Latest version of FIDIC users’ guide published

21st March 2014

By: Sashnee Moodley

Senior Deputy Editor Polity and Multimedia

  

Font size: - +

The third and comprehensively revised edition of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Users’ Guide was launched in Midrand, Gauteng, earlier this month.

The FIDIC Users’ Guide is a reference guide for construction engineers, construction lawyers, contract managers, contractors, claims specialists, developers, quantity surveyors and local authorities, all of whom deal with FIDIC contracts.

The authors of the guide, Leo Grutters and Brian Barr, were hosted by consultancy firm GibConsult to discuss the guide, which highlights accountability and addresses contentious issues, with relevant conclusions on dispute avoidance rather than dispute resolution. The book also aims to stimulate better contract administration.

The FIDIC contracts are standardised model agreements for international construction projects and have become more important worldwide because, in general, they aim for a fair balance of risk.

Barr said he and Grutter had been approached by the Institute of Civil Engineering, in the UK, to update the second edition of the FIDIC Users’ Guide.

“The industry considers this as the best guide to FIDIC forms of contracts. The third edition expands on new forms of contracts used in industry and our experiences with these contracts in industry. We hope that this becomes an industry standard for FIDIC forms of contracts,” Barr stated.

The new book also provides professional insights and practical solutions for the more controversial issues when dealing with FIDIC contracts.

The authors incorporated newly published forms of contracts, case studies and the increased use of the 1999 FIDIC conditions of contracts on construction projects into a more international arena, as well as the industry’s current thinking and understanding of the FIDIC terms and conditions.

The proper use of these standard forms of contract significantly reduces the inherent risks in development projects.

“Over the years, it became even clearer that the daily users of FIDIC forms of contracts were trapped in the complexity of these forms of contracts. “This stems predominantly from a significant interlinking of the various subclauses. “The need for clarity and transparency was established and the book aims to provide this for all users – legally trained or not,” Grutters stated.

During the workshop, delegates were shown how to deal with the FIDIC Users’ Guide from a practical point of view, which included the often unknown or misunderstood pitfalls and contract administrative burden when using FIDIC contracts and the correct interpretation of some of the more complex issues in these contracts.

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering and Consult-ing Engineers SA support the GibConsult South Africa initiative in bringing these renowned specialists and co-authors to South Africa.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION