developments in cost estimating and scheduling in bim ...835/fulltext.pdf · northeastern...

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Thesis Title: Developments in Cost Estimating and Scheduling in BIM technology Author: Xinan Jiang Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering Approved for Thesis Requirement of the Master of Science Degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering Thesis Advisor (Professor Ali Touran) Date Thesis Reader (Professor Asli Pelin Gurgun) Date Department Chair (Professor Jerome F. Hajjar) Date Graduate School Notified of Acceptance Director of the Graduate School Date

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DEVELOPMENTS IN COST ESTIMATING AND SCHEDULING IN BIM

TECHNOLOGY

A Thesis Presented

by

Xinan Jiang

to

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Science

in

Civil & Environmental Engineering

in the field of

Construction Engineering & Management

Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts

August 2011

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Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 3

List of Figures ................................................................................................................ 5

List of Tables .................................................................................................................. 5

Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 7

1.1 What is BIM? ....................................................................................................... 8

1.2 Current and Projected Status of BIM ................................................................... 9

Chapter 2 Background ................................................................................................. 12

2.1 BIM Capabilities ................................................................................................ 12

2.2 BIM Tools ........................................................................................................... 25

2.3 BIM Application Areas ....................................................................................... 30

Chapter 3 BIM and Construction Management ........................................................... 33

3.1 Project Scheduling in BIM ................................................................................. 33

3.2 Cost Estimating in BIM ...................................................................................... 42

3.3 Dealing with Electronic and Paper-based CAD Drawings ................................. 47

Chapter 4: A Case Study using BIM ............................................................................ 50

4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 50

4.2 Cost Estimating .................................................................................................. 53

4.3 Construction Scheduling .................................................................................... 58

4.3 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 63

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Future Work .................................................................... 64

5.1 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 64

5.2 Future Work ........................................................................................................ 64

References .................................................................................................................... 70

Appendices ................................................................................................................... 77

Appendix 1 Floor Plans of the Building Model ....................................................... 77

Appendix 2 RS Means .............................................................................................. 79

Appendix 3 Interface of Autodesk Quantity Takeoff™ 2011 ................................... 81

Appendix 4 Quantity Takeoff List ............................................................................ 82

Appendix 5 Interface of Autodesk Revit Architecture™ 2011 ................................ 84

Appendix 6 Interfaces of Autodesk Navisworks™ 2011 ......................................... 85

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Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an emerging technology in Architecture,

Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM is a computable representation of

building and its related information, which provides a virtual view of the objects in

the building with physical geometry (2D or 3D) and other functional parameters.

Compared to parametric models in CAD, the object-based parametric models in BIM

represent the objects by both physical and functional parameters. Diverse BIM tools

such as Autodesk Revit Architecture™, ArchiCAD™, Bentley Architecture™, etc.

have been widely adopted within AEC industry in design/modeling, construction

energy analysis, clash detection, construction scheduling and cost estimating.

In this thesis, diverse BIM tools and applications have been introduced with an

emphasis on construction scheduling and cost estimating. Two approaches for 4D

scheduling in BIM have been presented: i) BIM tools with 4D capacity, and ii) use of

4D BIM tool to link the 3D BIM model with the project schedule. For the cost

estimating capability, three types of available methods have been discussed: i) export

the Quantity Takeoff (QTO) list from the BIM tool to the estimating software such as

MS Excel, ii) link BIM components to estimating software, and iii) use QTO tool to

extract the QTO list from the model. Based on the available methods, a case study is

presented to illustrate the scheduling and cost estimating processes in BIM based on

the BIM model of a three-story training facility.

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The case study shows that BIM does enhance the traditional scheduling and cost

estimating methods with a more reliable and automated technology. Based on the

reviews on BIM and the case study, the thesis finds out that there are three areas of

potential development in the future: i) higher levels of detail (LOD) in BIM model

will be available as BIM technology develops, ii) linking time and cost parameters

concurrently to BIM components in the building model to deliver a scheduled

financial analysis, and iii) allocation of resources on 4D BIM model to analyze and

plan the resource usage based on the most updated design, and even simulate the

resource allocation.

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List of Figures

Figure 1 Lifecycle of a building ................................................................................................ 8

Figure 2 Market growth in BIM use on projects ..................................................................... 10

Figure 3 The elevation view of an office building in CAD ..................................................... 14

Figure 4 The elevation view of an office building in Revit Architecture™ 2011 ................... 16

Figure 5 The interface of Revitcity for downloading object models ....................................... 17

Figure 6 Percentages of market share of BIM tools which are used by construction firms .... 26

Figure 7 The phasing function in Revit Architecture 2011 ..................................................... 38

Figure 8 The objects are linked with the defined phases in Revit Architecture 2011 ............. 38

Figure 9 The flowchart of 4D scheduling process .................................................................. 40

Figure 10 Snapshot of a 4D software interface showing how schedule is connected to object

......................................................................................................................................... 42

Figure 11 Generation of BIM model from paper drawing using Dprofiler ............................. 49

Figure 12 The training facility model in Munich, Germany ................................................... 50

Figure 13 Export the building model from Revit Architecture into Autodesk™ QTO ........... 54

Figure 14 The QTO list has been generated by Autodesk™ QTO 2011 ................................. 55

Figure 15 The QTO list shown in excel with the cost data added ........................................... 56

Figure 16 Tasks are defined directly in Autodesk™ Navisworks 2011................................... 59

Figure 17 Tasks are shown in gantt view ................................................................................ 60

Figure 18 Three gantt chart views can be selected based on the user’s preference ................. 60

Figure 19 The interfaces of Autodesk Navisworks™ of 4D Scheduling in BIM .................... 62

Figure 20 Overall layout for the proposed financial analysis by integrating cost and schedule

......................................................................................................................................... 68

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List of Tables

Table 1 Common exchange formats in AEC applications ....................................................... 22

Table 2 LOD definitions .......................................................................................................... 24

Table 3 BIM software- scheduling tools ................................................................................. 40

Table 4 Plug-in tools for cost estimation ................................................................................. 45

Table 5 Software list—quantity takeoff tools .......................................................................... 46

Table 6 Software tools to convert CAD drawing to BIM model ............................................. 48

Table 7 Model cost calculated for a 2-4 story office building ............................................... 57

Table 8 Comparison between MS Project™ and Autodesk Navisworks™ ............................ 69

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Chapter 1 Introduction

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an emerging technology throughout the

world in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. BIM

technology provides users with accurate and consistent building data and information,

accommodates the functions needed to model the building and provides a virtual view

of the building model. Building Information models are also increasingly used by

diverse stakeholders during the project lifecycle such as Owners, Designers,

Contractors and Engineers (Fig. 1). As a key part in the project lifecycle, contractors

play an important role in making sure the project will be delivered on time and within

the budget. This thesis will show how BIM technology will benefit contractors for

schedule and cost controls. It begins with a general introduction of BIM technology

and the different ways it works compared with traditional CAD (Computer Aided

Design) method, and continues with evaluation of BIM tools. It then explains the uses

of Scheduling and Cost Estimating in BIM respectively and provides a case study to

show how BIM can work for cost estimating and project scheduling with the available

BIM model. In the last part, the thesis will provide areas of potential development

with BIM technology in the foreseen future.

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Figure 1 Lifecycle of a building (Adapted from: Autodesk Revit brochure 2010)

1.1 What is BIM?

According to National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), BIM is a computable

representation of all the physical and functional characteristics of a building and its

related project/lifecycle information, which is intended to be a repository of

information for the building owner/operator to use and maintain throughout the

lifecycle of a building (NIBS 2007). As a digital representation, BIM provides a

virtual view of the objects in the building with physical geometry (2D or 3D) and

other functional parameters, such as materials, spatial relationship, etc. Designers

compose these BIM objects together to define a building model, and this model

incorporates both physical and functional information stored in the BIM objects. Once

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the building model is completed, all the information can be generated by users for

fabricating, analyzing, construction scheduling (4D BIM) and cost estimating (5D

BIM), and eventually, for facility management during operation phase of the building

lifecycle.

1.2 Current and Projected Status of BIM

After years of development and experimentation in the marketplace, BIM is being

adopted broadly across the construction industry by different users. McGraw Hill

Construction published a SmartMarket Report named Building Information Modeling

(BIM): Transforming Design and Construction to Achieve Greater Industry

Productivity in 2008 (Young et al. 2008). The report is based on the comprehensive

interviews with hundreds of owners, architects, civil engineers, structural engineers,

MEP engineers, construction managers, general contractors and trade contractors.

The goal of the report was to determine the perceptions of BIM adoption,

implementation, value, impact and even the perspectives on developing elements of

BIM within the interviewers’ firms. Young et al. (2008) distributed a questionnaire

survey to 82 architects, 101 engineers, 80 contractors, and 39 owners in the United

States. The result of the survey was published in the report on BIM use in the AEC

industry in 2008 and projections for 2009. In the report, BIM users are divided into

four groups: very heavy users are using BIM technology in more than 60% of their

projects, heavy users are using BIM technology in more than 31% of their projects

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and so forth as the percentage gets smaller and smaller (See in Fig. 2). The results of

the survey show that in 2008 roughly one-third (35%) of BIM users were very heavy

users, one-third (27%) were medium to heavy users, and one-third (38%) were light

users. Compared to 2008, the projected growth of usage of BIM in 2009 is

rapid—nearly half of all current adopters (45%) will become heavy users of BIM in

2009, using it on at least 60% of their projects—a 10 point increase over the previous

year (Young et al. 2008). An architect from the American Institute of Architects (AIA),

Markku Allison, has witnessed this rapid adoption of BIM in recent years: "At our

2005 convention, the opening plenary session was about BIM, and of the nearly 4,000

architects in the room we got the impression that 85% had never even heard of BIM.

Now when we go on the road, everyone knows what BIM is and the audience can

offer up success stories about using BIM" (AIA n.d.).

Figure 2 Market growth in BIM use on projects (Adapted from Young et al. 2008)

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Sophisticated owners are beginning to demand BIM and to change traditional routines

to enable it. U.S. Army Corps Engineers (USACE), one of the largest landowners and

the largest building owner in the United States, has made a long-term system-wide

commitment to BIM. The general Services Administration (GSA), which is

responsible for the construction of federal buildings in the United States, demands the

use of BIM models in their program requirements (Eastman et al. 2008).

Manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and realtors need to embrace BIM approaches

and technologies in order to gain the opportunities to do business with these

institutions. Economic benefits of BIM attract all the stakeholders including owners to

adopt it for their buildings. As an example of application areas for BIM use, 424

construction firms were ask to choose a specific project in BIM and answer the

questions of a survey conducted by Burcin and Samara in 2010. The results showed

that among the selected projects, 76.6% are commercial building projects, 18.5% are

residential building projects and others are industrial facility, transportation, and

power station projects (Burcin and Samara 2010). Indeed, heavy engineering and

process industries also have relied on 3D BIM Modeling for over a decade (Eastman

et al. 2008).

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Chapter 2 Background

2.1 BIM Capabilities

BIM is the representation of the digital evolution from traditional 2D model to 3D

mode and even to 4D model (scheduling) and 5D model (cost estimating) with a

database through the building lifecycle. Special capabilities of parametric modeling

and interoperability facilitate this evolution process, which will be explained in detail

in this section.

3D model: mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface such as

width, length and height of an object. In BIM, there are different kinds of 3D

Models: 1) Design models – architectural, structural, MEP (Mechanical Electrical

and Plumbing) and site/civil models, 2) Construction model – breaking the design

models down into construction sequences, etc.

4D model: 4D model is adding the fourth dimension--schedule to the 3D model.

A 4D BIM model links the 3D elements with the project delivery timeline to

provide users a virtual simulation of the project in the 4D environment.

5D model: 5D model is adding the 5th dimension—cost data to the 3D model. A

5D model links the cost data with the Quantity Takeoff (QTO) list, which is

generated from the 3D model, to deliver more accurate project cost estimation.

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2.1.1

PARAMETRIC MODELING—CAD OBJECTS VS. BIM OBJECTS

The 3D modeling capability in Computer Aided Design (CAD) was first developed in

early 1980s, and this 3D modeling capability is also recognized as one of the

fundamental principles of parametric modeling—solid shape with physical

dimensions. BIM is an enhanced parametric modeling technology which is called

object-based parametric modeling. Other than basic physical dimensions of the object,

BIM objects also incorporate functional parameters. This section provides a

comparison between these two different object-based models.

Computer Aided Design (CAD)1

As the starter in 3D modeling technology, CAD models are recognized as the digital

representations of well-understood drawings of building objects. Thus the models

depict the shapes and dimensions with specifications by assembling lines into solid

models. In other words, CAD objects are models with basic parameters—geometrical

information. As an example, Figure 3 gives the elevation view of an office building in

CAD. The objects can be clearly classified by different colors in the design—yellow

lines for exterior walls and blue lines for windows. The windows are defined in the

layer named “Window” and colored “Blue” in order to distinguish the “Window”

Objects

1 Computer Aided Design (CAD): also known as computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), is the use of

computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation.

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from other objects—users may use other colors to make the objects be more easily

identified. However, the color and the name only represent the shape and the category

of the window in the drawing.

Figure 3 The elevation view of an office building in CAD

It is well known that the drawings from the architects are the most basic documents in

the building lifecycle, and changes made in architectural drawings will always come

with the changes in the following activities. MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and

Plumbing) and Structural design, cost estimating and scheduling, and all the other

sub-sequential activities will be conducted based on the architectural drawings. In 3D

CAD, every aspect of element’s geometry must be edited manually, and it will take

substantial amount of time to conduct these changes, while some errors and omissions

may occur in this process. For example, a wall in CAD is defined by length, width and

height, and if any of these three parameters is changed, the other two should be

The lines of the windows are defined in “window” layer and in “blue” color.

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changed manually. In other words, once the parameter of the object needs to be

changed, all the other related parameters should be manually edited and reassembled

on demand.

BIM Objects

Compared to parametric models in CAD, the object-based parametric models in BIM

represent the objects by parameters and associated rules that describe the geometry

and specification, as well as some non-geometric properties and features such as

geographic information, materials, spatial relationship, code requirements, price,

manufacturer, vendor and any other related parameter associated with how the object

is actually being used. Compared to Figure 3, Figure 4 also shows an elevation view

of a building, but this building design is shown as a BIM model, and the differences

are clearly shown: 1st, the windows in the design are not formed by colored

lines—they are recognized as the objects named “window” in the design; 2nd, the

properties of the window information are also shown in the design such as materials,

specifications, etc. in addition to geometry information, and these properties can be

easily edited by changing the values in the “Properties” window (Fig. 4). In other

words, BIM objects are geometric models which will also tell how the objects can

work. Instead of assembling lines into a solid model, designer defines a model family

or element class according to Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Masterformat

or Uniformat with a set of associated rules and data to control the parameters. The

rules will be defined as attached to, parallel to, and distance from, which allow the

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objects to be automatically updated if design changes are entered into the related

objects models in the building model. BIM technology facilitates the design change

process, since the changes can be updated automatically and shared within the

building lifecycle (shown in Fig. 1). It reduces the errors and omissions which may

happen in the changes in the CAD design.

Figure 4 The elevation view of an office building in Revit Architecture™ 2011 (Adapted from Autodesk Revit Architecture)

BIM tools have object-based parametric models under the object families such as

doors, walls, components and others. These predefined models can be modified and

then applied to building designs directly. In addition to that, some websites such as

Revitcity (http://www.revitcity.com) have started to provide predesigned BIM object

models which are available for download. Figure 5 shows the interface of the

Revitcity. In the left column, BIM objects are categorized according to CSI

Properties

of the

window

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Masterformat 03. In Figure 5, the “03 50 00 Precast Concrete” is chosen and the

available objects are listed on the right side of the interface. The Precast Column,

Precast Concrete Splash Block, etc. are available for users to download. As BIM

technology develops, more predefined BIM object models will be available for

download in the future, and the website such as Revitcity.com will become a huge

BIM model database. Other than that, this open database encourages product

manufacturers to provide BIM models of their own products on the website;

manufacturers can utilize this public platform to show potential customers their own

products. Thus the designers can use more predefined BIM object models instead of

designing the BIM objects by themselves and this will save more time for designers;

also the website may work as a platform for BIM users to share the models they have.

Figure 5 The interface of Revitcity for downloading object models (Adapted from Revitcity)

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2.1.2 INTEROPERABILITY

The building lifecycle involves organizations with different responsibilities and

functions and no BIM tools can support all the functions needed at all stages of the

building lifecycle. Data exchange between applications is essential to the stakeholders,

since other than architectural design of the building, there are structural and

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) design, energy analysis, fabrication, cost

estimation, scheduling and other related activities. Each activity requires a different

software application to support its function, thus data exchange at the software level is

quite essential. According to Eastman et al. (2008), four ways are defined in which

model information can be exchanged between two software tools:

(1) Direct links between specific BIM tools

(2) Proprietary Exchange File Format

(3) Public Level Exchange Formats

(4) XML-based exchange formats

Direct links between specific BIM tools utilize the middleware interfacing

capabilities to integrate BIM tools. These capabilities include Open Database

Connection (ODBC), Component Object Model (COM) and some proprietary

interfaces such as Geographic Description Language (GDL) and MicroStation

Development Language (MDL) (Autodesk 2005, Eastman et al. 2008). These

binary-interface programming languages link BIM tools accessible to each other for

sharing data and information in the building model. The exchanged information from

the building model is accessible for export, modification and deletion. The

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middleware interface often supports the software tool better and can exchange the

information between software tools more directly, thus software vendors prefer to

choose the direct link approach. However, this interface is often designed for two

software tools from different software vendors, and it will be robust for the functions

the interface is designed for; furthermore, the interface requires the agreements

between the software vendors. Once the agreements are broken, the interface will not

be maintained or exist anymore.

Proprietary exchange file format is a file-based data exchange method. The file

format is usually developed by the commercial organization to support its own

software product. For example, Data Exchange Format (DXF) is one of the best

known proprietary exchange file formats, which is introduced by Autodesk (Eastman

et al. 2008, Eastman et al. 2010, and Arayici et al. 2011). Other proprietary exchange

file formats such as SAT, ACIS, STL and 3DS are also developed by the commercial

organizations to address the functions of their software. The proprietary exchange file

formats are developed by the software company for specific purposes, and the

limitation of this exchange format is that it may only be compatible with its own

software tool. However, the development of this exchange format is more complicated,

since it requires this format to gain the interoperability of different systems.

Public level exchange formats are using open standard exchanging models which are

Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)—for building planning, design, and construction

management and CIMsteel Integration Standard Version 2(CIS/2)—for structure and

fabrication (Eastman et al. 2008, IFCwiki 2009, Edwin 2010, Lee et al. 2011).

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Currently, more than a dozen BIM software tools are supporting IFC models such as

Revit Architecture™, Bentley Architecture™, ArchiCAD™, etc. (IFCwiki 2009).

Similar to IFC, CIS/2 is also supporting many BIM software tools such as

SmartPlant4D Structural™, Structural Triforma™, Tekla Structure™ (CIS/2@GT

2008). The IFC and CIS/2 are developed based on the open formats and international

standards. According to NIBS (NIBS 2007), the IFC data model has become the

international standard for data exchange in the building construction industry. These

formats enhance the interoperability between diverse software tools and integrate the

BIM model standard. The limitation is that the BIM model must follow the same

standard as the exchange format.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language which is designed to

transport and store data (Refsnes 2009). XML structure which is called schema can

support the data exchange between different applications, and most of them are

desktop applications. The XML Schema was developed as an alternative to full scale

IFC models to simplify data exchanges between various AEC applications and to

connect Building Information Models through Web Services. However, XML is

mostly used for small amounts of business data exchange between two applications

and is not powerful enough for complex information exchange (Eastman et al. 2008,

Refsnes 2009).

Using these open standards, BIM tools can export the intended file format which can

be imported and read by another software tool. In Table 1, the common exchange

formats in AEC applications, provides a summary of most commonly used exchange

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file formats with their main usage. These include Image formats for pixel data, 2D

Vector formats for line drawings, 3D Surface and Shape formats for 3D drawings, 3D

Object Exchange formats for 3D models, various Game formats for different

animation purposes, GIS formats for geographical information and XML format for

business data. For example, an estimator intends to use Autodesk Quantity Takeoff™

to generate the quantity takeoff list from a building model designed by Revit

Architecture. The default format of the design is RVT which is not one of the file

formats supported in Autodesk Quantity Takeoff (DWF or DWG). However, Revit

Architecture™ allows users to export the drawing with different file formats, such as

DWG, DXF, or DWF. Thus, the estimator can export the drawing with the intended

file format and then import the file into Autodesk Quantity Takeoff to generate the

accurate takeoff list. For supported file formats in different BIM software, more

details will be discussed in the following section.

The interoperability of BIM allows users to pass a more complete and accurate

building model from computer applications used by one organization to another with

less errors and omissions. Thus all the involved organizations can share the consistent

building model data at all stages during the building lifecycle.

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Table 1 Common exchange formats in AEC applications (Adapted from Eastman et al. 2008)

Image (Raster) formats Descriptions JPG, GIF, TIF, BMP, PIC, PNG, RAW, TGA, RLE

Raster formats vary in terms of compactness, number of possible colors per pixel, some compress with some data loss

2D Vector formats Descriptions DXF, DWG, AI, CGM, EMF, IGS, WMF, DGN

Vector formats vary regarding compactness, line widths and pattern control, color, layering and types of curves supported

3D Surface and Shape formats Descriptions 3DS, WRL, STL, IGS, SAT, DXF, DWG, OBJ, DGN, PDF(3D), XGL, EWF, U3D, IPT, PTS

3D surface and shape formats vary according to the types of surfaces and edges represented, whether they represent surfaces and/or solids, any material properties of the shape (color, image bitmap, texture map) or viewpoint information

3D Object Exchange formats Descriptions STP, EXP, CIS/2 Product data model formats represent geometry

according to the 2D or 3D types represents. They also carry object properties and relations between objects.

Game formats Descriptions RWQ, X, GOF, FACT Game file formats vary according to the types of

surfaces, whether they carry hierarchical structure, types of material properties, texture and bump map parameters, animation and skinning

GIS formats Descriptions SHP, SHX, DBF, DEM, NED Geographical information system formats XML formats Descriptions AexXML, Obix, AEX, bcXML, AGCxml, IFCxml

XML schemas developed for the exchange of building data. They vary according to the information exchanged and the workflows supported.

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2.1.3 LEVEL OF DETAIL

According to Bedrick (2008), Level of Detail (LOD) of BIM models are defined as

“the steps through which a BIM element can logically progress from the lowest level

of conceptual approximation to the highest level of representational precision”. Five

levels of detail are determined to describe the BIM models, which are named from

Level 100 to Level 500: Conceptual, Approximate Geometry, Precise Geometry,

Fabrication and As-built. Table 2 provides LOD definitions in different project phases

(Bedrick 2008, Leite et al. 2010). As the project progresses, the LOD of the models

will be going to a higher level and the richness of the information will also be

improved. It requires the cooperation among all parties involved in the project such as

architects, estimators and schedules. Each party will embed the information in the

model based on its own requirements.

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Table 2 LOD definitions (Adapted from Bedrick 2008, Leite et al. 2010)

Project Phase LOD 100 LOD 200 LOD 300 LOD 400 LOD 500 Design Non-

geometric line, areas or volume zones

Three dimension-generic elements

Specific elements with dimensions, capacities and space relationships

Shop drawing/fabrication with manufacture, installation and other specified information

As built

Scheduling Total project construction duration

Time-scaled, ordered appearance of major activities

Time-scaled ordered appearance of detailed assemblies

Fabrication and assembly detail including construction means and methods

Cost Estimation

Conceptual cost estimation

Estimated cost based on measurement of generic element

Estimated cost based on measurement of specific assembly

Committed purchase price of specific assembly at buyout

As-built cost

Energy Analysis

Strategy and performance criteria based on volumes and areas

Conceptual design based on geometry and assumed system types

Approximate simulation

Precise simulation based on specific information

Commissioning and recording of measured performance

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2.2 BIM Tools

As BIM evolves into one of the most advanced technologies in construction industry,

more software developers are applying their products into the prospective area in BIM.

A survey conducted by Burcin and Samara (2010) of 424 construction firms in United

States shows that various BIM tools have already been adopted in the construction

industry. Figure 6 shows the market share of various BIM tools which are used by

these 424 construction firms. Autodesk BIM tools are the most widely used BIM

solutions in U.S with 54% of those construction firms using them; Graphisoft

ArchiCAD™ follows with 10.7% and Bentley BIM tools with 8%. Tekla and Vico

BIM tools are utilized by 6.5% and 5.8% of the construction firms based on the survey.

The other software tools such as Innovaya™, Dprofiler™, Vectorworks™, etc. are

also being utilized by a small portion of the construction firms (Burcin et al. 2010).

The software tools have been used in different phases during the project lifecycle such

as Preliminary Design and Feasibility Study, Shop Drawing and Fabrication,

Estimating, Scheduling, and File Sharing & Collaboration. The purchase of the

software package is different from regular purchases, since the buyers need to

consider the capabilities of each software tool in the package. This section provides

general information about BIM software packages which are widely adopted by users.

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Figure 6 Percentages of market share of BIM tools which are used by construction firms

(Adapted from Burcin and Samara 2010)

Autodesk

According to Young et al. (2008), Autodesk™ BIM software package is the best

known and most popular among BIM users—93% of building stakeholders have

heard about it and 73% are using this package. According to Burcin and Samara

(2010), 54% of the respondents (contractors in the case of this survey) are using

Autodesk BIM products in their projects. Autodesk’s first BIM product—Revit

Architecture™ was introduced to the industry in 2002 for the architectural design

purpose and was quickly adopted by most architecture firms who were using BIM

technology. After years of development, the Revit package has evolved into a product

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which can support multiple functions during the construction process—Revit

Architecture™ for architectural design, Revit MEP™ for electrical engineering and

plumbing design and Revit Structure™ for structural design. For the schedule and

cost controls, Autodesk has Navisworks™ which allows users to simulate and manage

the construction process and Autodesk Quantity Takeoff Software that supports cost

estimating function. Other than these, Autodesk™ also developed software tools such

as Autodesk 3ds Max for model visualization and Autodesk™ Inventor for data

exchange to benefit the users from higher control level. Most of the software tools

from Autodesk™ can support multiple file formats which include: DGN, DWG, DWF,

DXF, IFC, SAT, SKP, AVI, ODBC, gbXML, BMP, JPG, TGA, and TIF. The multiple

file formats supporting function allows these software to be compatible with products

from other software developers. Autodesk™ also provides free trial versions of the

software and training webinars.

Graphisoft

Graphisoft is one of the earliest companies to market BIM capabilities. Its main

product ArchiCAD™ is marketed since 1980s and is the only object-model-oriented

architectural CAD system running on the Apple Macintosh (Eastman et al. 2008).

Today, ArchiCAD™ can serve both Apple Platform and Windows. One special feature

of ArchiCAD™ is the Virtual Building Explorer, a real-time 3D navigation which is

enhanced with gravity, layer control, fly-mode, egress recognition and pre-saved

walkthroughs. ArchiCAD™ also includes a built-in analysis tool to conduct the

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energy analysis function on its BIM model. ArchiCAD supports a range of direct

interfaces: Maxon for curved surface modeling and animation, ArchiFM™ for facility

management and Sketchup™ for 3D sketching. It also contains object libraries for

users with an Open Database Connection (ODBC) interface. MEP modeler™ is

another key product from Graphisoft, the extension to ArchiCAD™, which is used for

MEP modeling pipes, fittings, ducts, and others. Graphisoft embeds large object

libraries in its product. However, the software tools have some limitations in

parametric modeling capabilities. As an example, automatic update to related objects

is not supported. The company offers free trials and education opportunities to its

potential users.

Bentley

Bentley is another major software company that offers products for architecture,

engineering and construction. The architectural designing tool in BIM, Bentley

Architecture™, introduced in 2004, can be integrated with other software tools such

as: Bentley Structural Modeler, Bentley Building Mechanical Systems, Bentley

Building Electrical Systems, Bentley Facilities, Bentley Generative Components and

Project Wise Navigator. Bentley offers a broad range of BIM software tools which are

involved in almost all stages of building lifecycle. Its products can deal with almost

all aspects of AEC industries such as Bridge design and engineering, Building

analysis and design, Plant operations, Rail design and operations, Transportation

operations, Water and Wastewater Network analysis and design and others. Currently,

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Bentley products are in version V8i and according to Bentley, the “i" stands for five

key new capabilities and enhancements: more intuitive conceptual modeling

capabilities; interactive dynamic views; intrinsic geo-coordination capability;

incredible project performance and speed; and finally, a high degree of

interoperability. Its supported file formats include: DGN, DWG, DXF, PDF, STEP,

IGES, STL, and IFC. The supported file formats are not as diverse as Autodesk™

BIM software tools which limit the interoperability capabilities of Bentley software

tools. Bentley also provides product tours, training and online seminars for users to

educate them about its products.

Tekla

Tekla is a Finnish company founded in 1966 which has multiple divisions: Building

and Construction, Infrastructure and Energy. The main product of Tekla is Tekla

Structures™ which was formerly named Xsteel in mid 1990s. The basic functionality

of Tekla Structures is for structural design. It allows users to create a complete digital

model that depicts the structure combined with both physical model and analytical

model, and then this structural model can be used for different types of structural

analyses. Tekla Structures is also used by detailers, fabricator and manufacturers for

generating detailed information for steel, precast and rebar detailing. Tekla Structures

supports interfaces with: IFC, DWG, CIS/2, DTSV, SDNF, DGN, and DXF file

formats. It links with various systems through Tekla Open API™ (Application

Programming Interface) that is implemented using Microsoft .NET technology. Tekla

http://www.tekla.com/us/solutions/Pages/basic-concepts.aspx#tekla-open-api�

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Structures™ is capable of supporting large models, even with multiple users operating

concurrently by its Multiuser Server. This Multiuser Server is developed by Tekla

Corporation and can support a maximum of 40 users operating simultaneously.

However, since the concurrent operation from multiple users is more complicated than

a single user operation, these users need to be highly skilled to fully utilize the

complex functions of this software.

2.3 BIM Application Areas

As section 2.1 indicated, BIM model is parametric-object based and all the

information stored in the model can be shared and reused by different stakeholders

involved in the building lifecycle. By storing and exchanging the information of the

building automatically, BIM model can provide more accurate data and information of

the building. BIM technology can be utilized in different application areas such as

design/modeling, energy analysis, clash detection, cost estimation and construction

scheduling. These multiple application areas in BIM can help users to improve the

communication, reduce errors, and potentially save time and money. This section will

explore important BIM application areas in various phases of the building lifecycle.

Design/Modeling

The object-based parametric modeling feature in BIM allows architects, MEP

engineers, structural engineers and fabricators to leverage multiple functions on the

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same building model for their own use. With accurate building information and object

models, the design/modeling process is dramatically facilitated. The design accuracy

and information sharing enhancement span all the phases of the design/modeling

process which also benefit the subsequent activities such as accurate quantity takeoffs

that can be used in cost estimating and the construction phase can be automated for

the project control.

Energy Analysis

The capability to link the building model to energy analysis tool allows users to

conduct the energy analysis in the early design phase. Traditionally, a separate energy

analysis would be conducted at the end of the design process and it is not possible for

users to modify the design to improve the building’s energy performance. By using

BIM technology, the building model can be linked to energy analysis tools for the

energy evaluation during the early design phase. The analysis allows users to make

energy-conscious decisions and to test the energy-saving ideas without postponing the

design process (Stumpf et al. n.d.).

Clash Detection

The designs from all organizations can be brought together and compared, and the

geometric clashes between architectural, structural and MEP systems will be detected,

checked and modified. Coordination among different organizations is enhanced and

errors and omissions are significantly reduced, thus speeding up the construction

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process, reducing costs, minimizing the likelihood of legal disputes, and shortening

the construction period.

Construction Scheduling

The design and the construction schedule can be synchronized by linking the building

model to the project schedule. It allows users to simulate the construction process and

show the virtual view of the building and the site. More details about construction

scheduling will be provided in the following sections.

Cost Estimating

BIM users can generate accurate and reliable cost estimates through automatic

quantity takeoff from the building model and get a faster cost feedback on changes in

design. It is possible to make all the involved organizations aware of the cost

associated with the design before it progresses to a more detailed level. The following

sections will provide more detailed discussions about cost estimating in BIM.

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Chapter 3

BIM and Construction Management

It has been widely accepted that construction management skill of the contractor is the

hub of the construction process, and any activities and decisions made by contractors

during the construction phase will influence the productivity and cost of the whole

project. It has been reported that as much as 30% of the cost of construction is wasted

in the field due to coordination errors, wasted material, labor inefficiencies and other

problems in the current construction practice (CURT 2002).One of the benefits in

BIM is to limit the above inefficiencies, thus enhancing the productivity and reducing

the project cost. According to Gallaher et al. (2004), the estimated “cost of inadequate

interoperability in the U.S. capital facilities industry is $15.8 billion per year” and the

AEC industry are targeting to reduce this $15.8 billion losses by providing a more

integrated project life-cycle. In this chapter, the utilization of BIM in construction

management will be discussed with special emphasis on scheduling, cost estimating

and project controls.

3.1 Project Scheduling in BIM

Project scheduling (4D modeling) in BIM is to link a BIM model to a schedule to

visualize the schedule of the construction. The use of scheduling function in BIM (4D

Model) can help the users establish optimized schedule of the project in a 3D

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environment which also allows the users to have a virtual view of the whole project.

The concept of 4D Model was first mentioned by Egan John (1998) that “certain

principles and management techniques could successfully cross-over from other

industries like manufacturing to serve the project delivery demands of the

construction industry.” Koo and Fischer (2000) developed a 4D model for a

commercial construction project. They were able to find the incompleteness of the

original schedule, detected the inconsistencies in the level of detail among the

schedule activities and discover the impossible schedule sequence. They proved that

4D models are able to evaluate the effectiveness of the project schedule and

anticipated the future improvement in 4D tools. The experiment of Songer et al. (2001)

focused on the 3D/4D visualization on project schedule review and the results

provided quantitative evidence of the advantages of 3D/4D representations for

schedule review for improving construction projects. Kamat and Martinez (2001)

proved that visualized simulation could significantly improve the effectiveness in

construction operation; however, the supportive software tools were still not available

in the market. They also provided the first version of a general-purpose 3D

visualization software tool of construction operations. Clayton et al. (2002) showed

that “3D modeling and computer simulations provide new ways for architecture

students to study the relationship between the design and construction of buildings.”

Heesom and Mahdjoubi (2004) provided emerging research initiatives in 4D CAD by

“identifying three research areas: product modeling and visualization, process

modeling and analysis, and collaboration and communication.” Mallasi (2006)

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developed a new concept for “visualizing workspace competition” between the

progressing activities. The 4D simulation tool, which was named PECASO, provided

a dynamic 4D simulation environment to analyze workspace congestions among

progressing activities. De Vries and Harink (2007) described a method for automated

construction planning and provided an algorithm that derived the construction

sequences from a solid model of the building. Finally, a perspective view was

presented on a more advanced and automated planning method which includes

contractor’s professional knowledge for more accurate results. Jongeling and

Olofsson (2007) presented “a process method for the planning of work-flow by

combined use of location-based scheduling2

2 Location-Based Scheduling: Location-based Scheduling uses production lines in a linear scheduling method (LSM) to represent work performed by various construction crews that work on specific locations in a project (Jongeling et al. 2007).

and 4D CAD.” They also suggested that

a location-based scheduling could improve the usability of 4D models and 4D models

could enhance the value of location-based schedules. Kang et al. (2007) proposed a

web-based 4D CAD to enhance the collaboration during construction scheduling

process. Jongeling et al. (2008) presented that the application of 4D is a promising

approach to extract different types of quantitative information from 4D models for

time-space analyses of construction operations. The paper also showed how to extract

different types of 4D contents from 4D models for project planning purpose. Young et

al. (2009) delivered surveys of thousands of AEC participants such as Architects,

Engineers, Construction Managers, etc. in the U.S to evaluate the market value of

BIM technology. The report showed that almost 50% of the industry is now using

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BIM and some users currently experienced value from 4D scheduling of BIM, which

was also one of the main future development areas in BIM (Park et al. 2011).

In the following section, project scheduling process in BIM will be discussed. Users

can choose from a variety of software tools which can support the 4D model functions

of BIM. They are: i) Manual method using 3D or 2D tools, ii) Built-in 4D features in

a 3D or BIM tool and iii) Export 3D/BIM to 4D tool and import schedule. The main

focus in this section will be on the last two options of the methods.

BIM tools with 4D capability

As stated above, two main 4D scheduling methods will be discussed in this section—

i) Built-in 4D features in a 3D or BIM tool and ii) Export 3D/BIM to 4D tool and

import schedule. The first method is to assign the “phase” of a BIM object to the

object property or parameter—adding the “phase” parameter to the BIM object. In the

building design, architects may need to create multiple design phases—“existing” and

‘new construction” phases for renovation projects or “demolished” phase for

temporary construction, or define the basic timeline of the project during the design

phase. This will require the built-in 4D capability in BIM software tool which will

allow users to assign simple phases to the building model. For example, in Autodesk

Revit Architecture™, users can define the project phases such as Existing, New

Construction and Demolished (Fig.7) or by timeline such as March 1st or by the end

of March under the Project Phases Tab. The BIM objects in Revit Architecture™

could be assigned to these phases, and the phase works as the 4th parameter of the

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model—4D model. As an example, in Figure 8, the Curtain Wall in the building

design is selected and under the Properties dialog, the Phasing Category is shown. The

selected Curtain is assigned to the “New Construction” phase in this project. When

the building model is completed, users can get a straight-forward breakdown of

project phases generated by Revit Architecture™. Users can also apply filters to show

the objects in a specific period of time or in a specific phase. Under the Phase Filters

tab, users can manage how to show the related objects. For example, “show

demo+new” filter will show all objects that are demolished and the objects that are in

new construction phase (Fig.7). However, the built-in 4D capability in BIM tools is

for basic project phasing since the phases defined are not based on the “date” and

“time”. For users who need to track a more accurate project schedule such as the

Actual start date, Actual end date, Planned start date, Planned end date, etc., the

direct integration with schedules generated by professional software tools like

Primavera™ is more applicable.

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Figure 7 The phasing function in Revit Architecture 2011

Figure 8 The objects are linked with the defined phases in Revit Architecture 2011

Defined

Phases

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Export 3D BIM to 4D tool and import schedule

The limitations of previous BIM 4D method encouraged the software developers to

find out a way which can fully integrate the scheduling function with the 3D model

(see details of software tools in Table 3). Generally, the steps involves importing the

existing 3D BIM model into the BIM software tool, importing the schedule created by

another scheduling software tool (such as PrimaveraTM and Microsoft Project™) and

then linking the schedule with its relevant objects in the BIM model (Fig.9); some

BIM scheduling software tools may have the in-built function to define the schedule

itself. Autodesk Navisworks™, ProjectWise Navigator™, Visual Simulation™,

Synchro Professional™ and Tekla Structures™ are the object-based 4D tools, which

mean the imported schedule will be linked to the objects of the building model. Vico

Control™ is different from others; it is a quantity-based 4D scheduling tool. In order

to calculate the schedule, Vico Control™ links the quantities of the building objects to

a “recipe” that contains the description of materials, labor, resource, cost and even

location information.

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Table 3 BIM software- scheduling Tools

Product Name Manufacturer Primary Function Supplier Web Link

Navisworks Manage

Autodesk Linking 3D model to project schedule applications

(e.g. MS Project or Primavera) www.autodesk.com

ProjectWise Navigator

Bentley Linking 3D model to project schedule applications

(e.g. MS Project or Primavera) www.bentley.com

Visual Simulation Innovaya Linking 3D model to project schedule applications

(e.g. MS Project or Primavera) www.innovaya.com

Synchro Professional

Synchro Bi-directional linking to project schedule

applications (e.g. MS Project or Primavera) www.synchroltd.com

Tekla Structures Tekla Schedule driven by link between

model and project software www.tekla.com

Vico Control Vico Software Schedule is analytically derived

from the resource-loaded, cost-loaded, location-based BIM

www.vicosoftware.com

Figure 9 The flowchart of 4D scheduling process

BIM scheduling

tool

3D BIM model

4D schedule

Schedule from

Primavera or MS. Project

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http://www.innovaya.com/�

http://www.synchroltd.com/�

http://www.tekla.com/�

http://www.vicosoftware.com/�

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Most of the 4D tools such as Autodesk Navisworks™ can provide users a virtual view

of the building and site. The 3D virtual view of an office building in Autodesk

Navisworks™ is shown in Figure 10. The schedule (shown at the bottom of Fig.10),

which is defined by the in-built scheduling function in Navisworks™, is linked to the

building components in the 3D building model, and this integration of 3D model and

project schedule is called 4D model. The benefits of this integration are:

The 4D model can produce a visual representation of time, show the project status,

provide the virtual simulation of the project and even provide views of physical

completion of building at various points in time.

Contractors can communicate with other stakeholders and coordinate the

expected time and space flow based on the simulated project process. By

providing the simulation in the 4D environment, contractors can ensure that the

plan is feasible and efficient (Eastman et al. 2008).

This integration allows the real-time project process to be updated more

frequently. The process of the project can be updated automatically according to

the change in the building design (Hwang et al. 2010).

Contractors can arrange the site logistics based on the virtual 4D simulation such

as arrange lay-down areas, location of equipment, etc.

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Figure 10 Snapshot of a 4D software interface showing how schedule is connected to objects

(Autodesk Navisworks)

3.2 Cost Estimating in BIM

The cost estimating process involves performing quantity takeoff (QTO)3

3 Quantity takeoff list (QTO): a list of item and material quantities needed for the project.

and adding

cost data to the QTO list. Traditional QTO process with CAD drawings involves

selecting individual elements in CAD drawings, using the software to automatically

determine the dimensions for the take-off, and inputting the quantities into the QTO

list (Khemlani 2006). This process requires estimators to spend substantial amount of

time on generating the QTO of the entire drawing. Since the selecting and measuring

processes are all based on manual operations, the errors and omissions happen during

the QTO process. The construction industry is a unique industry that contractors need

to guarantee a price to owners before they know the actual completion cost (AGC,

Schedule

3D Virtual View

Building Objects

Linked

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n.d.). The calculations must be conducted before the project actually starts and this

will require a higher level of accuracy during the estimating process for contractors.

Since BIM models are object-based with in-built parametric information, it is easier to

capture the quantities of the objects in BIM and the QTO with BIM drawing will be

more accurate with less errors and omissions. The QTO process is also expedited– it

can require 50% to 80% of a cost estimator’s time on a project (Rundell 2006). QTO

process can be enhanced with higher accuracy and less time using BIM technology.

Mapping the QTO list with cost databases, which can be built-in in BIM models or a

standalone external cost database, estimators can generate a more accurate and

reliable cost estimate of the building with minimal effort. There are three main options

to leverage BIM for quantity takeoff and to support cost estimation. They include:

- Export building object quantities to estimating software

- Link the BIM tool directly to the estimating software

- Use a BIM quantity takeoff tool

Export Quantities to Estimating Software

Most BIM software tools offered by software vendors include features for extracting

the QTO off the BIM Model. These tools also include features to export quantity

takeoff data to a spreadsheet or an external database. In the United States alone, there

are over 100 commercial estimating packages that secure these needs and many are

specific to buildings of certain occupancies (Eastman et al. 2008). Microsoft Excel™

is the most commonly used estimating tool which is also sufficient for most estimators

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to extract the QTO from the BIM Model (Christofferson 2000, Sawyer and Grogan

2002). For example, designers and architects can utilize Revit Architecture™ to easily

export the material information—initial bill of quantities and material takeoffs—into

MS Excel Spreadsheet, thus more accurate budget estimates will be available at the

early stages of the project lifecycle. However, this approach requires significant setup

and standardized modeling process—such as sufficient information on the object

model—in order to generate the intact QTO information from the model.

Directly link BIM Components to Estimating Software

The second alternative is to use a BIM tool that is capable of linking BIM model

directly to an estimating package in the plug-in or third-party tool. Many of the larger

estimating software packages now offer plug-ins to various BIM tools. See Table 4 for

a few examples which have the plug-in functions for BIM tools. As an example,

Innovaya™ (a BIM cost estimating tool) uses a plug-in tool to link to “Sage

Timberline.” This plug-in function allows the user to associate components in the

building model directly with assemblies, recipes, or items in the estimating package in

Sage Timberline™. The user will be able to use rules to calculate quantities for these

items based on the component properties or manually enter data that was not extracted

automatically from the building information model. The assemblies of building

components will follow the rules in Sage Timberline, thus all information required to

develop a complete cost estimate can be generated from the BIM Model directly and

the building information will be highly integrated and assembled. In addition to that,

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there is no need for users to manually map the cost data with the building components,

since the cost data will be mapped as soon as the quantities are generated and

assembled. However, contractors may need to cooperate with subcontractors when

they work on different estimating packages in this approach.

Table 4 Plug-in tools for cost estimation

Product Name Manufacturer BIM Use Supplier Web Link

Success Estimator U.S. Cost Estimating www.uscost.com

Graphisoft Estimator Graphisoft Estimating www.graphisoft.com

Innovaya Innovaya Estimating www.innovaya.com

Quantity Takeoff Tool

A third alternative is to use a specialized quantity takeoff tool that imports data from

various BIM tools. Users can choose a takeoff tool specially designed for their needs

without having to learn all of the features contained within a given BIM tool (see

Table 5 for a few examples). These takeoff tools typically include specific features

that link directly to items and assemblies, annotate the model for specific ‘object

information’, and create visual takeoff diagrams. These tools offer varying levels of

support for automated extraction and manual takeoff features. The user assembles the

objects in the model and dimensional data will be transferred from the model to QTO

list for further pricing. Visualizing all the items being taken off reduces the chance of

the estimator missing items. It also reduces the chance for transposition errors as the

design changes the linked model updates the estimated quantities (Khemlani, 2006).

http://www.uscost.com/�


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Example of this is: Autodesk QTO™ can automatically extract QTO from the

building model according to category information leveled on the object model and it

also allows manual modification of the takeoffs based on the users’ own preference.

After that, the QTO list can be exported to the MS Excel spreadsheet and users can

associate the quantities with any suitable cost database. The QTO process in this

approach can be finished automatically and categorize the objects based on the

“Category” information leveled on the object model. After the automatic takeoff,

users can also make some changes on the QTO list manually. One advantage of this

approach is that users may not have to apply to the assemblies based on the specific

cost estimating package; any suitable cost data can be mapped with the QTO list after

the quantities are generated. However, compared to linking components to estimating

software directly, this method may take more time on mapping the cost database.

Table 5 Software list—quantity takeoff tools


QTO Autodesk Quantity Takeoffs www.autodesk.com

Exactal Exactal Quantity Takeoffs www.exactal.com

Innovaya Innovaya Quantity Takeoffs www.innovaya.com

Takeoff Manager Vico Quantity Takeoffs www.vicosoftware.com

OnCenter OnCenter Quantity Takeoffs www.oncenter.com

http://www.autodesk.com/�

http://www.exactal.com/�


http://www.vicosoftware.com/�

http://www.oncenter.com/�

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3.3

Dealing with Electronic and Paper-based CAD Drawings

Although BIM is a rapidly developing technology in construction industry, traditional

building drawing formats such as paper drawing and conventional CAD drawing are

still dominating the market of the existing buildings. As stated in previous section,

compared to these traditional drawings, the BIM design consist of object-based

parametric models which contain not only the parameters but also the associated rules,

specifications and some non-geometric properties and features such as materials,

special relationship, etc. In order to benefit from BIM technology, users may choose

to convert paper or conventional CAD into BIM drawings. The converting process

may take users substantial amount of time, but BIM technology may benefit users by

shortening project period and reducing project cost. For example, U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) planned to build a new $100 million, 45,000 square-foot

high-explosives Pressing Complex System in Texas. When the conventional CAD

documents were 95% completed, DOE chose to convert existing CAD design into

BIM model. It took DOE four months to convert the design, but the project ended up

with $10 million in savings and a shorter expected finishing date after utilizing BIM

(Young et al. 2009) In this section, methods for converting conventional CAD

drawings and paper drawings into BIM will be discussed respectively.

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Converting Conventional CAD Drawing to BIM

There are software tools (See Table 6) such as Revit Architecture by Autodesk,

MicroStation by Bentley and ArchiCAD by Graphisoft, which are capable of

converting conventional CAD drawings into BIM files. For example Revit

Architecture 2011 can import or link CAD Files using the ‘Import CAD’ and ‘Link

CAD’ Tools with the geometry information in the CAD Files. By using the geometry

information as a starting point in BIM model, the users can also define the other

properties in this defined model. Once all the data is captured in the BIM model, users

can generate the QTO from the converted BIM model to conduct cost estimating of

the project.

Table 6 Software tools to convert CAD drawing to BIM model


Revit Architecture Autodesk Architecture and

Site Design www.autodesk.com

MicroStation Bentley Creating and Reviewing 3D models

www.bentley.com

Dprofiler Beck Technology

Conceptual Design And Cost estimation www.beck-technology.com

ArchiCAD Graphisoft Conceptual 3D Architectural model www.graphisoft.com

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http://www.graphisoft.com/�

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Converting Paper-drawing to BIM

BIM users can use software tools such as Dprofiler from Beck Technology to generate

the BIM model from paper based drawings. Figure 11 shows a paper-drawing of a

building and its BIM model generated by Dprofiler. The users can first scan the

paper-drawing and then use this scanned sketch to start the building model in

Dprofiler as a starting point. The elevations, floor plans, and site plans in the paper

drawing can also be used to speed up modeling process. Once all the data is captured

in the BIM model, users can generate the QTO from the converted BIM model to

conduct cost estimating of the project.

Figure 11 Generation of BIM model from paper drawing using Dprofiler (Adapted from Dprofiler)

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Chapter 4: A Case Study using BIM

4.1 Introduction

In the previous section, the methods of scheduling and cost estimating in BIM were

introduced. In this chapter, a BIM model of a training facility will be utilized to

illustrate the process of scheduling and cost estimating in BIM. The training facility is

a three-story building in Munich Germany, designed using Autodesk Revit

Architecture™ 2010 (Fig. 12). The building is 19,673.52 sq ft and is equipped mainly

with curtain walls and masonry insulation with seven main rooms and five stairs on

each floor. The first step is to utilize this building model to generate the QTO list

and then level the cost data on the list to estimate the project cost. The second step is

to link the building model with the defined project schedule to simulate the project

process in the 4D environment. The main purpose of the case study is twofold: 1) The

case study will illustrate how BIM technology can work for cost and schedule controls

2) Based on the existing technology, what kind of improvements can be made in the

future.

Figure 12 The training facility model in Munich, Germany

(Source: model provided by Autodesk)

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Problem Statement

BIM as an emerging technology has developed very rapidly in the past decade, and

BIM technology has already started to benefit the designers with intelligent and

model-based design and owners with a more feasible and accessible project.

Contractors, as inter-media between designers and owners, also start to deliver the

project with BIM model. As stated in the previous section, the LOD will be increased

as the project progresses, which means each involved party in the project needs to add

information to the model based on its own preference. From a contractor’s perspective,

two dimensions—time and cost will be added by the contractors after the models are

completed. Since cost and schedule are two key parameters for the construction

management process, it is essential to know if the information in BIM model can help

contractors for the cost and schedule controls and the potential developments can be

made on BIM technology for contractors.

Research Questions

1. Can BIM model be fully utilized by contractors for cost and schedule controls?

2. What kind of improvements can be made from contractor’s perspective for cost

estimating, scheduling and project controls?

Delimitations

The following delimitations define the scope of this study:

1. The purpose of the case study is to illustrate the scheduling and cost estimating

processes with the available BIM model and find out the improvements that can

be made in the future.

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2. This research is limited to performing a quantity takeoff and schedule simulation

since the building model only contains the Shell, Interiors and Services Parts of

the building (Appendix 2).

3. The quantity takeoffs were performed on a building model which has lower LOD

and the total project will be adjusted based on RS Means (2009)(See in Appendix

2).

4. The 4D scheduling and simulation were performed on a building model which has

lower LOD and the schedule is created based on the existing building components,

so the project period developed in the case may not be the accurate period of the

project.

5. The BIM model and software tools used were all adapted from the Autodesk since

Autodesk provides full access of its products to students. The selection of the

software tool may have limitations.

6. The building shown in the model is a training facility in German and the cost

estimation will be adjusted according to “2-4 story office building” category in RS

Means (2009) (See in Appendix 2).

Assumptions

The assumptions of this research included the following:

1. The contractors will have full access to all the selected software tools.

2. The planned and actual dates of schedules are created hypothetically in this case.

3. The building model in the project is drawn correctly with no clashes and errors so

that the measurements and quantities of the objects in the model are reliable.

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Software Tools Selected

The software tools selected in this case study are stated as follows:

1. Autodesk Revit Architecture™ 2011: A BIM-enabled design tool for architects

and designers; Autodesk Revit Architecture™ can capture the design concept and

provide the virtual view of the building design.

2. Autodesk Quantity Takeoff™ 2011: A building cost estimating software for cost

estimators; Autodesk QTO™ can automatically measure areas and count building

components, export to Microsoft Excel, and publish to DWF™ format.

3. Autodesk Navisworks™ 2011: A project review software that supports intelligent

3D model-based designs with scheduling, visualization, and collaboration tools, as

well as advanced clash detection capabilities.

4.2 Cost Estimating

In this case, since the BIM model of the building is available for the quantity take-off,

it is easy to generate the QTO list directly from the building model. As mentioned

before, the BIM model of the building is on a lower LOD. In order to generate a more

accurate project cost, the following steps will be taken:

(1) Export the building model from Revit Architecture™ to Autodesk QTO™:

Transfer the available model to a readable file format for quantity takeoff tool.

(2) Generate the QTO list from the building model.

(3) Export the QTO list to MS Excel™ and map QTO list with RS Means (2009)

cost database.

(4) Adjust the cost according to RS Means (2009) and get the total project cost.

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Step 1: Export the building model from Revit Architecture to QTO tool

Since the Autodesk QTO™ 2011 can only read BIM model in .DWF file format, the

first step is to export the building model from Autodesk™ Revit Architecture 2011

to .DWF file format and then import it into Autodesk™ QTO 2011.Figure 13 shows

the building model is transferred from Autodesk Revit Architecture™ to Autodesk

QTO™ 2011 and the building components are categorized and colored automatically

in Autodesk QTO™. For example, the curtains walls are categorized and colored in

yellow automatically by Autodesk QTO™ (Fig.13).

Figure 13 Export the building model from Revit Architecture into Autodesk™ QTO

Step 2: Generate the QTO list

In the .DWF file, multiple interfaces of the building model can be included, such as

the 3D view, the elevation view, the floor plan views, etc. Autodesk QTO™ 2011 can

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take only minutes to generate the QTO of the entire building and each generated

building components will be colored coded. Figure 14 shows the interface of

Autodesk QTO™ 2011 and three parts are shown: (1) the list of grouped building

components, (2) the 3D view of the building model and (3) the generated QTO list. In

the list of grouped building components, the building components are categorized into

different groups such as doors & windows, walls, ceilings, curtain panel, etc. In the

QTO list, each building component is designated to the same color as shown in the 3D

view. The curtain wall is categorized in the “Curtain Panel” group and colored in

yellow. The quantity of the curtain wall is 23,768.516 sq ft which can be read directly

from the QTO list. The entire process is only finished within 15 minutes and the QTO

process is finished automatically.

Figure 14 The QTO list has been generated by Autodesk™ QTO 2011

QTO List Grouped

Building

Components

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Step 3: Export the QTO list to Excel and calculate the cost

The third step is to export the QTO list to MS Excel™. Since the categories in QTO

list of BIM model is sufficiently clear, users do not need to categorize them manually;

the following work is only to map the cost data such as material cost, labor cost and

equipment cost with the QTO list. In this case, the source of cost data being used is

RS Means (2009). The QTO list in MS Excel™ with the quantity list circled in blue;

the cost data has been added on the list and circled in red (Fig 15). The total estimated

cost of the building is $1,849,766.88

Figure 15 The QTO list shown in Excel with the cost data added

Total Cost

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Step4: Adjust the cost to get the total project cost

The available building model only contains the Shell and Interiors parts of the

building, so the cost estimated in Step 3 cannot be considered as the total project cost

and the adjustments should be made according to RS Means (Appendix 2). Table 7

shows the building components with its percentage of sub-total cost for a 2-4 story

office building (RS Means, 2009). The two colored categories are the components

contained in the building model and it takes 52.3% (12.2% + 15.8% + 1.6% + 22.7%

= 52.3%) of the sub-total cost, so the total sub-total cost is $3,537,030.36. By adding

Contractor fees and Architect Fees, the total Project Cost is $4,668,880.08 and the

cost per square foot is $237.32:

Sub-total cost $3,536,89.16

Contractor Fees (25% of sub-total cost) $884,257.591

Architect Fees(7% of sub-total cost) $247,592.125

Total Project Cost $4,668,880.08

Cost Per sq ft of floor area $237.32/sq ft

Table 7 Model cost calculated for a 2-4 story office building (RS Means, 2009)

Building Components % of Sub-Total A. SUBSTRUCTURE 4.4% B. SHELL B10 Superstructure 12.2% B20 Exterior Enclosure 15.8% B30 Roofing 1.6% C. INTERIORS 22.7% D. Services D10 Conveying 8.9% D20 Plumbing 2.8% D30 HVAC 11.8% D40 Fire Protection 2.8% D50 Electrical 17.0% E. EQUIPMENT & FURNISHINGS 0.0% F. SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION 0.0% G. BUILDING SITEWORK NA

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4.3 Construction Scheduling

By using the same .DWF model, Autodesk Navisworks™2011 can simulate the

schedule of the project by adding the fourth dimension—time into the model. The

time frame we set up for this case is starting at Mar. 21st 2011 and the project would

approximately last 7 months and completing by Oct. 31st. As stated in Chapter 3, there

are two different ways to add/incorporate the schedule into the building model: (1)

Importing Primavera or MS Project schedule or (2) defining the tasks in the Autodesk

Navisworks directly. For this case study, the second approach was used; the tasks

were defined directly in the Autodesk Navisworks™ 2011 and the steps are stated as

follows:

(1) Define the tasks in Autodesk Navisworks™ 2011

(2) Get the Gantt View of the project schedule

(3) 4D simulation view

Step 1: Defining Tasks

Autodesk Navisworks™ 2011 allows users to define tasks directly in the software tool

itself and then link building components with these defined tasks. In Figure 16, under

the “Tasks” tab, each task is defined with Start date and End date, Planned Start date

and Planned End date. The limitation is that the precedence relationships between

tasks cannot be defined in the Autodesk Navisworks™. The Start date and End date

show the actual project start and end dates and the scheduled dates are shown under

“Planned Start” and “Planned End”. Each task also has its own Status identified by an

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icon, representing planned against actual relationships. Each icon shows two bars: the

top bar represents the Planned dates and the bottom bar represents the Actual dates. If

the Actual start and finish dates are the same as the Planned start and finish dates, the

bars are displayed in green. Any variations between Planned and Actual dates are

displayed in red. Missing Planned or Actual dates are shown in grey. The interface can

clearly show to the Contractor and the Owner the updated status of the project. In this

case study, 25 tasks are defined based on the available building model and as the

building design has changed, the tasks can be changed accordingly.

Figure 16 Tasks are defined directly in Autodesk™ Navisworks 2011

Step 2: Gantt View

Under the Gantt View tab, a Gantt chart view provides a graphical representation of

the project schedule based on the tasks defined in Step 1. In Figure 17, the tasks are

shown in multi-column table on the left and colored Gantt bars are shown on the right.

Each task takes up one row. Planned, Actual, and Planned vs. Actual Gantt charts can

be selected based on the users’ preference. In Figure 18, the bars of Actual and

Planned Gantt charts are shown as blue; in the Planned vs. Actual Gantt chart view,

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the planned dates are shown as grey bars and the actual dates are shown as red bars

(Note: the color of the red and grey bars are not representing the status of the project).

Figure 17 Tasks are shown in Gantt View

Figure 18 Three Gantt Chart views can be selected based on the user’s preference

Actual vs. Planned

Planned

Actual

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Step 3 4D Simulation

The third step is to simulate the project phases in the 4D environment. In step 1, the

tasks defined are linked to the relevant building components in the Autodesk

Navisworks™ 2011. Under the “simulate” tab, the tasks are simulated. In Figure 19,

the simulation of the project progress is shown on 12 weekly based interfaces. On the

upper left side of simulation interfaces, the date, on-going project sequence and its

finished percentage are shown. By showing project phases and site logistics in a

virtual environment, 4D simulation in BIM dynamically provides users with different

project statuses. It is also convenient for the project contractor to provide the owner

with a virtual and intuitive view of the project progress. The contractor, the owner and

even the designers can be on the same page at any time to share understanding of

project status, milestones, responsibilities, and construction plans. If the contractor

defines a date under the simulation tab, the simulation interface can also show the

on-going tasks with the percentage of finished tasks on the defined date. The 4D

simulation in BIM provides the contractor with a virtual view of the project status.

Moreover, it helps the contractor to adjust the project schedule according to any

design change since the simulated tasks are linked to building components of the

building model.

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Figure 19 The interfaces of Autodesk Navisworks™ of 4D Scheduling in BIM

Week 1 Week 3 Week 4




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4.3 Conclusions

A careful review of the case study shows that BIM technology brings many advanced

construction management skills to cost estimating, project scheduling and even

project controls for contractors.

In this case study, the QTO process is automatic and reliable, which is finished within

15 minutes, since the quantities of the building components are “read” by Autodesk

QTO™ 2011 from the building model directly. This will save contractors substantial

amount of time on cost estimating. On the other hand, the change of the design in the

building model can be updated and reflected in the QTO list in minutes, which means

that the owner (and in case of contracts where contractors are part of the team during

design phase, contractors) can get a faster cost feedback on changes in design using

BIM technology.

The 4D BIM links the building components with tasks and simulate these tasks in the

4D environment—the design and the construction schedule are synchronized. In this

case study, the tasks defined with planned and actual dates are represented in Gantt

chart view. By comparing the planned and actual dates, the status bars can tell the

contractor the progress of the project in an intuitive and simple way. The simulation of

the progress can also help contractor to adjust the project schedule according to the

design change in building model.

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Chapter 5: Conclusions and Future Work

5.1 Conclusions

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an emerging technology in AEC industry. It

provides users with more accurate and consistent project information throughout the

lifecycle. In this thesis, diverse BIM tools and BIM application areas have been

discussed with emphasis on scheduling and cost estimating. Two approaches for 4D

scheduling in BIM have been presented: i) BIM tools with 4D capacity ii) use of 4D

BIM tool to link the 3D BIM model with the project schedule. After that, three types

of cost estimation methods have been discussed: i) export the QTO list from the BIM

tool to the estimating software such as MS Excel ii) link BIM components to

estimating software iii) use QTO tool to extract the QTO list from the model. Based

on the available methods, a case study is presented to illustrate the scheduling and

cost estimating processes in BIM based on the BIM model of a 3-story training

facility. The case study shows the QTO process can be finished in a more automatic

and reliable way and the 4D scheduling function in BIM simulate the project schedule

in the 4D environment. Based on the literature review and the case study, some

developments might be foreseen in the future.

5.2 Future Work

Contractors are “responsible for providing all of the material, labor, equipment,

(engineering vehicles and tools) and services necessary for the construction of the

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material�

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project” (Wikipedia). In order to ensure the project is completed on time, there are

many functions that the building contractors need to be responsible for: (1) implement

a proper plan to deliver the project on time, (2) review the progress and implement

any changes in project delivery on the way to ensure on time completion, (3) establish

the budget and follow the budget as closely as possible, (4) make sure to have

sufficient financial resources to successfully complete the project (5) and develop a

proper plan for manpower and materials needed for the execution of the project. In the

case study, it was shown that the improved cost estimating approach reduces the

potential errors in quantity takeoff process and expedites the process of cost

estimating. The scheduling in BIM can synchronize the schedule with the construction

of various building components. Currently, BIM technology cannot support all

contractors’ responsibilities; however, the technology is under development for

potential improvement in the following fields in the future:

(1) Higher LOD of the Object Models

(2) Scheduled financial analysis

(3) Resource Allocation

These points will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.

5.2.1

HIGHER LOD OF OBJECT MODELS DURING DESIGN PHASE

Cost is the most essential consideration to the contractors, since every decision that

the contractors make in the project will eventually aim to keep the project cost within

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the budget. As we discussed before, some BIM tools have the functions to generate

the material information such as bill of quantities and material takeoffs, then it will be

easier to control the project cost at the early stages of the project. However, the

limitation of this approach is that BIM model might not have sufficient information

during the design phase. As stated before, the LOD of the BIM model will be

increased as the project progresses. It means that when the building is in the

conceptual design phase, the LOD of the BIM model will be at its lowest point and

other users will need to add more detail to the model as more information becomes

available and project scope is better defined. The building model used in the case

study is on a lower LOD and as the project progresses, more information will be

added, such as material information, HVAC information and MEP information. If the

design has higher LOD, the QTO list the contractor generates from the building model

will include information that is sufficient for cost estimation. Since BIM technology is

still under development, designers or architects may not provide sufficient

information such as material information on the BIM model during the design phase;

thus the generation of bill of quantities will also be insufficient. As the design

technique in BIM becomes mature and more predefined BIM models will become

available, the design in BIM might be able to conclude sufficient information at the

early stages of the building lifecycle. By then, owners and even contractors can track

a more accurate cost of the project at the early stages of the project lifecycle and

ensure the cost will be kept within the budget.

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5.2.2

SCHEDULED FINANCIAL ANALYSIS — TIME AND COST

INTEGRATION

It is well known that the financial aspects are very important to contractors since more

often contractors cannot be paid by the end of the payment cycle. Contractors need to

make sure to have sufficient financial resources to complete the project by arranging a

solid financing schedule to meet their cash flow requirements and reduce the cost for

financing. In the case study, we saw that the time and cost parameters were considered

separately—adding the cost to QTO list for cost estimating and linking the schedule to

the 3D model. As shown in Figure 20, the QTO list is generated from the building

components 3D model and the cost data is mapped with the generated quantities;

meanwhile, the tasks in the schedule are also linked to relevant building components

in the 3D model. So, the cost and schedule are indirectly linked by the 3D model.

Thus another potential development in BIM is to integrate these two parameters with

3D building model. As seen in Figure 19, the cost data and 4D schedule can be linked

to get a scheduled financial analysis in BIM. This integration will (1) allow

contractors to see the cost distribution based on project schedule, (2) help contractors

to arrange financing activities in a more effective way, and (3) assist contractors to

make faster adjustments to the financial plan according to the design change. Since

the design changes will occur all the time throughout the project lifecycle, the

contractor’s financial plans will need adjustments accordingly. The integration of cost

and schedule together with the 3D model will allow the user to automatically adjust

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the budget and schedule if the design is changed. Contractor then can make faster

adjustments to the financial plan based on the changes in cost and schedule. This

integration can ensure that the contractor has enough financial resources even when

there is a change in the design.

Figure 20 Overall layout for the proposed financial analysis by integrating cost and schedule

5.2.3 RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Another important responsibility of the contractor is to make the proper plan for

manpower and materials requirements. As was shown in Table 3, most BIM

scheduling software tools can import MS Project™ or Primavera™ schedule. One

benefit of using MS Project or Primavera software is that they can level other

resources on the schedule, such as labor and equipment requirements, and then

analyze the resource usage based on the schedule. Contractors can make workload

3D MODEL

Cost Data

QTO LIST

4D BIM

Schedule

Scheduled

Financial

Analysis

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plans, procurement plans and even budget plans by using MS Project™ or

Primavera™. As is shown in Table 8, compared to MS Project™, the scheduling

function of Autodesk Navisworks™ is limited to the 4D scheduling only. Other useful

functions such as assigning resources to tasks, cost loading and analyzing budget

which MS Project™ supports, are missing in Autodesk Navisworks™. Thus, another

potential improvement in BIM is to develop mechanisms for assigning resource

information on the 4D schedule. By assigning the resources to the 4D model,

contractors can allocate the resources on the 4D model, analyze and plan the resource

usage based on the most updated design, and even simulate the resource allocation.

Table 8 Comparison between MS Project™ and Autodesk Navisworks™

Functions Microsoft Project™ Autodesk Navisworks™

Develop Schedule

Assign Resources to Tasks

Tracking Progress

Manage Budgets

Analyze Workloads

Gantt Chart

Clash Detection

Simulation

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49. Yong, N. W. Jr., Jones, S. A. and Berstein, H. M. (2008). “Building Information

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http://www.itcon.org/cgi-bin/works/Show?2010_18�

http://www.itcon.org/cgi-bin/works/Show?2010_18�

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Appendices

Appendix 1 Floor plans of the Building Model

Entry Level Floor Plan

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Second & Third Floor Plans

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Appendix 2 RS Means

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Appendix 3 Interface of Autodesk Quantity Takeoff™ 2011

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Appendix 4 Quantity Takeoff List

WBS Description Items Quantity1 Material Cost Labor Cost Equipment Cost Total Cost

Ceilings Compound Ceiling 600 x 600mm Grid 29,420.339 sq. ft $ 0.93 $ 0.53 $ - $ 1.46 $ 42,953.69 Compound Ceiling Furred Ceiling 9,924.188 sq. ft $ 1.97 $ 1.47 $ - $ 3.44 $ 34,139.21 Compound Ceiling Plain 330.144 sq. ft $ 1.37 $ 0.69 $ - $ 2.06 $ 680.10 Curtain Panels System Panel Glazed 23,768.516 sq. ft $ 29.00 $ 7.05 $ - $ 36.05 $ 856,855.01 System Panel Solid 3,759.340 sq. ft $ 20.50 $ 7.80 $ - $ 28.30 $ 106,389.34 Curtain Wall Mullions L Corner Mullion L Mullion 1 79.000 EA $ 20.00 $ 2.10 $ - $ 22.10 $ 1,745.90 Rectangular Mullion 30mm Square 120.000 EA $ 18.00 $ 2.20 $ - $ 20.20 $ 2,424.00 Rectangular Mullion 50 x 150mm 3,029.000 EA $ 19.00 $ 2.00 $ - $ 21.00 $ 63,609.00

Doors & Windows M_Curtain Wall Dbl Glass M_Curtain Wall Dbl Glass 6.000 EA $ 62.00 $ 8.05 $ - $ 70.05 $ 420.30

M_Curtain Wall Sgl Glass M_Curtain Wall Sgl Glass 11.000 EA $ 48.00 $ 7.45 $ - $ 55.45 $ 609.95

Doors\M_Double-Flush 1730 x 2134mm 1.000 EA $ 95.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 138.00 $ 138.00

Doors\M_Double-Flush 1730 x 2134mm 20 Minute Rated 4.000 EA $ 95.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 138.00 $ 552.00

Doors\M_Double-Flush 1830 x 2134mm 2.000 EA $ 95.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 138.00 $ 276.00 Doors\M_Double-Glass 2 1830 x 2134mm 1.000 EA $ 885.00 $ 172.00 $ - $ 1,057.00 $ 1,057.00 Doors\M_Single-Flush 0915 x 2134mm 63.000 EA $ 65.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 108.00 $ 6,804.00

Doors\M_Single-Flush 0915 x 2134mm 20 Minute Rated 6.000 EA $ 65.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 108.00 $ 648.00

Doors\M_Single-Flush Vision 0915 x 2134mm 4.000 EA $ 65.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 108.00 $ 432.00

Doors\M_Single-Flush-Dbl Acting 0915 x 2134mm 1.000 EA $ 65.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 108.00 $ 108.00

Doors\M_Single-Glass 1 0915 x 2134mm 1.000 EA $ 65.00 $ 43.00 $ - $ 108.00 $ 108.00

Windows 0915 x 1220mm 24.000 EA $ 55.00 $ 45.00 $ - $ 100.00 $ 2,400.00

Floors Floor Metal Sunscreen 2,221.222 sq. ft $ 2.39 $ 0.45 $ 0.03 $ 2.87 $ 6,374.91

Floor Standard Timber-Wood Finish

2,576.873 sq. ft $ 3.74 $ 3.44 $ - $ 7.18 $ 18,501.94

Floor Concrete- 100mm 18,943.701 sq. ft $ 3.96 $ 4.28 $ - $ 8.24 $ 156,096.09

Floor Hollow Core Plank - Concrete Topping 33,436.501 sq. ft $ 2.95 $ 2.03 $ - $ 4.98 $ 166,513.77

Pads Pad Pad 1 1.000 EA $ 50.00 $ - $ - $ 50.00 $ 50.00 Railings Railing 900mm Pipe 207.221 ft $ 39.50 $ 9.80 $ 0.68 $ 49.98 $ 10,356.90

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WBS Description Items Quantity1 Material Cost Labor Cost Equipment

Cost Total Cost

Railing 900mm Pipe - Wall Monted 78.829 ft $ 44.00 $ 9.80 $ 0.68 $ 54.48 $ 4,294.58

Railing Guardrail - Pipe 406.468 ft $ 175.00 $ 13.10 $ - $ 188.10 $ 76,456.64

Roofs Basic Roof Concrete Deck - Tapered Insulation

20,158.938 cubic ft $ 1.16 $ 0.02 $ - $ 1.18 $ 23,787.55

Basic Roof Generic - 400mm 598.449 sq. ft $ 1.16 $ 3.50 $ - $ 4.66 $ 2,788.77

Basic Roof Generic - 75mm 765.249 sq. ft $ 1.16 $ 2.80 $ - $ 3.96 $ 3,030.39

Slab Edges Slab Edge Slab Edge 967.048 ft $ 0.41 $ 0.08 $ - $ 0.49 $ 473.85

Stairs Stair 150mm max riser 300mm tread 5.000 EA $ 700.00 $ 78.50 $ - $ 778.50 $ 3,892.50

Columns M_Concrete-Round-Column 300mm 1,530.999 cubic ft $ 17.40 $ 33.23 $ - $ 50.63 $ 77,514.49

M_Concrete-Round-Column 450mm 61.628 cubic ft $ 16.11 $ 13.33 $ - $ 29.44 $ 1,814.33

M_W-Wide Flange-Column W250X49.1 4.328 cubic ft $ 15.00 $ 15.00 $ - $ 30.00 $ 129.83

Structural Framing Curved Beam Curved Beam 3.611 cubic ft $ 2.02 $ 7.60 $ - $ 9.62 $ 34.74

M_K-Series Bar Joist-Angle Web 8K1 308.120 ft $ 3.20 $ 6.70 $ - $ 9.90 $ 3,050.39

M_Precast-Rectangular Beam

300 RB 600 963.111 ft $ 3.20 $ 6.80 $ - $ 10.00 $ 9,631.11

M_W-Wide Flange W310X28.3 54.056 ft $ 1.50 $ 6.80 $ - $ 8.30 $ 448.66

Walls Basic Wall Exterior - Insulation on Masonry 8,435.732 sq. ft $ 0.82 $ 0.62 $ - $ 1.44 $ 12,147.45

Basic Wall Generic - 200mm 4,087.402 sq. ft $ 2.62 $ 3.50 $ - $ 6.12 $ 25,014.90

Basic Wall Generic - 225mm Concrete

687.168 sq. ft $ 5.10 $ 4.68 $ - $ 9.78 $ 6,720.50

Basic Wall Interior - 138mm Partition (1-hr) 31,085.232 sq. ft $ 1.52 $ 1.91 $ - $ 3.43 $ 106,622.35

Basic Wall Parapet Wall 921.860 ft $ 4.56 $ 8.10 $ - $ 12.66 $ 11,670.75

Total Cost $ 1,849,766.88

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Appendix 5 Interface of Autodesk Revit Architecture™ 2011

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Appendix 6 Interfaces of Autodesk Navisworks™ 2011

Tasks are defined

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Gantt Chart View

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4D Simulation

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