ESTIMATING AND COSTING IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

LEARNING OUTCOME

After undergoing the subject, student will be able to:

Determine various types of wiring systems and how they are being used
Practice and execute any type of wiring
Estimate and determine the cost of wiring installation
Estimate the material required for HT and LT lines
Prepare a tender document for a particular job
Estimate the material required for pole-mounted sub-stations

Chapter:1

1. Introduction
Purpose of estimating and costing, proforma for making estimates, preparation of materials
schedule, costing, price list, preparation of tender document (with 2-3 exercises), net price
list, market survey, overhead charges, labour charges, electrical point method and fixed
percentage method, contingency, profit, purchase system, enquiries, comparative
statements, orders for supply, payment of bills.

1.1 Types of Wiring

1.2 Cleat Wiring

This system of wiring comprise of ordinary VIR or PVC insulated wires (occasionally,
sheathed and weather proof cable) braided and compounded held on walls or ceilings by
means of porcelain cleats, Plastic or wood.

Cleat wiring system is a temporary wiring system therefore it is not suitable for domestic
premises. The use of cleat wiring system is over nowadays.
 1.3 Casing and Capping wiring

Casing and Capping wiring system was famous wiring system in the past but, it is
considered obsolete this days because of Conduit and sheathed wiring system. The cables
used in this kind of wiring were either VIR or PVC or any other approved insulated cables.
The cables were carried through the wooden casing enclosures. The casing is made up of a
strip of wood with parallel grooves cut length wise so as to accommodate VIR cables. The
grooves were made to separate opposite polarity. the capping (also made of wood) used to
cover the wires and cables installed and fitted in the casing

3.Batten Wiring (CTS or TRS)

Single core or double core or three core TRS cables with a circular oval shape cables are used
in this kind of wiring. Mostly, single core cables are preferred. TRS cables are chemical
proof, water proof, steam proof, but are slightly affected by lubricating oil. The TRS cables
are run on well seasoned and straight teak wood batten with at least a thickness of 10mm.
The cables are held on the wooden batten by means of tinned brass link clips (buckle clip)
already fixed on the batten with brass pins and spaced at an interval of 10cm for horizontal
runs and 15cm for vertical runs.
4.Conduit Wiring
There are two additional types of conduit wiring according to pipe installation.

. Surface Conduit Wiring

. Concealed Conduit Wiring

Surface Conduit Wiring

If conduits installed on roof or wall, It is known as surface conduit wiring. in this wiring
method, they make holes on the surface of wall on equal distances and conduit is installed
then with the help of rawal plugs.

Concealed Conduit wiring

If the conduits is hidden inside the wall slots with the help of plastering, it is called concealed
conduit wiring. In other words, the electrical wiring system inside wall, roof or floor with
the help of plastic or metallic piping is called concealed conduit wiring. obliviously, It is
the most popular, beautiful, stronger and common electrical wiring system nowadays.
In conduit wiring, steel tubes known as conduits are installed on the surface of walls by means
of pipe hooks (surface conduit wiring) or buried in walls under plaster and VIR or PVC
cables are afterwards drawn by means of a GI wire of size if about 18SWG.

In Conduit wiring system, The conduits should be electrically continuous and connected to
earth at some suitable points in case of steel conduit. Conduit wiring is a professional way
of wiring a building. Mostly PVC conduits are used in domestic wiring.

The conduit protects the cables from being damaged by rodents (when rodents bites the cables
it will cause short circuit) that is why circuit breakers are in place though but hey!
Prevention is better than cure. Lead conduits are used in factories or when the building is
prone to fire accident. Trunking is more of like surface conduit wiring. It’s gaining
popularity too.

It is done by screwing a PVC trunking pipe to a wall then passing the cables through the pipe.
The cables in conduit should not be too tight. Space factor have to be put into consideration.

Types of Conduit

Following conduits are used in the conduit wiring systems (both concealed and surface
conduit wiring) which are shown in the above image.

. Metallic Conduit
. Non-metallic conduit

Metallic Conduit:

Metallic conduits are made of steel which are very strong but costly as well.

There are two types of metallic conduits.

 Class A Conduit: Low gauge conduit (Thin layer steel sheet conduit)
Class B Conduit: High gauge conduit (Thick sheet of steel conduit)

Non-metallic Conduit:

A solid PVC conduit is used as non-metallic conduit now a days, which is flexible and easy
to bend.

Size of Conduit:

The common conduit pipes are available in different sizes genially, 13, 16.2, 18.75, 20, 25,
37, 50, and 63 mm (diameter) or 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 2 inch in diameter.

Comparison between Different Wiring Systems

Below is the table which shows the comparison between all the above mentioned wiring
systems.

5. Electrical Wiring Systems and Methods of Electrical Wiring

The electrical wiring must be installed correctly and safely in accordance with electrical
regulations and standards. If the electrical wiring is carried incorrectly or without
confirming to any standard, devices could damage or leads to the malfunctioning of device
which further causes for the reduction of device life.

Several factors have to be considered before the actual installation work to be done for
 residential, commercial or industrial wiring. These factors include type of building
construction, type of ceiling, wall and floor construction, wiring methods, installation
requirements, etc.

Circuit Drawing (Diagram)

In this, electrical circuit is graphically represented in a simplified manner. It includes the position
information (in cm or m or mm) of various elements like light fixtures, receptacle boxes,
junction boxes, ceiling fans, etc

6. Domestic And Industrial Wiring.

. Domestic wiring:
. The electric power line enters our house through
three wires- namely the live wire, the neutral
wire and the earth wire. To avoid confusion we
follow a color code for insulating these wires.
 The red wire is the live wire, and the black wire
is neutral. The earth wire is given green plastic
insulation.
 The live wire has a high potential of 220 volts
whereas the neutral wire has zero potential. Thus
the potential difference between the live wire
and the neutral wire is 220-0 220 volts.
 The earth wire is much thicker in size and is
made of copper. One end of it is connected to a
copper plate buried deep under the earth. The
earth connection is made to the electric meter
and then to the main switch.
 .Industrial Wiring
 To increase the productivity and to avoid the
accident hazardous, factory lighting should
fulfill the following requirements.
 i It should produce sufficient illumination on
the working plane.
 ii It should provide uniform distribution of
illumination.
 iii It should avoid glare and shadows.
 iv It should be easy to clean.

7. Use of wire-gauge
Wire gauge is a measurement of wire diameter. This determines the amount of electric
current a wire can safely carry, as well as its electrical resistance and weight.

Chapter:2
Estimating and Costing
2.1 Domestic installations:
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suit your home. We design breathtaking lighting systems which can be coupled to home
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We have worked with reknowned widely acclaimed architects to deliver a complete turnkey
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our engineers are trained to the very highest standards and possess the qualifications to carry out
the job at hand. We certify each and every installation we work on and register it with the local
authority having jurisdiction.
. IE rules
Indian Electricity Rules, 2005 defines the basic fundamentals of Electricity Safety, and when
followed in totality there cannot be any incidence of electrocution or electric fire.
General Safety requirements are given in Chapter IV under rules 29 to 46 which covers installation,
protection, operation, maintenance cut-out, identification of earth, earthed terminal, danger
notice etc.
General Rule 29 covers installation shall be constructed, installed, protected, worked and
maintained in accordance with BIS. It further stipulates that the material and equipment used shall
conform to the relevant specifications of the BIS.

. IS rule
In the field of electrical engineering, engineers and other professionals get exposed to electricity
indirectly during generation, transportation, installation and usage. Such conditions might cause
hazards if accurate safety measures are not taken.
To promote the safety and the right usage of equipment, there are certain rules and regulations
formulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

. Planning Of Circuits
The interconnection of various active and passive components in a prescribed manner to form a
closed path is called an electric circuit. The system in which electric current can flow from the
source to the load and then back to the other terminal of the source is referred to as an electric
circuit
. Electrical Layout
There are many different electrical bus system schemes available but selection of a particular
scheme depends upon the system voltage position of substation in electrical power system,
flexibility needed in system and cost to be expensed.

Chapter:3
 Estimating Materials Required 2.1. Transmission and
distribution lines
.Transmission: Various generating stations generate electrical power. These generating stations
are not necessarily situated at the load center. During construction of generating station number
of factors are to be considered from the economic point of view. These all factors may not be
easily available at load center; hence generating stations are not normally situated very nearer to
load center. Load center is the place which consumes maximum power.

. Distribution lines: The main function of an electrical power distribution system is to provide
power to individual consumer premises. Distribution of electric power to different consumers is
done with much low voltage level.

.Underground and Overhead

Underground :Underground cables are more expensive to construct since they have to be
electrically insulated and have protection against moisture, corrosion, mechanical damage and
other environmental impacts from the soil. Construction of the cables is more complicated
compared to the overhead cables which are simple to construct, and do not require insulation and
sheathing. The overhead cables have lesser requirements and cheaper to construct.
. Overhead
Nobody should climb any tower carrying live overhead conductors.

twinges to the live over head lines.

proper shutdown and temporary earthing arrangement. In this case nobody should be allowed to
come closer to the snapped or hanged conductor until the entire circuit is isolated and earthed
from both ends substations. In additions to that the snapped conductors should also be locally
temporarily earthed with proper earthing rod before touching it for repairing work.
he live conducting parts of over head system, we should
immediately inform to the concerned authority.

. Earthing
The main reason for doing earthing in electrical network is for the safety. When all metallic parts
in electrical equipments are grounded then if the insulation inside the equipments fails there are
no dangerous voltages present in the equipment case. If the live wire touches the grounded case
then the circuit is effectively shorted and fuse will immediately blow. When the fuse is blown
then the dangerous voltages are away.
1) Plate type Earthing
  Generally for plate type earthing normal Practice is to use
 Cast iron plate of size 600 mm x600 mm x12 mm. OR
 Galvanized iron plate of size 600 mm x600 mm x6 mm. OR
 Copper plate of size 600 mm * 600 mm * 3.15 mm
2) Pipe type Earthing:
 For Pipe type earthing normal practice is to use
 GI pipe [C-class] of 75 mm diameter, 10 feet long welded with 75 mm diameter GI
flange having 6 numbers of holes for the connection of earth wires and inserted in ground
by auger method.
 These types of earth pit are generally filled with alternate layer of charcoal & salt or earth
reactivation compound.

2.2 Substation: Types of substations

.Substation: Substation is a place or station which is used to transmit & distribute the power. It
is a middle part of the electrical power generation and consumers. It contains many electrical
devices such as electrical panels, transformers, insulator, isolators, GOS, Earth switch etc. In
Substations we can transform the voltage from high to low, or low to high. A substation may
include transformers to change voltage levels between high transmission voltages and lower
distribution voltages, or at the interconnection of two different transmission voltages.
. Distribution substation:
A distribution substation transfers power from the transmission system to the distribution system
of an area. It is uneconomical to directly connect electricity consumers to the main transmission
network, unless they use large amounts of power, so the distribution station reduces voltage to a
level suitable for local distribution.
. Collector substation
In distributed generation projects such as a wind farm, a collector substation may be required. It
resembles a distribution substation although power flow is in the opposite direction, from many
wind turbines up into the transmission grid. Usually for economy of construction the collector
system operates around 35 kV, and the collector substation steps up voltage to a transmission
voltage for the grid. The collector substation can also provide power factor correction if it is
needed, metering, and control of the wind farm. In some special cases a collector substation can
also contain an HVDC converter station.
. Converter substations
Converter substations may be associated with HVDC converter plants, traction current, or
interconnected non-synchronous networks. These stations contain power electronic devices to
change the frequency of current, or else convert from alternating to direct current or the reverse.
Formerly rotary converters changed frequency to interconnect two systems; nowadays such
substations are rare.
.Railway Substation:
Electrified railways also use substations, often distribution substations. In some cases, a
conversion of the current type takes place, commonly with rectifiers for direct current (DC)
trains, or rotary converters for trains using alternating current (AC) at frequencies other than that
of the public grid. Sometimes they are also transmission substations or collector substations if
the railway network also operates its own grid and generators to supply the other stations.

. Substation Schemes and Component

The power grid is an essential element in the generation of electricity, transmission as well as
distribution systems. Electrical substations are mandatory for all the processes of the power grid.
These are essential devices used to generate electrical power from the substations. By changing
the levels of frequency, voltage, the required amount of electricity can be changed in substations
for supplying electricity to customers. An electrical substation is categorized into various types,
such as generation, pole mounted, indoor, outdoor, converter, distribution, transmission,
switching substations. In some cases like thermal plant, several hydroelectric, and wind farm
electricity generation system, one can notice the collector substation, which can be useful for
power transfer from several turbines in the only transmission unit.

. Estimate of 11/0.4 kV pole mounted substation up to 200 kVA rating

of the material, investment involved, and the time to be taken for the completion of
Electrification project Normally it can be enlisted under following four headings. - Estimating
the quantity of the material and the cost involved. - Analysis of cost or selling price. -
Maintaining proper accounts. - Provision of selling aids .
TIAL ELEMENTS OF ESTIMATING Specification of material. Latest market cost of
material. Calculation of material and labour cost. Knowledge of purchase system.

distribution. Their main functions are to receive energy transmitted at high voltage from the
generating stations, reduce the voltage to a value appropriate for distribution and provide
facilities for switching.

. Key Diagram of 66 kV/11 kV Substation

2.3 . Single line diagram, layout sketching of outdoor

. Indoor 11kV sub-station or 33kV sub-station REC has issued Construction Standards
L-1 and L-2 indicating the standard layout for 33/11kV sub-stations with outdoor and indoor 11kV switchgear
respectively. Thestandard layout should be followed for all 33/11kV sub-stations in the rural distributionsystems as far
as practicable.3.3.2 The standard layout recommended by the REC is suitable for two power transformersand five
outgoing 11kV feeders including two feeders for future. In case of indoor 11kVswitchgear, provision has been made
for four existing and two future 11kV panels andone bus-coupler panel has also been provided. The 33kV incoming
arrangement willdepend upon the requirement of each case, i.e. whether there are one or two incoming33kV lines
and whether any 33kV line and whether any 33kV line/lines are proposed tobe taken out from the sub-station. The
arrangement for the 33kV incoming and outgoinglines may be followed as per standard practice of the Board.
However, an arrangementshowing one incoming line and two outgoing lines has been suggested in the
standardlayout (shown dotted).3.3.3 The standard layout (with out-door 11kV switchgear) shows only the
generalarrangement of the equipments, structures, bus bars etc., but the provision for internalroads/paths has not been
shown. It is important that suitable provision is made in theswitchyard depending upon the local conditions for
roads/paths to facilitatetransportation/shifting of the heavy equipment particularly the power transformers. Itwould be
desirable if a truck can be taken to the site of the transformer for easy shiftingof the transformer. In case of 5MVA
transformers, it may be necessary to use a trailer for the purpose of transportation. It would be desirable to make
provision accordingly.
Chapter:4
Preparation of Tender Documents
. Preparation of Tender Documents
A tender is a submission made by a prospective supplier in response to an invitation to tender. It
makes an offer for the supply of goods or services, including a price and proposals for how the
requirements will be satisfied if these have been requested.
An invitation to tender provides prospective suppliers with tender documentation setting out the
information they need to prepare their offer. It is vital that tender documents are comprehensive
and clear if realistic prices are to be obtained, making it more likely that the project will adhere
to the budget once the works begin, and reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings, mistakes
and claims.

Tender documents might include:

 A letter of invitation to tender.
 The form of tender (formal acknowledgment that the supplier understands and accepts the
terms of conditions of the tender documents).
 Preliminaries (providing a description of the project, allowing the supplier to assess costs
which, whilst they do not form a part of any of the package of works required by the
contract, are required by the method and circumstances of the works, such as; general
plant, site staff, welfare facilities, and so on).
 The form of contract that will be used, contract conditions and any amendments. This
might include a model enabling amendment if building information modelling (BIM) is
being used, to make a BIM protocol part of the contract documentation.
 Employer's information requirements if BIM is being used (defining the information that
will be required for the development of the project and for the operation of the completed
built asset).
 A tender pricing document (or contract sum analysis on design and build projects). This
sets out the way prospective suppliers should breakdown their overall tender price and is
effectively an unpriced bill of quantities.
 A drawing schedule.
 Design drawings, and perhaps an existing building information model.
 Specifications.
 On construction management contracts, tender documentation for trade contracts might
include the construction manager's master programme.