Sources of disputes in road construction projects

Abstract

In every industry where people have to work together and cooperate there is a possibility for disputes to arise, and construction industry is not an exception. Often there is a lack of understanding about the reasons behind the disputes, but to avoid disputes from occurring and resolving them if they occur, it is vital to understand the sources of disputes (Love, 2008). According to Harmon (2003), “Construction projects are comparatively complex, resulting in tedious contract documents. Theses complex construction can tend to result in complex disputes. Due to the disputed situation a project can deviate from its original scope and lead to complicated litigation or arbitration hence, increased costs, and a breakdown the parties’ relationship”. The road construction projects are not an exception for disputes. Therefore, identification of factors affecting for disputes in road construction projects are necessary for its smooth execution. This research tried to identify most common sources of disputes which affected to road construction project life and cost. In this research mixed approach was used to explore the research topic. A detailed literature review was carried out to determine the sources of disputes in construction projects and filtered them through experts’ interview to identify the sources which are more relevant to the road projects. 37 number of sources of disputes were shortlisted with expert’s opinions out of 95 sources of disputes identified through the literature review. The same has tested through questionnaire survey with the road construction experts. Identified 12 number of significant sources of disputes which were affected the road construction projects regularly were identified. A framework was developed based on the identified common sources of disputes occur in road construction projects regularly. The same framework has recommended the possible actions that can be taken at formulation or at execution of the road projects. The recommended proactive actions may give guidance to the road project parties to avoid or minimize dispute before the dispute hit on the project.