Today, we will continue our summary on the application value of BIM in cost management. The use of BIM in cost estimation is becoming increasingly widespread. Companies like Guanglian Da have been dedicated to integrating BIM with cost estimation for many years. We believe their efforts will eventually lead to a seamless combination of BIM and cost estimation. Without further delay, let’s proceed:
4. BIM Simulation for Project Decision-Making
The establishment of a BIM data model, combined with visualization technology and simulation construction functions, provides a solid foundation for project simulation and decision-making. During the investment decision stage, BIM model data can be leveraged alongside cost data from similar projects. This includes regional prices for labor, materials, and machinery, as well as the cost per square meter of comparable completed projects. Such data enables efficient and accurate estimation of the total investment required, offering a reliable basis for making investment decisions.
It is well-known that design determines approximately 70% of construction and installation costs, making cost control during the design phase critical. When completing CAD drawings, linking project components with the cost information stored in the BIM database allows for the extraction of cost details for any sub-project over time. This facilitates cost reduction early in the design process and supports the goal of cost-effective design.
During the design disclosure and drawing review phase—after appointing the general contractor—the traditional review process relies on two-dimensional drawings, with separate designs for each discipline. This makes it difficult to identify issues through manual inspection alone. BIM addresses this by integrating various disciplines into a unified platform, enabling designers, contractors, and supervisors to review drawings collaboratively from multiple perspectives. Utilizing BIM’s visual simulation capabilities, including 3D, 4D, and even 5D collision checks, helps detect conflicts early, reduces design errors, minimizes costly rework due to misunderstandings, and prevents disputes during project execution.
In construction, material costs typically account for about 70% of the budget and 80% of direct expenses, representing a significant portion of overall costs. Therefore, effectively controlling material consumption is key to managing construction costs. Although current material requisition processes are well-established, their effectiveness remains limited. This is mainly because auditors, due to time constraints and difficulty accessing reference data, cannot accurately judge whether the quantities requested are reasonable. They often rely on rough estimates based on experience and limited data. With BIM technology maturing, auditors can now access extensive historical data from similar projects within the BIM system. Using BIM’s multidimensional simulation and calculation capabilities, they can quickly and precisely break down, summarize, and output consumption standards for any specific task, truly realizing the goal of controlled material requisition.
5. Comparing Different Dimensions of BIM Calculations
Comparing multiple calculations in cost management is essential for timely problem identification, correction, and cost reduction. These comparisons typically analyze three dimensions: time, process, and space. Focusing on just one dimension may overlook critical issues. For example, a project may report a production value of 6 million yuan last month and an actual cost of 4.5 million yuan, indicating good overall results. However, a sub-project might have had a budget of 900,000 yuan but incurred costs of 1 million yuan. This highlights the need to analyze costs not only over time but also broken down by individual processes.
Additionally, since projects are often constructed in sections, regions, or through subcontracting, cost elements must also be analyzed spatially. Conducting statistical and cost analysis across these three dimensions requires breaking down and summarizing large volumes of physical consumption and cost data, which is challenging to perform manually. Fast and accurate multidimensional comparisons are only achievable through BIM-related software centered on the BIM processing platform.
Moreover, the components within a BIM 3D model can be uniformly coded and assigned metadata such as process, time, and location. Supported by databases, this enables rapid and accurate 4D and 5D statistical analyses under any conditions, ensuring efficient and precise multidimensional cost management.
After several days of explanation, I hope everyone has gained a clearer understanding of BIM’s value in cost management. Thank you for your continued attention, and I hope this article has been helpful to you.
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