BIM-Enabled Streaming of Changes and Potential Claims Induced by Fast-Tracking Design-Build Projects

Abstract

Under contractor-led design-build (DB) projects where fast-tracking is commonly exercised, design information may be incompatibly coordinated and pressured to be released prematurely for construction. This potential incompatibility occurs between the released deliverables and other associated unreleased elements that are usually at different design development stages. Further on, suboptimally detailed releases for construction - due to the lack of owner's review requirement - are commonly expected. Knowing that under such circumstances the emergence of changes becomes almost inevitable and hard to avoid, the aim of this work is to devise a tool that helps in controlling its impact. Namely, this study offers a building information modeling (BIM)-enabled workflow for tracking the propagation of changes, and the potentially induced claims, that are bound to emerge due to the fast-track nature of DB projects. To this end, the objectives are twofold: (1) to examine the coordination processes that are needed for a timely identification of design and construction changes; and (2) to track the propagation and the respective impacts of changes affecting the design-builder's own work and those propagating to lower-tier design and/or construction subcontractors' work. The methodology of work involves formulating flowchart diagrams that illustrate the inferred coordination processes and developing a BIM-enabled dynamic dashboard that documents the time-based coordination outcomes. That is, the dashboard continuously and simultaneously monitors design and construction progress and keeps track of design changes propagation. The paper concludes with a BIM-enabled synthesized framework that aids design-builders in proactively planning and controlling their work in expectation of such potentially emanating claims. © 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.