During the construction phase of a building project, significant expenses are incurred for preparation, material procurement, machinery and equipment mobilization, site setup, personnel coordination, and the commencement of work, starting from the bidding and tendering stages. Project owners expect construction teams to minimize costs while maintaining quality and ensuring timely completion. Effectively managing and controlling these costs presents a major challenge for construction managers.
Implementing a project cost management system based on BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology can effectively control expenses throughout the construction process, preventing unnecessary losses and waste. The BIM model created during the planning and design phases continues to play a vital role in cost control during construction.
By leveraging BIM technology, construction project costs can be monitored and managed in real time. Project managers can estimate construction costs for each phase based on the schedule and then closely track actual expenses, enabling precise cost control throughout the process. Additionally, BIM helps optimize design plans, reduce design changes, prevent construction clashes, and efficiently allocate on-site resources, thereby minimizing cost increases caused by rework and errors.
Using the BIM model, an estimated cost database can be established for the project. During construction, actual cost data is regularly imported and updated in this database. By comparing estimated costs with actual expenses at various stages, managers can analyze the reasons behind cost fluctuations, promptly identify issues, and implement corrective measures as needed.
With access to accurate cost data, detailed cost analyses and accounting can be performed to gain deeper insights. These insights support informed decision-making, which directly influences project costs—either by reducing expenses or avoiding unnecessary losses.
Overall, BIM-based construction cost management significantly reduces the workload of cost calculation, enables real-time recording and analysis of cost data, supports sound decision-making, enhances project efficiency, and serves as a powerful tool for cost control throughout the construction lifecycle.
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