Contractor-Delay Control in Building Projects: Escalation of Strategy from Primary Proactive to Secondary Reactive

Abstract

The building sector in New Zealand is booming and currently very active, with a range of residential and commercial buildings being built in large cities. However, where there are major investments, problems, malfunctions, and errors become extremely costly and time consuming with significant implications on the success of projects. The current study focuses on causes of delay in building projects; in addition, the study sets out to investigate causes associated with or triggered by contractors within the construction phase. The emphasis is on causes that are more likely to create problems, conflicts, and disputes. A total of 14 types of delays were initially investigated through a review of relevant and high-impact sources. Accordingly, the causes of these delays were further investigated and verified via New Zealand building and construction experts. The discussions and analysis were extended beyond the causes and into response strategies and control of emerging issues and problems. The study suggests an action plan and spectrum of actions and strategies to avoid or mitigate the impact of the causes. This action plan is classified into proactive and reactive measures.