An integrated BIM-based approach for cost estimation in construction projects

Abstract

PurposeAnalyzing different scenarios at the design stage of construction projects has always been a challenging task. One of the main parameters that helps owners in making better decisions in designing their buildings is to look after the cost perspective on different design scenarios. Thus, this study aims to propose a semi-automated BIM-based cost estimation approach that enables practitioners to estimate the cost of projects based on different design scenarios by an accurate and agile system.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes an integrated framework, through which the cost estimation standard of Iran (FehrestBaha) is linked to the materials quantity take-offs (QTO) from BIM models. The performance of the system is based on connecting the classification standards of UniFormat and MasterFormat to the cost estimation standard of FehrestBaha. A BIM-based extension in the Revit environment is developed to automate the cost estimation process.FindingsTo evaluate the efficiency of the proposed approach in cost estimation, it is implemented to estimate the cost of the architectural discipline in a real construction project. The results indicate that the proposed BIM-based approach estimated the cost of the architectural discipline with an acceptable level of accuracy.Practical implicationsThe proposed approach could be used by practitioners to have an agile and accurate BIM-based cost estimation of different scenarios during design process. The semi-automated system considerably reduces the time of cost estimation in comparison to the traditional manual approaches, particularly in complex structures. Owners are able to easily trace changes in project cost according to any changes in components and materials of the BIM model. Furthermore, the proposed approach provides a practical roadmap for BIM-based cost estimation based on cost estimation standards in different countries.Originality/valueUnlike the traditional manual cost estimation approaches, the proposed BIM-based approach is not highly dependent on the knowledge of experienced estimators, which therefore facilitates its implementation. Furthermore, automating both QTO process and the required calculations in this approach increases the accuracy of cost estimation while decreasing the probability of human errors or omission occurrence.

Managing Cost and Schedule Evaluation of a Construction Project via BIM Technology and Experts’ Points of View

“…Also, it was found that the manual and numerical results are greatly approximate to each other, but the results of the REVIT software are more accurate due to the accuracy in the modeling and the few personal mistake in calculating quantities manually. The results of this study are consistent with the results of references [9][10][11][12][13][14][15], who carried out a study analyzing the influential role of project management in estimating the cost and schedule of construction projects and found that using modern project management techniques, like BIM principles and REVIT software could significantly reduce the time, effort, and cost to estimate the construction project's cost and schedule and could achieve better accuracy and performance of the estimation process.…”

“…It includes the model components and the considerable amount of information that goes into the project, and the method for sharing it with other engaged parties. Whereas previous workflows relied on multiple file formats and disconnected processes that quickly became out of sync when changes were made, BIM workflows allow for a much more dynamic and synchronized approach to project management [9][10][11][12][13]. Dao [14] executed a research analysis through which the critical role and major contributions of BIM technology and modern project management methods were investigated.…”

A knowledge model-based BIM framework for automatic code-compliant quantity take-off

“…Bečvarovská and Matějka [18] concluded that time is saved and errors are reduced after applying BIM, based on a case study comparing BIM-based QTO and traditional methods. By using BIM models, quantities can be automatically generated and linked with cost information to enable a quick and flexible cost estimation process [19,20]. Leveraging BIM and ontology techniques, Lee et al [21] automatically obtained quantities and associated them with work items to generate bills of quantities.…”

Framework for (semi) automatised construction specification and quantity takeoff in the context of small and medium architectural design offices

“…BIM-based workflows for construction specifications are intrinsic to QTO and have the classification system as their backbone [26,27]. They rely on long-term standardised content, continuously managed over time to drive digital specification information for their intended purpose.…”