The present paper presents a SWOT analysis, the aim of which is to evaluate the strategic implementation of BIM technology in the construction industry in Poland. The authors created a SWOT matrix presenting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks associated with the use of BIM. Using literature analyses, own experience, and market reports, all elements of the SWOT matrix are described in detail. Basic indicators characterizing the strategic position of BIM on the Polish construction market are calculated. Finally, the matrix of strategic tasks and actions that should be applied in order to promote and develop BIM in Poland are defined.

The paper presents an approach to evaluating a building throughout its whole life cycle in relation to its sustainable development. It describes basic tools and techniques of evaluating and analysing the costs in the whole life cycle of the building, such as Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Management, Life Cycle Cost and Social Life Cycle Assessment. The aim of the paper is to propose a model of cost evaluation throughout the building life cycle. The model is based on the fuzzy sets theory which allows the calculations to include the risks associated with the sustainable development, with the management of the investment and with social costs. Costs incurred in the subsequent phases of the building life cycle are analysed and modelled separately by means of a membership function. However, the effect of the analysis is a global cost evaluation for the whole life cycle of the building.

The paper presents an overview of the literature from recent years devoted to planning the time, costs and risk of a construction investment using fuzzy logic. It also presents three own original models concerning the issue. The first model is used to build a fuzzy construction schedule taking into account fuzzy norms and the number of workers. The costing model uses fuzzy inference from CBR cases. The aim was to increase the accuracy and correctness of the cost calculation performed for the investor in the construction and investment process with a certain degree of vagueness of the available information about materials. In the last of the presented models, fuzzy sets were used to assess the effects of technological and construction (implementation) risk factors. The presented examples prove the usefulness of fuzzy logic in solving problems in construction, where we have incomplete and imprecise information.

The paper discusses issues related to life cycle costs in construction. Life cycle cost is a key element in the assessment of environmental sustainability in construction and it provides a tool for the economic evaluation of alternative sustainability options exhibiting different capital, operating costs or resource usage. The authors reviewed selected models of estimating life cycle costs in construction, drew attention to the complex mathematical models developed so far, namely those which take into account only financial risks and those which involve the possibility of the influence of other risk factors and described the main assumptions accompanying the original model for estimating the whole life costs of buildings, including: reasons for choosing theory of possibility, division and parametrization of input data. The aim of this paper is to confirm the validity of the model structure assumptions adopted by the authors by comparing the originally selected fuzzy approach to calculating life cycle costs taking into account the risk with the probabilistic approach, as well as indicating the domain in which the probabilistic approach will complement the fuzzy approach chosen by the authors. The paper presents a comparison analysis of two approaches used in the authors’ model, a fuzzy and a probabilistic approach, recommended by the ISO standard 15686-5:2008. The authors used the Oracle Crystall Ball software in their simulations.

The paper deals with estimating the life cycle cost and the whole life cost of a building. An original model for estimating the life cycle cost and the whole life cost of a building which allows the quantification of the increase in costs resulting from the incurred and assessed risk is presented. The proposed model consists of two basic parts: module I evaluating the impact of identified risk factors on individual element of the life cycle cost, and module II allowing to assess life cycle cost including the risk factors selected in module I. In module I the model of fuzzy inference of Mamdani was used. The structure of module II is based on the theory of possibilities and fuzzy sets. The operation of the model is presented on the example of an office building.

The paper proposes a cost overrun risks prediction model, the structure of which is based on the fuzzy inference model of Mamdani. The model consists of numerous inputs and one output (MISO, multi-input-single-output), based on processes running consecutively in three blocks (the fuzzy block, the interference block, and the block of sharpening the representative output value). The input variables of the model include the share of element costs in the building costs (SE), predicted changes in the number of works (WC), and expected changes in the unit price (PC). The developed rule base makes it possible to determine the risk of cost overruns in the following categories: “very low”, “quite low”, “average”, “quite high”, and “very high”. Twenty-seven rules were assumed in the interference block. The operation of the model was illustrated by the example of selected elements of a road object and was validated by checking the correctness of the assumptions made at the design stage of the inference block rule base. It has been proven that with the increase of the share of element costs in the building costs (SE), predicted changes in the number of works (WC), and expected changes in the unit price (PC), the value of the risk exceeding the costs of a given element of the construction project (R) increases naturally and smoothly. It was emphasized in the conclusions that the cost overrun risks prediction model is intended for general contractors who subcontract many stages of works to their subcontractors in accordance with the agreed division into work elements.