CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS & PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2022 · Vol. 2022, Issue 1

Risks for consulting engineers on design-build construction projects in South Africa

Karin Meyer and Chris J. Jurgens

Keywords: Construction, consultant, design-build, procurement, risk

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the risks for consulting engineers on design-build (DB) construction projects in South Africa by synthesizing existing literature on known risks with knowledge about the roles that consultants play in the DB process. Consultants typically fulfill one of four roles in the DB process, namely as criteria consultant, bridging consultant, oversight consultant or designer-of-record. The paper identifies that in these roles, a consultant may be exposed to 24 unique risks. Many of these risks are inherited through contractual agreements with other parties and may therefore not be obvious, especially to consultants who are inexperienced with the DB process. The unfair distribution of risks among the project participants is also of concern. Fortunately, many of these risks can be mitigated by building good professional relationships based on trust, transparency, and collaboration. Early risk identification and effective risk management continue to remain important aspects as well. It is therefore recommended that consulting engineers actively work to improve their professional communication skills, whilst also focusing on well-established risk management best practices, for success in the future.nExisting literature extensively explores the risks that DB projects hold for contractors and project owners, and to whom these risks should be allocated. However, little is written about the risks that consulting engineers face during the DB process. This paper addresses that knowledge gap, with a particular focus on South Africa as a case study. The knowledge thus presented may help both experienced and inexperienced consultants to successfully participate in DB construction projects.