A BIM-DATABASE-INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATION

This paper presents a building information modeling (BIM)-database-integrated system for estimating the construction costs of building projects. The proposed system consists of four main modules: (1) the relational database management module, (2) the visualized BIM-integrated module, (3) the cost estimation module, and (4) the BIM-integrated report module. The relational database management module is designed to store and update the necessary data, which are extracted from BIM models. The visualized BIM-integrated module assists users in visualizing the complex building elements while performing cost estimating. The cost estimation module computes construction cost components. It can also automatically adjust to the change of the building element parameters while estimating costs. This module can minimize human errors associated with manual data input and calculation. The BIM-integrated report module allows users to access and comprehend the results conveniently. As compared to traditional 2D CAD drawings, the proposed system offers a more efficient methodology for construction cost estimating through 3D models. It can also minimize time, costs, and errors in the cost estimating process for building procurement.