Identification and prevention of unbalanced bids using the unascertained model

Unbalanced bidding has presented a significant issue in the construction industry. The award of a contract to an unbalanced bid poses a significant threat to the construction cost, as well as construction activities. The nature of an unbalanced bid, irrespective of the form, consists of quotations higher or lower than the reasonable unit price. In this paper, the engineer's estimated price was chosen as the evaluation criterion. Consequently, a model was developed in order to identify unbalanced bids based on unascertained model. The unbalanced bid can be identified, which provides useful inputs for bid evaluation. As a result, unbalanced bids can be prevented. The feasibility of the method was verified via a case study. The method proposed in this paper facilitates an effective and efficient quantitative assessment of unbalanced bids. This model not only assists owners in effectively and efficiently identifying unbalanced bids, but also discourages bidders from unbalancing their bids.