IMPACT FACTORS ON TIME AND COST IN PILE CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

Construction activities have increased due to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programs, accelerating change across all sectors. However, the pile construction sector has already experienced significant time and expense overruns that have had a negative impact on all parties. This study aims to identify and investigate the significant risk influencing the timing and cost of pile construction projects in Saudi Arabia. The most risks were gathered and found in the literature. Two questionnaire-based surveys were undertaken to establish the perspectives of the construction experts on the degree of probability of occurrence of each risk. To collect the qualitative and quantitative experts’ responses, the data questionnaire was analyzed using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to identify the significant risks in terms of cost and time of pile construction. The main finding showed that the significant risks are DR1 (improper and insufficient assessment of soil), CR1 (labor mistakes, rework, and idle times), OGR5 (Delay or inability of the owner to provide full possession of site), ECR1 (lack of funds: the lack of cash flow by the contractor), ECR6 (foreign exchange risks: unstable exchange rates, transfer restrictions, and supply and demand balance), ECR5 (economic crisis), PGR1 (failure to obtain approvals or permits), CR3 (low credibility), SCR1 (lack of management skills). This study assists the decision makers in a deeper understanding of the influencing factors, allowing them to make effective scheduling and comprehensive control over pile foundation projects.