate, and together you will be able to work on it and get a better quality plan as a result.
Plan online with your whole project team using ProjectManager.com. It’s fast, easy to use and requires no training. Everyone will be looking at professional Gantt charts and sleek reports within minutes.
12 April 2019
THE 10 KNOWLEDGE AREAS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification exam includes ten knowledge areas, and project management is one of them. These knowledge areas are key components associated with successful project management. The list of all ten components include:
- Project integration management
- Project scope management
- Project time management
- Project cost management
- Project quality management
- Project human resource management
- Project communications management
- Project risk management
- Project procurement management
- Project stakeholder management
THE 5 PHASES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
There are five designated phases of project management. These phases provide a roadmap to accomplishing the targeted goals of each project. The phases include:
- Conception and Initiation: The first phase is where the high-level project goals and definition are developed. At this phase, feasibility is determined through discussion and feasibility testing. Once the project is accepted by stakeholders, a project charter or a project initiation document (PID) is created, outlining the purposes and requirements of the project.
- Definition and Planning: At this phase, a roadmap is created to help guide teams towards specific targets throughout the project. The scope of the project is defined and a comprehensive project plan is developed. The plan identifies variables like cost, quality, available resources, and a realistic timeline. The project plan also establishes performance measures, which are generated using the scope, schedule, and cost of the project. Roles and responsibilities for team members are divvied out accordingly, distributing accountability across the project.
- Launch or Execution: The project execution phase is when deliverables are developed and completed. There are many moving parts during this phase, like team development, resource assignment, system tracking, project scheduling, and plan modifying. This phase is where the “meat” of the project is completed, and consistent status reports and performance updates keep all goals in check.
- Performance and Control: This phase is geared towards measuring project progression and performance to ensure that all tasks align with the original project plan. Key performance indicators (KPIs) help to determine if the project is on track based on components like project objectives, quality deliverables, effort and cost tracking, and project performance.
- Project Close: This phase signals the completion of a project. Project managers are tasked with terminating contractors, recognizing valuable team members, and evaluating a project to identify strengths and weaknesses. After the project is completed, PMs must still create a punch list of unaccomplished tasks and perform a final budget analysis that will go into the final project report. All documents must be gathered and stored for future reference.
PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
Half of project management is learning how to allocate time to individual projects to stay on track. Here are some tips specific to the time management side of project management:
- Use resource calendars to delegate tasks and keep track of timelines, especially when you have overlapping resources.
- Leverage the project scope and use it as your guide.
- Use milestone lists to identify and analyze each significant point in your project.
- Create daily to-do lists and reassess your lists at the end of each day.
- Share project plans with team members so everyone knows what is expected, and when.
- Reference historical information to make estimates on new projects.
- Break down tasks into manageable chunks.
- Consider all dependant tasks to ensure efficiency and stick to schedules throughout the project.
- Don’t micromanage — trust that the team will complete the work.
- Set up meetings sparingly, only when issues are presented or need to be solved quickly.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES
Managing a project is a large feat full of many moving parts. There are four major best practices that can help all PMs effectively tackle their next project. These best practices include:
- Expect delays: Obstacles can pop up at any point during a project, and being prepared for these issues will prevent unnecessary stress and delays in the long run. Complete a risk analysis early on to ensure you have a plan in place should an issue arise, and add a cushion to timelines should delays occur.
- Estimate accurate durations: As a PM, you are responsible in guiding team members towards an achievable timeline. Coaching employees to break down work into smaller, manageable chunks will lead to more accurate duration estimates and timelines.
- Consider everyone’s way of thinking: Not all people work in the same way. Some people may be linear thinking, rooted in logic and numbers, while others prefer to break down objectives and detail each step of every plan before proceeding. Taking this into consideration and balancing all team members’ work styles will better prepare you for leading a project. Play to the strengths of each team member, and leverage those strengths wherever possible.
- Sometimes you need to take a break from the plan: Project management is not a set-in-stone process, and you must remain flexible to adapt to changes that occur. That’s why, when issues arise, it may be helpful to step away from the project plan and bring your team together to brainstorm a solution. Having the right tools in place to facilitate collaboration and communication will expedite this process and the eventual resolution.
18 March 2019
Thumb Rules for Quantities
- Cost of Masonry Compound Load Bearing wall in Residential Building 1.5 mt height - Rs.3000 per Rft
- Cost of Masonry Compound Load Bearing wall with footings and plinth beams in Residential Building 1.5 mt height - Rs 4500 per Rft
- Cost of 1.5 mt height Masonry Compound wall footings and plinth Beam and columns upto top - Rs.6600 per Rft.
- Cost of 1.5 mt height 50mm thick Precast Compound wall will cost upto top - Rs.610 per Rft.
- Steel consumption for residential building shall not be more than 3.5 kgs / sft.
- Steel in columns will be around 100-150 kgs/cum varies depending on No of Floors.
- Steel in beams will be around 100-110 kgs/cum varies depending on span.
- Steel for slab will be around 80-100 kgs/cum.
- Steel for footings and pedestals will be around 60-80 kgs/cum.
- An Auditorium like Multiplex will cost Rs.2,10,000 per seat or Rs.3525/- per sft of construction area for two parking floors, lobby floor and 3 Audi's in April 2019.
- cost of theater has cost Rs. 2 lakhs / seat excluding the audi floor at warangal.
- Cost of Transformer per KVA = Rs.1200
- Cost of DG Sets per KVA = Rs. 7500
- Cost of fuel consumption / hr / kw = 0.2 lits ~ 0.6 lits
- Double Shutter frameless Glass Doors : Rs.15,000 per Sqm
- Lead Metal Doors : Rs.21000 per Sqm
- Fire Rated Double leaf Metal Door : Rs.11000 per Sqm
- General Double leaf Metal Door : Rs. 10000 per Sqm
- General Single leaf Metal Door : Rs 9000 per Sqm
- General Flush Doors : Rs. 4500 per Sqm
- STP civil cost with block Masonry would cost Rs 10,800 per KL
- UG Septic Tank in RCC would cost Rs. 14600 per KL
- OHT in RCC would cost Rs. 13600 per KL
- M.S. Black Pipes P/E As per IS:1239 costs Rs.5.52 per Rmt per mm of dia for light, medium 1.15 times light, and Heavy 1.34 times light material [used for fire fighting lines]
- GI PIPES S/E As per IS:1239 (I) costs Rs.6.88 per Rmt per mm of dia for Light, Medium 1.16 times light, and Heavy 1.35 times light material. [used for plumbing lines]
- Elevator's would cost Rs. 14000 per passenger per stop / going including taxes.
- Post Tensioning System would be costing Rs. 450 per Sqm
- Roofing PPGI Sheet costs about Rs.6.5 to Rs.8.0 per mm/sft
- Aridate adhesive costs about Rs.2.10 per gram
- Cement Bison Board Rs. 3.17 per mm per sft [updated on 30.07.2020]
- Road Paint Marking : Rs. 550/- per SQM [updated on 03-05-22]
- FRP Tanks will cost Rs. 22/- per liter[updated on 04-06-22]
- STP system will cost Rs. 4,250/- per KLD[updated on 04-06-22]
- WTP system will cost Rs. 50/-per LPH[updated on 04-06-22]
- RO system will cost Rs.350/-per LPH[updated on 04-06-22]
Note: Kindly correct by commenting if anything is abnormal.
Some of the Interview questions
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