The Impact of Mechanical & Plumbing Change Orders on USACE Construction Projects

Abstract

This research studied contract change orders at five U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) Districts over the past twenty-one years with a combined value of $3,689,742,841. These districts represent a broad spectrum of federal contracting across the entire United States and every type of construction contract from major military projects to minor repair work to national civil infrastructure. Of the 44,887 contract changes studied, 4,061 were identified as specifically related to the Mechanical and Plumbing trades. These changes were evaluated for magnitude, frequency and time extension. The Mechanical and Plumbing trades were selected because they are typically among the last major construction features prior to the completion date. Previous research estimates that change orders in the last 20% of a project timeline should be weighted 6 times more heavily than change orders in the first 20% (Hanna et al., 1999). The results indicate that Mechanical and Plumbing change orders do have a higher likelihood of extending the timeline of a project. It also showed that the dollar value impact was relatively low compared to other changes. Ultimately the database of contract changes generated during this research could provide a critical data source for future studies, particularly of federal construction contracting.