Tackling Construction Disputes: Forensic Quantity Surveying and Delay Analysis in Action
Construction disputes often arise unexpectedly, despite the best efforts to mitigate them during project planning and execution.
When disputes occur, immediate and effective action is crucial to minimize their impact on costs, timelines, and relationships between stakeholders. As providers of forensic quantity surveying and delay analysis, we specialize in addressing these disputes head-on, providing clarity and resolution in even the most complex scenarios.
Below are some examples of how Accura Consulting’s services directly tackle common issues in construction projects.
Issue: Access to site
Problem:
Restricted or delayed site access can derail project timelines and lead to significant cost overruns. Often, disputes arise regarding who bears responsibility for the delay.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We quantify the financial impact of restricted access, including additional costs for idle resources, site setup delays, and reallocation of labour and equipment.
Delay Analysis: We determine how site access delays have affected the critical path and project milestones. This helps establish liability and supports claims for extensions of time or disruption.
Issue: Late Issue of Design Information
Problem:
Delayed delivery of design documents can delay and disrupt construction sequencing and leads to claims for additional costs and time.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We assess the additional costs incurred due to out-of-sequence work, resource inefficiencies, and rework caused by late delivery of design information.
Delay Analysis: We perform a cause-and-effect analysis to identify how late issuance of design documentation has delayed critical activities. This provides a factual basis for substantiating or refuting claims.
Issue: Incomplete Design
Problem:
Ambiguities in incomplete designs lead to scope changes, variation orders, and disputes over responsibility for cost overruns.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We evaluate the financial implications of incomplete designs, calculating the cost of variations, rework, and delays.
Delay Analysis: By analysing project schedules, we determine the extent to which incomplete designs have impacted timelines. This ensures accurate allocation of responsibility and supports claims for equitable adjustments.
Issue: Design Incorrect
Problem:
Design errors lead to rework, increased costs, and delays, often sparking disputes between contractors and design consultants.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We provide detailed quantification of costs arising from design errors, including material wastage, additional labour, and rework expenses.
Delay Analysis: We assess how corrective actions impacted the project schedule, identifying critical path disruptions caused by design issues.
Issue: Late Approvals
Problem:
Delays in regulatory or client approvals create bottlenecks, forcing contractors to stop or slow work, leading to claims for additional costs and time.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We calculate the costs associated with delays caused by late approvals, including downtime, demobilization, and remobilization expenses.
Delay Analysis: Using retrospective schedule analysis, we identify approval delays’ impacts on project milestones and support claims for extensions of time or compensation.
Issue: Interface Management
Problem:
Poor coordination between contractors, suppliers, or stakeholders at interface points leads to clashes, rework, and disputes over responsibility.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We evaluate the financial consequences of interface failures, such as costs for rework, additional resources, and coordination meetings.
Delay Analysis: We assess how mismanaged interfaces impacted project timelines and caused delays to downstream activities. This analysis supports claims or counterclaims, ensuring fair resolution.
Issue: Spurious Claims
Problem:
Baseless or exaggerated claims for additional payments or extensions of time create unnecessary disputes, consuming time, and resources.
How Accura Consulting Tackles It:
Forensic Quantity Surveying: We scrutinize the financial aspects of claims, separating legitimate costs from inflated or unsupported demands.
Delay Analysis: By examining the project schedule, we identify discrepancies between claimed delays and actual effects on the critical path. This analysis provides robust evidence to refute spurious claims.
Three Key Reasons Why Forensic Quantity Surveying and Delay Analysis Matters
1. Objective Resolution: Both services provide impartial, evidence-based analysis to identify the root causes of disputes.
2. Quantifiable Evidence: Financial and schedule impacts are quantified in detail, enabling accurate and fair resolutions.
3. Documentation and Transparency: Comprehensive reports strengthen the position of stakeholders in negotiations, arbitrations, or legal proceedings.
A Practical Approach to Resolving Disputes
When disputes arise, they demand a clear, methodical, and data-driven approach. By combining forensic quantity surveying and delay analysis, we deliver the clarity and insights needed to resolve disputes effectively, ensuring projects stay on track and relationships between stakeholders remain intact.
If your project is facing challenges, let us help you navigate them with confidence. Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help resolve your construction disputes.
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