An evaluation of BIM enabled cost management in meeting sustainability targets

Abstract

With the current UK Government drive towards the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM), the Quantity Surveyor (QS) must possess the necessary knowledge and skills to use BIM as part of their cost management duties. For the purposes of this paper BIM contributes to Sustainable Construction Practices by facilitating efficient and effective integrated team working whereby, from the point of view of cost management, the process of planning and controlling maximises client value, minimises waste and optimises whole life cycle costs. The UK government expects cost management to utilise BIM automated quantity take-off where appropriate to facilitate Level 2 compliance by extracting 3D BIM model quantities into Excel and costing the quantities manually. BIM can directly benefit cost management by rapid and accurate automated quantity take-off; facilitating cost planning and Bill of Quantity production aimed at more effective use of resources. This paper will consider how the QS role will develop in relation to cost management in the new BIM era and how effective BIM will be in ensuring cost management helps meet sustainability-related targets. To inform the findings reported in this paper data was collected through exploratory interviews with QS’s from three private practices, three contracting organisations and two experts in the field of BIM. This research suggests that whilst BIM is being utilised by the profession it is not standard in its application and not being utilised in relation to life cycle decisions thus limiting its impact on helping to meet sustainability targets.