Abstract/Summary

Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracting does not promote collaboration and thus, may not be suitable for building information modeling (BIM) projects. Joint-contract functions that combine contractual control, coordination, and contingency adaptability may positively influence the performance of these BIM-enabled projects. This study hypothesized that perceived fairness, calculative trust, relational trust, and positive outcomes of distrust influence the relationship between joint contract functions and BIM-enabled project performance. It collected 252 observations from industry practitioners in EPC oil and gas projects and analyzed them using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show no direct effect of joint-contract functions on BIM-enabled EPC project performance but do show significant total and indirect relationship effects that are influenced by perceived fairness and relational trust. The findings contribute to construction contracting research by empirically showing how formal contracts focusing on joint-contract functions can influence BIM-enabled EPC project performance. The current findings also shed light on appropriate contract framing for BIM-enabled EPC project stakeholders, an area not explored in the previous literature.