Delay Analysis In The Construction Industry

The construction industry is global, large, and often involves large capital expenditure. The rate of return is often lower in comparison to the risk involved. Delays are a major risk element and have financial impacts for both the Owner and Contractor. Compensation for delays largely depends upon delay analysis and apportionment. Delay analysis is a complex process and dispute resolution is time consuming and costly.
Delays on construction projects are a universal phenomenon and most times are accompanied with cost and schedule overruns. Research reflects the debilitating effects on construction project parties including the owner, contractor, and consultant resulting in adversarial relationships, distrust, litigation, arbitration, cash-flow, and apprehension. Examples of owner caused delays include late issuance contract documents, correction of design errors and owner issued changes. Examples of contractor caused delays include poor planning, mismanagement, and utilization of inadequate or unskilled resources.
Schedule delay analysis is used to identify, measure, and quantify the impacts of delays on projects. Delay analysis is typically performed utilizing critical path method (CPM) schedules. There are numerous position papers covering delay analysis including recommended techniques to quantify schedule delays. AACE International Recommended Practice (RP-29R-03) titled Forensic Schedule Analysis illustrates that there is no single method used for all types of delay analysis. Common methodologies of delay analysis include as-planned versus as-built, impacted as-planned, collapsed as-built, window analysis, and time impact analysis. Each of the technique has its own advantages and disadvantages.
A) Planned versus A...

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...ospectively.
h) Analyze back to back delay events with the schedule update containing the data date equal to the date of completion of the first delay event. This aids in analysis of concurrent events
i) Review and approve TIA’s as quickly as possible since delay in approval decreases validity.

CONCLUSION
Time Impact Analysis is the most popular and favored delay analysis methodology. Effective use of TIA is challenged by planner expertise, accuracy of baseline schedule and updates, electronic data availability, specification requirements, multiple and concurrent delays, and masked schedule mitigation as discussed in this paper. Owners and planners must be knowledgeable regarding effective use and limitations of TIA application when specifying use of TIA for delay quantification. Alternate delay analysis methods may be required when use of TIA is not possible.