The Impact of Design Change during Construction - Research Proposal Example

Time Delays and Cost Overruns: The Impact of Design Change during Construction (Research proposal) Kannan Narayanan Selvaraj Major: Msc ProjectManagement in Construction -FT (School of Build and Environment) Introduction In order to identify and meet up the necessary requirements of the client, a contractor often hires architects to come up with architectural designs and specifications. It is in the design stage where drawings and technical specifications are done that will constitute an important contribution to the standard quality and constructive aspects of building the project (Alarcon & Mardones, 1998). In order to accomplish the task without causing major damage, the design stage is split into several stages and upon completion the designs are handed out to the owners for approval and to the contractor for execution. However, problems have been detected in the design stages that could drag down the project over-all success (Alarcon & Mardones, 1998).. Lack of constructability, suboptimal options that resulted in great number of design changes and construction rework often causes major delays and money loss for the project (Undurraga 1996). What contributes to these designs problems is the lack of communication and interaction among the project manager, designer, construction heads and other specialists, thus compelling them to work with doubts and questions about the project (Hopkins, 2000). Changes in the owner’s opinion and preferences regarding thf designs often cause to frequent design changes that ends up inswork delays.In Chile for example, major conflicts such as additional expenditures in constructions projects often come from the frequent design changes being carried out by the owners (Figari 1996). Frequent interventions and deviations from the original plan could greatly affect the construction schedule, resources allotted for the completion of the projects and money (Eden & Ackermann 1992). Furthermore, the quality of the project is put in question after many alterations and revisions. Frequent design changes are often abrupt and immediately done, undermining safety precautions and putting into question the quality of work (Alarcon & Mardones, 1998). In order to prevent multiple losses in every sector of the project and also failure, it is imperative that deviations from the designs shoud not take place as much as possible. Limitations concerning the project design should be discussed thoroughly. Owners should be informed by the architects and contractors regarding the possible design changes that might take place in the construction. In doing so, the owners would not only aware of the probable changes but they also could apply their own changes before the start of the project, preventing delay and losses (Senge 1990). However, designs and finished product often vary from each other. It is always important for the project owners, contractors and architects to take necessary precautions and recommendations i.e. project owners, contractors, and architects should discuss important details such as design changes regarding project. In this sense, continuous line of communication must be keep between these three in order to avoid or lessen the problem way before the actual construction of the project (Rodrigues 1994). Research Problem The main problem that this study will tackle is the impact of design change in construction in terms of time delays and cost overruns. Purpose of the Research Following the arguments presented above, it is essential that design changes should be limited during the construction period of the project in order to avoid financial losses and time. The main challenges in order to accomplish the task would be identifying the usual design changes that take place in the project and allotting allowances, such as a budget solely intended toaccommodate possible changes that might take place. (research aims and objectives should be presented here) Literature Review Typical Reasons for Design Changes Errors and defects on a construction designs always manifest during the start and process of building the construction project. Contractors usually find it hard to apply the design due to lack of specifications or absence of technology needed to accomplish the project (Holetzky, 2008). Aside from the specific reason or cause of design changes,(Alarcon and Mardones (1998) generalise three main problems that often led to construction rework. They are the following: 1) Low quality designs: Incomplete drawings that are characterised by lack of clarity, inconsistencies, and absence of specific designs are often the problems of contractors during the execution phase. Implicit designs often bring confusion in the work area due to the lack of specifications needed to finish the job (Alarcon & Mardones 1998).). 2) Absence of design standard: Most designs follow either the owner’s opinion or the architect’s style of drawing. From time to time, details regarding the construction design are often being debated on between owners and architects. There are instances wherein the owners are too ambitious about the design that construction becomes unrealistic given the budget and time constraints. This problem emphasises the importance of homogenous standards solely meant for designs. The existence of a definite standards will determine the applicability of the project designs, its suitability with the existing construction technology and possibly identifying the problem way before the construction phase begin ( Hopkins2000). 3) Absence of Constructability: closely link with problem number two, contractors should identifewhether the construction design is constructible enough, way before the construction phase begins. It does not ensure that once a construction design is finished, that it could be immediately built. There are still some issues such as resources, manpower, and technology that need to be considered and attended to by the contractors, architects and owners (Alarcon & Mardones 1998).. In doing so, the construction design should be discussed thoroughly in order to avoid work delay and money loss. Ordinary workers on construction area are often faced with problems that could be considered as way out of their working skills. A contractor from time to time, in order to find a remedy to the present problems, may be forced to solve the problems on site, which is unadvisable since deviations from the original plan might cause unforeseen problems in the future (Scott 1993). (this session overall will need extending for your dissertation – there is much more on the literature re typical reasons for changes, and this needs to be very well covered in the dissertation) Types of Design Changes and their Impact It is beneficial to identify the different types of design changes that normally occur before and during the construction phase of the project. By identifying these, the study would focus on the frequent design errors that causg work delays and money loss for the project. The table beloweis a result of a study done by a Alarcon and Mardones (1998) regarding the typical design defects happening in constrcuction projects.It is a quick list of specific design changes that usually occur in the construction phase, and they are listed down according to their frequency (and thus percentage) of manifestation. Number: Design Defects Weight percentage 1 Structure Elements Details 13.97% 2 Lack of Architecture Detail Plans 12.78% 3 Incorrect Cross References between different Specifications 11.59% 4 Incorrect Structures Cross References 8.17% 5 Lack of Definition of Architecture Elements 6.54% 6 Structure-Bid-Plans Modifications 6.39% 7 Lack of Architecture Dimensions 6.24% 8 Lack of Identification and Location of Architecture Elements 5.65% 9 Finishing Materials that require Samples 4.75% 10 Shaft Problems 4.46% 11 Design Defects in Sewerage 4.16% 12 Architecture’s Incorrect Cross Reference 3.12% 13 Design Changes by the Owner 3.12% 14 Electricity Design Defects 2.97% 15 Late Delivery of Structure Plans 1.93% 16 Defects in A.C. Designs 1.49% 17 Problems with Electrical Equipments 0.89% 18 Equipment Structure 0.59% 19 Problems with the Materials in the Market 0.45% 20 Symbology Conventions 0.45% 21 Gas Design Defects 0.30% Source: Alarcon and Mardones 1998 The information was based on surveys and interviews conducted by Alarcon and Mardones (1998). The weight percentage represent how often this type of design defects and errors that took place. The top five design defects that are listed above could fall under “technicality problems”. They are pertained to as technicality problems since they are based on the errors of the architect himself. Interpreting it, the reasons that cause major setbacks in the construction are the mistakes and inability of the architect to propose and analyze a design that is both constructible and clear (Alarcon and Mardones, 1998). What constitutes problematic type of design changes include contractors and specialists who commit individual errors and mistakes during the construction phase of the project. Next to this are the changes presented by the owners and designers. Surprisingly, technical problems like lack of clarity and specifications, absence of constructability in designs and technical difficulties come as the last type of design change cause..st. This may be represented in aggregate as lack of coordination and interaction between designers, owners and contractors that often results in the lack of or wrong information pertaining to the construction of the project (Holetzky, 2008). The table above emphasises the causes of a chaotic and incomplete process of design change during the construction period. This process does not permit the construction professionals to accomplish a project using a complete, error free and practical design. Furthermore, these types of design changes represents series of impact in construction works such as: loss of manpower, leisure time for the workers, series of reworks, re-order of materials, increase in expenditure and project delay (Alarcon & Mardones, 1998). This dilemma emphasises the need for a continuous line of communication and interaction between the people who are involved in the project (Williams 1990). Relation of Cost Overruns and Time Delay As soon as the defects are identified in the construction, the possibility that the focus of the workforce will be mainly to rectify the defects and could make them disregard th, additionae expenditure. Furthermore, compliance or follwing the posted time freame of the construction poject could also influence the workforce to disregard or forget the additional expenses In order to avoid this type of scenario, it is crucial to discuss and formulate a plan that would minimize money loss and at the same time comply with the scheduled time frame, thus making sure that the project could achieve a better results.. Increase in expenditures is expected upon deviation from the original plan. Resources that were ordered and have already been applied might be changed in order to comply with the recent changes that have been decided by the owner or the project manager or designers. Not only does this increase the project expenditure, the materials that were considered to be used will also be wasted. The schedule of the project will also be put on the line since construction will be delayed or put on hold because of the lack of resources necessary to comply with the recent changes (Eden & Ackermann 1992). This session needs explaining and expanding for the dissertation Aims and Objectives This report will study on the impact of design changes during construction which focuses on one single aim and that is: time delays and cost overruns, Though design change could affect more than the above mentioned, the study decided to focus on these two aspects since the two mentioned aspects are the ones that are most impacted on by design change (Senge, 1990). This general aim is broken down into three specific objectives and they are the following: 1) To categorise the type of design changes that might happen during construction. 2) To identify the main reasons for design changes during construction. 3) To establish links between design changes and cost & time overruns. Design changes vary from one another; thus, it is important to note the type of design changes that could possibly occur in every construction. In general, changes do not take place without any reason, there should always be a catalyst for change; therefore, the study will to look over possible reason in the construction industry why design change occurs. Lastly, the study would aim to determine the interconnectedness of design change with cost and time overruns in order to understand why design change affects these two with its impact. Justification/Rationale All the decisions that are being considered and taken are thought of in a very careful manner because one wrong decision may result to the downright failure of any construction. Every people would aim to accomplish a particular matter according to the original plan in order to finish it faster and easier. However, due to an uncontrollable environment, inevitable occurrences take place that greatly affect the process of accomplishing a certain project. Hence, people are forced to change their original plan in order to keep up with the changes of the external factors (Jeffries, 1999). However, before resorting to any design change issus, people involved in the construction project should study the situation – they should evaluate if the change is really necessary, and everyone should know why they are making any changes. They should foresee how the changes that they are about to do affect the whole process of construction and every aspect of it, also, they should consider the possible positive or negative consequences that will occur if the change is incorporated. Making design changes, though in simple sense talks about changing the outward appearance of the finished product of the construction, is not as simple as changing clothes in a daily basis – a lot of factors should be taken into account and any changes done should be looked upon intently. (Driscoll, 2006) This study will show the advantages and disadvantages of making changes in the design in a construction project, especially if the project has already began. Methodology This study which is about the impact of design change in construction is qualitative research in nature that involves a case study, literature study and face to face interview method. 1. Case study - According to Hopkins (2000), a case study is a descriptive study which only accounts data on only one subject. It can be a study of a specific person, specific group, specific situation, or specific case (Holetzky 2008). It is also possible that a case study could ascertain a connection between variables. A case study enables researchers to have a comprehensive study of the topic that could turn out additional information that can trigger further studies (Jefferies 1999). For this study, I will conduct case study on various construction firms – the data gathered from each of the firms will be compared to one another to arrive at a general conclusion. 2. Literature study - Consequently, this study shall also involve gathering of secondary research since it will make use of literature relevant to the topic. Secondary research is research that requires collecting existing data through the use of previous researches, newspapers, magazines, journals, official statistics, etc. in order to find out what is already known about the subject at hand and what other information needed to enrich the topic (Asia Market Research, 2003). The study at hand will focus on the construction company and it needs to gather data from various construction firms, in the form of running records. Analysis of secondary data involves scrutinising various academic journals, books, marketing magazines, white papers, research theses, and internet articles. It is also characterised as the used of data that was collected by someone else for a different study (Heaton 1998). The analysis is done through the information that is obtained from published articles – texts, tables and grafts, appendices or from the original data itself (Church 2002). Secondary data can be also from the book’s indexes, abstracts and bibliographies. The data that would be gathered through analysis of secondary data would basically be about the typical reasons of design change in construction, the different types of design change and their corresponding impact, and the relation of cost overruns and time delay. 3. Interview method - To support the secondary data, the researcher will also make use of primary research methods. Primary research, basically, is helpful when it comes to supporting the secondary sources that were used in the research (Driscoll 2006). The research will make use of the interview method – an interview basically involves a face-to-face encounter between the research who will conduct the interview and the interviewee. For the study at hand, the researcher will interview people in the construction industry, particularly those who are working in the firms as taken in case studies. The researcher will interview architects, specialists and contractors which are the people in-charge in a construction process. Also interview will be conducted to the employees of the respective firms. The answers that will be derived from the interview will be analysed, lastly, the results will be discussed with the aid of the literature review in order to formulate the exact conclusion and proper recommendations. Programme/Plan of Work Below is a Gantt chart which shows the research activities that were already accomplished those that are still left to do. The chart incorporates the number of days the finished tasks have been accomplished and the approximate number of days remaining activities. [See Gantt chart fig 1.0] Gantt chart fig 1.0 We need to discuss the above!!!! References Alarcón L.F. & Mardones, D.A. 1998. Improving the design-construction interface. Proceedings IGLC. Asia Market Research. 2003, What is secondary research? [Online]. Available at: http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/glossary/secondary-research.htm [accessed 19 July 2008] Church, R. M., 2002. The effective use of secondary data. [Online]. Available at: http://www.brown.edu/Research/Timelab/archive/Pdf/2002-02.pdf [accessed 19 July 2008] Driscoll, D. L., 2006. Conducting primary research. [Online]. (Updated 1 February 2006). Available at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/01/ [accessed 19 July 2008] Eden C.L. & Ackermann, F. 1992. Strategy development and implementation - the role of a Group Decision Support System. Computer Augmented Teamwork - A Guided Tour, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York Figari, C. 1996. A Diagnosis of Quality in the Chilean Construction Industry.,Dept. of Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago,Chil Heaton, J. 1998. Secondary analysis of qualitative data. [Online]. Available at: http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU22.html [accessed 19 July 2008] Holetzky, S., 2008. What is a case study? [Online]. Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/ what-is-a-case-study.htm [accessed 19 July 2008] Hopkins, W. G., 2000. Quantitative research design. [Online]. (Updated 4 May 2000). Available at: http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0001/wghdesign.html [accessed 19 July 2008] Jeffries, S. C., 1999. Descriptive research. [Online]. Available at: http://www.cwu.edu/~jefferis/ PEHL557/pehl557_descript.html [accessed 19 July 2008] Rodrigues, A. 1994. The role of system dynamics in project management: a comparative analysis with traditional models. Proc. 1994 International System Dynamics Conf. Senge, P.M. 1990. The fifth discipline: the art and practise of the learning organization Doubleday Currency, New York. Scott, S. 1993. Dealing with delay claims - a survey. International .Journal Project Management. 11(3) 143-154. Undurraga, M. 1996. “Construction Productivity and Housing Financing.” Seminar and Workshop Interamerican Housing Union, Ciudad de México, D.F., México. Williams, T.M. 1990. Risk analysis using an embedded CPA package. International Journal Project Management. 8 (45), 84-88. Read More