Fouad El Chikhani, DirectorFC International was founded in 2010 to combat the dramatic increase in construction claims and dispute cases caused by technological advancement and complex business relationships, leading to a delay in completion of construction projects. The company was set up to provide robust construction programming to help mitigate these issues and ensure a greater number of projects are completed successfully. Today, FC International empowers its clients with comprehensive scheduling and 4D planning, claims resolution, and management consulting services.
For scheduling/4D planning, FC international uses technology during the early stages of the project to test the feasibility and constructability of the project before costs and resources are committed. This gives clients the opportunity to investigate several options in order to select the best/most preferred method. “We also use this technology throughout the duration of the projects to plan ahead and mitigate any potential fallbacks,” says Chikhani. For BIM Management, the company uses BIM during the design phase to properly document the project’s construction details to meet the local authorities’ requirements and building codes. Here, BIM is also used to coordinate all design disciplines and detect/resolve clashes and manage all trades and subcontractors to facilitate the construction process. “We give clients certainty in planning and resolving issues before they arise; being pro-active rather than reactive.”
Finally, FC International puts its claims and resolution skills into action by conducting forensic analysis to help clients foresee potential disputes/ gaps and provides them with a number of solutions for being proactive by combining technologies like 4D planning and BIM to resolve disputes. The company prides at its team members who have invaluable technical skills and knowledge that brings FC International ahead of other consultants. “We apply these skills and knowledge on a daily basis to help resolve the challenges that owners, contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and architects face throughout the construction life cycle,” explains Chikhani.
In one instance, Mt Eden Prison’s Corrections Facility required to redevelop its facility to increase the capacity of prisoners and also the repurposing of an existing building for the Auckland Police Custody Unit. FC International is engaged to undertake full programme management and program monitoring and control for the entire project. The company was involved in the different phases of the project pre-construction for 4D planning and contractual advice, procurement to review and assess the tender program and finally the construction stage for monitoring the impact of potential design changes. FC International also provides reports to assist key stakeholders in understanding the actual progress.
Currently, the majority of the company’s work is around resolving issues and disputes, however, its long term goal is to become the leaders in delivering projects with minimum issues by utilizing technology in construction and management. “We are always researching and investing in new technology to deliver construction projects in more efficient ways and to convert the perception of ‘construction is dry and litigious’ to ‘construction is fun and exciting,’” says Chikhani.
Finally, FC International puts its claims and resolution skills into action by conducting forensic analysis to help clients foresee potential disputes/ gaps and provides them with a number of solutions for being proactive by combining technologies like 4D planning and BIM to resolve disputes. The company prides at its team members who have invaluable technical skills and knowledge that brings FC International ahead of other consultants. “We apply these skills and knowledge on a daily basis to help resolve the challenges that owners, contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and architects face throughout the construction life cycle,” explains Chikhani.
In one instance, Mt Eden Prison’s Corrections Facility required to redevelop its facility to increase the capacity of prisoners and also the repurposing of an existing building for the Auckland Police Custody Unit. FC International is engaged to undertake full programme management and program monitoring and control for the entire project. The company was involved in the different phases of the project pre-construction for 4D planning and contractual advice, procurement to review and assess the tender program and finally the construction stage for monitoring the impact of potential design changes. FC International also provides reports to assist key stakeholders in understanding the actual progress.
Currently, the majority of the company’s work is around resolving issues and disputes, however, its long term goal is to become the leaders in delivering projects with minimum issues by utilizing technology in construction and management. “We are always researching and investing in new technology to deliver construction projects in more efficient ways and to convert the perception of ‘construction is dry and litigious’ to ‘construction is fun and exciting,’” says Chikhani.
