Knowledge Hub

Progressive design-build is a project delivery method in which the owner selects a design-builder early, works collaboratively with that team during a development phase, and only finalises the full commercial commitment for delivery once the design, scope, price,...

Construction claims and contract administration are the systems project teams use to manage time, money, risk, change, notices, and contractual rights during a construction project. In practical terms, they matter because many disputes over delay, variations, latent conditions,...

Delay is one of the most disputed issues on construction projects, but some delay disputes are more difficult than others. One of the clearest examples is concurrent delay. The concept sounds straightforward at first, yet in practice it...

On most construction projects, an RFI is intended to be a request for clarification. In principle, that sounds straightforward. If the contractor needs more information, it asks a question, and the designer, superintendent, or employer responds. In practice, however, the line between clarification and change is often far less clear.That matters because an RFI may start as a simple request for information, but the response may go beyond clarification and alter the work, the sequence, the detail, the materials, or the design responsibility. When that happens, the issue may no longer be just an RFI. It may become relevant to variation, delay, cost entitlement, and disputes over who bears the risk under the contract.In simple terms, an RFI becomes a variation when the response changes the original contractual requirement, such as the scope of works, specification, sequence, design detail, or allocation of responsibility, rather than merely explaining what was already required. In this article, we explore how that happens in practice, why the distinction matters commercially, and how project teams can manage this issue more carefully. What is the difference between an RFI and a variation? An RFI, or Request for Information, is usually a formal written query raised when the contract documents, drawings, specifications, or site information do not provide enough clarity to proceed...

Large construction, infrastructure, energy, and industrial developments often require significant upfront capital long before they begin generating revenue. In many cases, those projects are too large, too risky, or too long-term to be funded solely through a sponsor’s...

Construction projects are typically complex and require significant coordination between works on site, designers, consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers. More often than not, drawings are incomplete, details do not align, specifications leave too much open to interpretation, or the...

Global electricity demand is climbing, driven by economic growth, electrification, and digital services. The International Energy Agency expects demand to rise by more than 25% by 2030. At the same time, renewable energy — especially solar and wind...

Traditional construction contracting and delivery approaches like Design-Bid-Build, EPC, or Design and Construct have long been the industry’s standard. However, they often leave teams working in isolation, with divided priorities and a tendency for disputes that often derail...

The energy transition is no longer just a policy debate — it’s a practical challenge reshaping how we design, build, finance, and operate infrastructure. With governments committing to net-zero targets and developers under pressure to decarbonise, energy is...

When construction projects face delays, determining how to fairly recover home office overheads often becomes a complex and contentious issue. One method frequently brought into this discussion is the Eichleay Formula—a recognised tool in some jurisdictions for quantifying...