Cost estimation in building information models

Digitalization is the next trend of development in the construction industry, with increasingly more information being digital in nature. Addressing this development within our industry is Building Information Modelling (BIM). The currency of inter-dependent cooperation within BIM and the construction industry is information. However, cost estimators still have little knowledge about how to leverage information within semantic rich information models, e.g. IFC. This paper introduces a new philosophic stance for cost estimation to address the development of model-based cost estimation. It addresses the importance of contextual information and the needs of extension of pricing information according to the general process of cost estimation by using the IFC standard. Information requirement, as specified in IFC for cost estimation, is established and instances of IFC relationship have been identified. The knowledge of cost estimation is demonstrated and discussed. Initial analysis of the IFC schema has been completed, including analysis classification & inheritance structure. It can be concluded that the IFC standard has the capacity fully facilitate the cost estimation within an ideal environment, and the direction of automating cost estimation for BIM has been pointed out. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.