Melbourne School of Design

For the past 8 years, the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne has progressively integrated the use digital technology and BIM into the cost management curriculum. Students are being exposed to hands-on 2D and 3D digital take-off and 5D model-based quantity extraction and estimating using Exactal RIB CostX^®. Students engage with both the fundamental and advanced features of digital tools for quantity take-off and cost estimation. RIB CostX^® has proven to be one of the leading tools in digital estimating and 5D-BIM which is making take-off a lot quicker and much more reliable. Students in “Measurement and estimating” subject at MSD are able to measure and extract quantities of building work items using 2D (Vector and Raster files) and 3D models and on that basis prepare a Cost Plan, use rate library as well as generate the associated reports. Students also create their own 3D BIM using BIM authoring software and thereafter using RIB CostX^® they can automate quantity take-off using BIM template to extract quantities from BIM object properties thereby enriching their understanding of 5D-BIM estimating workflow.

BIM Immersion and Competition

For the past 3 years, the University of Melbourne together with other institutions locally and internationally has also implemented an annual event called ‘BIM Immersion and Competition’. The event has been designed to help participants understand digital concepts and processes as well as how they can be applied in practice. This annual initiative is helping to educate construction students (future professionals) and make them BIM literate. During the event, participants engage with the practice of BIM applications in different ways including model-based cost estimating with RIB CostX^®. They are introduced to the concept of model mapping and model validation and the use of RIB CostX^® Auto-revisioning tool for viewing design change updates.

Outcomes

The integration of RIB CostX^® along with other BIM tools into the curriculum is benefiting the students. BIM Education using real world digital tools including RIB CostX^® is increasing the awareness of the opportunities and benefits of digital technologies as well as simplifying complex digital concepts and scenarios for students. Working with tools such as RIB CostX^® is helping to demonstrate the impact of digital processes on practice and on the future of the industry, as well as what is possible, the benefits and challenges of model-based processes. Students have been making the best use of RIB CostX^® to model map a BIM project file, object mode measure for refinement of measurement, BIM templates to understand the classifications and available coding systems and automated cost planning as well as looking forward to more collaborative features such as user defined properties data extraction and live linking.