Mastering AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2010

Chapter 23. Projecting the Cost: Quantity Takeoff

The goal of every project is eventual construction. Before the first bulldozer can be fired up and the first pile of dirt moved, the owner, city, or developer has to know how much all of this paving, pipe, and dirt are going to cost. Although contractors and construction managers are typically responsible for creating their own estimates for contracts, the engineers often perform an estimate of cost to help judge and award the eventual contract. To that end, many firms have entire departments that spend their days counting manholes, running planimeters around paving areas, and measuring street lengths to figure out how much striping will be required.

Civil 3D includes a Quantity Takeoff (QTO) feature ...