FIDIC / Legal Reference: FIDIC Red Book Clause 4.1 / Contractor’s Documents
Any document, sample, mock-up, or data submitted by the contractor to the Engineer for review, comment, or approval before the relevant construction activity proceeds. Submittals include shop drawings, material samples, method statements, test reports, and operation and maintenance manuals.
What it means in practice
Contracts typically establish a submittal procedure specifying: the documents that must be submitted, the review period within which the Engineer must respond, and the consequences of non-response. The contractor must track all submittals, their submission dates, required response dates, and actual response dates.
Like RFIs, submittal delays are managed under the Clause 1.9 framework in FIDIC — the Engineer’s failure to respond within a reasonable time gives the contractor entitlement to an EOT and additional cost, provided the delay affects the critical path and notice is given under Clause 20.
Where disputes arise
Disputes over submittals typically involve: whether the Engineer’s review period has been exceeded, whether the Engineer’s comments constitute a Variation, and whether the contractor’s submittal was complete and adequate in the first place.
UAE Context
In UAE construction, the submittal process is complicated by the involvement of specialist authority submissions — fire systems, DEWA metering, Civil Defense — that require parallel review by external authorities.
Related terms
Submittal delay claims require systematic document review and programme analysis. e-Basel provides claims advisory and delay analysis for submittal-related entitlements.
Construction Claims Consultant UAE →Search terms: submittal delay construction UAE · contractor submittal FIDIC · material submittal delay claim · shop drawing submittal UAE · construction submittal procedure
