Canal dispute decision

摘要

A dispute adjudication board (DAB) has found in favour of Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), the contractor consortium working on the Panama Canal expansion, ruling that the client, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), should pay US$234 million (€206 million) to GUPC and extend the contract period for six months. Concerns over the quality of basalt to be used as aggregates on the project were at the centre of the dispute. There were also issues over a delay on ACP's part in approving the concrete mix to be used on the project. GUPC, which is formed by Sacyr of Spain, Salini Impregilo of Italy, Jan De Nul of Belgium and Constructora Urban SA (CUSA) of Panama, said the issue of basalt quality was raised as early as February 2011. It said it had discovered that the rock was not of the same quality as indicated in the bidding documents issued by ACP.