Kehily, D (2016) Leveraging building information modelling to address the barriers that prevent the widespread adoption of life cycle costing by quantity surveyors. PhD thesis, University of Salford, UK.
Abstract
Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is the consideration of all ‘relevant' costs and revenues associated with the acquisition and ownership of an asset. LCC has a number of relevant applications, these include project appraisal; facilities management; procurement and tendering and as a means to evaluate sustainable construction. Although these advantages are well recognised, the process is underutilised due to a number of documented barriers to adoption. Notably these include lack of accurate historical databases; the perceived complexity and time consuming nature of the calculations; lack of a standard LCC methodology, and that the client is not requesting LCC. This research is framed in recognition of these barriers, investigating a process that could affect change by increasing efficiency in this area. A Building Information Modelling (BIM) approach to construction procurement is being increasingly utilised as a collaborative set of procedures and associated technologies that assist design and construction professions in conceiving, designing, constructing and operating the built environment. Although 5D BIM (Cost Modelling) is currently being used in Quantity Surveying (QS) practice, BIM is not extensively used in the application of LCC and there has been little research in this area. This research develops a 5D-LCC solution, where LCC is integrated into the 5D BIM process by embedding an LCC calculation model structure within an existing 5D technology. This process represents a change to the 5D BIM work-flow; adding on a facility for LCC through post-processing BIM data. The research is carried out under an action and design sciences research methodology, to develop and then evaluate the LCC process proposed in this research. An evaluation method known as ‘Thinking Aloud cooperative evaluation' is used to gain feedback from a sample of QSs practicing in Ireland. The contribution to knowledge is the articulation of a process which extends 5D BIM for LCC, by leveraging an existing 5D technology. The research identifies that this process has an effect on a number of the reported barriers to LCC. The predominant benefit is that the process provides automation and efficiency in carrying out LCC, which addresses barriers such as LCC being a ‘time intensive process' with QSs lacking ‘the know-how' in carrying out calculations. The findings also indicate that the process provides a format to present LCC estimates, thus addressing a ‘lack of standardisation'.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | automation; building information modelling; complexity; construction procurement; cost modelling; facilities management; feedback; Ireland; life cycle cost |
| Index terms: | revenue, life cycle cost, science, project appraisal, surveying, sustainable construction, complexity, facilities management, methodology, acquisition, database, life cycle, post-processing, efficiency, building information modelling, quantity surveying, Ireland, estimate, modelling, costing, automation, built environment, design and construction, ownership, construction procurement, research methodology, standardization, profession |
| Subjects: | economics, performance management, performance measurement, management, data management, systems engineering, information systems, infrastructure and transport systems, research design and methodology, business, profession, value management, health monitoring assessment and metrics, financial and cost management, project delivery, data science, accounting and finance, research methods, sustainable construction, Geography, automation and robotics, institututions, specialized education, economic analysis, analytical methods, contractual arrangements |
| Topics: | Organizational Design, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Education, Quality Management, Procurement, Sustainability, Project Management, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here