ABSTRACT
The contract is prepared jointly by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Association of Consulting Engineers and the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors. Short of legal proceedings, the contract is often interpreted with a degree of tolerance, which probably springs from its origin between bodies of comparatively like-minded members and its more chatty wording. The key figure for design and supervision of the works for the client, for acting between the parties over the standard of the works and performance issues and for exercising the functions allocated to the quantity surveyor by other contracts, is ‘the Engineer’. He also has more powers affecting the technical conduct of the works, particularly over temporary works and groundworks, reflecting their significance in civil engineering works. The contract is always based upon approximate quantities subject to complete remeasurement, because of the nature of civil engineering works.
