Delay causes in road infrastructure projects in developing countries

Abstract

Project delays adversely affect road infrastructure development in developing countries. Unfavorable consequences of project delays involve cost overrun, contractual disputes, arbitration, and quality non-conformities. Despite these risks, literature shows that delays are still a prevalent problem in construction management. Although there is a considerable number of publications on project delays, few studies have compared their causes between developing countries. Therefore, this study aimed to: a) classify and determine the level of influence of the delay causes; b) find the relationship between delay causes and country's development; and c) propose recommendations for mitigating the most critical causes in developing countries. A systematic literature review provided a sample of 14 primary studies from Africa (50%) and Asia (50%). Based on this sample, the study found that developing countries, with a GDP per capita ($US2018) <= $ 2,000, may experience different delay causes depending on the economic and the geographical contexts. In African countries with a Global Competitiveness Index-GCI <= 56, road projects may experience delays due to financial issues of the project owner, as well as delays due to equipment/material issues of the project supplier/subcontractor. On the other hand, in Asian countries with a GCI between 62 and 49, road projects may experience delays due to financial issues of the project contractor, and delays due to planning issues of the project designer/consultant. According to these economic contexts, this study proposes a frame of causes and mitigation actions as a contribution to the risk analysis of road projects in developing countries.

Leadership issues for road project engineers

“…Over half of the construction projects require more time and money than anticipated [23]- [25]. [26] claimed that delays in road projects in Asian countries are associated with contractors' financial problems and poor planning. In African countries, the authors asserted that delays are related to financial/ funding problems of the owner and equipment and material issues.…”

Causas de retraso en la construcción de proyectos de agua potable y alcantarillado en Ecuador

“…En este sentido, en [12] se opina que las principales causas en países en desarrollo son las demoras en los pagos al contratista, la disponibilidad financiera del constructor, una programación inadecuada y una gestión incorrecta en sitio. En un sentido similar, respecto de los retrasos en proyectos viales en países en desarrollo, se realizó un ranking de las causas que influyen, determinando, en su orden, las siguientes: demoras en los pagos al contratista, dificultades financieras del promotor, experiencia inadecuada del contratista, escasez de equipo y gestión y supervisión incorrecta en sitio [13]. Sin embargo, en [14] establecieron que si bien es cierto que existen muchas causas que producen retrasos en la construcción, éstos también están directamente relacionados con la cultura organizacional de las empresas constructoras, pues aspectos tales como la toma de decisiones consensuadas y el trabajo en equipo también pueden influir para reducir la incidencia de retrasos.…”

The Link Road Design of Jalan Plupuh Tanon And Jalan Gabugan Section 1, Sragen Indonesia

“…The World Economic Forum analyzed the improvement of living standards in 140 countries each year, and the results showed that geographic regions with more vital connectivity experienced greater prosperity. In terms of public welfare, road infrastructure is critical (Carter, Killion, Easter, Brandt, & & Ford, 2020); (Ruiz & Guevara, 2020); (Mejía, Sánchez, Castañeda, & Pellicer, 2020). Indonesia has set a national goal to improve infrastructure initiatives essential for better logistics and transportation.…”