Developing a Collaboration Framework for Model-Based Estimating

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

General contractors (GCs) in the United States increasingly use building information modeling (BIM) in all phases of a construction project. Especially for the preconstruction phase, GCs aim to leverage BIM capabilities for quantity takeoff and cost estimation, also known as model-based estimating (MBE), to address the current gap between a project’s design and budget. However, the effectiveness of MBE has been limited mainly due to a lack of established MBE best practices and a lack of integration between design and estimation processes. This paper will report on an applied research project conducted by the research team for a large general contractor to develop a standard workflow and a collaboration framework to support the MBE in the preconstruction phase. For this purpose, the research team examined the benefits and challenges of current MBE practices and set criteria for selecting an appropriate workflow and toolset that fit project requirements. The main outcome of the research is a MBE workflow that explains the general process of model-based estimating, required activities, and suggested toolsets for successful implementation of MBE. In addition, this research presents a collaboration framework for owners, designers, and contractors that includes team members’ roles and responsibilities and a guide for integrating design and estimating processes. The results of this research help project teams to benefit from MBE-supported collaboration partnership, leading to efficient and accurate quantity takeoff and cost estimation in the early design stages, on-time value engineering, and effective management of design and cost changes.