Schedule Health Assessment Criteria for Semi High-Rise Building Construction Projects in Pakistan

Abstract

Construction industry faces many challenges, one key challenge is the timely completion of projects. The same challenge with higher magnitude is faced by the construction industry of Pakistan. Literature reports that 80% of local construction projects face delays, and a mere 20% get completed within the scheduled duration. Two main factors are responsible for timely completion of the project; management and planning. Out of these two, management has been widely covered in the past studies, while very less attention has been given to planning aspect. In particular, planning and scheduling of construction projects in Pakistan are rarely done with the keen intent of its use and implementation. It has been observed that the construction schedule is normally treated as a formality and due consideration is not given to it. This research aims at the formulation of assessment criteria for work schedules of building construction projects in Pakistan. To form precise and specific criteria, the scope of research is restricted to semi high-rise building projects. Assessment criteria were developed making use of knowledge extracted from the pertinent literature and through the opinion of construction industry professionals. A method has been developed to evaluate the overall fitness of the schedules while accounting for the relative importance of each criterion. To demonstrate the applicability and significance of assessment criteria, it was used to evaluate and benchmark the work schedules of two actual construction projects. The formulation of criteria has the purpose to facilitate the project planners to prepare and maintain better quality schedules. The evaluation will help to detect deficiencies in project schedules and other critical problems significant for schedule maintenance. The result of this research will provide a foundation for further research towards the development of generic work schedule evaluation criteria which, if added in construction contracts, will deliver an efficient execution plan.