Change Orders In Construction Projects Research Articles

Measuring sensitivity to change orders in construction projects using eigenvector centrality and radius of gyration

PurposeThis paper offers a measure of sensitivity to change orders in the later stage of the construction phase to characterize the distribution of project activities around the time when the project is scheduled to finish.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs eigenvector centrality to identify the sensitivity of an activity to change orders based on the sensitivity of its neighboring activities. Next, a distance-based measure, called the radius of gyration, is adopted to describe the distribution of project activities around the time when the project is scheduled to finish. Finally, a sensitivity measure, which quantifies the dispersion of project activities from the project finish date, is developed.FindingsTwo real-life construction projects are used to measure the sensitivity to late changes. The results conform to the intuition of sensitivity to late changes and confirm that the negative effects of change orders are amplified when project activities are scheduled to start closer to the finish date.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the literature on change orders in construction projects by developing the first method for quantifying the sensitivity of projects to the issuance of late changes. The proposed method can provide valuable information to project owners and construction managers as they negotiate the pricing of change orders based on their time of occurrence.

Impact of change orders on road construction project : Consultans' perspective

Change orders in construction projects have a significant negative impact on project performance. This study aims to determine the impact of change orders in terms of cost, quality, time, organization, and other factors in road construction projects. This was achieved through the distribution of questionnaires and the return of 30 consultant respondents engaged in road construction projects from the provinces of DKI Jakarta, Banten, and West Java. After that, the data obtained is processed using a statistical tool known as Smart PLS. Data processing with Smart PLS tested the validity and reliability and the relationship between variables. There are 6 variables, namely X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, and Y with each indicator, with a total of 17 indicators from X1 to X5 and a total of 4 indicators for Y indicators. The results of this study resulted in the impact of change orders significantly affecting cost (X1), quality (X2), time (X3), organization (X4), and others (5) on road construction projects, the biggest impact being others. The results also show three significant indicators, change orders reduce labor productivity (X5.2), change orders cause disputes in projects (X4.1), and change order to reduce the quality of work ( X2.2).

Building Information Modelling Technology in Mitigating Cost Overruns and change orders in Construction Projects

Variation order (VO) is one of the main issues faced by the construction industry in Jordan. Many researchers had investigated on the causes of VO and proposed procedures to minimize and control this issue; however, the VO is affecting the construction industry badly even at moment. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a powerful management system that can make a significant difference in the project costs. However, BIM has not been examined as a tool to minimize the VO in Jordan. The main target of this study is to utilize BIM applications in reducing the effect of VO on the governmental projects in Jordan. In order to achieve this target, the researcher has designed a questionnaire to gather data related to VO causes and the BIM capability to solve this problem. The data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed statistically. The result from the analysis found that the consultant initiated the highest VO of 50% followed by the clients and the contractors of 20% and 10% unforeseen variation respectively. Moreover, it is found that BIM Design Applications, Facility Operations Simulation, Exploration Design Scenarios, BIM Design Detection and BIM Quantity Take-off and Cost Estimation were significantly capable of minimizing VO. The results show positive relationship with the application of BIM in minimizing VO in the construction industry in Jordan. © 2018. JASET, International Scholars and Researchers Association

Developing management policies and analyzing impact of change orders on labor productivity in construction projects

PurposeThe inevitable change orders in construction projects have either direct or indirect impacts on a project’s duration. Reduced productivity is one of the indirect consequences that lead to major delays in the completion of the project. The purpose of this study is to develop a model that could quantify the impact of change orders on labor productivity and result in the establishment of policies to lessen their effects.Design/methodology/approachA model was developed to analyze the effects of change orders on labor productivity, then policies for managing their impacts on productivity and project duration were established. A water treatment case study was selected to serve as the scenario in which to implement and evaluate the model and policies.FindingsThe results of this study indicated that pressure to adhere to a schedule initially leads to an increase in labor productivity, but it is often followed by a significant drop that is a result of employee frustration. It was concluded that the pressure can be positive if it is applied for a short period of time; however, it continues for a significant length of time, the duration of the project will increase appreciably.Originality/valueThe proposed model can be implemented to identify the factors that affect labor productivity in a construction project. Its utilization will also help project managers assess when change orders occur and determine, which policies will be most effective in optimizing labor productivity.

Evaluating the Causes and Impact of Change Orders on Construction Projects Performance in Oman

Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors causing the change orders in construction projects and to assess their impact on the project's performance in Oman. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted using a random sampling technique. The questionnaire was used to collect data from215contractingcompanies located in Muscat Governorate, Oman. Statistical analyses such as the chi-square test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, and linear regression tests were used. Findings: The result of the study showed that the variations have more impacts on the project and the change orders harm the project most. It was also revealed that 'change in specifications’, ‘Alterations in design and drawing' and Time lag in the project implementation were considered to be the primary causes of change orders, and ‘Change of scope’, ‘Errors and omissions in design' and 'Insufficient Logistics’ were the primary causes of variations affecting the construction projects in Oman. Research Implications: It was suggested to plan for a strategy to avoid the time lag and to take up adequate financial pre-planning to maximize the profit. Social Implications: The findings of the study help the companies to take proactive measures to eliminate or reduce unnecessary variations and change orders to accomplish the prime objectives of such projects. Originality/value: This is the first study of its kind in bringing out the issues related to change orders and variations in the construction projects of Muscat Governorate, Oman. Keywords: Change Orders, Variations, Causes and Impacts on the Construction Projects, Construction Projects in Oman, Clients, Contractors, and Consultants.

Causes of Change Orders in Construction Projects

Causes of Change Orders in Construction Projects

Causes of Change Orders in Construction Projects

Change orders are usually issued to cover variations in the scope of work, material quantities, design errors, and unit rate changes. This study discusses variations in public construction projects in Saudi Arabia by investigating their causes, studying their effects on the project, identifying the beneficial parties, and suggesting remedies to alleviate the related problems. Tasks included conducting a field survey via a questionnaire. It was determined that the top five causes of change orders from contractors’ view are: owner’s additional works, errors, and omissions in design, lack of coordination between construction parties, defective workmanship, and owner financial difficulties.

Causes of Change Orders in the Jordanian Construction Industry

Change orders are common and clearly noticeable in Jordanian construction industry. Several studies have identified change orders as significant problem in Jordanian construction projects, and they mainly cause delay and cost overrun. This situation spurs the researchers for investigating the significant causes of change orders in construction projects. Thus, this paper aims to determine the main causes of change orders in the Jordanian construction private sector which responsible for significant cost overrun. Both qualitative and quantitative methods, i.e. interview and questionnaire techniques, were used to achieve this aim. Interviews were conducted as the first stage of data collection, and the results formed the basis of the questionnaire, which was distributed across the Jordanian construction sector. Content analysis was used to analyse the interview responses, while factor analysis, correlation and the Severity Index (SI) were used to analyse the questionnaire results. The findings identified three main categories of causes of change orders in private sector, namely engineering causes, causes related to the client, and circumstances of the project, with sub-causes in each category which are related to each other in significant ways and which affect each other.

Fuzzy Cognitive Map Approach to Analyze Causes of Change Orders in Construction Projects

AbstractThe negative impacts of change orders on construction projects are well documented in the literature. Effective management of change orders requires a comprehensive approach to identify and...

An IPD-based incentive mechanism to eliminate change orders in construction projects in China

As in other countries where DBB (Design-Bid-Build) is used, one of the major problems in construction projects in China is cost overrun, and its main cause is change orders that occur during the construction phase. As a new mode of project delivery, IPD (Integrated Project Delivery) is considered capable of solving major problems including change orders in construction projects by involving contractors in the design phase to optimize design results and by introducing an incentive mechanism through which cost savings are shared among participants. However, the existing incentive mechanisms are difficult to adapt in China because contractors rely on change orders to obtain profit from construction projects. This research aims to establish an IPD-based incentive mechanism to eliminate change orders in construction projects in China. First, the final account statement of a completed construction project was analyzed to obtain the economic law of change orders. Second, based on this economic law, this research established an incentive mechanism composed of a compensation method for contractors, another compensation method for designers and a method for calculating their parameters. Finally, 21 completed construction projects and a new construction project were used to validate the incentive mechanism. This research provides not only an applicable IPD-based incentive mechanism to eliminate change orders in construction projects in China but also provides an approach for applying IPD in any other country where DBB is used and where the existing IPD incentive mechanisms cannot be directly applied.

PREDICTING PRODUCTIVITY LOSS CAUSED BY CHANGE ORDERS USING THE EVOLUTIONARY FUZZY SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE INFERENCE MODEL

Change orders in construction projects are very common and result in negative impacts on various project facets. The impact of change orders on labor productivity is particularly difficult to quantify. Traditional approaches are inadequate to calculate the complex input-output relationship necessary to measure the effect of change orders. This study develops the Evolutionary Fuzzy Support Vector Machines Inference Model (EFSIM) to more accurately predict change-order-related productivity losses. The EFSIM is an AI-based tool that combines fuzzy logic (FL), support vector machine (SVM), and fast messy genetic algorithm (fmGA). The SVM is utilized as a supervised learning technique to solve classification and regression problems; the FL is used to quantify vagueness and uncertainty; and the fmGA is applied to optimize model parameters. A case study is presented to demonstrate and validate EFSIM performance. Simulation results and our validation against previous studies demonstrate that the EFSIM predicts the impact of change orders significantly better than other AI-based tools including the artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and evolutionary support vector machine inference model (ESIM).

Empirical Model for Prediction the Impact of Change Orders on Construction Projects- Sports Facilities Case Study

Abstract:In general, Change Orders in construction projects pose a serious problem possibly impacting quality, cost, and time of the projects. Youth Sport Center Construction Project (YSCCP) in Egypt as an example of the sports construction industry have faced quit a number of Change Orders leading to cost increae and time extensions. (9) Groups of youth sport center construction projects experienced (151) Change Orders. These groups of projects were utilized to contemplate different causes of Change Orders, the frequency of their occurrence, the responsible of this Change Order, the cost of Change Orders, and the time extension attributed to these Change Orders. This issue was analyzed to measure the reasons and effects of change orders. This paper presents the relationship between project cost and construction time within construction projects. This paper presents a time-cost relationship model valid for Youth Sport Center construction project. The model included Change Orders categories; Work disciplines (Civil work, Electrical work, Structural work, Architectural work) and Project parties (Owner, Consultant, Contractor, Local Authorities).

An Investigation of Procedures of Change Orders’ Control in Roadway Construction Projects

Change order is a frequent phenomenon in most construction projects. However, these changes can be controlled when their causes are known. This report is set to find out the various techniques through which this phenomenon can be controlled most especially in the roadway construction projects in south of Iran. In order to reduce this occurrence to the minimum, certain mechanisms have been identified as being very effective and these are clearly the project objectives and scope of change order of work, provision of complete documentation, finalize the design during the design phase. The outcomes of this study would provide necessary information that may be used by employers and contractors to minimize cases of change orders in construction projects. Moreover, it is anticipated that the results of this study will assist greatly in reducing the total cost of construction works and the time of completion of the project hence increase the efficiency of the work.

An Investigation of Procedures of Change Orders’ Control in Roadway Construction Projects

Change order is a frequent phenomenon in most construction projects. However, these changes can be controlled when their causes are known. This report is set to find out the various techniques through which this phenomenon can be controlled most especially in the roadway construction projects in south of Iran. In order to reduce this occurrence to the minimum, certain mechanisms have been identified as being very effective and these are clearly the project objectives and scope of change order of work, provision of complete documentation, finalize the design during the design phase. The outcomes of this study would provide necessary information that may be used by employers and contractors to minimize cases of change orders in construction projects. Moreover, it is anticipated that the results of this study will assist greatly in reducing the total cost of construction works and the time of completion of the project hence increase the efficiency of the work.

Identification and Evaluation of Causes and Effects of Change Orders in Building Construction Projects

Change orders are one of the main problems in construction projects. The objectives of this study are identification and evaluation of causes and effects of change orders as well as procedures of change orders control on building construction projects in Islamic Azad University (IAU) Shoushtar Branch in Iran. It is found that contractor's financial difficulties, previous construction delays by other contractors working on different contracts were important factors responsible for change orders in construction projects. However, there are five important factors that have been identified as having the greatest effects on change order. Finally, important methods in procedures of change orders control are recommended. Although, the research is restricted to IAU-Shoushtar Branch, the findings of construction management problems are common to other universities in their building construction projects.

Hybrid ANN-CBR model for disputed change orders in construction projects

The purpose of this paper is to provide a method that can be used to solve potential lawsuit problems caused by change orders in construction projects. A hybrid Artificial Intelligence (AI) model, the Hybrid ANN-CBR Model (HACM), is developed utilizing the AI branches of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Case Based Reasoning (CBR). The research is based on the litigation archives collected by the Supreme Courts and appellate courts in 48 states and one district of the USA. The accuracy of the HACM prediction rate reaches 84.61%, not only for predicting litigation likelihood by using the ANN approach but also utilizing the CBR approach to yield warnings and display litigation information related to past cases. After evaluating 31 cases it is confirmed that the model HACM performs well especially for those medium sized construction projects. It can be concluded that it is feasible to link ANN and CBR together to provide a tool with a relatively high rate of prediction accuracy and a conceptual model to solve potential severe disputes cased by change orders.

Web‐based application for managing change orders in construction projects

A change order is an order from an employer authorizing a variation. Success in managing change orders results in uninterrupted construction operations and an agreed final project cost as well as duration. One of the methods to manage change orders is to establish good communication and cooperation among project team members. Success of this method can be enhanced by developing and utilizing a web‐based change order management system that supports documentation practice, communication and integration between different team members in the change order workflow. This paper discusses our web‐based project management system, change order management system (COMS), to manage change orders using the Internet. In order to show COMS’ potential benefits, a test case was conducted for comparing the COMS with the conventional practice of change order management.