Resident Project Representative Office Responsibilities 39

Field Cost
Case Type Classification Administrative/ Clerical Work Inspection Index*
Management (FCI)

FIGURE 3.8. Comparison of Field Cost Benefits by Effective Utilization of a Field Clerk.

and Case 4: One Resident Engineer, clerk, and inspector at

R = pay rate for each respective field classification the site
Re, Rc and Ri = pay rates for the Resident Engineer, Ie Re + Ii Ri
clerk, and inspector, respectively FCI =
Re + Ri + Rc
The FCIs in the following examples were based upon
(0.65 * 58.00) + (0.95 * 29.00)
the assumption of the billing rates listed below for the Resi- =
dent Engineer, clerk, and inspector. The index may vary 58.00 + 29.00 + 18.00
slightly depending upon the relative costs in other firms. The = 0.62 ( good)
higher the FCI value, the greater the savings. Then, by comparing the FCI values, it can be seen that if
To apply this principle to a numerical example, assume two persons were assigned to a field office, there would be an
the following field billing rates for the Resident Engineer, approximate 30 percent cost savings by utilizing a clerk as the
inspector, and clerk, respectively: second member of the field staff instead of an inspector, while
Re = 58.00 per hour providing approximately 88 percent of the total inspection
R i = 29.00 per hour hours that would have been available with an inspector.
Rc = 18.00 per hour As evidenced by the increase in the FCI through the use
of a clerk at the project site, a significant cost savings can be
Then, based upon the work distribution percentages achieved, while at the same time more technical expertise in
indicated in Figure 3.8, we can calculate the following cases. construction is made available on-site without added cost. A
valuable benefit is the fact that not only is field morale
Case 1: One Resident Engineer on-site only increased, but also project documentation is usually better
and more consistent. Thus, in case of claims, the owner and
Ie Re 0.20 * 58.0
FCI = = = 0.20 architect/engineer are better protected.
Re 58.0 The chart in Figure 3.7 provides a general guideline for
Case 2: One Resident Engineer plus one inspector at the assignment of field personnel to a project similar in com-
the site plexity to a wastewater treatment plant or plant addition. It
must be emphasized, however, that project cost alone is not
Ie Re + Ii Ri an indication of the level of field staffing required, and that
FCI =
Re + Ri each case must be examined upon its merits. Staffing require-
(0.05 * 58.00 ) + (0.75 * 29.00) ments for construction field offices will vary significantly
= depending upon the type of project, the number of areas in
58.00 + 29.00
which the contractor will be working, the number of separate
= 0.28 (low) activities being concurrently pursued by the contractor, the
type of construction contract (multiple prime, fast-track,
Case 3: One Resident Engineer plus one clerk at the etc.), and the complexity of the project. The average distribu-
site tion of field costs under different staffing arrangements can
be compared graphically in the chart in Figure 3.9.
Ie Re 0.70 * 58.00
FCI = = = 0.53 ( good) The Resident Project Representative is the highest-paid
Re + Rc 58.00 + 18.00 member of the field team of the owner or architect/engineer,