Thesis Abstract

Environmental factors play a crucial role in the successful completion of construction projects, especially high-rise projects in Nigeria. This research aims to investigate the impact of environmental factors on construction time and cost overruns on high-rise projects in Nigeria. The study will focus on identifying the key environmental factors that contribute to delays and cost overruns in high-rise construction projects in Nigeria. The research will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of project data with qualitative interviews and surveys of project stakeholders. Data will be collected from ongoing and completed high-rise projects in Nigeria, with a specific emphasis on projects that have experienced significant time and cost overruns. The study will consider a range of environmental factors, including weather conditions, soil quality, access to resources, and regulatory constraints. By analyzing the relationship between these factors and project performance indicators such as construction duration and budget deviations, the research aims to provide insights into the specific environmental factors that have the most significant impact on construction time and cost overruns. Through in-depth interviews with project managers, contractors, and other stakeholders, the research will also explore the perceptions and experiences of construction professionals regarding the influence of environmental factors on project delays and cost overruns. By incorporating the perspectives of these stakeholders, the study will provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between environmental factors and project outcomes. The findings of this research will have practical implications for the management of high-rise construction projects in Nigeria. By identifying the environmental factors that most significantly impact project performance, construction professionals can develop strategies to mitigate the effects of these factors and reduce the likelihood of delays and cost overruns. Additionally, the research will contribute to the existing body of knowledge on construction project management in Nigeria, providing valuable insights for future research and practice in the field. Overall, this research aims to enhance our understanding of the environmental factors influencing construction time and cost overruns on high-rise projects in Nigeria and to provide actionable recommendations for improving project outcomes in this context.

Thesis Overview

Introduction

Construction time: The Nigerian construction industry contributes less to the country’s economy than do manufacturing or other service industries. Of®cially, construction accounted for only 5.5% of the annual gross domestic product (GDP) in 1993 (Langdon, 1994). However, the growth of the Indonesian construction industry has greatly in¯ uenced the country’s economic development. As de®ned in developed countries (Hillebrandt, 1985), con- struction is considered unique in that it can stimulate the growth of other industrial sectors. Hence to consider growth of the construction industry in terms of its contribution to GDP in isolation is somewhat misleading: that is, to do so understates the crucial role played by construction. Therefore, improving construction ef®- ciency by means of cost-effectiveness and timeliness would certainly contribute to cost savings for the country as a whole. Effort directed to cost and time- effectiveness were associated with managing time and cost, which in this study was approached via investigating time and cost overruns of high-rise construction in Nigeria.

Like developing countries, such as Nigeria (Okpala and Aniekwu, 1988; Elinwa and Buba, 1993;
Mans®eld et al., 1994), Saudi Arabia (Assaf et al., 1995) and Malaysia (Yong, 1988), Indonesia suffers from construction time and cost overruns. The intentions
of this paper therefore are:

1. to identify variables in¯ uencing construction time and cost overruns;
2. to group these variables into factors;
3. to analyse the relationship of these factors and thereby enhance understanding of construction delays and cost overruns. Although the research concentrates on Nigeria, the ®ndings should be relevant to all developing countries, as they face similar problems in terms of time and cost overruns on construction and infrastructural development projects (Morris and Hough, 1987). Construction Management and Economics (1997) 15, 83±94 Factors in¯ uencing construction time and cost overruns on high-rise projects in Nigeria

Causes of time and cost overruns

According to Antill and Wood head (1989), time over runs
(delays) can be divided into three categories:
1. those over which neither party to the contract has any control;
2. those over which the construction owner (or his/her representative) has control;
3. those over which the contractor (or any subcontractor) has control.
It is generally recognized that delays of type 1 are part of the contractor’s normal and legitimate monetary
risk, and hence should give neither party grounds for monetary recompense, but that the contract com- pletion date should be extended in order to protect contractors from liquidated damages claims for late  completion. Alternatively, in the extreme a contract may be repudiated due to `frustration’. It is also recog- nized that for delays of type 2 the contractor should receive fair and reasonable recompense (cost and time), whereas for type 3 delays the contractor must bear full responsibility.