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Finnie, D (2013) Comparison of time adjustment clauses between DZ3910, AS4000 and STCC. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 66-84.

Grant, A and Hinze, J (2013) Underlying causal factors associated with construction worker fatalities involving stepladders. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 13-22.

Jaafar, M and Radzi, N M (2013) Level of satisfaction and issues with procurement systems used in the Malaysian public sector. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 50-65.

Kamardeen, I (2013) Motivation-driven learning and teaching model for construction education. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 36-49.

Livesey, P and Bold, J (2013) Overcoming inadvertent barriers to entry in large infrastructure projects. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 85-91.

Rameezdeen, R and Rodrigo, A (2013) Textual complexity of standard conditions used in the construction industry. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 1-12.

  • Type: Journal Article
  • Keywords: Readability; clarity; comprehension; construction; contract
  • ISBN/ISSN: 1837-9133
  • URL: https://doi.org/10.5130/AJCEB.v13i1.3046
  • Abstract:
    Clearly written communication aids the understanding of construction contracts, resulting in less disputation. Past research, using opinion surveys rather than objective criteria, shows that construction contracts lack clarity and standard forms have become complex over time. The study outlined in this paper uses three objective measures of clarity developed by linguists to establish the readability of construction contracts. In addition, thirty industry professionals participated in a Cloze Test which measured the level of comprehension of clauses concerning disputes. The study verifies that contract conditions are very difficult to read, with college level reading skills needed to comprehend half of the clauses. However, the hypothesis that standard forms have become complex over time was not supported by the study. The study establishes a linear relationship between readability and comprehension, proving the hypothesis that improved readability increases the comprehension of a contract clause

Ruan, X, Ochieng, E, Price, A and Egbu, C (2013) Time for a real shift to relations: appraisal of Social Network Analysis applications in the UK construction industry. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 92-105.

Sarhan, S and Fox, A (2013) Performance measurement in the UK construction industry and its role in supporting the application of lean construction concepts. Construction Economics and Building, 13(01), 23-35.