Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

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The construction industry has been undergoing many changes due to developments in technology, environmental concerns, and changes in laws and regulations. In order to address the problems created by these changes, the author recommends using “partnering,” as illustrated by his experiences as lead facilitator on the Tren Urbano project underway in Puerto Rico.

The construction industry has been dramatically and negatively affected by numerous changes to the laws and regulations controlling it over the past three decades. Environmental considerations alone have impacted individual projects, as well as entire construction-related industries, such as logging, transportation, and marine-use projects, to name a few.

Construction is a very dynamic industry. Developments in computer technology are coming fast and furious, and every advance creates new frontiers in joint design possibilities on projects. These joint ventures on design and construction include creative combinations and uses of CAD (Computer-Aided Design), CATO (Computer-Aided Take Off), and electronic transmission of files. This increased use of computer technology in one sense drastically reduces the potential for miscalculations, yet creates even greater potential for bigger disasters, since one errant keystroke can take away volumes of material instantly.