A BIM-based conceptual cost estimation model considering structural analysis and design

In recent years, considerable concern has arisen over the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM has been widely utilized for solving the drawbacks of traditional preliminary cost estimation by creating a cost-estimation model. However, since the function of structural analysis and design in BIM is still in its developing stage, the model still lacks precise information of the structural engineering. As a result, the model hypothesizes the structural engineering quantity on the basis of the empirical formula, contributing to a slight inaccuracy in its approximation. Hence, to overcome these shortcomings, this research presents a conceptual cost-estimation model created by linking ETABS (a software used for structural analysis and design of buildings) to the BIM-based model. With the integration of the ETABS and the BIM model, the proposed model can simultaneously consider the two factors (the budget, and the structural analysis) for cost estimation in the early stages of the project: (1) establishing a BIM model on Revit, (2) applying ETABS to conduct structural analysis and design on the BIM model, (3) obtaining quantity takeoffs of the BIM model by Navisworks, (4) retrieving unit price data from PCCES software through results of the quantity takeoffs, and (5) ratifying whether the projected cost meets the owner’s budget. The proposed model is tested via a building located on a certain university campus in northern Taiwan. The results show that the proposed conceptual model is significantly superior to the original BIM-based model, and demonstrate that the proposed model can be practically implemented and provide adequate results for the projected cost.