A study on the impacts of schedule compression techniques on construction projects in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Construction delay is considered to be one of the recurring problems in the construction industry and it has an adverse effect on project success in terms of time, cost and quality. Previous researchers have stressed the importance of early identification of construction delays and have suggested major delay-reducing remedies. Among this, ‘Compressing Schedule’ is a commonly used method to expedite the construction process. The consequences of schedule compression can be troublesome if productivity and quality of the project are sacrificed for the sake of remaining ahead of schedule. Therefore, this research was carried out to identify the impacts of schedule compression techniques on projects and suggest the strategies to be followed to overcome those negative impacts. A questionnaire survey and ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with Sri Lankan construction contractors. Altogether, 11 number of schedule compression techniques were found to be commonly used in the Sri Lankan context. Additional cost, quality issues, productivity problems, conflicts, coordination problems and abortive works were highlighted as the recurring negative impacts. In order to mitigate the impacts, the research has stressed and recommended strategies for each technique.