A conceptual framework for developing a BIM-enabled claim management system

Claims and disputes frequently occur at the end of construction projects. The process of managing the claims is complex and wastefully consumes project resources like time and money. In recent years, the construction industry has been looking for new methods of claim management that are more productive. In response to this need, different knowledge-based expert systems have been developed. A big challenge that can be attributed to all these systems is how to provide input information. The Building Information Model is a rich description of a project. This feature underpins its use as the input of a claim management expert system. This article explores the feasibility of using BIM to provide input information for claim management expert systems. For the purposes of this study, a framework has been proposed to develop a new BIM-enabled claim management system in order to control contractual rules automatically and consistently during a project. In the end, a simple project is modeled to better represent the feasibility of the idea put forth. We believe that the proposed framework provides a useful tool to handle claims in a more reliable and productive manner.