ENGINEERING

Causes of Construction Delays

Causes of Construction Delays

Introduction

According to the Ranking Causes of construction delay Index it was found that the main reason for the cause construction delay is due to unqualified workforce. It is followed by Shortage of labours, Delay in approving shop drawing & sample materials, Delay in progress payment by owner, Shortage of equipment & Type of construction contract. The least factor impact on such delays is ineffective planning and scheduling of project by contractor. Delay is a serious problem in the construction industry. It is costly for both owners and constructors. Owners lose money by missing the potential revenue from the use of project and overhead costs have increased for contract management and supervision.

Research Findings

One of the most important problems in the construction industry is delays. Delays occur in every construction project and the magnitude of these delays varies considerably from project to project. Some projects are only a few days behind schedule; some are delayed by over a year. So it is essential to define the actual causes of delay in order to minimize and avoid delays in any construction project.

The successful execution of construction projects and keeping them within estimated cost and prescribed schedules depends on a methodology that requires sound engineering judgment (Al-Moumani, 2000).

There is a wide range of views on the causes of time delays for engineering and construction projects. Some are attributed to a single party, others can be ascribed to several quarters, and many relate more to systemic faults or deficiencies rather than to a group or groups (Hancher and Rowings, 1981).

Many studies have been carried out to assess the causes of delay in construction projects. Mansfield et al. (1994) studied the causes of delay and cost overrun in construction projects in Nigeria. The results showed that the most important factors are the financing and payment for work completed, mismanagement of contracts, changes in site conditions, material shortages, and inadequate planning.

Assaf et al. (1995) outlined the main causes of delays in large building projects and their relative importance. In their study, they found that 56 causes of delay exist in Saudi construction projects. The most important delay factors, according to the contractors, were preparation and approval of drawings (delays in contractor's progress, payment by owners and design changes). The views of the architects and engineers were that delays were caused by cash problems during construction, the relationship between the contractors and a slow decision-making process on the part of the owners. Finally, the owners attributed delays to design errors, labour shortages and inadequate labour skills.

Ogunlana and Promkuntong (1996) identified the causes of delays in construction projects in Bangkok, Thailand and compared these with other delays and cost overruns to determine whether there are special problems that generate delays. They summarized the causes of delay in the construction industry as being in three problem areas:

1. problems of shortages or inadequacies in the industry infrastructure (mainly supply of resources);

2. problems caused by clients and consultants; and

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