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Estimator 2005
New cost-estimating software offers
5-D modeling
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Estimator 2005 offers important advances
over traditional estimating tools because it allows
time, cost, design and resources to be synchronized
in one report.
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Whether a construction company already has created a comprehensive
database or still is using more traditional take-off-based
estimating for each project, the art and science of estimating
can be made more precise and more valuable using Graphisoft's
Estimator 2005.
Estimator 2005 can be used with Graphisoft's Constructor
2005, a construction-modeling system, or as a stand-alone
product. It is designed to offer some important advances over
traditional estimating tools. "Much of preconstruction
is identifying uncertainty and resolving it," says Jim
Bedrick, director of systems integration for Webcor Builders,
San Mateo, Calif., a company that is working with Graphisoft
to develop its software products. "Early in the schematic
design phase of a project, a lot is not known, and computers,
in general, are not good at handling soft information. What
Graphisoft is working out is identifying what we do and do
not know about the building at any given time. So it does
help us identify where the budget can be affected by selection
of materials and so on, early in the design process."
In traditional estimating, one would have to assign a certain
cost and assume details that were not certain yet. Estimator
2005 has variance estimating so that the estimator can assign
a cost range and create variance reports so the team can immediately
see the consequences of using different materials.
Estimator 2005 can link to a 3-D model and a builder therefore
can get accurate material qualities when the design changes.
Using cost recipes, the new numbers can be available instantly.
"This means the builder can give more frequent feedback
to the designers," says Marcel Broekmaat, a Graphisoft
product designer. "That's opposed to the sequential process,
which means going over the work each time something changes."
Estimator 2005 then takes the information one step further
into a 5-D cost model. "We link the data to the building
components," says Broekmaat. "We can visualize the
schedule in a 5-D model, which uses cost and time, and you
can see the cost flow over the course of the project."
Since the time, cost, design and resources are synchronized
in one report, the contractor and the subs can see the immediate
consequences of changes. This allows them to use the report
as a basis for scheduling, planning and procurement.
For contractors without an existing knowledge database, Graphisoft
will spend from two to eight weeks building one. "When
you add information to the database, it is reusable, and that's
a big advantage over traditional estimating tools," says
Broekmaar.
Estimator 2005 costs $4,000 when purchased separately from
Constructor 2005. Constructor 2005 costs $7,000 and includes
the estimator program. The maintenance fee is 18% of the cost
of the product, and there is a service fee to set up a database.
Estimator 2005 will work with most standard computer formats.
Graphisoft U.S. Inc.
One Gateway Center, Suite 302
Newton, Mass. 02458-2802
617-485-4203
www.graphisoft.com
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