Abstract

In evaluating the overall performance and success of construction projects, time is usually used as a major factor in such evaluation. Unsatisfactory time performance shows up as delays. Construction delays are very critical to the owner and contractor, because they suffer due to lost profit, additional overhead costs, increased costs of financing, and payment of liquidated or actual damages. Despite that, delays in completion of projects are repetitive in the Egyptian construction industry. Current Egyptian statistics and studies did not provide sufficient information and analysis of the delay phenomenon. Studying and analyzing the problem is a step towards its solution and consequently a step towards achjeving better time performance of construction projects in the future. Trus study attempts to identify and quantify the time overruns of rugh investment construction projects executed in Egypt between 1990 and 200 I. This is achieved by identifying the frequency of project delays, extent of these delays, factors causing the delays, and responsibility for delays. Review of the literature and research work conducted on project management aspects and time performance of projects was performed. Unstructured interviews with I 5 practitioners was also carried out. These sources were used in identifying 80 possible factors that may cause delays of construction projects in Egypt. These factors were further grouped into 10 categories. Accordingly, a questionnaire was developed to survey the amount and reasons of experienced delays for 70 projects. Further, a sample of five projects was studied and analyzed in more details in order to validate the survey questionnaire as a data collection technique. Consequently, data was analyzed using suitable statistical methods. Finally, based on survey results, literature review of proper management techniques, and surveying opinions of 20 professionals; recommendations related to the prevention of delays were developed. It was found that 79% of the surveyed projects encountered time overruns. On average, delayed projects were executed in double the planned duration. An equation was also developed to describe the relationship between actual duration and planned duration for all projects. The major source of delay was found to be variations, contributing by 17.2 % to the delays. This was followed by design and engineering deficiencies contributing by 15.8 % to the delays, financing problems by 12.3 %, procurement and material problems by 10.2 %, plannjng, scheduling, monitoring, and control factors by 10.2%, deficiencies in qualifications of contractors, subcontractors, consultants, and labor by 9.5%, coordination problems by 8.8%, deficiencies in organizational structure and resource allocation by 7. 9%, project characteristics and external factors by 7.4%, and finally construction, QNQC and site management deficiencies, by 4.9 %. It was also concluded that the frequency, extent, and causes of delays are independent of project type, sector, location, original contract amount, and original contract duration.

School

School of Sciences and Engineering

Department

Interdisciplinary Engineering Program

Date of Award

6-1-2002

Online Submission Date

1-1-2002

First Advisor

Samer Ezeldin

Committee Member 1

Abdel Hady Hosny

Committee Member 2

Amr Hassanein

Committee Member 3

Edward Smith

Document Type

Thesis

Extent

131 leaves

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Construction industry

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

Project management

Library of Congress Subject Heading 3

Camara, Laye.;Djebar, Assia,

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Call Number

Thesis 2002/47

Location

mgfth

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Included in

Engineering Commons

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