A comparative study of construction project delays in Johor and Sabah region

Abstract

A timely completion of construction project is a major criterion of project success. Failure to complete the project on time will ultimately results in delay. The need to control the causes of delays during the construction process comes out when the number of delay project has been increase from time to time. Hence, it is essential to identify the causes of this problem from the early stage of construction project. The objectives of this study are to study the causes of delay in term of frequency occurrence and severity effect, and finally to identify the methods available to minimize construction project delays. A questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the significant causes of delay in order to avoid or minimize their impact on construction project. The perspective of contractors, consultants and client has been analyzed and ranked based on Relative Important Index (RII). A comparison of frequency occurrence and severity effect on the delay causes was done between Johor and Sabah. The study established that there were unlike results on the pattern of significant delays causes in both regions. Respondents in Johor believe that ‘contractor’s financial problem’, ‘poor subcontractor performance’ and ‘shortage of manpower’ are the major causes of delay in construction project. Meanwhile, ‘poor site management and supervision’, ‘slowness of client decision making’ and ‘slow payment of completed work’ are the major concern from the respondents’ point of view in Sabah. Finally, appropriate project management practices are thus identified to curb the significant causes of delays in construction projects.