What are Quantity Take-Offs?
A 5D BIM model is an extended 4D BIM model with a variable known as the cost of labour and materials needed for construction. A detailed measurement of these two components in a construction project is very essential, known as ‘quantity take-off’. A 5D BIM model enables fast estimation of quantities of materials and labour needed for construction as the data can be extracted from the BIM model, enabling the generation of cost estimation documents for tender bids. However, it is very crucial that the BIM models are generated as accurately as possible with the necessary properties and information.
What are the benefits of Quantity Take-Offs?
Traditionally, a Quantity Surveyor is in-charge of manually carrying out the quantity take-off of each material needed for the construction of a building. However, with BIM software, the exact quantity of various building components can be retrieved from the BIM models automatically, saving time for calculation of the quantity of each material needed for construction. Whenever a single component in the BIM model is replaced or changed, the direct impact on the quantity can also be calculated automatically. Thus, the time taken to generate quantities is significantly reduced.