An empirical study of researchers' and practitioners' views on compensating major highway project contractors

Abstract

Choosing the most appropriate contract type (CT) for compensating major highway project contractors is a decision that has to be taken by highway procurement authorities within their country’s legal, economic and social framework. The research carried out to date on the use of various CTs for the construction of infrastructure projects in general and for highway projects in particular is highlighted and utilised to determine the most frequently used CTs and the most commonly considered selection criteria (SC). The information obtained was included in a questionnaire survey that assessed the performance of each CT against each SC according to the perceptions of engineers with experience in highway procurement processes both in Greece and abroad. Ultimately, the initial results of the survey in comparison to the expectations resulting from the literature review are discussed.