This book condenses the typically voluminous topic of delay and disruption claims into a highly portable 157 pages, ideal for mulling over on the daily commute. Such brevity comes with inherent limitations; principally, that it can only convey to the reader an appreciation of the topic rather than in-depth knowledge. The book is therefore aimed squarely at the non-claims professional, who desires an appreciation of the anatomy of delay and disruption claims – for example, architects, project managers or contract administrators.
The first four chapters cover basic contract law, standard forms of contract, burden of proof and obligations with regard to time in contracts. The style of writing makes for easy reading, moving with good pace as though a script for an evening lecture. This edition of the book has been updated for NEC4 and Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) 16, but does not set out to provide significant commentary on these updated standard forms. Building information modelling (BIM) is also mentioned, but this is little more than a placeholder for future editions, as the impact of BIM on delay and disruption claims beyond computer visualisations and the promise of better information management has yet to take shape.
Having established a foundation in the first four chapters, the next four chapters move on to consider delay and disruption claims. Elements discussed include cause and effect, importance of contract administration, types of delay analysis, common issues (concurrent delay, mitigation and acceleration), loss and expense claims and finally a review of disruption claims and the difficulties associated with evidencing this type of loss. Readers hoping for anything more than an appreciation of the subjects covered may find these chapters fail to deliver satisfactory depth. That said, the authors have provided a concise account without glaring omission that would serve as a framework for further specialised reading. Future editions would benefit from a more substantial treatment of delay-pacing strategies and the notices and records that a contractor should maintain in order to evidence entitlement.
The second half of the book moves to apply what has been learned in the first eight chapters to practical situations. This begins with an overview of how NEC, JCT and International Federation of Consulting Engineers standard forms of contract deal with extensions of time and loss and expense. Attention then moves to consider the content and presentation of a typical claim document along with common pitfalls and shortcomings. Thereafter follow four fictitious case studies: two UK JCT/NEC-based projects and two international projects. The case studies consider a variety of problems and give the reader an insight into what a reasonable claim submission might look like and the style of writing one may employ in order to communicate effectively the event to the receiving party.
The book is a pleasing balance of abstract and applied knowledge that would be of use to novice practitioners needing to be convinced of the need for good project management and record keeping, as well as others who wish to introduce themselves to the world of construction claims through a well-written and accessible text.
