CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CAUSES OF DELAY IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN INDIA

Construction industry is one of the significant contributors to the economic growth and development of India. Two major challenges are limiting the performance of the construction industry in India, which are poor cost and schedule performance of the construction projects. Therefore, the aim of this study is to fill an important knowledge gap by identifying the various attributes for construction project delay, using the residential building projects as a starting point. Feedback from a survey administered to the contractors and consultants was analysed using Relative Importance Index (RII). Results showed that shortage of materials on site; unforeseen ground conditions; poor procurement planning; problems to access the site; rework; weather conditions; inadequate modern equipment; skilled workforce; and equipment failure are ranked by the contractors and consultants as the main causes of project delays in India. Construction frontline players are recommended to put their efforts on the identified key factors in relation to their magnitudes of influence. By doing so, the causes of project delays in the India's construction and real estate sector could be significantly reduced or controlled, which will ultimately lead to the on-time project completion.