ABSTRACT
This paper details and discusses the results of research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and jointly run by the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University, and which has been set up to examine the sources, causes and effects of disputes in the construction industry in the United Kingdom.
It has been found from the results obtained from the research so far that there is a correlation between the type of procurement method adopted and the types and frequencies of disputes occurring. Twenty-one recently completed projects were analysed covering five main procurement options currently in use in the United Kingdom. The sample returned 483 individual dispute events.
In addition to identifying the frequency and type of dispute found on particular procurement options the research has also identified which member of the project team instigated the dispute and what the main effects of each dispute were on the project.
It is hoped that the results of this research will provide the industry with a suitable benchmark for assisting in assessing the risks associated with particular procurement options as well as creating an increased awareness, among the project team members, of likely dispute types and frequencies.
