FIDIC Red Book

A companion to the 2017 Construction Contract

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Downloaded by [] on [25/06/19]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 FIDIC Red Book
A companion to the
2017 Construction Contract

Jakob B Sørensen

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 Published by ICE Publishing, One Great George Street, Westminster,
London SW1P 3AA
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Other titles by ICE Publishing:

FIDIC Yellow Book: A companion to the 2017 Plant and Design Build Contract
Jakob B Sørensen. ISBN 978-0-7277-6432-4
FIDIC Silver Book: A companion to the 2017 EPC/Turnkey Contract
Jakob B Sørensen. ISBN: 978-0-7277-6436-2
Delay and Disruption Claims in Construction, Third edition
Ali D Haidar and Peter Barnes. ISBN: 978-0-7277-6197-2

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-7277-6434-8
# Thomas Telford Limited 2019

ICE Publishing is a division of Thomas Telford Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of

the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
All rights, including translation, reserved. Except as permitted by the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the Publisher, ICE Publishing, One Great George Street,
Westminster, London SW1P 3AA.
This book is published on the understanding that the author is solely responsible
for the statements made and opinions expressed in it and that its publication
does not necessarily imply that such statements and/or opinions are or reflect
the views or opinions of the publishers. While every effort has been made to
ensure that the statements made and the opinions expressed in this publication
provide a safe and accurate guide, no liability or responsibility can be accepted in
this respect by the author or publisher.
While every reasonable effort has been undertaken by the author and the
publisher to acknowledge copyright on material reproduced, if there has been
an oversight please contact the publisher and we will endeavour to correct this
upon a reprint.

Cover photo: Double exposure photo of modern architecture fragment

Commissioning Editor: Michael Fenton

Production Editor: Madhubanti Bhattacharyya
Marketing Specialist: April Asta Brodie

Typeset by Academic + Technical, Bristol

Index created by Pierke Bosschieter
Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International, Padstow

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 Contents About the author
List of abbreviations
xi
xiii

Introduction 1
1 About this Companion 3
1.1 Purpose 3
1.2 Structure and Contents 3
1.3 Background and References 3

2 Construction Projects 5
2.1 Preparing International Contracts 5
2.2 Construction Contracts 6

3 The FIDIC Conditions of Contract 9

3.1 Background 9
3.2 The 2017 Conditions of Contract 11
3.3 Should I Use the 1999 or the 2017 Edition? 12
3.4 How to Use the FIDIC Conditions of Contract 12

4 Further Reading 17

General conditions 19
List of Definitions by Category 21
The Contract 21
Parties and Persons 21
Dates, Tests, Periods and Completion 21
Money and Payments 22
Works and Goods 22
Other Definitions 22

1 General Provisions 25
1.1 Definitions 25
1.2 Interpretation 42
1.3 Notices and Other Communications 43
1.4 Law and Language 44
1.5 Priority of Documents 44
1.6 Contract Agreement 45
1.7 Assignment 45
1.8 Care and Supply of Documents 46
1.9 Delayed Drawings or Instructions 46
1.10 Employer’s Use of Contractor’s Documents 46
1.11 Contractor’s Use of Employer’s Documents 47
1.12 Confidentiality 47
1.13 Compliance with Laws 47
1.14 Joint and Several Liability 48
1.15 Limitation of Liability 48
1.16 Contract Termination 49

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 2 The Employer 51
2.1 Right of Access to the Site 51
2.2 Assistance 51
2.3 Employer’s Personnel and Other Contractors 52
2.4 Employer’s Financial Arrangements 52
2.5 Site Data and Items of Reference 53
2.6 Employer-Supplied Materials and Employer’s Equipment 53

3 The Engineer 55
3.1 The Engineer 55
3.2 Engineer’s Duties and Authority 56
3.3 The Engineer’s Representative 57
3.4 Delegation by the Engineer 57
3.5 Engineer’s Instructions 58
3.6 Replacement of the Engineer 59
3.7 Agreement or Determination 59
3.8 Meetings 62

4 The Contractor 63
4.1 Contractor’s General Obligations 63
4.2 Performance Security 64
4.3 Contractor’s Representative 66
4.4 Contractor’s Documents 67
4.5 Training 69
4.6 Co-operation 70
4.7 Setting Out 70
4.8 Health and Safety Obligations 71
4.9 Quality Management and Compliance Verification
Systems 71
4.10 Use of Site Data 72
4.11 Sufficiency of the Accepted Contract Amount 73
4.12 Unforeseeable Physical Conditions 73
4.13 Rights of Way and Facilities 75
4.14 Avoidance of Interference 75
4.15 Access Route 75
4.16 Transport of Goods 75
4.17 Contractor’s Equipment 76
4.18 Protection of the Environment 76
4.19 Temporary Utilities 77
4.20 Progress Reports 77
4.21 Security of the Site 78
4.22 Contractor’s Operations on Site 78
4.23 Archaeological and Geological Findings 78
4.24 Milestones (optional) 78

5 Subcontracting 81
5.1 Subcontractors 81
5.2 Nominated Subcontractors 82

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 6 Staff and Labour 85
6.1 Engagement of Staff and Labour 85
6.2 Rates of Wages and Conditions of Labour 85
6.3 Recruitment of Persons 86
6.4 Labour Laws 86
6.5 Working Hours 86
6.6 Facilities for Staff and Labour 87
6.7 Health and Safety of Personnel 87
6.8 Contractor’s Superintendence 87
6.9 Contractor’s Personnel 87
6.10 Contractor’s Records 88
6.11 Disorderly Conduct 88
6.12 Key Personnel 89

7 Plant, Materials and Workmanship 91

7.1 Manner of Execution 91
7.2 Samples 91
7.3 Inspection 91
7.4 Testing by the Contractor 92
7.5 Defects and Rejection 93
7.6 Remedial Work 94
7.7 Ownership of Plant and Materials 94
7.8 Royalties 95
7.9 Goods from Eligible Source Countries (optional) 95

8 Commencement, Delays and Suspension 97

8.1 Commencement of Works 97
8.2 Time for Completion 98
8.3 Programme 98
8.4 Advance Warning 100
8.5 Extension of Time for Completion 101
8.6 Delays Caused by Authorities 104
8.7 Rate of Progress 104
8.8 Delay Damages 105
8.9 Employer’s Suspension 107
8.10 Consequences of Employer’s Suspension 108
8.11 Payment for Plant and Materials after Employer’s
Suspension 108
8.12 Prolonged Suspension 109
8.13 Resumption of Work 110

9 Tests on Completion 111

9.1 Contractor’s Obligations 111
9.2 Delayed Tests 112
9.3 Retesting 113
9.4 Failure to Pass Tests on Completion 113

10 Employer’s Taking Over 115

10.1 Taking Over the Works and Sections 116

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 10.2 Taking Over Parts 118
10.3 Interference with Tests on Completion 119
10.4 Surfaces Requiring Reinstatement 119

11 Defects after Taking Over 121

11.1 Completion of Outstanding Work and Remedying
Defects 122
11.2 Cost of Remedying Defects 123
11.3 Extension of Defects Notification Period 123
11.4 Failure to Remedy Defects 124
11.5 Remedying of Defective Work off Site 126
11.6 Further Tests after Remedying Defects 126
11.7 Right of Access after Taking Over 127
11.8 Contractor to Search 127
11.9 Performance Certificate 128
11.10 Unfulfilled Obligations 128
11.11 Clearance of Site 129

12 Measurement and Valuation 131

12.1 Works to be Measured 131
12.2 Method of Measurement 132
12.3 Valuation of the Works 132
12.4 Omissions 133

13 Variations and Adjustments 135

13.1 Right to Vary 135
13.2 Value Engineering 137
13.3 Variation Procedure 138
13.4 Provisional Sums 139
13.5 Daywork 139
13.6 Adjustments for Changes in Laws 140
13.7 Adjustments for Changes in Cost 141

14 Contract Price and Payment 143

14.1 The Contract Price 144
14.2 Advance Payment 145
14.3 Application for Interim Payment 146
14.4 Schedule of Payments 147
14.5 Plant and Materials intended for the Works 147
14.6 Issue of IPC 148
14.7 Payment 149
14.8 Delayed Payment 150
14.9 Release of Retention Money 150
14.10 Statement at Completion 151
14.11 Final Statement 151
14.12 Discharge 152
14.13 Issue of FPC 152
14.14 Cessation of Employer’s Liability 153
14.15 Currencies of Payment 153

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 15 Termination by Employer 155
15.1 Notice to Correct 156
15.2 Termination for Contractor’s Default 156
15.3 Valuation after Termination for Contractor’s Default 159
15.4 Payment after Termination for Contractor’s Default 159
15.5 Termination for Employer’s Convenience 160
15.6 Valuation after Termination for Employer’s Convenience 161
15.7 Payment after Termination for Employer’s Convenience 161

16 Suspension and Termination by Contractor 163

16.1 Suspension by Contractor 163
16.2 Termination by Contractor 164
16.3 Contractor’s Obligations After Termination 166
16.4 Payment after Termination by Contractor 166

17 Care of the Works and Indemnities 167

17.1 Responsibility for Care of the Works 167
17.2 Liability for Care of the Works 168
17.3 Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights 170
17.4 Indemnities by Contractor 171
17.5 Indemnities by Employer 172
17.6 Shared Indemnities 173

18 Exceptional Events 175

18.1 Exceptional Events 176
18.2 Notice of an Exceptional Event 176
18.3 Duty to Minimise Delay 177
18.4 Consequences of an Exceptional Event 177
18.5 Optional Termination 177
18.6 Release from Performance under the Law 178

19 Insurance 179
19.1 General Requirements 180
19.2 Insurance to be provided by the Contractor 180

20 Employer’s and Contractor’s Claims 183

20.1 Claims 185
20.2 Claims For Payment and/or EOT 185

21 Disputes and Arbitration 189

21.1 Constitution of the DAAB 190
21.2 Failure to Appoint DAAB Member(s) 191
21.3 Avoidance of Disputes 192
21.4 Obtaining DAAB’s Decision 192
21.5 Amicable Settlement 194
21.6 Arbitration 194
21.7 Failure to Comply with DAAB’s Decision 196
21.8 No DAAB In Place 196

ix

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 Appendices 199
Appendix A: Mini Guide 201

Appendix B: Special Provisions 205

General observations 205
Drafting style 205
List of Special Provisions to consider 206

Index 215

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 About the Jakob B Sørensen has been involved in construction projects for
more than 30 years, and in more than 50 countries worldwide,
author covering erection, maintenance, operation, refurbishment and
decommissioning of especially technical facilities: power plants
(conventional as well as renewable), airports, manufacturing and
production facilities, breweries, automated warehouses, dairy
plants, water purification plants, power distribution, gas distri-
bution, IT and telecommunication systems etc.
Jakob has represented employers and owners, contractors and sub-
contractors, suppliers, engineers, financing institutions and advisors.
From 1988 until 2011, Jakob held a position as associate professor
of law at Aarhus University, Denmark; from 1988 to 1995 in con-
tract law, from 1995 to 2009 in international trade and finance law
and, finally, from 2008 to 2011 in international construction law.
In 2015 and 2017, Jakob acted as friendly reviewer for FIDIC;
from the initial drafts of the Conditions of Contract, leading up to
the 2017 editions of the FIDIC forms.
Jakob has been involved in construction projects based on a variety
of individually developed (bespoke) contracts, as well as contracts
based on standard forms (ICE/NEC, Orgalime, ICC, IEE, IChemE,
Joint Contracts Tribunal etc.). Since the late 1980s, Jakob has been
working with the FIDIC forms of contracts, initially with the
Conditions of Contract for Electrical and Mechanical Works (3rd
edition, 1988 – the original Yellow Book) and the Conditions of
Contract for Works of Civil Engineering Construction (4th edition,
1989 – the Red Book), and later also the Conditions of Contract for
Design – Build and Turnkey (1st edition, 1995 – the Orange Book).
Since their release, Jakob has been involved in projects utilising the
FIDIC 1999 standard forms as well as the subsequently released
Conditions of Contract for Design, Build and Operate Projects (1st
edition, 2008 – the Gold Book) in many projects, worldwide. In all,
over the past four decades, Jakob has been involved in more than
200 international construction projects based on the FIDIC forms
and more than 400 in total.
In 2007, Jakob was certified as mediator by the Danish Bar & Law
Society following studies and training in London and Copenhagen.
Today, Jakob’s main areas of work are advisory work in relation
to complex contracts (international construction and high-tech or
ICT projects) and dispute prevention and resolution.

xi

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 List of AACE
CCIP
AACE International, an engineering company
Contractor-Controlled Insurance Programme
abbreviations CONS
DAA
Conditions of Contract for Construction
Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication
DAAB Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication Board
DAB Dispute Adjudication Board
DBO Conditions of Contract for Design, Build and
Operate Projects
DNP Defects Notification Period
EOT Extension of Time
EPC engineering, procurement and construction
FIDIC Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs-Conseils
FPC Final Payment Certificate
GC General Conditions
H&S health and safety
ICE Institution of Civil Engineers
ILO International Labour Organization
IPC Interim Payment Certificate
IPR intellectual property rights
JV joint venture
MDB multilateral development banks
NEC New Engineering Contract
NOD Notice of Dissatisfaction
O&M operation and maintenance
OCIP Owner-Controlled Insurance Programme
P&DB Conditions of Contract for Plant & Design Build
QM quality management
QMS quality management system
US United States (adj.)
USA United States of America
USD US dollars

xiii

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