ITcon Vol. 30, pg. 1659-1679, http://www.itcon.org/2025/68

Holistic framework for soft costs in BIM-based construction projects

DOI:10.36680/j.itcon.2025.068
submitted:June 2025
revised:October 2025
published:October 2025
editor(s):Turk Z
authors:Abdelrahman M. Farouk, Ph.D. Candidate
Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, University Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Kuantan, Malaysia
abdelrahman.mfarouk@gmail.com

Ahmad Tarmizi Haron, Associate Professor
Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, University Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Kuantan, Malaysia
ahmadtarmizi@umpsa.edu.my

Eleni Papadonikolaki, Associate Professor
Department of Materials, Mechanics, Management & Design, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
e.papadonikolaki@tudelft.nl

Rahimi A. Rahman, Associate Professor, Visiting Professor* (corresponding author)
Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology, University Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Kuantan, Malaysia, *Faculty of Graduate Studies, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
arahimirahman@umpsa.edu.my
summary:Implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) brings efficiencies to construction projects, yet evaluating the associated soft costs remains challenging. This study aims to develop and validate a framework for soft cost elements (SCEs) in BIM-based construction projects. A systematic literature review (SLR) and thematic analysis initially identified 31 SCEs, which were subsequently organized using framework analysis by project phase (planning, preconstruction, construction, and post-construction) and time category (discrete vs. continuous). Inter-rater reliability for the categorization reached 81.3%. Expert validation (n = 16) refined the framework and added seven BIM-specific SCEs, resulting in a total of 38. Theoretically, the framework extends soft-cost theory into the digital domain by modeling BIM-specific remuneration and overheads and by introducing a phase–time structure that explains when and how soft costs arise. Practically, it is operationalized as a decision tool: owners and quantity surveyors can use it as a checklist to create explicit budget lines, scope BIM roles, and update cadences in contracts, and monitor continuous costs monthly while tying discrete costs to milestones, thereby improving estimation accuracy, return-on-investment assessment, and risk control across the project lifecycle. To our knowledge, this is the first validated, phase–time SCE framework for BIM-based construction projects.
keywords:building information modeling (BIM), systematic review, soft cost, framework
full text: (PDF file, 0.695 MB)
citation:Farouk A M, Haron A T, Papadonikolaki E, Rahman R A (2025). Holistic framework for soft costs in BIM-based construction projects, ITcon Vol. 30, pg. 1659-1679, https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2025.068
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