As ironic as it may seem, the best-laid construction plans can also go up in flames and end up flopping. They are never immune to delays too. Construction project delays can come up at any time due to contractor default, acts of project owners, problematic scheduling, or due to natural disasters.
A lot of construction contracts can include a clause known as the Determination and Extension of Contract Time Clause. This provides guidelines for requesting changes to a schedule that was agreed upon.
Large-scale delays can lead to expensive and time-consuming legal conundrums. This is an undesirable result and state of affairs for everyone. Experts in the field of construction and construction claims reveal that delays in construction projects result in monumental costs and frustrations among everyone involved.
This post will explain the negative effects construction delays have on the projects and on the industry too.
The Effects Of Construction Delays
Here are the effects of delays in construction:
- Timeline gets accelerated.
- Inefficiency due to changes in schedule.
- Intermediate completion dates missed reading to delays in project completion.
- Damages which got liquidated.
- Increased costs (direct, indirect, and impact costs).
- Legal claims and owner frustration.
In What Ways Are the Effects Of Construction Delays Mitigated?
All kinds of delays in construction demand a swift response. Even the smallest setbacks can potentially turn into large stumbling problems. Effective job site management requires management to understand the gravity of these delays can bring, evaluate the impacts of these delays and readjust the timeline responsibly to get the job done.
Let’s have a look at key tips to reduce the effects of construction delays:
Anticipation
Reasonable job site experience also brings the ability to anticipate when and where delays can happen. Anticipation of potential obstacles is a proactive technique of getting both clients and teams ready to respond with quick, efficient, and effective action in case of an arising delay.
This removes the shock and panic factor a delay can bring and as a consequence, companies can make allowances without any hindrance.
Making Planning A Priority
Professional construction planning helps lay out a project’s timeline from beginning to end,
This allows managers to stay in line with the budget, predict and prepare for potential hazards and make the needed timeline adjustments as well.
Delay allowances are usually built in a cost-per-minute timeline. This gives project management teams the needed space to accommodate any inconveniences that can rise inevitably. Prioritizing accurate estimates of time, cost estimates, as well as resource allocation from the first day, helps avoid the creation of unrealistic CPM schedules.
Avoiding Project Acceleration
Acceleration here may refer to either the owner or the general contractor choosing to speed up the progress of a project to make up for lost time or trying to complete it early. A knee-jerk reaction is to hasten and speed up what remains of the project timeline, just to recover lost time.
This can put the project’s result in jeopardy. Time should be taken out to readjust schedules by formal means to accommodate for delays.
Proper Communication Channels
In case of timelines getting changed or changed expectations or both; it is wise for project managers to communicate with each team member, subcontractor, and the third-party vendor. They need to do it so that a new project timeline is made and understood on a good footing. Hence, everyone should be in agreement to move forward with the revised plan.
This is why maintaining a well-informed, multiple disciplined, and the competent project team is key to making sure a positive outcome for everyone involved is possible.
Conclusion
Regardless of how well the construction planning is, there can be incidences where disagreements arise and require effective management. Whenever there are disputes, this can result in having to place the project on hold unless and until the issues are resolved.
The longer a project sits without any work being completed, the further it puts the schedule behind. Delays and work stoppages can hurt the bottom line, and raise the costs of completing the project on time. Also, those who cannot deliver the project as promised need to refund a lot of money to clientele through construction claims.
