Evaluating the general conditions of a construction contract

Abstract International construction contractors are often faced with the situation of working in an unfamiliar construction environment. One potential source of risk is the contractual requirements embodied in the general conditions of contracts. The paper presents a simple quantitative method for evaluating the general conditions of a construction contract. 11 attributes were used in this evaluation: clarity, conciseness, completeness, internal and external consistency, practicality, fairness, effect on quality, cost, schedule, and safety. The procedure can also be used to assess the risk level associated with the general conditions.