Doing-BIM doesn’t necessarily undo-quantity surveyors

Oct 3, 2017 -- We have always perceived BIM as a platform to collaborate and coordinate our building construction designs, especially for large-scale and complex construction or infrastructure development projects. With BIM Level 2 implementation, the concept has been upgraded a bit, from platform to process, and more contractors, architects, engineers and facility managers have started relying upon BIM.

But we, the AEC industry, have left out an important hand of surveyors and how do they perceive BIM. The U.K. and several countries of APEC region such as Singapore and Hong Kong are leading the way in implementing BIM whereas developed countries like Australia is lacking BIM implementation. The reasons could be many, but what intrigues contractors, is the manner in which BIM can be used and its attributes.

BIM is an inevitable element, or service or platform as you may please, and it can be integrated with cost calculation and management to ease the works of general contractors and surveyors as well. From current scenario, it is sure that BIM might completely erase the roles of quantity surveyors with its accuracy in cost calculation methodology.

Current scenario of BIM teams

Construction companies implementing BIM, or outsourcing BIM implementation, have their teams trained for general awareness and are familiar with BIM interface. Project-specific teams and managers have a general habit of interrogating BIM files using software to verify the accuracy and precision of design and schedule before BIM models are shipped for construction. Engineers, architects, and contractors are also happy because it cuts them some slack in facing design bottlenecks and fewer queries from foremen on-site.

But out there on site, surveyors are somehow finding it hard to accept BIM with open arms as see it as a threat. If surveyors think that there are some clicks and commands in Revit or Allplan and it will generate a list of BOQs and QTOs, it’s really like judging with the world in black and white since a lot lies in grey. With current BIM teams’ skills, there is still a considerable time to acquire a sort of expertise in BIM to completely wipe out their role.

Inevitability of quantity surveyors

There is a whole big level of quality checks, quality assurances and BIM-object interpretation required to be done before they can generate quantity lists; and so calculating costs is far from easy. Besides, quantity extraction depends, a lot, on the level of detailing in data-rich models. So these tasks still need quantity surveyors to have a look and interpret them from quality perspective. If ever, in case, done through automated intelligence there is still a considerable room for errors in final QTOs generated.

Furthermore, if the models are non-federated; extracted BOMs and quantity takeoffs, and hence the cost estimation will have errors beyond imagination. Whatever be the case, BIM has been working in favor of quantity surveyor. Since federated BIM models will serve as the closets to the as-built and surely uplifts the accuracy and quality in cost when integrated with cost estimation software and calculated by BIM.

The big use of BIM in cost estimation

Apart from some mandatory and obvious needs of BIM, contractors also walk up to BIM experts asking for using specified features of BIM. This brings the experts to upgrade their knowledge of BIM and its utilities.

But at the end of the day, BIM is basically a collaborative means of working and solutions to multiple process challenges. With BIM and cost estimation, every stakeholder in the construction project will know which elements or materials are being bought, ordered or even dispatched in some cases. It gives them a sense of understanding the limitations of task for the opposite discipline and can adjust their work plans.

Today, several BIM implementation firms have also established and/or adopted software that delivers onsite assistance. It reports back cost estimation and surveys of markets as the construction work advances to higher stages. The software will capture information and send it through cloud-based tools so that the clients too can access the information for their specified need and through other BIM tools suiting their requirement.

But there is still no gauged software that integrates BIM and QS can collaborate. It still needs BIM modelers to work extra and develop models closest to the as-built. In order to meet the quantity surveyors objectives through BIM models, BIM experts have to go those extra lengths since there still is no existence of automated and accurate method for quantity and cost calculations.

The only thing that can be said with surety is that with time, BIM shall wipe out surveyors roles, but when exactly still remains a mystery to be discovered.

About Author: Hiral Patel is a news editor and has been contributing to the AEC industry since 2008. She mainly writes about the application of BIM across Architecture, MEP and Structural sectors. Her focus is towards encouraging construction companies, sub-contractors and architects to adopt right technologies to improve efficiency and profitability.