Delay Assessment in Construction Projects Using Six Sigma in Indian Context
Tanmay Swami and Yaman Hooda
As per the studies conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, trillions of rupees are being drained out due to delays in the construction project. Also, these studies showed that almost the completion dates of half of the projects have to be extended because of various reasons of delays in respective projects. Numerous inherent uncertainties and problems affect the construction industry, including a company's variable profit margin, competitive bidding processes, weather changes, productivity on the job site, a nation's political status, inflation, contractual rights, and market rivalry, fluctuating material prices, change in designs, transportation mode, labour skills etc. All these leads to cost overrun and inferior quality which ultimately becomes risky and cause delays in handing over the projects. To manage the risk and control the cost, quality and time; this study focuses on the application of Six Sigma method. The core of Six Sigma is DMAIC [Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control]. This study deals with the identification of delays with their respective reasons by carrying out personal interviews and communications with the people associated with the projects. After an intense sampling and data collections, it was observed that the major cause of delay comes under the category of transportation. Determination of DPMO and application of Six – Sigma with DMAIC determines the delays and its remedial measures are suggested for their control and improvement of transportation process, thereby decreasing the delays and increasing the efficiency of completion time of project under the projected time duration.
Delay Assessment, Construction Project, Six Sigma, DMAIC, DPMO
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Research Articles
Evaluation of Current Parking Facilities in a University; A Case Study of Punjabi University Campus, Patiala
Kunal Jain, Maninder Singh and Daizen Khanna
Parking has been one of the key aspects for smooth and efficient working for any institution. Parking congestion has been observed in educational institutes as the ratio of vehicles to the available parking spaces keep on rising. In this study, evaluation of the current parking facilities in Punjabi University, Patiala was done. Parking beat or spot survey method of survey by patrol by foot or by vehicle was used. Four key parking hubs were selected, namely, Main gate Parking, Library- Administration Block Parking, Gol market Parking and UCOE- BACK gate Parking. Survey was conducted on weekdays including Monday, Wednesday and Friday to cover all the variation in a week. Data was collected and the analysis was done on the basis of Parking Characteristics which included peak parking, Parking Accumulation, Parking turnover, Efficiency etc. On the basis of data collected, values were calculated and some modifications and recommendations were given based on the observational and theoretical analysis in the areas according to the nature of problem encountered. It was found that a huge amount of mixed parking was observed in the campus and the average efficiency was found to be less than 85%, some modifications such as designating parkings in Gol market area, etc. were suggested. On- street parking was also observed in the campus area.
Equipment Utilization Analysis for Construction Activity in Highway Construction Using Pull–WIP Approach
Shiji P, Kodi Ranga Swamy and Arun Chandramohan
Improper planning of construction equipment results in the idling of one or more construction equipment, resulting in unproductive costs, eventually leading to cost overrun. Since road construction project is linear and dynamic, equipment and resources need to be planned based on the site scenario, dynamic distance of batching plant to site, variable material demand, etc. A simulation model is developed to analyse the utilisation rate of various equipment used in the project site based on its availability, variable travel time, uncertainties in consumption of materials, capacity of the equipment and its associated productivity to fulfil the demand of materials at the site and capacity of the plants. This study utilizes pull driven approach to simulate various operations for construction of a sub-base course in an embankment using ARENA simulation software to minimize the idling of resources by harmonizing with project progress. The study indicates an increase in individual resource leads to an increase in overall construction cost without improving the overall productivity. This model can be utilised to identify the possible optimal combination of equipment for the construction of sub base course. The present model could be extended to evaluate idling and optimal combination of equipment required for other activities and its combinations executed simultaneously in the highway construction project. The model based on the real-time data collected from construction site, identified the various optimal combination of equipment for each quantity demand scenario with reduced equipment idling, resulting in minimized costs for the execution of the activity. The study indicates an increase in individual resource leads to an increase in overall construction cost without improving the overall productivity. This model can be utilised to identify the possible optimal combination of equipment for the construction of sub base course. The present model could be extended to evaluate idling and optimal combination of equipment required for other activities and its combinations executed simultaneously in the highway construction project.
Highway Construction; Equipment Utilization; Pull-work in Process; Simulation; Sub-base Course
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Research Articles
Systematic Review of Different Mathematical and Simulation Models for Quality Management in Construction Projects
Ravindra Pratap Singh Gurjar and Archna Tiwari
Construction Project Management provides the framework for approaches required for quality management in construction projects. It also provides applicable methods and tools for the same purpose. However, efficient quality management is still a major issue for developing nations like India. This study aims to review and analyze the current literature on various models used for Quality Management in Construction Projects. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted on the literature which uses a modelling approach for quality management. Keywords such as "Quality", "Construction", "Modelling" or "Simulation" were searched through two databases namely Web of Science and Google Scholar. Articles found were then filtered by title, abstract, and keyword relevancy. Then cross-references from these articles were again filtered. The period for the search was 2011-2021. A total of 34 articles were selected and then analyzed. Various Modelling approaches like Mathematical models, BIM, System Dynamics, Fuzzy Logic, Game Theory etc., were found throughout the literature. A comprehensive descriptive and thematic analysis was conducted on the available literature to develop real improvements in construction quality and raise the awareness of building practitioners, construction quality researchers and policymakers. Problems associated with diffusion of modelling approaches were stated and some possible remedies are also recommended.
A Study on Factors Affecting Management of Risk and Performance of Construction Projects in Tamil Nadu
Nagarajan Muthukrishnan and R. Ganapathi
The construction industry is one of the most challenging and dynamic industries in Tamil Nadu. This industry is different from other industries due to its unique and complex features. This research study aims to identify the various factors affecting the management of risk and the performance of construction projects. Influencing factors include the respondents' business profile and profit margin; the relationship between education and experience level; critical risk opinion with regard to the organisation type; the relationship between risk management practises and profit margin; and the analysis of variance between risk management practises and risk ownership, as well as the correlation between key performance indicators. The primary data was collected from 105 respondents. This research study has been carried out in Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India. The respondents were selected through a random sampling method. The results reveal that there are no negative correlations between the key performance indicators of the construction projects and a very high degree of positive correlation between risk management practices, quality of work and products, on-time delivery, performance improvement, and profitability. Furthermore, it shows that factors like risk ownership and risk management practises will help to improve the key performance indicators, and other factors such as experience level, education level, profit margin, risk awareness, and type of organisation also influence the management of risk and performance of the construction project in Tamil Nadu. The scope for further research on this topic may be to identify the specific risks pertaining to the organisation type and differences in risk management practise with respect to organisation size, business profile, etc. The results of this research study may be limited to the study region; they may vary from region to region and country to country as a result of the limitations of this research study.
Risk Management Practice; Construction Project; Performance
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