Using LOD in Structural Cost Estimation during Building Design Stage: Pilot Study

This paper presents a pilot study attempting to harness the power of Building Information Modelling (BIM), coupled with Level of Development (LOD), for practicing structural engineers to have greater understanding of design decisions on cost, thereby giving greater control of economy. This study aimed to exploit the wealth of BIM built environment data in a framework, matching building material data with cost data, in the Microsoft Excel platform to allow for a raw design cost to be automatically determined. Level of Development (LOD) is a standard which allows for consistent comparisons between BIM models by ensuring each model covers a specified scope. There are multiple LOD's and by applying the framework at each of these, insight can be gained into the design cost over time as it is refined. To achieve the aim of the study, the tool was employed on five separate structures: two blockwork medium-rise buildings and three reinforced concrete high-rise buildings. Results indicate that similar structure types have similar design cost curves when data was standardised. By employing the process over further studies, the empirical curves will be refined with greater certainty, allowing for eventual use as benchmarks to assess economic performance of design solutions.