Cost-Benefit Analysis of Foundations with Revit-Assisted: Case Study-Paper

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The study compares the cost and practical performance of foundation options for an 11-story residential building in Recife, Brazil. The alternatives were the project’s original shallow footings with sand-and-gravel soil improvement, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles of 400 mm and 500 mm diameter, and HP250x62 steel piles.<br /><br />Using SPT soil-investigation data, the authors assessed pile capacities and required quantities. They modeled the alternatives in Revit, a BIM platform, to visualize the designs and generate material quantities and cost estimates. Costs were then supplemented with equipment mobilization expenses. In addition to cost, the comparison considered productivity and effects on neighboring properties, with each factor scored from 1 to 5.<br /><br />The 400 mm CFA pile option had the lowest estimated cost, R$253,582, compared with R$287,388 for 500 mm CFA piles, R$289,485 for steel piles, and R$297,358 for the shallow foundation. It also received the highest overall cost-benefit score (11), ahead of the 500 mm CFA option (9), steel piles (7), and shallow footings (6). CFA piles were considered fast to install and relatively low-impact, though they can produce noise. Steel piles were productive but caused greater noise and vibration; the shallow option avoided major disturbance but required more time and labor.<br /><br />The authors conclude that 400 mm CFA piles offered the best overall solution for this case. They also report that Revit supported visualization, quantity takeoffs, and estimating more efficiently than conventional CAD workflows. However, the comparison’s productivity and neighborhood-impact scores were based on the authors’ judgment, and the findings relate to this particular building and site.

Keywords

foundation design

CFA piles

BIM Revit

cost comparison

SPT data

pile capacity

residential building

soil improvement

construction productivity

neighboring impact