No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Factors Affecting Schedule Delay, Cost Overrun, and Quality Level in Public Construction Projects
Abstract
As a result of the loss of financial resources and the need to optimize projects, academics, politicians, and the construction industry have become increasingly aware of the challenges presented by the frequent time and cost overruns and reduced quality of construction projects. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that project managers experience as having the greatest effect on time, cost, and quality, and to discover whether the effects of these factors are significantly different from each other. A questionnaire with 26 factors identified from interviews was sent to the full population of publicly employed project managers. Factors were ranked using the relative importance index and tested for significant differences using Friedman's test. Wilcoxon's test was used in a post-hoc analysis. From the findings it was determined that the most influential factor for time is unsettled or lack of project funding; for cost, errors or omissions in consultant material; and for quality, errors or omissions in construction work. The main conclusion of this research is that project schedule, budget, and quality level are affected in significantly different ways. Therefore, a project manager cannot handle such critical issues by focusing only on schedule or budget complications; nor can he or she assume that time, cost, and quality are equally affected.
... Major impacts that may occur such as failure in project implementation, problems with project funding, non-fulfillment of predetermined business targets so that it is not financially feasible (Winarsa, 2005). In particular, the increase in time and cost in Infrastructure projects appears to be a global phenomenon, ie without a decrease in the last 70 years and the average cost exceeds 28% (Larsen et al., 2016). Project delays have had a negative impact on road infrastructure development in developing countries. ...
... There are 6 risk categories out of 24 risks, namely financial risk, external risk, design risk, management risk, technical risk and contractual risk. The author divides the risk category into 6 categories, including financial risk according to the author's literature studies (Aziz & Abdel-Hakam, 2016;Choudhry, 2019;Hossen et al., 2015;Larsen et al., 2016;Mej ıa et al., 2020). External risk according to the author's literature studies (Ariyanto et al., 2020;Choudhry, 2019;Mahamid et al., 2012;Mej ıa et al., 2020;Larsen et al., 2016;Rivera et al., 2020). ...
... The author divides the risk category into 6 categories, including financial risk according to the author's literature studies (Aziz & Abdel-Hakam, 2016;Choudhry, 2019;Hossen et al., 2015;Larsen et al., 2016;Mej ıa et al., 2020). External risk according to the author's literature studies (Ariyanto et al., 2020;Choudhry, 2019;Mahamid et al., 2012;Mej ıa et al., 2020;Larsen et al., 2016;Rivera et al., 2020). Design risk is in accordance with the authors' literature studies (Aziz & Abdel-Hakam, 2016;Choudhry, 2019;Mahamid et al., 2012;Mej ıa et al., 2020). ...
Several reasons underlie the use of Contractor Full Pre-Financed (CPF), which provides a much higher return opportunity than a standard payment contract system or the Monthly Certificate (MC). The case study in this research is one of the toll road construction projects in Indonesia that uses the CPF scheme. This study uses qualitative risk analysis to determine the dominant risk, quantitative risk analysis using the PERT distribution method to measure the impact of adding days due to the dominant risk on the critical path and produce a strategy to reduce the added days value due to risks in toll road projects with the CPF scheme. Strategy development is carried out to reduce the value of inherent risk to become a residual risk. The potential value of additional project completion time due to dominant risk is 30.68%–38.33% of the initial duration of the project. Through the development of strategies for each critical path activity, the potential added value of project completion time due to dominant risk can be reduced to 11.45%–16.73% of the initial project duration.
... Yet, these underlying threats persist today including oversupply, inflation failure of uneven distribution and integration into world economy inputs. Risks and uncertainties affect the construction sector, and it is equally important for project managers, contractors, policymakers, and investors to understand what drives different factors (Larsen et al., 2016). Through discovering latent forces, stakeholders can enhance the efficiency and efficacy of projects by locating bottlenecks and mitigating safety hazards. ...
... Recognizing the pivotal role of industrial buildings in economic activities, there is a growing need to scrutinize and reform construction methodologies and materials that traditionally contribute to environmental degradationcentral bank monetary policy adjustments, government expenditure interventions, and monitoring chain disturbances have influenced regulation and the supply money solicitation relationship. Government spending injects money into the building industry, creating activity and GDP increase (Larsen et al., 2016). Global events like pandemics affect the construction supply chain, and materials availability issues spiral effect costs. ...
... For the short term, M1s slight hike would allow an economic boom with borrowing and consumption on top of responding inflows for investments driving growth in GDP. Alternatively, if the growth of money supply increases goes overboard it will result to inflation which repudiates any benefits that may have emanated due increase in GDP (Larsen et al.,2016). However, although this bond is not so fluid in the short term, it creates necessary infrastructures such as roads, contracting platforms to connect bridges and other structures that support human beings to live comfortably like power plants, communication networks among others; this helps the populations consecrate their lives since they can be able to move from one place to another thus leading easily (Weimer and Vining, 2017). ...
The relationship between money supply and the construction sector's contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria has become a subject of heightened attention. While an increase in money supply can potentially lead to positive economic outcomes, including credit availability, heightened consumer spending, and increased investments, challenges such as inflation, central bank interventions, and external risks introduce complexities. The construction industry, a vital player in the economic landscape, significantly contributes to GDP through infrastructure projects, job creation, and economic diversification. However, challenges within the construction sector, such as economic cycles, environmental concerns, labour exploitation, and safety issues, add layers of complexity. Despite recognizing the impact of money supply on economic indicators, establishing a clear correlation between "Money Supply" and "Contribution to GDP" within the construction industry remains elusive. Various factors, including project timelines, material dependencies, labour costs, regulatory hurdles, and the influence of government policies and corruption, contribute to this ambiguity. In the context of developing countries like Nigeria, where the relationship's clarity is uncertain, policymakers face challenges in steering economic growth. This study aims to uncover the hidden factors shaping the link between money supply and the construction sector's contribution to Nigeria's GDP, providing insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and scholars. It is meant to guide effective policy formulation and enhance the construction industry's contribution to national economic growth by addressing inefficiencies, delays, and corruption.
... that are required to be performed correctly in a certain pattern or sequential manner to meet the end desired result [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. The client and contractor in their own approach first of all visualize what the end product or project delivery would look like, consisting of different features and uses and facilities, leading to a chalk out plan to identify all activities and tasks that would be performed or followed in sequential fashion to reach the final outcome, the desired end project or goal. ...
... The client and contractor in their own approach first of all visualize what the end product or project delivery would look like, consisting of different features and uses and facilities, leading to a chalk out plan to identify all activities and tasks that would be performed or followed in sequential fashion to reach the final outcome, the desired end project or goal. It also includes working out the time requirement for activities along with their resource estimates for same [2,[11][12][13]. ...
In India the Construction industry is one the most integral industry and it also forms a vital role in contributing to the economy growth of the country. People of wide range ranging from skilled, unskilled to semi-skilled are provided employment by this industry as this industry is very labor intensive .Despite this there has been many reported accidents, ill health problems and damage cause to the Environment during the execution phases of the construction works. Knowledge however for the management plan for the health, safety. And the Environment Management Plan is limited in the Industry. The aim of the study is therefore aimed at finding the plans to be followed in real life at the sites, to find and analyze the deficiencies and also to suggest ways to mitigate them in the context of the Indian Industry. While meeting the objective of the study for my case study two metro projects were studied one the Delhi metro project and the other one being the Mumbai Metro project. Both the projects were studied for their environment management plans which is being followed and the mitigation methods adapted by the authorities. The study aims at going through the literature reviews and to understand and see that whether the facts mentioned are being followed at the site and what are the things which is being lacked.
... The time delay hampers the quality of the construction as well as architectural beatifications. The time delay depends on several reasons such as schedule delay (Larsen et al., 2015), payment delay (Chadee et al., 2023), size of firms (Maqsoom et al., 2021), and decision change from the owner side ( Table 1 presents the details questionnaire survey with corresponding various analysis methods to predict reasons for time delay. This research explains time delay in construction projects to consider the most common factor of "decision change from the owner side" because it's a common issue in Bangladesh. ...
... This research explains time delay in construction projects to consider the most common factor of "decision change from the owner side" because it's a common issue in Bangladesh. Larsen et al. (2015) studied schedule delay and cost overrun of a public construction project focusing on the project manager's activities. The schedule delay and cost overrun were significantly impacted on the critical issues of the project. ...
This research evaluates the time delay factors for construction works by the questionnaire survey in several firms in Bangladesh. The two questions have been asked to the firm's authorities/representatives during the survey to reach the goal of prediction of the time delay factors. The time delay factors hamper the completion of the construction works within the scheduled time. There are 49 numbers of time delay factors have been found in the questionnaire survey. These factors have come from the 25 numbers of firms during the survey. The number of feedbacks against two questions for architectural, structural, and construction firms have been selected be 10, 20, and 20 nos. The 49 feedbacks have been found in different forms which indicate the time delay factors. The construction works in Bangladesh may be completed within the scheduled time by overcoming the impact of time delay factors.
... Since variations in construction projects are unavoidable, it is especially important to address them and keep them to the barest minimum [25]. These variations, if not properly managed, can lead to overruns in cost and time, reduced productivity, and even rework [11,12,16,21,22,31] in addition to causing payment-related issues [38]. ...
... Construction projects frequently experience variations [3,4]. Variations in a building project cannot be entirely avoided, even though they can be handled [11,16,21,22,25,26]. If these variations are not adequately controlled, they can result in cost and time overruns, decreased productivity, and even rework. ...
Variations in construction projects are inevitable. These variations, unless properly managed, can lead to serious cost and time overruns, which affect the overall success of construction projects. Over the years, research on variations management within the construction domain has been recording a tremendous upsurge. Monitoring this research progress is crucial to identifying topics that need more investigation. This study, therefore, conducted a scientometric review using the bibliometric data from 897 research articles on variations management in the area of construction projects with the aid of the VOS viewer software. The analysis revealed that from 1982 to 2023, variations research publications grew steadily. This demonstrates the growing dedication of efforts towards the management of variations in construction projects. The study reveals leading outlets, authors and studies in variations management research. The study consequently contributes to the body of knowledge by providing early career researchers, funding bodies, construction project policymakers, as well as industry professionals with a useful reference point on the scientific research advancements in variations management research.
... Inaccurate estimated costs at the initiation phase of a construction project (i.e., when budgeting and defining the scope of the project) and improper planning of the investment process are some of the most often discussed causes of cost overruns in the literature [10]. Other causes of cost overruns include: errors or omissions in design documentation that lead to design changes [11][12][13][14][15], an unrealistic duration of construction works [16], a lack of availability of qualified labor [17], a lack of management staff [18], a lack of effective coordination between the participants of the investment process [19], a lack of experience of contractors [20], and variable weather conditions [21]. ...
... X-symbol of a category/group of building objects (A-I), according to Table 1; Y-number of the analyzed construction projects (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), according to Table 1. ...
Forecasting the actual cost of the implementation of a construction project is of great importance in the case of technical management and enables financial resources to be initially maintained in a controlled manner and in a way that is as close as possible to the actual state. Based on the analysis of the developed knowledge base, which contains data from 612 reports of the Bank Investment Supervision regarding 45 construction projects from 2006 to 2023 with a total value of over PLN 1,300,000,000, best-fit curves were determined, and the expected area of the cumulative actual cost of selected construction projects was specified. The obtained polynomial functions and graphs of real areas of cost curves (in the form of nomograms) constitute a reliable graphical representation that enables the application of research results in typologically similar groups/sectors of the construction industry. The elaborated course of the cumulative cost curve (CCCC) as a method of CAPEX prediction in selected construction projects stands for a combined approach of the S-curve, polynomial functions, and the best-fit area of cumulative earned cost. The research used scientific tools that can be practically and easily used by both managers and participants of the investment process.
... Buildings 2024, 14, 1243 2 of 23 cost, which burdens the budget [16,17]. The construction goods and services costs change with the time in which the role of inflation is not barred [18,19]. ...
... Several factors contribute to the overbudgeting of a construction project and cause financial setbacks, e.g., wrong estimation [12], change order, vague project scope [13], inflation [14], and unforeseen conditions [15]. Moreover, project delays also escalate the construction goods and services tion goods and services cost, which burdens the budget [16,17]. The construction goods and services costs change with the time in which the role of inflation is not barred [18,19]. ...
Over-budgeting due to inflation is a common phenomenon in the construction industry of both developed and developing countries. Inflation, with time changes, leaves an adverse effect on the project budget. Hence, this study aims to focus on the construction price index (CPI) behavior and inspect its correlation with inflation in Thailand’s construction industry as there has not been much work performed. The prediction of CPI was made from 2024 to 2028, relying on the data set from 2000 to 2023. The relationship between inflation and CPI categories helps in prediction by considering inflation as the independent variable and CPI (All Commodities, Lumber and Wood Products, Cement, and Iron Products) as the dependent variable that was incorporated in EViews to perform automated ARIMA forecasting. The correlation results show that out of four CPI, only Iron Products showed a significant relationship with inflation. For All Commodities, Lumber, and Wood Products, the predicted values were fluctuating, while for Cement and Iron Products, a clear seasonal pattern was observed. This prediction gives a direction to construction industry practitioners to make necessary adjustments to their budget estimation before signing the contract to overcome cost overrun obstruction.
... The requirement of time, cost, and quality is most important in the building sector. These three are considered the primary goals for which a building project is judged effective (Bagaya & Song, 2016;Larsen, Shen, Lindhard, & Brunoe, 2016). (Silva et al., 2016) define construction project success as "the perceived degree of fulfilment of predefined performance targets and participants' expectations of the execution of a construction facility or service." ...
... In (Larsen et al., 2016) examined 26 factors influencing project exceeds, cost extension and quality points in Danish publicly sponsored construction sector project 56 project administrators took part in the study. The research sought to determine whether the impact of the aspects differed considerably from one another. ...
This study investigated the impact of triple project constraints including time, cost, and quality on construction projects. The main goal was to examine several construction-related barriers, most of which were caused by time delays, cost overruns, and poor project quality. In addition, improper cost estimation planning can occasionally result in overestimation or underestimation, which can cause construction projects to be delayed or tasks to go unfinished. To improve the construction industry's routine and produce successful projects that satisfy its stakeholders, the study aims to investigate the impact of project cost, project quality, and project time with a moderating function for organizational support. A questionnaire survey was held, and overall findings indicate that managing triple constraints significantly impacts on the success of construction projects. Organizational support also moderates the detrimental effects of project cost, project quality, and project duration on the success of construction projects.
... For [19], in the study Factors Affecting Schedule Delay, Cost Overrun, and Quality Level in Public Construction Projects, the schedule, budget and quality level are affected in significantly different ways in relation to the critical factor's success of a project. Therefore, public managers must compile the factors and treat them through an individualized vision that can contribute to the management of the project as a whole, preventing and treating possible deviations. ...
The aim of this work is to analyse the quality and transparency of data on the additional costs of public works. The problem identified is the lack of detailed and accessible information that allows for an adequate analysis of the performance and final state of public works, especially in relation to prices and deadlines. This is a case study carried out in Portugal, in which information from public works contracts with a closing date in 2022 was analysed. The data were extracted from the public access portal, responsible for making available and publishing information on the execution of public works contracts. The information was subjected to a statistical treatment process seeking to identify answers to transparency issues. The originality of this study lies in the quantitative and statistical approach applied to the evaluation of the transparency of the data made available on the portal, contributing to the debate on improving public management. The results indicate the need to expand the content available on the portal since the information provided does not allow for an analysis of the final state and performance of the works carried out, especially those relating to price and deadline, which in turn limits the construction of forecasting models and performance indicators. Corrective measures are proposed that include information that allows for answering questions about transparency and that allows for the construction and analysis of statistics and indicators, contributing to identifying the need for improvements in legislation, and the adoption of mechanisms that can improve, correct and or reinforce actions with an impact on the management of public resources.
... No frequent changes of order Larsen et al. (2015) Neyestani, ...
The digitalization of the construction industry is deemed a crucial element in Construction 4.0’s vision, attainable through the implementation of digital twinning. It is perceived as a virtual strategy to surmount the constraints linked with traditional construction projects, thereby augmenting their productivity and effectiveness. However, the neglect to investigate the causal relationship between implementation and construction project management performance has resulted from a lack of understanding and awareness regarding the consequences of digital twinning implementation, combined with a shortage of expertise among construction professionals. Consequently, this paper extensively explores the relationship between digital twinning implementation and construction project management performance. The Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) is employed to investigate this relationship, utilizing a quantitative research approach through document analysis and questionnaire surveys. Additionally, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS software is employed to deduce the relationship. The results underscore that digital twinning implementation significantly improves construction project management performance. Despite recognizing various challenges in digital twinning implementation, when regarded as moderating factors, these challenges do not significantly impact the established causal relationship. Therefore, this investigation aligns with the national push toward the digitalization of the construction sector, highlighting the positive impacts of digital twinning implementation on construction project management performance. Moreover, this study details the impacts of implementing digital twinning from the construction industry’s perspective, including positive and negative impacts. Afterwards, this paper addresses the existing research gap, providing a more precise understanding and awareness among construction industry participants, particularly in developing nations.
... Delays in construction projects, excessive costs and low quality are common problems in the construction and engineering sector. In particular, time and cost overruns in large public construction projects seem to be a global phenomenon, with no abatement over the past 70 years, with an average cost increase of more than 28% (Larsen et al. 2016). As a chronic and common problem worldwide, most construction projects, both in developing and developed countries, suffer from time delays (Bajjou and Chafi 2020). ...
With the increasing number of construction projects in modern times, there is a pressing need to effectively manage the three key aspects of a project: time, cost, and quality. Among these 3 aspects, time and cost aspects play a very important role in different stages of the project life cycle, because they can influence each other. Delays in the project can lead to increased costs, especially in countries suffering from inflation. Conversely, attempts to complete the project on time despite delays can result in a decrease in quality. Therefore, the aim of this research is to provide a risk assessment method based on Bayesian Belief network (BBN) to predict the delay and cost increase as well as the time and cost of the project and also to provide a decision support system (DSS) to determine the most suitable delay reduction strategy in terms of cost it was in construction project. The developed proposed framework was implemented in a 17-story tower and its results were compared with real data from the project. The findings show that the developed BBN has a high degree of accuracy in predicting project delays and cost overruns, and the proposed DDS can effectively determine the most suitable delay reduction strategy while keeping costs under control.
... In Step 6, causes are ranked according to their relationship with contractors, project owners, project managers, and external factors, excluding the least prioritized causes of delays. The highest-ranked causes will then be used as the factors to study the following importance index (Amoatey and Ankrah, 2017;Bajjou and Chafi, 2020;Choudhry et al., 2014;Larsen et al., 2016;Shah et al., 2021;Srdic and Šelih, 2015). Finally, in Step 7, the factors contributing to project delays are analyzed by selecting each group's most frequently encountered causes. ...
This study aims to identify the causes of delays in public construction projects in Thailand, a developing country. Increasing construction durations lead to higher costs, making it essential to pinpoint the causes of these delays. The research analyzed 30 public construction projects that encountered delays. Delay causes were categorized into four groups: contractor-related, client-related, supervisor-related, and external factors. A questionnaire was used to survey these causes, and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method was employed to prioritize them. The findings revealed that the primary cause of delays was contractor-related financial issues, such as cash flow problems, with an RII of 0.777 and a weighted value of 84.44%. The second most significant cause was labor issues, such as a shortage of workers during the harvest season or festivals, with an RII of 0.773. Additionally, various algorithms were used to compare the Relative Importance Index (RII) and four machine learning methods: Decision Tree (DT), Deep Learning, Neural Network, and Naïve Bayes. The Deep Learning model proved to be the most effective baseline model, achieving a 90.79% accuracy rate in identifying contractor-related financial issues as a cause of construction delays. This was followed by the Neural Network model, which had an accuracy rate of 90.26%. The Decision Tree model had an accuracy rate of 85.26%. The RII values ranged from 68.68% for the Naïve Bayes model to 77.70% for the highest RII model. The research results indicate that contractor financial liquidity and costs significantly impact construction operations, which public agencies must consider. Additionally, the availability of contractor labor is crucial for the continuity of projects. The accuracy and reliability of the data obtained using advanced data mining techniques demonstrate the effectiveness of these results. This can be efficiently utilized by stakeholders involved in construction projects in Thailand to enhance construction project management.
... Amarkhil et al. [22] summarized fourteen inherent delay causes in construction project activities: (1) communication and coordination; (2) corruption and bureaucracy; (3) decisionmaking and approval; (4) design and specification; (5) experience and knowledge; (6) financial and price escalation uncertainty; (7) management and performance; (8) planning and scheduling; (9) political and security problems; (10) regulation and contract requirements; In addition, Larsen et al. [24] identified the five main causes of delay in public construction projects as follows: (1) unsettled or lack of project funding; (2) delay or long process times caused by other authorities; (3) unsettled or lack of project planning; (4) errors or omissions in construction work; and (5) lack of identification of needs. ...
Singapore has established six Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hubs with the goal of meeting ambitious productivity targets and building a resilient precast supply chain by 2024. These factories are equipped with high levels of mechanization and automation. However, they are currently operating far below their designed capacity due to a storage bottleneck. In land-scarce Singapore, finding large spaces for precast storage is a challenge. One possible solution is to implement a just-in-time approach. To achieve this, a systematic approach is required to plan, monitor, and control the entire supply chain effectively, utilizing various strategies, methods, and tools. This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive literature review in related areas, believing that knowledge transfer is a faster way to develop solutions to new problems. The main idea of the proposed solution is to implement an integrated supply chain system model with a central decision-maker. It is recommended that the factories take a more active role in decision-making. Establishing this integrated system relies on trust and information sharing, which can be facilitated by cutting-edge digital technologies. The results of this paper will provide valuable insights for future research aimed at completely solving this issue.
... Previous studies (Abdelsalam and Gad 2009;Heravi and Jafari 2014;Larsen et al. 2016) agree on the importance of identifying the root causes of nonconformance for proactive defect prevention. Lin and Fan (2018) used association rule mining to identify the root causes of defective production. ...
To reduce the risk of unexpected cost of rework (COR), a variety of predictive models have been developed in the construction management literature. However, they primarily focus on prediction accuracy, and rather less attention has been paid to the trustworthiness of prediction models. This increases operational risk and hinders its integration in related decision-making. Aiming to reduce the utilization risk and increase the reliability of COR prediction models, this study exploits the graph convolutional network (GCN) model, which enhances representativeness by accommodating interrelationships among the root causes of nonconformances. The GCN can process a more representative input network that provides COR records while factoring in the shared root causes of nonconformance in the resulting COR. The proposed approach achieved a COR prediction accuracy as high as 85%, which is significantly higher than that of any existing cost prediction model. The demonstrated accuracy and lower risk of the proposed GCN model thus enhance the reliability of the prediction and trust in its outcome, facilitating its integration into developing rework prevention strategies and relevant resource allocation for construction professionals. The study contributes to construction project management by proposing a novel COR prediction model that embodies accuracy, representativeness, and interpretability. Whereas we tailored the GCN model to predict COR with a focus on nonconformance root causes, it is noted that rework costs can also be influenced by other project factors, such as site safety.
... Despite being a multidimensional strategic concept (Pinto et al., 2021;Shenhar et al., 2001), there is little consensus in the literature on what truly constitutes project success (Cooke-Davies, 2002;Volden & Welde, 2022).Traditionally, success in project management research has been associated with achieving the so-called iron triangle (Atkinson, 1999;De Witt, 1988;Keegan & Turner, 2002;Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996;Olsen, 1971), which involves managing the project within agreed time, cost, and quality constraints while adhering to the initially envisioned investment budget. The three dimensions of time, cost, and quality are fundamental elements in project planning and remain crucial in defining project success (Larsen et al., 2016;Park, 2021;Pollack et al., 2018;Watanabe et al., 2024;Zid et al., 2020). ...
... According to the contractor's perspective, it can be caused by owner intervention, late payment by the owner, owner's delay in making design improvements and approving design documents, suspension of work and slow decision making. According to the consultant's perspective the delay is caused by: owner order variations during construction, poor contractor labour productivity levels and unqualified labour which causes the quality of work to not meet requirements (Ezeldin & Ibrahim, 2015;Larsen et al., 2016;Tahir et al., 2019;Palikhe et al. 2019). Based on the results of research by Nugroho & Adi (2014), around 67.4% of construction projects carried out by contractors cannot be completed on time as planned due to inadequate planning and scheduling, which has an impact on licensing, additional work, delays in the supply of equipment and materials. ...
This study aims to analyse the causes of delays in the implementation of construction projects caused by management (owners/consultants) and production (contractors). The research sample consists of 56 respondents who are directly involved in the implementation of construction projects (owners, consultants, contractors, field supervisors, and estimators). The quantitative data analysis technique used was descriptive analysis technique, while the qualitative data obtained by interviewing 5 construction project experts was analysed by qualitative descriptive method. To analyse the causes of delays in project implementation, an analysis technique using the Relative Importance Index (RII) formula was used with a reference value of RII> 0.710. The results showed that 1) the average RII on management factors was 0.895> 0.710. This means that management factors (owner/consultant) can cause delays in the implementation of construction projects; 2) the average RII on production factors is 0.917> 0.710. This means that production factors (contractors) can cause delays in the implementation of construction projects. This means that production factors (contractors) can cause delays in the implementation of construction projects. This research is directly useful for construction service providers and contributes to the development of Project / Construction Management science.
... Naji et al. [29] recommended using fuzzy MFs to classify Likert scale responses. The numerical values of the MFs were determined using expert judgment or historical data, as described by Larsen et al. [38]. ...
Citation: Sirin, O.; Gunduz, M.; Al Nawaiseh, H.M. Developing an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System for Performance Evaluation of Pavement Construction Projects. Sustainability 2024, 16, 3771. https://
... Construction material price fluctuations, delays by contractors in delivering materials and equipment, and inflation were identified as the key factors leading to cost overruns. In their study on public construction projects in Denmark, Larsen et al. (2015) found unresolved project funding caused time delays, consultant material errors led to cost overruns, and errors in construction work affected quality. In the UAE, Johnson and Babu (2020) found that design variations, unrealistic schedules, and government approval delays were the main factors contributing to time overruns, while design variations, inadequate cost estimation, and client delays in decisionmaking were identified as the principal causes of cost overruns. ...
... A review of the literature reveals a wide range of types and sources of risk in civil engineering projects, as well as that different risk management methods and techniques can be included in construction project management in order to control potential risks. A review of the scientific and professional literature also points to the fact that many authors have dealt with risk assessment and their impact on missing the planned deadlines and budgets [14][15][16][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]. ...
The main and primary goal of the research in this paper is to analyze the actual current situation in domestic civil engineering, by determining the causes of missing deadlines and exceeding budgets of civil engineering projects. Since the results of this research also indicate the most likely problems that could arise during the construction of a project, the findings and conclusions could be used in risk assessment and drawing up dynamic plans for actual projects, which would improve the situation in domestic civil engineering and increase productivity of this important industry.
The results obtained in this paper provide a modern approach to the problem of risk in construction, provide a realistic insight into risk factors on civil engineering projects in the Republic of Serbia and the surrounding area, and facilitate the establishment of a better correlation between theory and practice in project management and risk management.
... Delays can also have a severe effect, and the consequences of delayed tasks or projects can be critical, leading to problems in project objectives, such as quality, duration, cost, and safety [63]. Delays can cause a loss of money in several construction projects because there is a relationship between time and money [41]. Therefore, any time loss equals a loss of money. ...
Construction projects are prone to cost overruns and delays that can significantly impact their profitability and quality. Identifying the root causes of these issues is critical to finding practical solutions. This study focuses on the Egyptian construction sector and identifies the top six factors that lead to cost overruns and delays in mega construction projects. These factors are inadequate project planning, poor communication and coordination, changes in project scope, lack of skilled labour, insufficient budget allocation, and payment delays. The study recommends strategies to mitigate these factors, such as involving all stakeholders in the planning process, using project management tools, and setting realistic timelines to improve project planning and scheduling. Regular meetings and clear communication channels can achieve effective communication and coordination. The study also suggests managing changes in project scope through effective change management processes and ensuring sufficient budget allocation by conducting accurate cost estimates and setting aside contingency funds. These recommendations can provide practical insights for practitioners and policymakers in the construction industry to mitigate the impact of cost overruns and delays. Overall, the study emphasises the importance of identifying and addressing the key factors contributing to cost overruns and delays in mega construction projects.
... Reducing and optimizing the project duration using models such as the critical path method falls under a mature area of project management knowledge (Turner et al. 2013), requiring less attention in the present day as compared to the softer, people-dependent areas. This is the case for delays, which are in many cases traced back to planning stage errors of the project team (Larsen et al. 2016;Love and Matthews 2022). Delays have already been studied to mitigate their occurrence and impact (Grant et al. 2006;Han et al. 2009), but their prevailing influence on cost in complex projects again necessitates a deeper knowledge of risk management (Morris 2022;Sanchez-Cazorla et al. 2016). ...
... Quality and reliability are indicated by quality control and assurance programs, accurate definition of scope, compliance with quality specifications, query response timeliness and adequate risk analysis [14,42,44,45]. On time project delivery, on budget project delivery, desired quality outcomes, cost saving, political stability and project complexity are used to evaluate the project success of E&P projects [14,42,44,46,47]. Financial outcomes of projects are mostly analyzed by the return of assets (ROA), return on sales (ROS), net operating income and EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) [14,48,49]. ...
The exploration and production (E&P) projects of the oil and gas (O&G) industry are typically considered hazardous and complex due to tight timeframes, environmental issues, and geological uncertainty. No substantial research has been carried out to deal with these issues previously. The current study emphasized the empirical investigation of numerous success factors that affect both the project success and financial performance of E&P projects. Critical success factors for the project performance have been identified from the literature and pilot survey conducted in the O&G sector of Pakistan. A framework has been developed using identified factors including project team, production planning and control, performance success and financial overview. For the validation of the developed model, confirmatory factor analysis has been used with a sample of 247 industry experts. The results of this study offer substantial empirical evidence that the project team, production planning and control, quality and reliability, and project success have a significant impact on the financial performance of E&P projects in the oil and gas industry. Project team has been observed as the most significant factor influencing project success among other factors. The research findings of this study can be advantageous for project managers to address aspects intended to cope with uncertainty at the early stages of E&P projects using an empirically validated framework.
... These project delivery methods can be organized into two categories according to a study by Ren and Zhang [17]: (1) design and construction being combined in one contract (such as DB and IPD) and (2) design and construction contracts being separated (such as DBB and CMR). In practice, the selection of the best project delivery method depends on many factors, such as the type and complexity of a project and the experience and preference of its owner, as well as other parties, who can be interested in establishing combined or separate design and construction contracts [18]. In a study by Zhang et al. [19], BIM has brought great advantages to project delivery and performance although it has also increased project complexity. ...
From a technological point of view, a huge potential can be found in building information modeling (BIM) in order to significantly improve the performance of a project. However, the literature review could not provide conclusive results on the impact that contractual practices may have on how effective BIM may result in technological terms, as well as outcomes within a project itself. The aim of this research is to determine the impact contractual conditions have on the link between BIM use effectiveness and the performance of a project. A self-administered survey was distributed to project design managers within architecture, engineering and construction engineering (AEC) firms. Using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method, 92 answers were analyzed, finding contractual conditions to be mediating. These results show that appropriate conditions set in a contract with regard to handling BIM technology have a positive impact on the performance and outcomes of a project. The results, however, are only based on Spanish companies, meaning they may not necessarily be applied in global terms due to the cultural differences there may be within countries and continents, which should also be taken into account in the construction phase. Senior managers and policymakers could greatly benefit from the abovementioned findings with regard to improving contractual conditions in project design management in a BIM context, helping remove any source of conflict. It has been suggested by researchers that a gap has been found in BIM contractual practices literature, affecting not only BIM implementation but also project performance, thereby contributing to an improvement in BIM practices in construction contexts.
... So, the project manager cannot be expected to manage the issues brought about by these elements by concentrating simply on schedule-or budget-related issues, nor can he or she assume that time, cost, and quality are all equally impacted by them. (Larsen et al., 2016) When compared to other sectors, it has been shown that the road transportation and highway sector experiences the highest amount of cost and time overruns. Although the causes of cost and time overruns have some in common, the effects and frequency of their occurrences vary from project to project and cannot be generalised. ...
Time overrun and cost overrun is the greatest impediment to the completion of National Highway Authority of India projects. NHAI is contributing a lot to the socioeconomic progress of India by developing national highways. The government has set an ambitious target for the next five years with huge investments. NHAI is ready to accept new technology, innovation, etc. however, NHAI faces problems of time overrun, cost overrun & claims in current digitization era. The purpose of this study is to analyzed the status of the NHAI project whether it would be completed on time and cost or having time overrun and cost overrun problems. In this study, the data were extracted fromwww.pppindia.gov.in(GOI, 2019) a website handled by the department of economic affairs government of India. 322 project data were analyzed that whether it would be completed on time, within cost, or the project have problems with time overrun, cost overrun or both.Many researchers had found different reasons like low level political support(Maemura et al., 2018), inadequate contract clarification, speed of tender, land acquisition, etc in this paper Authors have analyzed different time overrun and cost overrun statuses of NHAI projects for various states of India with different financial models. Only 37.26% of projects were completed within time and cost. It is high time to do a serious investigation into the problem of Time overrun and cost overrun of NHAI projects and find the root cause of the issue.
... Chen and Liu (2019) and Hwang et al. (2020) have identified different types of risks that led to cost overruns in the construction industry such as delays in the construction period (Ghauri et al.2020), changes in construction (Lou et al. 2020), misunderstanding of drawings (Rahmani 2020), poor communication and coordination (Smith 2016). Irrational or lack of construction planning (Larsen et al. 2016;Hwang et al. 2020) causes unsystematic site management (Connaughton and Collinge 2021), such as unbalanced allocation of labour (Amadi 2021) leading to cost overruns. Most of these causes are related to the procurement process in construction projects and could be better managed with better procurement practices. ...
Purpose
Cost overrun is a significant issue in construction, an undesirable feature the industry has long been associated with. Poor procurement practices are often blamed for subsequent cost overruns in construction, especially with conventional procurement methods leading to outrageous cost overruns. The purpose of this study is to review the features of the new models of construction procurement (NMCP) and assess their potential to reduce cost overruns in construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review was conducted to identify the issues of procurement leading to cost escalations. Primary data were obtained through exploratory, semi-structured interviews using a case study approach.
Findings
Clients’ lack of knowledge was highlighted as a key issue in procurement that interlinks with many factors causing cost escalation. The findings suggest that the features contained within the NMCP, such as early contractor involvement and collaboration throughout the project team, have the potential to make a positive contribution to addressing cost escalation in construction.
Research limitations/implications
The primary research was undertaken as an exploratory study and presents the contractor's perspective. Further research is therefore suggested, with multiple organisations representing all key stakeholders in a construction project, including clients, consultants, sub-contractors and suppliers.
Practical implications
The study recommends awareness of the NMCP be raised throughout the industry, and simplified information must be made available to help widen uptake of these contemporary procurement methods.
Originality/value
Addressing the dearth of research concerning the use of NMCP within the industry, this study makes a niche contribution to the body of knowledge on construction cost management by illustrating the potential offered by these new procurement methods for addressing cost escalation. For an industry where collaboration is accepted with reservations, this case study demonstrates how novel collaborative strategies such as open book costing, project bank accounts and shared pain and gain mechanisms can be implemented as part of the procurement strategy and how such strategies can contribute towards minimising the cost escalation inherent in construction projects.
This study explores the complex decision‐making (DM) dynamics between clients and consultants, a crucial area often neglected in existing research. Utilizing a Multi‐Perspective Approach combined with Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis, we examine DM challenges such as cost overruns, project delays, and compromised work quality stemming from ineffective DM practices. Key findings highlight the pervasive fear of financial repercussions from poor decisions, which impedes decisive and transparent DM. We offer practical recommendations for managers, propose strategies to strengthen DM processes, enhance project execution frameworks and insights to improve operational efficiency and competitive advantages for Ghanaian mining construction sector stakeholders. This study significantly contributes to the literature on project management by offering targeted solutions and advancing knowledge on DM practices.
Cost overrun is often a challenge in the construction industry due to its complex nature and inefficient project management. Despite extensive research, cost overruns persist in construction. Hence, to minimise these challenges, factors attributing to the cost overrun need to be identified. A country-based assessment is needed since these factors vary from nation to nation. Research conducted almost two decades ago has identified the key cost-related factors influencing cost overrun of Sri Lankan building projects as variation, extra work, fluctuation of price and currency, day works and others. However, given the significant developments and technological advancement in the Sri Lankan construction industry since then, it is crucial to reassess the factors influencing cost overrun in the current context. Therefore, this research intends to re-evaluate the cost-related factors contributing to cost overrun in Sri Lanka. Further, a panel data analysis was conducted to analyse how the influence of the cost-related factors that cause cost overrun has changed over time. This research adopted a survey strategy and used document review on the final BOQ, tender document, and final statement as the data collection technique. Mote-Carlo simulation was adopted to analyse the data collected from twenty random building projects in the western province of Sri Lanka. The findings concluded that work sections measured as ‘item’ in the BOQ and variations and extra work cause overruns in Sri Lankan construction. Hence, clients, contractors, and consultants should give more priority to these factors to minimise the cost overrun by reducing the errors in BOQ, making accurate estimations, and reducing changes over time. However, as the simulation model was derived based on cost-related factors, this study recommends considering other factors influencing the cost overrun of buildings in future research.
Apesar da importância econômica da construção civil, elevados custos de produção e baixa produtividade ainda são recorrentes. Empresas introduzem a filosofia Lean Construction (construção enxuta), visando reduzir perdas no processo produtivo, custo e tempo. Dentre os princípios da Lean Construction, a transparência dos processos auxilia na redução da ocorrência de erros e apoia a formulação de melhorias. O objetivo da pesquisa é identificar melhores práticas e desenvolver ferramentas voltadas à gestão visual do canteiro de obras. A unidade de análise é um empreendimento multifamiliar, totalizando 58 apartamentos. Utiliza-se o referencial teórico sobre o tema e observação participante no canteiro de obra. Dentre os principais benefícios verificados com a implementação da Gestão Visual destaca-se o aumento do controle de obra pelo nível estratégico e tático da empresa e o aumento da integração e conscientização dos trabalhadores do nível operacional no canteiro de obra em relação aos serviços já executados e a serem executados, facilitando, inclusive, o pagamento pelos serviços entregues por empreitada em decorrência da transparência do processo, visível a todos os envolvidos no canteiro de obra.
Purpose
The cash flow from government agencies to contractors, called progress payment, is a critical step in public projects. The delays in progress payments significantly affect the project performance of contractors and lead to conflicts between two parties in the Turkish construction industry. Although some previous studies focused on the issues in internal cash flows (e.g. inflows and outflows) of construction companies, the context of cash flows from public agencies to contractors in public projects is still unclear. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to develop and test diverse machine learning-based predictive models on the progress payment performance of Turkish public agencies and improve the predictive performance of these models with two different optimization algorithms (e.g. first-order and second-order). In addition, this study explored the attributes that make the most significant contribution to predicting the payment performance of Turkish public agencies.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, project information of 2,319 building projects tendered by the Turkish public agencies was collected. Six different machine learning algorithms were developed and two different optimization methods were applied to achieve the best machine learning (ML) model for Turkish public agencies' cash flow performance in this study. The current research tested the effectiveness of each optimization algorithm for each ML model developed. In addition, the effect size achieved in the ML models was evaluated and ranked for each attribute, so that it is possible to observe which attributes make significant contributions to predicting the cash flow performance of Turkish public agencies.
Findings
The results show that the attributes “inflation rate” (F5; 11.2%), “consumer price index” (F6; 10.55%) and “total project duration” (T1; 10.9%) are the most significant factors affecting the progress payment performance of government agencies. While decision tree (DT) shows the best performance among ML models before optimization process, the prediction performance of models support vector machine (SVM) and genetic algorithm (GA) has been significantly improved by Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS)-based Quasi-Newton optimization algorithm by 14.3% and 18.65%, respectively, based on accuracy, AUROC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics) and F1 values.
Practical implications
The most effective ML model can be used and integrated into proactive systems in real Turkish public construction projects, which provides management of cash flow issues from public agencies to contractors and reduces conflicts between two parties.
Originality/value
The development and comparison of various predictive ML models on the progress payment performance of Turkish public owners in construction projects will be the first empirical attempt in the body of knowledge. This study has been carried out by using a high number of project information with diverse 27 attributes, which distinguishes this study in the body of knowledge. For the optimization process, a new hyper parameter tuning strategy, the Bayesian technique, was adopted for two different optimization methods. Thus, it is available to find the best predictive model to be integrated into real proactive systems in forecasting the cash flow performance of Turkish public agencies in public works projects. This study will also make novel contributions to the body of knowledge in understanding the key parameters that have a negative impact on the payment progress of public agencies.
The building sector is very dynamic and complex, so construction works are surrounded by uncertainties. The deficiencies of this sector are mainly related to poor project planning and management, resulting in losses because of missed deadlines, cost overruns, reworks, and unsatisfied clients. For a project to be successful, all the parties involved should work together to effectively manage the risks that could emerge in the project life cycle. This research defines and establishes a classification of the factors causing cost and time deviations in construction projects in the Dominican Republic. For this purpose, the most common factors are compiled, and their risk levels are determined by using the data obtained in a survey in which professionals from the building sector participated. The indexes marked by the participants show that the serious risk factors are design variations and the variations made by clients, a tight project schedule and the preparation of bid offers, deficiencies in the work planning and schedule, the lack of skilled labour, and work performance errors.
In the construction industry, project management aims to effectively manage cost, quality, and time. In this context, it is possible to prevent the delay among the problems in the life cycle of construction projects with the effective implementation of time management. In the construction process, it is an important step to identify the factors that cause delay to manage time effectively. These factors may depend on different factors such as the stakeholder groups involved in the construction process and the nature of the project. Being able to determine which factors are affected by the factors that cause the delay will enable the correct and effective solution to be produced and to search for the source of the problem. In this study, the factors that cause delays in construction projects are determined and it is revealed from which stakeholder groups these factors originate. In addition, it is investigated whether the delay factors determined vary according to the nature of the project. Thus, it is aimed to determine the delay factors that should be considered in the construction projects for time management and the delay factors classified according to stakeholder groups and nature of project.
Government-sponsored projects in Iraq significantly improve the economic situation and provide services but face high rates of troubling blocks. This work aims to identify indicative factors of the Troubled Project using periodic health check reports based on a literature review and interviews with Iraqi experts. As a result, a questionnaire was prepared that included four sections. The first is personal information; the second section is information about knowing the level of institutions' implementation of project management through prepared documents. The third section is about indicative factors for the project's trouble, including 25 workers; the fourth section is about the questions in the periodic reports to check the project's health. Findings show that the following factors affect the troubled projects: inaccurate initial budget and schedule estimates; poor project scope description; poor team communication; poor planning and definition of the project; lack of a risk management plan and disregarding risk indicators; high rate of rework, and ineffective documentation of project plans with a high relative importance index that ranges from 0.91 to 0.81. Thus, the institutions' activation of the project examination reports with the proposed questions with a relative importance index ranging from 0.88 to 0.77 helps identify the main factors for the troubled projects. 1 رجب المنعم عبد حنان ، 2 ، * قسم ال هندسة ال مدني ة اق العر بغداد، بغداد، جامعة الهندسة، كلية ، الخالصة اجه تو لكنها ، الخدمات وتقديم كبير بشكل االقتصادي الوضع تحسين على اق العر في الحكومة ترعاها التي يع المشار تعمل الفحص ير تقار باستخدام المتعثر للمشروع اإلرشادية امل العو تحديد إلى البحث هذا يهدف المقلقة. العقبات من عالية معدالت على ً وبناء الدوري، الصحي أقسام. بعة أر يشمل استبيان إعداد تم اقيين عر اء خبر مع المقابالت و األدبيات اجعة مر ، إعداد تم المؤسسات تنفيذ مستوى فة معر حول معلومات الثاني القسم ؛ الشخصية المعلومات هو األول القسم أقسام: بعة أر يتضمن استبيان التي الوثائق خالل من المشروع ة إلدار القس إعدادها. تم الثالث م بع يتعلق ويضم المتعثر للمشروع إرشادية امل و 25 ؛ ً عامال المشروع. صحة من للتحقق ية الدور ير التقار في تضمينها المقترح األسئلة األخير و ابع الر القسم ويتناول ً وفق امل العو تؤثر ، للنتائ ا ا وتقدير الدقيقة غير األولية انية الميز ة: المتعثر يع المشار على التالية ا تو ؛ المشروع لنطاق سيئ وصف ؛ الزمني الجدول ت صل معدل ارتفاع ؛ المخاطر ات مؤشر وتجاهل المخاطر ة إلدار خطة وجود عدم ؛ المشروع يف وتعر التخطيط سوء الضعيف يق الفر من اوح يتر الذي تفع المر النسبية األهمية مؤشر مع المشروع لخطط الفعال غير التوثيق و العمل إعادة 0.91 إلى 0.81 وبالتالي. من اوح يتر نسبية أهمية مؤشر لها التي المقترحة باألسئلة المشروع فحص ير لتقار المؤسسات تفعيل فإن ، 0.88 إلى 0.77 ة. المتعثر للمشروعات ئيسية الر امل العو تحديد في يساعد الرئيسية: الكلمات ة المتعثر يع المشار االهمية ،مؤشر المشروع صحة فحص ير ،تقار اقية. العر يع ،المشار النسبية
Purpose-This study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to identify these crucial PFs and secondly, to develop a robust performance model capable of effectively measuring and assessing the intricate interdependencies and correlations within ISSPs. By achieving these objectives, the study aimed to provide valuable insights into and tools for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of sanitation projects in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach-To achieve the study's aim, the methodology for identifying the PFs for ISSPs involved several steps: extensive literature review, interviews with Egyptian industry experts, a questionnaire survey targeting industry practitioners and an analysis using the Relative Importance Index (RII), Pareto principle and analytic network process (ANP). The RII ranked factor importance, and Pareto identified the top 20% for ANP, which determined connections and interdependencies among these factors. Findings-The literature review identified 36 PFs, and an additional 13 were uncovered during interviews. The highest-ranked PF is PF5, while PF19 is the lowest-ranked. Pareto principle selected 11 PFs, representing the top 20% of factors. The ANP model produced an application for measuring ISSP effectiveness, validated through two case studies. Application results were 92.25% and 91.48%, compared to actual results of 95.77% and 97.37%, indicating its effectiveness and accuracy, respectively. Originality/value-This study addresses a significant knowledge gap by identifying the critical PFs that influence ISSPs within the construction industry. Subsequently, it constructs a novel performance model, resulting in the development of a practical computer application aimed at measuring and evaluating the performance of these projects.
The quality of building materials will affect the implementation effect of construction projects. To ensure the service capacity of building materials, it is necessary to do a good job in selecting suppliers. In the specific evaluation of building material suppliers, after evaluation, suppliers with poor quality are excluded to ensure the quality of material supply, reasonably improve the construction effect of the building project, meet the construction needs of the building project, and improve the quality of the building project. The selection and application of building material suppliers (BMSs) is a multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) technique. In this study, the 2-tuple linguistic neutrosophic number combined grey relational analysis (2TLNN-CGRA) technique is constructed based on the classical grey relational analysis (GRA) and 2-tuple linguistic neutrosophic sets (2TLNNSs). Finally, a numerical example for building material supplier selection was constructed and some comparisons is constructed to illustrate the 2TLNN-CGRA technique. The main contribution of this study is constructed: (1) the 2TLNN-CGRA technique is implemented to cope with the MAGDM under 2TLNSs; (2) the 2TLNN-CGRA technique is implemented in line with the 2TLNN Hamming distance (2TLNNHD) and 2TLNN Euclidean distance (2TLNNED) simultaneously under 2TLNSs; (3) the numerical example for building material supplier selection is implemented to show the 2TLNN-CGRA technique; and (4) some efficient comparative studies are constructed with several existing decision techniques.
Purpose
This study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to identify these crucial PFs and secondly, to develop a robust performance model capable of effectively measuring and assessing the intricate interdependencies and correlations within ISSPs. By achieving these objectives, the study aimed to provide valuable insights into and tools for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of sanitation projects in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the study's aim, the methodology for identifying the PFs for ISSPs involved several steps: extensive literature review, interviews with Egyptian industry experts, a questionnaire survey targeting industry practitioners and an analysis using the Relative Importance Index (RII), Pareto principle and analytic network process (ANP). The RII ranked factor importance, and Pareto identified the top 20% for ANP, which determined connections and interdependencies among these factors.
Findings
The literature review identified 36 PFs, and an additional 13 were uncovered during interviews. The highest-ranked PF is PF5, while PF19 is the lowest-ranked. Pareto principle selected 11 PFs, representing the top 20% of factors. The ANP model produced an application for measuring ISSP effectiveness, validated through two case studies. Application results were 92.25% and 91.48%, compared to actual results of 95.77% and 97.37%, indicating its effectiveness and accuracy, respectively.
Originality/value
This study addresses a significant knowledge gap by identifying the critical PFs that influence ISSPs within the construction industry. Subsequently, it constructs a novel performance model, resulting in the development of a practical computer application aimed at measuring and evaluating the performance of these projects.
Purpose – Construction projects are fraught with hazards that have a detrimental impact on schedules, estimates, and quality. The project execution phase exposes contractors to internal and external hazards, either implicitly or explicitly. A project’s achievement is contingent on the proper handling of internal and external hazardous concerns. This study investigates the connection linking internal and external risk factors with risk management in Saudi Arabian contractors and the moderation role of government bylaws linking this connection. Research methodology – This study investigates 303 Saudi Arabian contractors to explain the influence of internal hazards, external hazards, and governmental by-laws on risk management by applying the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Findings – The outcome indicates that internal hazards (active leadership, team competency, and skills and effective communication), external hazards (technological, political, cultural, and economic factors), and government by-laws (also, its moderation role with external hazards) are positively connected with risk management resulting a moderate effect. Furthermore, the outcome also highlights that the moderating influence of government by-laws with internal risk factors is insignificant. Research limitations – The current research model depicted 74.4% of the overall variation in risk management. Other latent variables can explain the 25.6% remaining overall variation in risk management which can be taken into account for future aspects of effective construction risk management. Practical implications – This study raises the efficiency of Saudi Arabian contractors by improving project output delivery. This study made recommendations to boost risk management usage. Originality/Value – This research was conducted for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it is an original work.
Numerous studies about risk assessment have been conducted in academia, but there is still a gap between practice. To close this gap between practice and academia, researchers should understand and provide improvements based on the actual practice of risk analysis. The purpose of this study is to provide practical knowledge on risk assessment by investigating empirical data on risk probability and impact. This study investigated 124 international construction projects and classified projects into high performance group and low performance group based on profitability and the rate of increase in construction period. And then, this study compares the features of risk probability and impact between two groups by using non-parametric statistical analysis. The results show that project risk, particularly contract risk, demonstrates the highest risk probability and impact on both cost and schedule performances. Conversely, capability risk demonstrates the lowest risk probability and impact. The study also suggests the major risk factors with both a high level of risk probability and impact which should be carefully managed in future projects. These findings provide insights into the understanding of practical risk management and can serve as a reference for more accurate risk evaluation by practitioners.
A indústria da construção é uma das mais dinâmicas, arriscada e desafiadora. Com isso, o setor apresenta muitos problemas de gerenciamento alinhado a uma exigência cada vez maior em relação ao desempenho tanto nos aspectos de qualidade e custos, quanto nos aspectos associados aos riscos do empreendimento não terminar no prazo contratado. Neste cenário, as organizações precisam ser mais competitivas para sobreviverem às condições impostas pelas partes interessadas e, neste contexto, a análise dos riscos que impactam no prazo do projeto tem-se tornado um fator crítico de sucesso. No entanto, a maioria dos modelos de gestão de riscos avaliam os riscos como eventos independentes, desconsiderando as inter-relações existentes entre as atividades críticas e os riscos. A fim de vencer esta limitação o objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar os riscos com foco no cronograma em um projeto complexo do setor de mineração contemplando informações aleatórias de diferentes situações relacionadas às atividades e não somente a duração da atividade, assim com a interação entre as variáveis. E, por meio de simulação de Monte Carlo na análise dos riscos foi possível identificar e definir planos de mitigação com os resultados alcançados. Como resultado, em uma análise sem correlação entre as atividades foi identificado que existe a probabilidade de 41,81% das atividades do caminho crítico estarem entre a duração planejada e a média, e com correlação esta probabilidade é de 25,33%. Isto é, com a análise e seus resultados auxilia um gestor de projeto a desenvolver estratégias de mitigação, bem como a monitoramento dos riscos identificados, melhorando o processo de tomada de decisão e, consequentemente, aumentando a taxa de sucesso do projeto.
The success of any infrastructure construction project rely on cost and time aspect of project. Execution of infrastructure project within given timeline and budget is really challenging. It is of essential to study the issues that can arise while project is ongoing. Metro construction sector is currently the one with utmost investment. Pune Metro construction project is such a project that aims to provide a rapid transit system for the growing population of Pune city in India. However, like many other construction projects, it has been plagued by cost and time overruns. In this paper, we have studied factors related Metro construction which lead to cost and time overrun through literature and then validated with the pilot study. Responses of various stakeholders working on project were recorded on the Likert’s scale for each factor considering their overall impact on cost and time aspect of project. Factors are then ranked with relative importance index method for each aspect and the reliability of responses is checked through Cronbach’s alpha test. Through this research, primary causes which affected cost of project most are found as material cost, land acquisition and price escalation while Covid-19 pandemic, land acquisition affected the time schedule of project most. This paper discusses methodology opted by Pune Metro to tackle these risks and recommendations about measures to be taken for avoiding these overruns which were found out through personal interactions with stakeholders and site visits. This study can turn out to be guide for future Metro construction projects, both in India and globally, and help to lower down likelihood of cost and time overruns risk in these complex and important infrastructure projects.
Court proceedings and litigation are on the rise globally. The judiciary is having trouble keeping up with the daily rise in lawsuits. Litigation impedes the development of the nation. Both developed and developing nations have their unique systems for conducting legal proceedings. The legal proceeding is intricate, time-consuming, and expensive. Each nation allocates a larger portion of its budget to infrastructure since it helps the nation's socioeconomic development. The study area is considered a national highway project of India. In this study, the eleven-year litigation data was collected from the Supreme Court of India, Gujarat High court, and Delhi High court for the National Highway Authority of India. The said data are compared with each other by a linear relationship. The finding indicates that in the various courts a significant number of unresolved cases are increasing daily. The study is valuable for displaying and quantifying the potential threat of litigation that could hamper a country's development. This study has the capacity to effectively address litigation in national highway project. This study has two limitations it has considered only national highway projects under NHAI and it focuses only on three court cases i.e. Supreme Court, Gujarat high court, and Delhi high court.
As global crises such as COVID-19 become more frequent, many projects, which can be called blitz projects, will need to be completed extremely quickly in response. However, there remains a lack of theoretical support for their implementation as well as systematic strategies for managing their schedules. This article examines the responses to COVID-19 by three specialty field hospitals in China. Through reviews and cross-analysis of the influential factors and practices, and their effects on extreme schedule management, this article proposes a systematic strategic framework including the elements of mission, solution and innovation, organization and culture, communication, resources, dynamics, and adaptability.
From a theoretical standpoint, quality management and safety management programs have similar characteristics. In construction work, a company's ability to deliver a quality product in a safe manner is the key to business success. In order to better understand what contributes to successful quality and safety programs in construction, a literature review was conducted using general, engineering, and business literature search engines. In all, 49 articles were found: 18 articles on safety, 26 articles on quality, and five articles on safety and quality. Overall, the literature supports the use of integrated safety and quality management in construction. However, according to the literature, there are three primary barriers to the success of quality management in construction projects: ‘shoddy’ implementation, the nature of construction work, and the industry itself.
This study investigates the causes of delay of building construction projects in Ghana to determine the most important according to the key project participants; clients, consultants, and contractors. Thirty-two possible causes of delay were identified from the literature and semi-structured interviews of 15 key players in the implementation process. These delay factors were further categorised into nine major groups. The list of delay causes was subjected to a questionnaire survey for the identification of the most important causes of delay. The field survey included 130 respondents made up of 39 contractors, 37 clients and 54 consultants. The relative importance of the individual causes and the groups were calculated and ranked by their relative importance index. The overall results of the study indicate that the respondents generally agree that financial group factors ranked highest among the major factors causing delay in construction projects in Ghana. The financial group factors were delay in honouring payment certificates, difficulty in accessing credit and fluctuation in prices. Materials group factors are second followed by scheduling and controlling factors.
This article presents results from the first statistically significant study of cost escalation in transportation infrastructure projects. Based on a sample of 258 transportation infrastructure projects worth $90 billion (U.S.), it is found with overwhelming statistical significance that the cost estimates used to decide whether important infrastructure should be built are highly and systematically misleading. The result is continuous cost escalation of billions of dollars. The sample used in the study is the largest of its kind, allowing for the first time statistically valid conclusions regarding questions of cost underestimation and escalation for different project types, different geographical regions, and different historical periods. Four kinds of explanation of cost underestimation are examined: technical, economic, psychological, and political. Underestimation cannot be explained by error and is best explained by strategic misrepresentation, i.e., lying. The policy implications are clear: In debates and decision making on whether important transportation infrastructure should be built, those legislators, administrators, investors, media representatives, and members of the public who value honest numbers should not trust the cost estimates and cost-benefit analyses produced by project promoters and their analysts.
The subject of poor cost performance has been widely published in the mainstream project and construction management literature. Nevertheless, the underlying responsibilities of the key stakeholders (clients, consultants, and contractors) in managing this chronic problem in the Australian construction industry remain unclear. By performing an in-depth analysis of the roles and responsibilities of these key stakeholders, this research is intended to unfold the industrywide perception of cost performance being heavily reliant on the contractor's performance alone. Based on a thorough literature review and relevant industry inputs, 73 attributes associated with cost performance were identified for investigation. Based on the relative importance weighing technique on 48 selected attributes, planning and scheduling deficiencies have the highest impact on cost performance from clients, consultants, and contractors' perspectives. Confirmatory factor analysis on the combined responses across all three groups suggests that robust control procedures and adequate programming, along with efficient design and effective site management, are the most critical factors. These factors are primarily associated with the responsibilities of contractors and consultants for managing cost overruns in projects. However, the client's responsibility in facilitating effective management of these factors within the project environment is crucial. Multivariate regression analysis performed on eight factors' scores highlighted the influence of five significant factors (p < 5%) on managing cost overruns. The findings are expected to abridge a significant knowledge gap by shifting the priorities in cost estimation and management practices across all industry sectors. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000621. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Poor project requirements definition and management (RDM) is one of the major causes of project failure. However, many organizations do not adequately manage a project's requirements leading to a poor design basis. Thus, quality of requirements is critical to the success of any construction project. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the mediating effect of requirements quality on the relationship between RDM practice and project performance. The second objective was to determine whether the impact of RDM practice on project performance was moderated by project characteristics. A three-phase approach was employed to investigate construction projects in the Taiwanese building industry. The testing supports a role for requirements quality as a partial mediator in the relationship between RDM practice and project performance. The findings also indicate that project characteristics have a moderating effect on the relationship between requirements quality and overall project performance.
Santrauka
Prastai apibrėžti ir valdomi projekto reikalavimai – viena iš pagrindinių projekto nesėkmės priežasčių. Tačiau daug organizacijų neskiria pakankamai dėmesio projekto reikalavimų valdymui, todėl sukuriamas prastas projektavimo pagrindas. Taigi kokybės reikalavimai yra esminis sėkmės garantas bet kuriame statybų projekte. Pagrindinis šio tyrimo tikslas – išnagrinėti, kaip reikalavimų kokybė veikia jų apibrėžimo ir valdymo ryšį su projekto efektyvumu. Antrasis tikslas – nustatyti, ar projekto savybės mažina reikalavimų apibrėžimo ir valdymo poveikį projekto efektyvumui. Pritaikius trijų etapų metodą, išnagrinėti statybų projektai Taivano statybų sektoriuje. Bandymai patvirtino, kad reikalavimų kokybė iš dalies keičia jų apibrėžimo ir valdymo ryšį su projekto efektyvumu. Išvados taip pat rodo, kad projekto savybės riboja reikalavimų kokybės bendram projekto efektyvumui poveikį.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: projekto reikalavimai, reikalavimų apibrėžimas ir valdymas, projekto efektyvumas, projekto savybės
Construction projects, private and public alike, have a long history of cost escalation. Transportation projects, which typically have long lead times between planning and construction, are historically underestimated, as shown through a review of the cost growth experienced with the Holland Tunnel. Approximately 50% of the active large transportation projects in the United States have overrun their initial budgets. A large number of studies and research projects have identified individual factors that lead to increased project cost. Although the factors identified can influence privately funded projects the effects are particularly detrimental to publicly funded projects. The public funds available for a pool of projects are limited and there is a backlog of critical infrastructure needs. Therefore, if any project exceeds its budget other projects are dropped from the program or the scope is reduced to provide the funds necessary to cover the cost growth. Such actions exacerbate the deterioration of a state's transportation infrastructure. This study is an anthology and categorization of individual cost increase factors that were identified through an in-depth literature review. This categorization of 18 primary factors which impact the cost of all types of construction projects was verified by interviews with over 20 state highway agencies. These factors represent documented causes behind cost escalation problems. Engineers who address these escalation factors when assessing future project cost and who seek to mitigate the influence of these factors can improve the accuracy of their cost estimates and program budgets.
In both developing and industrialized countries, deviation from a planned time schedule is one of the most frequently encountered problems in construction investments. Various factors faced with during construction period prevent systematic flow of work, which causes time-based anomalies as a conclusion. Considering the vital importance of the construction industry on the macro-economic structure of a country, it is inevitable to be aware of considerable effect of the timely completion on the allocated project budget. In this study, causes of time extensions in the Turkish construction industry and levels of their importance were examined together. In total, 34 factors affecting project duration were taken into account. A questionnaire survey, including these factors, was then applied to 71 construction companies in Turkey, and the outcomes were evaluated by means of statistical analyses. According to the results, “design and material changes” was found to be the most predominant factor, followed by “delay of payments” and “cash flow problems”. In terms of importance levels of factor groups, financial factors were found to be the first group, while environmental factors were the least effective group. It should be also noted that managerial causes of time extensions are encountered in developed and developing countries, whereas financial causes are experienced in developing countries only.
Design-build (DB) is adopted as a project delivery method in hopes to improve performance. Previous studies focus on upstream issues such as conditions for adoption and contractor selection, but few address the design and construction coordination issues that are very likely to be encountered in execution by new users. This paper investigates coordination problems arising from design and construction concurrence and solutions by studying five ongoing DB projects and interviewing nine major contract parties. Inconsistent application of the design and construction process and infrequent feedback are two major problems found to have high influence on DB execution. A work unit planning process with five steps is presented in this paper to help better manage the design and construction coordination of a DB project.La conception-construction est utilisée comme méthode de livraison de projet en espérant améliorer le rendement. Des études antérieures ont porté sur les questions en amont, telles que les conditions pour l’adoption et la sélection des entrepreneurs, mais peu traitent des questions de coordination de la conception et de la construction qui seront probablement rencontrées lors de l’exécution par de nouveaux utilisateurs. Le présent article traite des questions de coordination découlant de la convergence de la conception et de la construction et des solutions en étudiant cinq projets de conception-construction en cours et en interviewant neuf grands entrepreneurs. Une utilisation irrégulière du processus de conception-construction et le peu de rétroaction sont deux problèmes principaux ayant une grande influence sur l’exécution de la méthode de conception-construction. Un processus de planification par unités de travail comportant cinq étapes est présenté dans cet article afin d’aider à mieux coordonner le processus de conception-construction d’un projet.
This paper provides guidelines for the design and execution of survey research in operations management (OM). The specific requirements of survey research aimed at gathering and analysing data for theory testing are contrasted with other types of survey research. The focus is motivated by the need to tackle the various issues which arise in the process of survey research. The paper does not intend to be exhaustive: its aim is to guide the researcher, presenting a systematic picture which synthesises suitable survey practices for research in an OM context. The fundamental aim is to contribute to an increase in the quality of OM research and, as a consequence, to the status of the OM discipline among the scientific community.
Variability is a well-known problem in construction projects, which leads to the general deterioration of project performance. During the last decade, the Last Planner System (LPS™), a production planning and control system based on lean production principles, has been increasingly applied in the construction industry to improve planning reliability reducing the negative impacts of variability. LPS™ promotes actions to increase planning reliability, monitoring the percentage of plan completed (PPC) in a short-term period. However, there is limited research evidence about the relationship between planning reliability and project performance. In this paper, the authors report on a detailed research analysing this relationship during the construction phase of a home building project at activity and project levels. By doing so, two indexes are proposed: an activity planning reliability index called the process reliability index (PRI), and a project aggregate labour productivity index, called the project productivity index (PPI). Statistical analyses using the proposed indexes were conducted showing positive and strong relationships between planning reliability and performance at activity and project levels. Finally, the research findings provide the guidelines of a preliminary methodology to forecast the impacts of planning reliability over project performance, when lean production methodologies are applied in project planning and control.
In this paper we discuss the problems of defining quality in the construction industry, examine possible benefits of implementing quality, and look at barriers to quality implementation in construction. We use data collected during interviews with contractors and data from questionnaire surveys. Results show that contractors do understand the potential benefits of quality implementation but that there are also many barriers to implementation. We describe recent developments that might help to overcome the barriers. However, the different actors in construction need to understand that change is a slow and often painful process and that much effort is required to implement quality in construction industry.
This article presents results from the first statistically significant study of cost escalation in transportation infrastructure projects. Based on a sample of 258 transportation infrastructure projects worth US$90 billion and representing different project types, geographical regions, and historical periods, it is found with overwhelming statistical significance that the cost estimates used to decide whether such projects should be built are highly and systematically misleading. Underestimation cannot be explained by error and is best explained by strategic misrepresentation, that is, lying. The policy implications are clear: legislators, administrators, investors, media representatives, and members of the public who value honest numbers should not trust cost estimates and cost-benefit analyses produced by project promoters and their analysts.
Despite the availability of various control techniques and project control software many construction projects still do not achieve their cost and time objectives. Research in this area so far has mainly been devoted to identifying causes of cost and time overruns. There is limited research geared towards studying factors inhibiting the ability of practitioners to effectively control their projects. To fill this gap, a survey was conducted on 250 construction project organizations in the UK, which was followed by face-to-face interviews with experienced practitioners from 15 of these organizations. The common factors that inhibit both time and cost control during construction projects were first identified. Subsequently 90 mitigating measures have been developed for the top five leading inhibiting factors—design changes, risks/uncertainties, inaccurate evaluation of project time/duration, complexities and non-performance of subcontractors were recommended. These mitigating measures were classified as: preventive, predictive, corrective and organizational measures. They can be used as a checklist of good practice and help project managers to improve the effectiveness of control of their projects.
Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on infrastructure development - from roads, rail and airports to energy extraction and power networks to the Internet - surprisingly little reliable knowledge exists about the performance of these investments in terms of actual costs, benefits and risks. This paper presents results from the first statistically significant study of cost performance in transport infrastructure projects. The sample used is the largest of its kind, covering 258 projects in 20 nations worth approximately US$90 billion (constant 1995 prices). The paper shows with overwhelming statistical significance that in terms of costs transport infrastructure projects do not perform as promised. The conclusion is tested for different project types, different geographical regions and different historical periods. Substantial cost escalation is the rule rather than the exception. For rail, average cost escalation is 45% (SD = 38), for fixed links (tunnels and bridges) it is 34% (62) and for roads 20% (30). Cost escalation appears a global phenomenon, existing across 20 nations on five continents. Cost estimates have not improved and cost escalation not decreased over the past 70 years. Cost estimates used in decision-making for transport infrastructure development are highly, systematically and significantly misleading. Large cost escalations combined with large standard deviations translate into large financial risks. However, such risks are typically ignored or underplayed in decision-making, to the detriment of social and economic welfare.
A research study was performed to evaluate the methodologies used by transportation agencies to establish the contract durations used for highway construction projects. The study was financed by the Indiana State Highway Commission (ISHC). After reviewing the system used in Indiana, those used by other transporation agencies were also studied. Methods used vary from broad conceptual estimates to detailed critical path scheduling techniques. A method is proposed for the ISHC which incorporates some of the advantages of critical path methods, but does not require the preparation of a graphic network. The method should provide more consistency in the determination of contract time estimates by highway personnel. It should also provide a schedule guide for the field engineers during construction.
This article attempts to show that delay does matter and that different methods of analyzing schedule delay will lead to different results for the owner and the contractor. A delay is an act or event that extends the time required to perform tasks under a contract. It usually shows up as additional days of work or as the delayed start of an activity, and may or may not involve a change in the scope of the contract.
Nonparametric procedures are often more powerful than classical tests for real world data which are rarely normally distributed. However, there are difficulties in using these tests. Computational formulas are scattered throughout the literature, and there is a lack of availability of tables and critical values. The computational formulas for twenty commonly employed nonparametric tests that have large-sample approximations for the critical value are brought together. Because there is no generally agreed upon lower limit for the sample size, Monte Carlo methods were used to determine the smallest sample size that can be used with the respective large-sample approximation. The statistics reviewed include single-population tests, comparisons of two populations, comparisons of several populations, and tests of association.
When we have two independent samples and wish to compare their location (medians or means) we can no longer reduce this to a one-sample problem.
Front-end planning (FEP) is relatively new to the Singapore construction industry, and its importance is not yet well recognized or emphasized. Technological advancements and continuous fragmentation in the construction industry have resulted in a rapid increase in the complexity of projects, and yet this has not been matched by a concomitant increase in planning efforts. This study aims to identify the importance of FEP and its impact on project outcomes in order to encourage more organizations in Singapore to practice and benefit from it. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was developed, and the responses from 27 companies were analyzed. The analysis revealed that only about 44% of the responding companies practiced FEP on their projects. In addition, the study quantified the amount of the budget allocated to FEP as well as the level of improvement in project performance achieved by implementing FEP. Once companies recognize their FEP implementation status, they will be at a starting point to understand its importance and impact and will be able to better manage their projects, ultimately allowing the Singapore construction industry to increase its opportunity for producing more successful projects overall.
Critical success factors (CSFs) are used to support and measure the success of a strategic and tactical approach to project execution with the intent of ensuring the success of the project delivery system and to support the appropriate allocation of limited resources. This study aims to identify CSFs in terms of the different project players and their objectives in the context of Singapore's construction industry. To achieve this objective, 32 CSFs were first identified and classified into four major categories: (1) project characteristics, (2) contractual arrangements, (3) project participants, and (4) interactive processes. Then the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was employed to establish a hierarchical model of the factors' relative importance. To facilitate systematic analysis on their importance, 12 experts with at least 10 years of industry experience were surveyed; then, through the use of the Expert Choice software, the CSFs addressing budget performance, schedule performance, quality performance, and overall project success were identified. The results of this study may serve as a tool in the construction industry to rapidly assess the possibility of achieving project objectives. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000597. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
In this research, variation is defined as the time difference between what was planned and what actually happened in terms of task starting times and duration. Variation in construction tasks is important as it can impact productivity performance. Construction projects consist of a large number of interdependent tasks. When the starting time and/or duration of one task varies, it can affect other downstream tasks and result in disruptions to the schedule and/or decreased productivity. The construction process is complex and involves numerous people with different levels of responsibility, which makes identifying the root causes of the variation difficult. A nationwide survey was administered to workers, foremen, and project managers to identify the most prevalent causes and magnitude of both starting time and task duration variation. Fifty individual causes of variation were divided into eight categories: prerequisite work, detailed design/working method, labor force, tools and equipment, material and components, work/job site conditions, management/supervision/information flow, and weather or external conditions. This research examined the similarities and differences in perceptions between craft workers, foremen, and project managers in terms of starting time and task duration variation. The top eight causes of starting time variation and top nine causes of task duration variation were identified. The research also quantitatively analyzed the underlying structure of the causes of variation using factor analysis. This was done by grouping the 50 individual causes into nine orthogonal factors that represent the underlying structure of the affecting causes. The findings will help construction project managers and field managers focus on the root causes of variation during planning in order to develop effective strategies to reduce variation and improve project productivity performance.
This paper presents the findings of a questionnaire survey conducted on the factors affecting cost performance of Indian construction projects. Factor analysis of the response on the 55 success and failure ‘attributes’ identified through literature review and personal interview extracted seven factors. Critical success factors obtained by the analyses are: project manager’s competence; top management support; project manager’s coordinating and leadership skill; monitoring and feedback by the participants; coordination among project participants; and owners competence and favourable climatic condition. However factors adversely affecting the cost performances of projects, are: conflict among project participants; ignorance and lack of knowledge; presence of poor project specific attributes and non existence of cooperation; hostile socio economic and climatic condition; reluctance in timely decision; aggressive competition at tender stage; and short bid preparation time. Further analysis indicates coordination among project participants as the most significant of all the factors having maximum positive influence on cost performance.
Over 40% of Indian construction projects are facing time overrun ranging from 1 to 252 months; the reasons for which are being studied by researchers to suggest possible remedial measures. This paper identifies 55 attributes responsible for impacting performance of the projects. These attributes were then presented to Indian construction professionals in the form of a questionnaire. Statistical analysis of responses on the attributes segregated them into distinct sets of success attributes and failure attributes. Factor analysis of sets of success attributes and failure attributes separately grouped them into six critical success factors and seven critical failure factors. In order to understand the extent of contribution these factors have on the outcome of a construction project, a second stage questionnaire survey was also undertaken. The analyses of responses of the second stage questionnaire led us to conclude that two success factors and one failure factor: commitment of project participants; owner’s competence; and conflict among project participants contribute significantly in enhancement of current performance level of the project. The extent of their contribution has, however, been observed to vary for a given level of project performance. The analyses results are expected to help project professionals to focus on a few factors and get the optimum results rather than giving attention to all the factors and not getting the proportionate results.
Researchers have offered a variety of models for examining organizational effectiveness, yet there is little consensus as to what constitutes a valid set of criteria for measurement. In today's environment it is vital for construction firms aiming to maintain and improve performance to utilize an appropriate method to predict their organizational effectiveness. This paper illustrates a methodology for predicting the level of organizational effectiveness in the construction firm. The competing values approach towards understanding organizational effectiveness and its assessment is used to identify 14 variables. These variables are conceptualized from four general categories of organizational characteristics, relevant for examining effectiveness: structural context, organizational flexibility, rules and regulations, person-oriented processes and strategic means and ends. The methodology hypothesizes a multivariate linear model of the 14 variables as predictors and effectiveness operationalized by the level of overall performance as the response variable. Cross-sectional data were collected from 76 firms operating in institutional and commercial (IC) construction. The validated model showsthat five of the hypothesized 14 variables are highly significant in predicting the level of organizational effectiveness in the construction firms studied: organizational attitude towards change, multiple project handling ability, level of planning by management, strength of organizational culture and level of workers' participation in decision making.
Construction projects in India are experiencing widespread delays. Due to a dramatic shift in the capacity and volume of the Indian construction sector over the last decade, the need of a systematic analysis of the reasons of delays and developing a clear understanding among the industry professionals are highly crucial. Using a selected set of 45 attributes, this research first identified the key factors impacting delay in Indian construction industry and then established the relationship between the critical attributes for developing prediction models for assessing the impacts of these factors on delay. A questionnaire and personal interviews have formed the basis of this research. Factor analysis and regression modelling were used to examine the significance of the delay factors. From the factor analysis, most critical factors of construction delay were identified as (1) lack of commitment; (2) inefficient site management; (3) poor site coordination; (4) improper planning; (5) lack of clarity in project scope; (6) lack of communication; and (7) substandard contract. Regression model indicates slow decision from owner, poor labour productivity, architects' reluctance for change and rework due to mistakes in construction are the reasons that affect the overall delay of the project significantly. These findings are expected to be significant contributions to Indian construction industry in controlling the time overruns in construction contracts.
Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on infrastructure development -- from roads, rail and airports to energy extraction and power networks to the Internet -- surprisingly little reliable knowledge exists about the performance of these investments in terms of actual costs, benefits and risks. This paper presents results from the first statistically significant study of cost performance in transport infrastructure projects. The sample used is the largest of its kind, covering 258 projects in 20 nations worth approximately US$90 billion (constant 1995 prices). The paper shows with overwhelming statistical significance that in terms of costs transport infrastructure projects do not perform as promised. The conclusion is tested for different project types, different geographical regions and different historical periods. Substantial cost escalation is the rule rather than the exception. For rail, average cost escalation is 45% (SD=38), for fixed links (tunnels and bridges) it is 34% (62) and for roads 20% (30). Cost escalation appears a global phenomenon, existing across 20 nations on five continents. Cost estimates have not improved and cost escalation not decreased over the past 70 years. Cost estimates used in decision-making for transport infrastructure development are highly, systematically and significantly misleading. Large cost escalations combined with large standard deviations translate into large financial risks. However, such risks are typically ignored or underplayed in decision-making, to the detriment of social and economic welfare.
Research on quality incorporates a range of concerns, including quality definition and management, and such specific mechanisms as statistical quality control (SQC). However, though research in statistical quality control has evolved in a scientific and rigorous fashion, based on the early works of Shewhart, Juran, Deming and others, the study of other aspects of quality, particularly quality management, has not evolved in a similarly rigorous fashion. Theory development and measurement issues related to reliability and validity are particularly weak in the quality management literature. Starting from a strategic perspective of the organization, this paper identifies and substantiates the key dimensions of quality management, then tests the measurement of those dimensions for reliability and validity. In doing so, it establishes a clear framework for subsequent research and for evaluation of quality management programs by practitioners.
In order to specify the important dimensions of quality management, a thorough search of the relevant literature was undertaken. Quality management is defined as an approach to achieving and sustaining high quality output; thus, we employ a process definition, emphasizing inputs (management practices) rather than outputs (quality performance) in our analysis. Quality management is first viewed as an element of the integrated approach known as World Class Manufacturing; quality management supports and is supported by JIT, human resources management, top management support, technology management and strategic management. The key dimensions of quality management are then articulated. Top management support creates an environment in which quality management activities are rewarded. These activities are related to quality information systems, process management, product design, work force management, supplier involvement and customer involvement. They are used in concert to support the continuous improvement of manufacturing capability. As manufacturing capability and quality performance improve, a plant achieves and sustains a competitive advantage. This, in turn, provides feedback, reinforcement and resources to top management, which stimulates continuous improvement.
Based on the seven dimensions of quality management identified in this paper, a set of 14 perceptual scales was developed. The scales were assessed for reliability and validity with a sample of 716 respondents at 42 plants in the U.S. in the transportation components, electronics and machinery industries. Reliability is broadly defined as the degree to which scales are free from error and, therefore, consistent. The use of reliable scales provides assurance that the obtained results will be stable. Application of Cronbach's alpha both across the board and by industry and nationality subsamples refined the original group of 14 scales to 11 internally consistent scales.
Validity refers to the degree to which scales truly measure the constructs which they are intended to measure. This provides academic and industry users with confidence that the scales measure important constructs which are related to independent measures of the same constructs, and that each scale measures a single construct. It was concluded that the scales, and the instrument as a whole, are valid measures of quality management practices. Thus, the scales may be used with confidence by both researchers and industry users to measure quality management practices, with the ability to generalize beyond the immediate sample.
This paper makes several important contributions to the area of quality management. It proposes an emergent theory of quality management and links it to the literature. Because the proposed scales are reliable and valid, they may be used by other researchers for hypothesis testing and by practitioners for assessing quality management practices in their plants and for internal and external benchmarking. Finally, the paper provides a step‐by‐step approach and criteria for conducting reliability and validity analysis of a measurement instrument.
Problems of delay occur in all phases of construction projects. While most previous studies have focused on finding causes or overcoming delays in the construction phase, few studies have analyzed delay problems in the planning and design phases. The main purpose of this study is to identify and rank delay causes in the planning and design phases. A structured questionnaire was sent to engineers at the A/E companies for public construction projects in Taiwan. Based on 95 valid responses, this study identified the delay causes and analyzed the importance and frequency of delays using the relative importance index. Analytical results reveal that "changes in client's requirement" are the main causes of delays in both planning and design phases. The finding is good justification for many public clients who usually change their requirements during the planning and design phases that really delay construction projects.
The importance of preproject planning in the capital facility delivery process and its potential impact on project success has long been recognized by industry practitioners. Nevertheless, the preproject planning process varies significantly throughout the construction industry from one organization to another, and from one business sector to another. This paper will summarize lessons learned from five research projects conducted during the past 14 years regarding the preproject planning process. These research projects were based on data from more than 200 capital projects, representing approximately 8.7 billion U.S. dollars; input from more than 500 industry practitioners; and reviews of the project planning processes used by more than 100 organizations. The positive relationship between thorough preproject planning and enhanced project performance is demonstrated. Findings are presented, including key requirements, processes, and scope definition elements that comprise thorough preproject planning. Similarities and differences in the scope definition of building and industrial projects are outlined. Conclusions of the research effort and recommendations to industry practitioners are provided.
The complexity of construction industry requires the identification of work tasks and the coordination of interactions among them. As a result, construction planning is considered to be one of the most critical steps toward success and is the main focus of past research. Consequently, little research has been performed regarding the preconstruction planning, which is the planning completed by the contractor in the period between project award and project execution. This paper focuses on sheet metal preconstruction planning, primarily that of mechanical and heating ventilations and air conditioning contractors. The research was completed in three phases: phase one gathered data on the current state of preconstruction planning, phase two developed a model sheet metal preconstruction planning process to be used by sheet metal contractors, and phase three validated the model preconstruction planning process. Based on project data collected for this research, projects that used a planning process similar to the model process performed more successfully-they achieved an average profit margin of 23% while projects that were poorly planned experienced an average profit margin of -3%.
Planning is an essential function of project management. Yet, many small- and medium-sized contractors do a relatively poor job of operational planning. Better prebid plans will reduce costs, shorten schedules, and improve labor productivity. Unfortunately, the published literature offers little guidance for smaller contractors on what constitutes effective planning. Most papers describe planning as a macrolevel process for owners. Most emphasize scope definition for industrial projects. This paper describes a microlevel planning process for contractors. It consists of eight steps which are: (1) assess contract risks; (2) develop a preliminary execution plan; (3) develop site layout plans; (4) identify the sequences that are essential-to-success; (5) develop detailed operational plans; (6) develop proactive strategies to assure construction input into design; (7) revise the preliminary plan; and (8) communicate and enforce the plan. The entire process is illustrated with a case study project and is fully illustrated with figures which show how to integrate the work of multiple contractors, keep key resources (crews or equipment) fully engaged with no downtime, provide time buffers so the work of follow on crews can be efficiently done, expedite the schedule using multiple work stations and concurrent work, ways to communicate the work plan to the superintendent and foremen, and how to assess the feasibility of various work methods. The steps are easy to understand and implement. They will yield immediate positive results.
Construction delays are disruptive and expensive. This Study assesses the causes of delays by focusing on actions and inactions of project participants and external factors. The study analyzed quantitative data from completed building projects to assess the extent of delays, and data obtained from a postal questionnaire survey of construction managers to assess the extent to which 44 identified factors contributed to overall delays on a typical project they have been involved with. The findings showed that the factors could be prioritized. However, Pareto analysis revealed that 88% of the factors (representing 39 highest priority factors) were responsible for 90% of the overall delays. This suggests that there is no discernable difference among the different delay factors and none really stands out as contributing to a large percentage of the problem. A one-sample t test further confirmed that most of the factors are important contributors to delays. The results suggest the interdependent nature of construction activities and roles of project participants. The overall ranking of the factors and ranking within each factor category provide useful information for construction industry practitioners. policy makers, and researchers when devising ways of combating delays. The results also indicate areas of construction industry practice that require improvement.
Time compression is a widely accepted approach to improving customer service levels while minimizing total costs. However, few applications within the construction sector exist, especially in relation to the early stages of program development and design. These stages are of paramount importance because of the resultant ramifications on the total cycle time of the entire construction project, in the form of changes, rework, waste, and risk. Most applications of time compression focus on quantifying and removing nonvalue adding time from business processes. This is difficult for program development and the design stages of construction because most information sources are qualitative. As a result, a methodology has been developed to identify the key areas of potential improvement during these early stages. Collection of opinion data via semistructured interviews, questionnaires, and a workshop with a cross section of supply chain members has made it possible to quantify the potential improvements. The action research findings have been summarized into a time-compression model for the program development stages in the format of two interlinked cause and effect diagrams. These further emphasize the need for effective program development to minimize the risks of project overrun.
Construction delays are common in civil engineering projects in Hong Kong, inevitably resulting in contractual claims and increased project cost. This study was aimed, first, at gathering the perceptions of civil construction practitioners on how significant are the causes of delay; and, second, investigating whether the suggestions as stated in the report of the Construction Industry Review Committee (the Committee comprises members with good standing and knowledge in the construction and related fields as well as those from other professions who are responsible for examining the current state of the construction industry in terms of its output quantity, the quality of work, its environmental friendliness, site safety, its workforce and the system of supervision) are applicable to and effective at mitigating the corresponding delays with reference to a ranking order established using the mean score method. The extent of the differences in perception among the different respondent groups on these two issues was also examined using the rank agreement factor (RAF), percentage agreement (PA), and percentage disagreement (PD). The differences in the perceptions of the respondents on the significance of delays and the actual causes of delays for the six projects studied were also examined. The results of the study showed that the respondents tended to admit their own faults as shown in the top ten significant causes of delay. A strong consensus was found between the client and consultant groups on the significance of the various causes of delay (PA=74%) and the effectiveness of mitigation measures (PA=67%) compared with the other pairs of groups. The consultant and contractor groups held extremely different perceptions regarding the significance of various delay causes (RAF=4.9 and PD=32%) and the effectiveness of corresponding mitigation measures (RAF=6.2 and PD=47%). It is believed that the findings can provide much more insight for the construction practitioners as well as the researchers and thus help to improve the productivity and overall performance of civil construction projects in Hong Kong.
Delay in construction projects is considered one of the most common problems causing a multitude of negative effects on the project and its participating parties. This paper aims to identify the main causes of delay in construction projects in Egypt from the point of view of contractors, consultants, and owners. A literature review was conducted to compile a list of delay causes that was purged based on appropriateness to Egypt in seven semistructured interviews. The resulting list of delay causes was subjected to a questionnaire survey for quantitative confirmation and identification of the most important causes of delay. The overall results indicated that the most important causes are: financing by contractor during construction, delays in contractor's payment by owner, design changes by owner or his agent during construction, partial payments during construction, and nonutilization of professional construction/contractual management. The contractor and owner were found to have opposing views, mostly blaming one another for delays, while the consultant was seen as having a more intermediate view. Results'analyses suggest that in order to significantly reduce delay a joint effort based on teamwork is required. Furthermore, causes of project delay were discussed based on the type and size of the project.
