1

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION GENERAL The Indian construction industry contributes more than 5 per cent to the countrys GDP and generates more than $30 billion in revenues (Datamonitor, 2006). Growth of the industry has greatly influenced the economic development in India, stimulating significant growth in other sectors. Therefore, improvement in efficiency and productivity in construction sector make significant contribution to the improvement in productivity in other sectors. A construction project is commonly acknowledged as successful, when it is completed on time, within budget, in accordance with the specifications and to stakeholders satisfaction. Functionality, profitability to contractors, absence of claims and court proceeding and fitness for purpose for occupiers have also been used as measures of project success. One of the most important problems in the construction project 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 the schedule: some are delayed over a year. So it is essential to define the actual causes of delays in order to minimize and avoid the delays in any construction projects. Delay is a situation when the contractor, consultant, and client jointly or severally contribute to the non-completion of the project within the original or the stipulated or agreed contract period. Delays give rise to disruption of work and loss of productivity, late completion of project,

increased time related cost, and third party claims and abandonment or termination of contract. It is important that general management keep track of project progress to minimize the possibility of delay occurrence or identify it at early stages. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Numerous researchers have also examined and identified the causes of delays in construction project. Assaf, et al. (1995), for example, studied the causes of delays in large building construction projects in Saudi Arabia. They identified that the most important causes of delay included are the approval of shop drawings, delays in payment to contractors and the resulting cash problems during construction, design changes, conflicts in work schedules of subcontractors, slow decision making and executive bureaucracy in owners organizations, design errors, labor shortage and inadequate labor skills. Ogunlana, et al. (1996) studied the delays in building project in Thailand, as an example of problem faced by the developing economies. They concluded that the problems of the construction industry in developing economies can be nested in three layers: problem of shortages or inadequacies in industry infrastructure, mainly supply of resources; problems caused by clients and consultants; and problems caused by incompetence of contractors. Chan and Kumaraswamy (1996) surveyed and classified the causes of construction delays in Hongkong as seen by clients, contractor and consultants, and examined the factors affecting productivity. The results of their research indicate that the five principal and common causes of delays are: poor site management and supervision; unforeseen ground condition; low speed of decision making involving all projects team; client initiated variations; and necessary variation of works.

Mezher and Tawil (1998) conducted the survey of the causes of delays in the construction industry in Lebanon from the viewpoint of owners, contractors and architectural/engineering firms. It was found that owners had more concerns with regard to financial issues; contractors regarded contractual relationship the most important, while consultants considered project management issues to be the most important causes of delays. A comprehensive classification of causes of construction delays has also been recommended by Abd. Majid and McCaffer (1998). They studied factors of non-excusable delays that influence contractors performance. The classification the main causes of non- excusable delays according to the sources of occurrence then identified the factors contributing to those causes. It is assumed that the client has more control over the compensable delays and can take action to prevent them. The contractor is expected to have control over the non-excusable delays and, presumably, do more prevent them. Al-Momani (2000) conducted a quantitative analysis of construction delays by examining the records of 130 public building projects constructed in Jordan during the period of 1990-1997. The researcher presented regression models of the relationship between actual and planned project duration for different causes of delays. The researcher concluded that the main causes of delays in construction projects relate to designers, user changes, weather, site conditions, late deliveries, economic conditions, and increase in quantities. Odeh and Battaineh (2002) studied causes of construction delay in Jordan. In their study presents the results of the survey which indicate that contractors and consultants have agreed that the owner interference, inadequate contractor experience, financing and payments, labor

productivity, slow decision making, improper planning, and subcontractors are among the top ten most important factors. Frimpong, et al. (2003) studied the factors contributing to delay and cost overruns in Ghana groundwater construction projects. The results of the study revealed the main causes of delay and cost overrun in construction of groundwater projects includes: monthly payment difficulties from agencies; poor contractor management; material procurement; poor technical performances; and escalation of material prices. Long, et al (2004), studied the problems on large construction projects in developing countries, a case study from Vietnam. They revealed that the problems could be grouped under five major factors; incompetent designers/contractors; poor estimation and change management; social and technological issues; site related issues; and improper techniques and tools. Koushki, et al. (2005) conducted a survey of the time-delay and costincrease associated with the construction of private residential projects in the state of Kuwait. They identified three main causes of time-delays includes: changing orders; owners financial constraints; and owners lack of experience in the construction business. Regarding cost overruns, the three main causes were identified as contractor related problems, material-related problems, and owners financial constraints. Wiguna and Scott (2005) studied on the risks affecting construction delays and cost overruns in building projects in Surabaya and Denpasar, Indonesia. They identified the most critical factors are: high inflation/increased material price; design change by client; defective design; weather conditions; delayed payment on contracts and defective construction work.

Studies the effects of delays in construction projects have been undertaken by numerous researchers. Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) identified the six effects of delays were time overrun, cost overrun, dispute, arbitration, total abandonment, and litigation. The results of their studied about the effects of construction delays on project delivery in Nigerian construction industry, shows time overrun and cost overrun were the frequent effects of delays in construction projects. Koushki and Kartam (2004) studied on the impact of construction materials in construction project in Kuwait. They obtained that time and cost overrun were the impact of the material selection time, their availability in the local market, and the presence of the supervising engineer. Several studies have been studied and recommended the methods of minimizing delays in construction projects. Nguyen, et al (2004), identified five critical success factors could be applied to reduce the effects of delays includes: competent project manager; adequate funding until project completion; multidisciplinary/competent project team; commitment to projects; and availability of resources. Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) in their study also identified two methods to reduce or if possible eliminate time overrun were acceleration of site activities, and contingency allowance. A comprehensive study to improve the situation of construction project also has been recommended by Odeh and Battaineh (2002). They recommended four methods includes: developing human resources in the construction industry through proper training and classification of craftsman; adopting a new approach to contract award procedure by giving less weight to prices and more weight to the capabilities and past performance of contractors; and adopting new approaches to contracting, such as designbuild and construction management (CM) type of contracts.

1.2

PROBLEM STATEMENT Many construction projects have faced various problems and delay of

time is one of the major problems. The delay in dispute settlement has manifold effects such as it will give detrimental to the relationship between owner and contractor. Moreover, it will also contribute to the cost and time overruns. The most serious problem is it sends bad signals to foreign investors thereby slowing down the national progress. It is generally said that the contract language is considered difficult to comprehend and they are therefore a major source of disputes. The study of Assaf (2006) was carried out the main causes of delay in large building projects in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered a random sample of contractors, consultants, and owners. Ahmed (2000) carried out a study to identify the major causes of delays in building construction in Florida, and then allocated the responsibilities and types of delays for each cause. In the study of Ahmad (2003), delays of time in a project, which has divided the reason of construction delays into 2 parts, i.e. lacking of material and other factors include labour, material and equipment, and financial problem. Besides those factors, other additional factors are weather, late of receiving order, change of structure, and plan specification error, force majeure, and workers strike. This research had been divided into 7 factors of the reasons of construction delays. Elina (2008) studied the project construction delay, which is focus in Johor Bahru about the reasons and impact of construction delays. Although my research is in the state of Tamil Nadu, but my research would be more concentrate on construction projects in Chennai and the problems faced in construction site would be slightly different from other area.

1.3

AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This research was aimed at identifying the major causes of delay,

effect of delay and methods of minimizing delays in construction project. To achieve the aims, objectives have been identified as following: a) To identify the main reasons of construction delay in construction projects b) To identify the effect of construction delay in construction projects c) To identify the methods of minimizing construction delay in construction projects 1.4 SCOPE OF WORK The scope of the research is mainly focus on literature review and a questionnaire survey. Project is focus on construction site in Chennai. The questionnaire survey would be designed based on the causes of construction delays, effects of construction delays and the methods of rectification of the construction delays. 1.6 SIGNIFICANT OF RESEARCH This research was done for the purpose to fulfil several of significant which considered important to refer for the parties that will involve in construction especially the contractor. These significant involve: i. To study the factor that cause delay in construction project and produce the statistical result. The result of the study will be the guideline to the parties that involve, so that it will avoid any source that will happen in their project.

ii. To suggest several factors that can avoid the delay in construction project. The factor can be study for the parties that involve in construction to reduce the risk of delay in construction project. iii. To study the effect of the delay in construction project. The result of the study will give good information to the involve parties to prepare fulltime work and responsibilities to ensure every activities will be done according to the plan. 1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The methodology of this study started from identifying the problem statement, literature review, collecting data, analysis of results, discussion of results, conclusions and recommendations. Figure 1.1 shows a flowchart of the research methodology in order to achieve the objectives of the study.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

LITERATURE REVIEW

TO IDENTIFY THE MAJOR CAUSES OF DELYAS

TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECT OF DELAYS

TO IDENTIFY THE METHODS OF MINIMIZING DELAYS

QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

DATA COLLECTION

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Figure 1.1: Flowchart of Research Methodology CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION

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In the study of Alaghbari, et al. (2007), delay is generally acknowledged as the most common, costly, complex and risky problem encountered in construction projects. Because of the overriding importance of time for both the Owner (in terms of performance) and the Contractor (in terms of money), it is the source of frequent disputes and claims leading to lawsuits. Delays caused by the client such as late submission of drawings and specifications, frequent change orders, and incorrect site information generates claims from both the main contractors and sub-contractors which many times entail lengthy court battles with huge financial repercussions. Delays caused by contractors can generally be attributed to poor managerial skills. Lack of planning and a poor understanding of accounting and financial principles have led to many a contractors downfall. Under some circumstances, a Contractor may be entitled to claim delay damages if he finishes later than an Owner-accepted early completion schedule but is still ahead of the official contract completion date. This may occur if the Contractor establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship between Owners breach of a contractual obligation and the delay. In addition, the Contractor has the burden of establishing its increased costs as a result of the delay. Majid (2006) stated that delays could be minimized when their causes are identified. Numerous researchers in several countries have studied identification of the factors that contributed to the causes of delays. Delay is a situation when the contractor, consultant, and client jointly or severally contributed to the non-completion of the project within the original or the stipulated or agreed contract period. 2.2 TYPE OF DELAY

11

According to Trauner et al. (2009), there are four main groups of construction delays: a) Critical or non-critical b) Excusable or non-excusable c) Compensable or non-compensable d) Concurrent or non-concurrent The diagram displayed in Figure 2.1 presents a general overview of how the construction delays can be categorized. Firstly, if the delay is critical or noncritical and concurrent or non-concurrent should be determined in the process of analyzing delay effects on the project. All construction delays are either excusable or non-excusable as shown in the figure. Then, excusable delays are classified into compensable or non-compensable delays. This figure presents only one interpretation, since excusable and compensability of delays can change according to the contract.

12

Figure 2.1: Delay Categories (Source: Trauner et al., 2009) In the study of Yang, Yin, and Kao (2007) delay classification is given in a different manner (Figure 2.2), but similar to the concept of Trauner et al. In another study, Kartam (1999) classified project delays into three main groups in terms of their origin, timing and compensability as shown in Figure 2.3. These groups are as given in the following:

13

Figure 2.2: Delay Classification (Source: Yang, Yin and Kao, 2007) a. Delays classified by their origin: Owner caused delays (OCD), contractor caused delays (CCD), third party caused delays (TPCD) b. Delays classified by their timing: These are concurrent delays (CD) and non-concurrent delays (NCD). c. Delays classified by their compensability: These are excusable delays (ED) which are also classified in it as excusable compensable delays (ECD) and excusable non-compensable delays (ENCD), and nonexcusable delays (NED).

14

Figure 2.3: Project Delays Classification (Source: Kartam, 1999) 2.2.1 Critical versus Non-Critical Delays Delays that affect the project completion or in some cases a milestone date are considered as critical delays and delays that do not affect the project completion or a milestone date are non-critical delays. If these activities are delayed, the project completion date or a milestone dater will be delayed. The determining which activities truly control the project completion date depends on the following: a) The project itself b) The contractors plan and schedule (particularly the critical path) c) The requirement of the contract for sequence and phasing d) The physical constraint of the project, i.e. how to build the job from Practical perspective

2.2.2 Excusable versus Non-Excusable Delays

15

All delays are either excusable or non-excusable. An excusable delay is a delay that is due to an unforeseeable event beyond the contractors or the subcontractors control. Normally, based on common general provisions in public agency specifications, delays resulting from the following events would be considered excusable:
a)

General labour strike

b) Fires c) Floods d) Acts of God e) Owner-directed changes f) Errors and omissions in the plans and specifications g) Differing site conditions or concealed conditions h) Unusually severe weather i) Intervention by outside agencies j) Lack of action by government bodies, such as building inspection Non-excusable delays are events that are within the contractors control or that are foreseeable. These are some examples or non-excusable delays: a) Late performance of sub-contractor b) Untimely performance by suppliers c) Faulty workmanship by the contractor or sub-contractors
d)

A project-specific labour strike caused by either the contractors

unwillingness to meet with labour representative or by unfair labour practices 2.2.3 Compensable Delays versus Non-Compensable Delays

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A compensable delay is a delay where the contractor is entitled to a time extension and to additional compensation. Relating back to the excusable and non-excusable delays, only excusable delays can be compensable. Non-compensable delays mean that although an excusable delay may have occurred, the contractor is not entitled to any added compensation resulting from the excusable delay. Thus, the question of whether a delay is compensable must be answered. Additionally, a nonexcusable delay warrants neither additional compensation nor a time extension. Whether or not a delay is compensable depends primarily on the terms of the contract. In the most cases, a contract specifically notes the kinds of delays that are non-compensable, for which the contractor does not receive any additional money but may be allowed a time extension. 2.2.4 Concurrent Delays The concept of concurrent delay has become a very common presentation as art of some analysis of construction delays. The concurrency argument is not just from the standpoint of determining the projects critical delays but also from the standpoint of assigning responsibility for damages associated with delays to the critical path. Owners will often cite concurrent delays by the contractor as a reason or issuing a time extension without additional compensation. Contractors will often cite concurrent delays by the owner as a reason why liquidated damages should not be assessed for its delays. Unfortunately, few contract specifications include a definition of concurrent delay and how concurrent delays affect a contractors entitlement to additional compensation for time extension or responsibility for liquidated damages.

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In analyzed concurrent delays, each delay is assessed separately and its impact another activities and the project duration is calculated. There are some guidelines for concurrent delays classification. Firstly, if excusable and non-excusable delays occur concurrently, only a time extension is granted to the contractor. Next, if excusable with compensation and excusable without compensation delays occur concurrently, the contractor is entitled to time extension, but not to damages. Lastly, if two excusable with compensation delays occur concurrently, the contractor is entitled to both time extension and damages. In addition, although the guidelines are useful for the purpose of carrying out the delay analysis, it is in the best interest of all parties involved in a construction project to agree, at the beginning, the definitions of such delays and accommodate them throughout the contract language. There was no reliable method to differentiate the impact of contractor caused delays from client caused delays until the development of CPM schedule analysis is developed. By the available of sophisticated computerized techniques, the possibility to segregate the impacts of apparently concurrent client and contractor delays would be higher. 2.3 CAUSES OF DELAY There are many factors that contributed to causes of delays in construction projects. These range from factors inherent in the technology and its management, to those resulting from the physical, social, and financial environment. There are in total of seven groups of causes for delay in construction project: Table 2.1: List of causes of delay categorized into 7groups (Theodore, 2009)

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Group 1: Causes of delay by client S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Causes of Delay Delay in progress payments by owner Delay to furnish and deliver the site Change orders by owner during construction Late in revising and approving design documents Delay in approving shop drawing and sample materials Poor communication and coordination Slowness in decision making process Conflicts between joint-ownership of the project Suspension of the work Group 2: Causes of delay by contractor S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Causes of Delay Difficulties in financing project by contractor Conflicts in sub-contractors schedule in execution of project Rework due to errors during construction Conflicts between contractors and other parties (consultant and owner) Poor communication and coordination Ineffective planning and scheduling of project Improper construction methods implement Delay in sub-contractors work Inadequate contractors work Frequent change of sub-contractors Poor qualification of the contractors technical staff Delay in site mobilization Group 3: Causes of delay by consultant S.No 1 Causes of Delay Delay in approving major changes in the scope of work

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2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Poor communication and coordination Inadequate experience of consultant Mistakes and discrepancies in design document Delays in producing design documents Unclear and inadequate details in drawings Insufficient data collection and survey before design Un-use of advanced engineering design software Group 4: Causes of delay by materials

S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6

Causes of Delay Shortage of construction materials in market Changes in material types and specifications during Delay in material delivery construction Damage of sorted material while they are needed Delay in urgently manufacturing special building materials Late procurement of materials Group 5: Causes of delay by equipment

S.No 1 2 3 4 5

Causes of Delay Equipment breakdowns Shortage of equipment Low level of equipment-operator's skill Low productivity and efficiency of equipment Lack of high-technology mechanical equipment

Group 6: Causes of delay by labour S. No 1 2 Causes of Delay Shortage of labours Working permit of labours

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3 4

Low productivity level of labours Personal conflicts among labours Group 7: Causes of delay by external factors

S. No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Causes of Delay Effects of subsurface conditions (e.g. soil, high water table, etc.) Delay in obtaining permits from municipality Hot weather effect on construction activities Traffic control and restriction at job site Accident during construction Changes in government regulations and laws Delay in providing services from utilities (Such as water, electricity) Delay in performing final inspection and certification by a third party

2.4

EFFECTS OF DELAY Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) studied the effects of construction delays

on project delivery in Nigerian construction industry. The six effects of delay that were identified includes: time overrun, cost overrun, dispute, arbitration, total abandonment and litigation. Koushki and Kartam (2004) concluded that time and cost overrun was the impact of the material selection time, their availability in the local market and the presence of the supervising engineer. It is important to improve the estimated activity duration according to the actual skills levels, unexpected events, efficiency of work time, mistakes and misunderstanding (Lock, 1996). Delays influence negatively on the contractors performance and contribute to adverse impacts in construction projects such as contract disputes, low productivity and increase in construction costs that will also influence on the pre determined of

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construction project objectives. From the comprehensive literature review, six major effects of delay in the construction projects were identified as follows: 1. Time Overrun Murali et al., (2007) argued that contractor related factors and client related factors such as inadequate contractor experience and owner interference have impact on time overrun. On the other hand, Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) studied the effects of construction delays on project delivery in Nigerian construction industry. They identified time overrun as one of the major effects of delay. 2. Cost Overrun Regarding cost overrun Koushki et al., (2005) identified three main causes that were contractor related problems, material-related problems, and owners financial constraints, whereas Wiguna and Scott (2005) identified the most critical factors included: high inflation/increased material price; design change by client; defective design; weather conditions; delayed payment on contracts and defective construction work. 3. Disputes Disputes are the effects of major causes of delays in construction projects such as causes of client related, contractor related, and consultant related and external related that may be arisen during the construction projects among the project parties. Lack of communication may also leads to misunderstandings, conflicts and disputes. Hence it necessitates the project managers to have effective communication skills which are one of the significant soft skills (People skills) with the project parties involving in

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construction projects. Based on Murali et al., (2007) the factors such as lack of communication between the various parties, problem with neighbors, unforeseen site conditions, delay in payments for completed work, improper construction method, delay caused by the subcontractor and discrepancies in contract documents will give rise to disputes between the various parties. Furthermore, if the disputes cannot be solved amicably or easily it can lead to arbitration or litigation. 4. Arbitration According to Murali et al., (2007) the delays which is caused by the client relate factors and contractor related factors such as change in order, mistakes or discrepancies in contract document and lack of communication between various parties which may rise the disputes will be settled through arbitration process. For these circumstances, it is necessitate having a competent third party that can settle the disputes amicably or easily without going to court. 5. Litigation Based on Murali et al., (2007) when the delays caused by client related, contract related, labor related, external related factors and contract relationship related factors such as delay in payment for completed works, problems with site conditions and less of labor supply where eventually rise the disputes to be settled by the litigation process. The parties involved in the construction projects use litigation as a last alternative to settle the disputes. 6. Total Abandonment The most critical adverse effect of delays in construction projects is abandonment that could be temporary or in worse condition for permanent

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duration. The major causes of client related, consultant related, contractor related and external related may lead to project abandonment that will lead to delays in construction projects. Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) studied the effects of construction delays on project delivery in Nigerian construction industry. They identified total abandonment as one of the major effects of delay. In the study of Manavazhia and Adhikarib (2002), delays in the delivery of materials and equipment to construction sites are often a contributory cause to cost overruns in construction projects in developing countries. The actual impact of these delays on project costs was found to be on average, only about 0.5 per cent of the total budgeted cost of the projects. Effect of Construction Delays

Time Overrun

Cost Overrun

Dispute

Arbitration

Total Abandonment

Litigation

Figure 2.4: Effect of Construction Delays 2.5 METHODS OF MINIMIZING CONSTRUCTION DELAYS When a construction delay occurs, there is no question that the Owner suffers financially. But the extent to which an Owner can recover its loss of income from the Contractor, and more importantly minimize the risk that such delays will occur, depends largely on how the construction contract was drawn up. Based on several studies of project success factors and rectification

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of delays in construction project, a total of 15 methods have been identified as follows: Table 2.2: Methods of Minimizing Construction Delays S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 2.6 Methods Frequent progress meeting (Majid, 2006) Use up-to-date technology utilization (Majid, 2006) Use proper and modern construction equipment (Majid, 2006) Use appropriate construction methods (Majid, 2006) Effective strategic planning (Majid, 2006) Proper material procurement (Majid, 2006) Accurate initial cost estimates (Majid, 2006) Clear information and communication channels (Majid, 2006) Frequent coordination between the parties involved (Majid, 2006) Proper emphasis on past experience (Majid, 2006) Proper project planning and scheduling (Majid, 2006) Complete and proper design at the right time (Assaf, 2006) Site management and supervision (Long, 2008) Collaborative working in construction (Kumaraswamy,1997) Compressing construction durations (Long, 2008)

EXTENSION OF TIME Hamid and Torrance (2006) identified extension of time (EOT) as an

excusable delay that occurs when the contractor is delayed by occurrences beyond his control. The Government of India C. P.W.D. Manual of Contract

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is widely used in public sector construction projects (Government of India, 1983). 2.7 LIQUIDATED DAMAGES According to Twyford (2007), in the construction contracts liquidated damages clauses are usually inserted to encourage compliance with time provisions, in particular, completion of the work and payment on time. In regard to completion of the work, a typical clause will provide that if the work is not completed by the extended date for completion, liquidated damages, at the daily rate provided by the schedule, shall become due and payable. A similar provision is made for overdue payments under the contract. Liquidated damages clauses have the virtue of informing both parties to a contract in advance what the damages payable for an identified breach will be at the time of entering the contract. This can be equal advantage to the party who must pay the damages as it is to the party receiving the damages. The upper limit of the damages payable is fixed and a party can take this into account in the initial negotiations. It is not uncommon for a contractor who knows he or she cannot complete within the required time to add the liquidated damages equivalent of the time overrun to the tendered price.

2.8

CONCLUSION 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 the schedule; some are delayed over a year. So it is essential

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to define the actual causes of delay in order to minimize and avoid the delays in any construction project. There is a wide range of views for the causes of time delays for engineering and construction projects. Some are attributable to a single party, others can be ascribed to several quarters and many relate more to systemic faults or deficiencies rather than to group or groups. The successful execution of construction projects and keeping them within estimated cost and prescribed schedules depend on a methodology that requires sound engineering judgment.

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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3.1 INTRODUCTION This research methodology will described and explained based on the objectives and the aims of the study. In this study, we will focus on the literature review and the questionnaire survey targeted at construction project in Chennai. Furthermore, statistical methods would be used to analyze the data collection from the questionnaire survey and follows by discussions section, recommendations, and conclusion. 3.2 LITERATURE REVIEW The literature review was done through internet, construction management books, and engineering journals. By referring to the previous literature, the information from the causes of construction delays, effects of construction delays, and the method of rectification of construction would be used to develop the questionnaire survey in order to collect data from the targeted respondent. 3.3 DATA COLLECTION Data which is obtained from the questionnaires will be used to analyze with an appropriate method which may result in the successful of the research. Data collection from the different type of questionnaire would be analyzed and answered to the objective of the study.

3.4 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN A questionnaire survey was designed based on the objectives of the study, which are causes of construction delays, effects of construction delays

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and the method rectification of construction delays. A questionnaire survey was developed to get the opinion and understanding from the experienced respondents regarding to the construction delays problem. The questionnaires are all classified into 4 sections: a) SECTION A: Respondent Background b) SECTION B: Causes of Construction Delays c) SECTION C: Effects of Construction Delays
d) SECTION D: Method of Minimizing Construction Delays 3.4.1

Section A: Respondent Background In this section, we are trying to obtain the respondents information.

The questionnaire includes: The respondent organization The position of the respondent in the company The experience of the respondent in the construction project
3.4.2

Section B: Causes of Construction Delays This section is designed to evaluate the factor that contributes to the

causes of construction delays from the previous literature review. There are in total of seven groups of causes for delay in construction project: a) Client b) Contractor c) Consultant d) Materials e) Equipment f) Labour g) External factors

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The questionnaire is mainly based on Likerts scale of 5 ordinal measures from 1 to 5 according to level of contributing. (5) = Strongly Agree (4) = Agree (3) = Moderate (2) = Disagree (1) = Strongly Disagree 3.4.3 Section C: Effects of Construction Delays For this section, respondents should evaluate the effects of construction delays based on their working experience and their own judgment. There are consists of 6 impacts of construction delays, i.e. time overrun, cost overrun, dispute, arbitration, litigation, total abandonment. The questionnaire is mainly based on Likerts scale of 5 ordinal measures from 1 to 5 according to level of contributing. (5) = Always (4) = Mostly (3) = Sometimes (2) = Seldom (1) = Never 3.4.4 Section D: Methods of Minimizing Construction Delays This section is to identify the effective methods of minimizing construction delays. There are in total of 15 methods are identified for this questionnaire used. The questionnaire is mainly based on Likerts scale of 5 ordinal measures from 1 to 5 according to level of contributing.

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(5) = Very high effective (4) = High effective (3) = Effective (2) = Low effective (1) = Very Low effective 3.5 DATA ANALYSIS Chan et al. 1996, used the relative importance index (RII) method to determine the relative importance of attributes of clients organizations, which may influence projects consultants performance. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey, within various groups classified according to the role of the participants involved in the Chennai construction industry (i.e. whether clients, consultants or contractors), as well as according to the project category (i.e. whether building works or civil engineering works). A five-point scale (i.e. 1 to 5) was used to assess the effect of each factor on the project delay, where 1 represented the lowest level of effect and 5 the highest level of effect. The respondents were asked to identify the causes of construction time overruns and then rank the individual delay factors in order of importance, according to their local working experience in construction. The rankings made it possible to cross-compare the relative importance of the factors as perceived by the three groups of respondents. 3.5.1 Analysis Formulae One The relative importance index (RII) expression is given as follows: Relative importance index = (w)/A x N, (0 index 1) Where w = weighting given to each factor by the respondents and ranges from 1 to 5. Where 1 is not significant and 5 is extremely

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significant, A = highest weight (i.e. 5 in this case), and N = total number of respondents. In order to quantitatively measure the agreement in ranking between different groups of participants, Chan et al. (1997) adopted the Okpala et al. (1988) rank agreement factor analysis for any two groups. 3.5.2 Analysis Formulae Two The rank agreement factor(RAF) expression is given as follows: Rank agreement factor = ( Ri1 - Ri2)/N, with a maximum RAFmax = ( Ri1 Rj2)/N This shows the average absolute difference in rank of the factors. For any two groups, let the rank of the ith items in Group 1 be Ri1 and in Group 2 be Ri2, N be the number of items and j = N I + 1. The percentage disagreement (PD) is defined as: Percentage disagreement = [( Ri1 - Ri2)/ (Ri1 Rj2)] x 100 The percentage agreement (PA) is then given as: Percentage agreement = 100 PD A higher value of RAF suggests a lesser agreement between the two groups. A rank agreement factor of zero means perfect agreement. The survey incorporated Fifty-two (52) causes of delays, which were categorized into seven major groups. They included materials, equipment, manpower, financing, environment, changes, and government relations, contractual relationships, together with scheduling and controlling techniques. The effects of the individual factors and major groups on project

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delays were measured and ranked by their importance indices for client, consultant and contractors. The survey data was analyzed using the abovementioned indicators, i.e. the importance index which is similar to the relative importance index, and the rank correlation coefficient which is similar to the rank agreement factor. 3.5.3 Analysis Formulae Three Two methods (formulae) were used to test (cross-compare) the group ordered rankings. These are: (1) The Kendalls Coefficient (); and (2) the Chi-square (2) test of significance. (i) Severity Index (F) F = F5 + F4+ F3; where F = severity index; F5 = number of respondents that ranked the factor as excellent factor (EF); F4 = number of respondents that ranked the factors very good factor (VGF); and F3 = number of respondents that ranked the factors very good factor (GF). (ii) Percentage Severity (P3) P3 = F/Nrx100; where P3 = Percentage Severity; F = severity index; and Nr = number of respondents per professional group. (iii) Kendalls Coefficient of Rank Correlation () = (S)/ {K2} (n-1) [n3-n]; where; = Kendells coefficient of rank correlation; S = sum of squares of standard deviation; K = total number of professionals that ranked the variable factors; and n = number of listed variable factors.

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(iv) Chi-squared Test (2) 2 = K (n-1) ; where (n-1) = degree of freedom with n, K; is as defined above. Values of Kendells rank correlation in the range 0 1.0 indicate good agreement and values near 1 or in the range 0 > -1.0 implies disagreement on the factors ranked by professionals. The value of Chi-square is tested at the 0.05 and 0.01 levels of significance (Okpala et al. 1988, and Elinwa et al.1993). The data collection and analysis methods explored in the literature review will be used to provide appropriate formulae upon which to test the research findings. The three formulae: (1) the Relative Importance Index, (2) the Kendalls Coefficient (); and (3) the Chi-square (2) test of significance, will play a significant role in producing ordered ranking lists, for most frequent cost overrun causal factors, effective cost control remedial measures, and the most appropriate apportionment of professional accountability. 3.6 Research Approach A two-stage research approach was adopted for this study. The first stage was dedicated to the establishment of the questionnaire content validity test survey, through an expert group questionnaire assessment. The questionnaire content validity test survey produced structured questionnaire which were distributed for the major research survey. The research questionnaires were refined from the literature review which was undertaken with respect to the topic in question. The literature review focused on similar past research studies carried out by different researchers in different construction environments. The theoretical concepts derived from the literature survey were then used as a

34

guide for the research and to develop a conceptual framework for the research design. These theoretical concepts were also used to formulate the basis for data analysis and interpretation of the research findings. Adopting previous research methodologies, different data analysis formulae and assessment method was applied in this case. 3.7 SOURCES OF INFORMATION The sources of background information on this topic and related issues included library books, journal publications, previous dissertations, theses, company brochures internet sites, and other publications. The information obtained was used for the design of research questionnaires. The first stage of the research approach utilized an exploratory research method, which uses a qualitative method of data gathering. Initial interviews were carried out though unstructured personal questionnaire which were distributed to selected industry expert group. Individuals (expert group) who are knowledgeable about the national construction industry and beyond were involved. The purpose of interviewing experts was to help verify the questionnaire content validity in order to ensure the reliability of the research findings. The approach method explored in-depth insights and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. These insights from expert group recommendations were incorporated in the questionnaire design (Appendix A). The second stage of the research utilized a descriptive research approach, which employed the quantitative method of data gathering. It made use of structured questionnaires that have been developed from the questionnaire content validity test survey experts contributions. The questionnaires were hand delivered to offices of respondents in the target groups.

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This quantitative research method was employed for two specific reasons. The first, being to quantify the data obtained in order to produce precise descriptive results. The results were useable in describing and portraying and accurate picture of the perceptions of respondents in relation to the topic in question as recommended by Saunders et al. (2003). Secondly, the method produced accurate statistical findings, used to draw conclusions about the correlation of opinions of all groups of respondents with respect to the objectives of the research topic.
3.8

THE EXPERT GROUP SURVEY: PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

3.8.1 Overview In order to achieve the intended research goal, an exploratory research method was carried out, aimed at soliciting and probing vital information from a limited number of experienced professional personnel (expert group) in the field. The expert group survey was started by 6th of September 2011 and was about to complete by March 2012. It provided direction, focus, and eliminated chances for irrelevance of the major survey findings. Recommendations from the expert survey were incorporated into the major research survey questionnaire, which was dispatched to a larger group of professional personnel in the construction industry

3.8.2 The expert Group Survey Scope The expert survey was conducted within the capital city, Chennai. The survey group comprised three groups of professional disciplines, namely,

36

client, consultant and the contractors; all of whom were from both government and private firm personnel. 3.8.3 The Sampling Frame The industry expert survey group comprised of professionals in the private sector. The choice of the sampling group exclusively based in Chennai was due to the following factors: 1. Chennai provided conductive environment for the study to be carried out within a reasonable time and cost limit 2. Most of the private sector firms have head offices in Chennai. 3.8.4 Sampling Technique The sampling technique used was the non-probability sampling type. For non-probability samples, the probability of each case being selected from the total population is not known and it is impossible to answer research questions or to address objectives that require one to make statistical inferences about the characteristics of a population (Saunders et al. 2003). 3.8.5 Interview Planning Questionnaires were delivered by hand and also e-mail, to the selected industry expert individuals during working hours. The questionnaires were distributed, along with the university (Periyar Maniammai University in Vallam) covering letter specifying the reasons for the research and urging the individuals to provide his opinion on the research, add some vital recommendation for inclusion in the final research survey.

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3.8.6 Sampling Method The non-probability sampling method, involving a convenience sampling techniques was adopted in the selection of the industry expert group in accordance with the recommendation by Leedy et al. (2005). This was necessitated by the need for the respondents to provide in-depth information regarding key issues on the subject matter.

3.8.7 The Sample Size Saunders et al. (2003) mentions that, in non-probability sampling approach, there are no restricting rules as far as the sample size is concerned, but that rather, the actual size depends, among other things, on availability of resources and the logic behind the sample selection, as opposed to quota and probability samples. Zikmund (1997) supports this argument, by maintaining that the validity and understanding that the researcher gains from data in nonprobability sampling has more to do with the method of data collection and the skills of analysis than the size of the sample. The research took into consideration the approach adopted by others researchers on the same subject in other parts of the world (refer literature review). The expert group (exploratory) survey requested the selected industry expert to identify the major (highly frequent) causes of cost overruns, and also the highly effective cost control remedial measures. The professionals were also requested to make recommendations, contributions and suggestions key areas of interest for incorporation in the research survey. In summary, the expert group survey achieved two goals, viz (i) to solicit professional opinion, comments, qualification (questionnaire validity content) and recommendations with respect to the whole survey initiative and

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(ii) to amend survey questionnaires by incorporating the professional recommendations into a broader scale survey which would be issued to professionals/personnel in the construction industry. Consequently, they provided highly reliable information; acquired from their long term work experience, which was used in structuring the research questionnaires. The respondents were requested to peruse through lists of suggested survey questionnaires, involving possible construction delays causal factors and the corresponding remedial measures and add other factors or remedial control measures which they regarded very essential (refer Appendix A Expert Group Survey Questionnaire Sample). 3.8.8 The Expert Group Survey Respondents Comments and

recommendations There was a unanimous approval of the survey initiative, along with vital comments and recommendations for incorporation in the broader view survey. The final survey questionnaire was prepared on the basis of the industry experts professional group survey comments and recommendations (refer Appendix A Survey Questionnaire Sample).
3.9 BIAS

Leedy et al. (2005) defines bias as an influence, or set of conditions that singly or together distort the data from what may have been obtained under the conditions of pure chance. Malhotra (2004) states that interviewers can bias the results of a survey by the manner in which they (1) select respondents (interviewing somebody else when required to interview the male head household), (2) ask research questions (omitting questions), and (3) record answers (recording an answer incorrectly or incompletely).

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3.9.1 Other Bias Scenarios: (i) A potential source of bias in the study, especially in respect to eliciting information on the underlying programmed objectives is the selection of the service provider itself. There is a possibility that the study objectives had been concealed. Leedy et al. (2005), states that motivational methods involving the use of projective techniques could be used in gathering sensitive information. These include the posing of indirect questions on sensitive or classified information. The respondent is free to make generic comments without fear or releasing secretes. Concealment of other objectives would be reduced. (ii) Malhotra (2004) identifies non-response as another potential source of bias. Nonresponsive could be minimized by the layout and the questionnaire brevity, the composition of the covering letter and the administration of the questionnaire; including the assurance of anonymity. In this study, constant e-mail and telephone reminders, and personalized communications were vital steps taken in order to enhance responsiveness. Respondents were also assured of optimum confidentiality to be exercised in handling the information and also that the research survey was for the purpose of writing and academic thesis conferred with the University of the Periyar Maniammai in Tamil Nadu. They were further assured that the research findings would be vital for the purpose of effective project planning and implementation procedures. (iii) The research findings are limited for application within the general construction industry economic environment. As pointed out in Chapter One and the literature review, the findings would be inappropriate if adopted in various international construction industries because of the divergence in economic environments.

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3.10 METHODS EMPLOYED IN THE DATA ANALYSIS 3.10.1Quantitative Data Analysis Malhotra (2004), states that the quality of the research results depends on the care exercised in the data preparation stages. The method for data analysis adopted followed the examples that were used by other researchers as revealed in the literature review. The opinions and recommendations of the industry expert were vastly used to edit and protect the questionnaires from errors. These measures were undertaken in order to ensure a thorough check for completeness, clarity effectiveness, reliability and robustness as recommended by Leedy et al. (2005) and Malhotra (2004). After the collection of all survey questionnaires, the data was edited for errors and inconsistencies. 3.11 DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURES ADOPTED Three data analysis methods: (1) the relative importance index, (2) the rank agreement factor and (3) the Kendalls coefficient of correlation. The first two methods are a build up to the Kendalls coefficient of correlation, which provides a conclusive summary of ordinal ranked construction delays causal factors and effective remedial measures. 3.11.1 Kendalls Coefficient of Rank Correlation () (i) Severity Index (F) F = F5 + F4 + F3 + F2+ F1; where F = severity index; F5 = number of respondents that ranked the construction delays causal factor as strongly agree or the construction delay effect as always or methods to minimize construction delays as very high effective; F4 = number of respondents that ranked the construction delays causal factor as agree or the construction

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delay effect as mostly or methods to minimize construction delays as high effective; F3 = number of respondents that ranked the construction delays causal factor as moderate or the construction delay effect as sometime or methods to minimize construction delays as medium effective; F2 = number of respondents that ranked the construction delays causal factor as disagree or the construction delay effect as seldom or methods to minimize construction delays as low effective; and F1 = number of respondents that ranked the construction delays causal factor as strongly disagree or the construction delay effect as never or methods to minimize construction delays as very low effective; F1 has not be used in computing the severity index since conclusive results can be drawn from the four sets of ranking factors. Severity Index (F) is computed using the percentage of respondents giving responses to particular construction delays causal factor or effect of construction delays or methods to minimize construction delays item. (ii) Percentage Severity (P3) P3 = F/Nrx100; where P3 = Percentage Severity; F = severity index; and Nr = number of respondents per professional group. The relative severity index analysis method is a multivariate method used to derive two index measures, firstly the significance index, which is a weighting or ordinal measure of each factor under consideration, given a five point scale (i.e. 1 to 5) 5 is the highest and 1 is the lowest measure. Secondly the percentage severity expresses the relative severity as a percentage. The methods prioritize each factor according to its weighting relative to other factors (refer tables in Appendix A). The third method is the Rank Agreement Factor Analysis or Kendells Coefficient of Rank Correlation used by Okpala et al. (1988), and Elinwa et al. (1993). The Kendells coefficient of rank correlation analysis method is a multivariate method that uses the results

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obtained from the relative severity index ranking orders, to cross rank of causal factors and cost control measures. The Rank Agreement Factors for each cost overrun causal factor are computed from the each professional group severity rankings. The rank agreement factor combines all the severity ranking orders by the different groups and a quasi agreeable factor is used to rank the causal factors. This method eliminates possible disagreement degrees by the parties over the actual ranking of factors through the severity index order. (iii) Kendalls Coefficient of Rank Correlation () = (S)/ {K2} (n-1) [n3-n]; where; = Kendells coefficient of rank correlation; S = sum of squares of standard deviation; K = total number of professionals that ranked the variable factors; and n = number of listed variable factors. (iv) Chi-squared Test (2) 2 = K (n-1) ; where (n-1) = degree of freedom with n, k; is as defined above. Values of Kendells rank correlation in the range 0 1.0 indicate good agreement and values near 1 or in the range 0 > -1.0 implies disagreement on the factors ranked by professionals. The value of Chi-square is tested at the 0.05 and 0.01 levels of significance (Okpala et al. 1988, and Elinwa et al.1993). 3.12 ASSUMPTIONS The following assumptions were made in the questionnaire surveys: 1. The respondents involved in the data gathering were unbiased, well informed on the subjects of construction delays casual factors and effects in the construction industry to give reliable information.

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2. The information obtained from the data gathering process was derived from respondents with relevant long-term work experience in construction delays casual factors and effects will be relevant to the study. 3. The responses were carefully thought out and genuinely made, given the time taken between questionnaires delivery and collection dates. 4. The research assumed that the industry experts group individuals are high caliber competent professional representative personnel, who are practicing in Chennai, and have been involved in a good number of private sectot projects. 3.13 SUMMARY On a conclusive note, the research employed the descriptive survey method, which combined both qualitative and quantitative research approach methods for data gathering. This was made imperative due to the descriptive research requirements, where much is not known about the problem. Being descriptive the research was characterized by indispensable information needs, a formal and structured research process, and a prior formulation of specific propositions, which were tested with the aim of examining certain relationships. The information which was gathered during the expert group qualitative research stage provided guidance for a detailed research design and aided the development of several propositions about the study question. It was also a recipe for designing questionnaires that were used for the quantitative data gathering. Guidelines were also drawn from previous researchers and authors for the same subject matter.

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REFERENCES
1.

Aftab Hameed Memon, Ismail Abdul Rahman and Ade Asmi AbdulAzis (2011) Preliminary Study on Causative Factors Leading to Construction Cost Overrun International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering & Technology Project Management, Volume 2, Issue 1 Amusan L. M, Study of Factors affecting Construction Cost Performance in Nigerian Construction Sites, Covenant University, Nigeria

2.

3. Arghadeep Laskar and C.V.R. Murty, Challenges Before Construction Industry in India, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
4.

Chawla H.L, President, Tecknovate Solutions, New Delhi. Infrastructure Projects in India Requirement, Planning, Execution, Reason for Delay NBMCW July 2010

5. Construction Industry Development Council, Indian Construction Industry (2006-07) India 6. Geneva (2001), Tripartite Meeting on the Construction Industry in the Twenty-first Century: Its Image, Employment Prospects and Skill Requirements, International Labour Recognition
7.

Government of India Central Public Works Department Works Manual 2003

8. Hamidreza Afshari, Shahrzad Khosravi, Abbas Ghorbanali, Mahdi Borzabadi and Mahbod Valipour (20100029, Identification of Causes of Non-excusable Delays of Construction Projects, International conference on E-Business, Management and Economic IPEDR Vol.3 , Hong Kong 9. Hamzah Abdul-Rahman, Roshana Takim and Wong Sze Min (2009), Financial Related Causes Contributed to Project Delays Journey of Retail & Leisure Property 10.Ifte Choudhury (2009) Correlates of time overrun in industrial construction projects in India, Texas A & M University College Station, TX

45 11. Krishna

Sarma, Momota Oinam and Angshuman Kaushik (2009) Development and Practice of Arbitration in India Has it evolved as an Effective Legal Institution, CDDRL Stanford University Rosazuwad Bin Mohammed @ Muda (2010) The Factors and Effect of Delay in Government Construction Project (Case Study in Kuantan) University of Malaysia Pahang

12. Mohd

13.Sadi A. Assaf, and Sadiq Al-Hejji (2009) Causes of Delay in Large Construction Projects King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia 14.Syed M. Ahmed, Salman Azhar, Pragnya Kappagantula, and Dharam Gollapudi (2003) Delay in Construction-Brief Study of the Florida Construction Industry, Florida International University, Miami 15.Tan Kian Soon (2010) Dispute Resolution in Relation to Delay of Construction Project, University of Teknologi Malaysia

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APPENDIX A QUESTIONNAIRE ON CAUSES, EFFECTS AND METHODS OF MINIMIZING DELAYS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS Dear Sir, I am student from Periyar Maniammai University Vallam conducting a survey on causes, effects and methods of minimizing delays in construction projects and I would like to seek your assistance in reviewing and filling this questionnaire. The aim and objectives of this study: 1. To identify the main reasons of construction delays in construction projects. 2. To identify the effects of construction delays in construction projects. 3. To identify the method of minimizing delays in construction projects. I will much appreciate if you could suggest additional factors in the space provided at the end of the table if you feel that given information is inadequate. Your contribution towards this survey is greatly appreciated, as it will add significant to the value of the studies. I hereby thank for your time and kind assistance in filling up this questionnaire. All your personal information given will be strictly confidential.

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If you have any question or query require further more information, please do not hesitate to email me at rajesh.civileng@yahoo.com or call at 9629574750. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, J. Rajesh

Note: a. The questionnaire should take you approximately 30 minutes to complete. b. Your personal information will be kept securely and will remain confidential. c. Please answer each question based on your own perception, past experience, or personal opinion.

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SECTION A
Respondent Background

Please tick and fill in the blanks if you select others. Organization/ Company name: ____________________________________________ 1. State respondent organization/company type. Client Consultant Please specify: _________ 2. State respondent position in the organization/company. Director Site Manager
3.

Contractor Others

Project Manager Engineer/Designer

State respondent experience in the construction industry. < 5 years 11-15 years 5-10 years >15 years

4.

State the number of construction projects involved by respondent. 1-3 projects 7-9 projects 4-6 projects >9 projects

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5. State the number of project delays faced by respondent. 1-3 projects 7-9 projects 4-6 projects >9 projects

6.

State the type of building that is frequent for delays. School Hospital Others Please specify: ________________ Public facilities Housing estate

7. State the Percentage of delay from estimated project duration. 0-5% 10-15% >20% Please specify: ________________ 5-10% 15-20%

SECTION B

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Factors that contributing to causes of construction delays Objectives of this study: To identify the main reasons of construction delays in construction project. Please tick and fill in the blanks if you select others. Each scale represents the following rating: (5) Strongly Agree (4) Agree Disagree Question: Which of the following related factors stated below that contribute to causes of delays of construction project? Categories 1 2 3 4 Ownerrelated 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 Contractor- 3 related 4 5 6 Categories 7 Causes of delay Delay in progress payments Delay to furnish and deliver the site Change orders by owner during Late in revising and approving design construction Delay in approving shop drawing and documents sample materials Poor communication and co-ordination Slowness in decision making process Conflict between joint-ownership of the Suspension of work by owner project Difficulties in financing project Conflicts in sub-contractors schedule in execution of to errors during construction Rework due project Conflicts between contractor and other Poor communication and coordination parties Ineffective planning and scheduling of Causes 1 2 3 4 5 project of delays Improper construction methods implement 1 2 3 4 5 (3) Moderate (2) Disagree (1) Strongly

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8 9 1 0 1 1 2 1 2 3 Consultant- 4 5 related 6 7 8 1 2 Materialsrelated 3 4 5 6 1 2 Equipment -related 3 4 5 Categories 1

Delays in sub-contractor work Inadequate contractors work Frequent change of sub-contractors Poor-qualification of the contractors technical staff mobilization Delays in site Delay in approving major changes in the scopecommunication and coordination Poor of Inadequate experience of consultant Mistakes and discrepancies in design Delay in producing design documents document Unclear and inadequate details in Insufficient data collection and survey drawings before design Un-use of advanced engineering design software Shortage of construction materials in Changes market in material types during Delay in material delivery construction Damage of sorted material while they are neededin manufacturing special building Delay urgently Late procurement of materials materials Equipment breakdowns Shortage of equipment Low level of equipment-operators skill Low productivity and efficiency of equipment Lack of high-technology mechanical equipment Causes of delays Shortage of labours 1 2 3 4 5

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2 Labourrelated 3 4 1 2 3 External factors 4 5 6 7 8

Working permit of labours Low productivity level of labours Personal conflict among labours Effect of subsurface and ground conditions Delay in obtaining permit from Weather effect on construction activities municipality Traffic control and restriction at job site Accident during construction Changes in government regulation and Delay laws in providing service from utilities Delay in performing final inspection and certification

SECTION C

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Effect of Construction Delays Objectives of the study: To identify the effect of construction delay in construction project Please tick and fill in the blanks if you select others. Each scale represents the following rating: (5) Always (2)Seldom Question: What is the effect of construction delays? Effect 1 2 3 4 5 6 Time overrun Cost overrun Dispute Arbitration Total abandonment Litigation 1 2 3 4 5 (4) Mostly (1) Never (3) Sometime

SECTION D Methods to Minimizing Construction Delays

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Objective of the study: To identify the methods of minimizing construction delay in construction project. Please tick and fill in the blanks if you select others. Each scale represents the following rating: (5) Very high effective (2)Low effective Question: Which of the following methods will minimize the construction delays? Proposed method 1 Frequent progress meeting 2 Use up-to-date technology utilization 3 Use proper and modern construction equipment 4 Use appropriate construction methods 5 Effective strategic planning 6 Proper material procurement 7 Accurate initial cost estimates 8 Clear information and communication channels 9 Frequent co-ordination between the parties involved 1 Proper emphasis on past experience 0 1 Proper project planning and scheduling 1 Proposed method 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 (4) High effective (1) Very low effective (3) Medium effective

1 Complete and proper design at the right time 2

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1 Site management and supervision 3 1 Collaborative working in construction 4 1 Compressing construction durations 5 Please state your comment for any recommendations. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________