The definition of an issue is that it is a problem that will be detrimental to the success of the project and cannot be totally resolved by the project team. That definition leads you to understand that issues must be addressed quickly. …
Following on from the article on delay analysis in last month’s edition of Gulf Construction, ADAM WEBSTER explains how to manage the risk of delay through proper contractual and practical management in the region’s fast-track construction industry. …
Christopher R. Seppälä, Elizabeth Lefebvre-Gross
Faced with a drastic increase in the cost of commodities—for example, of steel, or oil—that undermines the economic assumptions of a construction contract, lawyers trained in the common law may believe that, if the contract has no price-escalation clause, the only relief from the contract available is termination on the grounds of frustration, impossibility, or impracticability. In fact, outside the common law countries, it may be possible to obtain other relief, including an increase in the contract price, to take into account changed circumstances after a contract has been signed. Several examples are provided below. …
by Dhairya Narayan Jha
Steel sheet piles are long structural sections with interlocks which form a continuous retaining wall. To retain soil or water in most cases, sheet piles have been used for all kinds of temporary and permanent retaining structures being extensively used for quay walls, cofferdams, tunnels, underground parkings, shoring for foundation pits, sewerage and drainage works, micro tunnelling, to name a few. …
Cost escalation is one of the major issues currently affecting the construction sector in the region. There are regular press reports on the extent to which the costs of steel, cement and labour have risen. …
By Chris Welsh
Wrenches, toy cars, parts for watches and blenders, the inner workings of many a mechanical marvel; what do they all have in common? They were die cast, a process of “rubber stamping” products in a uniform manner which typically results in high production or identical or nearly identical products. A die cast car, for example, can be made by the dozens or hundreds at a time, producing high volume yields with few, if any, quality control concerns. …
By Matthew Bendert
Within the scope of a major construction project, the role of a construction management firm is vital. A construction manager, or management team is trained to coordinate the different processes and timetables necessary to complete a project. These individuals and teams mediate between owners, designers, contractors, and suppliers. As such, they act as overseers of the entire process, from inception to design to execution. …
by Dennis Brand
Ask a group of industry professionals to state what they believe to be the most important provision in a construction contract and you will probably get as many varied responses as there are people in the group.
Give the same group of people a copy of a standard form contract (e.g. FIDIC, ICE or JCT) to read with a form of Particular Conditions or similar attached, and invariably they will look first at the Particular Conditions and possibly no further. …
The risk management process for large projects is the same as for medium projects with two additional items. First is to utilize quantitative risk analysis techniques (in addition to qualitative techniques). Second is to create a contingency plan to document the consequences to the project if the Risk Management Plan fails and the risk actually occurs. …
In a small project, there is usually not a lot of effort associated with formally defining the work. However, some definition work still needs to be done. The result of this short definition is a one-to-two page document called a Service Request. …
One of the basic responsibilities of the project manager is to assign work to team members. However, some project managers are not always clear on the work to be done and the person that is responsible. This causes uncertainty in the team and can result in some activities running late. …
Make Sure Team Members Know What Their Assignments AreRead More »
by Steven Hunt
I sense that, for many contractors, ‘taking over’ is seen as the moment when the proverbial foot can come off the gas – the time when the contractor is finally relieved of the burden of delivering the project.For a contractor the process of taking over is an important one as the care of the works will pass to the employer and the employer’s entitlement to recover liquidated damages will cease. It is not, however, the end of the story for the contractor as he will remain liable for defective workmanship and materials beyond handover. …
