Construction and Engineering

Not only are major construction and engineering projects inherently complex, they also have to be delivered against a rising tide of uncertainties. Cost inflation, supply chain disruption, skills shortages and technological change must be managed while weighing political, funding, climate and other risks.
For more than four decades, our teams have been anticipating, investigating and resolving the challenges and problems arising on capital projects and infrastructure worldwide. (HKA also analyses and reports on the underlying causes of claims and disputes – see CRUX below.)
This unmatched experience and a comprehensive skillset – spanning technical, project, legal and digital disciplines – sets us apart as a global consultancy focussing on risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness, and litigation support services.
Whatever your sector or project – buildings or transportation infrastructure, industrial or manufacturing plant, resource extraction or power and utilities – the risks are many and multiplying.
We help you decode this growing complexity to achieve the best outcomes possible by resolving disputes, managing claims, and providing strategic advice:
In the global construction marketplace, HKA is consistently ranked the pre-eminent consultancy with more commended experts than any other firm.
Our teams can draw on expert technical knowledge in every aspect of construction and relevant specialisms – from civil to process engineering, structures to geology, mechanical to metallurgy.
Their analytical skills have been honed on a diverse range of projects, including some of the most high-profile and complex megaprojects in the world across all sectors.
We apply lessons learned and international best practice to ensure that capital projects are delivered more effectively. From our global network, HKA can assemble a multi-disciplinary team of leading experts and problem-solvers with the skills and experience needed to help you navigate the construction and engineering industry’s risks and challenges.
We work with owners and employers, contractors, specialist subcontractors, international law firms, and government agencies, applying our knowledge and unrivalled expertise to deliver exceptional services.
Clients also benefit – along with the wider industry – from our CRUX integrated research programme. HKA’s unique and expanding dataset identifies the underlying causes of claims and disputes on projects worldwide.
On behalf of clients, we can use this intelligence to – among other things – benchmark performance, calibrate risk in target markets, regions or sectors, compare procurement options, or evaluate dispute resolution methods.
Each year we publish a summary CRUX Insight distilling the lessons for a wider audience. Our Fifth Annual CRUX Insight Report covered investigations (up to the end of July 2022) of more than 1,600 projects in 100 countries, with a combined capital expenditure of over US$2.1 trillion. The toll in lost time and money was colossal. Disputed costs on these projects exceeded $80 billion – averaging more than 35% of capital expenditure. Extensions of time would typically protract programmes by 68.6%.
We are keen to disseminate the lessons from CRUX widely, not least via our CRUX Interactive Dashboard.