What's New in RACER™ 2008
(Version 10.0.2)

Users who are already familiar with previous versions of RACER should be aware of several important changes in functionality.

If your prior estimates contain any of the updated technologies listed in the "Updated Technologies" section, you may want to document assemblies you have deleted, added or modified in your estimates prior to installing RACER 2008 or upgrading your existing estimates. This may facilitate revision of your work after upgrading or importing it to RACER 2008 because assemblies will not be preserved for these technology models.

It is recommended that you run the Template Compactor utility to remove all preferences that are not used in your estimates. The utility is not available in RACER 2008. In RACER 2008 you will still be able to delete unused templates individually.

Additionally, you may want to document your user-defined Markup Templates. The Markup Template preference for RACER 2008 has been significantly revised. During upgrade and import of estimates into RACER 2008, the markup template selected for each phase will be set to System Defaults. No user-defined markup templates will be upgraded or imported. Prior to creating new user-defined markup templates, it is recommended that you review the new System Defaults markup template and markup procedure to determine whether it addresses the reasons for which you created user-defined markup templates in your RACER 2006 or RACER 2007 estimates.

If you want to revise a Markup Template, select an alternate Markup Template for each estimate that uses the template. You can edit the template when it is no longer in use and then re-apply it to the desired estimates.

If you upgrade or import prior estimates, assemblies you have edited or created in the Assembly Cost Database will be brought into RACER 2008 as they were previously defined. You may want to review those assemblies to determine whether a portion of the cost should be distributed between the material portion and the new sub bid portion of the total. You can easily find edited and user-defined assemblies by running the Assembly Cost Database Preference report.

If you have already installed RACER 2008 on your machine and decide to reinstall your previous version of RACER, please contact the RACER help line for assistance.

Main Screen

• Shows direct and marked up costs at each level

• File menu includes recently used databases

• File menu includes "Save As" and "Copy Database"

Database

• Updated assembly prices

• Updated area cost factors

• Updated per diem rates

• Updated escalation fact

• Redefined assembly 17030418 Delivered & Dumped Backfill with Stone, which is used in Excavation, UST Closure/Removal and models using the Trenching mini-model (Bioventing, Oil/Water Separation, Storage Tank Installation, Soil Vapor Extraction, Trenching/Piping and In Situ Biodegradation (Saturated Zone))

• Redefined analytical templates. For any model that uses one or more of the redefined analytical templates, parameters will be imported and upgraded, but no costs will be brought into RACER 2008. The user must re-run the model to calculate costs. During import and upgrade, a log file showing the locations of each such estimate will be created and displayed

Preferences

• Screens

• Comments fields added to Location Modifiers, Safety Levels, Productivity, Markup Template, Analysis Rate, Analytical Template, Professional Labor Rate and Professional Labor Template screens
• Default values added to screens for Level Names, Safety Level, Productivity screens
• Assembly Cost Database screen reorganized and simplified
• Assembly Cost Database screen shows both System and Modified System costs
• Professional Labor Templates screen reorganized and simplified
• Only assemblies with material costs but no labor or equipment costs can be selected for new Analysis Rate Groups. Existing Analysis Rate Groups that include other assemblies will remain as they are

• Reports

• New report including all preferences
• Accessed from main reports menu (instead of individual screens)
• Comments included on reports for Location Modifiers, Safety Levels, Productivity, Markup Template, Analysis Rate, Analytical Template, Professional Labor Rate and Professional Labor Template
• System rate added to reports for Analysis Rates and Professional Labor Rates
• O&M Runtime Percent removed from the Level 3 (Phase) Technology Detail report (with and without markups), the Technology Detail report (with and without markups) and the DD Form 1391 report as runtime percentages will already be accounted for in the costs

• Revised System Default Markup Template

• Reviewed how markups are applied to assembly 33010101 Mobilize/Demobilize Drilling Rig & Crew

• Added new EPA analytical templates

Help File

• Defined Ordnance (Residual)

Phase Screen

• Added a new media type in the Primary and Secondary Media dropdown lists on all Phase level screens for Building or Wipe Sample for use with D&D Sampling.

• Revised the RA Wizard

Technologies

• Added Select All and Deselect All buttons to the following technologies:

• Corrective Measures Study
• D&D Conduit, Pipe & Ductwork
• D&D Final Status Survey
• D&D Rad Contaminated Building
• D&D Specialty Process Equipment
• MEC Institutional Controls
• MEC Monitoring
• MEC Sifting
• MEC Site Characterization & Removal Assessment
• UXO Active Range Clearance Planning
• D&D, Removal, Attached Hazardous Materials
• D&D Site Characterization Survey
• Feasibility Study
• Five-Year Review
• MEC Archives Search Report
• Petroleum UST Site Assessment
• Preliminary Assessment
• Restoration Advisory Board
• Resurfacing Roadways/Parking Lots
• Site Close-Out Documentation
• Site Inspection
• MEC Removal Action
• RCRA Facility Investigation
• Remedial Investigation

• Re-Engineered the following technologies:

• Capping
• D&D, Contaminated Building Materials
• D&D, Surface Decontamination
• Excavation
• Feasibility Study
• In Situ Biodegredation
• Monitoring
• Operations & Maintenance
• Off-Site Transportation & Disposal
• Professional Labor Management
• Remedial Investigation
• Residual Waste Management
• UST Closure & Removal

For these models, parameters will be imported and upgraded, but no costs will be brought into RACER 2008. The user must re-run the model to calculate costs. During import and upgrade, a log file showing the locations of each such estimate will be created and displayed. This also applies to the Slurry Walls technology if the wall is “long” and to the Ex Situ Bioreactors technology if no heating is selected.

• New Well Abandonment technology

• Added the option of whether to use a trailer-mounted feed tank or a new stationary tank in the In Situ Biodegradation technology

• Revised the calculation for assembly 33060310 Slurry Mixing in the Slurry Walls technology.

• Revised the Ex-situ Bioreactors technology so that users have the option of heating the influent stream

Army Interface Utility

• Encrypted export files

• Revised handling of the Site Inspection technology

• Added validation to prevent export if any technology has not been run to cost.

Import/Export

• Database problems are logged when upgrading or importing existing estimates. The problems that are logged, if found, are incorrect Design (percent method) costs, marked up costs in consecutive years in the MEC Monitoring and Five-Year Review technologies and costs for assembly 33231826 in the Site Closeout Documentation technology that do not agree with the Well Abandonment parameter.

• Assemblies are included when Analysis Rates and Professional Labor Rates are exported.

• User cannot deselect Cost Database if Analysis Rates, Professional Labor Rates and/or Analytical Templates are being imported.

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