Construction Projects In India Research Articles

Design and Analysis of Various Formwork Systems

Concrete is a fundamental material in the construction industry, with formwork playing a crucial role in shaping and strengthening concrete elements. It also represents a significant cost in building projects. The history of formwork is extensive, and diverse systems have been employed across various projects. When selecting a formwork system, considerations such as safety, cost, structural requirements, construction duration, and environmental impact must be carefully weighed. This project provides a comprehensive review of different formwork systems used in concrete construction, encompassing their materials, flexibility, fabrication methods, application in structures, and environmental implications. The advantages and limitations of these systems are analysed and compared, culminating in practical recommendations. Formwork systems are pivotal in determining the success of construction projects in terms of efficiency, quality, cost-effectiveness, and safety. Recent innovations, particularly modular formwork systems, have revolutionized the construction industry in countries like Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East. These systems have proven to be cost- effective, enhance construction quality, and accelerate project timelines. Their adaptability makes them particularly suitable for mass construction projects in India, where achieving high-quality, rapid construction is crucial. By leveraging modern formwork technologies, construction practices can achieve safer, faster, and more sustainable outcomes, aligning with advancements

Factors Affecting Construction Delay in Residences

Construction projects in India are facing delays. It is essential to create a clear understanding among experts in the field and carry out an in-depth analysis of the causes of delays because the volume and capacity of the Indian construction sector have changed significantly over the past ten years. Construction delays have a considerable influence on residential projects budgets, schedules, and stakeholder satisfaction. Construction delays are a big issue in the residential construction industry since they increase costs, cause time delays, and disrupt quality. It is crucial to pinpoint the primary causes of these delays in order to reduce the effect they have on project performance. This research study attempts to give a thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to construction delays in residences. This study synthesises previous literature and research findings to investigate a number of factors, their interactions, and their influence on project delays. In order to properly manage and reduce construction delays in residential construction projects, the review underlines the relevance of recognising these aspects.

A novel approach for environmental impact assessment of road construction projects in India

The road sector is one of the basic pillars for national economic growth owing to its role in movement of goods and people and can contribute positively towards several sustainable development goals (SDGs). On the other hand, road construction using conventional methods can jeopardize the global progress towards climate action and other environmental related SDGs owing to large raw material requirements, fuel demand and pollution associated with it. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful quantitative tool to figure out which products and processes are responsible for majority of road's environmental impact at different stages. This information can then be used to design interventions and adopt alternative materials for improving the environmental profile of roads. However, the application of LCA in road sector in developing countries such as India has been limited owing to unavailability of funds to compile information regarding quantities of all materials used (inventory data) and their environmental characterization factors. Here we present a new approach that connects the publicly available road's bill of quantity (BOQ) and analysis of rates (AOR) documents with national construction materials environmental footprint database to calculate the road footprint. A case study on calculating the environmental impacts of a recently built 43 km state highway road in the Indian state of Gujarat is presented to demonstrate the steps involved in the new approach. The environmental impacts per kilometre of the road section came out to be 6.86 million MJ energy use, 281 tons CO2eq. GHG emissions, 0.013 kg CFC-11 eq. ozone depletion, 2.16 tons SO2eq. acidification, 0.35 tons PO4eq. eutrophication and 0.11 tons ethene eq. of photochemical oxidant formation. Among all life cycle phases, the material production stage contributes the highest to the total environmental footprint of the road section. Of the 52 materials used, bitumen, diesel, coarse/fine aggregate, galvanized iron (GI) pipe, concrete, thermoplastic paint used in road markings and steel corrugated sheet and channel post are responsible for majority of impacts. The template presented can be used in India and other developing countries to evaluate the environmental footprint of existing and future road projects.

Impact of Pre-Planning on Time Management in Construction Projects

Numerous construction projects in India are grappling with significant delays, leading to surpassing the initially set timelines and budgets. The term "delay" in this context refers to the extension of time beyond the initially planned completion period. This research initiative aims to identify the most influential factors contributing to delays in Indian construction projects through a combined approach of literature review and a questionnaire survey. The literature review unearthed 103 causes of delays, which were categorized into 8 distinct groups, and identified 8 effects associated with project delays. Notably, authors presented varying rankings for these delaying factors, reflecting diverse perspectives influenced by different native and contextual considerations. 1. The pre-planning stage presents a crucial opportunity to plan numerous aspects, ensuring that the project is set on the right course right from its inception. 2. The objective of this study is to pinpoint various parameters that, when appropriately addressed during the planning stage, can contribute to successful project delivery. Key Words: Tread; operation; management.

An analysis of safety practices for small, medium, and large construction projects: A resilience engineering perspective

The varied nature of the construction industry, involving projects of different sizes, poses significant challenges to improving its Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) performance. The existing literature identifying strategies for improving the performance of small construction projects has focused on a deterministic and reactive view of safety. However, recent theoretical advancements in safety criticize this view. Alternatively, a Resilience Engineering (RE)-based perspective is deemed suitable for construction projects to be adaptive in managing safety. However, none of the previous studies analyzed the prevalence of RE-based attributes within the construction industry and across projects of different sizes. This study has adapted a RE-based questionnaire to which 180 survey responses from site professionals were obtained. A concurrent triangulation mixed method was used to analyze this data, supplemented with 16 interviews and field observations from 27 building construction projects in India. The 'contract value' was used as a metric to aggregate the responses for three project types, i.e., 'small', 'medium', and 'large'. The study results indicate that most practices promoting RE-based attributes, such as Monitoring, Learning, and Anticipating, are neither prevalent in the industry nor are significantly different among projects of various sizes. The findings show that small and medium-sized projects may exceed larger projects in several RE-based safety practices, suggesting that pathways to improve safety for smaller projects may not necessarily be limited to emulating larger projects, as typically recommended in the literature. The study advances the understanding of RE-based safety practices and supports safety initiatives in all construction sites.

Assessment of Impact of Mechanization in Construction Projects in India

Objectives: To assess the impact of mechanization in construction activities of high-rise apartment projects in India. Methods: Initially, the current scenario of mechanization in the country is captured with the help of review of literature, questionnaire survey and case studies. As it is found to be low, especially in activities like masonry, plastering, painting etc, a list of advanced equipment to be adopted for executing these activities is proposed. To explore the impact of the proposed equipment on time and cost associated with the activities, a comparative analysis between the usage of these equipment and manual execution is conducted. Finally, in an attempt to validate the positive impact of these proposed equipment on a construction project, a schedule comparison is done along with return-on-investment analysis and payback period calculations. Findings: The study demonstrates a 55 to 75% savings in time and 40 to 67% savings in cost in activities on its own when mechanization is employed. As far as a project is concerned, a reduction of 11.26% in its duration is achieved just by mechanizing masonry and wall finishes’ activities in addition to the conventionally mechanized activities. Novelty: There is a hesitation among construction professionals in Kerala to employ equipment in non-mechanized activities owing to the lack of thorough context-based analysis on the same. This study attempts to analyse the impact of mechanization by proposing equipment based on the availability of indigenous equipment and technology, skilled operators and local market rates specific to Kerala. Hence, the findings will help industry professionals realize the benefits mechanization can reap when the right equipment is employed. Keywords: Assessment; Equipment; Impacts; Indian Construction Industry; Mechanization Level

A study on risk management practices in construction projects in India: from project organisation's perspective

The research paper aims to examine respondent's profile, in percentage, so as to identify the results of covariance and analysis of variance between role and experience level, critical risks in construction projects based on response, correlation between performance indicators, the influence of overall performance on profitability of a firm, the reliability of performance indicators, and to develop a risk assessment and management model. The results revealed that there is a significant positive correlation between project quality, project cost control, and on-time delivery with overall performance, while procurement risk is the highest factor of risk as opined by the respondents among all other risks. The risk management cycle consists of nine kinds of processes: 1) risk identification and assessment; 2) risk budgeting and monitoring; 3) risk elimination plan; 4) risk register monitoring and controlling; 5) risk treatment process; 6) risk dilution performance; 7) risk significant impacts and mitigation; 8) reconciling risk budget; 9) re-structuring the risk budget.

Exploring performance areas and developing performance assessment model for a construction projects in India

Purpose The success of construction projects can be indicated by measuring their performance. For effective project performance (PP), the successful execution of a construction projects is very important. A systematic review of the literature on performance areas and performance assessment models was undertaken. The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical formulation for construction PP areas to suit the Indian context by modifying the current project quarterback rating (PQR) model. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature, the PQR model has not been validated for suitability in the Indian context. To validate the PQR model and modify the same for the Indian context, a survey instrument was used to collect data on performance areas and a multivariate data analysis technique was carried out to develop a modified model. Delphi technique was used to assign the weights for each performance metric in performance areas. Findings This study concluded the importance of three additional performance areas, namely, productivity, stakeholder satisfaction and environment for assessing PP for Indian construction projects. It also identified the interrelationship between the performance areas and the PP. Practical implications The developed modified PQR model (MPQR) will guide the concerned stakeholders to take corrective actions for improving the performance of construction projects. Originality/value The MPQR proposed in this paper covers ten areas and is a comprehensive single score that can be used to benchmark and compare performance over different projects to achieve continuous improvement.

Critical Uncertainty Factors Impacting Building Construction Projects in India

Known Uncertainty (KnU) factors are known to the project stakeholder as knowledge, but their occurrence and cost impact are uncertain in a given construction project. The determination of these factors is subjective at the planning stage. This can be achieved by analysing several projects in a given typology and characterising their occurrence. This paper presents the most critical and important (KnU) factors through extensive literature study, expert judgment, and secondary data. The (KnU) factors were ranked based on literature appearance in selected journals, and the top 30 (KnU) factors were selected for expert judgment to find the top 10 (KnU) factors in the Indian context. Further, secondary data was collected from published records of the Comptroller of Audit General (CAG) of India to find the (KnU) factors in building construction projects that faced cost overruns. The top (KnU) factors from literature, expert judgement and secondary data have been compared and catogorised. Based on the analysis, the (KnU) factors are categorised as the most critical and important. The most critical (KnU) factors are changes initiated by the stakeholder, material price fluctuation, and slow decision making. Based on secondary data, the recommendations for the top 5 (KnU) factors are developed.

Impact of COVID-19 on Construction Projects: The Case of India

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, including India, especially in the construction sector. The study aims to identify, compare, and analyze the critical pandemic impacts (CPI) on construction projects in India. To achieve this, 40 interviews with industry professionals, are followed by a systematic review to identify the CPI. The data collected was used to develop a survey, sent to industry professionals all over India, with a return of 92 valid responses. The data were analyzed using reliability analysis, mean score ranking, overlap analysis, agreement analysis, and correlation analysis. The overall critical pandemic impact includes ‘labor scarcity,’ ‘supply chain disruption,’ ‘decreased construction productivity,’ ‘increased project financing rejection rate,’ and ‘reduced foreign investment in the construction industry.’ The findings could aid authorities and policymakers in taking suitable actions toward solving the current CPI in India. Project managers and owners could consider the current CPI in order to formulate better plans. Overcoming CPI could lead to an economic leap in India.

BIM, Lack of Importance for Construction Projects in India

Abstract: Many researchers have endorsed Building Information Modeling (BIM) as the greatest technology for improving construction procedures. Most construction companies, on the other hand, do not employ BIM due to a number of barriers. The purpose of this article is to look into the barriers to BIM adoption in the construction industry. A quantitative technique was used to study the research objectives, and a structured questionnaire was created. The questionnaire was distributed Through the medium of Link, with 53 of them being satisfactorily completed. Whereas analysis was been carried out on software IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26. Keywords: Construction industry, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Limitation considerations Quantitative method, Structured \questionnaire, IBM SPSS Statistics.

Impact of Effective Supply Chain Management and Supply Chain Risk Management Capabilities on Construction Project Performance

Objectives: To investigate the impact of effective Supply Chain Management (SCM) on construction project performance measured by project success criteria and on Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) capabilities. The study also aims to examine the mediating role of SCRM capabilities on the relation between effective SCM and project success criteria in an uncertain situation like COVID-19. Methods: The investigation was conducted on survey data received from 134 project practitioners from rail construction projects in India by the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique using Smart PLS3. Findings/Results: Results revealed a significant positive linkage between effective SCM and construction project success criteria of time, cost, quality, and also with SCRM capabilities. The findings also confirmed the mediating role of SCRM capabilities on the relation between effective SCM and project time and cost. However, no mediating role in the relationship between effective SCM and project quality was observed. Application: Findings will help in sensitizing construction project professionals on the importance of effective SCM and developing SCRM capabilities to make projects a success even in uncertain supply chain situations. The findings also reinforced the applicability of the Resource-based view and paradox theory in understanding Supply chains. Novelty: This research had used three project success criteria as dependent variables instead of using overall project success as done in earlier studies in the project management and the SCM arena. Keywords: Supply Chain Management (SCM); Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM); Railway Construction Project; Project Success; PLS-SEM

Analysis and Design of Composite Single Span Psc-I Girder Bridge Using Midas Civil

With the ever-increasing sophistication of the population and the usage of vehicles, the number of modern road and bridge construction projects in India is increasing. To facilitate traffic flow, composite bridges are increasingly being implemented on a wide scale for highway building. In addition, new technology and equipment were gradually applied to road and bridge building. But, at the same time, there are several flaws in the structures due to the high technical requirements of bridge building, particularly the composite type of sections. The paper discusses the analysis and design of the Composite Single Span PSC-I Girder Bridge under IRC loadings using MIDAS. The analysis was carried out to get various outputs such as bending moment, shear force, and time-dependent characteristics like creep and shrinkage. At the construction stage, the PSC (prestressed) design of the span is carried out according to IRC standards to get output parameters such as principal stresses for prestressing tendon. The design involves calculation of the section properties, primary and secondary moments, magnitude and location of the prestressing force, profile of the tendons, losses due to prestressing and shear stresses on the section. The structure is designed in accordance with IRC guidelines.

Analysis of Safety Performance of Construction Projects in India Using Safety Audit Elements, AHP and Taguchi Loss Function: A Case Study

Construction safety performance is traditionally assessed based on workplace conditions and analyzing accident statistics, there is no provision to consider the safety management systems which affect site safety. One of the systems use to measure safety performance is occupational safety and health audit which identify failures within a system and the information gathered assist to determine the best course of corrective action. Therefore, this study was designed and conducted to develop a method for evaluating the safety performance of five highway project sites in India using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Taguchi loss functions. In the first stage of the study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied by obtaining the judgments of the expert team to determine the weights of the safety audit elements. In the second stage, the five project sites were analyzed and ranked by determining the total loss score using the Taguchi loss functions. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process analysis, the weights of the safety management (0.1949), hazard identification and risk assessment (0.1460), and safety education and training (0.1268) had the highest impact on the safety performance of the five project sites. The results of the Taguchi loss functions of the five project sites showed that the total loss score was the lowest and highest for project site 3 (77.89) and site 5 (81.54), respectively. In the current study, an integrated method was developed for evaluating the safety performance of five highway project sites. The weights of the nine safety audit elements were vital in determining the total loss score by using the Taguchi loss functions for ranking the five projects sites based on safety performance. Therefore, using this method can be an effective step in identifying the project site with better safety performance as a benchmarking unit for the other sites.

Identification and analysing of risk factors affecting cost of construction projects

Saving money is critical for the owner, contractor, and subcontractor involved in a project Delays and failure to complete work within the given budget are the main reasons for construction project conflicts. Owners, contractors, surroundings, and other factors can cause unexpected cost increases in building projects, and numerous sorts of risk factors might exist at the same time. Cost overruns have an impact not only on the building industry, but it also have its impact on overall economy. Despite the fact that the study focused on building project cost increases, it also evaluated additional value to the Indian construction sector, as well as risk strategy and plan analysis. This article conducts research to identify and analyse significant risk factors that have an impact on the construction industry's budget in India. 42 common risk variables are discovered and grouped into four groups after a thorough study of related literature. In order to acquire the necessary data, the study is further directed by a questionnaire survey of professionals and practitioners of construction projects in India. The findings reveal high index of risk factors influencing construction project cost overruns. The top-ranked risk factors that have the greatest impact on the project's budget are price fluctuations, quality control, and management experience.

Analysing the critical delay factors and delay in material supply for construction projects in India

The study of construction delays has remained the subject of much research, and the construction sector in India is nevertheless beset by reoccurring issues. As a consequence of delineating the most prevalent sources of construction project delays and the core elements that influence to delays, this research provides to the theory and practice of construction scheduling. Because the Indian construction sector's hade tremendous growth in efficiency and quantity over the previous generation, a thorough examination of the reasons of delays and the formation of a common comprehension with industry professionals are vital. The literature research identified 47 distinct reasons of delay; the 25 most commonly reported are grouped as client, contractor, consultant, labour and machinery, inventory, and other associated categories. The opinions of 142 construction experts from client, consultant, and contractor organizations were gathered through a survey. These factors are prioritized using a weighted relevance score that considers both frequency and severity, with the top five being Contractors' financial difficulties. Inadequate planning and scheduling on the part of the entrepreneur, non-payment of invoices or a failure to collect payment for completed work Incompetent site administration and oversight, a high volume of client-requested changes. These findings are significant for reflective practice in the planning and control of building activities. The study's findings will assist the Indian construction community in revising delay causes and realigning project management practices to guarantee projects are completed on schedule.

Significance and Analysis of Time and Cost Overrun in the Construction Industry of Mumbai

Abstract: The occurrence of time and cost overrun has become quite significant in a majority of construction projects in India, which is negatively affecting the GDP and potential development of nation. As per the statistics of project cost and duration in March 2012, 179 projects out of 555 projects of worth 150 Crore INR have been facing cost and time overrun and others are at the very high risk, with the total construction cost overrun of 1.23 Lakh Crore INR. (Times, 2013) The time and cost overrun of the construction projects results in overextension of the time and finance of the client which may lead to entire failure of the project, unfinished project, abandoned project or reduction in the performance standards of the project. This condition depicts the requirement of the study and analysis of the causes or risk factors for time and cost overrun, and solutions and strategies for mitigation of cost and time overrun. The present research involves the study and analysis of the various risk factors related to time and cost overrun; assessment of the overruns in the construction projects of Mumbai, India and other parts of the world; identification and analysis of the leading causes for time and cost overrun in the construction projects of Mumbai; identification of potential solutions; and preparation of an effective mitigation model for overruns in construction projects of Mumbai

Factors influencing the level of accuracy and compromise in overhead estimation for construction projects in India: an exploratory investigation

PurposePrevious studies have highlighted that overheads form a critical part of the total project cost. However, despite this knowledge, the precise estimation of overheads is often neglected in construction projects. This paper aims to examine the reasons for the lack of effort in estimation of overheads.Design/methodology/approachThe study is carried out in three stages. In stage one, an introductory survey is carried to understand the importance of overheads in total project cost. In stage two, a detailed survey is carried out to understand the factors that affect the level of accuracy and compromise made in estimation of overheads using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). In the final stage, two cases are examined in form of interviews to validate the findings. The model is tested for its reliability, validity and goodness of fit.FindingsThe findings of the study suggest that the time and cost spent is a critical issue. Therefore, if the projects feel that the benefit cost ratio for time and cost spend in the process is positive, they estimate the overheads accurately, whereas if they feel that the cost benefit ratio for time and cost spend is negative, they compromise with accurate estimation. Further, there is a lot of subjectivity in defining and processing overheads that leads to a negative impact on the accuracy level in estimation of overheads. The contract type also influences the compromise in estimation.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, there is scant work that has been carried out on understanding the behavior of overheads and reasons for lack of effort in its accurate estimation in construction projects. Therefore, there are no recent citations in the study. Further, the study being exploratory in nature draws conclusions based on opinion expressed by respondents on survey and interview. Finally, the study is geographically limited as the entire respondent's work in India.Practical implicationsProjects should give due attention to accurate estimation of overheads. Accurate estimation of overheads can help in better control of project margins, thereby serving the profit-maximizing goals of organizations. A conscious effort by industry experts, academicians and researchers can bring some discipline in overhead estimation rather than leaving the critical domain only to thumb rules or experiential assumptions. The regulatory bodies and the project management bodies are advised to come up with some kind of ready reference that can quickly help estimators to arrive at accurate overhead costs.Originality/valueTo the best of knowledge, it is a rare study to exclusively focus on project overhead cost in construction industry and focus on its estimation efforts. The study also uses a robust research process, which improves the reliability and validity of its findings.

Assessment of Critical Causes of Conflicts for Building Construction Projects in India Using Fuzzy Analytical Network Process

Assessment of Critical Causes of Conflicts for Building Construction Projects in India Using Fuzzy Analytical Network Process

Construction claims prediction using ANN models: a case study of the Indian construction industry

Claims are a major concern in every construction project. With the increasing complexity and size of the construction projects in India, the number and frequency of claims, also bound to increase, which adversely affects the construction environment. So, an early prediction of these claims is crucial to avoid their costly negative impacts. This paper aimed to develop artificial neural network models to predict the frequency of claims in construction projects. Based on a comprehensive literature review, a total of 39 factors causing claims were identified first, and then refined by Delphi interview with 10 experts. Subsequently, a questionnaire was further developed and disseminated to different owners, contractors, and consultants’ organizations working in the Indian construction sector, which received 206 valid replies. The questionnaire data were then utilized to develop and validate the construction claims frequency prediction models. For this, an artificial neural network approach was used to construct the models. These models will help the construction professionals in predicting the frequency of occurrence for different types of claims throughout the course of the project and enable them to select the best strategy available to avoid or mitigate their occurrence at an early stage.