KING FAHAD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

CEM 510
**********

CONSTRUCTION DELAY COMPUTATION

METHOD

BY Jonathan Jingsheng Shi, Member , ASCE, S.O. Cheung and David Arditi, Member, ASCE

REF:
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT – JAN/FEB,2001 VOL. 127 NO.1
1
FEB28,2006
 OBJECTIVE:

This paper presents a method for computing activity delays and assessing their
contribution to project delay. The method consists of a set of equations, which
can be easily coded into a computer program that allows speedy access to project
delay information and activity contributions.

BACKGROUND:
 Most problem in construction is delay
 Construction contract = contract duration ( specified period of time) =
contractor must comply to achieve substantial completion within this time
 For unexpected reasons contractor fails to complete the project within the
contract period
 Owner will claim liquidated damages and obtain contractual release
extension of time
 Delay analysis based on responsibilities : delay excusable (compensable &
noncompensable ) and inexcusable
 Project delay result from computing activity delay
 Delay computation related to as-planned schedule contrasts as-built
schedule
 Traditional delay analysis method based always on CPM analysis on other
words any delay on critical path delay the project completion
 This method is not based on CPM and no need for updating CPM
 Criticality of individual activities change from day to day due to delays &
accelerations which means if delay happen then extra effort from manager to
up date the as-planned schedule with daily as-built information

DELAY OF ACTIVITY

2
FULLY EFFECT ON PARTIALLY EFFECT ON
NO EFFECT
PROJECT DELAY PROJECT DELAY
 APPROACH AS:

1. Examine the occurrence of delay

2. Method for computing activity

delays

3. Method for computing the

contribution of activity delays to
project delay

4. example 3
Occurrence of Construction delay

 Activity completion delay to reasons:

• Delay in the start of the activity
 Delay in the precedence activities
 Delay in the start of the activity itself for
some reason

• Extend the duration of the activity

Late Delay
Delay
design precedence Succeeding
deliveries
information Not
delayed
Project
No Not
resources Delay start delayed
Succeed-
ing
delayed
Activity delay
Bad Project
weather delayed
Extended activity
duration
Mang.
decision 4
Change
Change Less
Site
condition scope resources
 Activity Variation
 VS=actual start time – planned start time …………………....….1

 VF=actual finish time – planned finish time…………………....…2

 VD=actual duration – planned duration ……........................3

From CPM network following relationship

 Actual finish time=actual start time +actual duration …….…..4

 Planned finish time=planned start time +planned duration….5

By subtract 4-5 then Eq 2 can be written as:

 VF = VS + VD ……………………………………………………….…..…6

 VSP= could start time – planned start time ………………….. 7

 VSS= actual start time – could start time …………………….. 8

 VS = VSP + VSS ……………………………………….…… 9

By applying the 9 into 6 then:

 VF = VSP + VSS + VD ………. 10 Accelerate VA=VSS+VD extra time

5
Contribution of Activity Variation to Project delay
 VP = actual completion time - planned completion time (+ ve 0r – ve )

DELAY OF
ACTIVITY

FULLY EFFECT
ON PROJECT
PARTIALLY
EFFECT ON
NO
DELAY PROJECT DELAY EFFECT
 Two factors:
 PDAC =MEASURING THE PROJECT DELAY DUE TO ACCUMULATED ACTIVITY VARIATIONS
CONTRIBUTED BY THIS AND ALL ITS PRECEDING ACTIVITIES
 PDA = MEASURING THE PROJECT DELAY CONTRIBUTED ONLY BY THIS ACTIVITY

 Project delay is realized on the terminal activities ……..mechanism start from terminals and
continue backward through intermediate activities
 Terminal activities : are the last activities that do not have succeedings
 Variation in the completion time of the terminals may contribute to project delay

 PDAC= actual finish time of the terminals - planned project finish time
 PDA = min ( VA , PDAC )
 Intermediate activities : those succeeding the terminals

i j 6
Example Discussion

7
 Conclusion
 This paper presents a method for computing activity delays and assessing their
contribution to project delay. The method consists of a set of equations, which
can be easily coded into a computer program that allows speedy access to
project delay information and activity contributions.

 This method applicable to any intermediate construction stage for evaluating in-
progress project delay

 Traditional delay analysis method based always on CPM analysis require frequent
updates of the as-built and as-planned schedules in order to keep track of the
critical paths that may change daily. Such updating will require tremendous
effort for site management. This method depend on as-planned schedule as basis
of comparison for evaluating the variation in the project duration does not need
to be updated.
 This method is based on the finish-to-start relationship which is most common
but not applicable to start-to-start or finish-to-finish relationships in current
form , but equations can be expanded to these relationship as necessary.