Time Overrun Causes in Public Construction Projects in Saudi Arabia: Contractors’ View

Abstract

The time schedule in construction projects is one of the prime measures for project success. However, the construction industry worldwide is full of projects that were completed with significant time overrun. This problem is critical and has negative effects on construction parties in terms of growth in adversarial relationships, mistrust, litigation, arbitration and cash flow problems. This study aims at identifying the time overrun causes in public construction projects in Saudi Arabia from contractors’ viewpoint. To do so, 62 contractors from Northern Province of Saudi Arabia who are working on public construction completed a structured questionnaire survey. 35 time overrun causes were identified through literature review. The results indicated that the top affecting causes are: additional work, bid award for lowest price, changes in material types and specifications during construction, contract management, fluctuation of prices of materials, improper planning, inflationary pressure, lack of contractor experience, poor labor productivity, and rework.

Keywords: time overrun, delay, public construction, risk map, causes