Studying the effect of BIM on construction conflicts and disputes using agent- based modeling -

Abstract

Because of the risks and complexities that are naturally inherent to construction projects, conflicts may inevitably arise and quickly turn into claims and disputes and cause delays if not well managed. In fact, many project managers in different organizations are typically spending 30percent to 42percent of their work time in managing conflicts, which is time-consuming and uneconomical. This thesis presents work targeted at assessing the benefits of adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) on projects and its impact in avoiding conflicts and disputes. Although previous research efforts developed efficient models to tackle conflict and dispute resolution, none of these studies modeled the effect of BIM in avoiding and resolving them using Agent Based Modeling (ABM). Based on ABM, a construction project environment can be modeled as an active environment, in which agents interact with each other and their surroundings, thereby creating an adaptive environment open for improvement. The solution to the problem is described in details using a simulation model developed in AnyLogic 7 (Educational Version). In an attempt to compare traditional versus BIM-based environments for conflict management, the model was designed to quantify the time spent in resolving conflicts and the repercussions on the project schedule in each case. The components of the proposed model were created, and results highlighted the potential of using the agent-based modeling paradigm to simulate the effect of BIM on construction conflicts. The results showed that the use of BIM and lean practice can optimize time spent in managing conflicts and minimize delays and the likelihood of conflicts escalating into disputes.