A VISUAL APPROACH TO CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATING by

Construction cost estimating is considered one of the most important and critical phases of a construction project. Preparing reliable and accurate estimates to help decision makers is the most challenging assignment that estimators face. An estimate is not only necessary for proposal preparation but also for several project management functions. Despite the importance of estimating, it has remained a very time consuming process. The most inefficient part of construction cost estimating is determination of the amount of resources needed for the construction of a project. This is also known as quantity takeoff. Quantity takeoff is a very long and error-prone process that is performed manually by estimators. Missing or duplicating work items are among the errors that can occur during the quantity takeoff process. New Parametric CAD software has recently attained widespread attention in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. It represents the development and use of computer-generated models to simulate the planning, design, construction and operation of a facility. It helps architects, engineers, and contractors visualize what is to be built in a simulated environment and to identify potential design