COST PLANNING FOR RESIDENTIAL TOWERS USING BIM

Anurag Gogna1, V.Thiruvengdam2

1. Masters Student, Department of Building Engineering and Management, School of Planning and Architecture,
New Delhi
2. Professor (ex HOD), Department of Building Engineering and Management, School of Planning and
Architecture, New Delhi

ABSTRACT
Cost is a critical driver of a financially viable project, and to manage cost, one requires cost planning approach to
be applied from project initiation itself. This research work explores the potential of using Building Information
Modelling (BIM) tools to achieve Cost Planning/Estimation of High Rise (G+10 to G+20) residential tower projects.
Work involves creating project specific cost estimates in initial design stages by developing a link between BIM
Models (of new projects) and Cost Data (from past projects).
BIM tools dynamically convert design to quantities and thus help in estimation which:

Facilitate budgeting and feasibility studies.

Avoid human errors in estimation

Assist in VE by studying cost impact due to design variations at early design stages.

The methodology employed was as follows:

1) UNIFORMAT (by ASTM) was adopted to classify the civil and interior elements of Residential Tower Projects.
2) Quantities were derived for past projects and assigned to various elemental heads as per UNIFORMAT.
3) BIM Model (LOD 200 level) was created (in Revit) for new projects & measurable parameters were
exported.
4) Data from step 2 and 3 were correlated to estimate civil and interior work quantities for new projects.
The research work carried out established that close to accurate estimates can be developed without doing tedious
manual quantity extraction from 2-D drawings when fair idea of building form and design along with specifications
is available (through use of BIM tools).
Although its common knowledge that building cost depends upon its height and specifications, it was realized post
study that building configuration plays a critical role is construction costs and same can be a value input during value
engineering studies.
The results of the study and the process can be utilized by developers and designers of accurately quantity & cost
their designs in initial stages of design development, study alternatives (carry our VE studies), develop and maintain
quantity and cost databases etc. Approach applied to Civil and Interior elements of Residential Tower projects can
be extended to other disciplines and building types as well.
Above is abstract of Masters Thesis research work carried out by Anurag Gogna (anuraggogna@gmail.com) under
the guidance of Prof V Thiruvengadam (thiruspa@gmail.com) in the year 2012-13 at School of Planning and
Architecture, New Delhi.