A REVIEW PAPER ON CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES

Abstract

The Indian government is investing millions of Rupees every year in new facilities to improve the infrastructure of the country. Construction projects are complex, uncertain, have long construction periods, involve many parties, and require the integration of different work (Civil, Mechanical and Electrical) to work together as a single unit. The projects require highly expert designs, detailed plans and specifications, high-risk constriction methods, successful management, skill full administration, and close coordination. Thus, disputes are common in such projects. Today, construction projects are the subject of more disputes than in any other industry. Disputes appear to delay the completion of construction and cause delays in delivering projects. These disputes are unwanted because they require significant time and resources to resolve, and because they cause adversarial relationships among the parties involved. It is therefore in the common interest of all involved parties to prevent them, reduce them, or resolve them as kindly as possible. Identifying common dispute types and their causes is essential in devising ways and means to reduce and hopefully avoid them in future projects. This research presents the results of a pilot study of the types and causes of construction disputes in the Construction industry. The recommendations to prevent/reduce disputes in construction projects are then presented. It is expected that the findings of this research will help construction industries avoid the main causes of disputes and accordingly, reduce delays and cost overruns in construction projects.