Simulation of Delay Factors in Dam Construction Projects with a System Dynamics Approach

Project delays are one of the main causes of damage in construction projects, so extensive research has been done to deal with it or reduce its consequences. In this regard,too much project implementation in this area has the greatest impact because of the large volume of operations in dam projects. In this study, a case study of Marvuk Dam located in Lorestan province was studied. Based ont he background of previous research and experiences gained from projects were used to explain 10 factors of delay in projects. Experts of dam construction projects are given a score from 1 to 10 for identifying factors that affect the delays of the project. Obviously,the effect of each factor that should have been announced by the questioner was requested with a coefficients of 10 and 1 as the most effective and the least effective.The experts selected the variables of manpower, machinery, contractor financial resources and lack of technical drawings as the most important factors in the delays. Then, using Vensim simulation program and project information, the model was created and the simulation results were used to determine the predictable latency of the whole project and the share of each factor. The general conclusion is that project management in the first 4 months of the project has a key role in project delays.