WARSAW UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Index 351733
FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL AND WATER ENGINEERING
POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ISSN 1230-2945
DOI: 10.24425/ace.2022.140189
ARCHIVES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Vol. LXVIII ISSUE 1 2022
©2022. Michal Mikulík, Tomas Hanák, Pe Aigel. pp. 611 –622
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Resea ch pape
E o s in he lis o wo ks, supplies and se ices
in public wo ks ende s
Michal Mikulík1, Tomas Hanák2, Pe Aigel3
Abs ac : The occu ence o e o s in public wo ks ende documen a ion is an undesi able phenomenon
which is un o una ely o en encoun e ed in cons uc ion p ac ice. E o s may ha e a ious causes
and also ha e a ying le els o nega i e e ec s on he success ul implemen a ion o he in es men
p ojec . Taking his ac in o conside a ion, his pape aims o iden i y and assess e o s in e ms o
he equi emen s laid down by he applicable legisla ion in he Czech Republic, especially he Public
P ocu emen Ac and he associa ed implemen ing dec ee. A o al o 126 public ende s we e analysed
in de ail om his pe spec i e. The esul s show ha he occu ence o pa icula e o s is ela i ely
high, especially wi h ega d o he speci ica ion o he bill o quan i ies and he equi emen o include
e e ences o openly accessible p ice sys ems. Fu he mo e, e o s ela ing o he speci ica ion o he
quan i y o wo ks, uni s o measu emen and desc ip ions o cos i ems we e iden i ied as ha ing
he la ges impac on a p ojec . Findings p esen ed in his pape aim o highligh common e o s in
public ende documen s and aise awa eness o he need o imp o e hei quali y o ensu e legisla i e
compliance.
Keywo ds: bill o cos s, cons uc ion wo ks, e o , public p ocu emen , ende documen a ion
1MSc. Michal Mikulík, Facul y o Ci il Enginee ing, B no Uni e si y o Technology, 602 00 B no, Czech
Republic, e-mail: [email p o ec ed].cz, ORCID: 0000-0002-4284-1727
2Assoc. P o . MSc. Tomáš Hanák, Ph.D., Facul y o Ci il Enginee ing, B no Uni e si y o Technology, 602 00
B no, Czech Republic, e-mail: [email p o ec ed].cz, ORCID: 0000-0002-7820-6848
3Ph.D., Facul y o Ci il Enginee ing, B no Uni e si y o Technology, 602 00 B no, Czech Republic, e-mail:
aig[email p o ec ed].cz, ORCID: 0000-0001-5230-6667
612 M. MIKULÍK, T. HANÁK, P. AIGEL
1. In oduc ion
High complexi y and an ex ensi e scope o documen s a e ypical o cons uc ion
p ojec s. Nume ous labou -in ensi e p ocesses on he cons uc ion si e a e usually associ-
a ed wi h he use o cos ly esou ces and in ol emen o a ious pa icipan s [1] o which
he mos impo an a e he in es o and he con ac o . The in es o ’s chie in e es is o
ensu e he p ojec ’s success [2] in aspec s such as he cos , ime and quali y [3]. In o de
o p e en p ojec ailu e, a ious p ac ices can be adop ed and ac ions aken o secu e
pa icula bene i s. Fo example, good pa ne ing ela ions may b ing bene i s such as in
e ms o a educ ion in he ange o dispu es, imp o ed communica ion be ween p ojec
pa icipan s, inc eased clien sa is ac ion and educed exposu e o isk [4]. The o e all
managemen p ocess may be imp o ed by using ad anced in o ma ion and communica ion
echnologies [5] and cos -e icien solu ions should be suppo ed by li e-cycle cos consid-
e a ions [6]. F om his pe spec i e, he ea ly design s age is c ucial o any cons uc ion
p ojec . In his s age, mos key decisions a e made as se e al design p oposals may be
ou lined, e.g. wi h ega d o sus ainabili y [7]. The decisions a e made while conside ing
hei e ec s o a ious c i e ia such as cos and non-economic c i e ia [8]. The e o e, i is
i al o engage expe ienced pe sonnel wi h he aim o acili a ing highe quali y and mo e
e ec i e solu ions o he p ojec [9].
Wi h ega d o he ac ha cos s, oge he wi h ime and quali y, belong o c ucial
ac o s de e mining a p ojec ’s success, i is always impo an o be awa e o po en ial
inaccu acies in cos es ima ions. Acco ding o Akin oye and Fi zge ald [10], majo causes
o such inaccu acies include (1) poo p ac ical knowledge o he cons uc ion p ocesses on
he pa o cos es ima o s; (2) ime p essu e o p epa e cos es ima ions; (3) poo ende
documen a ion; and (4) subcon ac o s’ p ices a iabili y. This pape ocuses exclusi ely
on poin (3), i.e. he issue o e o s in ende documen a ion. Dosumu claims ha 68% o
he e o s in con ac documen a ion occu in adi ionally p ocu ed p ojec s [11]. Mo e
speci ically, esul s show he occu ence o he highes numbe e o s in d awings, ollowed
by bills o quan i ies and hen speci ica ions. As epo ed in [12] on he example o he
Uni ed Kingdom, apa om inaccu a e cos es ima es, poo documen a ion also leads o
claims and dispu es. Sho comings in he documen a ion we e connec ed o cla i ica ion,
missing and con lic ing in o ma ion, inadequa e speci ica ions, e o s and mis akes, as well
as so wa e obs acles.
De ailed in es iga ion o e o s in design documen a ion wi h ega d o public p ocu e-
men in Poland was conduc ed by Juszczyk e al. [13]. Thei esul s iden i ied he mos
equen e o s in echnical speci ica ions, namely: inco ec layou o he speci ica ion,
incompa ibili y o he speci ica ions wi h he s anda ds and o he documen s, copying ex s
om o he documen s, indica ion o speci ic p oduc s/b ands, missing equi emen s o
pa icula elemen s and unclea /imp ecise wo ding. In an example o a mining megap o-
jec , nume ous e o s and omissions (such as inco ec o inconsis en labelling) we e
iden i ied as an obs acle hinde ing he enginee s’ abili y o in e p e in o ma ion included
in he ende documen s co ec ly [14].
ERRORS IN THE LIST OF WORKS, SUPPLIES AND SERVICES. . . 613
I was epo ed ha he use o quali y cos ing da abases [15] and s anda dised doc-
umen a ion suppo s he quali y and cohe ence o ende documen a ion [16]. F om his
pe spec i e, c ea ion o na ional echnical egula ions and s anda ds has been sugges ed
o use in p epa ing ende documen a ion in Mon eneg o [17]. Simila p oblems can also
be ound in he EU. In Poland, o example, acili y demoli ion p ojec s usually only ha e
an incomple e pape documen a ion. Consequen ly, was e amoun es ima ion equi es ime
consuming analysis on he si e [18]. I has been highligh ed in [19] ha a comple e ech-
nical documen a ion is among impo an ac o s e lec ing quali y managemen issues in
cons uc ion p ojec s. As design e o s a e di e se in na u e and se e i y [20], good commu-
nica ion be ween designe s and con ac o s is impe a i e o he success ul implemen a ion
o he p ojec [21]. All e o s should be communica ed adequa ely [22] as he numbe o
e o s could be educed by lea ning and knowing [20]. In his way i , may be possible o
dec ease he le el o unce ain y ega ding ende d awings, speci ica ions and he scope
o wo ks [23].
The p esen ed e iew o a ailable li e a u e sugges s ha he occu ence o e o s
in ende documen a ion can ha e signi ican consequences o a cons uc ion p ojec ’s
success. The main aim o his pape is o con ibu e o he cu en body o knowledge in
he in es iga ed a ea and in pa icula o explo e issues ela ed o d awing up he lis o
wo ks, supplies and se ices in ci il enginee ing p ojec s, which is a pa o he ende
documen a ion in public wo ks ende s in he Czech Republic.
2. Ma e ials and me hods
Acco ding o applicable Czech legisla ion, each p ojec implemen ed by a s anda d,
public o sec o al con ac ing au ho i y mus comply wi h ce ain condi ions. This legisla-
ion includes in pa icula Ac No. 134/2016 Coll., on public p ocu emen [24] ( he Public
P ocu emen Ac ), and implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll., on speci ica ion o he
scope o documen a ion in public wo ks con ac s and o he lis o wo ks, supplies and
se ices wi h a bill o quan i ies [25].
As was emphasised in Sec ion 1, despi e he s a u o y de ini ions o wha a ende p o-
cedu e o a public con ac should look like and wha he legal condi ions and assessmen
p ocedu es a e, i is a e y complex p ocess whe e e o s can easily occu . The isk o e o s
inc eases wi h he lack o expe ience and knowledge o he echnical p ojec documen s
issued by he con ac ing au ho i y.
2.1. De ining he da ase
I is impo an o men ion ha a ious con ac p ocu emen me hods may be used
o cons uc ion p ojec s. These in ol e, among o he s, he Design-Bid-Build (DBB) and
Design-Build (DB) me hods as he wo p incipal p ojec deli e y sys ems used in many
coun ies [26]. Whe e he DB me hod is used, he esponsibili y o p ojec documen a ion
es s wi h he con ac o . In his me hod, he con ac ing au ho i y de ines he pu pose,
614 M. MIKULÍK, T. HANÁK, P. AIGEL
scope, s anda ds and o he pe o mance c i e ia which he building mus mee ; documen s
used o a building pe mi and he con ac ing au ho i y’s s anda ds usually se e as he
basis o he documen a ion [27]. By i s na u e, he DB me hod does no equi e a lis o
wo ks unde implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll. [25]; he e o e, only DBB public
ende s we e included in he analysis p esen ed in his pape . The da ase con ains public
ende s implemen ed in he pe iod o 2016–2020 (i.e., om he da e when he implemen ing
dec ee came in o e ec ). To be included, each con ac had o:
– be publicly accessible;
– conce n cons uc ion wo ks, speci ically in he a ea o ci il enginee ing;
– ha e he expec ed alue publicly a ailable;
– ha e he p ojec documen a ion publicly a ailable;
– ha e he lis o wo ks, supplies and se ices publicly a ailable.
Technical in as uc u e p ojec s we e excluded om he da ase . Also excluded we e
hose con ac s which did no include a published alue o he public con ac and p ojec
documen a ion.
2.2. De ini ion o e o s
The mos equen e o s associa ed wi h he lis o wo ks, supplies and se ices,
can be di ided in o se e al ca ego ies: (1) addi ional wo k – wo k ha is necessa y o
comple e he con ac despi e exceeding he con ac ualscope;(2) subs an i e e o s –e o s
caused by ina en ion o igno ance on he pa o he employee esponsible o d awing up
he lis o wo ks, supplies and se ices (quan i y su eyo ), o example an omission o
i ems, use o inco ec p ocedu e o calcula e quan i ies, and e o s in addi ion; (3) p ojec
documen a ion e o s; and (4) e o s linked o implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll.
The quali y o p ojec documen a ion is one o he ac o s in luencing he quali y o
he budge . Ideally, he documen a ion should be submi ed wi hou e o s a a le el which
allows implemen a ion o he p ojec (selec ion o he con ac o ) and include all lis s,
speci ica ions, d awings and epo s, which also co espond o each o he . The less pe ec
he p ojec , he mo e e o i akes o d aw up he bill o quan i ies and he highe he
subsequen e o a e. I is o en he case ha he in es o needs o know he budge based
on he building pe mi documen a ion. This documen a ion is signi ican ly less de ailed and
i can hus easily lead o omissions in he budge o a di e en assessmen by he quan i y
su eyo .
An e o linked o implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll. means a con lic wi h he
basic legisla i e equi emen s. Mee ing he equi emen unde his implemen ing dec ee
is manda o y o all public con ac s. Non-compliance wi h one o mo e o i s p o isions
can lead o addi ional ques ions du ing he selec ion p ocedu e, delays, cu s in subsidies o
e en cancella ion o he ende .
2.3. Iden i ica ion o e o s and hei impo ance
In each con ac , o mo e p ecisely in each o he indi idual lis s, he co espondence o
he da a wi h he equi emen unde implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll. was s udied
ERRORS IN THE LIST OF WORKS, SUPPLIES AND SERVICES. . . 615
in de ail (see Table 1). The absolu e equency o indi idual e o s was s udied, whe e
each lis was assigned a alue – “0” o lis s con aining no e o s and “1” o lis s wi h
e o s. The equency o e o s was checked o he en i e da ase and also in subdi isions
acco ding o he ype o cons uc ion wo ks. The occu ence o e o s analysis was also
conduc ed ch onologically, ha is o each yea wi hin he 2016–2020 pe iod.
Table 1. Requi emen s unde implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll. o he lis o wo ks, supplies
and se ices
Sec ion o he dec ee Legisla i e equi emen (cause o e o )
Sec ion 2 Lis should be p epa ed based on he cons uc ion documen s
Sec ion 4 Budge s uc u e co esponds o he p ojec s uc u e
Sec ion 5
Lis i ems unambiguously de ine he con en s o he i em, bu he business
name o o he limi a ions acco ding o Ac No. 134/2016 Coll. a e no
indica ed
Sec ion 6 The i em includes:
Sec ion 6(a) Se ial numbe
Sec ion 6(b) P ice sys em
Sec ion 6(c) I em code
Sec ion 6(d) I em desc ip ion
Sec ion 6(e) Uni o measu emen
Sec ion 6( ) Quan i y
Sec ion 6(g) Bill o quan i ies wi h espec o he indica ed amoun
Sec ion 7
The bill o quan i ies con ains unambiguous e e ence o he ele an pa
o he documen a ion and a e i ied calcula ion. Bill o quan i ies which is
iden ical o a numbe o i ems, can be indica ed by simple e e ence o he
p eceding i em/bill o quan i ies
Sec ions 8, 9 and 10 Ancilla y and o he cos s a e de ined
Sec ion 11 P ice sys em is indica ed and eely accessible
Sec ion 12
An elec onic lis o wo ks, supplies and se ices is in an open o ma o
use in a ious budge ing so wa e ools. Consis en appea ance o he lis o
wo ks, supplies and se ices ac oss he en i e p ojec
Besides he equency o e o s, opinions ega ding he impo ance o he impac he
indi idual e o s had on he success ul implemen a ion o he cons uc ion p ojec we e
collec ed om 23 expe s. They e alua ed he e o s on he scale om 1 (leas impo an ) o
6 (mos impo an ). Es ablishing bo h aspec s o he p oblem, i.e., he equency o e o s
and hei ac ual impac , allowed an e alua ion o he impo ance o he indi idual ypes o
e o s in e ms o hei impac on cons uc ion p ojec s.
P ice sys em (Sec ion 6(b)) ep esen s and o ganized se o in o ma ion on cons uc ion
and assembly wo ks, ma e ials and p oduc s con aining e.g. he classi ica ion o i ems,

616 M. MIKULÍK, T. HANÁK, P. AIGEL
de ailed desc ip ion o i ems, uni o measu emen and de e mines uni p ice. In he Czech
cons uc ion p ac ice, he e a e wo mos common p ice sys ems ha di e om each o he ,
he e o e i is c ucial o indica e which one is used. Each p ice sys em is using i s own i em
codes and desc ip ions.
3. Resul s and discussion
3.1. Basic desc ip ion o he da ase
In o al, documen s om 126 public ende s ha e been collec ed o his s udy. The se
o public ende s con ains 613 indi idually analysed lis s o wo ks, supplies and se ices.
Mo e in o ma ion abou he da ase can be ound in Table 2(inclusi e o public ende
alues).
Table 2. In oduc ion o he da ase
Desc ip ion Amoun /Value Uni o measu emen
Numbe o con ac s 126 Se
Numbe o indi idual lis s 613 Amoun /Value
A e age con ac p ice 34,776,397.70 CZK excl. VAT
Maximum con ac p ice 108,578,240.00 CZK excl. VAT
Minimum con ac p ice 5,213,310.10 CZK excl. VAT
To al p ice o all con ac s analysed 4,381,826,114.50 CZK excl. VAT
3.2. F equency o e o s in public ende s
Acco ding o he p ocedu e desc ibed abo e in Sec ion 2.3, public ende s we e analysed
in signi ican de ail. Figu e 1shows he o al numbe o all lis s con aining e o s b oken
down by he indi idual equi emen s o implemen ing dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll.
The mos equen e o was he missing bill o quan i ies and e e ences o he ele an
pa o he documen a ion (i.e., non-compliance wi h Sec ions 6 and 7 o implemen ing
dec ee No. 169/2016 Coll.). O he e y equen e o s consis ed in he non-speci ica ion o
he p ice sys em unde Sec ion 11 and inconsis en appea ance ac oss all he lis s included
in he pa icula con ac unde Sec ion 12. Among he o he equi emen s unde he
implemen ing dec ee, e o s mos o en conce ned Sec ion 2, whe e 116 o 613 lis s we e
no p epa ed in acco dance wi h he ende documen s p esc ibed by he implemen ing
dec ee, and Sec ion 6(c), whe e p ice sys em codes we e missing. Only negligible numbe
o e o s (4 ins ances) we e ound wi h espec o Sec ion 4 and Sec ion 6(e), no e o s
we e ound wi h ega d o Sec ion 6(d) and ( ) (i em desc ip ion and amoun , espec i ely).
ERRORS IN THE LIST OF WORKS, SUPPLIES AND SERVICES. . . 617
116
425 26
82
040
465
508
67
379
256
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
§2 §4 §5 §6
–
a §6
–
c §6
–
d §6
–
e §6
–
§6
–
g §7 §8, §9, §10 §11 §12
Fig. 1. To al numbe o lis s con aining e o s acco ding o indi idual equi emen s
o he implemen ing dec ee [28]
Figu e 2p o ides de ailed ela i e dis ibu ion o e o s om he pe spec i e o he
di e en ypes o wo ks (hea ing (T1), a chi ec u al and cons uc ion echnical design
(T2), ligh -cu en a da a dis ibu ion sys ems (T3), elec ical i ings (T4), ins umen a ion
and con ol (T5), ai -handling equipmen (T6), sani a y ins alla ions – sewe age, wa e , gas
(T7). The esul s indica e ha he e a e no signi ican di e ences be ween indi idual ypes
o wo ks (T2–T7) in e ms o he equency o e o s, excep o ca ego y T1 (hea ing).
Hea ing shows clea ly and signi ican ly lowe occu ence o e o s conce ning equi emen s
unde Sec ion 6 (c) and (g), Sec ion 7 and Sec ion 11. This can be explained by wo
in e ela ed causes. The i s is he ela i ely small numbe o quan i y su eyo s who a e
capable o p epa ing he budge o pa s o he han hea ing (T1). Budge s a e usually d awn
up by he designe s o he indi idual pa s (sani a y- echnical ins alla ions, ai -handling
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
§2 §4 §5 §6
–
a §6
–
c §6
–
d §6
–
e §6
–
§6
–
g §7 §8, §9, §10 §11 §12
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7
Fig. 2. The ela i e dis ibu ion o e o s acco ding o indi idual equi emen s o he implemen ing
dec ee b oken down acco ding o he di e en ypes o wo ks
618 M. MIKULÍK, T. HANÁK, P. AIGEL
equipmen e c.), o he so wa e design ool hey use au oma ically gene a es a lis o
ma e ials and hey mis akenly belie e his lis cons i u es a budge . The lack o knowledge
o he implemen ing dec ee, calcula ion me hods and p icing hus o en subsequen ly leads
o he occu ence o e o s in he lis . Ano he explana ion lies in he missing i ems in he
ele an p ice sys em. As was he case in he i s cause, he e is a ela i ely low numbe o
da abase-calcula ed i ems associa ed wi h he p ice sys em.
3.3. Analysis o he occu ence o e o s om a empo al pe spec i e
The ollow-up analysis was ocused on he p og ession o he o al numbe o e o s in
he da ase o e he e iewed pe iod. Speci ically, i e alua ed he a e age numbe o all
e o s in a lis o each indi idual yea in he 2016–2020 pe iod. The esul s a e p o ided
in Figu e 3.
4.9
4.2
3.5
3.7 3.5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Fig. 3. A e age numbe o all e o s in a lis o e he e iewed pe iod
Figu e 3clea ly shows a dec easing end in he numbe o all e o s in indi idual lis s
be ween 2016 and 2018. This dec ease can be a ibu ed o he ac ha he implemen ing
dec ee became e ec i e only in 2016. Hence, esponsible pe sons did no ha e su icien
expe ience wi h he new equi emen sand,consequen ly, he numbe o e o swas ela i ely
high in 2016 (4.9). La e on, wi h inc easing amilia i y and p ac ical expe ience, he
numbe o e o s con inuously dec eased o 4.2 and 3.5 in 2017 and 2018, espec i ely.
Fo he las wo yea s o he e iewed pe iod, he numbe o e o s has s abilised a alues
be ween 3.5 and 3.7.
Fu he mo e, i seems ha despi e se e al yea s o expe ience, he “na u al” numbe
o e o s in he ende documen a ion is equal o app oxima ely 3.6 pe lis . Hence, i is
impo an o aise awa eness o he p ac ical need o ensu e egula checks sepa a ely o
each p ojec . I checklis s a e used app op ia ely, a u he educ ion in he e o a e could
be achie ed.
ERRORS IN THE LIST OF WORKS, SUPPLIES AND SERVICES. . . 619
3.4. Impo ance o e o s
Table 3shows he impo ance o e o s in e ms o impac on a success ul implemen-
a ion o a cons uc ion p ojec . The da a show he a e age alue assigned by 23 expe s,
whe e 1 was he minimum alue and 6 was he maximum.
Table 3. Impo ance o e o s
E o sec ion
designa ion Sec. 2 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6
(a)
Sec. 6
(b)
Sec. 6
(c)
Sec. 6
(d)
Impo ance 4.86 4.65 4.82 2.73 3.62 3.38 5.13
E o sec ion
designa ion
Sec. 6
(e)
Sec . 6
( )
Sec. 6
(g) Sec. 7
Sec. 8,
9 and
10
Sec.
11
Sec.
12
Impo ance 5.17 5.61 4.68 3.61 4.43 3.41 3.65
Th ee e o s in he se we e judged e y impo an in e ms o hei po en ial impac
and we e assigned alues o 5.61, 5.17 and 5.13 (Sec ion 6( ) – amoun ; Sec ion 6(e) –
uni o measu emen , Sec ion 6 (d) – i em desc ip ion). Only one e o was conside ed less
signi ican (Sec ion 6(a) wi h a alue o 2.73); o he e o s we e judged o be o medium
impo ance anging om 3 o 5. Howe e , i is e y impo an o conside he e o s in
e ms o hei ela i e occu ence and impac when aken oge he . Resul s a e shown in
Figu e 4.
Fig. 4. Impo ance o e o s