Civil Engineering/canal building

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Expert: - 3/22/2010


Question
Hello,
I am trying to find how much the water canal building costs if dimension is 800 kilometers long, 200 meters wide and 16 meters deep (to transfer water from the Volga river to the Aral Sea)? I really need your help, if my question does not concern you, can you give the name of the section in allexperts.com to ask it? thank you.
P.S. please answer to my question by giving the resource, I mean how did you count the sum. Because I will use it in my other researches.

Answer
Hi Altynbek,

This question is difficult to answer because it depends on the design of the canal (whether it is concrete or clay or rubber membrane lined), on local rates for materials/labour/plant and also on the alignment/topography/geology of the route- for example are there hills/valleys to cross or it is fairly flat?

Based on the above variables, you can work out the total amount of site clearance in m2, excavation in m3 (soil and rock separately), concrete in m3, shuttering/formwork in m2, rebar in tonnes, membrane in m2, clay lining in m3, labour in hours, machinery in hours and then apply local rates to all these to get your overall costs. Don't forget to add on a certain percentage for preliminaries (insurances, etc), profit and overheads and allow for contingenies as well.

These sites give you some ideas about what is involved in estimating costs:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/T0579E/t0579e06.htm

http://www.estimating.org/components.php?id=31&course=14

http://www.contractor-books.com/Cr/National_Earthwork_Estimator.htm

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Arshad Khan

Expertise

I can answer any questions to do with civil and structural engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.

Experience

Employment history: 36 years in Construction and consultancy in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Zambia, Austria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and the U.A.E.

Organizations
.Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) .Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK) .Member of the Institution of Engineers, Kenya .Registered Engineer, ERB, Kenya .Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (Engineers Chapter) .Chartered Engineer (UK)

Publications
•1984: International Conference on the Art and Practice of Structural Design, London •1994: 3rd Int. Kerensky Conference in Structural Engineering, Singapore •2008: International Conference on High-Rise Towers, Abu Dhabi

Education/Credentials
BSc, 1st Class Hons, in Building Engineering, University of Bath, UK MSc in Concrete Structures and Technology, University of London. Diploma of Imperial College, UK.

Awards and Honors
•Science Congress Special Award (for 2-seater Hovercraft - 1968) •Institution of Civil Engineers Award for outstanding performance at Bath University (1975) •Concrete Society Postgraduate study Bursary Award (1976) •Consular Representative for British High Commission, Nairobi. (1995 to 1998) •Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers Professional Interviews, Nairobi. (1997 to 1998) •Branch Representative in Vienna for PI assessment for Inst. of Struct. Engrs. (1999 to date)

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