The Causation of Design Error in the Construction Industry: A Multistakeholder Perspective

Abstract

A seemingly minor design error can have significant repercussions in a construction project, leading to serious safety and quality consequences, cost overrun, and delays. This error can have a lasting impact, potentially affecting usability and safety during the operational stage of the completed facility. Despite these consequences, there is limited research on which stakeholders contribute more significantly to design errors. Furthermore, there is a disconnection in understanding among stakeholders about the causes of design errors. To address the knowledge gap, this research aimed to identify the critical causes of design errors from a multistakeholder perspective. Empirical survey data were collected from 243 design professionals (e.g., architects, structural designers, and water supply and drainage designers) across various stakeholders (e.g., clients, design companies, and construction companies) in the Chinese construction industry. Descriptive and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses reveal that contrary to common understanding, clients and geological surveying companies are the major stakeholders responsible for design errors in construction projects. The major factors leading to design errors are design input information error, unreasonable intervention on design, noncompliance with standard requirements, and error in site geological survey document. In contrast, concurrent design and construction requirements and poor working conditions are the least influential factors. Design professionals, regardless of their stakeholder groups, shared similar views on the causes of design errors. This research is among the first to uncover the causes of design errors on construction projects from a multistakeholder perspective. The findings offer valuable insights for stakeholders to improve design quality in the Chinese construction industry and other countries with similar environments. The research findings have significant practical implications for various stakeholders to more effectively reduce design errors in construction projects. By identifying the critical factors leading to design errors from a multistakeholder perspective, this research provides a strong empirical foundation for developing novel evidence-based design quality management strategies to prevent the chronic problem of design errors in the construction industry. The results highlight that in addition to ensuring the capability of design development company and designers, design quality is heavily dependent on the accuracy of design input information provided by the clients, and compliance with standard requirements and high-quality site geological survey documents provided by geological surveying companies. Adequate time is needed in the preliminary design phase to thoroughly review the input information provided by clients and geological surveying companies. In addition, clients should avoid excessive interference in the design process and should instead empower the designers to determine design details or design solutions because these are helpful to reduce design changes and avoid potential design quality problems. Finally, stakeholders should also pay special attention to changes to design-related laws and regulations and standards and codes because these are major factors causing design error in the construction industry.