18th PAQS Congress 2014, Hong Kong
The Organising Committee is exerting its last efforts to tie up loose ends before the opening of the Congress scheduled for 7-10 June 2014 at the Langham Place Hotel in Mongkok, Kowloon. A total of 45 papers will be presented by speakers from overseas, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. The themes of the papers are as follows:
- China Market (papers in Chinese)
- Contract Practice
- Construction Management
- Education and Professional Development
- Building Information Modelling (BIM)
- Planning and Development
- Management & Industrial Practice
- Green & Sustainability
- Cost Planning & Estimating
A number of parallel sessions have been arranged so that delegates can go to different conference rooms to listen to the presentation of papers according to their interests. So far, more than 400 delegates have registered for the Congress. We encourage more members to do so. The Congress should provide an excellent platform for members to gain insights into the most modern practices and latest developments using state-of-the-art technologies that will have an impact on the surveying industry. There are not many seats left. Act now before missing the opportunity to meet with overseas delegates and speakers.
Independent Role of Quantity Surveying Consultant for Infrastructure Projects
The Quantity Surveying Division has always stressed to the government that the function and duties of cost consultant should be separated from those of lead consultant. The benefit of an independent cost consultant is that the former can perform the function of “check and balance” during the decision-making process.
The quantity surveyor performs his function very well in building projects. It is common practice for the employer/project manager/designer/architect to seek our advice independently prior to committing a substantial sum of capital expenditure. We do not see why the specialized skills of quantity surveyor cannot be independently used in infrastructure projects.
While it is true that unforeseen ground conditions are one of the inherent characteristics of infrastructure projects - a risk that is very difficult to control, this risk can be mitigated by adopting an equitable risk allocation approach in contractual arrangements. The quantity surveyor can advise employers/other consultants on the most suitable approaches to deal with different kinds and magnitudes of construction risk.
The QSD Council hopes that the government will assign a few “pilot” projects to test whether an independent cost consultant can help reduce budget/cost overruns of infrastructure projects.
