FIDIC is an international agency that formulates conditions of contract recommended for construction works where tenders are invited on an international basis. FIDIC conditions of contract are also widely used in domestic projects with minor modifications. FIDIC is the abbreviation of Fédération Internationale Des Ingénieurs-Conseils, meaning International Federation of Consulting Engineers in French. Different forms of FIDIC conditions of contract are commonly known as the Red Book, Silver Book, Yellow Book, Pink Book, Green Book, Blue Book, White Book, Gold Book etc.

The 1999 Suite of FIDIC Standard Conditions of Contract

Conditions of Contract for Construction – The New Red Book
Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design Build – The New Yellow Book
Conditions of Contract for EPC Turnkey Projects – The Silver Book
Short Form of Contract – The Green Book
The FIDIC Contracts Guide (2000)

Traditional FIDIC Conditions of Contract

Conditions of Contract for Works of Civil Engineering Construction – Red Book Fourth Edition (1987)
Conditions of Contract for Electrical and Mechanical Works including Erection on Site -Yellow Book Third Edition (1987)
Conditions of Contract for Design-Build and Turnkey – Orange Book First Edition (1995)

For more information visit

https://www.unep.fr/energy/activities/eca/pdf/ws3/philipjenkinson_fidic.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIDIC

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1	AA-ASM	Aluminum Association-Aluminum Sheet Metal Work in Building Construction
2	AAI	Aluminum Association, Inc
3	AAI-RMA	Agriculture Ammonia Institute-Rubber Manufacturers Association
4	AAMA	American Architectural Manufacturers Association
5	AASHTO	American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
6	AATCC	American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
7	ABS	American Bureau of Shipping
8	ABYC	American Boat and Yacht Council
9	ACCA	Air Conditioning Contractors of America
10	ACGIH	Association Advancing Occupational and Environmental Health
11	ACI	American Concrete Institute
12	AGA	American Gas Association
13	AHPA	American Herbal Products Association
14	AIA	Aerospace Industries Association of America
15	AISC	American Institute of Steel Construction
16	AISE	Association of Iron and Steel Engineers
17	AISI	American Iron and Steel Institute
18	AITC	American Institute of Timber Construction
19	AMCA	Air Movement and Control Association
20	ANSI	American National Standards Institute
21	AOAC	Association of Official Analytical Chemists
22	APA	American Psychological Association
23	API	American Petroleum Institute
24	ARI	Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute
25	ASAE	American Society of Agricultural Engineers
26	ASCE	American Society of Civil Engineers
27	ASHRAE	American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
28	ASME	American Society of Mechanical Engineers
29	ASME	American Society of Mechanical Engineers
30	ASNT	American Society for Nondestructive Testing
31	ASQC	American Society for Quality Control
32	ASSE	American Society of Safety Engineers
33	ASTM	American Society for Testing and Materials
34	ATSC	Advanced Television Systems Committee
35	AWPA	American Wood Preservers Assocation
36	AWPA	American Wood Protection Association
37	AWS	American Welding Society
38	AWWA	American Water Works Society
39	BOCA	Building Officials and Code Administrators
42	CABO	Council of American Building Officials
43	CGA	Compressed Gas Association
44	CI	Cordage Institute
45	CISPI	Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute
46	CMAA	Crane Manufacturers Association of America
47	CSA	Standards Council of Canada
48	EIA	Energy Information Administration
49	EJMA	Expansion Joint Manufacturers Association Inc.
50	EMA	Electrical Manufacturers Association
51	FCI	Fluid Controls Institute Inc.
52	FMER	Factory Mutual Engineering and Research
53	GPA	Gas Processors Association
54	GRI	Gas Research Institute
55	GTI	Gas Technology Institute
56	HPVA	Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association
57	IADC	International Association of Drilling Contractors
58	IAPMO	International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
59	ICC	International Code Council
60	ICS	International Chamber of Shipping
61	IEC	International Electrotechnical Commission
62	IEEE	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
63	IES	Illuminating Engineering Society
64	IHO	International Hydrographic Organization
65	IIT	Illinois Institute of Technology
66	IME	Institute of Makers of Explosives
67	IMO	International Maritime Organization
68	ISA	International Society for Measurement and Control
69	ISO	International Organization for Standardization
70	ISO	International Organization for Standardization
71	ITU	International Telecommunication Union
72	LR	Lloyd’s Register of Shipping
73	MIL SPEC	United States Military
74	MSS	Manufacturers Standardization Societ
75	NAESBWEQ	North American Energy Standards Board Wholesale Electric Quadrant
76	NEMA	National Electrical Manufacturers Association
77	NFoPA	National Forest Products Association
78	NFPA	National Fire Protection Association
79	NIST	National Institute of Standards and Technology
80	NWWDA	National Wood Window and Door Association
81	OCIMF	Oil Companies International Marine Forum
82	OSHA	Occupational Safety and Health Administration
83	RTCM	Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services
84	SAE	Society of Automotive Engineers
85	SAE	Society of Automotive Engineers
86	SBCC	Southern Building Code Congress
87	SCTE	Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers
88	SEI	Structural Engineering Institute
89	TPI	Truss Plate Institute
90	UL	Underwriters Laboratories
91	USPC	The United States Pharmacopoeia
92	WQA	Water Quality Association
93	WSTDA	Web Sling and Tiedown Association

 

What are the differences between ASTM, AASHTO, ACI and ANSI?

TOR is a brand name – Toristeg Steel Corporation of Luxembourg. Their name (TOR) became synonymous with Cold Twisted Deformed (CTD) steel bars due to popularity. TOR is also  used as a synonym for reinforcement bars in general.

TOR and TMT are both high strength reinforcement steel bars.

History : Round plain steel bars dominated the construction industry till seventies. Thereafter CTD (or TOR Steel) dominated the industry  till nineties. Nowadays TMT or hot treated bars are the most popular due to its advantages over CTD (TOR) such as high strength and corrosion resistance.

Some of the popular grades of high Strength steel bars (either hot or cold rolled) are listed in the following table.

American Standard (ASTM A 615)	Euro Standard (DIN 488)	British Standard (BS 4449: 1997)	Indian Standard (IS: 1786)
Grade 75 (520)	BST 500 S	GR 460 A	Grade Fe – 500
Grade 80 (550)	BST 500 M	GR 460 B	Grade Fe – 550

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Generally provisional sum is an amount allocated for a specialized work by a specialized firm, for which the details are not available at the time of tender. The provisional sum amount will be a best guess at the time of tender by the employer or contractor depending upon the type of provisional sum. Hence claim made by the contractor need not necessarily be the exact amount mentioned in the contract.

Definition of Provisional Sum by FIDIC Conditions of Contract

“Provisional Sum” means a sum (if any) which is specified in the Contract as a provisional sum, for the execution of any part of the Works or for the supply of Plant, Materials or services under Sub-Clauses 13.5(Provisional Sums).

Examples of provisional sums

Provisional sum need not be always allocated specifically for a single task. Sometimes part of contract itself may be made a provisional sum. There can be one or more than one provisional sum item in a contract. To elaborate, let us take the example of site clearance. There may be so many unpredictable items in site clearance. Consider an infrastructure project involving flyover, roads etc. wherein the regular items of clearance include asphalt road, paving blocks, kerb, signal poles, crash barriers, guard rails, sign boards, storm water drainage pipe lines, sewerage pipe lines, manholes, catch pits, gullies, trees, bushes, shrubs, buildings, fencing, compound walls, sculptures and monuments, concrete structures etc. In addition there will be items specific to the site as well. Many items will be measurable at the time of tender but some of the turn out to be uncertain. For example, quantum of work involved in removal of a site specific item like sculpture or monument may become difficult to ascertain. One way to overcome this difficulty is to allocate these as a separate provisional sum item in the BOQ.

What are different types of provisional sums?

According to SMM7, Standard Method of Measurement seventh edition, provisional sums are divided into two categories; defined and undefined. In defined type, contractor is supposed to make due allowance in his quote for such item and it is to be incorporated in the project plan. In undefined type, contractor need not make allowance in the quote nor this item need to be incorporated in the project plan.
Detailed information of defined and undefined type of provisional sums are available here.

Is it binding for the contractor to execute the provisional sum items within time mentioned in project programme?

Though FIDIC describe in detail about valuation of provisional sums, it do not clearly mention the relationship with project programme. Generally provisional sums are not a universally accepted method since it is not advisable to include an item in the contract whose scope is not clearly defined.

How the claim is made for provisional sums?

The method of claim depends upon the arrangement made at the time of execution based on the detailed information. Usually the procedure is similar to a variation claim. For example the contractor floats enquiries and collects quotations. After evaluation, the finalized quotation is forwarded to client for approval with the details of agency proposed to do the work. The employer on his discretion may decide whether to proceed with the contractor’s proposal or not. In some cases the work will be directly allotted to specialized agency if so desired by the employer.

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Prime cost generally is an allowance for articles to be provided by the contractor, of which price cannot be fixed at the time of tender. It refers only to the supply of materials and not to the carrying out of works. A specific amount will be earmarked in the BOQ for execution of such items. Examples are fixtures and finishing works like ceramic tiles, sanitary fittings, water supply fittings etc. that can be decided only at the time of execution. Contractor is not entitled for any profit on prime cost items, but sometimes the cost of carriage will be provided if specified in contract. The FIDIC Conditions of Contract do not mention about prime cost.

Definition of Prime cost by ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers, Great Britain)

“Prime Cost (PC) Item” means an item in the Contract which contains (either wholly or in part) a sum referred to as Prime Cost (PC) which will be used for the execution of work or the supply of goods materials or services for the Works.

How to claim Prime Cost Sum?

Contractor floats enquiries and get quotations; finalized quotation is forwarded to client for approval, along with specifications of proposed materials. After getting approval, contractor proceeds with procurement and installation. The price paid to the contractor will be the amount mentioned in the purchase invoice.

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Yes. Lump sum contract means the contractor has to execute the works for a specified amount fixed in the contract. In a lump sum contract, the contractor is bound to execute works for the completion of the project as detailed in the contract documents; in some cases a bill of quantities will also be included. In either case if a specific work is not detailed in the contract or if alterations are required, then it can be treated as a variation.

Examples of variation in lump sum contracts

An example of variation in lump sum contract is removal of a building or structure which is not described anywhere in drawings or contract documents. Another example is alteration to the details mentioned such as replacing painting works with tiling. A variation order is required to be obtained from the owner/ Engineer before executing the works.

Sometimes a provisional sum will be incorporated in the contract for works which cannot be detailed or enough information are not available at the time of tender. Please visit our pages on provisional sums, contingency allowance, day works etc. for more information.

Variation provisions are detailed in Clause 51.1 of FIDIC Red Book1987 and Clause 13.1 of 1999 edition.

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Step by step procedure to find out volume of earthwork using Simpson’s Rule

This article is about using Simpson’s rule (also known as Prismoidal Rule) to find out the quantity of earthwork by means of contour maps. The procedure is explained here with the help of an example. In the example here below, the map is divided into 6 horizontal and 6 vertical grids each of 5m interval. The reduced levels are given at the intersections. Let us find out the volume of earthwork.

Let us first note down the reduced levels in a tabular form.

A three dimensional view will look like the following.

Suppose the final level for filling is 24.1m. Then the required depth of filling at each point is as given in the table below.

The area on the side of each grid can be found out as follows

Each side can be considered as a trapezoid. Hence the area of each side

eg: (0.98+0.97)/2 x 5 = 4.875

(0.80+0.80)/2 x 5 = 4.000

Now the volume according to Simpson’s rule is as follows

eg: (4.875+3.375)=8.25

4 x (4+3.75+3.925)=46.7

2 x (3.575+3.875)=14.9

Total = 69.85

Total earth filling volume = 341.425 x (d/3)

                                                           =341.425 x (5/3) = 569.042 M³

Note: We express thanks to https://www.e-quantities.com/volumes.htm for bringing up an error in this page to our notice which now has been rectified. You may download the excel file detailing  volume calculation using Trapizoidal Rule here.

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Dictionary meaning of Day work is ‘work done that is paid on a daily basis’. In construction contracts this term is applied under different contexts.

1. For variations in a lump sum contract, wherein work will be evaluated in accordance with the Day Work Schedule included in the Contract. Day work rates for material, labor, plant and contractor profits will be mentioned in the contract. In such cases the Contractor should consider supervision charges in his bid that will not be paid separately. Clause 13.6 of FIDIC Red Book can be referred to for claims wherein a day work schedule is included in the contract.

2. For variation purpose in an item rate contract; when item rates are not available within bill of quantities for extra items to be executed, method of day works can be adopted as an option.

How is day work measured in a lump sum contract?

As mentioned in the previous paragraph rates will be included in the contract for material, labor, plant and contractor profits. During execution of the works contractor should submit quotations for Engineer’s approval. Works can be executed after getting approval in writing from the Engineer. After completion of the works the contractor should submit to the Engineer along with IPC (interim payment certificate) all the invoices, vouchers and receipts of goods, equipments and plant involved in the work.

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Contingency allowance is provided in construction contracts to allow for miscellaneous unforeseen costs which cannot be classified under any other head, but is necessary for successful completion of the project. In construction contracts usually 3 to 5 percent of contract value is provided as contingency allowance. An example of such unforeseen cost is price escalation. If there is a saving in the contingency allowance, then this amount can be used for execution of extra items of work. That means when variation claims are raised, it is common that the employer will cancel the contingency allowance against variation claims, and pay the contractor.

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Project programme is also known as Clause 14 programme, in cases where the conditions of contract are based on FIDIC.

Conditions regarding construction project programme are detailed in Clause 14 of FIDIC Red Book 1987 edition, whereas it is incorporated under Clause 8 of FIDIC Red Book 1999 edition. FIDIC Red Book 1987 edition is still followed worldwide hence very often project programme is known by the name Cl.14 programme.

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