An Investigation into Time Overrun in the Construction Industry in Malaysia from the Perspective of the Contractors

Chew, Huey En (2022) An Investigation into Time Overrun in the Construction Industry in Malaysia from the Perspective of the Contractors. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Time overrun is a recurring issue in the construction industry. There were numerous studies on construction delays around the world but only a few studies have been conducted in the context of time overrun in the construction industry in Malaysia. Most of them were mainly focused on the perceptions of consultants. However, the study into time overrun in the construction industry in Malaysia which focused on the contractors’ viewpoint is scarce. As a result, an investigation into time overrun in the construction industry in Malaysia from the perspective of the contractors is necessary and useful for mitigating construction delays problem faced by the industry. This research aims to investigate the contributory factors in the local construction projects and with specific reference to project outcome in terms of time element. Proactive strategies could then be put forward to reduce the occurrence of time overrun in the construction industry in Malaysia. The quantitative research method is was adopted in this research. Specifically the cross-sectional study design is was employed here in conjunction with purposive sampling of a non random nature. A comprehensive literature review of the subject matter and a questionnaire survey were undertaken. Descriptive statistics procedure in SPSS was used to analyse the data. The research findings indicated the five predominant causal factors of time overrun. They are poor management and supervision on site; contractor’s ineffective planning, scheduling, monitoring and control; slow decision making process of the project consultant team; excessive changes in design leading to excessive variation orders by the consultants; and labour shortage. Furthermore, the loss of profit incurred by the contractor due to late completion; negative impact on the corporate image of the client / xviii contractor; cost overrun; client unable to handover the vacant possession of the housing units to the purchasers on time; and disputes and claims are the five predominant impact of time overrun. The results also revealed that effective communications among the project team members; plan and schedule for acceleration of site activities; ensure labour, materials, plant and machinery are delivered on time to site; plan and schedule the additional resources to be deployed; and client’s on-time progress payments to the contractor are the five predominant strategies for mitigating the time overrun on construction projects. In summation, the research findings have imparted insights on construction delays and hence contributed in a small way to a better understanding of what is considered a recurring problem confronted by many construction projects.