Cost and Value Engineering

YIT Corporation - Helsinki, Finland

Finnish construction company YIT use ArchiCAD as the foundation of their construction-process management system.

YIT Corporation, employing about 10,000 persons, offers implementation and maintenance services for residential, real estate, industrial and infrastructure investments in Finland and internationally. YIT exploits ArchiCAD's 3D database to move beyond 2D construction blueprints to manage their construction processes using a virtual building model. ArchiCAD serves as the foundation for their revolutionary information management system called COVE (Cost and Value Engineering).

COVE was developed based on the doctoral dissertation research of YIT's development manager Jarmo Laitinen. According to the results of projects already completed with the system, a conservative estimation shows that YIT can save four percent already during the construction phases by using the COVE system.

Mr. Laitinen explains the use of ArchiCAD, "The gap between CAD systems and next door users (people with long experience in production but none in computers) is wide. ArchiCAD's user friendliness was one of the key issues. The other most important factor was that it is object-based and could be connected to our system quite easily."

As the first step in the process, the building product model is produced with ArchiCAD. "Construction companies in Finland don't typically have an in-house design staff, so we, or the client, hire a designer for each project," explains Mr. Laitinen.

Designers are encouraged to supply a well-built ArchiCAD model. Then the model database is transferred to a Solibri Application Engine (SAE). The system receives its initial data either as an ArchiCAD file or in the International Alliance for Interoperability's (IAI) IFC format, which ArchiCAD can export through its freely available IFC 2.0 compliant add-on. SAE exploits ArchiCAD as the user interface for making any necessary changes to the model. Finally, the building model is transferred to YIT's cost estimation database called Tarmo to be able to provide exact cost estimations, quotes and material lists at any time.

Heikki Kulusjärvi, general manager of Solibri, Inc., developer of SAE, says: "We believe that with ArchiCAD as the building modeling tool, users will be able to create better designs and reliable product models. Among other uses, these models can be utilized for cost estimation purposes by the construction companies as well."

Types of construction elements used in the Virtual Building model are checked against YIT's database, then Solibri's Model Checker is used to make sure the data for cost estimation and production planning is correct. If the model includes solutions that are not generally considered good construction practice, the program points them out to the user.

One of the projects where their construction-process management system is applied is the 600-seat auditorium extension to Alvar Aalto's main building at Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) in Otaniemi, Finland. The project is under construction and is expected to be complete in January 2002.

This development project is a part of "Product Model 4D - Construction Pilot," a research project supported by TEKES (Finish National Technology Agency) that puts into practice the IAI's IFCs. IFCs allow a virtual model created with a CAD system like ArchiCAD to be used in other systems as well.

The pilot calls for the 3D model to be enhanced with the critical time factor adding a fourth dimension. YIT Concept Project Management Services Ltd is responsible for the coordination, contracting and project management services for the client, The State Real Property Agency (SENAATTI). Insinööritoimisto Olof Granlund Oy has been contracted for the building services design and Magnus Malmberg Consulting Engineers Ltd. for the geotechnical and structural design.

Project architects A-Konsultit Architects Co. Ltd. are long-time ArchiCAD users, so a seamless communication with YIT's COVE system through a good 3D building model was never a question. This made it possible to provide the client with more reliable estimates for income, costs and hand-over date in the briefing phase.

Aulis Kohvakka, managing director of Senate Properties, describes the benefits gained by the implementation of the product model based tools: "YIT has provided us a totally new approach to utilize product models for communication during the decision support process. We will support and develop new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) approach for building facility management and life cycle awareness."

Having a 3D model for instant feedback on cost/quality control helped the client to choose the best possible option from the three alternative design schemes produced by the architects.

Pekka Hämäläinen, managing director of YIT Concept, explains: "Making cost estimations faster is one example of the positive impacts of the new business approach, but the actual opportunity lies in making more and better business for us and our customers. COVE enables us to react rapidly on customer requirements and easily communicate a variety of alternative solutions."

HUT assigned a virtual space (called EVE, The Experimental Virtual Environment) to the project, where the progression of the design and construction can be simulated in real time. Images are projected onto walls to allow viewers wearing special glasses to feel as though they are inside the space of the VR model.

When viewing a VR scene of the auditorium, the Rector of HUT, Paavo Uronen, discovered that the first row of seats was too close to the podium. So modifications were made to the design. This design issue might not have been obvious using traditional 2D design documentation.

With the COVE system, YIT has shown that design and construction can be improved by allowing better coordination between parties during the construction process. Design changes only have to be made once, because all construction documents are produced from a single model database.

Mr. Laitinen concludes "To put it in simple terms, ArchiCAD is simply the best CAD solution for us."