Defects in MEP contract documentation: types, causes and mitigation strategies

The construction industry has a dynamic and complex environment. The successful completion of a construction project depends on various factors. Accordingly, construction delay is observed to happen in construction projects. It is highly affecting the construction sector and the economy of the country too. Although previous research studies identified the causes, effects, and mitigation methods separately, this study adopts a linked approach and directs to identify the effective applicable mitigation methods and their practices on each significant cause of delay in construction projects. Moreover, contractors are noted as one of the main sources of construction delay from the previous studies. Hence, this research aims to develop a framework to determine the applicable mitigation strategies and the practices of each mitigation strategy for each significant cause of contractor’s delays in construction projects in Sri Lanka. A mixed research approach was adopted to generate the research process. A literature review was conducted on construction delays, organizational and project management factors, and professional competency, mitigation strategies in delay management. The significant causes of delays and effective mitigation strategies were ranked through a questionnaire survey using a Likert scale. Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors in the Sri Lankan construction industry were selected in the ratio of 1:3 respectively for the interview as they are mostly engaged with delay management. Also, the respondents were limited to 68 and the collected data were analysed through the Relative Important Index (RII) method, to rank the significant causes and mitigation strategies. Then techniques and possible mitigation strategies were found through interviews and content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings indicated that most of the contractor’s delays can be mitigated through applying proper mitigation strategies as effective management approaches in the construction projects such as effective project planning and schedules of construction works, maintain positive financial stability and well qualified and experienced professionals and staff, effective strategic planning, risk analysis, and management, selection of suitable sub-contractor and management and effective site management and supervision. In addition to that, inaccurate planning and scheduling of the project, financial dishonesty, poor procurement of construction materials, ineffective time management of contractors, and incompetence of management professionals and staffs were identified as the most significant contractor’s causes of delays in construction management.
 Keywords: Delays, Significant Causes, Mitigation, Construction Management, Construction Projects.

Objective:Project complexity is a crucial factor in project management that presents auxiliary obstacles to reaching project objectives (cost, time, safety, and quality). This study aims at understanding project complexity and factors affecting project complexity. The overall objective of the study is to determine the nature of complexity and characteristics, identify the important complex factors that influence the complexity of the project, factor weight of the complex factors, and develop a proposed construction complexity index (CCI).Methods:According to the literature review, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used to measure the affecting factors of project complexity.Results:This paper developed an index to measure complexity based on factor weights called construction complexity index (CCI). The validity of this index was verified by studying 3 cases. The construction complexity index (CCI) proposed here allows measuring the complexity of the projects in Egypt. The results of this paper provide guidelines on how to successfully manage the complexity of the project.Conclusion:Project complexity management relates to the challenge of dealing with technical competence, professional diversity, uncertainties, and unforeseen events in project implementation. Project managers, who are critical to effectiveness or failure, need skills such as adaptation, creativity, and flexibility to meet this challenge. Therefore, this study provides guidelines to help practitioners to develop their capabilities in managing complex projects. Moreover, this paper enables participants to identify factors affecting the complexity of projects and how to calculate this complexity through the complex index. The outcomes of this study can be used by practitioners to develop a complexity assessment and management tool, which would enable industry practitioners to allocate resources effectively on complex construction projects. This research aimed to develop a measure by which the complexity of construction projects in Egypt can be evaluated and establish guidelines on avoiding complexity in projects.

The construction industry has been experiencing a rapid increase in complex projects for the last two decades. Simultaneously, project complexity has received more attention from academics and practitioners worldwide. Many studies suggest that perceiving complexity is critical for successful construction project management. This study investigates the current status and future trends in construction project complexity (CPC) literature from the Scopus database. This review systematically uses bibliometric and scientometric methods through co-occurrence and co-citation analysis. First, 644 academic documents were retrieved from the Scopus database. Then, co-occurrence and co-citation analysis were performed along with network visualization to examine research interconnections’ patterns. As a result, relevant keywords, productive authors, and important journals have been highlighted. The prominent research topics within the literature on construction project complexity focus on the following topics: identifying and measuring project complexity, schedule performance and cost estimation, system integration and dynamic capabilities, and risk assessment and uncertainty. Finally, the potential research directions are developing towards safety performance, organizational resilience, and integrated project delivery (IPD). The study still has a limitation. The review focuses only on the academic documents retrieved from the Scopus database, thus restricting the coverage of the reviewed literature relating to construction project complexity. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first study that provides a systematic review of the literature from the Scopus database on construction project complexity.

The construction industry faces persistent challenges in managing cost overruns, schedule delays, and project risks, driven by project complexity, resource variability, and dynamic market conditions. Traditional cost estimation and risk management approaches often rely on historical data, expert judgment, and linear predictive models, which may fail to capture nonlinear patterns, interdependencies, and emerging uncertainties. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer transformative potential to enhance construction cost prediction, risk identification, and mitigation strategies. AI-driven models, including machine learning algorithms, neural networks, and hybrid predictive systems, enable real-time data analysis, pattern recognition, and probabilistic forecasting, providing more accurate and adaptive decision-making tools for project stakeholders. This proposes a conceptual framework for applying AI to construction cost prediction and risk mitigation, integrating data acquisition, algorithm selection, model training, and decision support mechanisms within the project lifecycle. The framework emphasizes the synergy between AI technologies and project management processes, highlighting how predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and scenario simulation can proactively identify cost drivers, quantify uncertainties, and suggest risk-reducing interventions. By leveraging AI, stakeholders—including project managers, engineers, contractors, and policymakers—can optimize budgeting, enhance resource allocation, and mitigate financial and operational risks. Key insights from the framework suggest that AI adoption can improve forecast accuracy, reduce unforeseen expenditures, and support evidence-based decision-making in complex construction projects. The framework also identifies critical enablers and barriers, including data quality, organizational readiness, technology integration, and regulatory compliance, which influence the successful deployment of AI applications. This conceptual framework provides a foundation for empirical validation, algorithmic refinement, and policy development, facilitating the mainstreaming of AI as a strategic tool for sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient construction project delivery. It offers practical guidance for industry stakeholders and researchers aiming to harness AI’s predictive capabilities to enhance project performance, reduce risks, and achieve more reliable financial and operational outcomes in construction management.

The construction industry faces persistent challenges in managing cost overruns, schedule delays, and project risks, driven by project complexity, resource variability, and dynamic market conditions. Traditional cost estimation and risk management approaches often rely on historical data, expert judgment, and linear predictive models, which may fail to capture nonlinear patterns, interdependencies, and emerging uncertainties. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer transformative potential to enhance construction cost prediction, risk identification, and mitigation strategies. AI-driven models, including machine learning algorithms, neural networks, and hybrid predictive systems, enable real-time data analysis, pattern recognition, and probabilistic forecasting, providing more accurate and adaptive decision-making tools for project stakeholders. This proposes a conceptual framework for applying AI to construction cost prediction and risk mitigation, integrating data acquisition, algorithm selection, model training, and decision support mechanisms within the project lifecycle. The framework emphasizes the synergy between AI technologies and project management processes, highlighting how predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and scenario simulation can proactively identify cost drivers, quantify uncertainties, and suggest risk-reducing interventions. By leveraging AI, stakeholders—including project managers, engineers, contractors, and policymakers—can optimize budgeting, enhance resource allocation, and mitigate financial and operational risks. Key insights from the framework suggest that AI adoption can improve forecast accuracy, reduce unforeseen expenditures, and support evidence-based decision-making in complex construction projects. The framework also identifies critical enablers and barriers, including data quality, organizational readiness, technology integration, and regulatory compliance, which influence the successful deployment of AI applications. This conceptual framework provides a foundation for empirical validation, algorithmic refinement, and policy development, facilitating the mainstreaming of AI as a strategic tool for sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient construction project delivery. It offers practical guidance for industry stakeholders and researchers aiming to harness AI’s predictive capabilities to enhance project performance, reduce risks, and achieve more reliable financial and operational outcomes in construction management.

The role of project manager is one of the crucial factors in achieving project success. Project managers handling large and complex construction projects have to deal with several factors to ensure coordination in achieving project delivery based on time, cost, and quality. However, recently, several large and complex projects in Kuwait s are facing several delays and overrun. According to previous research, the main factors were communication, teamwork & teambuilding, planning & coordination, problem solving, and interpersonal skills. The aim of this paper is to provide a review on project manager’s skills framework (PMSF) that are required in improving complex construction projects in Kuwait. Extensive literature reviews on the project managers skills in the management of the project were identified. It was found that skills such as teamwork, effective communication with staff and contractors, and effective resource management, effective planning and training, risk management are some of the important factor. The findings of this research contribute to exiting literature on developing a project managers skills framework (PMSF) that can be used by academic professional, business practitioners, and policy makers in identifying the issues facing construction projects and providing successful outcomes. Project managers involved in complex projects need to have strong skills to handle their team and every project participant. Project manager has the highest importance and critical to the success of the project. The literature review has indicated several skills that are important for project managers. The type of project determines the type and extend of skills that is required in successful project outcomes.

Purpose The project participants that own more critical knowledge resources have higher knowledge power, and the imbalance of knowledge power may affect construction project performance. This study examines the effect of knowledge power on construction project performance by considering the mediating role of interorganizational knowledge sharing and the moderating role of project complexity. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a questionnaire survey. All measurement items were adapted from established scales in prior research and measured using a Likert scale. The questionnaire was distributed to the managers of participating organizations in construction projects. A total of 531 valid responses were collected, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping. Findings Value-rational knowledge power has a stronger positive effect on project performance than instrumental-rational knowledge power. Value-rational knowledge power improves project performance through both in-role and extra-role knowledge sharing, whereas instrumental-rational knowledge power achieves this only through in-role knowledge sharing. Furthermore, both types of knowledge power have stronger effects on extra-role knowledge sharing under high project complexity. Originality/value The findings offer insights into how project participants balance instrumental-rational and value-rational knowledge power to enhance interorganizational knowledge sharing and construction project performance, thereby contributing to the theory of knowledge management in construction projects.

The process of studying the complexity factors associated with the theory of complexity is one of the required study and it is importance in the construction sector in Iraq. The Complexity Theory can be understood as the study of how order and pattern emerge from chaotic systems, conversely, how complex structures and behaviors emerge from simple rules. The complexity cognizes us how to contemplate about the development process. This paper introduces a brief outcome through identification complexity factor and review the previous studies to obtain the technical outcomes about the complexity theory. The studying complexity factors related with construction projects as be part to cover complexity thinking in construction project. The results of this study show that viewing of all these areas related to the complexity of the project and how it can help the management departments in construction projects in Iraq to understanding the complexity level of their project to put best construction management plans. Many engineers and experts participated in the presentation of the study outputs, and by drawing on their opinions to participate in the closed questionnaire. The participants were (engineers in construction sites, academics, engineering management experts, and technicians with direct relationship to construction projects). Based on the frequency analysis aspect, the order of the influencing factors was reached according to its rating from (poor till strong) which reflects the conclusions associated with the study. The importance of studying these factors on knowing the degree of complexity in construction projects and developing appropriate methodologies for managing them.

The process of studying the complexity factors associated with the theory of complexity is one of the required study and it is importance in the construction sector in Iraq. The Complexity Theory can be understood as the study of how order and pattern emerge from chaotic systems, conversely, how complex structures and behaviors emerge from simple rules. The complexity cognizes us how to contemplate about the development process. This paper introduces a brief outcome through identification complexity factor and review the previous studies to obtain the technical outcomes about the complexity theory. The studying complexity factors related with construction projects as be part to cover complexity thinking in construction project. The results of this study show that viewing of all these areas related to the complexity of the project and how it can help the management departments in construction projects in Iraq to understanding the complexity level of their project to put best construction management plans. Many engineers and experts participated in the presentation of the study outputs, and by drawing on their opinions to participate in the closed questionnaire. The participants were (engineers in construction sites, academics, engineering management experts, and technicians with direct relationship to construction projects). Based on the frequency analysis aspect, the order of the influencing factors was reached according to its rating from (poor till strong) which reflects the conclusions associated with the study. The importance of studying these factors on knowing the degree of complexity in construction projects and developing appropriate methodologies for managing them.

Improper understanding of complexity can be a leading factor in the failure of construction projects. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the complexity of construction projects. For this purpose, this study uses the systematic literature review (SLR) approach to review the related literature and propose a definition for complexity and the criteria that affect the degree of complexity in construction. The results of analyzing 49 studies from the literature showed that, generally, complexity is understood in three ways: the meaning of the word “complexity”, system and organizational complexity, and project complexity. Within these three types of definitions, it was found that “interdependency” and “multiple parts/parties” are the most frequently used keywords. The results also showed that another look at the current lingual definition of complexity is needed. Regarding the criteria, the results showed that the “number of stakeholders”, “scope and project objectives”, and “management structure” are the most important criteria to assess construction project complexity. Accordingly, this study provides a set of recommendations and strategies to help manage complexity in construction projects.

The aim of this study is proposing a framework for the roll of effective communications to all stakeholders in moderating project complexity to improve project success. This paper deeply reviewed the studies published in project complexity and it is effect on success of construction project. This research reveals that effect communications as the most important factor can play a significant role in influencing the relationship between complexity and project success. It was confirmed from previous studies that the negative impact of project complexity on success of construction project is conclusive. Complexity dimensions identified by the Project Management Institute (PMI) into three groups are: human behaviour, ambiguity, and system behaviour. Many empirical studies proved there is a positive and significant relationship between project complexity and project success. Thus, there is a need for a moderating variable to enhance the success of complex construction projects. In this study the main contribution is bridging this gap of knowledge by empirical examining the relations between complexity of construction projects and project success with the interaction of effective communications to all stakeholders as a moderator. This study will enhance development of construction projects in Malaysia and assist scholars and practitioners to achieve maximum project success.

PurposeAs the risks and uncertainties faced by construction projects increase, the study of organizational resilience becomes more and more important for construction project management. Therefore, this study aims to deepen the understanding of the micro-mechanisms of organizational resilience in construction projects and explore the impact of employee resilience on organizational resilience.Design/methodology/approachBy combining the conservation of resources, this study constructs the mechanism of employee resilience on organizational resilience in construction projects and considers the mediating role of task types. A partial least squares structural equation model (SEM) was used to test hypotheses based on data collected from 224 respondents.FindingsThe results show that employees' work resilience has a direct positive impact on the organizational resilience in construction projects and is also mediated by inter-team tasks. However, the psychological resilience of employees will have a direct adverse effect on the organizational resilience in construction projects and will be mediated by inter-team tasks and intra-team tasks.Originality/valueThis study verifies the impact mechanism of employee resilience on organizational resilience, including direct effects and indirect effects through different types of team tasks, and reveals the micro-mechanisms of using employee resources to build organizational resilience. This article sheds light on how project managers and employees can develop resilience to deal with the uncertainty and complexity of construction projects.

Since the construction supervisor was introduced as a third-party in Chinese construction projects decades ago, more and more third-parties are needed by construction project owners. But there is not a universal evaluation method for third-party management performance in construction projects, and the values of third-party management are often omitted and third-party's role in current Chinese construction projects is usually misunderstood. When third-party administration structure is becoming more and more popular in modern construction projects, it is essential to present a concept model for evaluating its management performance. Based on fuzzy recognition diagram, the relationship among all construction project participants is discussed and a universal relationship model is recognized and a system directional diagram is built. Through adjacency matrix the initial reachable matrix is transformed to next reachable matrix by a serial of transforming relationships where unknown relationships are eliminated, and more unknown relationships are eliminated through unreachable matrix, and all unknown relationships are eliminated by human-computer interfaces. In the end the concept model for assessing a third-party's performance is derived. On consideration of complex construction project circumstance, a tentative concept model for assessing third-parties management performances in a general and complex construction project is proposed in this paper. This concept model is a brand new and systematic approach for evaluation of comprehensive construction project management performance.

The complexity of construction projects is the main reason, why the construction industry is searching better ways of managing construction projects. Recently, the industry tries to get benefit from the adoption of two management methodologies. On the one hand there is Lean construction, which works well for stable and predictable project environments. On the other hand, there is Agile project management [PM], which works well for dynamic and uncertain project environments. Construction projects, however, are exposed to predictable and paradoxically uncertain environments at the same time. Hence there is a need for a methodology which merges Lean and Agile to a holistic unit. The objective of this contribution is to introduce such a methodology. Such a methodology does not exist so far and is different from the “Leagile” approach, which uses Lean and Agile methods in the execution phase sequentially. Through undertaking a comprehensive literature review and through conducting 22 interviews with practitioners in the field of construction PM, Lean, Agile a new methodology is introduced, which is conceptualised as “AgiLean PM”.

PurposeUnderstanding the impact of project complexity on the mega construction project success will help improve the efficiency of project management. However, the influencing mechanism of project complexity on project success has not been clearly depicted. This paper aims to divide project complexity and project success into five dimensions, trying to explore the impact of different complexity combinations on mega construction project success.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method to find out the impact of the combinations of different project complexities on the every dimension of mega construction project success. First, 21 cases were interviewed and scored in five categories of project complexities and five aspects of project success. Second, with the QCA program, the combinations of different project complexities influencing every aspect of mega construction project success was obtained.FindingsThis research found that high organizational complexity or a combination of high environmental complexity and goal complexity can lead to serious schedule delays of mega construction projects, high technological complexity and goal complexity are important reasons for cost overrun, high technological complexity or a combination of high environmental complexity and low organizational complexity usually lead to low quality of mega construction projects, high goal complexity and cultural complexity are important factors affecting the key stakeholders' satisfaction and high technological complexity and environmental complexity are the reasons for the poor sustainability of mega construction projects.Originality/valueThis study clearly reveals the influencing mechanism of project complexity on mega construction project success, which can help the project managers to understand and assess the complexity of mega construction projects and accurately predict their negative impacts on the mega construction projects.