The development of an IFC‐based lifecycle costing prototype tool for building construction and maintenance: Integrating lifecycle costing to nD modelling

Abstract

Purpose This paper intends to focus on interoperability issues in IT‐based the lifecycle costing (LCC) applications and on improving LCC decision making based on cost performances of various options of constructing techniques and materials, excluding energy calculations.

Design/methodology/approach This project mainly is an IT development project based on industry foundation classes (IFC) models. The LCC tool is fully compliant with the system architecture of the nD modelling tool, and is based on the integrated nD modelling interfaces, which are IFC compliant and integrated with an interactive virtual reality environment. The functions of the LCC tool also provide integrated costs, database management and automatic calculations of some complicated LCC algorithms.

Findings The advantages identified are as follows: First, this IFC‐based LCC tool demonstrates the interoperable delivery of building design information across different CAD systems. Second, the development techniques adopted in this case are more practical and cost‐ effective due to the easily accessible auxiliary tools. This also promotes the flexibility of the IFC‐based development.

Research limitations/implications The lack of real historical data of LCC collected from previous projects is still a major barrier to applying this tool in practice. The future research and development of this LLC tool will look at the lifecycle costing of building service and energy consumption.

Originality/value The paper introduces the development of IFC based applications in lifecycle costing.

Keywords Decision-making, modelling, Life cycle cost.