EVALUATING FACTORS CAUSING DELAY IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PROJECTS OF MASHHAD

Delays in construction projects increase project implementation costs. Identifying factors causing delays in these projects and preventing their occurrence are major concerns for many construction project managers. Many studies have been conducted about the main effective factors causing delays in construction projects in different regions. The results achieved in these studies indicate effective factors vary according to the prevailing conditions of the specified type of the construction projects in the region. Identifying and preventing delays in specific types of construction projects from occurring in each region requires dedicated research efforts. Meanwhile, residential building projects constitute a major portion of construction projects in the populated cities. Delays in residential building projects can increase the project's costs and the housing price, which has a major share in the family expenses in Iran. Mashhad is the second largest city in the country with a large housing market. However, research efforts addressing residential building project delays in the city are still missing. In response to this need, current research was conducted to investigate the delay in the residential building projects in the city. Main factors causing delays in these projects were identified, and recommendations to avoid delays from happening or to mitigate their negative impacts were made. To do so, first, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify different possible effective factors on construction project delays. Then, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted on different stakeholders of residential building projects to evaluate impacts of effective factors. The survey results indicated project delay is a major concern in the residential building projects in the city. The client's financial problems, contractor's financial problems, and high inflation were identified as main factors with major impacts on the project delay. Proper financial management by the client and comprehensive understanding from supply and demand in the housing market before commencing the project are among recommendations to reduce negative impacts of project delays in these projects.