Factors affecting construction time performance in high-rise building projects in Sri Lanka

Abstract

On-time completion is one of the most important criteria for recent successful construction projects. High-rise building projects face significant risks and time constraints due to the complexity and dynamic nature of their environments. Demand for high rise buildings has been fuelled by economic advancements, rapid suburbanization, and increased consumer spending in Sri Lanka. High-rise building developments require a large amount of funding, permissions and procedures, advanced construction methods, and collaboration between many project participants. Delays have been observed regularly in high-rise buildings, yet studies on factors affecting construction time performance (CTP) are scarce in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, this study focused on the factors affecting CTP in high-rise building projects in Sri Lanka. If the factors were identified at early stages, they could be minimised or even mitigated and the chance of future occurrences can be minimised. The study used a qualitative approach. Factors affecting CTP were identified through the literature review. The required data were collected from a series of semi-structured interviews identified from purposive sampling. The data were analysed using manual content analysis and validated for high-rise building projects using semi-structured interviews. Fifty-four factors were identified under six categories, including owner, contractor, consultant, contract, contractual relationships and external factors. New additional factor mismatches between the design and budgets are identified. Further, interviewees endorsed 49 factors that were considered as factors that significantly affect CTP. T