• Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.8-13
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• 2022

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.5 no.6 s.22
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• pp.203-211
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• 2004

This study is the results to survey on the problems and improvable Policies for current escalation system in construction contracts, through a Delphi survey to experts. From the survey results, it is desirable to decide the fluctuation rate of construction cost, which is the requirement of escalation clause, on the basis of inflation rate or construction cost index. The desirable price fluctuation rate is proposed as a $3\%$ level. However, it is difficult for construction companies to cope with the sudden increase of material price in advance, arising from short-term shock factors such as exchange rate and international raw material's price. Accordingly escalation system for specified materials, as an exceptional mode, should be introduced. As a method to calculate the fluctuation rate, ARCA(adjustment rate for the categories of articles) is more desirable than ARI(adjustment rate for an index), because the ARCA can be more reflected the characteristics of each construction work.To rationalize the ARI method, it is needed to announce the wage index, material index and machinery expense index via detailed classification by construction types. Also, it is desirable to prescribe the bidding date as a starting date of the price change, rather than contact signing date. considering the price change can happen since the biddiilg stage.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.146-153
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• 2009

The year 2008 was a hard year for Korea's construction companies. The real estate downturn resulted in halting new construction and stopping existing work, and inflation of global oil prices caused price hikes in rebar and concrete materials. As a solution to reducing the budget, the newly appointed government announced plans to increase low cost bid contracts from 10 billion to 30 billion won. When such economical and political factors negatively impact the construction market, projects based on low cost contracts are the hardest hit. Many problems already inherent in low cost bid contracts become accentuated. Consequently, this provides an opportune time to actually study and analyze the issues in these projects. This paper introduces the findings made from investigating four projects struggling to make ends meet in the year 2008. Results show that flow of cash (i.e., liquidity), or lack thereof, was the root cause which in turn was hampered by failed mechanisms for design changes, material inflation. Attributing cash flow risk to the bottom of the production structure (i.e., small business subcontractors) was also a problem within the industry. Contractors need a better way to prepare against material price fluctuations, and owners need to assist in expediting payment during times of extreme downturn.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.3-11
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• 2019

The construction of a facility is an act whereby infrastructure such as roads and railways and other facilities such as housing and office spaces are constructed, and due to the characteristics of the relevant industry where such construction is carried out in a custom order method, it requires a long period of time mostly. While the construction is carried out over a long period of time, fluctuations in the price of raw materials required for the construction occur. Therefore, the cost of the construction also fluctuates inevitably. The fluctuation of the construction cost meshes closely with the profit of a constructor and the efficiency of government spending. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the construction cost at a reasonable level by adjusting the construction cost rationally in order to secure the required construction quality and spend the budget efficiently. The buffer system for solving such problem is the contract amount adjustment system by fluctuations in prices (Escalation/De-Escalation). In this study, the method combining the escalation method based on the item adjustment method was suggested for an efficient contract amount adjustment method. In addition, it is proposed that there be an investigation and codification of matters not applied to government acts and regulations on contracts related to the adjustment of fluctuations in prices legally.