Benefits and Costs of Research: A Case Study of Construction Systems Integration and Automation Technologies in Commercial Buildings.
Benefits and Costs of Research: A Case Study of
Construction Systems Integration and Automation
Technologies in Commercial Buildings.
(927 K)
Chapman, R. E.
NISTIR 6763; 183 p. December 2001.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161.
Telephone:
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000;
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Order number: PB2001-107061
Keywords:
commercial buildings; costs; building construction;
building economics; economic analysis; impact evaluation
Abstract:
This report focuses on a critical analysis of the
economic impacts of past, ongoing, and planned research
of the NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL)
construction systems integration and automation
technologies (CONSIAT) program. The CONSIAT program is
an interdisciplinary research effort within BFRL -- in
collaboration with the Construction Industry Institute,
the private sector sector, other federal agencies, and
other laboratories within NIST -- to develop key
enabling technologies, standard communication protocols,
and advanced measurement technologies needed to deliver
fully-integrated and automated project process (FIAPP)
products and services to the construction industry. The
results of this analysis demonstrate that the use of
FIAPP products and services will generate substantial
cost savings to the owners and managers of commercial
buildings and a contractors engaged in the construction
of those buildings. The present value of savings
nationwide expected from the use of FIAPP products and
services is nearly $1.4 billion (measured in 1997
dollars). Furthermore, because of BFRL's involvement,
FIAPP products and services are expected to be
commercially available in 2005. If BFRL had not
participated in the development of FIAPP products and
services, the commercial introduction of FIAPP products
and services is expected to be delayed until 2009.
Consequently, potential cost savings accuring to
commercial building owners and managers and to
contractors over the period 2005 through 2008 would have
been foregone. The present value of these cost savings
is approximately $120 million. These cost savings
measure the value of BFRL's contribution for its
CONSIAT-related investment costs of approximately $29.1
million. Stated in present value terms, every public
dollar invested in BFRL's CONSIAT-related research,
development, and deployment effort is expected to
generate $4.13 in cost savings to the public.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899