ABSTRACT
Cost estimation, as it is carried out at an early stage of a construction project, is based on the classical methods of cost calculation for construction works. In tunnel projects, where every structure is considered a unique item, this often leads to considerable uncertainty in cost estimation due to the project-specific circumstances, accompanying risks of construction and the overall heterogeneous boundary conditions. Funded by the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), the Institute for Tunnelling and Construction Management – together with a group of German consultants – developed new cost models, algorithms and thus new possibilities for a more precise estimation of the construction costs in the course of a research project. This article presents the results and the analyses of recent tunnel projects examined in this context.
