Throughout the development of Causeway BIMMeasure, we have worked closely with major construction consultants, Davis Langdon, an AECOM Company, to build on the success of CADMeasure, which is already used extensively throughout their company.
The result is a single software package that combines direct and interactive access to Building Information Models (BIMs) with a powerful set of measurement and scheduling tools, to liberate information from BIMs and deal with a wide range of formats, from 2D, 3D and PDF drawings, to fully detailed object models.
This enables it to be used interactively and effectively throughout the cost management and control processes, to bring cost consultants closer to the BIM and increase their ability to add value during the early design stages of a project. Erland Rendall, Head of Thought Leadership (Global) at Davis Langdon, comments:
“BIMMeasure is the first tool created especially for cost consultants to enable them, with no specialist skills, to access all of the information that the BIM makes it possible to capture. It also enables us to operate with the levels of speed and efficiency that designers are now able to operate at by using that design technology.”
The BIMMeasure concept arose in response to the growing use of BIM by designers and recognition that cost consultants could find themselves left out of the ‘information loop’. Erland Rendall adds:
“Once the BIM has been created, designers have more time to think about the options and can change things very quickly. If the cost consultants cannot respond to these options just as quickly, they can get behind on the curve and miss out on the opportunity to add value at the time when key decisions are made. We are actually setting our ambition out to provide our advice in real-time, as and when changes are made to the model.”
In addressing these challenges, the development team identified a number of key criteria. For example, it was clear that the interface with the BIM needed to be as simple as possible, while delivering all the features required by cost consultants. It also needed to ensure automatic and dynamic updates, so that any changes made to the model would percolate through to other programs used by cost consultants in Causeway’s CATO suite.
Hi,
My dissertation topic for MSc is “BIM is a viable alternative to traditional quantity surveying practices.
Can you please suggest names of projects wherein BIM was used as a QS tool in UAE / Qatar?
Thanks and Regards
Tejas
Hi Tejas, thanks for your comment.
There are many projects in the Middle East using BIM; notable adopters including companies such as Oger International, Murray & Roberts and Habtoor Leighton.
However, in my opinion, BIM would not take the place of traditional QS practices, but would very much compliment to these practices. The key is the interoperability of the technology being utilised on a project – bringing together estimating, planning and design onto a common platform.
Causeway works closely with BuildingSMART in the Middle East, to promote interoperability to the industry in the main, as well as within our peer group, made up of other software houses and technology providers.
If you send an email to me (phil.auguste@causeway.com), I will reply with some example projects that were cited in last year’s BIM Journal and provide you with some contacts you can speak to for reference material within BuildingSMART MENA.
Kind regards,
Phil