•   By bimengus
  •   June 12, 2018
  •   993 views

Better Quantity Takeoffs yield exceptional Estimates. Know how & why?

Quantity takeoffs are vital for Engineering Firms in construction as estimations applied need to be accurate & consistent.

Engineering companies improve the construction process with BIM based Visual Estimations. General Contractors, Subcontractors, Cost Consultants, etc. make informed decisions in the construction process through quantity takeoffs. As a matter of fact,  the word “quantity” is self-explanatory, and it signifies inventory of a particular construction project. Material requirements, labor charges, and bid formulation are calculated with Quantity Take-Offs. It is integrated with the pricing process for initial expenses, cost impact on various model changes, and as well as other aspects of BIM modeling.

Stay Realistic in Real-Time

The initial course of a project is critical for all the stakeholders in the building process to make informed decisions. It absolutely avoids over-budget hassles and creates a clear path to complete the building process. Furthermore, each element contains critical information about other elements in the way they need to be installed. Engineering companies use various software’s to calculate take-offs or a take-off table.

Every Software is Unique

Uniquely, every software has a different way of  reading and displaying data from BIM models. In addition, the automation process accelerates the QTO process through fewer errors and omissions caused by human interference. However, information pertaining to quantity takeoffs is entered in the early design stages.  However, it does require constant communication and collaboration between the designers and the QTO creators. As a matter of fact, the amount of takeoff material calculated in the 3D model is not the actual amount, but the amount of materials included in the 3D model.

Let’s continue & know more !

Cost Estimations are highly prudent in BIM    

The process of cost-estimating is highly important to Quantity Take Offs (QTO).  As a matter of fact, a well conceived takeoff creates faster and accurate cost-estimations. A well-conceived takeoff is crucial for all the construction elements that need to be price tagged, else cost assessments can be incomplete. The conceptual phase is more detailed and accurate in comparison to its counterpart. BIM provides new opportunities for Engineering Firms for cost estimates to be more accurate and detailed at this stage. Moreover, the takeoff process is augmented with a faster cost analysis, instead of manual inputs that cause human errors in the estimations.

Describe the elements correctly

Whilst using BIM software’s or tools for automated or semi-automated takeoffs, it is imperative to point out all the elements for the BIM software to calculate the information correctly. Any changes or simplifications that are made during the construction phase can lead to inaccuracies in the BIM process, as it may not lead to the real amount. Some elements maybe forgotten or not counted at all if the simplification means they shouldn’t be modeled at all. In contradiction, simplifications do play a major role in designing and 3D modeling as fewer elements make the design clutter-free and easy to view and understand.

BIM tools need to be robust in estimation and costing

BIM tools need to be robust in estimating and calculating costs with superior accuracy. Some of the features they need to possess are listed below –

  • Read various file formats from different platforms and software’s
  • Perform absolute automated calculations for various parameter’s
  • BIM tools need to provide flexibility for clients to input various buildup prices, or refer libraries from previous projects
  • Robust structure to retrieve information for stakeholders to view, access and collaborate on
  • It should also be able to record variations and perform perpetual checks in the system

Closing Lines

Quantity takeoffs or QTO can be used to estimate accuracy and check BIM models for precision. Engineering companies are using the complete potential of BIM and QTO to fulfill the above mentioned criterion. Every software has its merits to calculate Takeoffs, and can be extensively used by general contractors, consultants, suppliers, or developers to accomplish construction projects.

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