Impact of construction materials on project time and cost in Kuwait

TLDR

The construction of residential projects constitutes a major portion of the building activities in the State of Kuwait. The study aims to identify causes of delays and cost overruns in Kuwaiti residential construction and to examine project variables influencing on‑time material delivery. The authors interviewed owners of 450 residential projects across 27 districts and collected data on socio‑demographic traits and project characteristics, including time and cost overruns, to analyze variables affecting on‑time material delivery. Construction material factors—selection time, type, local availability, and supervising engineer presence—significantly affect time delays, cost increases, and on‑time delivery of materials.

Abstract

The construction of residential projects constitutes a major portion of the building activities in the State of Kuwait. This paper presents the findings of a research project, which aims to determine the causes of delays and cost‐overruns in the construction of housing projects in Kuwait. The owners of 450 residential projects (just completed or near completion), spread over 27 systematic‐randomly selected metropolitan districts, were personally interviewed. Data on owners' socio‐demographic traits and project characteristics, including those involving time and cost overruns, were obtained. The paper highlights the impacts of construction materials on time‐delays and cost‐increases. Project‐related variables affecting the on‐time delivery of materials to the construction site are examined and quantified. The material selection‐time, type of materials, their availability in the local market and the presence of a supervising engineer, all demonstrated a statistically significant impact on the on‐time delivery of materials to construction sites.