In the mid-1990s, the international construction market continues to expand at an impressive rate. In the past, the United States has held the lead in the number of successful international construction contractors. In the mid-1990s, however, construction firms based in Canada, Europe, and Japan are challenging the earlier American dominance in the international sector of the construction market.
International expansion of construction in the contemporary period is not simply a reflection of the infrastructure work in developing countries or the rebuilding of war-torn countries that dominated international construction for decades. Rather, in the contemporary period, international construction companies are bidding on and winning major contracts in the domestic markets of developed economies.
The process of globalization in construction is expected to intensify. Further, the international construction market is not and will not in the future be limited to simply building activities. Rather, the international construction market will be multifaceted, and will include actual construction activities, design and engineering work, the provision of management expertise, and the sales of construction materials. With the broadening of the international construction market and the intensification of the global competition in the international industry, it behooves all participants in the construction industry and all national governments to become aware of the developments in the international construction industry. This study represents a comprehensive start toward the attainment of this objective.
The major forces contributing to the globalization of the construction industry are addressed in Chapter 2. Product markets associated with international construction activities are examined in Chapter 3. The very significant environment-energy construction market at the global level is examined in Chapter 4. The all important ...