PIVOTAL FACTORS CAUSING DEFECTS IN BUILDINGS: A CASE STUDY IN CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU

Defects in buildings are one of the major problems faced by the construction industry which affects the life of the structure the value of both the building and the company or the contractor that is constructing the building. The reason for the occurrence of the defects depends upon various factors the life period of the building, building components, human error or the combination of all the factors. These defects may also cause severe damage to the structure and the aesthetical view of the building. The common causes that lead to the defects include poor communication among the parties involved, lack of technical expertise and skills and inadequacy leading to recurring errors. This study is conducted to identify the pivotal factors that cause these defects in the buildings in Chennai. The study is carried out in two ways one by means of a questionnaire and other by a case study of two building with major factors causing defects. The factors are collected based on the direct observation and interaction and by literature review. The collected factors are used to prepare the questionnaire and it is circulated to various engineers, managers, and contractors to obtain the pivotal factors leading to defects using relative importance index. Major pivotal defects occurring in recent days were evaluated and remedial measures are suggested to overcome it in the future.