Delays in Construction Projects - A Case Study of Building Projects in Khartoum State

Abstract

The problem of delay in projects’ completion mostly occurs in the construction industry in Sudan. Delay always costs all parties of the project, and often leads to clashes, claims, disputes and difficulty in feasibility and it slows down the growth of the construction sector. To analyze the reasons for the delay, the researcher conducted an evaluation of time performance of the construction project, adopting the questionnaire, in addition to what was found in previous studies, so as to achieve the main objective of this study, i.e., t o determine the factors causing delay, and its implications in the success of completion of the project in the allotted time. The researcher conducted a systematic search, in a questionnaire to obtain data on the reasons of the delay and then, analyzed the study objectives, which have been successfully achieved. There were six factors – being the main factors leading to the delay according to the assumption the assumption of the questionnaire, namely: 1 - financial factors. 2 - Design factors. 3 - Exceptional factors. 4 - Administrative factors. 5 - Construction factors. 6 - Social and behavioral factors. Then every main factor was divided into sub factors. The researcher requested owners, consultants and contractors involved in construction projects, to fill in the questionnaire. As well as interviews took place to fill out the questionnaire, questionnaire was distributed as follows: 10 owners 23 consultants and 17 contractors. The questionnaire was collected and analyzed by statistical methods SPSS, and then each factor was separately discussed, and were presented in the form of charts showing, the factor that is causing the delay on which agreed upon by all participants and the possibility of its occurrence and type of the resulting delays. The research found that financial problems, sometimes cause delays in projects, and always the owner is responsible for that, whether the owner is the owner is an individual, or a government members ,and that delay may be due to reasons ,and sometimes without excuse .This delay is sometimes not compensable As for the problems related to the design, the researcher found that delays in some cases were caused by consultants , and this delay is without reasons. The delays caused by exceptional factors, sometimes happens and the contractor is responsible for it, and that this kind of delay is not compensable. Administrative factors also sometimes lead to delay, and contractor is for a large extent responsible for this delay, also the consultant is responsible for part of this delay, and the results of this delay is without acceptable reasons. As well as the factors of construction sometimes cause delays, and the one responsible for them, in most cases is the contractor, and partly the adviser or the owner are responsible and the type of the resulting delay is without excuse . The last factor is the social factor, which sometimes causes delay, and the contractor is responsible for that, and we find that the resulting type of delay is without excuse. After these findings, the researcher provided some recommendations to avoid any delay in construction projects, and to ensure completion in time and in accordance with the required quality and the specific cost.