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Delay Analysis Methodologies
Introduction
If a delay occurs on a construction project and the contract provides that this entitles the
contractor to an extension of time, then it is incumbent on the contractor to prove that the
delay actually affected the time for completion and by how much. Not all claimable delays will
actually affect the time for completion. For example, delays or additional work may not affect
activities that are on the critical path and may just consume float and therefore such delays
will not affect the end date. If there is float within the programme, a 14day delay to certain
activities may affect the completion date by a lesser amount. The linking of the cause with
the effect is necessary to prove that the claim is just and is usually demonstrated by way of a
delay analysis carried out by using programming software.
Delay analysis tends to be a somewhat of a ‘black art’ to those who are not familiar with
programming software, but it may be simplified so that those of us who do not even know
how to open Primavera and other similar software can work with those who have the
technical knowledge to produce the desired results. There are several ways of producing a
delay analysis and the selection of which method is largely dependant upon what records are
available on the project. We will discuss these individually.
Time Impact Analysis
The preferred method of delay analysis is time impact analysis. This requires that the project
programme be brought up to date at the time immediately before the delay started. The
updated programme should include the actual dates of activities that have been started or
completed, any extension of time awards that have been made and any additional work that
has been instructed. The updated programme will show the projected time for completion
before the effects of the delay have had any impact. A subnetwork of activities that
represent the delay should then be inserted into the updated programme and the appropriate
links established with the activities within the updated programme. This will then show the
projected completion date with the delay event included. A comparison between the
completion dates shown on the updated programme and the impacted updated programme
will demonstrate the extension of time in days.
The time impact method will not be able to be used unless a proper programme has been
prepared, accepted and updated.
AsPlanned vs. AsBuilt
An asplanned vs. asbuilt analysis involves building a programme that compares the
planned start and finish dates of activities with the actual start and finish dates. Comparing
the two, activity by activity will identify delays and if such delays can be linked to the
claimable delay events, then this may demonstrate the amount of extension of time to which
the contractor is entitled.
An asplanned v asbuilt analysis will not however identify concurrency, sequencing,
mitigation or acceleration and depends on asbuilt records being available. It may however
be a useful tool to identify delays so that the contractor can start investigating the reasons
that have caused the delays, whether claimable or not.
Where an asplanned programme and an asbuilt programme exists or the asplanned
programme was regularly updated but little information is available to the network logic
followed, then an asplanned analysis may be appropriate. Having said this, if all this
information is in fact available, then a time impact analysis would be preferable.
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Impacted AsPlanned
An impacted asplanned analysis is performed by adding activities that represent the
claimable delay(s) into the asplanned programme and establishing appropriate links with the
existing activities. The programming software will then show the ‘impacted’ completion date
after using up any float contained within the programme.
The usefulness of the impacted asplanned technique is restricted due to the theoretical
nature of the projected delays that are determined using this technique and uncertainty as to
the feasibility of the contractor’s as planned programme. If no asbuilt records exist and it is
not possible to produce a programme update to carry out a time impact analysis, an
impacted asplanned analysis may be the only method open for use.
Collapsed AsBuilt
A collapsed asbuilt analysis is really the opposite of an impacted asplanned analysis. This
method requires a programme to be created which shows the activities, their actual start and
finish dates and the appropriate links created between the activities. Because such a
programme is based on actuals, it will automatically include the effect of claimable delays. If
the claimable delay is then removed and the programme ‘collapsed’ this will then show the
situation ‘but for’ the delay and this will demonstrate the effect of the delay.
Again, this method will not identify concurrency, resequencing, redistribution of resources or
acceleration and is dependant on a realistic application of the logic of the programme. Where
acceleration, redistribution of resources or resequencing has taken place to mitigate the
effect of the delay events, the analysis will be subjective and open to interpretation. Where
there are good asbuilt records but the asplanned programme was not produced in adequate
detail or not produced at all, a collapsed asbuilt programme may be the only appropriate
method of demonstrating the effects of the claimable delay.
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Further Reading
The Society of Construction Law Delay and Disruption Protocol contains excellent guidance
on some of the common issues that arise on construction contracts where one party wishes
to recover from the other an extension of time and/or compensation for the additional time
spent and the resources used to complete the project. The protocol is available as a free
download from the Society of Construction Law’s website.
This paper was provided by ICCP Executive Officer, Andy Hewitt.
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