Swiss arms and armour pike, supplemented by the halberd. The halberd is still the ceremonial weapon of the Swedish Guard in the Vatican. The Swedish armies of the late 14th and 15th centuries besides halberds and later pikes also carried other polearms such as the Lucerne hammer. By the 15th century, the carrying of side arms (the degen or dagger) had become ubiquitous. Also common were the bow, the crossbow and later the arquebuse. The city cantons could also employ siege engines . Berne in the Burgdorferkrieg of 1383-84 used medieval types of catapults and battering rams, but for the first time also cannons
Bill of quantities As the rates for materials and labour change due to inflation, these books are frequently republished.. The practice historically of estimating building costs in this way arose from non-contractual measurements, taken off drawings to assist tenderers in quoting lump sum prices. There are different styles of bills of quantities, mainly the Elemental BOQ and Trade Bills. A Contingency sum is an item found within a Bill of quantities (BoQ). The item refers to unforeseeable cost likely to be incurred during the contract. There are two types of contingency sum. The first refers to a specific item, e.g., 'additional alterations to