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Practical articles, methodology guides and market analysis from CAF Corporation cost engineers — covering AACE practices, location factors, escalation trends and more.

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All Topics AACE Methodology (13) Location Factors Cost Escalation (1) Benchmarking (7) Equipment Costs (5) Renewable Energy Labor Rates General (13)
Featured · General
The KPEX Ecosystem: From First-Generation Estimating to a Connected Cost Intelligence Network
The capital project industry is shifting from spreadsheets to integrated platforms and fully connected KPEX ecosystems. This transformation is redefining how cost estimates are produced, improving accuracy, accelerating decisions and enabling data-driven competitive advantage, while exposing the limits of fragmented, traditional approaches.
Ca
Carlos Fuenmayor
· May 2026 · 5 min read
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AACE Methodology 13 Cost Escalation 1 Benchmarking 7 Equipment Costs 5 General 13
AACE Methodology
The four classes of the CAPEX estimate
An estimate is not worth what it costs to prepare. It is worth what was known about the project when it was prepared. A reference...
Aug 2026
5 min read
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Equipment Costs
Rest in Peace, Hand Factors (1958–2026)
The equipment-factor method served estimators faithfully for almost seven decades. It has earned its retirement — and Kpex’s ISBL...
Jul 2026
5 min read
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General
The Kpex Cost Index
A next-generation plant cost index — same rigorous methodology as the established benchmarks, but automated from the primary publi...
Jul 2026
5 min read
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General
Where a Cost Curve Comes From
Every estimator eventually asks where a parametric cost number actually comes from. This article takes a cost curve apart: how a s...
Jul 2026
5 min read
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General
Module Z: the calibration layer behind every Kpex estimate
Labor rates, location and time-adjustment indices, and a full set of project assessment tools, integrated into a single ecosystem....
Jul 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Kpex · Module C: A Cost Model for Every Facility, in One Platform
Module C is the only place an estimator can put a credible, defensible number on a refinery, a rail line, a hospital, a solar farm...
Jul 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Kpex Exchange: The Intelligence Flywheel
How a closed-loop data architecture connecting estimators, vendors, and executed project cost data is redefining cost intelligence...
Jun 2026
5 min read
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General
The Intelligence Behind Every Cost Estimate
In every estimate — regardless of class — there is a moment where the quotes run out. A vendor hasn't responded. A specialty item...
Jun 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Class 3 vs. Class 2: The FID Line That Transforms Your CAPEX Estimate
A Class 3 and a Class 2 estimate are not just different levels of accuracy — they operate in fundamentally different data environm...
Jun 2026
5 min read
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1 2 3 … 5 Showing 1–9 of 38 articles
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