Building Information Modelling Technology in Mitigating Cost Overruns and change orders in Construction Projects

Variation order (VO) is one of the main issues faced by the construction industry in Jordan. Many researchers had investigated on the causes of VO and proposed procedures to minimize and control this issue; however, the VO is affecting the construction industry badly even at moment. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a powerful management system that can make a significant difference in the project costs. However, BIM has not been examined as a tool to minimize the VO in Jordan. The main target of this study is to utilize BIM applications in reducing the effect of VO on the governmental projects in Jordan. In order to achieve this target, the researcher has designed a questionnaire to gather data related to VO causes and the BIM capability to solve this problem. The data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed statistically. The result from the analysis found that the consultant initiated the highest VO of 50% followed by the clients and the contractors of 20% and 10% unforeseen variation respectively. Moreover, it is found that BIM Design Applications, Facility Operations Simulation, Exploration Design Scenarios, BIM Design Detection and BIM Quantity Take-off and Cost Estimation were significantly capable of minimizing VO. The results show positive relationship with the application of BIM in minimizing VO in the construction industry in Jordan. © 2018. JASET, International Scholars and Researchers Association

Managing Fast-Track Construction Project in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Fast-track construction projects are becoming increasingly prevalent in the construction industry, particularly where completion time is essential. A high adoption rate in some of the United Arab Emirate countries and the lack of a conceptual understanding of the challenges inherent in such may jeopardize the future sustainability of the construction sector. To make an informed decision about adopting a fast-track construction method, it is necessary to first identify the opportunities and challenges associated with it. Therefore, this study examines the critical challenges impeding the performance of Qatar’s fast-track construction projects. The research findings were analysed and triangulated using a real-life project as a case study and several data sources. The results of the research identified four critical categories of barriers: design and coordination-related, scope or change orders-related, material and equipment-related, and contractual-related barriers. In addition, strategies such as accurate information, constructability assessment, early involvement of operations and maintenance personnel, and the use of an effective change control system were identified for addressing the identified challenges. The findings are beneficial to professionals who are currently operating or planning to undertake construction projects in Qatar or other United Arab Emirate countries. This study recommends that project managers be more attentive to key barriers in order to improve the performance of fast-track projects and to meet clients’ objectives.

Evaluating the impact of change orders on construction projects in Oman

Most of the construction projects are subject to change as some projects need to make some changes and modifications to the design, specifications, or any other work. These changes may be small and do not affect the duration and cost of the project, and they may be significant, resulting in increased working life and cost. Changes in construction projects have become a common and widespread phenomenon in Oman, with most government projects facing cost and time increases due to change orders. In this study, this problem was highlighted and the necessary solutions were found. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of change orders on construction projects and their causes. This study was conducted on the basis of a literature review and several methods were used to collect information and data to obtain accurate results. interviews were conducted with all parties (clients, contractors, and consultants), and the questionnaire was also distributed electronically to 215 engineers in the private and government sectors and qualitative data (interviews) were analyzed by using the Constant Comparative method, as for quantitative data (questionnaire) by SPSS program. The research revealed many results, the most prominent of which is that change orders have a major role in increasing the duration and cost of the project. Finally, some recommendations were proposed that could contribute to the development of Omani projects and reduce the issuance of change orders.

Exploring the Causes of Design Changes in Building Construction Projects: An Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mutual interactions between the causes of design changes using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and to classify the causes using the “Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement” MICMAC technique. This study further identifies and proposes strategies to mitigate design change occurrence and map them onto the identified connections between the causes. To achieve these goals, critical causes of design changes were identified through a comprehensive literature review; 23 key causes were then refined according to the opinions of relevant experts involved in the Iranian building construction sector. Stakeholders associated with each cause and the management areas from which causes arise were also considered. The factors “Unfamiliarity with new construction methods”, “Design errors”, “Value engineering”, “Scope uncertainty”, “Change orders”, and “Constructability ignored in the design phase”, which are highly influenced by other factors, emerged at the highest level of the ISM diagram, and “Clients’ attitudes and experience” as the main root cause of design changes at the bottom of the diagram. The MICMAC technique results showed that consultant-related causes significantly influence other causes, and policy and client-related causes have a feedback effect on the whole system. The findings of this study provide a better insight into how various causes of design changes are connected to one another and can ultimately assist project managers of different parties, even in other countries, to choose influential strategies to mitigate design changes in building construction projects.

Comparing Change Management Processes for Requirements and Manufacturing: An Interview Based Study

The study presented in this paper compares requirement and manufacturing change management processes to determine if similar processes can be used for both types of changes. A literature review is used to identify prescribed process stages. Ten stages are identified for both requirements and manufacturing change management. A series of interviews are then conducted with three different population groups to determine the process stages actually used in the field. The resulting process models are compared with the process models from the literature. Further, a thematic analysis is performed on the interview findings. Ultimately, differences are found between the prescribed and practiced change management models for both types of changes. Formal documentation stages are more prevalent for the manufacturing domain, though documentation in practice is less than what is prescribed. This includes the issuance of change requests and change orders in manufacturing change management that are not present in requirement change management processes. Significant differences were also found between the two change types; namely, requirement changes deal with more abstract concepts and as such can afford more informal documentation, whereas manufacturing changes deal with existing artifacts and require solid documentation. Additional research thrusts are identified to help reconcile change management processes across the life cycle.

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT: UNDERLYING CAUSES IN MEGA-CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Construction claims remain unavoidable in any megaproject contractual relationship and can quickly escalate to misunderstandings, disputes and litigations if not appropriately managed. Disputes pose a significant risk in hindering project progress; they are characterised by lengthy legal battles that consume substantial time and financial resources. This study identifies the causes of claims encountered by clients, contractors and consultants in transport and energy sector mega construction projects in South Africa. A semi-systematic literature review was used to identify, select and appraise existing literature on this issue. Content analysis using NVivo 12 was used to identify factors causing claims in the construction sector, particularly in MCPs. Findings of the study revealed that construction projects occurring outside of South Africa experienced a delay in payments, time and cost overruns, change orders, inadequate project and drawing specifications, natural risks or force majeure. In South Africa, delays and cost overruns (due to insufficient experience and expertise of project managers and engineers) frequent to be the causes attributable to claims.