Alena Gabel, one of Alberici’s interns, continues to share her experiences working with Alberici’s estimating group.
These first two weeks of my internship have been both exciting and very informative. I have gotten a glimpse into Alberici as a company and how we operate from sitting in on meetings and talking with employees. I have to say, one of the best benefits is the $2.00 lunch that we get every day at headquarters!
As far as estimating goes, I have gained a lot of knowledge already. I am learning about how to do quantity take-offs from documents and also how to use a special program to predict the unit costs of certain items. Quantity take-offs are done using a software similar to Autocad where you import drawings and then categorize certain element amounts like concrete, steel, floor tile, or acoustical ceiling tile. These amounts are documented in the program and can be exported for whatever purposes necessary in the estimating process.
One of the best experiences I have had so far was getting to help with and experience the bid submittal process for the MoDOT Missouri River Bridge project. I really wanted to see the process behind Alberici bidding as a general contractor and I was surprised that I got to see it within my first week of work! Nonetheless, I couldn’t believe how fast-paced and hectic everything was at the end of last week. It seemed as if every minute leading up to the bid submittal was crucial. From receiving the subcontractor bids to putting the final number together, the process was so exciting to watch!
I’m definitely looking forward to learning so much more here in the next few weeks of my internship and I can’t wait to share it!
Check back for more updates from our interns throughout the summer. In case you missed it, you can read Alena’s first blog entry here.