Premature Start Impact Analysis Tool: Preventing Unintended Construction Interruptions and Associated Impacts

Abstract

Construction projects often face pressure, from either the owner or contractor, to begin early mobilization of construction. This is due to the fact that nearly every project in the construction industry stands to benefit at least one stakeholder by an early start. In order to mobilize early, engineering design is rushed and assumptions are left unmitigated, which results in inaccurate plans and, often, unrealistic schedules. The construction phase of a project is then hindered by costly interruptions and holds. When these disruptions occur, project teams often react by spending more money and crashing schedules even further in order to make up for the delays, causing additional strain for all project stakeholders and leading to claims, disputes, and litigation. This research set out to investigate premature starts to construction and document the drivers, leading indicators, and impacts that can occur as a result. The research approach consisted of both in-depth case-study research and survey-based research. Findings from eight case studies and 194 survey responses were used to develop a tool, namely the Premature Start Impact Analysis (PSIA), which can be used by industry practitioners to prevent premature starts to construction. This paper presents the foundational work that led to the development of PSIA along with its main features and deployment recommendations and then demonstrates the tool in two real-world projects. PSIA provides tangible data for review and analysis and facilitates open communication between project stakeholders regarding risks and potential impacts of starting a construction project prematurely.