The Order of Engineers – North Region (OE North) will host, on the 8th of October, starting at 5 pm, in the auditorium of its Regional Headquarters, a Dissemination, Clarification and Public Discussion Session on the “Guide of Best Practices for the Contracting of Complex Geotechnical Works“.
This session was already held at the OE Headquarters in Lisbon, on the 18th of July, having had a great participation in the discussion. The Order of Engineers understands that, due to the relevance and usefulness of the document, clearly evident in the great participation that the session had, not only from members but also from representatives of several entities related to the theme, the sessions should be extended to the other Regions.
The best construction practices of Complex Geotechnical Works promote the adaptation of the initially planned construction methods to the real working conditions, through a quick response to changes in the ground conditions, valuing the importance of contractual flexibility to achieve to achieve the goals which conduct the conclusion of a public contract.
Underground construction, for example, is very different from any other type of construction “in sight” because the properties of the building material – the ground conditions – cannot be precisely known in advance. The unforeseen geological conditions, the dependence on construction methods and resources, the monitoring and analysis of the observation results and the inevitable construction risks are inseparable factors of the underground construction, and which gain particular importance in the construction of Complex Geotechnical Works, such as tunnels.
For this to happen in Portugal, it is necessary to promote the best contractual practices for both the design and the underground works, taking into account the current public procurement legislation.
This window of opportunity currently exists, as on August 31, 2017, Law No. 111-B / 2017 on public procurement was published. This law included a new amendment to the Public Contracts Code with the goal of complying with the obligation to transpose European directives 2014/23/EU, 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 2014/55/EU into Portuguese law, as well as to correct possible distortions and the poor application of current legislation. This law came into force on January 1, 2018. This circumstance assumes special relevance in the subject of Objective Modifications of the Contract in Complex Geotechnical Works, with natural relevance for tunnels.
In this context, this session intends to briefly present the recommendations of the “Guide of Best Practices for the Contracting of Complex Geotechnical Works”; to raise awareness of the importance of applying the best contractual practices throughout the work process; and to debate and arouse the interest of the different stakeholders.
A dedicated e-mail was created to receive contributions on this subject: GuiaOGC@gmail.com
The current version of the Guide is available and can be downloaded from the following link.
The document is the result of joint work by the Order of Engineers, the Portuguese Commission of Tunnels and Underground Space and the Portuguese Association of Designers and Consultants.
Entry is free but requires mandatory registration http://bit.ly/2nVA0LJ.
