Metro project: delay and disruption claims

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Saudi Arabia

The construction of two new metro lines, featuring deep underground stations, elevated stations and viaduct bridges, was met with delay and disruption, leading to a high-value dispute between the contractor and the civil and structural engineer, ultimately referred to International Arbitration.

For the purposes of this complex matter, I was asked to investigate the technical aspects of a series of claims relating to:

• changes to the alignment of the tunnels,

• modifications to the location and geometry of underground stations and entrances to accommodate existing structures and other obstructions,

• station design changes resulting from value-engineering reviews,

• station construction sequence,

• the construction of traffic-deck systems, which maintained surface-road access during the underground works, and

• the engineer’s progress at key dates.