Forensic BIM: Using Modeling to Resolve Disputes and Claims
Date Posted: June 19, 2018
Posted In: Ideas,
From ConstructionDive: The average North American construction dispute, according to the most recent report from design and consultancy firm Arcadis, took about 14 months to resolve in 2016 — the longest of anywhere in the world — and had an average value of $21 million. In its report, Arcadis also revealed that two of the most common reasons that contractors end up battling it out in the courtroom or in some other form of dispute resolution were errors and omissions and unsubstantiated claims.
This is where BIM comes in.
Many contractors are familiar with BIM from working with it themselves, seeing other construction companies or designers on the same project use it or from reading about it in an industry publication. Simply put, BIM allows contractors, architects, owners and other stakeholders to generate and manage 3D versions of a project through its entire lifecycle — from the conceptual phase to operations and maintenance.
Owners in particular look to BIM to reduce construction costs and aid in post-construction asset management programs. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District said BIM saved the district $12 million in construction costs and is helping coordinate workflows and facility management for its $9.5 billion capital program.