retrospective delay analysis in construction …€¦ · (keane and caletka 2008)....

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VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608 ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved. www.arpnjournals.com 2003 RETROSPECTIVE DELAY ANALYSIS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OF IRAQ Mohammed T. Almusawi and Kadhim R. Erzaij Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Baghdad University, Iraq E-Mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Construction projects are commonly acknowledged as successful when it is completed at the specific time, within budget, and according to the specifications. The delay of projects has negative effects on the value of the contract because it is related to the elements of the expensive resources which often lead to claims or arbitration. However, the projects that investigated in this study included construction of ten hospitals with 400 beds in different cities of Iraq. A frequency, severity and importance indexes were determined for 77 factors of delay divided into ten categorizations according to the stages of the project, The results showed that the weakness of technical offers of companies nominated to assignment as a result of adopting the principle of the lowest bid price in the government tendering and ineffective delay penalties by the employer in addition to Poor planning and scheduling the project by the contractor were the major causes that delayed the projects in the middle and southern Iraq. Keywords: Iraqi construction project, delays, factors. 1. INTRODUCTION The construction industry is one of the largest industries that generate money in the economy because it represents a center for attracting financial and human resources. The American Arbitration Association (AAA2000) considered the construction industry is a major user of its conflict avoidance and disputes solution services. In Iraq, The construction sector has been greatly affected by the wars and economic conditions that the country has undergone for decades. In recent years, The Iraqi government contributes to the development of the construction sector in several ways by establishment of strategic projects. One of these projects is the construction of 10 hospitals with 400 beds which has a total cost of 1,500,000,000 USD in different cities of Iraq but the major problem that hinders these projects is delayed. However, the main objectives of this study is to identify the factors which caused delay from the viewpoint the employers to aid them in establishing adequate evaluation in the future contracts by using quantitative data which determined in this paper. 1.1 Previous studies Many researchers defined the Construction delays in different ways all agree that the delay is an increase the project duration on the date agreed upon in the contract or schedule (Stumpf 2000), (Assaf and Al-Hejji 2006). A lot of articles and studies published to identifying and analyzing the causes of delay in different countries. In Saudi Arabia, Assaf and Al-Hejji (2006) conducted a survey on time performance in large construction projects. They identified Seventy-three causes of delay during the study. change orders by the owner during construction was the main cause for this research while Al-Khalil and Al- Ghafly (1999), who studied the delay in the public water and sewage projects, identified Sixty causes for delay, Among the most significant causes that found are financial difficulties by the contractor and cash flow problems, difficulties in obtaining permits, and select the lowest bidder without consideration the prequalification. Both the researchers in Saudi Arabia used Frequent-severity scale for ranking the causes of delay. In Jordan, two studies were identified. Al Momani (2000) presented a comprehensive study for 130 public projects, which included residential, office buildings, medical centers, school buildings, and communication facilities. The study showed that the main delay causes related to: poor design, change orders, weather conditions, the site conditions, late delivery, the economic conditions, and increase in quantities. The second study, conducted by Sweis et al (2008) who identified and classified the causes of delays in residential construction projects of Jordan which concluded that delays can be caused by all parties involved in projects; however, main causes came from financial difficulties faced by the contractor, too many change orders by the owner and poor planning and scheduling of the project by the contractor. Mezher and Taweel (1998) surveyed sixty-four causes of delays in the construction industry in Lebanon by using an important index scale. It was found that the most important delay factors were financing and scheduling of subcontractors, poor contractual relationships, and design changes by owners. The researcher recommended using innovative management techniques and value engineering to be more effective and efficient. In Kuwait, Koushki et al. (2005) studied delays and cost increases in private residential construction projects. The three major factors contributing to time- delays included change orders, financial constraints, and ownerslack of experience in construction works. In turkey, eighty-three different delay factors were identified and analyzed with the relative importance index method by Murat G, et al (2013), the result of analysis showed that inadequate contractor experience, Ineffective project planning and scheduling and Poor site management and supervision were the more effective

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Page 1: RETROSPECTIVE DELAY ANALYSIS IN CONSTRUCTION …€¦ · (Keane and Caletka 2008). Excusable-compensable delays are usually due to omissions or acts of the employer or the employer

VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2003

RETROSPECTIVE DELAY ANALYSIS IN CONSTRUCTION

PROJECTS OF IRAQ

Mohammed T. Almusawi and Kadhim R. Erzaij

Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Baghdad University, Iraq

E-Mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Construction projects are commonly acknowledged as successful when it is completed at the specific time, within

budget, and according to the specifications. The delay of projects has negative effects on the value of the contract because

it is related to the elements of the expensive resources which often lead to claims or arbitration. However, the projects that

investigated in this study included construction of ten hospitals with 400 beds in different cities of Iraq. A frequency,

severity and importance indexes were determined for 77 factors of delay divided into ten categorizations according to the

stages of the project, The results showed that the weakness of technical offers of companies nominated to assignment as a

result of adopting the principle of the lowest bid price in the government tendering and ineffective delay penalties by the

employer in addition to Poor planning and scheduling the project by the contractor were the major causes that delayed the

projects in the middle and southern Iraq.

Keywords: Iraqi construction project, delays, factors.

1. INTRODUCTION The construction industry is one of the largest

industries that generate money in the economy because it

represents a center for attracting financial and human

resources. The American Arbitration Association

(AAA2000) considered the construction industry is a

major user of its conflict avoidance and disputes solution

services. In Iraq, The construction sector has been greatly

affected by the wars and economic conditions that the

country has undergone for decades. In recent years, The

Iraqi government contributes to the development of the

construction sector in several ways by establishment of

strategic projects. One of these projects is the construction

of 10 hospitals with 400 beds which has a total cost of

1,500,000,000 USD in different cities of Iraq but the major

problem that hinders these projects is delayed. However,

the main objectives of this study is to identify the factors

which caused delay from the viewpoint the employers to

aid them in establishing adequate evaluation in the future

contracts by using quantitative data which determined in

this paper.

1.1 Previous studies

Many researchers defined the Construction delays

in different ways all agree that the delay is an increase the

project duration on the date agreed upon in the contract or

schedule (Stumpf 2000), (Assaf and Al-Hejji 2006). A lot

of articles and studies published to identifying and

analyzing the causes of delay in different countries. In

Saudi Arabia, Assaf and Al-Hejji (2006) conducted a

survey on time performance in large construction projects.

They identified Seventy-three causes of delay during the

study. change orders by the owner during construction was

the main cause for this research while Al-Khalil and Al-

Ghafly (1999), who studied the delay in the public water

and sewage projects, identified Sixty causes for delay,

Among the most significant causes that found are financial

difficulties by the contractor and cash flow problems,

difficulties in obtaining permits, and select the lowest

bidder without consideration the prequalification. Both the

researchers in Saudi Arabia used Frequent-severity scale

for ranking the causes of delay.

In Jordan, two studies were identified. Al

Momani (2000) presented a comprehensive study for 130

public projects, which included residential, office

buildings, medical centers, school buildings, and

communication facilities. The study showed that the main

delay causes related to: poor design, change orders,

weather conditions, the site conditions, late delivery, the

economic conditions, and increase in quantities. The

second study, conducted by Sweis et al (2008) who

identified and classified the causes of delays in residential

construction projects of Jordan which concluded that

delays can be caused by all parties involved in projects;

however, main causes came from financial difficulties

faced by the contractor, too many change orders by the

owner and poor planning and scheduling of the project by

the contractor.

Mezher and Taweel (1998) surveyed sixty-four

causes of delays in the construction industry in Lebanon

by using an important index scale. It was found that the

most important delay factors were financing and

scheduling of subcontractors, poor contractual

relationships, and design changes by owners. The

researcher recommended using innovative management

techniques and value engineering to be more effective and

efficient.

In Kuwait, Koushki et al. (2005) studied delays

and cost increases in private residential construction

projects. The three major factors contributing to time-

delays included change orders, financial constraints, and

owners’ lack of experience in construction works.

In turkey, eighty-three different delay factors

were identified and analyzed with the relative importance

index method by Murat G, et al (2013), the result of

analysis showed that inadequate contractor experience,

Ineffective project planning and scheduling and Poor site

management and supervision were the more effective

Page 2: RETROSPECTIVE DELAY ANALYSIS IN CONSTRUCTION …€¦ · (Keane and Caletka 2008). Excusable-compensable delays are usually due to omissions or acts of the employer or the employer

VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2004

causes. Kazaz et al (2013) investigated Thirty-four factors

that causes delays in construction projects, According to

the results, “design changes” was found to be the most

predominant factor, followed by “delay of payments” and

“cash flow problems”.

Chan and Kumaraswamy (1997) examined the

relative importance of delay factors in Hong Kong. Five

major delay factors were identified: poor site management

and supervision, unforeseen site conditions, slow decision-

making involving all project parties. Alaghbari (2007)

reported the significant factors that causing delay in

building construction projects, financial problems were the

main factor and coordination problems are the second

most significant factor that delays the construction projects

in Malaysia.

1.2 Delays classification

Construction delays can be classified into many

categorizations, according to the liability of the

construction parties into excusable and non-excusable,

according to the occurrence into critical and non-critical,

they can be also classified according to the effects into

concurrent and non-concurrent delays.

Excusable delays can be categorized into

compensable and non-compensable. Excusable-

compensable delays are delays that beyond the control of

the contractor. Being the responsibility of the employer,

which, according to the contract documents, the contractor

is entitled to extend the time and recover the damages

associated with the delay, for a delay to be excusable-

compensable must be critical to the completion date

(Keane and Caletka 2008). Excusable-compensable delays

are usually due to omissions or acts of the employer or the

employer’s designer such as late notice to proceed in the

work, failure to provide proper financing, failure to

provide employer-furnished materials or components,

delays in reviewing or approval the drawings and delay in

approval the change orders.

Excusable, non-compensable delays also known

as “force majeure” delays. These delays are usually called

“acts of God” because they are not the responsibility or

fault of any specific party. Most contracts allow for the

contractor to obtain an additional time for excusable

delays, but not additional money (Alaghbari 2007).

Examples of excusable, non-compensable delays are

unusual delay in transportation, such as prohibition of

freight, unusual weather conditions and strikes.

Non-Excusable delays are the delay which caused

by the contractor’s actions and/or inactions, that prevent

the Contractor's claims from any extension of time or

compensation; the contractor may also be liable for

liquidated damages (Hafiz 2013) such as failure to submit

shop drawings and related materials to the employer for

approval according to the schedule.

The independent delays occur in isolation and do

not result from a previous delay. The independent delay

effect can usually be calculated on the total duration of the

project. These delays may cause a serial delay (Stumpf

2000).

The term “concurrent delays” is used to describe

two, or more, delays occurring at the same time, either of

which, if it occurs alone, would have affected the

completion date. Golanaraghi and Alkass (2012) defined

the Concurrent delays as two or more independent delays

which occur simultaneously or which overlap to some

extent causing a delay in the project. Concurrent delays

are the most challenging delays because of their

complicated nature. A party that needs to defend a claim

will find the importance of the concurrent delay as it may

be entitled to compensation claimed by the other party.

For others, which considered as concurrent delays, the

delays need not actually occur at the same time, so,

‘concurrent delays’ may occur in two cases: When there

are two, or more, independent delays during the same time

period. And during any part of performance the project

period, not necessarily at the same period time. Though

there is no universally accepted for the second definition

above, but some authorities in the UK and the US courts

corroborating with this concept when delay events arise at

different times but the impacts of them are felt at the same

time (Perera and Sutrisna 2013).

Delays which affecting in the Project completion,

or in some cases a milestone date, are known as critical

delays, the concept of "critical" delays arises from the

scheduling of the critical path method (CPM) (Trauner

2009) while delays that not affecting the completion of the

project or a milestone date are considered non-critical

delays.

2. CASE STUDY

Most constitutions refer to the human right to live

in a good environment that guarantees a healthy and happy

life. Through State, society guarantees this right by

providing individual health care by establishing different

kinds of health institutions such as hospitals, dispensaries

and treatment centers. In Iraq, until three decades ago, the

indicators of the health status in Iraq improved

substantially and health care services kept high standards.

During the year 1970, the number of beds allocated for

every 1000 people was close to the 2 beds. However, the

regime which ruled Iraq after that did not consider the

health care services to be a priority. The health system,

therefore, suffered from continued neglect and budgetary

allocations did not reflect population growth as well as

wars and economic conditions that the country has

undergone for decades, As a result, the health sector

witnessed progressive deterioration and health indicators

fell to levels comparable to some of the least developed

countries to reached 1.3 in 2003. After 2003, the country

faces enormous challenges; terrorism and political

conflicts which led to more neglect in health sector to

stabilize the number of beds at 1.2 during the year 2014

(word bank reports 1960-2012), (WHO report 2014).

In recent years, particularly after 2008, The Iraqi

government contributes to the development of the

construction sector in several ways by establishment of

strategic projects. One of these projects is construction of

ten hospitals with 400 beds which has a total cost of 1,

500, 000, 000 USD in different cities of Iraq but the major

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VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2005

problem that hinders these projects is delay. As-Planned

versus as-Built schedules comparison method was used to

show the delay that experienced by these projects which

summarized in Figure-1 below:

Figure-1. As-Planned VS As-Built Schedules Comparison of Case study.

2.1 Data collection

For this study, related data were collected to

identify possible delay factors in hospital construction

projects. Initially, 22 factors were gathered based on these

data. But there is not enough details in those factors, e.g.,

delaying the approval of shop drawings resulted in a

delayed project of 90 days, This factor did not give a full

description of why the approval of shop drawings was

delayed, many secondary factors may lead to this delay,

such as lack of clarity of details or design errors in the

drawings which submitted by the Contractor, inefficient of

the employer's consultant or because of the unclear

requirements of the employer. Because of insufficient

details and lack of data about delay factors the interviews

were conducted with the experts and the staff of the

resident engineer for each hospital. The interviews focused

on the causes of delay in hospital construction projects to

check the list of causes that identified from root-cause

analysis for collecting data in the previous stage in

addition to related literature which reviewed. Interviews

were conducted face to face with the engineering team

who represent of employer reveal whether the factors have

been observed in these projects and if there were more

causes that have occurred during the implementation of

projects. A list of (77) delay causes in hospital projects are

established, which is shows in Table-1, categorized

according to the work progress into (10) group,

Contractual process related causes, Design related causes,

Site preparation related causes, Construction equipment

related causes, Contractors staff related causes, Employers

staff related causes, Procurement of construction materials

related causes, Cash flow related causes, Procurement of

medical and operational equipment related causes, and

external factors related causes.

2.2 Design questionnaire The list of factors that identified from previous

stages was examined by using the closed questionnaire to

determine the degree of severity and frequency of

occurrence for each delay factor. The questionnaire

generally divided into two main parts. First one is related

to general information about practical experience,

Activity Name

projects

Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

Project 4

Project 5

Project 6

Project 7

Project 8

Project 9

Project 10

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

100%, 30-Sep-16

90%,

93%,

90%,

90%,

13%,

12%,

12.5%,

33%,

90%,

As-planned Remaining work

As-built Completion percent

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VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2006

specialization, years of experience, etc. Second Part

included the list of the identified factors of delay in

hospital construction project. For each cause or factor two

questions were asked:

a) What is the frequency of occurrence for this cause?

And

b) What is the degree of severity of this cause on project

delay?

Both the frequency of occurrence and degree of

severity Divided into (4) answers, as shown in Figure-2

below. The answers that related to frequency of

occurrence are: Never (there is no delay for this reason),

occasionally (the delay is one or two times for this reason),

frequently (three or four times), constantly (for five times

or more) while the answers that relevant to the degree of

severity are: No effect, fairly severe, Severe, Very severe.

The assessment is made by comparing the causes with

each other.

frequency of occurrence degree of severity

Nev

er

Occ

asio

nal

ly

Fre

qu

entl

y

Co

nst

antl

y

No

eff

ect

Fai

rly

sev

ere

Sev

ere

Ver

y s

ever

e

Figure-2. Design of Questionnaire.

Table-1. Causes of delay.

No Contractual process related causes

1 Inadequate Iraqi conditions and instructions for turnkey projects.

2 Lack of Iraqi laws and regulations for clauses that allow direct contracting with international companies in

the field of hospital construction.

3 The reluctance of international efficient companies because of the security situation in Iraq.

4 The changes and amendments in government regulations.

5 weak conditions and specifications required by the employer for the purpose of qualifying companies during

the phase of study and analysis of tenders

6 The weakness of technical offers for companies that nominated to assignment as a result of adopted the

principle of the lowest bid price in the government tendering.

7 Delay of contractual processes due to routine and bureaucratic processes.

8 Difficulties in obtaining legal and financing permits from the other concerned authorities.

9 Poor qualification of contractual staff of the employer institution.

10 The contractual project period is unrealistic

11 The inclusion of contractual clauses to oblige the employer to facilitate the entry of contractor staff,

equipment and services import through border ports.

12 Ineffective delay penalties by employer.

No Design related causes

13 Lack of technical capabilities by the contractor to complete the drawings.

14 Delays in setting the design requirement by the employer.

15 Misunderstanding of the scope of work by the contractor due to unclear the requirements of work.

16 Discrepancies between contract documents and employer requirements (RFB).

17 Lack of number and experience of employer's consultant to study the drawings.

18 Design changes by the employer during the design phase.

19 Lack of clarity of details or design errors in the drawings which submitted by the Contractor.

20 Poor coordination between the designer (contractor) and the employer's consultant.

21 Delay in arrival of approval drawings and updates by the employer's consultant to the work site.

22 Disparity between BOQ and design.

No Site preparation related causes

23 Delays in transmit the site to the contractor due to the security situation in the governorate.

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VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2007

24 Delays in initiate of work due to some obstructions such as buildings or Agricultural Land in the site.

25 Unforeseen site conditions and geologic factors.

26 The existence of sewer lines or electricity transmission lines passes through the site.

27 Delays in connecting the infrastructure services such as water, sewage, electricity and communications to the

site by the relevant ministries.

28 Insufficient data collection and survey before construction by the contractor.

No Construction equipment related causes

29 Difficulties in available of construction equipment due to lack of financing capability of the contractor.

30 Difficulty in providing of construction equipment because of Security arrangements by local authorities.

31 Lack of high-tech mechanical equipment

32 Equipment breakdowns.

No Contractors staff related causes

33 Poor in supervision and site management by the contractor.

34 Poor qualification, experience and skills of the contractor’s technical staff.

35 Insufficient number of labor because of lack of financing capability or poor coordination by the contractor.

36 Poor communication and coordination by the contractor with the suppliers and subcontractor involved in the

project.

37 Frequent change of subcontractors due to inefficiency of their work.

38 Disputes between the contractor and subcontractors.

39 Disputes between labors in the site.

40 Poor planning and scheduling the project by the contractor

41 Re - work due to design errors by the contractor.

42 Delay in issuing entry visas to foreign workers by ministry of interior.

43 Instructions of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs about determining the percent of foreign labors and

restrictions on their entry.

44 Accidents during construction due to mismanagement of occupational safety.

45 Slow in preparation of changes order requests by the contractor.

No Employers staff related causes

46 Poor qualification of supervision staff of the employer's institution.

47 Insufficient authorizations that awarded to the resident engineer in the site by the employer.

48 Slowness in decision making process by the employer.

49 Delay in solving the contractor claims by the employer.

50 Changes in the scope of work by the employer during the construction.

51 Suspension of work by employer.

52 Failure to allow the contractor to work for 24 hours (according to contract) due to lack of staff of the resident

engineer in the site.

53 Delay in performing inspection and testing by employer's consultant.

54 Delay in giving technical consultations or solving technical problems due to lack of number and experience

of employer's consultant in the site.

55 Poor coordination between employer's consultants and other parties in the work site regarding design and

technical matters.

No Materials and laboratory tests related causes

56 Failure in laboratory tests of construction materials, concrete or soil treatments by the contractor.

57 Shortage of construction materials in local markets.

58 fluctuations the price of materials

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VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2008

59 Changes in specifications and material types during construction by the employer.

60 Difficulty in providing construction materials due to lack of financial commitment of suppliers by the

contractor in previous transactions.

61 Difficulty in delivering the construction materials because of Security arrangement by local authorities.

62 Delays in the manufacture of special building materials required by work.

63 Poor storage of construction materials by the contractor.

64 Delay the results of laboratory tests due to lack of laboratories in Iraq.

No Cash flow related causes

65 Cash flow payments are delayed as a result of the lack of accuracy by the contractor in accounting the

completed works quantities.

66 Cash flow payments are delayed due to audits and administrative processes by the employer.

67 Cash flow payments are delayed due to the economic crisis.

68 Change the dollar's exchange rate against the contractual currency (Iraqi Dinar).

No Procurement of medical and operational equipment related causes

69 Delay in awarding the Letter of credit) L/C ( as a result of the contractor's delay in providing the certificates

of origin, Insurance or provide certificates differ from what is agreed upon.

70 Delay in awarding the Letter of credit) L/C ( because of processes of the banking system in Iraq.

71 Delay in awarding the Letter of credit) L/C ( due to Financial or administrative problems by the employer.

72 Delayed entry of medical equipment and operational equipment because of poor coordination of employer

with the authorities responsible for the border crossings.

73 Delayed entry of medical equipment and operational equipment due to security measures at the border

crossing points.

No External factors related causes

74 The effect of hot weather on construction activities.

75 The effect of rain on construction activities.

76 Public holidays and religious habits.

77 Effect of cultural and social factors.

3. METHOD OF ANALYSIS

In this study, Importance Index technique (II)

would be implemented. This technique summarizes by

calculated both the frequency index (FI) and severity

index (SI)after being converted to numerical values as

shown in Figure-3. Frequency index (FI) is a formula used

to rank the factors of delay according to frequency of

occurrence:

FI= ∑ (Fi×Pi) / ∑ (Pi) …… (1≤ FI ≤4). Severity index (SI) is a formula used to rank

factors of delay, based on the degree of severity:

SI= ∑ (Sj×Pj) / ∑ (Pj) ….… (1≤ SI ≤ 4).

The importance index (II) for each cause is

calculated as a formula of both frequency and severity

indices:

II (%) = (FI×SI / 16) ×100%

Where:

Fi: frequency weight (1, 2, 3 or 4).

Pi: number of participants who answered to option i.

Sj: severity weight (1, 2, 3 or 4)

Pj: number of participants who answeredto option j.

scale Frequencyofoccurrence Degreeof severity

1 Never No effect

2 Occasionally Fairly severe

3 Frequently Severe

4 Constantly Very severe

Figure-3. Frequency and severity scale.

3.1 Data accuracy

The aim of this section is to give an explanation

about the strength of respondents’ experience, and the

degree of reliability of the data presented by them. In order

to verify the accuracy of the questionnaire and ensure that

all factors are directly or indirectly connected to the study

objective, the opinion of experts and specialists in the field

of hospital construction was adopted while Cronbach's

alpha (α) was used to measure the internal consistency between the questions of questionnaire.

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VOL. 14, NO. 10, MAY 2019 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2019 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2009

3.1.1 Respondents’ experience Sixty-one of professionals who working in the

field of hospital construction in the ministry of health

answered the questionnaire survey which was distributed

among them, consist of Resident Engineer staff,

Controlling and monitoring Departments and their

managers in many specializations. Figures (4), (5) and (6)

show their years of experience, Specialty and job position.

Figure-4. Study Sample based on job position.

Figure-5. Study Sample based on Specializations.

Figure-6. Study Sample based onyears of experience.

3.1.2 Data reliability

Cronbach's alpha (α)is going to be used to check

the reliability of collection data. The Statistical Product

and Solutions Services (SPSS) software version 25 has

been used as a tool by using the formula:

α = 𝑁 . 𝐶̅�̅� + (𝑁 − 1). 𝐶̅

Where:

N: The number of items. 𝐶̅: Average covariance between item-pairs. �̅�: Average variance.

The results for two part of questionnaire, frequent

of occurrence and degree of severity, were 94.5 and 94.9

respectively. Pallant J. (2007) considered the value of (α)

above 70 % is acceptable while Gliem (2003) considered

the value more than 90 % is excellent.

3.1.3 Degree of agreement

Spearman's Correlation coefficient isa non-

parametric analysis used to measure the strength of

agreement and direction of the relationship between

different factors, or parties. The correlation coefficient

values are between -1 and +1, where +1 represents a full

agreement relationship, while -1 result is a full

disagreement relationship. For this research, the

Spearman’s correlation coefficient is used to explain the

degree of agreement among different parties who

answered the questionnaire in addition to that the

measuring and comparing the relationship between the

answers of two parties for a single delay factor is applied,

while neglecting the answer of the third party. The parties

who have been checking their answers are; the resident

engineers, controlling and monitoring engineers. The

formula which used to calculate Spearman's correlation is

shown below.

𝑟 = 1 − [(6 ∑ 𝑑2)𝑛3 − 𝑛 ]

Where: 𝑟𝑠: Spearman correlation coefficient between two

parties 𝑑: Difference between ranks assigned to variables

for each factor 𝑛: Number of pairs of rank

The results show that there is a strong agreement

between each two groups of stockholders in ranking delay

factors where the highest degree of agreement was

between monitoring staff and resident engineers, followed

by the agreement between monitoring and controlling staff

while the lowest degree of agreement was between

resident engineers and controlling staff, however these

results were between (0.6 - 0.75).

Mamagers

18%

Monitoring

18%

Other

engineers

64%

Civil

44%

Mechanica

l

19%

Medical

equipment

7%

Elictrical

27%

Architect

3%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

5 - 9.5 10 - 14.5 15 - 19.5 20 - 24.5 25 - 29.5 ≥ 30

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2010

4. RESULTS The following discussions will discuss the

important causes of delay in context each category in

hospital construction projects of Iraq, these categories

included causes related to contractual process, causes

related to design, causes related to site preparation, causes

related to construction equipment, causes related to

contractor’s staff, causes related to employer’s staff,

causes related to construction materials and laboratory

tests, Causes related to cash flow, Causes related to

procurement of medical and operational equipment in

addition to causes related to external factors. Ranking of

overall causes of delay according to their importance

index, frequent index, severity index are shown in Table-2

except of Al-Mosul project, where the security situation

had the greatest impact in delay and interruption.

However, these results included the projects in middle and

southern Iraq. The major delay factor that hinders these

projects were the weakness of technical offers for

companies that nominated to assignment as a result of

adopted the principle of the lowest bid price in the

government tendering. And ineffective delay penalties by

employer that inclusion in contractual process related

causes in addition to Poor planning and scheduling the

project by the contractor which inclusion in contractor

staff related causes.

4.1 Causes related to the contractual process

The avoidance of delays in projects, losses and

disputes requires a comprehensive understanding of the

potential risks so that appropriate contract conditions and

selecting the best method of bidding can be prepared. 12

factors of delay were identified which includes the causes

that occurred during the contracting phase or which have

extended their effect to the subsequent stages of design

and construction, the results showed that the weakness of

technical offers for companies that nominated to

assignment as a result of adopted the principle of the

lowest bid price in the government tendering is the main

cause (II88.28) followed by Ineffective delay penalties by

employer and reluctance of international efficient

companies because of the security situation in Iraq and

(II= 86.08 and 83.89) while the lack of Iraqi laws and

regulations for clauses that allow directing contracting

with international companies in the field of hospital

construction, weak conditions and specifications required

by the employer for the purpose of qualifying companies

during the phase of study of tenders and Inadequate Iraqi

conditions and instructions for turnkey projects were the

least significant factors, however the Figure-7 shows the

important index for contractual factors of delay.

4.2 Causes related to design Design process should keep the duration of a

project, cost reduction and better quality of the final work;

however, it may increase the complexity of projects and

make it more difficult to manage. In these case studies, the

concept of fast-track became a reality during the

implementation phase, which required more accurate and

the highest level of quality to avoid the risks caused by

design errors. Ten factors of delay were examined which

led to delayed completion of design work or which led to

delay construction work associated with the design. As

shown in the Figure-8 the result explained that lack of

technical capabilities by the contractor to complete the

drawings, Disparity between bill of quantities with design

and lack of number and experience of employer's

consultant in study the drawings were the most significant

factors with (II= 69.43, 66.35, 64.3) respectively while

misunderstanding of the scope of work by the contractor

due to unclear the requirements of employer was the least

significant factor with (28.70) in addition to design

changes by the employer during the design phase and

Delays in setting the design requirement by the employer.

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2011

Figure-7. Causes related to contractual process.

Figure-8. Causes related to design.

4.3 Causes related to site preparation

Most international Standard contract Documents

agreed that the work site should be ready and any legal

problems or physical obstacles must remove before

starting the work. Although the design of the projects has

already started on the specified contractual date but all of

these projects have suffered from the delay of construction

on the site, six factors delay have been identified and their

effect is sequentially as following; insufficient data

collection and survey before construction by the

contractor, Delays in connecting the infrastructure services

such as water, sewage, electricity and communications to

the site by the relevant ministries, Delays in initiate of

work due to some obstructions such as buildings or

Agricultural Land in the site of the project, The existence

of sewer lines or electricity transmission lines passes

through the site, Delays in transmit the site to the

contractor due to the security situation in the governorate,

Unforeseen site conditions and geology factors. The

Figure-9 shows the important index of causes that related

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

The

wea

knes

s of t

he te

chni

cal o

ffer

s of t

he c

ompa

nies

nom

inat

ed fo

r the

ass

ignm

ent…

Inef

fect

ive

del

ay p

enal

ties

by

em

plo

yer

.

The

relu

ctan

ce o

f in

tern

atio

nal e

ffic

ient

com

pani

es b

ecau

se o

f the

secu

rity

situ

atio

n…

Del

ay o

f co

ntr

actu

al p

roce

sses

due

to r

outi

ne

and

bure

aucr

atic

pro

cess

es.

The

con

trac

tual

pro

ject

per

iod

is

unre

alis

tic

Poo

r q

ual

ific

atio

n o

f co

ntr

actu

al s

taff

of

the

emp

loy

er i

nst

ituti

on

.

The

incl

usio

n of

con

tract

ual c

laus

es to

obl

ige

the

empl

oyer

to fa

cilit

ate

the

entry

of…

Diff

icul

ties i

n ob

tain

ing

lega

l and

fina

ncin

g pe

rmits

from

the

othe

r aut

horit

ies…

The

chan

ges

and

am

end

men

ts i

n g

over

nm

ent

regu

lati

on

s.

lack

of I

raqi

law

s and

regu

latio

ns fo

r cla

uses

that

allo

w to

dire

ct c

ontra

ctin

g w

ith…

wea

k co

nditi

ons a

nd sp

ecifi

catio

ns re

quire

d by

the

empl

oyer

for t

he p

urpo

se o

f…

Inad

equ

ate

Iraq

i co

nd

itio

ns

and

in

stru

ctio

ns

for

turn

key

pro

ject

s.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Lack

of t

echn

ical

cap

abili

ties b

y th

e co

ntra

ctor

to…

Dis

par

ity b

etw

een

BO

Q a

nd

des

gin

.

lack

of c

larit

y of

det

ails

or d

esig

n er

rors

in th

e…

Poor

coo

rdin

atio

n be

twee

n th

e de

sign

er (c

ontra

ctor

)…

Lack

of n

umbe

r and

exp

erie

nce

of e

mpl

oyer

's…

Poor

coo

rdin

atio

n be

twee

n em

ploy

er's

cons

ulta

nts…

disc

repa

ncie

s due

to c

ontra

ct d

ocum

ents

and

Des

ign

chan

ges b

y th

e em

ploy

er d

urin

g th

e de

sign

Del

ays i

n se

tting

the

desi

gn re

quire

men

t by

the…

mis

unde

rsta

ndin

g of

the

scop

e of

wor

k by

the…

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2012

to site preparation in addition to causes related to

construction equipment.

4.4 Causes related to construction equipment

The complex nature and strategic importance of

these projects should lead to the provision of high-tech

machinery to perform high quality work within the

planned time. Four delay factors have been defined. As

explain in Figure-9 results showed that the difficulties in

available of construction equipment due to lack of

financing capability of the contractor was the higher delay

factor from others (II=63.83) followed by Lack of high-

tech mechanical equipment and equipment breakdowns

while the difficulties in providing of construction

equipment because of Security arrangements by local

authorities was the lowest delay factor (II=21.6).

Figure-9. Causes that related to site preparation in and

construction equipment.

4.5 Causes related to contractor’s staff The contractor’s staff related causes considered

the biggest of others because of the case studies was turn-

key projects and the most responsibilities of risk lies with

the contractor. Thirteen delay factors have been identified,

Poor planning and scheduling the project by the

contractor, insufficient number of labor because of lack of

financing capability or poor coordination by the contractor

and Poor qualification, experience and skills of the

contractor’s technical staff were the most three causes in

this categories. While Disputes between labors in the site

was the least factor However, the Figure-10 shows the

important index of causes that related to contractor’s staff.

Figure-10. Causes that related to contractor’s staff.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Diff

icul

ties i

n av

aila

ble

of c

onst

ruct

ion…

Insu

ffic

ient

dat

a co

llect

ion

and

surv

ey b

efor

e…

Lac

k o

f hig

h-t

ech m

ech

anic

al e

qu

ipm

ent

Eq

uip

men

t bre

akdo

wn

s.

Del

ays i

n co

nnec

ting

the

infr

astru

ctur

e se

rvic

es…

Del

ays i

n in

itiat

e of

wor

k du

e to

som

e…

The

exis

tenc

e of

sew

er li

nes o

r ele

ctric

ity…

Diff

icul

ty in

pro

vidi

ng o

f con

stru

ctio

n…

Del

ays i

n tra

nsm

it th

e si

te to

the

cont

ract

or d

ue…

Un

fore

seen

sit

e co

nd

itio

ns

and

geo

log

y f

acto

rs.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Poor

pla

nnin

g an

d sc

hedu

ling

the

proj

ect b

y th

e…in

suff

icie

nt n

umbe

r of l

abor

bec

ause

of l

ack

of…

Po

or

qual

ific

atio

n,

exp

erie

nce

and

skil

ls o

f th

e …

Poor

in su

perv

isio

n an

d si

te m

anag

emen

t by

the…

dis

pu

tes

bet

wee

n t

he

con

trac

tor

and s

ub

con

trac

tors

.

Poor

com

mun

icat

ion

and

coor

dina

tion

by th

e…Fr

eque

nt c

hang

e of

subc

ontra

ctor

s due

to…

Del

ay in

issu

ing

entry

vis

as to

fore

ign

wor

kers

by…

Inst

ruct

ions

of t

he M

inis

try o

f Lab

or a

nd S

ocia

l…Sl

ow in

pre

para

tion

of c

hang

es o

rder

requ

ests

by

the…

Re

- w

ork

due

to d

esig

n e

rro

rs b

y t

he

con

trac

tor.

Acc

iden

ts d

urin

g co

nstru

ctio

n du

e to

…D

ispu

tes

bet

wee

n l

abo

rs i

n t

he

site

.

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2013

4.6 Causes related to employer’s staff Although the projects are turn-key, the contracts

and work conditions have defined responsibilities for the

employer's staff. This category includes ten factors related

to employer’s staff. Based on the result, Insufficient

authorizations that awarded to the resident engineer in the

site by the employer was the higher rank (II: 74.01)

followed by Poor qualification of supervision staff of the

employer's institution and Slowness in decision making

process by the employer while the factor that related to

failure to allow the contractor to work for 24 hours

(according to contract) due to lack of staff of the resident

engineer in the site, changes in the scope of work by the

employer during the construction, and Suspension of work

by employer were the least significant. The Figure-11

summarizes the ranking of causes related to employer's

staff.

Figure-11. Causes related to employer’s staff.

4.7 Causes related to construction materials and

laboratory tests

In this group, nine factor causes were examined,

the result which summarizes in Figure-12 show that the

Poor storage of construction materials by the contractor

was the most important factor (66.85) follows by

Difficulty in providing construction materials due to lack

of financial commitment of suppliers by the contractor in

previous transactions in addition to failure in laboratory

tests of construction materials, concrete or soil treatments

by the contractor. While the results show that the

difficulties in delivering the construction materials

because of Security arrangement by local authorities,

fluctuations the price of materials and delay the results of

laboratory tests due to lack of laboratories in Iraq were the

lowest affecting factor.

4.8 Causes related to cash flow Four delay factors were investigated in this

category, as shown in Figure-13, Financial payments

delayed by the employer due to the economic crisis was

the most important factor (II=52.75) following by Change

the dollar's exchange rate against the contractual currency

(Iraqi Dinar), Cash flow payments are delayed as a result

of the lack of accuracy by the contractor in accounting the

completed works quantities and finally Cash flow

payments are delayed due to audits and administrative

processes by the employer.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Insu

ffic

ient

aut

horiz

atio

ns th

at a

war

ded

to th

e…

dela

y in

giv

ing

tech

nica

l con

sulta

tions

or s

olvi

ng…

dela

y in

arr

ival

of a

ppro

val d

raw

ings

and

upd

ates

Poor

qua

lific

atio

n of

supe

rvis

ion

staf

f of t

he…

Slow

ness

in d

ecis

ion

mak

ing

proc

ess b

y th

e…

Del

ay in

the

solv

ing

of c

ontra

ctor

cla

ims b

y th

e…

Del

ay in

per

form

ing

insp

ectio

n an

d te

stin

g by

Su

spen

sio

n o

f w

ork

by e

mp

loy

er.

chan

ges i

n th

e sc

ope

of w

ork

by th

e em

ploy

er…

failu

re to

allo

w th

e co

ntra

ctor

to w

ork

for 2

4…

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2014

Figure-12. Causes related to construction materials and

laboratory tests.

4.9 Causes related to procurement of medical and

operational equipment

Although the contractor is responsible for the

risks that delay the arrival of medical and operational

equipment but the contract included the employer's

liability for some of those responsibilities. Five delay

factor were identified as shown in Figure-13, the result

show that the delay of entry the medical and operational

equipment because of poor coordination of employer with

the authorities responsible for the border crossings was the

most significant cause (II= 50.62) follow by delay in

awarding the Letter of credit L/C as a result of the

contractor's delay in providing the certificates of origin,

Insurance or provide certificates differ from what is agreed

upon.

4.10 Causes related to external factors

This group included four factors that led to delay,

two of them are related to the climate and others related to

holidays and social factors, although the importance of

these factors is limited, but it was necessary to examine

them because they are influential in other countries. The

Figure-13 shows the important index of these factors.

Figure-13. Causes related to cash flow, procurement of

medical and operational equipment and external factors.

5. CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of the study, the origin of

delay problems is related to the contractual processes. Six

contractual factors were among the top ten factors

influencing projects, although their impact was indirect

but had a strong effect on other factors in design and

implementation. This requires a comprehensive review

and a good understanding of the instructions of the

contract. Recently, the new standard tender documents

have been applied in the field of government contracts and

this proves some of the results of this study. Despite the

reluctance of international efficient companies to work in

Iraq because of the security situation, the results prove that

the effect of security situation factors in middle and

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Poor

stor

age

of c

onst

ruct

ion

mat

eria

ls b

y th

e…

Diff

icul

ty in

pro

vidi

ng c

onst

ruct

ion

mat

eria

ls…

failu

re in

labo

rato

ry te

sts o

f con

stru

ctio

n…

Del

ays i

n th

e m

anuf

actu

re o

f spe

cial

bui

ldin

g…

Cha

nges

in sp

ecifi

catio

ns a

nd m

ater

ial t

ypes

Shor

tage

of c

onst

ruct

ion

mat

eria

ls in

loca

l…

Del

ay th

e re

sults

of l

abor

ator

y te

sts d

ue to

lack

flac

tuat

ions

the

pri

ce o

f m

ater

ials

Diff

icul

ty in

del

iver

ing

the

cons

truct

ion…

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fina

ncia

l pay

men

ts d

elay

ed b

y th

e em

ploy

er…

Del

ayed

ent

ry o

f med

ical

equ

ipm

ent a

nd…

Del

ay in

aw

ardi

ng th

e L

/C a

s a re

sult

of th

e…C

hang

e th

e do

llar's

exc

hang

e ra

te a

gain

st th

e…C

ash

flow

pay

men

ts a

re d

elay

ed a

s a re

sult

of…

Del

ayed

ent

ry o

f med

ical

equ

ipm

ent a

nd…

Cas

h flo

w p

aym

ents

are

del

ayed

due

to a

udits

…D

elay

in a

war

ding

the

L/C

due

to F

inan

cial

or…

Del

ay in

aw

ardi

ng th

e L

/C b

ecau

se o

f…Th

e ef

fect

of h

ot w

eath

er o

n co

nstru

ctio

n…P

ub

lic

holi

day

s an

d r

elig

iou

s hab

its.

Th

e ef

fect

of

rain

on

con

stru

ctio

n a

ctiv

itie

s.

Eff

ect

of

cult

ura

l an

d s

oci

al f

acto

rs.

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2015

southern Iraq is less significant comparison with the

others. However, all results of the study are detailed in

Table-2 and finally we can say that the middle and

southern Iraq is a good environment to work and

investmentif the international efficient companies decided

to work in this country.

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2016

Table-2. Ranking Causes of delay.

No delay factors

frequency severity

important

index category

mean St.dev. mean St.dev.

1

The weakness of the technical offers of the

companies nominated for the assignment as a

result of the adoption of the principle of lowest

bidder price in the government tendering.

3.73 0.52 3.78 0.45 88.28 contractual

2 Ineffective delay penalties by employer. 3.59 0.76 3.84 0.52 86.08 contractual

3 Poor planning and scheduling the project by

the contractor 3.66 0.54 3.69 0.50 84.28 contractor staff

4

The reluctance of international efficient

companies because of the security situation in

Iraq.

3.62 0.66 3.70 0.59 83.89 contractual

5

Insufficient number of labor because of lack of

financing capability or poor coordination by

the contractor.

3.56 0.79 3.56 0.85 79.09 contractor staff

6 Delay of contractual processes due to routine

and bureaucratic processes. 3.50 0.75 3.60 0.72 78.75 contractual

7 Insufficient authorizations that awarded to the

resident engineer in the site by the employer. 3.34 0.85 3.54 0.79 74.01 employer staff

8 The contractual project period is unrealistic 3.30 0.94 3.49 0.85 71.91 contractual

9 Poor qualification of contractual staff of the

employer institution. 3.16 0.87 3.60 0.70 71.06 contractual

10 Lack of technical capabilities by the contractor

to complete the drawings. 3.28 0.83 3.38 0.85 69.43 design

11 Poor storage of construction materials by the

contractor. 3.26 0.85 3.28 0.92 66.85 materials

12 Disparity between BOQ and design. 3.28 0.85 3.23 0.91 66.35 design

13 Poor qualification, experience and skills of the

contractor’s technical staff. 3.15 0.91 3.36 0.91 66.11 contractor staff

14

The inclusion of contractual clauses to oblige

the employer to facilitate the entry of

contractor staff, equipment and services import

through border ports.

3.12 0.91 3.39 0.91 66.07 contractual

15 Poor in supervision and site management by

the contractor. 3.11 0.90 3.33 0.94 64.78 contractor staff

16 Lack of clarity of details or design errors in the

drawings which submitted by the Contractor. 3.13 0.77 3.28 0.78 64.30 design

17 Disputes between the contractor and

subcontractors. 3.15 0.75 3.25 0.70 63.85 contractor staff

18

Difficulties in available of construction

equipment due to lack of financing capability

of the contractor.

3.11 0.90 3.28 0.97 63.83 equipment

19 Difficulties in obtaining legal and financing

permits from the other authorities concerned 3.20 0.93 3.18 0.94 63.54 contractual

20 Poor communication and coordination by the

contractor with the suppliers and subcontractor 3.13 0.70 3.22 0.76 62.99 contractor staff

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2017

involved in the project

21 Insufficient data collection and survey before

construction by the contractor. 3.08 0.74 3.27 0.80 62.95 site preparation

No delay factors

frequency severity important

index category

mean St.

dev. mean

St.

dev.

22 Frequent change of subcontractors due to

inefficiency of their work. 3.07 0.89 3.25 0.87 62.19 contractor staff

23

Delay in giving technical consultations or

solving technical problems due to lack of

number and experience of employer's

consultant in the site.

3.02 0.83 3.17 0.87 59.70 design

24 The changes and amendments in government

regulations. 3.02 0.94 3.16 0.99 59.65 contractual

25 Lack of high-tech mechanical equipment 3.03 0.87 3.10 0.93 58.73 equipment

26

Lack of Iraqi laws and regulations for clauses

that allow directing contracting with

international companies in the field of hospitals

construction.

3.02 1.16 3.10 1.12 58.41 contractual

27 Poor coordination between the designer

(contractor) and the employer's consultant. 3.00 0.81 3.08 0.88 57.84 design

28 Lack of number and experience of employer's

consultant. in study the drawings. 2.82 0.91 3.22 0.92 56.63 design

29 Delay in issuing entry visas to foreign workers

by ministry of interior. 2.95 0.81 3.07 0.84 56.54 contractor staff

30

weak conditions and specifications required by

the employer for the purpose of qualifying

companies during the phase of study and

analysis of tenders

2.87 0.91 3.15 0.88 56.44 contractual

31

Instructions of the Ministry of Labor and

Social Affairs about determination the

percentage of foreign labors and restrictions on

their entry.

2.97 0.86 2.97 0.87 55.03 contractor staff

32 Financial payments delayed by the employer

due to the economic crisis. 2.81 0.80 3.00 0.98 52.75 cash flow

33

Delay in arrival of approval drawings and

updates by the employer's consultant to the

work site.

2.85 0.88 2.93 0.90 52.25 design

34

Poor coordination between employer's

consultants and other parties in the work site

regarding design and technical matters.

2.80 0.80 2.98 0.89 52.21 design

35

Delayed entry of medical equipment and

operational equipment because of poor

coordination of employer with the authorities

responsible for the border crossings.

2.73 0.90 2.96 0.93 50.62

Medical and

operational

equip.

36 Discrepancies due to contract documents and

employer requirements (RFB). 2.62 0.98 3.07 0.99 50.15 design

37

Difficulty in providing construction materials

due to lack of financial commitment of

suppliers by the contractor in previous

transactions.

2.72 0.88 2.95 0.98 50.09 materials

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2018

38

Delay in awarding the L/C as a result of the

contractor's delay in providing the certificates

of origin, Insurance or provide certificates

differ from what is agreed upon.

2.74 0.69 2.88 0.82 49.33

Medical and

operational

equip.

39 Slow in preparation of changes order requests

by the contractor 2.77 0.80 2.74 0.91 47.40 contractor staff

40 Re - work due to design errors by the

contractor. 2.61 0.92 2.90 0.94 47.27 contractor staff

41 Poor qualification of supervision staff of the

employer's institution 2.56 0.98 2.95 0.90 47.16 employer staff

No delay factors

frequency severity important

index category

mean St.

dev. mean

St.

dev.

42 Change the dollar's exchange rate against the

contractual currency (Iraqi Dinar). 2.68 0.88 2.80 0.88 46.93 cash flow

43 Slowness in decision making process by the

employer. 2.60 0.94 2.87 0.87 46.58 employer staff

44 Delay in the solving of contractor claims by the

employer. 2.66 0.91 2.79 0.91 46.26 employer staff

45 Design changes by the employer during the

design phase. 2.60 0.81 2.83 0.96 46.04 design

46 Accidents during construction due to

mismanagement of occupational safety. 2.59 0.99 2.79 1.11 45.12 contractor staff

47 Equipment breakdowns. 2.61 0.80 2.74 0.96 44.60 equipment

48

Cash flow payments are delayed as a result of

the lack of accuracy by the contractor in

accounting the completed works quantities.

2.62 0.72 2.72 0.85 44.43 cash flow

49

Delayed entry of medical equipment and

operational equipment due to security

measures at the border crossing points.

2.63 0.84 2.68 0.92 43.95

Medical and

operational

equip.

50 Cash flow payments are delayed due to audits

and administrative processes by the employer. 2.56 0.92 2.66 0.96 42.45 cash flow

51

Failure in laboratory tests of construction

materials, concrete or soil treatments by the

contractor.

2.52 0.85 2.66 0.98 41.90 materials

52 Delays in setting the design requirement by the

employer. 2.48 0.87 2.68 0.83 41.65 design

53 Delays in the manufacture of special building

materials required by work. 2.52 0.87 2.57 0.96 40.61 materials

54 Inadequate Iraqi conditions and instructions for

turnkey projects. 2.51 0.99 2.57 0.96 40.35 contractual

55 Delay in awarding the L/C due to Financial or

administrative problems by the employer. 2.54 0.97 2.50 0.99 39.62

Medical and

operational

equip.

56 Delay in awarding the L/C because of

processes of the banking system in Iraq. 2.45 0.85 2.55 0.89 39.04

Medical and

operational

equip.

57 Disputes between labors in the site. 2.41 1.02 2.52 1.04 38.02 contractor staff

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2019

58

Delays in connecting the infrastructure services

such as water, sewage, electricity and

communications to the site by the relevant

ministries.

2.38 0.83 2.40 0.99 35.64 site preparation

59 The effect of hot weather on construction

activities. 2.36 0.93 2.39 0.94 35.31 external

60 Public holidays and religious habits. 2.28 0.84 2.25 0.94 31.99 external

61

Delays in initiate of work due to some

obstructions such as buildings or Agricultural

Land in the site of the project.

2.20 0.91 2.30 0.94 31.51 site preparation

62

Misunderstanding of the scope of work by the

contractor due to unclear the requirements of

work.

2.15 0.99 2.14 0.94 28.70 design

63 Delay in performing inspection and testing by

employer's consultant. 2.03 0.93 2.10 0.96 26.66 employer staff

No delay factors

frequency severity important

index category

mean St.

dev. mean

St.

dev.

64 Suspension of work by employer. 1.90 0.89 2.15 0.95 25.52 employer staff

65 Changes in the scope of work by the employer

during the construction. 2.07 0.95 1.95 0.96 25.18 employer staff

66 Changes in specifications and material types

during construction by the employer. 1.95 0.88 2.07 0.91 25.18 materials

67 The existence of sewer lines or electricity

transmission lines passes through the site. 1.92 0.80 1.92 0.95 22.99 site preparation

68 The effect of rain on construction activities. 1.92 0.69 1.92 0.76 22.99 external

69 Shortage of construction materials in local

markets. 1.84 0.80 1.97 0.98 22.57 materials

70

Difficulty in providing of construction

equipment because of Security arrangements

by local authorities.

1.79 0.82 1.93 1.00 21.60 equipment

71 Delay the results of laboratory tests due to lack

of laboratories in Iraq. 1.82 0.89 1.89 0.91 21.44 materials

72 Effect of cultural and social factors. 1.79 0.80 1.82 0.94 20.32 external

73 fluctuations the price of materials 1.78 0.74 1.81 0.88 20.17 materials

74

Difficulty in delivering the construction

materials because of Security arrangement by

local authorities.

1.84 0.88 1.75 0.96 20.13 materials

75

Failure to allow the contractor to work for 24

hours (according to contract) due to lack of

staff of the resident engineer in the site.

1.69 0.99 1.74 1.12 18.34 employer staff

76 Delays in transmit the site to the contractor due

to the security situation in the governorate. 1.61 0.80 1.80 1.00 18.11 site preparation

77 Unforeseen site conditions and geology factors. 1.57 0.76 1.79 0.90 17.58 site preparation