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Eng. Giampiero Brioni, RICS representative for the Italian translation and contextualization of ICMS standards, examines the International Construction Measurement Standards in “L’ufficio Tecnico“ (Maggioli Editore). The article explores Life Cycle Costs, the four-level hierarchical structure, IPMS integration, and BIM application for economic management throughout the entire project lifecycle.
In the construction sector, the absence of shared standards for economic quantification generates inefficiencies and hinders comparison between projects realized in different contexts. Eng. Giampiero Brioni, RICS representative for the Italian translation and contextualization project of ICMS standards, dedicated a technical contribution to this topic in L’Ufficio Tecnico (Maggioli Editore, October 2020) titled “ICMS: An International Framework for Construction Cost Management.”
A construction project can be interpreted through radically different economic perspectives depending on the stakeholder involved. The article introduces the concept of the “Russian doll of cost values,” a stratification ranging from simplest to most complex: the technical construction cost value (KTC) considers exclusively the contractor’s cost centers for site activities; the construction cost value (Kc) corresponds to the contract amount the client pays the contractor; the production cost value (Cp) includes all project cost centers without the developer’s profit; the total cost value (CTOT) also includes the initiative’s profit; finally, the global cost value (CGLOB) embraces the entire lifecycle from conception to disposal.
This terminological distinction is not academic: without shared language, cost management methodologies lose effectiveness. Life Cycle Costs emerge as the most mature approach to economic-financial management, treating design, construction, operation, and disposal as a continuum to be governed with efficient communication codes.
On June 17, 2015, at the International Monetary Fund, the world’s leading Quantity Surveying organizations established the ICMS Coalition. The non-governmental association brings together RICS, AACE, ICEC, AICE, RIBA, and other institutions with a declared objective: defining standards capable of ensuring consistency in cost estimation and reporting at the international level.
The drive toward this convergence stems from investment globalization and demands from international organizations such as the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, regional development banks, and United Nations. The second edition of the standards, published in September 2019, achieved the goal of providing global consistency in classification, definition, measurement, recording, analysis, and presentation of construction project cost values.
A fundamental clarification: ICMS does not intend to supplant local systems. On the contrary, it offers a universal reporting framework where data generated according to traditional methodologies can be mapped for transparent interpretation. In other words, a project quantified according to Italian price lists or UNI 8290 can be “translated” into ICMS language without losing local specificity.
The ICMS taxonomy develops across four hierarchical levels. The first three are mandatory, the fourth optional. At Level 1 we find the project’s nature itself: Buildings, Roads, Railways, Bridges, Tunnels, Pipelines, up to 14 typologies covering the entire spectrum of civil engineering. A complex project can be subdivided into homogeneous sub-projects, each with its own internal coherence.
Level 2 introduces six universal Cost Categories: Acquisition Costs (AC) for site acquisition and administrative expenses, Construction Costs (CC) for physical realization, Renewal Costs (RC) for renewals and replacements, Operation Costs (OC) for operations, Maintenance Costs (MC) for maintenance, and End of Life Costs (EC) for disposal. This articulation allows transition from Life Cycle Costs (sum of AC, CC, RC, OC, MC, EC) to Whole Life Costs, which add Income and Externalities.
Level 3 details the mandatory Cost Groups for each category. For Construction Costs we find items such as demolition and site preparation, substructures, superstructures, finishes, services, and equipment. The identical structure applies to Renewal and Maintenance Costs, ensuring comparability throughout the lifecycle. Level 4, discretionary, allows deeper analysis through sub-groups organized in five thematic appendices.
ICMS closely interacts with the International Property Measurement Standards, which define GEFA (Gross External Floor Area) and GIFA (Gross Internal Floor Area). This integration eliminates ambiguities in surface area calculation, a critical element for cost parameterization.
The breakdown proposed by ICMS naturally integrates into Quantity Surveying practice within BIM logic. The standards’ unique codes facilitate mapping onto digital models, transforming BIM from a geometric container into a structured economic database. As emphasized in the article, this methodological synthesis supports repeatable and verifiable decision-making processes, reducing risks and improving decision quality throughout the asset’s entire lifecycle.
The standards enable four strategic operational functions. Comparative benchmarking allows coherent and transparent comparison of cost values across different projects, overcoming national barriers. Option evaluation identifies differences between design variants, facilitating informed choices. The investment decision-making process guides design and location decisions toward the best value for money. Finally, the availability of reliable data supports financial operators in evaluating financing opportunities.
The article concludes by highlighting how ICMS adoption in the Italian context, appropriately adapted, could rationalize the estimating approach. Expected benefits include: coherence of project information content, clear relationship between design proposals and estimated costs, and analysis criteria capable of evolving throughout the building’s useful lifecycle.
Download the complete article in PDF to consult detailed tables, project sheets for buildings and civil works, and the five appendices with cost sub-groups.
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