Abstract
Delayed and disrupted construction projects contribute poor sustainability in construction project environments. UK construction documents an extensive history of project delay and disruption, with contracting organisations operating in environments with a prevalence of excessive sub-letting, fragmentation, poor integration of sub-contractors, build strategy dislocation, contractual-adversarial relationships, and poor adoption of project planning frameworks.
This investigation reviews the extent and impact of individual and team behaviours and cultures within a contracting organisation project and the influences on the success of Critical Path Method (CPM) project planning and scheduling. CPM remains the standard method of project planning and scheduling in the construction industry, despite newer systems such as Lean Construction, Last Planner® System, Agile Project Management, and PRINCE2.
Exploratory qualitative data was collected through a purposive sample of six semi-structured interviews with UK construction management personnel on a sample case study project. Experienced project managers and project planning staff from contracting and sub-contracting organisations were consulted on project planning, scheduling and programme development, co-ordination, integration, procedures, methods, techniques, training, and development.
Results identify CPM planning operating in unstructured environments characterised by poor operating and application protocols, and poor understanding and ad hoc engagement by project teams. Poor leadership and facilitation of programme development by senior project management could be associated with later project failure. It is concluded that fundamental problems with basic project planning and scheduling undermine sustainability in construction due to late completions.
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Pickavance, N., Ross, A., Fearon, D. (2020). Construction Programme Failure and the Impact on Waste, Resource Efficiency, and Natural Capital in Construction Project Environments. In: Scott, L., Dastbaz, M., Gorse, C. (eds) Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44381-8_21
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