Causes and Effects of Delay on African Construction Projects: A State of the Art Review

Abstract

The time for the performance of a construction project is usually the soul to the stack of the construction industry. Construction delay is one of the basic constraints to accomplish the project objectives in Africa. This study aims to find the causes and effects of construction delays in African. A thorough literature review has been done following the content analysis method. The relevant literature of 17 African countries was collected from the scholarly journals published from 2010 to 2020. In total 65 potential causes of delay under 10 major groups are identified. Frequency and ranking of these factors have been done. The factors, change/variations order by the client, contractors’ infective project planning and scheduling, consultants' delay in approving the major change, design team's insufficient site investigation, resources shortage and price fluctuation, poor communication among parties and unfavorable weather conditions are recognized as critical causes of delay in Africa. On the other hand, time and cost overrun and poor quality of construction is the major effect of delays. Selecting competent consultants, design teams, contractors, and suppliers, involving stakeholders at the planning stage of the project, efficient communication, and adapting appropriate legislation are the corresponding mitigation mechanisms of delay for Africa construction projects.

Keywords: Africa, Causes, Construction, Delays, Effects, Mitigations

DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-5-04

Publication date:May 31^st 2020