This case study relates to a concrete and formwork subcontractor engaged on a major Defence wharf redevelopment in the Northern Territory. The subcontract scope included formwork, reinforcement, concrete supply and placement, and finishing for key wharf elements, including the main wharf decks and mooring dolphin structures. The subcontract was priced on the basis of planned pour cycles and continuous site presence, supported by a baseline programme included in the subcontract documentation.
A second disruption driver was constrained working area caused by fewer soffits being available “in front” of the active workface. Reduced laydown and movement space increased handling and rehandling of materials and required additional labour to achieve pour readiness within the instructed timeframes.
Build Conex was engaged to provide a fact-driven, contract-aligned assessment of both time and cost impacts, and to prepare a claim package capable of withstanding predictable challenges to entitlement, criticality, and records. The work combined forensic delay analysis with quantum substantiation, integrating programme logic with contemporaneous site and commercial records, consistent with Build Conex’s focus on forensic quantity surveying, delay analysis, dispute resolution and construction claims.
The delay analysis compared the contract baseline sequencing for deck pours W10 to W13 with subsequent re-base programming and the actual pour dates, identifying the incremental growth of delay between planned and achieved pours. The quantum assessment priced the direct disruption and acceleration effort (labour hours above tender allowances), demobilisation and remobilisation costs caused by extended idle periods between pours, and the additional time-related overheads and project support resources required to administer the changed delivery conditions and claim-notification workload.
Across deck pours W10 to W13, the re-base programme contemplated short pour cycle intervals, but actual intervals between pours extended to multiple weeks. The substantiated net time impact for these decks totalled 43 days. The cost impact assessment compiled a claim value sought of $286,278 (incl. GST), comprising disruption/constructive acceleration, demobilisation and remobilisation, and extended project overheads and equipment costs.
The final deliverable was a structured Extension of Time and disruption claim package supported by programme extracts, narrative causation mapping, and priced exhibits aligned to the subcontract’s variation and claims mechanisms. This gave the subcontractor a clear, evidence-based recovery position and a coherent strategy for commercial resolution or, if required, downstream dispute processes (negotiation, adjudication, arbitration or litigation).
