Accelerating Modern Methods of Construction

/ Contractual Issues, General

Graham Robinson and Nigel Blundell explore the challenges and opportunities around the procurement, contracting and on-site delivery of infrastructure projects using Modern Methods of Construction. The UK government is committed to using its position as the single largest construction client to support adoption of a more productive, efficient and sustainable business model within the UK construction sector which is a key aim in reaching the government’s goal of Net Zero by 2050. The government announced its commitment to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in the…

Construction’s New Playbook

/ General, Legislation

Blog Author: Richard Saxon CBE – JCT Chair You may not know that I have been a long-time fan of American Football. The game is sometimes called ‘violent chess’ as it’s based on pre-planned ‘plays’ by one side’s offence team and the other’s defence team. The plays are radioed into the quarterback, the leader of the offence, by a coach on the side-line and the whole team must remember the moves implied by the coded name of the play, then execute it flawlessly. All the…

AIMs Assets and Threads

/ General

Blog Author: Simon Lewis – Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP Whilst the world continues to struggle with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are signs that the construction sector is beginning to operate once again, albeit within strictly regulated parameters. Obviously, from an economic perspective this is a good thing but also there are a number of issues which are pressing for the construction sector and which should be progressed as swiftly as reasonably possible even in these difficult times. One of these…

Contracting for Offsite Construction

/ General

Blog Author: Peter Hibberd Offsite construction of buildings is the future but then it has been for over 70 years. It has provided a solution to a problem ever since the first major offsite construction programme involving prefabricated public housing following the 1944 Housing Act. Thereafter, many different types of offsite production, especially for public housing, were developed. Offsite construction is not new or modern, it simply experiences continuous refinement and recurring times of high importance. To manufacture, design, fabricate, and assemble building elements at…

The Fluctuating Fortunes of Brexit

/ General, JCT 2016 Edition

Blog Author: Peter Hibberd Just over two years ago I suggested that it was time to brush up on the use and operation of the fluctuation provisions in building contracts. A suggestion spurred by the advent of Brexit and its ambient uncertainty; an uncertainty plain to see. The risk of having entered into contracts that span the Brexit leaving date, without adequate protection from fluctuations, could leave parties in a precarious situation. One can still act to mitigate potential loss but the situation is far…

Everyone Wins When Open Book Is Truly Open

/ General

Blog Author: James Green, Pellings When all parties play fairly, open book procurement can be a positive experience for the whole project team, as consultant Pellings, architect PRP and contractor Bouygues found on a recent housing scheme in Kent. Open book procurement has its supporters and detractors, with the latter often claiming that contractors are up to no good, or manipulating the process. But if all parties play the game fairly, the experience should only be positive. That has been the experience of Pellings, working…

Nigerian Construction Industry Modernises by Adopting Updated JCT Contracts

/ General

Pictured (L-R): Dr Segun Faniran, Obafemi Onashile (President, NIQS), Peter Barnes and Matthew Davies The Nigerian construction industry is adopting up-to date editions of JCT contracts as part of an initiative to modernise and adopt best practice. JCT contracts (albeit much earlier editions) have been adapted for use in Nigeria for some time, however this new initiative, spearheaded by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), aims to put a more formal process in place for the adoption of current JCT contracts and provide the…

The Role of the Clerk of Works

/ General

Blog Author: Rachel Morris – CEO, Institute of Clerks of Works & Construction Inspectorate The Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate (ICWCI) defines the role of the Clerk of Works as: “A person whose duty is to superintend the construction and maintenance of buildings, or other works for the purpose of ensuring proper use of labour and materials.” Clients (including employers, local authorities, housing associations etc) have the challenge of ensuring that their construction projects achieve value for money and are completed to…

Dudley Advance II – The Fruit of Change

/ General

Blog Author: Kevin Thomas – IPInitiatives We all know it is possible to deliver great projects using traditional construction methods. Yet we also recognise that many struggle to use these methods to their best effect. Through time our industry has suffered from fragmentation, misaligned objectives, separation, and an inconsistency of satisfactory outcome for all parties; challenges that mean fresh approaches need to be explored and existing processes need rethinking to achieve progress. The desired outcome, of course, is to create an integrated team so well…

JCT Training

/ General

JCT Training is a new initiative from JCT, offering a range of training courses on JCT contracts, directly from the construction professionals involved in creating the JCT 2016 Edition. The new courses cover a range of topics, from an introduction to the JCT suite and choosing the appropriate JCT 2016 contract, to courses covering specific contract families and documents, to courses covering contractual and legal issues. We have gathered a range of JCT experts to provide an unprecedented level of knowledge and expertise for JCT…