Title: Methodologies for Determining Construction Contract Time and Evaluating Contract Time Extensions
Abstract: This study summarizes research conducted for the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) on procedures for determining construction contract time and evaluating contract time extensions. The objectives of this research were to identify best practice approaches to project time duration estimates, to evaluate the current methods being used, to recommend changes to improve SCDOT’s current process without significantly increasing cost of construction, and to recommend changes to improve the process for calculating contract time extensions. It has been documented by the Transportation Research Board that there has been a shift in the type of highway construction being performed and that current projects tend to have a greater impact on the traveling public. Keeping construction times short on heavily traveled roads is important to minimize economic impact and delays to public users. Currently many states are working to improve the procedures they use for determining contract times. Several methods are being used which range from manual estimation techniques using spreadsheets, to specially developed computer systems which use critical path scheduling techniques. This study discusses methods being used by state Departments of Transportation for determining contract time and evaluating contract time extensions. It also examines using commercially available scheduling software in conjunction with production rate data for calculating contract completion dates. Previously completed projects are used as case studies to compare the current estimating method to the scheduling software estimation and actual project completion date. Several of these projects were also used to evaluate scheduling software's ability to evaluate contract time extension. The finding of this research indicate that commercially available scheduling software can be used to consistently estimate contract time durations and evaluate requests for contract time extensions. Computer generated contract time estimations are comparable to the method currently being used and can be used on multiple project types with favorable results. Computer scheduling software can also be used to estimate contract time extensions and evaluate the impact of granting extension on the project as a whole.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-04-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 1
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