Construction consultant's EC Harris has reported in its Global Construction Disputes Report that on average disputes in the UK were lasting 6.75 months from start of a dispute until resolution. This is in comparison with other countries in which EC Harris operates, where the average was 9.1 months. The difference has been attributed to the use of statutory adjudication and the more widespread use of collaborative forms of contract in the UK. Unsurprising, the number of disputes had increased in the UK in 2010, mirroring the global trend.
The report also concluded that in the UK over a quarter of the joint ventures put in place to deliver construction contracts had disputes within the joint venture itself. Over half of these disputes were found to be due to the lack of understanding of the contractual procedure by the project manager or engineer.