5. Contract life: special case of Fidic contracts

In construction contracts, there are of course "major disputes", which may relate to non-payment or delays, and for which provision is generally made for institutional or non-institutional arbitration. The life of a contract is characterized by a succession of potential problems that must be defused and resolved as quickly as possible, without interrupting contract performance.

The International Federation of Engineering and Consulting (Fidic) has played an important role in this field. Founded in 1913 by the Belgian, French and Swiss national engineering federations, the Fédération internationale de l'ingénierie et du conseil (Fidic) now groups 88 national federations on 5 continents.

And it has designed and proposed standard contracts that set the benchmark for the design and construction of major international projects. These contracts...