UK and German software firms develop new estimation tool

Two construction software firms have joined forces to link CAD software for architects with traditional quantity surveying programmes.

UK technology provider CSSP, which manufactures the existing QS software RIPAC programme, has linked its software with German firm Nemetschek’s 3D CAD application Allplan. The latter’s existing Alltop software will act as a hub between the two programmes, enabling the quantities automatically calculated in Allplan to be exported to RIPAC in order to automatically propagate cost plans and Bills of Quantities in RIPAC.

The interfaced software programmes were demonstrated at last month’s Construction Computing 2005 and Civils 2005 events.

Nemetschek UK’s Clive Fynn said the main benefits will be efficiency and true-time costing.

Flynn added that in Allplan 2006, to be launched next year, the costing element will be compatible with project management software Microsoft Project (and in a future phase with Primavera).

How it works

Quantities are received by the RIPAC software and costs are allocated from the RIPAC database of costs from either historical projects or from a proprietary database, such as the BCIS.

Costs can be classified by date, type of project, location or contract.

Although the technology enabling the integration of 3D drawings with other solutions already exists, Allplan, which produces a BIM model (building information model), is the first to be integrated with an estimating and tendering solution. The catalogue – currently the BCIS catalogue but this can also be a client’s master B of Q – sits in the background.

The catalogue includes simple elements (a concrete wall for example) and more complex processes, such as a foundation, consisting of the excavation, removal to tip of the excavated material, the foundation concrete and reinforcement (mesh or bar).

As the model is 3D these quantities can then be calculated from the model via direct calculation and conditional calculations.

The quantities are then allocated to internal codes and the BCIS or B of Q code. This information together with calculation information, materials, trade and so on is then exported in a flat file.

This flat file is imported into RIPAC, which associates the codes from Allplan to the respective codes within RIPAC and so produces the cost plan or B of Q based on the same structure that was used to produce the catalogue.

RIPAC takes over at this point and is responsible for the tender and contract allocation and cost management. If the model is altered, the quantities are updated and the cost plan or B of Q is updated.