Cost estimation practices: a comparative analysis of traditional 5D BIM and IFC methods

Nowadays in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Industry, the cost is quantified using 5D BIM software that facilitates and accelerates the cost estimation. However, the cost estimation process is still heavily reliant on subjective evaluations that are influenced by the judgment of each estimator. This activity can be time-consuming and prone to errors. The research aims to compare the 5D BIM cost estimation method, and a proposed method carried out through a code in IfcOpenShell. This new method uses structured cost items in IFC and defines the relationship between cost and geometric IFC entities. The results show that the new approach is more agile and effective than the 5D BIM approach based on cost assignment via attributes. The new method ensures the possibility of querying the cost item based on the information contained in the geometric entities and verifying the plausibility of the link between them and the cost estimate.