I. Introduction

God’s creation of the world in seven days is the oldest construction

project and a miracle of efficiency. However, construction projects

undertaken by mere mortals tell a quite different story. Most cannot be

completed without lots of paperwork and the involvement of numerous

parties with different agendas and financial restraints. By and large,

construction projects are a breeding ground for disputes of all kinds.

They result from many factors, including among other things, unfair

allocation of risk, multiple prime contracts, unrealistic expectations and

schedules, poorly prepared contract documents, financial issues,

communication problems, and even the economy.

The construction industry has been on the forefront of the alternative

dispute resolution movement. The recent trend is to look for methods of

resolving disputes other than traditional processes (such as litigation,

arbitration and mediation), which typically begin after the conflict has

escalated and the parties’ positions have hardened. One of these methods

is the dispute review board (DRB sometimes also called a dispute