LATEST UPDATE ON NEW

RULES OF MEASUREMENT

MALAYSIA (NRMM)23rd PAQS CONGRESS 2019

Sr Chin Keh Liang

CQS, B.Sc (Hons), FRISM, FRICS

SMM2 NRMM

2G 5G

The main part of the NRMM is the tabulated rules of measurement for

building works which are written with the following objectives:

To provide a standard set of measurement rules for the preparation of bill ofquantities (BQ) and schedules of works for building works, and a framework thatcan be used to develop bespoke and standard schedules of rates;

To provide Preambles which spell out ‘works and materials’ deemed to beincluded in the building components/items in the BQ (BQ Items);

To provide a guidance in the drafting of the Specification and ‘Preliminaries’;

To reduce the number of measurable BQ Items and simplification ofmeasurement of the same , both of which are aimed to make NRMM more BIM-friendly;

To provide specific rules of measurement which cannot be inferred from thebuilding components/items description and ‘Preambles’

To give a guidance as to the specific information to be shown in the 2Ddrawings or to be input into 3D models (to facilitate the extraction of quantities)by the respective design consultants; and

To provide guidelines to create standard building components / itemsdescriptions by ‘levels’ and with ‘unit of measurement’ comprised in each ofthe Work Sections.

WORK SECTIONS1) Preliminaries

2) IBS

3) Demolition, alteration, repairs and conservation

4) Excavating and filling

5) Ground remediation and soil stabilisation

6) Piling

7) Diaphragm walls and underpinning

8) Crib wall , gabion and reinforced earth

9) Insitu concrete works

10) Prestress/Precast/Composite concrete

11) Masonry

12) Waterproofing

13) Roofing

14) Carpentry

15) General joinery

16) Structural metalwork

17) Metalwork

18) Cladding and covering

19) Floor, wall and ceiling finishings

20) Glazing

21) Decoration

22) Drainage and piping works below ground

23) Site works

24) Fencing, turfing and planting

25) Plumbing and mechanical services

26) Electrical services

27) Transportation

28) Builder’s work in connection with mechanical, electrical and transportation installation

• NRMM has added rules of measurement for some building components/items for which SMM2 has left out i.e. IBS, ‘Alteration, repairs and conservation’, ‘Ground remediation and soil stabilisation’, ‘Crib walls, gabions and reinforced earth’, ‘Site work’ and ‘Transportation’

Preliminaries – Work Section 1:

Information and requirements are specified under the following headings:-

Generally

Bills and Pricing / Pricing

Materials and Samples

Form of Contract

Contract Administration

Temporary Works

Monitoring Works

On Completion

List of the preliminaries items to be

considered under each main heading

Information that shall

be included within

each of preliminaries

items

Groups of the building components/items

List of some important heads of information

to be incorporated in the specification

OBJECTIVE

The drafting of the specification for the work

section shall be based on the heads of

information given and other additional heads

if any

Gives a general guideline as to the specific

information to be shown in the 2D drawings,

or, to be input into the 3D model for each

group of the building components/items

OBJECTIVE

To facilitate the extraction of ‘quantities’ for

the building components/items within each

group and to be used as a guide in the

preparation of the relevant parts of the

‘Model Content Matrix’ in the BIM Execution

Plan

OBJECTIVE

It gives specific rules of measurement where

neither the ‘Preambles’ nor the building

components/items description can infer such

rules

Specific rules of measurement in addition to

those inferred from the building

components/items description and

‘Preambles’

OBJECTIVE

- In the preparation of the BQ, one can just

state that the BQ shall be read in

conjunction with the ‘Preambles’ in NRMM

instead of repeating them in the

Specifications.

- To serve as a standard, however is not

exhaustive and additional ‘Preambles’ if

needed, can be added in the

Specifications accordingly

It gives the ‘Preambles’ related to each work

sections as a whole or each group under

each work section

Lists the building components/items

commonly encountered in building works

under each group, and represents the

heading of the description (the ‘Heading’)

for the building

components/items

Lists the unit of measurement for building

components/items

Lists the information, including any dimension

requirements, that shall be included in the

description of the building

components/items;

Lists the supporting information, including any

additional dimension requirements, which

shall be included in the description of the

building components/items

Lists the further supporting

information, including any

additional dimension

requirements, which shall be

included in the description of the

building components/items

- Definitions of some generic

terms and phrases used in

connection with the building

components/items;

- Additional information to be

added into the Heading or as

‘Notes’ preceding the

Heading, or the specific level

to complete the description of

some of the building

components/items; and

- Clarification of the approach

to quantification and

description of building

components/items

Objective

The user can easily form a building component/item description by

extraction the relevant ‘Heading’, ‘Level 1’, ‘Level 2’ and ‘Level 3’ as the

case may be, and adding additional information as advised in ‘Notes,

comments and glossary’ and in the bracket, (____), and the ‘unit of

measurement from the relevant table. This would standardize and simplify

the building components/items description and at the same time facilitate

the codification of the same

To lessen the number of building components/items so as to make NRMM BIM-

friendly, FOUR methods being adopted as follows:

• Use of a generic term to include many like items

Use of composite item

• In copings, kerbs, upstands, sills, lintels, fascias, fans, countertops and the like; including

formwork and/or reinforcement

• Flush door;(thickness and type) plywood on both sides and timber lipping all round ; complete with (dimensional description and type of timber) door frame and fixing in position; prepare and apply (painting system) to all exposed timber surfaces after fixing ; hanging; as shown in drawing (drawing nr)

Use of composite item

Use of ‘total depth’ and ‘total height’ instead of stages

Measurement in m3 without stating the thickness or in m2 instead of m with

height stated

CONCLUSION

The objectives of NRMM encompass NOT only the standardization of the

components/items descriptions, Specification, Preambles and Preliminaries

in production of BQ documents but also the facilitation of the

implementation of 5D BIM.

The present NRMM is in its raw form and it is our fervent hope that once the

draft is circulated to the relevant stakeholders in the building industry, we

would have some constructive comments and feedback before it is finally

published.

Thank you