Analysis of Critical Delay Factors in Construction Projects with a Focus on Qatar

Abstract

The growth of the construction industry, a major driving force for the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, is assessed in terms of its ability to maintain timely delivery, premium quality, and rigorous cost control. The purpose of this study was to assess the critical delay factors in Qatari building construction projects according to complexity level and determine methods to mitigate them. This study focused on three building categories, four- and five-star hotels, core and shell office/commercial buildings, and worship buildings, constituting four complexity levels. The objectives were to determine the relationship between the delay factors and project characteristics to mitigate the associated risks. A critical motivation for the study was the assumption that some projects in Qatar exhibit very high costs per square meter owing to variations in their execution phases. The methodology comprised case studies and interviews with project experts and was articulated around the development of a complexity categorization framework to achieve the study objectives. The findings indicated that projects with similar complexity levels and characteristics have common factors affecting their time performance. The impacts of certain factors such as changes in scope were found to be significant for any building category at either a high or low complexity level, while delay was shown to be smaller for lower complexity projects. The results support the assumption that the very high costs per square meter of some projects in Qatar arise from variations. This paper demonstrates how a carefully designed research methodology using an appropriate framework can enable identification of the most critical delay factors in construction projects according to building category and complexity level. The focus on Qatar enabled the formulation of a series of recommendations for construction industry decision-makers and operators as well as a policy proposals to government entities and major stakeholders to streamline the construction process and mitigate critical delays. The findings of this study provide insights into project time performance in terms of the selected project categories with various complexity levels.