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FACTORS AFFECTING DESIGN AND
DOCUMENTATION QUALITY IN
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
BY
MOSTAFA ISMAIL DARWISH
A Thesis Presented to
THE DEANSHIP OF GRADUATE STUDIES
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp
MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
In
CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
amp MANAGEMENT
May 2005
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN 31261 SAUDI ARABIA
DEANSHIP OF GRADUATES STUDIES
This thesis written by
MOSTAFA ISMAIL DARWISH
Under the direction of his Thesis Advisor and approved by all Thesis Committee
has been presented to and accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING amp MANAGEMENT
THESIS COMMITTEE
_________________________
Prof Abdulaziz A Bubshait
Chairman
______________________
Prof Sadi A Assaf
Member
______________________
Prof Osama A Jannadi
Member
_______________________________
Prof Abdulaziz A Bubshait
CEM Department Chairman
Date_____________________
_______________________________
Prof Mohammad A AL-Ohali
Dean of Graduates Studies
Date______________________
DEDICATION
To the soul of my Father the first to teach me
To my beloved Mother for her prayers to me
To my Wife for care and support all the time
And to my Childrens Salma Omar and Ismail with hope for bright future
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep appreciation to Professor Abdulaziz A Bubshait who served
as my advisor for all the support and guidance I also appreciate his positive comments
and advices throughout my research
Thanks are due also to other members of the thesis committee Professor Sadi A Assaf
and Professor Osama A Jannadi
Acknowledgement is due to King Fahd University of Petroleum amp Minerals Specially
for the Department of Construction Engineering amp Management for supporting this
research
My thanks and gratitude is due also to my wife for her encouragement and patience
without which this work would not have been possible
TABLE OF CONTENTS PageDedication iiiAcknowledgment ivTable of contentsvList of tables iiiList of figures ixAbstract xiiArabic Abstract xiii
CH I INTRODUCTION PageI1 BackgroundI2 Introduction 2I3 Statement of the Problem 5I4 Objectives of the Study 7I5 Scope and Limitations7I6 Significance of the Study8I7 Thesis Organization 10
CH II LITERATURE REVIEW Page
II1 Introduction11II2 Terminology11II3 Construction Defects Categories16 II4 Design and Documentation Attributes16 II5 Design and Documentation Quality21 II6 Design Deficiency in Construction Industry25 II7 Responsibility for Design Document Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32II8 Impacts of Design Deficiency 34II9 Influence of Fees on Quality 36 II10 Methods of Design Quality Measurement41II11 Improving of Design and Documentation Quality 414II12 Development of List of Factors from Previous Studies 45 II13 Comparing the Factors used with Similar Previous Studies hellip56 II14 Summary 59
CH III RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIII1 Introduction 60III2 Methodology 60III3 Questionnaire Design
63III4 Sample Size 65III5 Data Gathering
68III6 Scoring 69
CH IV FINDINGS AND RESULTS Page
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN 31261 SAUDI ARABIA
DEANSHIP OF GRADUATES STUDIES
This thesis written by
MOSTAFA ISMAIL DARWISH
Under the direction of his Thesis Advisor and approved by all Thesis Committee
has been presented to and accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING amp MANAGEMENT
THESIS COMMITTEE
_________________________
Prof Abdulaziz A Bubshait
Chairman
______________________
Prof Sadi A Assaf
Member
______________________
Prof Osama A Jannadi
Member
_______________________________
Prof Abdulaziz A Bubshait
CEM Department Chairman
Date_____________________
_______________________________
Prof Mohammad A AL-Ohali
Dean of Graduates Studies
Date______________________
DEDICATION
To the soul of my Father the first to teach me
To my beloved Mother for her prayers to me
To my Wife for care and support all the time
And to my Childrens Salma Omar and Ismail with hope for bright future
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep appreciation to Professor Abdulaziz A Bubshait who served
as my advisor for all the support and guidance I also appreciate his positive comments
and advices throughout my research
Thanks are due also to other members of the thesis committee Professor Sadi A Assaf
and Professor Osama A Jannadi
Acknowledgement is due to King Fahd University of Petroleum amp Minerals Specially
for the Department of Construction Engineering amp Management for supporting this
research
My thanks and gratitude is due also to my wife for her encouragement and patience
without which this work would not have been possible
TABLE OF CONTENTS PageDedication iiiAcknowledgment ivTable of contentsvList of tables iiiList of figures ixAbstract xiiArabic Abstract xiii
CH I INTRODUCTION PageI1 BackgroundI2 Introduction 2I3 Statement of the Problem 5I4 Objectives of the Study 7I5 Scope and Limitations7I6 Significance of the Study8I7 Thesis Organization 10
CH II LITERATURE REVIEW Page
II1 Introduction11II2 Terminology11II3 Construction Defects Categories16 II4 Design and Documentation Attributes16 II5 Design and Documentation Quality21 II6 Design Deficiency in Construction Industry25 II7 Responsibility for Design Document Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32II8 Impacts of Design Deficiency 34II9 Influence of Fees on Quality 36 II10 Methods of Design Quality Measurement41II11 Improving of Design and Documentation Quality 414II12 Development of List of Factors from Previous Studies 45 II13 Comparing the Factors used with Similar Previous Studies hellip56 II14 Summary 59
CH III RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIII1 Introduction 60III2 Methodology 60III3 Questionnaire Design
63III4 Sample Size 65III5 Data Gathering
68III6 Scoring 69
CH IV FINDINGS AND RESULTS Page
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
DEDICATION
To the soul of my Father the first to teach me
To my beloved Mother for her prayers to me
To my Wife for care and support all the time
And to my Childrens Salma Omar and Ismail with hope for bright future
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep appreciation to Professor Abdulaziz A Bubshait who served
as my advisor for all the support and guidance I also appreciate his positive comments
and advices throughout my research
Thanks are due also to other members of the thesis committee Professor Sadi A Assaf
and Professor Osama A Jannadi
Acknowledgement is due to King Fahd University of Petroleum amp Minerals Specially
for the Department of Construction Engineering amp Management for supporting this
research
My thanks and gratitude is due also to my wife for her encouragement and patience
without which this work would not have been possible
TABLE OF CONTENTS PageDedication iiiAcknowledgment ivTable of contentsvList of tables iiiList of figures ixAbstract xiiArabic Abstract xiii
CH I INTRODUCTION PageI1 BackgroundI2 Introduction 2I3 Statement of the Problem 5I4 Objectives of the Study 7I5 Scope and Limitations7I6 Significance of the Study8I7 Thesis Organization 10
CH II LITERATURE REVIEW Page
II1 Introduction11II2 Terminology11II3 Construction Defects Categories16 II4 Design and Documentation Attributes16 II5 Design and Documentation Quality21 II6 Design Deficiency in Construction Industry25 II7 Responsibility for Design Document Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32II8 Impacts of Design Deficiency 34II9 Influence of Fees on Quality 36 II10 Methods of Design Quality Measurement41II11 Improving of Design and Documentation Quality 414II12 Development of List of Factors from Previous Studies 45 II13 Comparing the Factors used with Similar Previous Studies hellip56 II14 Summary 59
CH III RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIII1 Introduction 60III2 Methodology 60III3 Questionnaire Design
63III4 Sample Size 65III5 Data Gathering
68III6 Scoring 69
CH IV FINDINGS AND RESULTS Page
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep appreciation to Professor Abdulaziz A Bubshait who served
as my advisor for all the support and guidance I also appreciate his positive comments
and advices throughout my research
Thanks are due also to other members of the thesis committee Professor Sadi A Assaf
and Professor Osama A Jannadi
Acknowledgement is due to King Fahd University of Petroleum amp Minerals Specially
for the Department of Construction Engineering amp Management for supporting this
research
My thanks and gratitude is due also to my wife for her encouragement and patience
without which this work would not have been possible
TABLE OF CONTENTS PageDedication iiiAcknowledgment ivTable of contentsvList of tables iiiList of figures ixAbstract xiiArabic Abstract xiii
CH I INTRODUCTION PageI1 BackgroundI2 Introduction 2I3 Statement of the Problem 5I4 Objectives of the Study 7I5 Scope and Limitations7I6 Significance of the Study8I7 Thesis Organization 10
CH II LITERATURE REVIEW Page
II1 Introduction11II2 Terminology11II3 Construction Defects Categories16 II4 Design and Documentation Attributes16 II5 Design and Documentation Quality21 II6 Design Deficiency in Construction Industry25 II7 Responsibility for Design Document Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32II8 Impacts of Design Deficiency 34II9 Influence of Fees on Quality 36 II10 Methods of Design Quality Measurement41II11 Improving of Design and Documentation Quality 414II12 Development of List of Factors from Previous Studies 45 II13 Comparing the Factors used with Similar Previous Studies hellip56 II14 Summary 59
CH III RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIII1 Introduction 60III2 Methodology 60III3 Questionnaire Design
63III4 Sample Size 65III5 Data Gathering
68III6 Scoring 69
CH IV FINDINGS AND RESULTS Page
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
TABLE OF CONTENTS PageDedication iiiAcknowledgment ivTable of contentsvList of tables iiiList of figures ixAbstract xiiArabic Abstract xiii
CH I INTRODUCTION PageI1 BackgroundI2 Introduction 2I3 Statement of the Problem 5I4 Objectives of the Study 7I5 Scope and Limitations7I6 Significance of the Study8I7 Thesis Organization 10
CH II LITERATURE REVIEW Page
II1 Introduction11II2 Terminology11II3 Construction Defects Categories16 II4 Design and Documentation Attributes16 II5 Design and Documentation Quality21 II6 Design Deficiency in Construction Industry25 II7 Responsibility for Design Document Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32II8 Impacts of Design Deficiency 34II9 Influence of Fees on Quality 36 II10 Methods of Design Quality Measurement41II11 Improving of Design and Documentation Quality 414II12 Development of List of Factors from Previous Studies 45 II13 Comparing the Factors used with Similar Previous Studies hellip56 II14 Summary 59
CH III RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIII1 Introduction 60III2 Methodology 60III3 Questionnaire Design
63III4 Sample Size 65III5 Data Gathering
68III6 Scoring 69
CH IV FINDINGS AND RESULTS Page
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
II1 Introduction11II2 Terminology11II3 Construction Defects Categories16 II4 Design and Documentation Attributes16 II5 Design and Documentation Quality21 II6 Design Deficiency in Construction Industry25 II7 Responsibility for Design Document Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32II8 Impacts of Design Deficiency 34II9 Influence of Fees on Quality 36 II10 Methods of Design Quality Measurement41II11 Improving of Design and Documentation Quality 414II12 Development of List of Factors from Previous Studies 45 II13 Comparing the Factors used with Similar Previous Studies hellip56 II14 Summary 59
CH III RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIII1 Introduction 60III2 Methodology 60III3 Questionnaire Design
63III4 Sample Size 65III5 Data Gathering
68III6 Scoring 69
CH IV FINDINGS AND RESULTS Page
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
IV1 Introduction 72IV2 General Information and Industry Characteristics helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip73IV3 Statistical Techniques 90IV4 Ranking of the Factors helliphellip95IV5 Construction Process Efficiencyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip108IV6 Correlation 118IV7 Comments from Respondents helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphellip131
CHV SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS amp RECOMMENDATIONS PageV1 Introduction 133V2 Summary of The Study 133V3 Conclusions 138V4 Recommendations 146V5 Recommendations for Further Studies 149V6 References150
APPENDIX I Questionnaire Forms AIA - Arabic FormB - English FormAPPENDIX II Statistical Results for all Professional ResponsesAIIAPPENDIX III Rank Agreement Calculations on current Research and Previous StudieshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellipAIIIVITA
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
LIST OF TABLES PageTable 21 Design Quality Attributes 17Table 22 Documentation Quality Attributes helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18Table 23 Most Important Risk Categories helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29Table 24 Responsibilities for Construction Defects helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30Table 25 Average proportion of Non-Desirable Const Elements helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36Table 26 Problems issues affecting design and documentation quality in Austhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46Table 27 Factors Influencing Design Documents Quality in Japan helliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip48Table 28 Comparison of the Factors used with other Previous Researches helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip56Table 31 Scale (interval) value assigned for each response of questionnaire 70Table 41 Statistical Results for Combined Responses helliphellip 93Table 42 Consultantsrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip100Table 43 Contractorsrsquo Ranking 102Table 44 Ownersrsquo Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 104Table 45 Combined Ranking helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 106Table 46 Undesirable Construction Elements for Consultantrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 47 Undesirable Construction Elements for Contractorrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 116Table 48 Undesirable Construction Elements for Ownerrsquos Responses helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117Table 49 Undesirable Construction Elements for Combined Responses hellip helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 117
LIST OF TABLES (Cont) PageTable 410 Rank Agreement and Spearman Correlation Calculations helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip121Table 411 Determination of Max Rank Agreement Factor helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip124Table 412 Test the Ranking Order (Kendallrsquos Coefficient Calculations) helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip128
LIST OF FIGURES PageFigure 31 Methodology Chart helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip62Figure 32 Scoring Scale helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip70Figure 41 Experience of Owners helliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip75Figure 42 Experience of Consultants75Figure 43 Experience of Contractors 76Figure 44 Experience of Total Respondents 76Figure 45 Respondents Role in Construction 77Figure 46 Classification of Contractor Organization 78Figure 47 Types of Projects done by Total respondentshellip79Figure 48 Types of Projects done by Consultants helliphellip 80Figure 49 Types of Projects done by Contractors helliphelliphelliphellip 80Figure 410 Type of Ownerrsquos Organization hellip 81Figure 411 Size of Owners Organizations helliphelliphellip 82Figure 412 Size of Consultants Organizations83Figure 413 Size of Contractors Organizations helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip83Figure 414 Size of Total respondents 84
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont) PageFigure 415 Percentage of Design Income for Consultants 85Figure 416 Level of QA Accreditation of Owners 86
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
Figure 417 Level of QA Accreditation of Consultants helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip87Figure 418 Level of QA Accreditation of Contractors helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip88Figure 419 Level of QA Accreditation of Total respondents 89Figure 420 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Pricehellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip109Figure 421 Change in Tender Price due Design Deficiency110Figure 422 Influence of Design and Documentation Quality on Time helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip111Figure 423 Change in Tender Time due Design Deficiency helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip112Figure 424 Undesirable Construction Elements By Total Respondents 114
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
THESIS ABSTRACT
Student Name Mostafa Ismail Darwish al-Far
Title Of Study Factors Affecting Design Documentation Quality in Construction Industry
Major Field Construction Engineering amp Management
Date of Degree May 2005
This thesis discusses the main factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality in
Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia A survey of 21 contractors 19 consultants and 14
owners from the Eastern Province was performed The survey included 39 different
factors affecting Design and Documentation Quality and their level of importance The
severity of those factors were measured by the level of importance and were ranked
according to the importance index for consultants contractors owners and a combination
of all respondents
A test for Correlation Agreement on the ranking of the factors between different project
participants ldquoconsultants contractors and ownersrdquo was also calculated using Spearmans
and Kendalls techniques It was found that the overall construction parties have moderate
agreement on the ranking of important factors
It was concluded that Last minute changes by client Insufficient overall design time
Unstable clientrsquos requirements Waiting for client decision and that Consultants tend to
copy and modify from their previous work to minimize time and cost were the most
important factors Finally some recommendations were made in order to improve the
design and documentation quality in the construction industry
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM amp MINERALS
DHAHRAN SAUDI ARABIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I 1 Background
The construction sector is one of the major parts of the contracting business in Saudi
Arabia and it constitutes a major portion of the Kingdoms domestic economy even
though the share of construction sector GDP in the total national output has fallen since
the early 1990s The construction sector alone provided employment to more than one
million workers in 2002 and accounted for nearly 144 of the Kingdoms total 73
million-labor force (Alahli 2004)
The construction sector GDP grew by 31 in 2001 and again increased by 50 to
(SR43 billion) in 2002 and grown by around 28 in 2003 but with increased
expenditure in 2004 the construction sector is expected to grow faster at 50 in the
current year However the share of the construction sector GDP in the total national
output has declined from an average of 12 for the most of the 1980s to a more
sustainable average of around 8 in the 1990s mostly due to the completion of various
infrastructure projects However the share of construction sector GDP within the non-oil
output averaged around 105 in the 1990s and amounted to around 102 in 2002
suggesting continued investment activities in the construction sector (Alahli 2004)
I 2 Introduction
Designers provide the graphic and written representations that allow construction and
trade contractors to transform concepts and ideas into physical reality How effectively
and efficiently this transformation occurs depends largely on the quality of the design
and documentation provided And while good design needs to be effective and ensure
fitness for purpose it also needs to be communicated effectively through the
documentation (ie drawings specifications etc) Unfortunately a perceived decline in
project documentation quality over the past few years is considered to be causing
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
increased delays disruption and costs to all parties involved in the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
In an ideal world the design and documentation provided for construction projects would
be complete precise and unambiguous Unfortunately contractors are often supplied
with project documentation that is considered to be substandard or deficient due to
incomplete conflicting or erroneous information Design and documentation quality is
greatly determined by the level of professional services provided with the quality of
these services generally being determined by how the services are selected and how the
fees are negotiated (Defraites 1989)
Findings of design deficiencies are being reported with greater frequency in professional
publications and local newspapers When these design deficiencies make headlines it is
usually because of catastrophic failure or death The design deficiencies that do not make
headlines usually end up in contract claims accompanied by delays and significantly
higher costs (Vlatas 1986)
However while the design itself needs to be effective it also needs to be
communicated effectively through the documentation (ie drawings specifications Bills
of Quantities) When documentation quality is considered a number of attributes - such
as timeliness accuracy completeness coordination and conformance - are looked at to
determine the level of quality achieved Tilley et al (1997) reported that the quality of
design and documentation achieved could be determined by measuring the extent to
which attributes of design and documentation quality are incorporated
Abolnour (1994) discussed the problem of the absence of a system that organizes and
unifies project documents in order to simplify the process of understanding and reviewing
these documents He stated that in Saudi Arabia each design office selects an
international system that is compatible with his employees the nature of the project and
his clients This inconsistency leads to a higher probability of making mistakes more
wasted time and effort and a lower rate of experience acquisition
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
As the quality of the design and documentation provided has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects (Burati et al 1992Lutz et al
1990 Kirby et al 1988) any improvements in design and documentation quality can
only lead to corresponding improvements in the efficiency of the construction process
(Tilley et al 1999)
Where designers are selected based on low design fees then the level and quality of the
service provided is likely to be limited and generally translates into additional project
costs to the owner (Abolnour 1994)
But what is design and documentation quality The assessment of design and
documentation quality can be highly subjective and open to a wide variety of
interpretations When considering the issue of quality Burati and Farrington (1987)
indicated that quality can be defined as conformance to established requirements
which by avoiding the issues of degree of goodness and satisfaction - seen as being too
subjective - allows for a basis of measurement However by investigating the type and
extent of quality deviations - defined as departures from established requirements -
a way of determining the root causes of quality deviations as well as method of
measuring design and construction quality costs is provided (Burati and
Farrington1987 Burati et al1992 Davis et al1989)
Based on these definitions of quality and quality deviations it can be deduced that
reductions in the quality of the end product can be more easily avoided by ensuring all
project requirements are properly considered during the early design stages Allowing
any unresolved or unworkable design issues to remain in the documentation will only
necessitate changes further on in the process and add to the extent of quality deviations
As insufficient documentation and detailing leads to similar problems the factors causes
these problems must be considered when determining design and documentation quality
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
Based on the above the quality of the design and documentation process can be simply
defined as The ability to provide the contractor with all the information needed to enable
construction to be carried out as required efficiently and without hindrance
(Tilley1998)
While this definition does not insist that all project information is required up front at the
start of construction it does imply that the contractor is supplied with sufficient
information to ensure that the construction process can be planned and carried out in the
most efficient manner available
I 3 Statement of the Problem
The quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall
performance and efficiency of construction projects As designers provide the graphic
and written representations which allow contractors and subcontractors to transform
concepts and ideas into physical reality it is the efficiency with which this transformation
occurs that determines the level of project performance and efficiency achieved
Researchers and practitioners have acknowledged defective design is a major cause of
contract claims and change orders during construction (Vlatas1986 Al-Dubaisi2000)
One study shows that design error is the single most common cause for a contract claim
(Diekmann and Nelson1985) It is also found that more than 50 of change orders are
attributable to defective design (Kirby et al 1988 and Lutz et al 1989)
Design deficiencies are occurring more frequently because of the complexity of the work
new and different relationships among the professionals in design and construction and
haste to get the projects completed and in operation as soon as possible These
deficiencies are a major cause of contract disputes (Vlatas 1986)
Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process
inefficiency leading directly to delays rework and variations and contributing to
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
increases in project time and cost for both owner and contractors alike (Tilley et
al1999)
This study aims to assist all construction parties to plan effectively before starting a
project beginning with the design phase This can be done by creating awareness and
paying enough attention to this important phase to minimize the problems and eliminate
extra costs incurred to make corrective actions to complete the defective design and
documentation
I 4 Objectives of the Study
1048707To identify main factors affecting design and documentation quality in the Saudi
Arabian construction industry
1048707To investigate the nature and extent of the impacts (effects) of design and
documentation deficiencies on project cost and time (duration)
1048707To calculate the percentage agreement between different project participants on the
ranking of the factors
I 5 Scope and Limitations
1- Experts from each group (consultantDesigner contractor and owner owner
representative ) with more than 10 years experience in construction projects greater than
10 million Saudi Riyals were interviewed
2- All building Projects built in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia
3- The focus of this study is on traditional procurement projects in the Public
sector
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
I 6 Significance of the Study
As the quality of the design and documentation produced has a major influence on the
overall performance and efficiency of construction projects it is vitally important and
useful that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and discussed
There is no study that has dealt with the subject of the relationship between design
document quality and construction deficiencies in the local construction industry in Saudi
Arabia Although this study is limited to the Eastern province area the results could be
use as guidelines in the context of Saudi Arabia The results of the research shall benefit
the following parties Owners Designers Contractors Consultants and Public Agencies
Improvements in construction process efficiency will result from creating an awareness
of the value of quality design and documentation and the introduction of selection criteria
that includes consideration of the designers skills and experience Once developers fully
understand the value of quality design and documentation they would then ensure that
sufficient time and fees are available to allow designers to provide the level of service
needed to carry out the design function completely (Tilleyet al 1999)
httpsidealsillinoisedubitstreamhandle214215450Thesis-Ch_1-3pdfsequence=8
The benefits would be more projects being completed on time within budget and with a
reduced likelihood of legal action due to contractual disputes In addition with less
variation rework and disputes then contractors would be able to minimize the
management time and cost spent on non-value added activities
These benefits would be reflected in reduced project and contractual risk and a higher
level of profitability for both developers and contractors More reasonable fee levels
would also enable designers to restore staff training programs -to develop a higher
standard of designer- and encourage innovation (Tilley et al 1999)
Consequently it is to the benefit of construction parties to recognize the situation and
identify the causes of design deficiencies in the early stages of the project (Design
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study
Phase) This will help to take the necessary precautions to control these causes before
they be aware when they occur during construction phase
I 7 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into five chapters The first chapter gives general background
information on construction process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia It also presents a
statement of the problem the objectives of the study its scope and its limitations and
significance of the study
Chapter two summarizes the literature related to the construction process efficiency the
factors affecting design and documentation quality in the construction industry and the
identification of its impacts on the construction process efficiency
Chapter three addresses questionnaire design the sample size the selection of the experts
interviewed and a method of collecting data from construction professionals (experts)
related to the problem discussed
Chapter four discusses the statistical methods used tables and information deduced from
statistical analysis the statistical results and interpretation of these tables and
information It also contains the ranking by importance index of the factors affecting
design documentation quality by consultants contractors owners and for combined
response
Finally the last chapter contains summary of the study conclusions suggested
recommendations and recommendations for further study