Conflicts in complex underground projects arise from inequitable contractual provisions, risk allocation and frameworks. Contracts should balance owner and contractor needs and requirements and use advanced risk management and risk sharing. Bonding and insurance availability may limit contractors who will bid. Fixed-price contracts may not adequately address the uncertainty of underground works, which may lead to changes, claims, disputes and litigation. To avoid this, the project delivery model should be designed first and used as the foundation for contract drafting. This paper introduces the Progressive Partnership Framework (PPF), a structured method for developing a project-specific delivery model. The PPF provides a structure tailored to the specific conditions of a project and presents successful results, as applied to major projects in Europe.      «

Conflicts in complex underground projects arise from inequitable contractual provisions, risk allocation and frameworks. Contracts should balance owner and contractor needs and requirements and use advanced risk management and risk sharing. Bonding and insurance availability may limit contractors who will bid. Fixed-price contracts may not adequately address the uncertainty of underground works, which may lead to changes, claims, disputes and litigation. To avoid this, the project delivery model...     »