Automation in Construction Contract Analysis and Management

This study aims to provide a feasible framework in achieving automation of construction contractual clause interpretation and analysis through literature review on recent publications from the turn of the century to date. The concept of "smart contracts" was investigated in depth regarding its correlation and interoperability with other automation technologies, namely building information modeling, sensing technologies, virtual reality and augmented reality, and construction robotics. As a result, the proposed framework integrates knowledge modeling for computer-interpretable contractual clause formulation, automated reasoning for contractual monitoring and tracking (e.g., for fulfillment of bonds and securities that bind the involved parties), and machine learning for predictive model development for action planning and decision support. Furthermore, the use of blockchain technology proves to be beneficial to support the payment process. Last but not least, the most cutting-edge deep learning technologies such as ChatGPT by OpenAI were analyzed in this context. Research and development needs were identified, and recommendations were made for future research. This framework opens the door to more extensive research in construction contract analysis and management leveraging cutting-edge automation technologies.