Weather claims can be a conflictive topic in construction projects, especially when there is no reliable information to justify them. The forecasts provided by weather stations are not fully accurate, and ground level measurements at the construction site do not reflect actual conditions for tall structures and cranes. However, when the wind is monitored directly from the crane or site, the measurements provide solid evidence for weather claims.
WINDCRANE telematics wind monitoring relies on the real specific location and height to measure accurate wind data for construction cranes. Providing downtime wind reports and forecast from the exact crane wind speed measurements to justify a delay due to harsh weather conditions.
Weather forecasts don’t provide enough proof by themselves to justify a weather claim. Consider that a weather forecast is a prediction, not measured data. Without actual measurements, a contractor cannot prove that weather conditions at the project were unsafe for construction work.
Construction contracts have penalties called liquidated damages, which are paid by the contractor to the client when the deadline is missed. However, if a project is delayed by extreme weather, the contractor can request an Extension of Time (EoT) to be waived from financial penalties.
Construction projects can be affected by many weather conditions, but the wind requires special attention. It can change rapidly and without warning, and gusts can lift materials and even equipment. In extreme cases, strong wind may cause the collapse of cranes or structures in progress.
Even when the wind is measured at the site, a weather station on a 10m pole does not reflect wind conditions for a 250m tower crane. Wind speeds increase with altitude, since the wind is disrupted by obstacles at ground level. To justify a suspension of lifting activities, there is no better evidence than measuring the wind directly at the crane.
An important requirement when requesting an EoT is presenting objective and accurate evidence of extreme weather.
Regardless of the type of delay, an EoT request must be justified with accurate wind information. In the case of weather claims, this information can be measured and analysed by WINDCRANE.