EASTER GREETINGS

The ASAQS wish all their members a blessed Easter. For those of you traveling the highways and byways of this great country, may you reach your destination and return home safely. Our thoughts also go out to the doctors, nurses, policemen and others, who in the line of duty, will not be able to spend this time with their loved ones.

 CALL FOR PAPERS FOR THE SACQSP CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 14 & 15TH 2010, EAST LONDON

"THE P8 SUMMIT"
(Procurement, Process, Problems, People, Property, Position, Professionalism and Price)

The SACQSP invite interested parties to submit papers for the Quantity Surveying Conference to be held in East London on the 14th and 15th October 2010.

Please note that the invitation to this conference is extended beyond the quantity surveying profession and departments of the academic institutions and therefore refers to the Built Environment as a whole.

Please download the following documentation, the contents of which is self explanatory.

1. SACQSP 2010 Copyright Policy Statement (in pdf format)
2. SACQSP 2010 Copyright Form for Authors (in pdf format)
3. SACQSP 2010 Guidelines for Oral Presentations (in pdf format)
4. SACQSP 2010 Paper Guidelines (in pdf and Word format)
5. SACQSP 2010 Authors Form (in Word format).
6. SACQSP 2010 CALL FOR PAPERS (in pdf format)

The entire Built Environment faces enormous challenges daily and from all possible fronts. Let this "8P SUMMIT" then be the platform for all built environment professionals to present solutions to these challenges.

Please direct your queries to Mr I Moss via e-mail at the following address : sjani@telkomsa.net

We look forward to you submitting an abstract to reach the SACQSP before the 14th May 2010.

 WE WELCOME OUR LATEST SPONSOR: CE AT UP

Continuing professional development for the built environment
 
Continuing Education at University of Pretoria (CE at UP) offers an extensive range of career-focused courses for personal and professional development. Professionals in the construction industry will benefit from the Advanced Certificate Programme in Construction Contract Law which is presented on the 24 May 2010 at the University of Pretoria.
 
This course will equip people involved in the construction industry with advanced knowledge on construction contract law as used in South Africa. The course is compiled and presented by a selected group of leading academics and practitioners, all with extensive practical experience in the industry.

After completion of the course the learners should be able to understand the structure and terms of the JBCC, GCC, NEC and FIDIC contracts; and administer construction projects that are based on any one of these contracts.

This course is recognised for CPD points/hours and will benefit people in the built environment, both in private practice and government as well as lawyers and advocates dealing with construction contract disputes. For more information please contact: CE at UP Client Service Centre: 012 420 5015 or email: info.ce@up.ac.za

 APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FOR VACANT EDUTECH CENTRE POSITION

Members are advised that suitable applications are invited for the vacant position of EduTech Centre Manager to be filled at the offices of the ASAQS. Preference will be given to South African citizens with suitable Quantity Surveying qualifications and proven commercial and marketing experience. Salary commensurate with experience.

To view the details and job description of this position, please click here.

Expressions of interest in this position are invited which should be sent electronically to the Executive Director (Attention : Egon Wortmann – director@asaqs.co.za), all of which will be handled and responded to in the strictest of confidence. Submissions should be submitted by no later than FRIDAY 26 MARCH 2010.

 RECOMMENDED HOURLY RATES 2010 FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Members are advised that the Fees Committee has completed its analysis of the proposed Hourly Rates 2010 to be charged on a time basis by Quantity Surveyors (for the private sector). At the Council meeting held on Friday 12 March 2010, the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), in terms of clause 7.1.1 of the 2010 Tariff of Professional Fees, approved the following recommended hourly time charge rates (excluding VAT) for principals with effect from 1 January 2010:

• not exceeding 5 years experience ……………………………….... R  700-00

• exceeding 5 years and not exceeding 10 years experience …..  R 1 250-00

• exceeding 10 years experience ……………………………………. R 1 750-00

• specialist work ………………………………………………………  R 2 190-00

The above rates are exclusive of VAT.

To view the notification letter from the SACQSP, please click here.

 PROBLEMS LOGGING INTO THE CUG?

Should members be experiencing any problems logging into the Closed User Group (CUG) section of the website, please contact the ASAQS by e-mail (administration@asaqs.co.za) or phone Merilda Naicker on (011) 315 4140 to rectify the problem.

In view of the fact that we experienced some problems with the ASAQS website a few weeks ago, sadly some of the previous CUG registrations have been inadvertently "disconnected" and need to be re-loaded. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 RECOMMENDED STUDENT SALARIES 2010

We are pleased to advise that we have now finally reached consensus on the Recommended Student Salaries for 2010, as recommended by the Gauteng Chapter and approved by the ASAQS.

The Gauteng Chapter Committee has determined the following recommended scale of remuneration for students for 2010. The scale is based on the 3 year BSc and 2 year BSc (Honours) curriculum of the University of Pretoria. A section for students at a University of Technology has been added for 2010. This is based on students working full-time in their second year and part-time during their B-Tech year.

To view the Explanatory Covering Letter and the Schedule of Recommended Rates, please click here.

The proposed rates are deemed to be inclusive of leave, sick leave, etc. The intention of the scale is not to be used as a basis for remunerating students on an hourly basis, but rather on an average monthly wage based on the number of hours worked at the office of the employer. Employers may opt to remunerate students based on actual hours worked at the office, or on different tariffs for vacations and study periods respectively, or on the average as proposed.

When using these recommended student rates, the following is recommended :

• No overtime payment is recommended. The purpose of students working is for them to gain practical experience to supplement their academic programme. Employers are thus encouraged to promote the studies of their students. However, should it be absolutely necessary for overtime to be worked on occasion, it is recommended that the hourly tariff as proposed, be applied subject to conditions applicable through statutes.
• In determining the estimated total hours spent at an office, travelling time, study and examination leave have not been taken into account. It is recommended that this be negotiated between employer and student and paid for separately. Naturally the proximity of the workplace to the place of study may vary between student and student and it is recommended that this be taken into consideration when negotiations are undertaken between employer and student.
• Bonuses may be awarded at the sole discretion of the employer.

 COUNCIL EXAMINATION PARTS I AND II : 25 AND 26 MARCH 2010

Full details of these examinations and a map to the venue is available on the SACQSP website.

 CPD SEMINAR : GAUTENG CHAPTER

SEMINAR N0. 2/2010: 12 MAY 2010 (INCLUDING BREAKFAST)

CONTENT: THE ROLE OF THE QUANTITY SURVEYOR IN NEC'S
PRESENTER : Mr. Andrew Baird (Engineering Contract Strategies)

Click here for full details

 CCN SPECHELPER WEBINAR NOW AVAILABLE ON THE CCN PORTAL

CCN recently presented their new, soon to be released CCN SpecHelper service to attendees of a workshop hosted by the Pretoria Institute for Architecture, and to architect and quantity surveyors attendees who logged into this presentation via webinar from their own individual computers around the country.

Scheduled for release during April 2010, the CCN SpecHelper service is designed to help you prepare your project specifications using the CCN Basic Construction Specification 1.0 template as a basis. This basic specification is a free, easy-to-use digital specification template for industry practitioners. Based on the specification developed by Professor Hans Wegelin (architect and former Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Pretoria), CCN's digital version exists in the form of a Word document (2003 or 2007 format) and features the SpecHelper side panel (linked to the CCN Portal) which contains Guidance Notes for Specifiers, a search functionality to allow users to do live, up-to-date searches for their product information and specifications, and other handy features.

The CCN SpecHelper webinar gives viewers a 20 minute demo of the CCN SpecHelper service, and is now available to view at your leisure on the CCN Portal. To view the recording, please select the CCN SpecHelper webinar from the list of webinars available. Note that you will be asked to confirm your email address, before being given access to the recording.

Alternatively you can click here to download a handy 10 page White Paper titled "The ins and outs of the CCN Basic Construction Specification 1.0", which will give you a good overview of the service.

 INVITATION TO ATTEND THE ICEC & PAQS WORLD CONGRESS 2010

An invitation has been extended by Dr Peter Smith, ICEC Secretary-General, to attend the above Congress. He writes as follows:

Dear ICEC Member Associations, Delegates and Colleagues,

I would like to remind you that the joint 2010 ICEC & PAQS World Congress is fast approaching. It will be held from 23-27 July 2010 at the 'Resorts World Sentosa' in Singapore (www.rwsentosa.com).

Please note that the deadline for submission of abstracts for the Congress has been extended to 31 March 2010. Further details can be obtained at the Congress website www.paqs2010.com.sg

I would appreciate it if you could help promote the Congress by forwarding this email to members of your association and any other colleagues, associations or other parties that may be interested in the event. It would also be great if you could include information about the Congress on your association's website and in any other publications/newsletters that you deem appropriate.

The hosts and organisers for the event are the Singapore Institute of Surveyors & Valuers (SISV) (www.sisv.org.sg) in conjunction with the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC) (www.icoste.org) and the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors (PAQS) (www.paqs.net).

We hope that you will support the ICEC, PAQS & the SISV and consider attending this important global event for the Quantity Surveying, Cost Engineering and Project Cost Management profession.

Further details can also be obtained from the Congress Organising Secretariat in Singapore as follows:

Contact: Ms Judy Poh (SISV)
Tel - (65) 6222 3030
Fax - (65) 6225 2453
Email - paqs_icec@sisv.org.sg

Yours sincerely

Dr. Peter Smith
ICEC Secretary-General

 A REPORT-BACK OF THE ASAQS BOARD MEETING : 10 AND 11 MARCH 2010

Members are advised that the full Board meeting of the ASAQS was held on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 March 2010 at the ASAQS offices in Midrand. It was a busy meeting with many important items discussed and debated. Whilst a more comprehensive report will in time be prepared and distributed for the information of the members, herewith a brief report-back of some of the more salient and important items that were decided upon:

New President

We are pleased to announce that the ASAQS President for the term 2010/2011 was elected in the person of Mr GERT MEYER. We wish to congratulate him on his election and wish him a successful and fruitful term in office over the next year.

Ceremonial hand over of the Presidency

For a copy of his Curriculum Vitae, please click here.

We wish him well during his term of office.

New Executive Committee

We are pleased to announce that the ASAQS Executive Committee for the term 2010/2011 that was elected is comprised of the following persons:
• President – Mr Gert Meyer
• Vice President – Mr Pieter Kotzé
• Deputy Vice President – Ms Elmarie Deetlefs
• Immediate Past President – Mr Indresen Pillay
• Executive Director – Mr Egon Wortmann

The new Exco are (seated from the left) :Immediate Past President – Mr Indresen Pillay, President – Mr Gert Meyer, Vice President – Mr Pieter Kotzé and standing at the back: Executive Director – Mr Egon Wortmann, Deputy Vice President – Ms Elmarie Deetlefs

 WE WELCOME B&T STEEL AS OUR LATEST SPONSOR

Welcome to B&T Steel. Your trusted partner in steel.

B&T Steel specialise in the design, manufacture and erection of all types of steel structures throughout South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. They have been operating for over 14 years and offer innovative steel solutions through the manufacturing & erection of high quality steel structures.

At B&T they offer reliable, professional and reputable expertise, service and competitive pricing. They are committed to quality and on-time delivery and their technical and design teams will guide you through your structural requirements from concept to completion.

They are continuously re-investing in their staff through up-skilling, training and improved safety measures and the latest machinery in order to provide maximum value for their clients.

Visit the B&T website today.

 ANNOUNCEMENT OF ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS

 FOR THE PERIOD 01 MARCH 2010 TO 29 FEBRUARY 2012

We are pleased to confirm that the ASAQS Board has been elected for the term 2010/2012 is made up of the following members:

Clause 8.1.2.1 & 2 – Executive Positions

President Mr Gert Meyer Vice President Mr Pieter Kotzé Deputy Vice President Ms Elmarie Deetlefs Immediate Past President Mr Indresen Pillay

Clause 8.1.2.3 – Chapter Representatives

Eastern Cape Mr Michael Raaff Free State Mr Pierre Oosthuizen Gauteng Mr Qinisani Mbatha Gauteng Ms Nonkululeko Ntshona KwaZulu Natal Ms Elke Hefer Limpopo Ms Tina van der Merwe Mpumalanga Mr Jurgens Hanekom Northern Cape Ms Elmarie Deetlefs Northwest Mr Herman Schoeman Western Cape Mr Deon Vermeulen

Clause 8.1.2.4 – Representatives of Divisions

Not yet formed – no representation.

Clause 8.1.2.5 - Elected Members

Dr Corné de Leeuw
Mr Pieter Kotzé
Mr Patrick Waterson
Mr Francous Senekal
Mr Deen Letchmiah
Mr Pierre du Plessis

Clause 8.1.3 - Co-opted Members
Ms Josephine Llale (co-opted 2009)

May we take this opportunity to welcome all the new Board members onto the Board. To the other Board members who are simply continuing their stay on the Board, thanks for your ongoing support and continued willingness to serve on the Board. Well done and thank you.

 THE ASAQS "CENTENARY PUBLICATION" NOW AVAILABLE !!

We are pleased to announce that the long awaited ASAQS Centenary Publication has been completed and copies of same are now available for purchase from the ASAQS offices. This represents the culmination of a very long and painstaking process – but it has certainly been well worth the effort !! We are very pleased with the final result and we invite you to get your copies to share in the joy and excitement of the publication.

We have taken receipt of all the ordered copies from the printers and these are now for sale to members and non-members alike. The black and white copy of the dust cover is attached overleaf, but the colour original looks a lot better, believe me. The selling price of these publications is as follows:

• R300,00 (inclusive of VAT) per copy – across the ASAQS counter
• R350,00 (inclusive of VAT and postage) per copy – if posted as counter to counter parcel (normal post within South Africa)

Should members wish to have the publications posted by courier, then the additional postage costs for speedier services will be for the account of the purchaser.

Should orders be received from foreign and overseas persons, then the additional postage cost to such destinations will be invoiced at cost.

Should you wish to purchase copies of the publication from the offices of the ASAQS, please fill in the attached order form and fax a copy thereof, together with the proof of payment, to the ASAQS offices (facsimile : 011 315 3785). Upon receipt thereof, the publication will be posted to you at earliest convenience with our compliments.

 FULL RANGE OF PROCSA CLIENT/CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT

.... AVAILABLE FROM ASAQS OFFICES

We are pleased to announce that the update of the latest PROCSA Client/Consultant Services Agreement has been released by the PROCSA committee and these are now readily available from the offices of the ASAQS.

In essence the agreement for each specific profession is made up of two parts:
• Terms and Conditions (generic to all professions)
• Annexures A & B (specific to respective professions)
• Matrix (overview of all professions)

The Terms and Conditions are applicable to all professions and will be suitable for all professions on any project with multi-profession appointments. The differentiation between the respective professions is brought about by applying the relevant and applicable Annexures A & B, which are profession specific. So each agreement will require a set of these two document types for signature.

A total of nine profession specific Annexures A & B are currently available as follows:
• Architect
• Civil Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Principal Agent
• Project Manager
• Quantity Surveyor
• Structural Engineer
• …………………………. (blank – to be used for any other professions)

Please be advised that the full range of the Terms and Conditions and ALL THE ANNEXURE documents, together with the Matrix, are held in stock for sale by the ASAQS offices. So members and non-members alike are invited to obtain all their documents from the ASAQS offices – your one-stop-shop as it were !!

The cost of these documents when purchased from the ASAQS offices (across the counter – inclusive of VAT) is as follows:
• Terms and Conditions (generic to all professions)
 o Members = R150,00 (members)
 o Non-members = R160,00 (non-members)
• Annexures A & B (specific to respective professions)
 o Members = R150,00 (members)
 o Non-members = R160,00 (non-members)
• Matrix (overview of all professions)
 o Members = R150,00 (members)
 o Non-members = R160,00 (non-members)

It should be noted that when these documents are sold, that they will only be sold on the basis of a set of two documents ie. the Terms and Conditions plus one of the Annexure A & B will be sold as a set. They will not be sold separately.

The above prices do not make any allowance for postage costs should it be necessary to post the documents to members. The postage charges will be in addition to the above prices.

Should you require any further assistance in this regard, please feel free to contact the ASAQS offices (telephone 011 315 4140) and we will be happy to assist further.

 EXPLANATIONS FOR 5TH EDITION JBCC CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

Although the new 5.0 edition of the JBCC Suite of Contracts (Principal Building Agreement, N/S Subcontract Agreement and Minor Works Agreement) has been in circulation since July 2007, numerous ongoing queries from members have indicated the need for further explanation as to what constitutes the set of documents required to form the complete set. This notice is a repeat of a similar notice issued by the ASAQS way back in November 2007, and is repeated here for the benefit of those members that may still not be totally clear on all the requirements and documents in place.

All the listed documents are available from the ASAQS offices. Members were previously advised that this new edition should not be put in use before all the supporting forms and ASAQS documentation had been completed and formally released. These outstanding documents were finalised and released by the ASAQS offices during 2007 for general member use.

Members are advised that when the new 5.0 suite of documents is implemented on future projects, they should include all the following documentation:

Documents prepared by the JBCC :
• PBA (Principal Building Agreement) Edition 5.0 (dated July 2007)
 o Contract Data Employer – Contractor PBA (dated July 2007)
 o Contract Data Contractor - Employer PBA (dated July 2007)
• N/S Subcontract Agreement edition 5.0 (dated July 2007)
 o Contract Data Employer – Contractor N/S (dated July 2007)
 o Contract Data Contractor - Employer N/S (dated July 2007)
• Minor Works Agreement edition 5.0 (dated July 2007)
 o Contract Data Employer – Contractor MWA (dated July 2007)
 o Contract Data Contractor - Employer MWA (dated July 2007)

Supporting Documentation prepared by the ASAQS :
• Preliminaries Document (dated November 2007)
• Bill No 1 of the Model Bills of Quantities (dated April 2009)

It should be noted that the latest version of the "Bill No 1 of the Model Bills of Quantities" document is dated April 2009 (and not November 2007 as advised earlier). To view a copy of this document, please visit the CUG.

The ASAQS supporting documentation is freely available in electronic format in the Closed User Group (CUG) section of the ASAQS website (www.asaqs.co.za). Hard paper copies are also available from the ASAQS offices.
 
What is of significance is that the previous JBCC Preliminaries document (in support of the 4.1 edition of the PBA) was withdrawn and this was replaced by the new ASAQS Preliminaries document (in support of the 5.0 edition of the PBA). Also worthy of mention is the fact that all the supporting JBCC Documentation (contract tender forms, etc) may be used with both the 4.1 and 5.0 editions respectively.

It should further be noted that these documents from the different versions are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. For example, the earlier JBCC Preliminaries document (dated May 2005) cannot be used in conjunction with the JBCC PBA (July 2007 edition). The clauses will simply not talk to each other and the overall result would be a total mess if that was attempted in ignorance.

Please be advised that both the 4.1 and 5.0 editions of the JBCC suites of contract will, until further notice, still be freely available from the ASAQS offices. There are sufficient stocks of both editions for the foreseeable future.

Should you require any further assistance in this regard, please feel free to contact the ASAQS offices (telephone 011 315 4140) and we will be happy to assist further.

 MISSED THE NEWS?

We have archived all news stories from 2008 and 2009 in the News Section. You can also glance back at more recent news by following the links at the bottom of this page.

 STANDARD PROJECT NOTICE BOARD ADOPTED

Members are advised that during recent meetings of the BEP Grouping is was agreed by all the participating associations to again adopt a standard design of the "Project Notice Board". This was in place some years ago, but sadly this standardised approach has not always been adhered to on many projects.

It was resolved that all the members of the participating member associations be encouraged to again comply with the use of the standard design adopted. To view the master design, complete with some explanatory notes, please visit the CUG.

 WHERE TO PURCHASE YOUR CONTRACT DOCUMENTS ?

Following on numerous enquiries from members as to where they can purchase the various and different forms of contract, we have prepared the following easy-to-read schedule that will assist in this regard.

CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FROM CONTACT DETAILS JBCC CONTRACTS ASAQS 011 315 4140 PROCSA CLIENT/CONSULTANT AGREEMENTS (entire suite of documents) ASAQS 011 315 4140 NEC (New Engineering Contract) SAICE 011 805 5947/8 FIDIC CESA 011 463 2022 GCC (General Conditions of Contract - Civil) SAICE 011 805 5947/8

This schedule can also be downloaded in PDF-format by clicking here.

 ANNOUNCEMENT OF FORTHCOMING CONGRESSES

In order to assist members to plan their diaries this year in terms of forthcoming congresses and conferences they may wish to attend, attached the preliminary dates of some of these congresses for your attention (more details to follow):

GAMA Conference & AGM 2010 - "The Engineer as a Strategic Partner"
14 to 17 March 2010 – Mombasa, Kenya

ICEC World Congress 2010
23 to 27 July 2010 – Singapore
Please click here to register

Green Building Council Convention & Exhibition 2010
• 20 to 23 September 2010 – CTICC, Cape Town

ASAQS/AAQS Conference 2010
• 28 to 29 October 2010
• Cape Town (further details to be advised)

ICEC World Congress 2012
23 to 26 June 2012 – Durban, South Africa

Members are encouraged to plan ahead and to support these conferences/congresses !!

 JOIN ASAQS

Click here to find out more about becoming a member of ASAQS and gaining entry to our Closed Users Group.
Membership forms, fees, etc.

 CHAPTER CHAIRPERSONS

ASAQS have chapters in all the provinces in South Africa - if you need to contact our chapters download their contact details by clicking here.

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 USEFUL TOOLS

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Then visit http://www.guapdf.com

 CONTACT ASAQS

The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors
Postal address:
P.O. Box 3527
Halfway House 1685
Physical address:
Suite G6, Building 27
Thornhill Office Park
Bekker Road,
Vorna Valley Ext 21,
MIDRAND
Contact details:
Telephone : 011-3154140
Fax     : 011-3153785
E-mail    : association@asaqs.co.za
Office hours:
08h00 to 17h00

Click here to view a map to our offices

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