Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
Time
6.1 Introduction
For those with a direct interest in a building project, time is an important subject. he
employer will be anxious to fix when and over what period of time the works will be
carried out so that they can budget and plan ahead. The contractor will be anxious
to plan the commencement and carrying out of the works in order to meet their
contractual obligations, express or implied, in relation to the period for completion
of the works or perhaps sections or phases of them.
A contractor's tender will normally proceed on the basis that certain operations
will cost them a particular amount of money to carry out over a certain period of
time. Generally, the longer work takes, the more expensive it is to carry out. Tender-
ing at an appropriate level to take account of time-related costs, forward planning
and subsequent on-site control is an essential element of a contractor's consideration
of time.
In the traditional manner in which building contracts are let in Scotland, namely,
where the employer engages consultants to prepare the design and other require-
ments, the employer should have specified what they want before the tender stage
or, at least, before the formation of the contract. This places a heavy onus on the
professional team of architects, engineers, services specialists and quantity surveyors.
Changes after the formation of the contract should be kept to a minimum because of
the effect that these are likely to have on time and cost. In the absence of agreement
abouttheefectofsuchchanges,theymaygiverisetoclaimsanddisputes.
6.2 Commencement of the works
Itisusualforexpressprovisiontobemadeforthedateuponwhichthecontractor
will be given access to the site for the purpose of carrying out the works. Normally
the contract will require the contractor to complete the works either by a specified
date, or within a specified period from the agreed date for commencement or the date
when access is given to the site. It is very important that the date of commencement of
theperiodforcompletionisascertainableandthatitisspeciiedwhatholidays,ifany,
are to be ignored in computing the period for completion of the works. While these
MacRoberts on Scottish Construction Contracts
,hirdEdition.MacRoberts.
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
