An Assessment of the Impact of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Construction Contracts

摘要

This thesis is an assessment of the impact of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 on construction contracts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Research of the disputes resolution system used prior to the Contract Disputes Act (CDA) is combined with the portions of the Contract Disputes Act that directly affect the Corps' construction contracts and the changes to the Defense Acquisition Regulations that implement the CDA to provide an evaluation of the changes that can be attributed to the CDA. Eleven precedent-setting cases of the Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals and Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals are also discussed. Data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed to the Corps' personnel, and their views are contrasted with those of contractors as provided by current legal periodicals. Conclusions are presented as to the effect of the Act on Corps' construction contracts along with recommendations for future research in this area. (Author)