The “Valuation Specification for Bill of Quantities of Construction Projects” (GB50500-2013) states that the final project settlement must be based on the signed documents produced during the construction phase. Only the schedule plan confirmed by both parties, the calculated work quantities, and the agreed unit prices of the bill of quantities during construction should be accounted for. This approach differs from traditional settlement methods, which involved recalculating all quantities and sub-item unit prices at the end. Therefore, during construction, contractors must promptly submit visa and change requests to the client following the contract’s specified procedures and ensure that the client signs and acknowledges these written documents in a timely manner.
Effective cost management by construction teams hinges on controlling engineering construction costs. Typically, cost targets are compared against the signed contract’s unit prices and amounts. However, cost statistics and analysis are often performed only after project completion or after milestone achievements, relying heavily on post-project reviews rather than ongoing control during construction.
One reason for this is that traditional construction schedules focus mainly on project quantities and completion timelines but do not adapt dynamically to actual progress or plans. Additionally, these schedules are often developed based on the experience of construction managers, which can lead to discrepancies between estimated and actual quantities of work, labor, materials, and equipment. Such deviations frequently cause cost overruns during construction.
By contrast, construction schedules generated using BIM technology tend to be more accurate. When time information is integrated into a 3D BIM model, it becomes a 4D model that can precisely calculate resource consumption for each construction process and milestone. Adding cost data transforms it into a 5D model, which provides comprehensive insight into project costs. Using quota consumption data, the model accurately estimates the required labor force and machinery for each activity.
Incorporating progress, cost, and construction logistics data into the 3D model not only enables precise calculation of labor, materials, and machinery consumption across the entire project but also helps prevent resource shortages. It allows for early simulation of construction site layouts and optimal positioning of machinery for each phase.
In typical projects, construction managers use these models to track monthly resource utilization, monitor deviations between planned and actual progress, and promptly identify and resolve issues during construction.
Guanglian Da’s BIM5D product imports BIM models and leverages the quantities within them to support construction simulations. This five-dimensional BIM model visually and quantitatively represents project information such as planned work, completed work, and delays. During the construction phase, BIM software enables thorough and well-prepared full-process construction management.
When applied to cost management, BIM allows for rapid calculation of project change amounts by integrating deviation data with the BIM model, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of cost control throughout construction.
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