Ahmad, H S; Ayoush, M D and Al-Alwan, M S (2020) Causes of delay to public infrastructure projects according to engineers representing different contract parties. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 10(1), pp. 153-179. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main causes of delay in public construction projects. This is motivated by feedback from public construction experts concerning substantive delays during the last decade. The study thus seeks to help decision makers in Jordan and elsewhere identify problems and develop mitigating strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Causes of delay were identified from previous related studies and then augmented after consultation with experts. This resulted in 56 delay factors classified into eight groups. The sampling frame for the study was defined in terms of public construction projects (mostly related to roads) owned by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Jordan. A survey was conducted with engineers working as representatives of the owner, contractors or consultants to elicit and evaluate the importance of the 56 delay factors. Findings: Overall, 113 completed questionnaire responses were returned and analyzed to rank the causes of delay using the relative importance index method. Owners and consultants showed more interest in factors related to themselves, while contractors showed highest interest in an external factor related to the owner of services. Four recommendations are put forward for decision makers to mitigate against delays. Originality/value: This research investigates a relatively large number of delay factors compared to other studies and these are categorized into groups to facilitate thematic understanding. Further, compared to previous related research, this research fills a gap by exploring the opinions of different contract parties.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | causes of delay; construction projects; contract parties; public infrastructure; roads; survey |
| Index terms: | construction project, public construction, public work, methodology, sampling, causes of delay, questionnaire, Jordan, housing, public infrastructure, strategy, relative importance index, owner, engineer, survey |
| Subjects: | management, research methods, Geography, production management, infrastructure engineering, project controls, sociology, building construction, infrastructure and transport systems, profession, construction type, risk assessment, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Construction Technology, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Time Control |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here