Experience mining based on case-based reasoning for dispute settlement of international construction projects

Considering the experience-orientation of the construction industry, the valuable experience of similar historical cases is important reference to resolve new problems, while research concerning this issue in dispute settlement is still relatively scarce. The objectives of this study are to (1) propose a pragmatic method for generating dispute settlement for international construction projects based on Case-Based Reasoning (CBR); and (2) validate the CBR model by a specific dispute case. To achieve the research objectives, successful historical cases are collected, and attributes that influence dispute-related problems are derived. A two-step refinement process is then conducted to extract similar cases. Finally, a dispute case in Ethiopia is used to demonstrate the application of developed model. This innovative dispute settlement model enriches the theoretical framework in the field of experience mining for decision maker, and the selected experiences provide an effective reference to resolve new dispute problems and reduce the transaction costs of dispute settlement.