Causes of Construction Delay

Construction Delay Causes
(Quoted from an article by Raymond N. NKADO, University of Witwatersrand)

The duration of construction projects right from inception to completion is assuming great importance in the construction industry. Clients or consumers are no longer content merely with minimal cost and adequate functional performance for their projects; increasing interest rates, inflation and other commercial pressures, among other factors, mean that it is in many instances most cost-effective to complete a project within the shortest possible time.

There is no consensus in the literature on the identification of factors which affect stipulated, planned or achieved construction times of buildings. One reason for this is that researchers have largely viewed the subject from diverse prospective. Such view points include identification of discrete factors which affect productivity on site and taking a systems view of the construction process and end product.

The following factors have been traced to be the construction time influencing factors, with different weights assigned to them by each individual planner.

Factors pertinent to Clients
Financial ability/ financial arrangement for the project
Previous working relationship
Category ( Public, private)
Priority on construction time
Specified sequence of completion
Possible changes to initial design

Factors pertinent to Consultants
Completeness and timeliness of project information
Build-ability of design
Provision for ease of communication
Previous working relationships
Priority on construction time

Factors pertinent to Contractors
Availability of suitable management team given firm's current work load.
Programming construction work.
Previous performance of site management team
No of sub-contractors

Factors pertinent to Contract Form
Suitability to project time
Use of standard form of contract

Factors pertinent to Project Conditions
Function or end use (office, residential, industrial,...)
Complexity
Location

External Factors
Weather
Regulations
Statutory undertakes (water, gas, electricity, etc..)

http://www.misronet.com/durations.htm