Project #3

Due: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

RELATIONAL DATABASE PROJECT

Using Access 2007 create a program that will allow tocalculate the direct (bare) cost of any building project based onthe activity structure breakdown for that project.

The program should allow the user to:

  1. define new resources
  2. define new activities
  3. input the resources and their production rate (productivity rate or conversion factor) for each activity
  4. centrally input the cost for each resource of a given project
  5. print the direct cost breakdown for each activity and the total direct cost per activity and for the whole project.
  6. print the total quantity and cost for each resource and the breakdown of the cost and quantity per resource (reverse report of the one requires at point 5 above.)

Additional requirements:

  1. The activity codes will have 12 digits, matching the line numbers in the RS Means catalog. The code is based on the Master Format of Classification and Numbering developed by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI 2004). Follow this hyperlink for further details. 
  2. The resource code will have 9 digits, of the format 0 00 00 0000, and will obey the following convention (i.e. will have the following significance):

    first digit  [ 0 00 00 0000 ] : 1 – Material, 2 – Labor, 3 – Equipment, 4 – Subcontractor
    next 4 digits [ 0 00 00 0000 ] : Master Format Division / Title code of the activity where the resource is first used in the Access program (while populating). In other words, digits 2 top 5 are identical to the first 4 digits of the CSI Master Format 2004 of the activity where the resources is first introduced in the program. Note that once introduced, the resources will keep the assigned code for all the other activities, regardless of the code of the subsequent activity. For once assigned a 9 digit code, the resource "Laborer" will keep that code throughout the whole database, regardless of the code of the activity where the resource is needed. The resource "Laborer" will have only one code.
    last 4 digits [ 0 00 00 0000 ] : No special convention. Estimators are encouraged to establish their own convention for the last 4 digits, but there are no specific requirements for these last 4 digits.

  3. There will be no redundant information in the database. All information that can be retrieved from a table will be related to the appropriate table. This principle is called database normalization and it is a fundamental way to maintaining data integrity in relational databases. 
  4. The final reports will be based on the project shown in the spreadsheet presented in class to which you will add 320 units of the activity presented in your Homework #5.
  5. The final report for the direct cost breakdown will follow the examples below: For a PDF version of the reports click on the images.

Sample Report #1

Sample Report #2

 

Submission:

The final reports will be printed and submitted in class, onpaper, together with the Access file.