Improved Escalation Method for the Cost Estimation System using Previous Bid Price in Public Construction Projects

Escalation method examining the changes in price index has been widely utilized in public construction projects. The previous escalation method determined estimated changes in price based on the average unit price of contract items over a period of time. In relation to this method, the issue has been raised that the fluctuation rates of previous method show different trends compared with other related price indices, as the influence of the small group of contract items with large unit prices overwhelms the others. This research suggested an improved escalation method which estimates the fluctuation rate by examining the changes in CCI (construction cost index) and applies it to the total amount or the partial amount deducted for labor cost in price escalation for previous bid price method. To verify the improvement, a case study is conducted on an educational facility, and the fluctuation rate was estimated in two different base periods (short term, long term). The results over the long term showed similar tendencies to those of related price indices, as well as significant differences in fluctuation rates compared to those of the previous method.