How to draft a detailed cost estimate with a BIM software
How to draft a detailed cost estimate with project entities defined in an architectural BIM design software.
One of the major advantages of using a BIM software is that you can easily produce the project’s architectural drawings, its construction documents and also get precise measurement data in order to prepare a detailed Bill of Quantities for the entire project.
In this article we’ll be taking a look at how to assign Edificius BIM entities with Price Book items and then see how easy it is to get automated construction documents that read all the information directly from the architectural design. Dynamic entity linking, allows the project’s design team to produce continuously updated documents so that every time a variation is introduced to the architectural model, the BoQ data and the project’s total cost is automatically re-aligned and updated.
This is the BIM revolution and how an inter-disciplinary approach can increase productivity and drastically reduce errors. Thanks to the integration with PriMus, the ACCA software solution for construction estimating, all cost estimating issues are taken care of with great professionalism and reliability.
PriMus is an integrated software solution with online services, applications and data that can offer the utmost in terms of productivity, power and freedom. Thanks to the ability to dynamically link up with CAD drawing entities and interact with BIM software by means of the IFC standard, PriMus definitely represents the new frontier of software in the world of construction cost management and estimating.
Generating a cost estimate from drawn entities
To access the Cost Estimating environment, simply select the relating tab at the bottom left hand side within the Edificius Interface.
Estimate section – entity selection in Edificius
Select the entity to account for and open a reference PriceBook from which to choose a rate to associate with the selected BIM model entity.
Opening a Price List in Edificius
At this point a simple Drag and Drop of the Price Book item over to the BoQ box on the right, opens the editor.
In this dialogue box, the operator simply completes the Measurement Model form with variables (specifically related to the selected BIM model entity, for example, length, width, height, volume, surface, etc.).
Even add formulas available in the measurement model archive.
With a multiple selection, you can activate previously used formulas.
Facendo doppio click sul nodo del computo viene visualizzato il computo delle entità selezionate. A double click on the “BoQ – selected entities” node shows cost estimate data (measurements, descriptions, units of measurements, etc) relating to selected items that have already been accounted for.
Printing and exporting the cost estimate data
Now that drafting is complete, you can obviously export or print your documents by pressing the print button on the Edificius Quick Access Toolbar.
Integration between a BIM software and a cost estimating software
Integrating BIM with PriMus is very simple just start the BIM integration process from the Edificius window.
The PriMus measurements editor now allows you to add extra measurements by continuing to edit the BoQ document with maximum freedom.
Close PriMus and save changes to send the new measurements to the Edificius BoQ environment.
Click here for more information and to download Edificius, the Architectural BIM Design software
