REPORT WRITING AND COST ESTIMATING CE 3372 Lecture 09

OVERVIEW  Report Writing  Cost Estimating

REPORT WRITING

FUNDAMENTALS  Know your audience – Professional!  Explain the problem  Discuss solving method  Describe findings/results  Example: Car Service Repair

PROJECT REPORT  Outline is based on the HCFCD Drainage Manual – Report Format  Letter of Transmittal  Cover  Table of Contents  List of Tables and Figures  Executive Summary  Section 1 – Introduction  Section 2 – Existing Conditions  Section 3 – Hydrology and Hydraulics  Section 4 – Proposed Drainage Plan

TRANSMITTAL LETTER  Formal business letter to person that commissioned the report  Brief. Includes:  Salutation (Dear Mr. _____)  Purpose of letter  Describe what is being sent  Main findings of report  End transmittal letters with a one-sentence paragraph that establishes goodwill by thanking or complimenting the recipient.  Signature from all members with credentials

COVER  Include Team name and members  Title of the Project  Date

EXEC SUMMARY  Informs reader precisely of:  research problem  analysis method  results  TL;DR Reader shouldn‘t have to read whole report to get main points  Summary!! Limit to one (1) page

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION  1.1 Project Name and Purpose  1.2 Project Limits  1.3 Project Objectives  1.4 Assumptions and Constraints  1.5 PriorStudies

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION  Explains the research problem and its context briefly  Importance of problem  Reasons and goals for study  Limitations  You want your audience to understand  WHY the report is important  WHY it’s being written  WHY reader should read it  Present Tense

SECTION 2 – EX. CONDITIONS  2.1 Location and Topography  2.2 Land Use  2.3 HCFCD Facilities and Unit Numbers  2.4 Right-of-Way  2.5 Pipelines and Utilities

SECTION 3 – H&H  3.1 Analysis Objective  3.2 Hydrologic Methodology  3.3 Hydraulic Methodology  3.4 Pre-Project Conditions

SECTION 3 – H&H  Methodology – Explains how:  Data was gathered/generated  Data was analyzed  Assumes reader understands material  Is in past tense and passive voice  The research has been carried out

SECTION 3 – H&H  Active vs. Passive  Active: I observed the angle to be...  Passive: The angle was observed to be...  Active: The authors suggest...  Passive: It is suggested..  Active: We used EPANET to..  Passive: The hydraulic model EPANET was used to..

SECTION 3 – H&H  Hedging words  It would appear that  These results suggest  It would seem  A cause of this may be  A possible explanation for this is

SECTION 4 – PROPOSED PLAN  4.1 Description  4.2 Hydrological Analysis  4.3 Hydraulic Analysis

SECTION 4 – PROPOSED PLAN  Results – Visually and textually represents findings  Visually:  Graphs, tables, diagrams, charts, screen captures  Please describe Figures and Tables correctly  Explanatory text:  Points out most significant portions of research findings  Highlights expected and/or unexpected findings

SECTION 4 – PROPOSED PLAN  Discussion – Assesses and comments on research results  Explanation for Results  Recommendations  Summary – Similar to the Exec Summary  Focuses more of results, cost, etc.

PROJECT REPORT  Letter of Transmittal  Cover  Table of Contents  List of Tables and Figures  Executive Summary  Section 1 – Introduction  Section 2 – Existing Conditions  Section 3 – Hydrology and Hydraulics  Section 4 – Proposed Drainage Plan

REQUIREMENTS  Label Figures and Tables correctly  Headings and sub-headings  Proper grammar  Flow  No contractions (won’t, cant)  No rhetorical questions

COST ESTIMATING

PRIVATE PROJECT COST ESTIMATES  Feasibility – Determines no/go decision  Prepared prior to development  Based on general scope of project (items/work hours/etc)  Includes significant contingency (30%)  Preliminary  Prepared after plan has evolved but before any construction drawings  Used by developer to secure funding/ assist in developing alternatives before final decision on product details  Accuracy +/ %  Contingency (15-20%)  Construction/Detailed  Prepared after plans have been approved  Accuracy +/- 5%

FEASIBILITY ESTIMATE

PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE  Developed from plans that have not yet reached sufficient detail  Purpose is to:  Acquire approvals from permitting jurisdiction  Determine problems that will affect project  Determine cost to construct  Help developer to obtain developer loan applications  Water Supply  Pipes - dollars per linear foot  Valves, hydrants, fire lines, pumps

CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE  Generally developed after construction plans have been approved  Quantity takeoffs to be determined  Double check estimates with a PE (more experience)