Commentary: Optioneering Site Master Plans Using BIM
As profit margins shrink, savvy owners and construction firms are harnessing technology to match sites with their intended uses before acquiring the land. Using a type of 3D modeling software known as macro BIM [building information modeling], which produces real-time cost estimates, estimators can practice site “optioneering” to quickly evaluate the merits and costs of alternative designs.
For years, developers have relied on historic square-foot averages to predict land development costs. Unanticipated site problems could substantially inflate a project’s price tag. Preconstruction pros on the developer’s side are starting to recognize that the wrong site can be fatal to a proposed project.