Construction projects are budget-intensive projects. A lot of money goes into making a blueprint into an actual physical structure. Construction projects require careful planning and execution. Every day counts. And every day wasted is money wasted. The longer a project is delayed, the greater the financial impact on the overall project budget.
One of the most important questions here is: who bears the cost of delays? Well, it’s not easy to provide an answer to that. One can only tell after a detailed delay analysis is conducted and a San Diego construction delay expert gives their verdict.
This blog explains in detail what delay analysis is and what the role of a construction delay expert is.
Understanding Delay Analysis
Delay analysis is the process through which an expert determines what impacted the project schedule and who was responsible for the delay. All the findings of the delay analysis are compiled in a report. The report quantifies the overall impact of the delay, the causes of the delay, how these delays impacted the project, and who was responsible for these delays.
Anyone can request a delay analysis. Contractors usually use it to get time extensions for impacts that aren’t in their control or get reimbursements for costs they had to bear due to delays. Project owners use delay analysis as a response to contractors’ claims or seek support for damages due to delays. The primary purpose of delay analysis is to identify why the delay occurred and who should be held responsible.
There are several methods of delay analysis. The selection of a method depends on multiple factors, including the complexity of the dispute, the purpose of analysis, the availability of source data, etc.
Some of the most frequently employed data analysis methods are:
Impacted As-Planned
This method inserts impact activities into the original as-planned (baseline) schedule to model delay events. The impact activities, referred to as delay fragnets, model actual events that occurred during the construction project. Their relationship with planned activities is identified, and it’s determined how these events affected the project completion timelines and when the project can be expected to be completed. The analysis results are then compared to the as-planned project schedule and timeline to quantify the total number of days of delay.
But-For or Collapsed As-Built
This method is the opposite of the impacted as-planned method in some ways. In this method, the analyst analyzes the as-built schedule and determines the completion date in case ‘but-for’ identified impacts occur. The impacts are removed from the final as-built schedule. The schedule is then rerun to calculate the difference between the actual and modeled completion dates to quantify the associated delay.
As-Planned vs. As-Built
This plan is observational in nature. Planned and actual activities are individually compared to identify what could possibly cause variances, and you use this data to quantify the delay associated with each activity. It’s one of the quickest delay analysis methods that can be performed with rudimentary schedules.
Time-Impact Analysis
TIA quantifies the impact of different events on the project schedule through modeling different events. The difference between project completion dates with and without impact estimates delay.
Window Analysis
The window analysis method for delay analysis divides the entire project duration into short windows. Delays are quantified within each of these windows. Like the as-planned vs. as-built method, windows analysis is also observational in nature. Planned work at the beginning of the window is compared to the work during the as-built window. Each window is one to six months long. Late starts and extended durations are measured for each window.
The Role of Construction Delay Expert Witness
A San Diego construction delay expert witness plays a pivotal role in delay analysis. They’re experts in the field and understand the technicalities of different delay analysis methods. They know which delay analysis method will be suitable for which situation.
Let’s get into the details of the construction delay expert witnesses’ role in this process.
Evaluation of Project Timeline
The construction delay expert witness evaluates the project timeline, schedule, and progress records. They identify if the delays occurred and, if they did, what caused them and who was responsible.
Selection of Appropriate Delay Analysis Method
As explained above, only an expert witness knows which delay analysis method would suit existing delay cases. Each delay analysis method is different and requires different inputs. Although the purpose of all the methods is the same, each requires a different data set.
Evidence Collection
One of the most important roles of a San Diego construction delay expert witness is to collect evidence of a delay and who caused it. They review all documentation related to the project, question people on site, go through correspondence, and change orders to reach a definitive conclusion.
Conduct Cause and Effect Analysis
Construction delay expert witness identifies the critical path and analyzes the impact of delays on the project completion timeline. They determine how different impacts would delay the project’s completion.
Prepare Reports
The data analysis report is the Holy Grail in construction delay disputes. It contains all the findings of the delay analysis, from what caused the project schedule to go off track to who was responsible. The expert witness is responsible for compiling this comprehensive report, which can be used as evidence during legal proceedings to hold those responsible for delays accountable.
They Testify
Since the expert witness investigates construction delays thoroughly and knows how they occurred through delay analysis, their word is powerful enough to be considered a testimony in court.
Provide Technical Expertise
Expert witnesses are experts in their area and have substantial technical knowledge and experience in the field. Their technical expertise can be used in project management and project scheduling.
In short, construction delay expert witnesses play a pivotal role in ensuring any construction delays are investigated thoroughly, the responsible individuals are brought to light, and the party that had to bear losses due to delays is properly compensated. Without delay analysis and expertise from an expert witness, the root cause of delay may never be identified, and the affected party may not get fairly compensated.
Put Your Trust in HPM Consultants
If you want to conduct a delay analysis for your construction project that is way behind the project schedule, look no further. Our San Diego construction delay expert witnesses at HPM Consultants will help you get to the bottom of the cause of the delay in your project. Our expert witness services have helped clients worldwide, and we are confident you will get the answers you want.