4.1 Overview

Standardised measurement methods are at the heart of Quantities, defining how and when a quantity should be calculated from an ARCHICAD model element.

Elements rarely have a simple connection to a single bill item, apart from a basic count of fixtures and fittings. A single wall could contribute to external cladding, multiple construction materials(including insulation), reinforcing, any combination of internal/external finishes and much more. And beyond that, an element could represent construction not suggested by the tool it was drawn with, e.g. a wall representing a services trench that could be measured for excavation, retaining, foundation/bedding, labour, service runs length (pipe/cable etc), equipment hire and any number of other components.