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Investigating the client-related rework in building projects: The case of Singapore
Abstract
Rework has become one of the most common concerns in construction projects. This study aims to investigate the client-related rework (CRR) in Singapore-based building projects. To achieve the objectives, a literature review and questionnaire survey was conducted and data were collected from 381 projects performed by 51 companies. The results confirmed that the client contributed most to rework. 41 of the 51 companies (80.4%) experienced CRR, and 226 of the 381 projects (59.3%) experienced CRR, which increased project cost by 7.1% and caused 3.3 weeks' delay on the average. Additionally, “replacement of materials by the client” was the cause with the highest frequency of occurrence, while “change of plans or scope by the client” contributed most to CRR and exerted most impact on project cost, schedule and quality performance. This study expands the literature and provides an in-depth understanding of the CRR in Singapore for both practitioners and researchers.
... Similarly, a study by Barber et al. reported that rework costs can be as high as 23% of contract values [4]. Hwang et al. surveyed 381 projects in Singapore and found that more than 80% of corporations and 59% of projects have experienced client-related rework, resulting in a cost increase of 7.1% and a schedule delay of 3.3 weeks on average [5]. ...
... Matrix F can then be achieved through equation (3), and the earliest start times of activities can be determined through equation (5). Based on the earliest start times of activities, the overlap duration (O ij ) between activities i and j can be obtained by ...
... Step 5: determine the time parameters of activities including x + E , x − E , and x − L , as well as the critical chain and its length. x + E , x − E , and x − L were calculated according to equations (4), (5), and (7) based on matrices F and D. e total float vector TF was generated by equation (8) Advances in Civil Engineering critical chain was calculated by equation (6), with a result of 68.67 days. ...
Rework risks caused by information flow interactions have become a major challenge in project scheduling. To deal with this challenge, we propose a model integrating the critical chain project management method, design structure matrix method, and max-plus method. Our model uses a start-to-start relationship of activities instead of the traditional finish-to-start relationship, which also allows overlaps between activities. We improve the accuracy of the rework safety time in two ways: (1) the overall overlapping effect is taken into consideration when calculating the rework time of an activity arising from the information flow interaction of its multiple predecessors overlapped with it; (2) the rework time arising from activity overlaps, the first rework time, and the second rework time are calculated as components of the rework safety time in our model, while the last one is ignored in traditional methods. Furthermore, the accuracy of time buffers is improved based on the improved rework safety time. Finally, we design the max-plus method to generate project schedules and appropriately sized time buffers. The empirical results show that the project schedule generated by the proposed method has a higher on-time completion probability, as well as more appropriately sized project buffers.
... The conducted literature review formed the basis for developing a self-administered questionnaire survey that will be used to identify the main causes of CRR, as well as to examine the use of BIM's in reducing CRR in fast-track projects in the Egyptian private sector. The design of the questionnaire and potential causes of CRR has been extracted from previous studies (Palaneeswaran, 2006;Hwang et al. 2014;Arian and Pheng, 2006;Ndihokubwayo and Haupt, 2008;Thomson et al. 2003;Love and Edwards, 2004). Nonetheless, the questionnaire in this study aims to not only identify the causes of CRR but also towards assessing the impact of each of the causes of CRR on project performance criteria, primarily time, cost and quality, as well as exploring the emergence of BIM as a possible solution to CRR. ...
... Based on feedback received from the experts, as well similar studies (Palaneeswaran, 2006;Hwang et al. 2014;Arian and Pheng, 2006;Ndihokubwayo and Haupt, 2008;Thomson et al. 2003;Love and Edwards, 2004) (Table 1), seven main causes of CRR were identified as presented in Table 2. (Palaneeswaran, 2006;Hwang et al. 2014;Arian and Pheng, 2006;Ndihokubwayo and Haupt, 2008;Thomson et al. 2003;Love and Edwards, 2004). Clients' lacking a clear project objective ...
... Based on feedback received from the experts, as well similar studies (Palaneeswaran, 2006;Hwang et al. 2014;Arian and Pheng, 2006;Ndihokubwayo and Haupt, 2008;Thomson et al. 2003;Love and Edwards, 2004) (Table 1), seven main causes of CRR were identified as presented in Table 2. (Palaneeswaran, 2006;Hwang et al. 2014;Arian and Pheng, 2006;Ndihokubwayo and Haupt, 2008;Thomson et al. 2003;Love and Edwards, 2004). Clients' lacking a clear project objective ...
Rework is one of the most commonly encountered issues that face construction projects, leading to potential loss of money and delays. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential role of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in reducing Client-Related Rework (CRR) when set within the context of fast-track construction projects in Egypt. In order to study this issue survey data was collected from 51 construction professionals within the Egyptian private construction sector with experience in fast-track projects through a self-administered questionnaire composed of fourteen closed and open-ended subgroup of questions, whose aim is to gain an understanding of the main sources of CRR in the industry. The survey results revealed that the majority of the respondents (92.1%) had experienced CRR in construction projects, resulting in an average project cost increase of 22% and an average delay of 23%, as well as formulating the basis for a novel Severity Index (SI), which was devised in order to rank CRR causes, with its finding revealing "Clients' financial problems", "Impediment in prompting the decision making of the client" and "Replacement of materials by the client", as the biggest contributors to CRR. The survey also highlights visualization as a potential solution to CRR, with eight case studies from literature as well as one from the Egyptian market being used to validate the use of BIM in the reduction of CRR. Findings illustrated that the use of BIM in the Egypt is similar to findings in literature, with BIM resulting in rework cost and schedule reduction of 49 and 57 percent respectively.
... Construction housing supply chain is characterised by highly fragmented data, and has often been criticised for low productivity and poor practices and inability to deliver high-quality products [26,44,51]. The workflow of process and the adaptation of innovation have always been elusive and/or obsolete [20,44]. ...
... Rework is a chronic issue in housing supply chain, and has an adverse impact on the level of productivity of building in the UK [5,17,25,26,40,42,43]. However, despite the considerable plethora of research on construction industry [37,40], there is a very limited evidence of research on the barriers of minimising rework in housing chain, particularly in the light of recent technologies advancement [7,17,26,28,45,53,63]. ...
... Rework is a chronic issue in housing supply chain, and has an adverse impact on the level of productivity of building in the UK [5,17,25,26,40,42,43]. However, despite the considerable plethora of research on construction industry [37,40], there is a very limited evidence of research on the barriers of minimising rework in housing chain, particularly in the light of recent technologies advancement [7,17,26,28,45,53,63]. Reduction of rework among the subcontractors in housing supply chain, plays a crucial role in the quality, time and cost of the production process. ...
Housing has been experiencing significant rework within the supply chain. Rework has afflicted both cost and schedule of projects due to the complex environment, intricate activities and highly fragmented nature of housing supply chain. Housing supply chain generate immense data and share information with different parties, which contribute to multitude of countless challenges. As a result of rework, productivity and workflow of information in construction supply chain has been affected with a catalogue of problems for the past few decades. Automation in construction supply chain with novel technological and analytical strategies has aspired industry to improve the productivity and change the trajectory of traditional, manual and analogue way of processing. The aim of this study is to explore possible opportunities of employing new technologies and challenges involved in utilising automated technologies for minimising rework in housing supply chain. The research methodology is based on a review of literature to investigate automated technologies to eliminate rework in housing supply chain. A conceptual framework is proposed to determine the suitability of various technologies to fully automate housing supply chain and facilitate the reduction of rework in construction housing supply chain.
... You know the cost of replacing it, but not the cost of a dissatisfied customer". W. Edwards Deming Rework has been identified a fundamental problem that adversely impacts the performance and productivity of Australian construction organisations (Love and Li, 2000;Love, 2002;Love et al., 2018a), but it is equally, mutatis mutandis, an issue for many countries worldwide such as Canada, China, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK) (Robinson-Fayek et al., 2004;Hwang et al., 2014;Taggart et al., 2014;Ye et al., 2015;Forcada et al., 2017). Despite a plethora of academic studies that have sought to determine the costs of rework, there remains no consensus as to what these amounts are, how they are determined and the 'actual' impact on project and organisational performance and productivity (Love et al., 2016;Love et al., 2018a). ...
... It has been well recognised that rework can adversely impact project costs, safety, schedule, profitability, and the environment (Burati et al., 1992;Willis and Willis, 1996;Ford and Sterman, 2003;Hwang et al., 2009). Research that has examined the costs, causes and impacts of rework has tended to: (1) utilise questionnaire surveys that seek the perceptions of varying types of respondents from heterogeneous populations (or specific data from companies)(e.g., Love, 2002;Hwang et al., 2009;Hwang et al., 2014;Ye et al., 2015): (2) limited numbers of case studies where generalisations are unable to be made (e.g., Barber et al., 2000;Love and Li, 2002;Josephson et al., 2002Robinson-Fayek et al. 2004and (3) simulation modelling using techniques such as System Dynamics that are based on assumptions that are aimed to mimic reality (e.g., Han et al., 2013;Parvan et al., 2015). ...
... The research provides construction organisations with an improved understanding of the nature and likelihood of rework costs enabling them to move from a position of being a 'known-unknown' to becoming a 'known-known' The research does not, however aim to examine the nature of rework causation, as this has been addressed in numerous studies (e.g., Willis and Willis, 1996;Robinson-Fayek et al., 2004;Hwang et al., 2014;Pervan et al., 2015;Love et al. 2018b). ...
During the production of artefacts in construction there is a likelihood for errors to be committed, which may need to be rectified so that they conform to defined contractual requirements and standards. In doing so, this initiates a process of rework, which is a problem that the industry has incessantly aimed to redress for decades with limited success. Rework is a 'known-unknown', but there remains a high degree of uncertainty about its costs. Such uncertainty occurs as there is a proclivity for the costs associated with rework to be largely ignored, concealed or considered to be normal function of operations. This paper presents the results from the first longitudinal and in-depth study of rework costs in construction. Based on a sample of 19,605 rework events derived from 346 construction projects delivered by a contractor between the years 2009 and 2015, it was revealed that their mean yearly profit over the period of analysis was reduced by a staggering 28%. In addition, 88 (0.45%) of the total 19,605 rework events accounted for 34% of the total costs that were incurred. The complete cost data for 98 of the 346 projects was made available, which enabled a mean rework cost of 0.39% of contract value to be determined. The research provides construction organisations with an improved understanding of the nature and likelihood of rework costs enabling them to move from a position of being a 'known-unknown' to becoming a 'known-known'. Being able to 'anticipate what might go wrong' and ensure that risk management and controls are put in place throughout the construction process will contribute to their dynamic capability.
... In Europe the studies explored domestic building projects located in Portugal [31], Spain [20,21,[32][33][34][35], Sweden [36,37], and UK [9][10][11]13,15,18,22,23,29,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. Internationally, the domestic building projects studied were located in Australia [24,28,30,[57][58][59][60][61], China [62], Malaysia [63], Singapore [64][65][66][67], and United States (US) [68,86]. ...
... In Europe, the studies focused on commercial, educational, governmental and industrial buildings in Sweden [36,37]; and commercial, educational, governmental, health, industrial and infrastructure projects in the UK [8,9,15,29,39,53,55,69]. At an international level, there are studies investigating quality in commercial, educational, governmental and industrial facilities in Australia [59][60][61]70]; commercial and infrastructure projects in Canada [71,72]; governmental buildings in China [62]; infrastructure projects in Iran [73]; educational buildings in Nigeria [74]; commercial, health, industrial, infrastructure and governmental buildings in Singapore [64][65][66][67]; and commercial, governmental and industrial facilities in the US [26,68,75]. ...
... Cost The budget overruns due to defects rectification range from 3.23% to 23% [25,26,30,36,37,39,55,[59][60][61][62]64,65,69,[72][73][74]78]. Programme ...
The construction sector accounts for a significant portion of the total final energy use and carbon emissions
worldwide. Despite efforts to reduce energy consumption through energy efficiency improvements in buildings,
the measures proposed by the construction sector are falling short. Among several causes which lead buildings
to perform differently to what was defined in the design stage, commonly referred to as the ‘energy performance gap’, the occurrence of quality defects has been acknowledged. This paper aims to identify through an in-depth literature review, quality defects which undermine the thermal performance of buildings by comparing the studies’ findings with regard to defect characteristics and attributes; major causes and influencing factors; and their impact on the energy performance of construction projects. This review also aims to highlight areas where more research is needed if the expected thermal performance of buildings is to be achieved. Understanding the generation process and effects of defects on the energy efficiency of buildings can support the implementation of appropriate quality management systems in construction projects and thus contribute to the achievement of the intended energy performance targets.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1VehI4s9Hvq8Zt
... The proposed project management application will introduce incentive programs that align the interests of various stakeholders with project objectives (Hwang, Zhao and Goh, 2014). This scheme will foster a collaborative work environment and motivate team members to achieve project goals. ...
... Their research offers insights into the strengths and limitations of Gantt charts as a project management tool and can enlighten the development of the project management application in Colombia. Hwang, Zhao and Goh (2014) investigate client-related rework in building projects, focusing on the case of Singapore. Their study identifies various factors contributing to rework and provides valuable information for developing project management applications to minimize rework and improve project outcomes. ...
This research article aims to introduce a novel project management application, denominated EcoMCS, based on Management Control Systems (MCS) assessment to improve the performance of residential construction firms in Colombia. The study is grounded in the conceptualization of project management and MCS and builds upon an interview study conducted with managers of residential construction firms in the country. Our findings revealed that the economic dimension is the least developed, indicating a need for improvement. The project's specific objectives include enhancing the MCS's economic dimension, refining evaluation methods for goal fulfillment, implementing incentive programs, fostering decentralized decision-making, and nurturing human potential within residential construction firms. By addressing these objectives, the proposed EcoMCS application seeks to facilitate efficient and effective project management practices in the residential construction industry, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and cost-effective construction projects.
... Production cycle time is usually considered one of the project's main performance criteria [7]. In practice, the frequency and duration of reprocessing, among other parameters, can affect the completion time of the house. ...
... Another factor in rework in the construction industry is customers. Huang et al. [7] identified reprocessing as an important challenge in construction projects. Their research focused on exploring customer-related rework in Singapore construction projects. ...
Following the increasing growth of urbanization in recent decades in Iran, housing has become one of the most critical issues in the country. In this regard, mass production of housing has received more attention, and residential complexes can be considered a physical manifestation of the idea of mass housing in cities. Operational efficiency in residential construction production systems is evaluated based on average house completion time, the number of houses under construction, and processing time of activities. However, these systems are prone to non-uniformity problems and suspensions resulting from different variables, such as adverse weather conditions, workplace accidents, fluctuations in house demand, and rework. The purpose of this research is to show the effect of reprocessing on the manufacturing process. In this study, the rework parameter and the variables of frequency, duration, and time of call-back have been considered. Also, the effects of these parameters on tangible performance criteria have been investigated. In this regard, we apply the combined approach of discrete-event simulation and computational modeling; then, we compare the results. Measurements show that the systems fragmented by repeated and short repetitions while referring to early are in optimal performance.
... Hence the variation orders by the client may be accompanied by a construction rework (Enshassi et al., 2010). The cost of rework only caused by clientrelated factors was estimated at 6% among total rework costs in Swedish Construction Industry (Josephson et al., 2002), and amounted 7.1% and 14.73% as other studies conducted by Hwang et al (2014) in Singapore and Liu and Peng, (2018) in residential buildings of China, at respectively. Hwang et al (2014) they investigated about causes of rework related to the client in seven different construction projects in Singapore. ...
... The cost of rework only caused by clientrelated factors was estimated at 6% among total rework costs in Swedish Construction Industry (Josephson et al., 2002), and amounted 7.1% and 14.73% as other studies conducted by Hwang et al (2014) in Singapore and Liu and Peng, (2018) in residential buildings of China, at respectively. Hwang et al (2014) they investigated about causes of rework related to the client in seven different construction projects in Singapore. Their findings are concluded to that ''replacement of materials by the client'' and ''change of plans or scope by the client'' are contributed most to client-related rework and exerted most impact. ...
Rework is a global phenomenon in the construction industry, which is hard for any construction project to free from it. Rework is the main reason for time and cost overruns in construction projects, and dissatisfaction causes the parties involved in the project. Therefore, to reduce the rework occurrence and impact should be determined factors that causing rework in the construction project. Accordingly, a comprehensive literature review has been conducted to identify dominant factors causes of the rework. A total of 81 factors causes of rework were identified and categorized into the significant five groups were client-related factors, design-related factors, contractor related factors, subcontractor related factors, and the human capability and supervisory related factors. Stakeholders from clients, contractors, and consultants should consider the results of this research in order to reduce or avoid the occurrence and impact of the rework in construction projects.
... Increasing communication and collaboration among participants, which results from project complexity [2], is the main cause of rework. In most projects, rework leads to changes, damage, defects, errors, and other failures, which may finally cause cost overrun and schedule delay [1,3,4]. ...
... Previous research on project rework focuses mainly on soft research and quantitative measures. In soft research, a great number of scholars have conducted in-depth research on the identification of factors causing rework [4,19,20], the evaluation of rework impact [21][22][23], and the measures to reduce rework [24][25][26]. As for quantitative measure, previous research tends to treat rework as uncertainty and deals with fuzziness because of the shortcomings of traditional schedule management tools. ...
In order to overcome the difficulty in quantifying rework by traditional project schedule management tools, this study proposes an innovative method, namely improved Critical Chain Design Structure Matrix (ICCDSM). From the perspective of information flow, the authors firstly make assumptions on activity parameters and interactions between activities. After that, a genetic algorithm is employed to reorder the activity sequence, and a banding algorithm with consideration of resource constraints is used to identify concurrent activities. Then potential criticality is proposed to measure the importance of each activity, and the `rework impact area is implicated to indicate potential rework windows. Next, two methods for calculating project buffer are employed. A simulation methodology is used to verify the proposed method. The simulation results illustrate that the ICCDSM method is capable of quantifying and visualizing rework and its impact, decreases iterations, and improves the completion probability. In this vein, this study provides a novel framework for rework management, which offers some insights for researchers and managers.
... This was due the fact that some part of the project was insufficient or unintelligible for the owner, so the project was re-defined by the designer in accordance with expectations of the investor. In the end, the implemented changes in the project were not understood by the contractors in the construction field [28]. However, for contractor respondents, the labour resources (their experience and management) in construction process were the least crucial factors of rework. ...
... To sum up, the studies revealed that the highly ranked by all participants the main "Causes of rework" in Ukrainian construction market are divided in two group: coordination and design (Fig. 3). Therefore, this factor was recognised as the most important root of rework for all the participants of investment in several studies [21,27,28]. ...
The collapse of the Soviet Union was the cause of a significant decline in many economies of the newly created countries. However, many of them, including the Ukrainian economy, are slowly recovering. One of the largest branches of the economy in this country is construction, which, despite political turmoil, is constantly growing, especially in the private real estate development sector. Despite the fact that the construction market is constantly developing, it is limited by the costs of rework and alterations resulting from many reasons. The key negative effects of modifications to the results of the project are exceeding the budget and time of project implementation, dissatisfaction with the project team, violation of contractual requirements and lowering the quality of the final product. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to determine the reasons for the emergence of rework in the in Ukraine by analyzing the results of surveys conducted among construction enterprises.
... As for the impact of rework on project performance, various scholars including Hwang et al. [7,8] and Mao et al. [9], have reached an agreement that the intense emergence of rework is severely impactful on timely completion, hence the reasonable cost and duration of the project [10] have also been negatively plagued. Reported by previous studies, the direct costs of rework in poorly managed projects can amount to as much as 5% of a project's contract value [11,12]. ...
... Aimed at this issue, further research has been carried out and most of which can be divided into two mainstreams: Qualitative research and quantitative measurement. In the former, researchers generally concern the impact of rework [21,45,46], the identification of factors causing rework [8,45,47], and the measures of reducing rework [29,48,49]. As for the latter, Browning [50] applied system dynamics to find that the uncertainty of the project schedule mainly originates from the number of intentional or unintentional iterations, activity set completeness and the iteration scope. ...
Construction projects have faced serious schedule delays caused by rework risks. However, it appears that traditional methods are of limited value in developing applicable project schedules. This study presents an analysis on construction projects schedule development under rework scenarios by a novel method named the improved critical chain design structure matrix (CCDSM). Research data are collected from a real estate development project in China. As a result, predictions of project completion duration and probability have been made. A reliable schedule considering information interactions has been developed and visualized. Rework impact areas of activities have been examined to quantitatively record the impact on project duration. To meet different demands, the method generates two more schedules setting different rework buffers. Furthermore, these activities have the potential of causing rework and have been quantified based on the calculation of two criticalities, providing an identification of rework-intensive works that should be payed close importance to, which have not be realized by previous methods. The results proved the feasibility and effectiveness of this method in developing a schedule for construction projects disturbed by rework, helping practitioners adopt measures to avoid rework-caused schedule delays and achieve sustainable development of such projects.
... Quality failures repeatedly appear in construction [15][16][17], so it is essential to find the common quality failures and avoid them happening in the future. The repeatability of quality failures would indispensably lead to efforts to identify frequency distribution [16,18,19]. The evaluation of the likelihood of quality failures is also a pivotal foundation to reduce common quality failures in the future. ...
... Despite all quality failures found occurring during the construction stages (see Table 2), there has been a tendency for the causes of quality failures to be induced at the construction design period [19]. Supervisors only focus on quality inspection and management at the construction stage, whereas construction preparation is ignored [50]. ...
Building energy renovations contribute significantly to energy sustainability and environmental protection. These advantages have increased the importance of renovating existing residential buildings in many countries. In China, the government has supported the energy-saving renovation of existing urban residential buildings since 2007. However, quality failures, which do not meet the technical requirements, occur during construction processes in building energy renovation projects. Although quality failures are regarded as a crucial problem in building energy renovation projects, the identification of quality failures and their sources, likelihood, impacts, and causes remain mostly unknown. This paper investigates the nature of quality failures in building energy renovation projects. A total of 25 quality failures were first identified through five cases, and interviews with six experienced construction professionals in China. A questionnaire survey was further conducted to evaluate the frequency of quality failures. The results show the nature of quality failures that arise during construction and their sources, occurrence frequency, causes, and impacts. The research reveals that quality failures are caused by defaults by workers; inadequate checking procedures; incomplete construction site surveys; inaccurate design work; fraud of construction companies; and inefficient cooperation between different departments. Above all, the behaviors of the main actors are responsible for poor construction quality. Additionally, emphasis on quality control during the renovation preparation stage is critical to ensure that quality failures are reduced in numbers and severity.
... Similarly, other studies (e.g. Hwang et al. 2014) also proved that changes initiated by the client were primary causes of rework. Nevertheless, Ye et al. (2015) argued that the top three root causes of rework perceived by Chinese professionals were: unclear project process management, poor quality of construction technology and the use of poor construction materials. ...
... Effective client change management and design management were critical to reduce rework (Love and Smith 2003), since the client-directed change and design problems were two of the most important root causes of rework (Hwang et al. 2014). Palaneeswaran et al. (2014) also highlighted the importance of reducing design errors in preventing the rework. ...
Effective rework management (RM) not only increases profitability but also enhances management competence of contractors. However, little research has been conducted to explore the learning nature of RM from the perspective of contractors. Based on a longitudinal case study of three construction projects, this paper aims to present a holistic analysis on the RM learning process from the experience of a small-to-medium (SM) general contractor (GC) in China to explore the underlying facts determining the effectiveness of RM practices. It was found that a variety of causes led to rework in the three projects, which highlighted the importance to enhance GC's learning capacity to effectively reduce rework. A conceptual RM learning framework (CRMLF), which consists of people, approach, process, tool and project environment, was developed based on the analysis of influential factors of successful learning within the RM domain. This paper is valuable for practitioners and academics to understand the inherent nature of RM to continuously improve the project performance.
... Despite the considerable amount of research that has been undertaken to date (Love et al., 2010), empirical research to determine the costs of rework using predictors may provide uncertain results (e.g., Love and Edwards, 2004), essentially because it is only based on questionnaires. Notably, there is a little evidence of a reduction in rework in projects (e.g., Aiyetan, 2013;Hwang et al., 2014;Kakitahi et al., 2014;Taggart et al., 2014;Jingmond and Ågren, 2015). The primary objective of the research reported in this paper was to determine the influence of project and managerial aspects on rework costs, using data from 788 incidents that occurred at Spanish construction sites. ...
... Ye et al., 2014;Palaneeswaran et al., 2008;Love et al., 1999Love et al., , 2002Love et al., , 2010Love and Edwards, 2004;Josephson et al., 2002) also identified managerial aspects as key factors contributing to rework. Owner changes and design error/omission are considered to be root causes of rework, and have a relatively greater cost impact than other reasons (Hwang et al., 2009(Hwang et al., , 2014Love and Edwards, 2013). Correspondingly, design inconsistencies and reliance on the IT application output when projects are subjected to tight design schedules are also considered major factors of rework . ...
Rework adversely impacts the performance of building projects. In this study, data were analyzed from 788 construction incidents in 40 Spanish building projects to determine the effects of project and managerial characteristics on rework costs. Finally, regression analysis was used to understand the relationships among contributing factors and to develop a model for rework prediction. Interestingly, the rework prediction model showed that only the original contract value (OCV) and the project location in relation to the company's headquarters contributed to the regression model. Project type, type of organization, type of contract, and original contract duration (OCD), which represents the magnitude and complexity of a project, were represented by the OCV. This model for rework prediction based on original project conditions enables strategies to be put in place prior to the start of construction, to minimize uncertainties, to reduce impacts on project cost and schedule, and, thus, to improve productivity.
... A study that was done in Singapore to determine the main cause of CRR and the adverse effects of such rework, such as, redoing of foundations that may have been excavated too shallow or rework of plaster that was not to the correct standard required by the client [13], it was found that the most amount of CRR occurred in new construction developments and in smaller sized developments. The effects of these changes increased the construction period and cost as well as the contractor-client relationship had diminished due to the conflict over the responsibility of the additional cost that would have come from an extension of the contract date. ...
... Where the contractor has gone over the agreed date for completion of construction, is now suffering penalties that are now owed to the client as well as the time needed in order to achieve the revised details. This study can be used to determine whether CRR's exist within negative client interference, and if so then investigate the extent of damage this interference had on the relationship between the client and the contractor [13]. ...
... • Design and development: design and development, in this context, refers to the process of designing and developing technological capabilities to meet predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, and quality. Adequacy of design details and specifications (Yong and Mustaffa, 2012) and rework due to technical issues (Hwang et al., 2014) impact project performance. Doloi (2013) identified Inefficiency in terms of relevant project experience, and cost estimation could impact the project cost performance. ...
... In Singapore, the client was found to be more associated with the occurrence of rework. Overall, in terms of rework circumstances that were related to the client, there were seven related causes that were identified as: changes in plan, inadequate project objectives, and change in specifications, impediment decisions, replacement of material, obstinate nature, and client's financial problems (Hwang, Zhao and Goh, 2014). In a study conducted in Malaysia, project coordination, project implementation, technology, machines, design process and site workmanship have been found to be significant rework factors (Yap, Low and Wang, 2017). ...
Rework in construction contracts is an interesting topic as it influences contractual claims and disputes. Changes in design, scope, and construction turn into rework and then affect project completion time, performance, and contract sum. Addressing the rework provision in a well-defined contract before the work commences will safeguard the project against unforeseen circumstances Contractual rework provisions are difficult to trace as they are often written indirectly or in a complex context. Therefore, a list of rework causes from the literature is used in this study to investigate rework clauses and identify the relevant provisions in the general contract conditions. Rework provisions in the New Zealand standard contract are reviewed first and the identified contract clauses are then evaluated based on the result of the questionnaire survey and professional interviews. The mixed method, both quantitative and qualitative approach, is utilized for data collection and analysis. This research revealed that only five significant causes of rework, involved in the categories of process, materials and equipment, are adequately addressed in the contract conditions, so the remaining causes of rework require further investigation. The result also identified five contract clauses related to rework provisions. The study suggests the contract parties review the rework provisions ahead of time during the negotiation of the contract. This approach enables the parties to manage their obligations under rework events by addressing other causes of rework. Properly addressing the causes of rework in the contract provisions reduces contractual claims, disputes, and improves the overall project performance.
... Rework is concluded by many studies as a main source of poor performance in construction projects. Many previous articles pointed out that rework is a main contributor to cost increase, delay, conflicts, disputes and parties' dissatisfaction [2][3][4][5], and [6]. For instance, [7] found that rework accounts for 5% of cost increase in construction projects. ...
This article aims at investigating rework cost, factors and effects in residential building projects in the West Bank – Palestine. Questionnaire survey is used to collect and rank the main factors and effects of rework from consultants' and constructors' point of view. Respondents show that more than 80% of the projects completed with rework cost of value greater than 5% of the total project cost. Overall, respondents' view concludes that the top rework factors include: mistakes in design, unskilled labors, unqualified subcontractors, non-conformance with required specifications, and bid awarding policy. Respondents indicate that the main effects of rework are cost overrun, project time extension, material waste excess and profit reduction. Spearman correlation test concludes a good correlation between contractors and consultants in ranking of rework factors and effects. Data collected from 47 residential projects reveal a high rework impact on cost overrun in construction projects. The results of this study would be helpful for researchers and professionals to guide their efforts to minimize rework in construction projects and to improve projects outcomes in term of cost, time and quality.
... Rework cost prediction commenced largely with the use of non-scope-based on one hand, and project scope-based models on the other hand [5,16,17,18,7].The accuracy of these models have been criticized based on their weaknesses in giving separate treatments to both project scope-based and nonproject scope-based rework cost factors [18,17,7,19,20].It is evident therefore that existing rework cost prediction models have minimal predictive accuracies as they consider the effect of project scope and nonscope based factors separately. Consequently, there is little evidence to show that rework and its associated costs have been reduced in construction projects [21,27,20,23,24,25,26,27]. To improve the accuracy of the existing models, researchers suggested that a combined treatment be given to both factors [24,7]. ...
Accurate predictions of rework cost enable contractors to evaluate how successful their projects are likely to be, thus, improve their operations and productivity. Studies have developed project scope-based and non-scopebased rework cost predictive models. However, researchers have criticized the accuracy of these models because of their weaknesses in giving individualistic treatments to project scope-based and non- scope-based rework cost influencing factors. This study therefore aimed at developing rework cost predictive models that combine the synergistic effects of both project scope- based and non-scope-based rework cost factors. 440 sample size was drawn from 2,638 population of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) building projects constructed between 2009 to 2015. Data of 287 (65%) of 440 (sample size) of completed TETfund building projects on project scope factors as well as the extent of influence of the non-scope factors on cost of rework in TETfund building projects was collected. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) were used in developing an integrated rework cost predictive model. More accuracy was achieved in the integrated model through the incorporation of impact of project scope and non-scope influencing factors into rework cost prediction model, this increased the variability in cost of rework to R2 = 0.759 (75.9%), while errors in rework cost predictions reduced by as much as 9.75%.The model serve as useful tool used to enhance accuracy of rework cost predictions for TETfund building contractors, thus reduce cost of rework for building construction projects.
... This calls for a greater focus on buildability instead of a narrow cost focus. Moreover, the client's change of materials, designs, plans, or objectives have the greatest negative impacts on costs, quality, and waste (Hwang et al., 2014). These issues are supported by the architects' respondents, stressing that the client is the culprit for waste. ...
As a main consumer of resources and an important economic driver, supranational authorities (UN/EU) are expecting the construction industry to address sustainability issues, making the construction process an extremely complex activity. A response to this complexity is often expressed through technologies, strategies, and organisations. However, the effect of waste, defects, and failures affecting both productivity and sustainability has increased due to e.g., tough competition, temporary exchanges, and individual utility maximisation. This has been discussed for many years, where knowledge on the institutional causes for waste is still needed to qualify and target future initiatives stressing the 'Build Back Wiser' theme. We analytically address the waste phenomenon through a lens of institutional theory and a mixed-method inquiry; interviews, literature search and index data linking societal expectations and industry responses. We contribute with understandings on how strategic partnerships can be a response to supranational authorities and future market demands for sustainability.
... Love (2002) found that the initial schedule was increased by 20.7% due to rework. Hwang et al. (2014) discovered that construction projects averaged a 3.3-week delay. A study into dependent activities and their outcomes by Dehghan and Ruwnapura (2014) found that where dependent activities are overlapped in the schedule, the schedule is more likely to finish later than keeping activities concurrent. ...
Purpose-The purpose of this study is to examine, review and analyse the current literature on building and construction quality and determine the related themes and gaps. Design/methodology/approach-A systematic review approach was adopted on the building quality literature, and keywords such as "construction" or "building"; "defect" and "quality" or "rework" were searched through the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. A number of articles were found and filtered by title, abstract and keyword relevancy. Further articles were cross-referenced from these and again filtered by title, abstract and keyword relevancy. The time period for the search was 2000-2020. A total of 97 articles were found and analysed on the topic.
Findings-A number of recurring themes were found throughout the literature. They are safety, occupier satisfaction, cost, time, licensing, culture, training, software and building quality frameworks, classifications and recommendations. These themes were linked to display relationships between them from the literature. Based on the project lifecycle stages, an amalgamated classification system was developed and is presented here. The gaps in the current literature have been analysed and reported on.
Originality/value-A comprehensive descriptive, thematic and gap analysis was conducted on the available literature of building and construction quality. The emerging themes were discovered, their relationships were demonstrated and the research gaps were identified. A new classification system positioned in the project lifecycle stages is presented.
... (1) The clientchanges initiated by the client for a change to the employer's requirements as defined within the contract; (2) consultantschanges initiated by consultants such as design consultants and fire strategy consultants; (3) contractorchanges initiated by the Contractor, this could be to save on cost or time or to improve quality or buildability; and (4) otherschanges initiated by other parties, such as the end-user, sub-contractors and planning department (Hwang, 2014). (Okadaa et al., 2017). ...
Purpose
This study aims to excoriate, define and delineate the main drivers of “change” in commercial construction projects and generate guidelines on how to minimise exposure to the associated adverse effects upon project stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopts mixed doctrines through a combination of epistemological lenses, embracing two primary philosophical stances: interpretivism, to identify the primary drivers of change based on a systematic literature review and a post-positivist, inductive approach to analyse the results of change within a Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) Design and Build (D&B) construction project case study.
Findings
The causal nexus of change during the construction phase is assessed and delineated; the key affecting factors are thematically grouped under headings: extent and severity; time in relation to implementing; instigating party; individual(s) responsible for managing the change; reason for the change; available resource; recoverable or non-recoverable; contract/project type; and type of client. Following this, the effects of change on key elements of the project are encapsulated and recommendations for adaptations which may provide improved experiences are offered.
Originality/value
The study tackles the common issue of managing the deleterious effects of change on commercial construction projects, defining management techniques to minimise stakeholder tribulation.
... The major deficiency of this study is that the dynamic relations among the factors that affect labor productivity are not considered and each factor is studied individually. Hwang et al. (2014) conducted a synthetic assessment to investigate the factors that affect productivity in construction projects and found that the clients' issues are the most important factors that lead to reworks. The main shortcoming of this study was that the interactions among the rework causes were not investigated for specific causes and consequently, policies were not proposed for dealing with these causes. ...
Purpose
The inevitable change orders in construction projects have either direct or indirect impacts on a project’s duration. Reduced productivity is one of the indirect consequences that lead to major delays in the completion of the project. The purpose of this study is to develop a model that could quantify the impact of change orders on labor productivity and result in the establishment of policies to lessen their effects.
Design/methodology/approach
A model was developed to analyze the effects of change orders on labor productivity, then policies for managing their impacts on productivity and project duration were established. A water treatment case study was selected to serve as the scenario in which to implement and evaluate the model and policies.
Findings
The results of this study indicated that pressure to adhere to a schedule initially leads to an increase in labor productivity, but it is often followed by a significant drop that is a result of employee frustration. It was concluded that the pressure can be positive if it is applied for a short period of time; however, it continues for a significant length of time, the duration of the project will increase appreciably.
Originality/value
The proposed model can be implemented to identify the factors that affect labor productivity in a construction project. Its utilization will also help project managers assess when change orders occur and determine, which policies will be most effective in optimizing labor productivity.
... According to these regulations, changes were made regarding the capacity, program and fields of P08. Specification (requirement) change is one of the most important reasons for design changes (Cox et al., 1999;Chang et al., 2011;Mohamad et al., 2012;Hwang et al., 2014;Yana et al., 2015;Yap & Skitmore, 2017;Yap et al., 2018;Boon et al., 2019). Uncertainties in the specification affect the quality negatively (Irfan et al., 2019). ...
Design changes in construction projects affect project performances negatively. Professionals should identify the underlying causes of the design changes to increase performance in construction projects. The purpose of this study is to identify the causes of design changes in the Turkish construction industry and examine the effects of these causes on project performance. The study includes three stages. First, a literature review study was conducted to understand the reasons for design changes and their effects on project performance. In the second stage, Architectural competitions in Turkey were listed. Eight winning and constructed projects were selected. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the architects about design changes in these projects. In the fieldwork, ten factors causing design changes were identified. The most common factor in design change is errors and inconsistencies in the design. Finally, the literature review study and the field study were compared. In the preliminary literature review search, no recent study on the design change issues in the Turkish construction sector was found. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the literature review with recent research.
... However, in building projects, rework can be arising due to errors in construction exposed through official stage examinations or casual on-site observations. Additionally, another kind of rework is client-related rework, which is instigated by variations in project design, plan and scope by the client [21]. ...
... Addis 2016;Carrillo 2005;Kivrak et al. 2008;Schindler and Eppler 2003;Tan et al. 2007;Tan et al. 2012). Emuze et al. 2014;Hwang et al. 2014;Hwang and Low 2012;Lopez et al. 2010;Love and Edwards 2005;Yap et al. 2018a,b, 2019) Coordination problems (Doloi et al. 2012;Kartam et al. 2000;Kazaz et al. 2012;Love et al. 2008;Palaneeswaran et al. 2014;Yap et al. 2018a,b) Schedule delay (Ackermann and Alexander 2016;Alashwal et al. 2016;Le-Hoai et al. 2008;Ling and Bui 2010;Mpofu et al. 2017;Muhwezi et al. 2014;Yang et al. 2013) Cost increase (Ackermann and Alexander 2016;Ling and Bui 2010;Love and Edwards 2005;Olaniran et al. 2015) Project learning in performance management Kotnour (2000, p. 396) defines project learning practices as "the set of actions the project teams used to create and share knowledge within and across projects". The learning while performing a project enables a project manager to build capabilities in order to deliver a series of successful project and enables reflection on project performances (Kotnour 1999). ...
Schedule delays and cost overruns are common events in construction. The construction industry predominantly suffers from deficient project knowledge management. This paper seeks to develop a conceptual framework to enhance project delivery performances in construction projects adopting project learning approach. The existing patterns, themes and issues correlated with overruns causation and knowledge management in the construction industry are studied to appraise the development of the conceptual framework. It is propagated that if project performance in construction projects is to improve, then experiential learning and personal constructs of project personnel will form an integral part of reusable project knowledge. Continuous project learning ultimately improve competency in project management. Collaborative working environment enriches the quality and quantity of learning in construction settings. Project learning prevents the wastage of time and resources in the reinvention of the same knowledge, minimise rework, inhibit the reoccurrence of past mistakes and repeat project success. The conceptualised project learning framework provides a theoretically corroborated explanation of project performance, underpinned by experiential learning theory and personal construct theory and exploitation of reusable project knowledge.
... Among others, the involvement of clients in projects has been one of the major factors in rework that has the interest of many researchers (Lopez et al., 2010;Taylor et al., 2012;Staiti et al., 2016). In a study done by Hwang, Zhao, and Goh (2014), data from about 381 projects by 51 companies in Singapore based building projects were analyzed and results were 80.4 % of companies with their 59.3% projects experiencing client related rework leading to an increase of 7.1% project cost and an average of 3.3 weeks project delay. Among the various factors in client-related rework replacement of material by the client and change of plans or scope by the client was termed as the most contributing factor impacting projects schedule, cost, and quality performance , 2019a). ...
In construction projects whether small or large scale, in the design and construction phases, contractors and owners face numerous reworks which finally leads to schedule delays and cost overruns. Although studying the causes of the rework has been of interest of many scholars and researchers, they have mainly focused on identifying the entity-based rework indicators. It is pivotal to identify the key project, organizational, and human factors that lead to the rework. Therefore, this study investigated, identified, and prioritized the human, organization, and project-based manageable indicators of rework. In addition, successful strategies which lead to overcoming rework challenges were evaluated. More than 112 previous research were reviewed to identify the leading rework indicators and rank them, based on their frequency of occurrence in the literature. Then, a survey was developed and distributed among experienced practitioners to identify the significant rework leading indicators and successful overcoming strategies. 44 case studies and response from 44 different industrial, infrastructure, and building projects were collected and analyzed. PM’s experience in the construction (6.06%) and design (5.68%) phase, and number of PM staff (5.87%) was evaluated as most weighted indicators. It was concluded that design related issues, a vague scope definition, and owner/client involvement issues are the project-based indicators; ineffective coordination and poor communication are the organizational-based rework indicators; and lack of experience and expertise, level of skill, and experience are the most critical human-based rework indicators. Concluded results were implemented in two construction projects. Reviewing this study will help practitioners identify the causes of rework early in the project to implement suggested best practices to reduce the number of rework cases and mitigate the consequences of rework undesired outcomes.
... Rework has been regarded as one of the major challenges that can adversely affect project performance in the construction industry [1]. Hwang et al. [2] surveyed about Client-Related Rework (CRR) in 381 projects conducted by 51 construction companies and concluded that more than 80% companies and 59% projects experienced CRR, which increased project costs by 7.1% and caused 3.3 weeks' delay on average. Simpeh et al. [3] investigated 78 construction professionals and found that if the mean rework cost of a project reached 5.12%, the likelihood of the project exceeding its budget would be as high as 76%. ...
Rework risks have been a major challenge in the construction industry that constantly affects project schedules and threatens on-time project completion. Traditional project scheduling methods are not capable of modeling rework relationships between activities and mitigating the impact of resulting uncertainties during the development of project schedules. To address this challenge, a critical chain design structure matrix (CCDSM) method is proposed in this paper. The CCDSM method aims to develop construction project schedules that are adaptive to rework scenarios and robust against rework risks. The CCDSM method models and displays large-scale rework relationships among activities and introduces a new rework buffer to quantitatively represent the impact of rework instances in project schedules. A max-plus algorithm is adopted in CCDSM to transform complex logic relationships into simple matrix operations, reducing computational load of schedule generation. A case study was conducted to demonstrate the implementation of the CCDSM method and assess its effectiveness in addressing rework risks. The results showed that the CCDSM is a promising tool to generate schedules, which could improve on-time project completion rate and reduce impacts of varying rework scenarios on project execution.
... Client's requirements often change during the course of a project for a variety of reasons (Sun and Meng, 2009). According to Hwang et al. (2014), the change of project plans or scope initiated by the client after the work is undertaken means re-doing the work based on to the new plans or scope. Every time a change was made in design, it had to be reworked by design team, which in turn affected their fee (Love and Li, 2000). ...
Design changes in construction projects are always going to happen and cannot be avoided. Design changes are the primary contributor to disruption of time and cost performance of construction projects. Previous research in this domain lacks of detail studies on systematic review on the existing literature. This paper reviewed literature published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings in the construction management field and had emailed several questions to the expert in construction industry. The objectives were to recognize the causes and impacts of design changes on project performance and to provide insights for future studies in Malaysian context. The findings indicate that design changes originate mainly from the owner side are identified as important causing factors to time overruns and cost overruns. This paper proposes framework for the management of design changes in construction projects.
... Hwang i sur. [22] su otkrili da u prosjeku mali i srednji projekti premašuju 3 tjedna u odnosu na planirani datum završetka. U istoj studiji je navedeno da prosječno 58% projekata u Singapuru završava s odgodama na koje je utjecao prepravak radova koji je najutjecajniji čimbenik za vremenska kašnjenja. ...
Građevinski projekt je nerutinski, neponovljivi i jedinstveni pothvat koji ima zasebne vremenske, financijske i tehničke izvedbene ciljeve. Upravljati građevinskim projektom znači primijeniti znanja, vještine i tehnike radi regulacije tijeka projektnih aktivnosti kako bi se ostvarili ciljevi projekta. To primarno znači završetak unutar ugovorenog roka i proračuna projekta, uz zadovoljavajuću kvalitetu izvedbe. Problem prekoračenja ugovorenog roka i proračuna globalna je pojava, kako u razvijenim, tako i u zemljama u razvoju. Stoga je i često u središtu istraživačkog interesa s različitih aspekata promatranja. Pritom se koriste razne istraživačke metode i matematički alati obrade podataka. Cilj ovog rada je prepoznati veličine i uzroke prekoračenja u projektima te dati smjernice za njihovo smanjenje. U svrhu istraživanja korištena je "multiple case-study", tj. studija više slučajeva. Prikupljeni su podaci za dvanaest različitih projekata koji su se izvodili na području Republike Hrvatske u 2018. godini. Podaci uključuju tehničke karakteristike objekata, ugovorene rokove i troškove, kvalitetu izvedbe, veličine prekoračenja te uzroke njihovog nastanka. Podaci su prikupljeni uvidom u dokumentaciju te intervjuiranjem voditelja svakog pojedinog gradilišta. Analizom i obradom podataka prepoznati su trendovi prekoračenja, kao i slabe točke u planiranju i vođenju navedenih projekata, na temelju čega su dane smjernice i preporuke u svrhu smanjenja prekoračenja rokova i troškova u budućim projektima. Ključne riječi: građevinski projekt, trošak, vrijeme, prekoračenje, studija više slučajeva, smjernice i preporuke * Sveučilište u Rijeci, Građevinski fakultet, Radmile Matejčić 3,
... Hwang i sur. [22] su otkrili da u prosjeku mali i srednji projekti premašuju 3 tjedna u odnosu na planirani datum završetka. U istoj studiji je navedeno da prosječno 58% projekata u Singapuru završava s odgodama na koje je utjecao prepravak radova koji je najutjecajniji čimbenik za vremenska kašnjenja. ...
A construction project is non-routine, unrepeatable and a unique venture that has separate time, financial and technical achievement goals. Managing a construction project means applying knowledge, skills, and techniques to regulate the course of project activities to achieve project goals. Primarily, this means construction completion within the project contracted deadline and the budget, with satisfactory performance quality. The problem of overruns on the agreed deadline and budget is a global phenomenon, both in developed and developing countries and is therefore often at the center of research interest from various observation aspects. In doing so, various research methods and mathematical data processing tools are used. The aim of this paper is to identify the proportion and causes of overruns in projects and to provide guidelines for their reduction. For the purpose of the research, a multiple case study was used. Data for twelve different projects that were carried out in the Republic of Croatia in 2018 were collected. Data includes technical characteristics of objects, contracted deadlines and costs, performance quality, overrun proportion, and causes of their occurrence. The data were collected by inspecting the documentation and interviewing the manager of each construction site. By data analysis and processing, trends of overruns are identified as well as weak points in planning and managing these project. On that basis, guidelines and recommendations are given to reduce the time and costs overruns in future projects.
... There is, however, no universally accepted definition of an error but there is a consensus that it involves a form of deviation from an intention (Reason, 2008). Cognitive science has formed the basis for examining human errors (Hollnagel, 2004). ...
To make sense of the rework phenomena that plagues construction projects a longitudinal exploration and mixed-method approach was undertaken to understand its causal setting and why it remained an ongoing issue for organizations contracted to deliver an asset. The research reveals that rework was an zemblanity (i.e., being an unpleasant un-surprise) that resulted in: (1) project managers ignoring established organisation-wide procedures and, at their discretion, amend them to suit their own goals while denouncing the importance of recording and learning from non-conformances; (2) a deficiency of organisational controls and routines to contain and reduce rework; and (3) an absence of an organisation-project dyad that supported and promoted an environment of psychological safety. A new theoretical conceptualization of error causation that is intricately linked to rework and safety incidents is presented. The research provides managers with 'uncomfortable knowledge', which is needed to provide insights into the determinants of rework that form part of their everyday practice.
... Canadian Owners Association of Alberta -COAA, 2006; Aljassmi and Han, 2013;Hwang et al., 2014;Taggart et al., 2014;Jingmond and Ågren, 2015). Many such studies have identified singular causal factors and have not acknowledged the interdependency and complex relationships that lead to the occurrence of rework in construction (e.g.,Hwang et al., 2012; Aiyetan, 2013;Kakitahi et al. 2014;Ye et al., 2015;Yap et al., 2017). ...
Rework is a pervasive problem and stymies practice in construction. A considerable amount of research has been undertaken to address rework, but there has been limited progress made in reducing its occurrence and adverse consequences. The use of differing definitions and methods to determine its causes and costs has resulted in a quagmire of interpretations being propagated in the literature. In this paper we review the extant literature and unpack the ambiguity that surrounds the problem of rework. It is suggested that in order to reduce and contain rework then an ameliorated systemic understanding of its causation and consequences is required to engender a benchmarking strategy that can provide organisations with the knowledge and ability to learn and improve their performance.
... A typical construction project involves numerous projectbased organizations, including the owner, the contractor, the subcontractor, the designer, and the consultant [1]. ...
Considering the effects of the contractor’s conflict behaviors on the project benefit, a decision model between the owner and contractor’s conflict behaviors in construction projects was constructed using the principal-agent theory and game theory. The model was analyzed under nonconflicting and conflicting conditions, and a numerical simulation and example analysis were proposed to verify the constructed model’s conclusion. The results showed that the effort levels of the owner and contractor not only relate to benefit-sharing coefficient and effort outcome coefficient but also depend on the contractor’s ability of converting the conflict into benefit and the loss caused by conflict behaviors. A higher ability of converting conflicts into benefits and lower levels of the loss caused by conflict behaviors for the contractor lead to lower levels of the net benefit of the owner, conversely higher levels of the net benefit of the contractor. Balancing the contractor’s ability of converting conflicts into benefits and the loss caused by conflict behaviors lead to a more reasonable risk allocation between the owner and contractor, improving the effort level and net benefit. To add value to the construction project, the owner should establish an impartial and reasonable benefit-sharing mechanism, optimize the owner and contractor’s resource arrangement, maximize the positive effect of conflict on project benefits, and avoid the negative effect of conflict. Few studies to date have investigated the effects of conflict behaviors on project benefits in terms of modeling and simulation in construction projects. As such, this study bridges this gap and contributes significant theoretical and practical insights about managing conflict behaviors in an interorganizational context, thus enhancing performance in construction projects.
... It is worth mentioning that the systemic effects of design change dynamics are still not well understood by construction practitioners (Yap, Abdul-Rahman, and Chen 2017b). Thus, frequent and haphazard design change requests can result in non-value adding and abortive rework to all contracting parties (Emuze, Smallwood, and Han 2014), which consequently lead to degradation of quality (Hwang, Zhao, and Goh 2014) and productivity (Arashpour et al. 2014). ...
Although design changes is a significant inhibiting factor to schedule management and cost control in building projects globally, however, the reasons remain largely unknown, and the construction industry is unable to manage the problem effectively. A triangulated approach was employed where 39 reasons were first explored through semi-structured interviews with experienced practitioners. Subsequently, a national survey was used to rank the reasons. ‘Value engineering’, ‘lack of coordination among various professional consultants’ and ‘change of requirement’ ranked the highest. Next, exploratory factor analysis revealed eight underlying factors. Finally, the influence of these manifested factors was validated statistically using partial least squares based structural equation modelling. The three most critical factors found are ‘competency of project team', ‘quality and workmanship’, and ‘site constraints and safety consideration’. This paper contributes to the development of new underlying factors inducing design changes, which largely explain design changes as well as enable practitioners and researchers to devise effective preventive measures in controlling design changes in building projects.
... The negative impacts of change orders are well documented in the literature. Many studies have identified change orders as the main causes of time and cost overruns (Arditi et al. 1985;Assaf and Al-Hejji 2006;Chan and Kumaraswamy 1997;Fallahnejad 2013;Koushki et al. 2005;Sweis et al. 2008), reworks (Hwang et al. 2014;Love et al. 2002), claims and disputes (Chen and Hsu 2007;Diekmann and Nelson 1985;Zaneldin 2006), and loss of productivity (Leonard 1988;Moselhi et al. 1991Moselhi et al. , 2005Thomas and Napolitan 1995;Zakeri et al. 1996;Hanna et al. 1999;Ibbs 2012). ...
The negative impacts of change orders on construction projects are well documented in the literature. Effective management of change orders requires a comprehensive approach to identify and analyze their causes. A change order in construction projects is usually an outcome of combining several interrelated causes, rather than a single cause. Most of the previous studies have considered the causes of change orders as independent causes. However, the causes of change orders have a complicated causal structure, which makes it difficult to independently analyze and prioritize them. Therefore, this study contributes to the body of knowledge in change order management by proposing a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) approach, which has the capability to analyze the causes of change orders considering their entire causal interactions. The root causes of change orders, as well as the direct ones, can be identified and prioritized by the proposed approach. The manageability of the causes can also be analyzed by the FCM approach. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated by implementing it in a real construction project. A modeling-validating approach is used to construct and validate the FCM model. It is believed that the proposed FCM approach presents a powerful tool for analyzing the causes of change orders. In addition, this research contributes to knowledge in the area of FCMs by proposing a new inference law.
... If rework, and the subsequent safety incidents, which may materialize are to be mitigated, then there is a need to acknowledge its existence, measure its cost, identify its cause, predict its occurrence and learn to develop strategies to reduce and contain its adverse consequences. Despite, however, the extensive amount of research that has provided quantitative assessments of the financial impact of rework on project performance (e.g., Love and Li, 2000;Love, 2002a,b;Hwang et al., 2009;Hwang et al., 2014;Love et al., 2016a), the relationship with safety events has been generally eschewed. This issue was identified by Loushine et al. (2006) who specifically noted that there had been an absence of studies examining the impact of rework on safety performance. ...
Effective implementation of quality and safety management is essential for ensuring the successful delivery of construction projects. While quality and safety possess a symbiotic relationship, there has been limited empirical lines of inquiry that have examined the nature of inter-action between these constructs. With this mind, quality and safety data derived from 569 construction projects are analyzed. Quality was examined through the lens of non-conformances (NCRs), and safety under the guise of incidents. The quantity, cost and type of NCRs experienced are analyzed (n=19,314) as well as the type and number of safety incidents (n=20,393) that occurred. Examples of quality and safety incidents that arose in ‘practice’ are used to provide a contextual backdrop to the analysis that is presented. The analysis revealed that NCRs (e.g. rework, scrap, and use-as-is) were positively associated with injuries (p < 0.01). Human error is identified as the primary contributor to quality and safety issues, but the organizational and project environment within which people work provides the conditions for them to occur; people make mistakes, but there is a proclivity for organizations to enable them to materialize and result in adverse consequences occurring.
... According to Hwang, Zhao and Goh (2014), client-related factors are "change of plans or scope by the client", "inadequate/ uncomprehensive project objectives by the client", "change in specification by the client", "financial problems faced by client", "impediment in prompting the decision making by the client", "replacement of materials by the client", "change in specification by the client", and "obstinate nature of the client". The data was collected from 381 construction projects undertaken by 51 construction organisations in Singapore. ...
Building construction projects worldwide routinely fail to meet their schedule and cost objectives. This paper focuses on design changes as the principal contributing factor to delay and cost overruns. Substandard project coordination and futile communication management are sustained problems with the construction industry, particularly as to the management of design changes. To rectify the captioned issues, this study is aimed at exploring the underlying causes of design changes, the resulting rework that is damaging to project performance, communication management process and collaboration in a project-based setting through the review of the literature. Qualitative analysis technique using content analysis method was employed to synthesise the literature and establishing relationships based on the key themes identified. A conceptual model for design change management was then formulated to be the notable outcome of this study. The framework describes the importance of applying effective communication process and informed management decision in dealing with design changes. It provides a coherent and holistic view to understand the dynamics of design changes in a building construction project. It aims to address the current methodological gap in construction management research that lacks demonstrable causality. The findings contribute useful starting point for future overrun causation and mitigation studies.
... Hwang et al. [24] evaluated the influence of rework on construction cost performance for a wide variety of projects. Furthermore, Hwang et al. [25] identified the frequency and contribution of factors which play part in a client-related rework. ...
In many projects, multi-skilled workforces are able to perform different tasks with different quality levels. In this paper, a real-life version of the multi-skilled resource constrained project scheduling problem is investigated, in which the reworking risk of each activity depends on the assigned level of multi-skilled workforces. The problem is formulated mathematically as a bi-objective optimization model to minimize total costs of processing the activities and to minimize reworking risks of the activities, concurrently. In order to solve the resulting problem, three cuckoo-search-based multi-objective mechanisms are developed based on non-dominance sorting genetic algorithm, multi-objective particle swarm and multi-objective invasive weeds optimization algorithm. The parameters of the algorithms are tuned using the Taguchi method to improve the efficiency of the solution procedures. Furthermore, a competitive multi-objective invasive weeds optimization algorithm is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed methodologies. Finally, a priority based method is employed to compare the proposed algorithms in terms of different metrics.
This paper provides a detailed review of rework clauses in the standard form of contracts. The terms and conditions of construction
contracts have a significant impact on project performance. Construction contract clauses govern the interactions between parties and may
affect the completion date and final cost of projects. Depending on the complexity of a construction projects, a chain of contract clauses must
be written that fits together. The main purpose of construction contracts is to create a fair situation for the parties involved to share their risks.
It is more advantageous to a project if clauses are spelled out as comprehensively and as precisely as possible. Well-prepared clauses help to
avoid debate over complicated provisions and may result in fewer conflicts and disputes. Contractual clauses in standard forms of a contract
are referred to as general contract conditions. However, even though many aspects of contracts have been studied previously across various
contract conditions, an assessment of rework in a contract’s clauses is of paramount importance. In this study, a three-step methodology was
utilized to study rework in contract conditions: (1) conducting a series of professional interviews, (2) reviewing contract documents and
contract provisions on the leading rework issues, and (3) comparing the outcomes to set up guidelines. Relevant clauses were identified, and a
discussion of rework was prepared. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge on construction contracts by addressing rework in
contract conditions. A flowchart to address gaps and issues in rework provisions across various contract clauses was developed with a
checklist of items addressing to the contract parties. This study provides recommendations to improve contract conditions, which may,
in turn, reduce contractual claims, disputes, and conflicts. It helps construction practitioners revise relevant clauses at the time of contract
preparation.
Statistics show a high rate of contractual claims in construction projects, impacting the construction industry's progress negatively. Rework is one of the main underlying factors that generate contractual claims. Rework and contractual claims follow a mutual routine. Despite a large number of studies on the causes and impacts of rework on project performance, there has been limited research examining the relationship between claims and rework on the basis of contract documents. The paper first attempts to expose the sources of rework through a systematic literature review and then assesses rework causes that fail to be addressed in construction contract documents. The review results identified 37 root causes as the most common rework contributors to construction projects classified into five groups. The list of rework causes served as a starting point for searching the contractual issues through a questionnaire survey. Accordingly, a relative importance index was used for analysis of the primary data collected from the survey. The result first prioritized the importance level of rework causes in generating contractual claims, preceding rework causes that are not addressed adequately through standard form of contract conditions in construction projects. Findings of the investigations revealed that the general conditions of contract do not address the causes of rework adequately. Therefore, contract documents need improvement to cover contractual claims incidences due to rework. Lack of addressing rework causes in the general conditions of contract triggers recommendations for revising the contract clauses that ultimately lead to improved claim handling and dispute avoidances.
Purpose
The high rate of rework that occurs in construction projects has a negative effect on the performance of the construction projects. Although several mechanisms have been implemented to control reworking, a comprehensive list of rework causes is yet to be provided to present the common causes that contribute to rework in construction contracts. This paper aims to investigate the most common rework causes that need to be addressed in construction contracts.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method using both the qualitative and quantitative approach is used in this paper. First of all, the study adopted a four-step literature review to introduce the rework research trends and provide statistical reports using descriptive analysis. Next, a comprehensive review has been completed using content analysis to identify the common causes of rework in construction projects. Finally, the common causes in construction contracts are further investigated through a quantitative questionnaire survey to validate the initial results.
Findings
The results of the review showed an increasing trend of publications on rework over the last three decades. Most of the studies were conducted in Australia, the UK, Nigeria and Hong Kong. Based on further investigation in the study area of sources of rework, 37 causes of rework causes were identified and classified in five groups. Then, the most significant causes of rework in construction contracts were compiled in the list of 22 items.
Research limitations/implications
The paper’s reported result, contributes to the contract management body of knowledge by proposing a list of common rework causes that can be used by practitioners during the contract negotiation to prevent contractual issues. The result of the review can also be used for further investigation of the relationship between rework and contract conditions.
Originality/value
The proposed list of common causes of rework in construction contracts allows project parties to improve the terms of the contract in addressing rework, this could result in fewer contractual claims and disputes. The findings of this study will also guide the investigations into the contract conditions, thus the approach used is constructive.
Purpose
Poor project knowledge and inadequate experience are frequently linked to construction time-cost overruns. This paper aims to expound on the criticality of project knowledge and experience in the successful delivery of projects in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Following a detailed literature review, a quantitative positivist approach with a questionnaire survey involving industry professionals is used to appraise the 30 prevalent causes of time-cost overruns according to frequency, effectiveness and importance indices. The data are then subjected to Spearman’s rank correlation tests and exploratory factor analysis.
Findings
Using the importance index, which assimilates both frequency and effectiveness indices, the criticality of knowledge and experience in the overall context is seen as fundamental for addressing the contractor’s faulty planning and scheduling, construction mistakes and defective work, site management and supervision, delayed/slow decision-making, incomplete drawings and design documents and change/variation orders. Spearman’s rank correlation tests indicate a good consensus of perceptions among the key parties involved. Next, an exploratory factor analysis uncovers six underlying knowledge-based factors affecting construction performance, relating to inaccurate resource estimates, design changes, resource shortages, lack of experience, incompetence and mistakes and defects.
Originality/value
The study draws out the repercussions of the hitherto limited research into the deficiencies in knowledge and experience in undertaking construction projects to enhance performance using knowledge management functions.
Purpose
Legions of projects fail to attain their time and cost objectives due to ineffective coordination. This is often due to a lack of essential learning from projects because of insufficient communication and working experience. One of the key reasons why this occurs is that managers are unaware of what knowledge needs to be retained. In contrast with knowledge management research, which mostly focuses on the systems and processes for capturing, storing, and retrieval of knowledge, this paper investigates the nature of project communication and learning and their role on project time and cost control.
Design/methodology/approach
A stratified proportional purposive sampling approach was adopted in choosing the interview participants for the study. They are experienced industry practitioners working on building construction projects in Malaysia. Content analysis was then performed on the interview data. The identified variables were further validated by 11 industry experts from the three primary construction stakeholders.
Findings
The results of a series of 12 in-depth interviews with industry practitioners are provided to reveal the effective communication tools for sharing and learning in a project-based environment, the learning inducing situations involved, and the use of reusable project experiences to improve project time and cost control.
Research limitations/implications
A possible limitation of the study is its focus on a small group of Malaysian practitioners delimits the generalizability of the findings.
Originality/value
A two-phase model with three-step project management process of input, tools, and output is developed from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide as an aid for more effective knowledge reuse in project time and cost control in the future.
An important function of the project management is to optimize the project in various phases and at different levels. From sourcing and allocation to scheduling and even dealing with uncertainties, the science of operation research (OR) has played an important role in this area. So far, many papers have been published using the optimization science to make various decisions regarding the project management. This study aims to investigate all papers published on the application of optimization in the project management from 1940 to 2019 and shows: a) how the trend has changed over this 79 years period, b) to what direction the trend has changed, c) determines the interesting topics of the recent years, and d) which subjects are more attractive as future studies as the applications of the optimization techniques in the project management.
The complexity and uncertainties associated with construction projects mean that contracts invariably provide sufficient flexibility for changes in design as the work proceeds. However, the concomitant effects of this arrangement often cause time and cost control to be adversely affected – resulting in schedule delays and cost overruns. In seeking an improved understanding, this study aimed to identify the specific causes of design changes and their implications –cost performance of Malaysia-based building projects. A total of 39 causes were first identified through a comprehensive literature review and, in conjunction with 12 semi-structured interviews with experienced construction industry practitioners, then categorised into those originating from clients, consultants, contractors, site and external sources. A questionnaire survey of 338 clients, consultants and contractors was then analysed to infer and rank the identified causes and their overall effect. The research reveals that building projects in Malaysia encounter time–cost overruns of 5–20% due to design changes. Lack of coordination among various professional consultants, change of requirements/specification, addition/omission of scope, erroneous/discrepancies in design documents and unforeseen ground conditions are the five most significant causes. The analysis also reveals considerable heterogeneity of perceptions between the respondent groups of the most significant causes of design changes, attributed to the adversarial culture within the industry.
This paper empirically studies the importance of managing design changes in dealing with time delay and cost overruns in construction projects. The main objective of this paper is to identify the causes of design changes and the implications on the Malaysian construction projects measured in terms of cost and time. It also aims to determine how rework induced from the design changes is detrimental to project performance and to suggest recommendations on how to overcome the related problem with project learning and effective communication in building construction. To investigate the factors giving rise to design changes, a total of 43 causes were first identified through a comprehensive literature review. The factors are categorised into client, consultant, contractor, site and external-related themes. This is followed by a qualitative research study involving semi-structured interviews with 12 experienced industry practitioners comprising of clients, consultants, and contractors. Critical incident technique employing content analysis is used to analyse the interviews transcripts in detail to provide a rich picture of the causes of design changes, the implications for project delivery performance, enablers of effective communication, enablers of project learning and types of reusable project knowledge. The research findings were further integrated to develop a collaborative model to manage design changes using effective communication and project learning approach. This model highlights the importance of effective communication and project learning towards improving the level of competency and cohesiveness of project team in managing future projects. Capturing and sharing of reusable project experiences is essential towards maximising the benefits of past experiences (lessons learned), shortening the learning curve and adding value to future projects in design change management.
Design risk can greatly affect the success or otherwise of design-build projects. This study presents the identification of design risk factors in design-build projects and an analysis of their impact on project performance. A total of 23 design risk factors were identified, comprising 17 factors obtained from an exhaustive literature review and 6 factors arising from in-depth interviews with 5 experienced construction practitioners. These design risk factors formed the focus of a questionnaire survey of 500 construction practitioners, which used a five-point Likert scale as the response format. This yielded 150 valid responses for data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis showed that these factors could be categorized into six groupings: risk of improper design team, risk of designer's lack of responsibility, risk of designer's lack of experience, risk of inaccuracy or delay of third-party information, risk of improper design scheme, and risk of design change and employer review. Confirmative factor analysis revealed that the risk of an improper design scheme is significantly associated with the risk of designers' lack of responsibility and experience, as well as inaccuracy and delay of third-party information, which has a significant and negative impact on project performance. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge in design-build risk analysis, and, more fundamentally, the findings enhance design-build contractors' understanding of how to achieve better project results through improved design risk management.
Rework is a stubborn issue in the construction industry, and it has been drawing considerable attention from the industry and academia over the past decades. However, so far, little effort has been made to investigate reworks in green building construction projects. This study aims to assess the status quo of rework in green building construction projects in Singapore, identify and evaluate the rework factors in green building construction projects, compare their criticalities with those in the conventional counterparts, and propose a set of feasible solutions. To achieve these aims, a questionnaire survey was administered, and data collected from 30 different construction companies were analyzed. Results showed that, compared to conventional building construction projects, green building construction projects tended to have a lower incidence of rework, but suffered more from the rework's adverse impacts in terms of cost overrun and schedule delay. Results also showed that the top four most critical rework factors in green building construction projects were "owner change", "design change", "design error/omission" and "contractor's error/omission". In addition, this study proposed five practical solutions that can help curb reworks in green building construction projects. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by examining the rework problem in green building construction projects. Meanwhile, this study contributes to the industry by providing the practitioners with an in-depth understanding of rework in green building construction projects. The specific solutions proposed by this study can also offer the industry practitioners direct help in reducing works in such projects.
Purpose of this paper - This paper attempts to identify the origin of variation orders in order to determine their impact on waste. The study is part of the undergoing research analyzing the impact of variation orders on project performance. Methodology/Scope - Extensive relevant literature review has been provided. A case study was done on two completed apartment complexes in Cape Town. Origin agents of variation orders were identified. Findings - An exploratory study was done on residential and shopping apartment complexes. Both projects incurred delays and time for completion escalated at 33% and 9% over the original completion time on both respective projects A and B. Arguably, numerous changes during the construction stage influenced time overruns. On project A, a contractor incurred a penalty of R923,000 amounting at 3% of the original contract sum R28,315,000. A total number of 75 and 118 variation orders averaging 8% (R2,076,600) and 4% (R 2,032,919) of the contract sum occurred on both projects. On both projects, the client and consultant combined were the predominant origin agents of variation orders. On project A, the client and the consultant combined generated 89% (67 no) of variation orders. In monetary terms these corresponded to 93% (R1,928,741) of the net total sum. On project B, the client and the consultant combined generated variation orders 95% (111 no) of variation orders. In monetary terms these corresponded 92% (R1,865,862) of the net total sum. Research limitations - The study was confined to a limited number of apartment-type construction projects. The predominant origin agent should be further investigated. Practical implications - The findings uncovered the waste associated with variation orders and revealed the predominant source of variation orders as a proactive measure to reduce them.
A methodology was developed to measure cost of quality failures in two major road projects, largely based upon a work-shadowing method. Shows how the initial data were collected and categorised into definable groups and how the costs were estimated for each of these categories. The findings suggest that, if the projects examined are typical, the cost of failures may be a significant percentage of total costs, and that conventional means of identifying them may not be reliable. Moreover, the costs will not be easy to eradicate without widespread changes in attitudes and norms of behaviour within the industry and improved managerial co-ordination of activities throughout the supply chain.
Discusses the idea that nonparametric methods are required as a replacement of parametric statistical methods when the scale of measurement in a research study does not achieve a certain level, in light of recent developments in representational measurement theory. An approach to examining the problem via computer simulation is introduced. Beliefs that have been widely held by psychologists for several decades were examined by means of a computer simulation study that mimicked measurement of an underlying empirical structure. There is no need to replace parametric statistical tests by nonparametric methods when the scale of measurement is ordinal and not interval. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This paper presents a hybrid approach to quantify the impact of change orders on construction projects using statistical regression and fuzzy logic. There are many qualitative variables affecting the impact of change orders on labor productivity; statistical analysis falls short of addressing the fuzziness of those variables. Because of their complementary nature, fuzzy logic and regression analysis can be integrated; regression analysis is used to determine the membership functions of the input linguistic values. In this paper, each input variable is statistically treated before entering a general rule relating its space to the space of loss in labor productivity. The relative weight of each input variable is determined by its coefficient of determination (R 2) value. The expected loss of labor productivity and its standard deviation are then determined from the output fuzzy membership function. The proposed methodology is general and can be applied in areas of system analysis and decision making when a complex input-output function is to be predicted in the presence of some fuzzy knowledge and a large number of real input-output data.
Rework in construction projects is referred to as the unnecessary effort of redoing a process or activity that was incorrectly implemented in the first instance. In construction projects, rework can result from an array of factors such as errors, omissions, failures, changes, poor communication and poor coordination. Rework could adversely affect the performance and productivity and ultimately the profit margins as well. For example, some previous studies identified that costs of rework could add around 10% to the total project costs. However, the literature also suggests that rework is mostly unnecessary and avoidable. A pilot study is being conducted in Hong Kong to explore the rework occurrences in the local construction industry. In this paper, some discussions regarding the significance of reducing rework and an overview of rework factors are presented. Also, a structured framework for rework management has been proposed so as to enhance the project performance levels.
Reviewers of research reports frequently criticize the choice of statistical methods. While some of these criticisms are well-founded, frequently the use of various parametric methods such as analysis of variance, regression, correlation are faulted because: (a) the sample size is too small, (b) the data may not be normally distributed, or (c) The data are from Likert scales, which are ordinal, so parametric statistics cannot be used. In this paper, I dissect these arguments, and show that many studies, dating back to the 1930s consistently show that parametric statistics are robust with respect to violations of these assumptions. Hence, challenges like those above are unfounded, and parametric methods can be utilized without concern for "getting the wrong answer".
The design process can be conceptualized in at least three different ways: 1) as a process of transforming inputs into outputs, 2) as a flow of information through time and space, and 3) as a process for generating value for customers. Case studies and research findings to date indicate that design management in construction is deficient from all three of these points of view. In this paper, a series of experiments aiming at creating clarity and introducing systematic management principles from all three perspectives is described. The results of these experiments suggest that the use of relatively simple, albeit theory-driven, tools can achieve major improvements in the process of construction design. It is argued that only when based on suitable conceptualizations, and informed by empirical data, can effective methods be devised to ameliorate construction design and engineering.
This is a journal article. It was published in the journal, Building research and information [© Taylor & Francis] and the definitive version is available at: http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=0961-3218&volume=31&issue=5&spage=334 This paper focuses on the role of stakeholders in defining project values, which in turn influence product quality expectations, and of designers in meeting these goals. Ultimately, these determine the functional, physical and symbolic product characteristics that are necessary to achieve customer satisfaction. The issues of value and quality are compared within the context of design management, including their theoretical and philosophical underpinnings as well as current management techniques. Value and quality can be misunderstood and confused; the authors suggest that it is vital for stakeholders to have a common understanding of terminology and meaning. This is particularly true of customers who need to be engaged in a straightforward manner. We describe our research into the management of value delivery in design and explore opportunities for incorporating design quality indicator (DQI) assessments. The paper discusses how the DQI can form part of a project management system that ensures the delivery of stakeholder value during the design stage. Opportunities for customisation of the DQI content and the context of application at this stage of a project (as opposed to assessments during and after construction) are explored and may be key to success in delivering value in addition to product quality.
Through the use of computer simulations, Labovitz's (1970) examination of the effects of "randomly stretching" measurement scales on the correlation between these stretched scales and an equal distance scoring system are reformulated and extended. Specifically, we examine the effects of the number of rank categories (C) for rank-order variables on the product moment correlation (r) between stretched scales and an equal distance scoring system. The stretched scales are drawn from three types of distributions: (1) the uniform distribution (i.e., the one used by Labovitz), (2) the normal distribution, and (3) a skewed distribution (log-normal distribution). We find that the average correlation (r̄) between the equal distance scoring system and the stretched scale is quite high for both the uniform and normal distributions, and that r̄ increases with C only when C is greater than four or five. Thus, contrary to suggestions in the literature, r̄ is not a monotonic function of C. More importantly, for the skewed distribution, r̄ is a monotonically decreasing function of C and is substantially smaller than r̄'s based on uniform and normal distributions. The implications of these findings for the use of Pearson's r with rank-order values are discussed.
Relational transactions can bring about good project outcomes. However, public projects in which different parties hold differential attitudes toward the adoption of relational transactions would likely encounter more uncertainties which may affect the implementation of such relational transactions. This paper aims to compare different parties' (i.e., clients, contractors and consultants) perceptions of the factors motivating and deterring relational transactions in public projects. The results of a questionnaire survey of 104 public projects in Singapore show that 21 drivers could significantly motivate each party to adopt relational transactions; and three parties' perceptions of the importance of the drivers are not significantly different. The topmost driver for each party to adopt relational transactions is the aim of achieving safety performance. The results also show that: (i) the three parties regarded public sector accountability, bureaucracy and stringent rules, regulations and laws as the most serious barriers; (ii) the biggest challenge to adopting relational transactions stems from the public sector client, followed by private sector consultants; and (iii) contractors face the least number of barriers. The measures to ameliorate the barriers to relational transactions are recommended.
In construction industry, 75% of the problems encountered in the field are generated in the design phase. All of these problems occur due to the lack of clear, concise, and coordinated contract documents. The constructibility review process has been developed which aims to improve the quality of contract documents. Constructibility is the integration of construction expertise into the planning and design of a project so that the construction forces have the maximum opportunity to deliver the project in conformity with cost, quality, schedule and safety objectives of the project's stakeholder.
The request for proposal (RFP) with the design-build (DB) procurement arrangement is a document in which an owner develops his requirements and conveys the project scope to DB contractors. Owners should provide an appropriate level of design in DB RFPs to adequately describe their requirements without compromising the prospects for innovation. This paper examines and compares the different levels of owner-provided design in DB RFPs by the content analysis of 84 requests for RFPs for public DB projects advertised between 2000 and 2010 with an aggregate contract value of over $5.4 billion. A statistical analysis was also conducted to explore the relationship between the proportion of owner-provided design and other project information, including project type, advertisement time, project size, contractor selection method, procurement process, and contract type. The results show that the majority (64.8%) of the RFPs provides less than 10% of the owner-provided design. The owner-provided design proportion has a significant association with project type, project size, contractor selection method, and contract type. In addition, owners are generally providing less design in recent years than previously. The research findings also provide owners with perspectives to determine the appropriate level of owner-provided design in DB RFPs.
Construction delays impact the time and cost of projects. A survey of the delays experienced in highrise building construction projects in Bangkok, Thailand, was undertaken and the result compared with other studies of delays and overruns around the world to determine whether there are special problems that generate delays for construction in developing economies. Resource supply problems were by far the most acute problems of the Thai construction industry in the boom years. The results of the study support the view that construction industry problems in developing economies can be nested in three layers: (a) problems of shortages or inadequacies in industry infrastructure (mainly supply of resources); (b) problems caused by clients and consultants and (c) problems caused by contractor incompetence/inadequacies. Conclusions recommend the need for focussed effort by economy managers and construction industry associations to provide the infrastructure needed for efficient project management. This study should be of interest to emerging economies in Europe and Indochina.
Since the 1980s, Singapore has experienced the widespread use of international construction joint ventures (ICJVs), which are associated with a variety of risks. This study aims to assess the risks associated with the underground rail ICJVs in Singapore. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive literature review was carried out and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 33 contractors. The survey results reported “disagreement on some conditions in contract” as the most critical risk. Although the risk criticalities of some risks significantly differed according to multiple company characteristics, there was strong agreement on the risk rankings. With the help of this study, ICJV partners can identify the most critical risks and thus develop mitigation measures. Also, the findings from this study provide a comprehensive picture of risks for the companies that intend to participate in ICJVs in Singapore.
Changes in construction projects are inevitable. In order to minimize the impact of changes on a project, it is imperative to implement change management. This study aims to assess the status, importance and impact of change management implementation in the Singapore construction industry. To achieve the objective, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of change management, and a questionnaire survey was conducted. Analyzing the data collected from 384 projects submitted by 32 companies, the implementation status was investigated at both company and project levels, followed by identification of key factors that encourage and discourage companies to practice change management. Furthermore, the importance and impact of change management in terms of project performances such as cost, time, and quality were also examined. The analysis results establish that the implementation status in the Singapore construction industry is relatively low while improvement in project cost, time and quality performances achieved by the companies that implement change management tends to be greater than the companies that do not. Recognizing the implementation status, importance and impacts of change management will be a starting point to reduce changes that negatively affect project performances, ultimately allowing the Singapore construction industry to increase opportunities for project success.
Public private partnership (PPP) procurement was introduced into Singapore in 2003, and 10 PPP projects were successfully completed and have been in operation. This study aims to examine the critical success factors as well as the relative importance of positive and negative factors influencing the attractiveness of PPP projects in Singapore, and to identify the critical risk factors and preferred risk allocations for PPP projects in Singapore. The questionnaire survey results indicated that negative factors were more affirmative than the positive factors, and that 23 risk factors had significant criticalities. Eight risks would be preferably allocated to the public sector while 19 risks could be assigned to the private sector. 11 risks were preferred to be shared by both parties and the allocation of four risks depended on project circumstances. The findings of this study provide valuable information for organizations that intend to participate in PPP projects in Singapore.
Construction firms have been seen as prime candidates for enterprise risk management (ERM) adoption. The ERM maturity assessment helps them to identify weak areas of their ERM implementation and to prioritize resources to improve these areas. The objectives of this paper are to identify the ERM best practices and important ERM maturity criteria in Chinese construction firms (CCFs) and to develop an ERM maturity model for CCFs. Through an in-depth literature review and a questionnaire survey conducted with 89 professionals, a total of 66 applicable ERM best practices and 16 important maturity criteria were identified and thus used in the proposed model. The results indicated that commitment of the board and senior management; risk identification, analysis, and response; and objective setting were the top three most important criteria. In addition, this model adopts the fuzzy set theory to quantify the implementation levels of the best practices. Moreover, this model was applied in a CCF based in Singapore and the output result was consistent with its current ERM practice. Although this paper focuses on CCFs, it helps other construction firms to prepare their customized model using the best practices and criteria identified in this paper, contributing to the global body of knowledge relating to ERM.
Rework continues to affect both cost and schedule performance throughout the construction industry. The direct costs alone often tally to 5% of the total construction costs. Using the data obtained from 359 construction projects in the Construction Industry Institute database, this paper assesses the impacts of rework on construction cost performance for projects in various categories. In addition, it identifies the sources of this rework, permitting further analyses and the development of rework reduction initiatives. The results of this study establish that the impacts of rework differ according to project characteristics and that the sources of rework having the greatest impact are not significantly different among project categories. By recognizing the impacts of rework and its sources, the construction industry can reduce rework and ultimately improve project cost performance.
Rework has been a primary cause of cost and schedule overruns in large construction projects. While several research efforts have analyzed the causes and effects of rework and provided guidelines to reduce rework, almost no research exists to analyze the impact of rework timing and quantity on schedule delays and to support decisions on cost effective recovery. This research presents a quantitative mechanism for schedule analysis considering rework. The mechanism has three aspects: (1) a new schedule representation of rework magnitude as negative percentage complete for affected activities, documented on the specific date on which the rework is detected; (2) a modified daily-windows delay analysis to apportion project delays among the responsible parties; and (3) an optimization technique for determining the least costly corrective action strategy that recovers project delays. The proposed approach is applied to a case study to demonstrate its ability to consider rework impact, in combination with other progress events by other project parties. This research offers an innovative quantitative approach to consider rework timing and amount in delay analysis and corrective action optimization.
This article examines the assumptions underlying two multivariate strategies commonly used in analyzing ordinal data. Both strategies employ as a descriptive tool the ordinary multiple regression algorithms; the crucial difference between the two is that the first, ordinal strategy, uses the matrix of Kendall's 's as the building block of multivariate analysis, while the second, parametric strategy, uses the matrix of Pearson's 's. These two strategies are evaluated and constrasted in terms of their usefulness in answering basic research questions that arise in multivariate analysis. One overriding conclusion is that, contrary to the claims of its proponents, the ordinal strategy is no better than the parametric strategy at meeting some of the basic requirements of multivariate analysis. It is argued that parametric strategy, when accompanied by careful evaluation of the validity of the implict quantification of ordinal variables, is more amenable to one of the goals of scientific research: successive app...
Poor quality resulting from non-conformance during construction leads to extra cost and time to all members of the project team. The costs of rectifying non-conformance can be high and they can affect a firm's profit margin and its competitiveness. Construction-related firms can identify non-conformance information by employing a quality cost matrix as illustrated in a case study as a basis for improvement. Findings indicate the applicability of the matrix, the usefulness of the information for quality improvement and the positive change in attitude of personnel involved in the case study. Areas and frequency of non-conformance and the viability and importance of preventive measures are also ighlighted.
Construction professionals recognize that rework is a significant factor contributing to poor project performance, yet little is known about its antecedents and consequently it remains an innate problem. Because factors that contribute to its occurrence are not fully understood, the derivation of appropriate strategies for its reduction is problematic. Therefore, a comprehensive appreciation of the mechanisms that cause rework will enable project performance improvements to be made. Two longitudinal case studies were undertaken to determine the antecedents of rework. Based on the findings presented, strategies for reducing the incidence of rework are identified and discussed. This paper contributes to study of quality in construction by identifying the underlying factors that influence rework in projects.
Following several studies investigating the causes of construction rework among some projects in the Swedish construction industry, we conducted this study in cooperation with R&D West, a group of construction companies in Sweden, to measure the costs of rework in construction projects. Rework has become an endemic feature of the procurement process in construction that invariably leads to time and cost overruns in projects. Thus, in order to improve the performance of projects, it is necessary to identify the causes and costs of construction rework. The research presented in this paper identifies, analyzes, and discusses the causes, magnitudes, and costs of rework experienced in seven Swedish construction projects. The findings revealed that the costs of rework for the case study projects were 4.4% of the construction values of the observation period, and the time needed to correct them was 7.1% of the total work time. The construction errors that generated rework were further analyzed according to their origins, types, and positions, causes of construction rework were identified and discussed, and preventive actions were suggested.
Construction management at risk, design/build and design/bid/build are three principal project delivery systems used in the United States today. This paper empirically compares cost, schedule, and quality performance of these three project delivery systems, using project-specific data collected from 351 U.S. building projects. The study included collecting, checking, and validating industry data, significance testing of univariate comparisons and the statistical development of multivariate linear regression models for predicting average project performance. A nonresponse study verified statistically that collected data were appropriate for analysis and representative of the industry from which they were drawn. Significance testing and multivariate comparisons used nearly 100 explanatory and interacting variables to explain project cost, schedule, and quality performance. Specific comparisons between project delivery systems, performance metrics, and six facility classes are discussed. Results and the level of confidence that surrounds each finding are presented.
Quality deviation data are collected from nine fast‐track industrial construction projects. The data are collected after the construction phase of the projects and identify the direct costs associated with rework (including redesign), repair, and replacement. Analyses of the data indicate that deviations on the projects accounted for an average of 12.4% of the total project costs. Furthermore, design deviations average 78% of the total number of deviations, 79% of the total deviation costs, and 9.5% of the total project cost. Construction deviations average 16% of the total number of deviations, 17% of the total deviation costs, and 2.5% of the total project cost. These values are conservative because they consider only direct costs, but they are indications of the areas that cause the greatest impact on total project costs. By applying the procedures presented in this paper to its historical records, a company can identify not only its deviation costs, but also the most likely areas on which to focus to reduce these costs on future projects.
Constructability is defined as the ability of project conditions to enable the optimal utilization of construction resources. Constructability improvements may heighten the construction-sensitivity of designs, render the communication of engineering information as more effective, optimize construction originated construction techniques, increase the effectiveness of construction management policies, improve vendor/subcontractor services, or identify needs for designer-constructor communication during the project. Constructability improvement ideas collected on a large refinery expansion project are analyzed for content, and classification frequencies are observed. Analysis of engineering rework exposes the causes and costs of rework that occurs as a result of constructability problems.
Within Australia, civil engineering works continue to meet the insatiable demand for new infrastructure despite project complexity and cost and schedule overruns. A significant factor that can contribute to such overruns is rework; yet to date research into the root causes and consequential costs of rework in civil infrastructure projects has been limited. Using a questionnaire survey, rework costs and probable causes were obtained from 115 civil infrastructure projects. Stepwise multiple regression was then used to determine the significant variables that contributed to rework. The regression model revealed that the following five significant predictors accounted for 25% of the variance in total rework cost: (1) ineffective use of information technologies; (2) excessive client involvement in the project; (3) lack of clearly defined working procedures; (4) changes made at the request of the client; and (5) insufficient changes initiated by the contractor to improve quality. The findings also revealed that mean total rework costs were 10% of the contract value for the sample. Interestingly, the extent of rework experienced was significantly correlated with project cost and schedule growth (p<0.01). It is suggested that future work is required to determine the underlying factors that contribute to rework in civil infrastructure projects before effective preventive strategies can be identified.
Engineering consulting firms involved in the design and construction of large-scale industrial plants attempt to find flaws as early as possible in the design process to avoid more costly deviation corrections later on, particularly during and after construction. Deviation corrections can be reduced by pursuing more diligent quality prevention and appraisal efforts. Quality performance management system (QPMS) is a cost evaluation programme designed to measure the prevention and appraisal effort and its impact on deviation corrections. Examines this system and details the quality improvement results for a multi-million dollar chemical plant project. Approximately 12 per cent of the total cost of design and construction was attributed to quality costs, a majority of which was categorized as various prevention and appraisal activities. Describes overall cost reductions and other benefits of QPMS.
Rework represents the unnecessary effort of redoing a process or activity that is incorrectly implemented the first time. Using a structured questionnaire survey, the causes and costs of rework in 161 Australian construction projects were identified. Respondents were invited to indicate direct and indirect rework costs that would be subsequently combined to produce a total rework cost (TRC) figure. Stepwise linear multiple regression analysis was then used to determine a model that included an optimum mixture of significant variables that contributed or lead to a reduction in TRC for the projects sampled. The research revealed that rework per se can negatively influence project safety. Client initiated changes and ineffective use of information technology by the design professionals were identified as being significant variables contributing to rework occurrence. Contrary to an earlier presupposition, design scope freezing was also identified as being a significant factor that can contribute to rework.
Little systematic knowledge is available on the dynamics of rework in complex hydrocarbon (oil and gas) projects, despite the fact that they frequently exceed budget and schedule projections by more than 10%. To better understand pertinent issues associated with rework, twenty three in-depth interviews were undertaken with personnel from a major international oil and gas operator. The interviews sought to elicit deep individualistic knowledge about the dynamics of design changes, errors, and omissions that contributed to rework in four off-shore projects that they were involved with. Akin to previous research, the factors of poorly defined scope, unrealistic schedules, design changes, and coordination problems were identified as contributors to rework. A significant difference from previous studies, however, was that rework was expected and considered a norm. The issue at hand therefore related to 'when and where' rework would materialize, because it was considered that the implementation of front end loading, audits, and reviews would capture any design flaws that may have materialized. The potential revenue that could be generated from earlier extraction and production of oil and gas outweighed any rework costs that were likely to be incurred. A systemic model representing the underlying conditions that contributed to rework was developed from the findings to provide managers with the necessary insights about the interdependencies and behavior between key variables. The developed model can be used to identify future areas in which rework prevention and mitigation strategies should focus on in future projects.
Variations are common in all types of construction projects. The construction process is influenced by highly changing variables and unpredictable factors that can arise from different sources. The study identifies the causes of variations in institutional building projects in Singapore. To achieve the study objectives, a questionnaire survey was carried out to collect information on potential causes of variations. Through the literature review, the 53 causes of variation orders were identified. These provided the basis for the formulation of the questionnaire. Responses from 33 design consultants, who were involved in the institutional projects in Singapore, were analysed. The survey results suggest that a change in plans or scope by the owner, unforeseen problems, defective workmanship, change in specifications by the owner and safety considerations were the most important causes of variation orders for institutional buildings in Singapore. Recommendations were suggested based on the findings of the research and literature review. The involvement of professionals during the design and construction phases, clear and thorough project briefs, frequent communication among professionals, involvement of a project manager from an independent firm to manage the project and involvement of the owner during the design phase were suggested for controlling the most important causes of variation orders for institutional buildings in Singapore.
The study identifies the causes of variations in institutional building projects in Singapore. To achieve the study objectives, a questionnaire survey and interviews were carried out to collect information on potential causes of variations. Responses from 28 professionals with a government agency from the client's side were analyzed. The results suggest that the errors and omissions in design, change in specifications by owner, design discrepancies, change in specifications by consultant and lack of coordination were considered as the most important causes of variations in institutional building projects. Recommendations were suggested based on the findings of the research and literature review. The involvement of professionals during the design phase, thorough detailing of design, involvement of owner during the design phase and approval of the design by government bodies before the inception of construction activities were suggested for controlling the most important causes of variation orders for institutional buildings in Singapore. The causes of variation orders that were identified would be helpful for building professionals in assessing variation orders; furthermore, the suggested controls would also assist them in taking proactive measures for reducing variation orders for institutional buildings.
Abstract If client values are not fully understood in a construction project it is likely to result in either low fulfilment of client expectations or multiple design alterations during the project process which lead to additional costs and frustration among the project participants. However, it is not a straightforward management task to operationalize client value in construction. Within this context, the client group comprises multiple stakeholders, which often have conflicting goals and values that may not be fully realized by the stakeholders themselves. The management challenge is further complicated by the fact that the delivery team, which is responsible for understanding and delivering client value, is made up of even more different parties. The article reports the initial outcome of a joint research project between academics and practitioners, which aims to develop a practical workshop model that incorporates client values into the conceptual design of construction projects. The workshop model draws on value management and lean thinking as underlying principles in an attempt to address the ambiguous concept of `value'.
To perform rational defect prevention, it is necessary to have knowledge about defects, their causes and associated costs. The purpose of the study presented here is to stimulate improvements by indicating where preventive measures are most effective as well as how to perform them. A study of defects in construction was performed during the period 1986–1990. A new and deeper study has been performed by the same research group during 1994–1996. Seven building projects have each been monitored during a 6 month-period. Observers spent 8 h a day at the site analysing and describing defects occurring. A total of 2879 defects have been collected and fully described, including their root causes. Formal interviews with 92 key persons have been made.
The management of construction is complex enough without changes (e.g. to design/specification/client requirements), yet it is a familiar characteristic of in construction projects. To effectively manage change, project managers have to undertake detailed planning; to integrate the work activities of consultants, subcontractors and suppliers. In this context, changes are unplanned disturbances that (typically) interfere with the intended progression of work. Given this 'interference', what are the consequences of such disturbances on project performance and how can/do/should project managers deal with changes effectively? This paper describes how changes (and their actions or effects otherwise known as dynamics) can impact the project management system. Using a case study and the methodology of systems dynamics, the major factors influencing a project's performance are observed. The need for understanding of how particular dynamics can hinder the performance of a project management system are highlighted.
Foreign (non-mainland Chinese) architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms may face difficulties managing construction projects in China because they are unfamiliar with this new operating environment. This study investigates project management (PM) practices adopted by Singaporean AEC firms in China. It determines the performance level of their projects in China; identifies PM practices that led to better performance; and recommends key PM practices that could be adopted by foreign AEC firms in China to achieve project success. A structured questionnaire was designed and data were collected via a self-administered postal and email survey, targeting Singaporean AEC firms that had undertaken and managed projects in China. The study finds that certain PM practices do indeed affect project performance. The most important of these are practices relating to scope management, such as controlling the quality of the contract document, quality of response to perceived variations and extent of changes to the contract. It is recommended that foreign firms adopt some of the PM practices highlighted in this study to help them achieve better project performance in China.
In recent years, academic research has focused on identifying the factors that cause construction project rework in an attempt to eradicate its occurrence. The success of these previous studies has been mixed most notably because industry lacked a clear and universal definition of rework. Consequently, findings emanating from studies conducted to date cannot be compared or contrasted and neither can the work be brought together as a homogenous whole. To address this current deficiency, this study first examined previous rework definitions and a priori research in order to develop a clear definition that would placate industry concerns. This definition was then used as the basis for a national questionnaire survey in Australia, which sought to collate data on the total cost of rework; where total cost is a function of direct and indirect rework costs. A total of 161 construction professionals (from a range of occupations) participated in this study and provided much needed evaluations and personal knowledge of rework costs for recently completed projects. The costs of rework were found to be significant, with the mean direct and indirect cost of rework as a percentage of contract value being 6.4% and 5.9%, respectively. There were significant differences identified between the estimates propagated by respondents, this being between design consultants and project managers. Additionally, there were no significant differences found between rework costs and procurement methods used and project types. The article concludes by suggesting that further work is required to develop a system which is capable of identifying rework and estimating the costs.
While it is widely recognized that additional costs due to rework can have an adverse effect on project performance, limited empirical research has been done to investigate the influencing factors. The research presented in this paper aims to determine the influence of different project types and procurement methods on rework costs in construction projects. Using a questionnaire survey, rework costs were obtained from 161 Australian construction projects. The direct and indirect consequences of rework are analyzed and discussed. It is shown that, contrary to expectation, rework costs do not differ relative to project type or procurement method. In addition, it was found rework contributed to 52 % of a project’s cost growth and that 26 % of the variance in cost growth was attributable to changes due to direct rework. To reduce rework costs and therefore improve project performance, it is posited that construction organizations begin to consider and measure them, so that an understanding of their magnitude can be captured, root causes identified, and effective prevention strategies implemented.
Construction delay is considered one of the most recurring problems in the construction industry. Delays have an adverse impact on project success in terms of time, cost, quality and safety. The effects of construction delays are not confined to the construction industry only, but influence the overall economy of a country like UAE, where construction plays a major role in its development and contributes 14% to the GDP. Thus, it is essential to define the most significant causes of delay in order to avoid or minimise their impact on construction projects. A detailed questionnaire was developed and used to get input from professionals associated with the UAE construction industry. The perspective of contractors and consultants has been analysed to rank the causes of delays based on their Relative Importance Index. Contractors and consultants were in agreement on the most significant causes of delays. The research revealed that 50% of the construction projects in UAE encounter delays and are not completed on time. The top 10 most significant causes of construction delays have been identified by this research. Approval of drawings, inadequate early planning and slowness of the owners' decision-making process are the top causes of delay in the UAE construction industry.
Rework that is experienced in construction projects is often caused by errors made during the design process. Factors that contribute to design errors are identified and used to design and develop a systems dynamics model, which is used to simulate a number of practical scenarios that can be used to reduce design errors and rework. The model presented in this paper can enable design and project managers to understand better the process of design documentation and how design errors occur in construction projects.
One of the most perplexing issues facing organizations in the construction industry is their inability to become quality focused. As a result sub-standard products and services often emanate, which inadvertently result in rework. Typically, rework is caused by errors made during the design process. These errors appear downstream in the procurement process and therefore have a negative impact on a project's performance. The lack of attention to quality, especially during the design process, has meant that rework has become an inevitable feature of the procurement process, and the costs have been found to be as high as 12.4% of total project costs. Such costs could be even higher because they do not represent schedule delays, litigation costs and other intangible costs of poor quality. To reduce the cost and effect of rework, an understanding of its causal structure is needed so that effective prevention strategies can be identified and the effects of rework reduced or eliminated. A case study approach based upon deductive and inductive reasoning is used to identify the major factors that influence rework in projects. From the findings and with reference to recent literature, the concept of system dynamics is used to develop a series of influence diagrams, which are then integrated to develop a conceptual causal loop model that is used to determine the overall causal structure of rework. Once an understanding of the causal structure of rework events has been acquired, effective strategies for rework prevention can be designed and implemented in order to improve project performance. This paper contributes to study of quality in construction by capturing the complexity and dynamism of those factors that influence rework and project performance in a holistic manner.
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