Impact of Change Orders on Labor Efficiency for Mechanical Construction
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 125, Issue 3
Abstract
Change orders have become an everyday occurrence in construction. It is widely accepted by both owners and contractors that change orders have an effect on the labor efficiency, but these effects are difficult to quantify and frequently lead to disputes. Data from 61 mechanical construction projects were collected to develop a statistical model that estimates the actual amount of labor efficiency lost due to the change orders. The input variables needed in the model are as follows: (1) The original estimated labor hours; (2) impact classification; (3) total estimated change hours; (4) number of change orders; and (5) the timing of changes. The results of this study show that impacted projects have a larger decrease in labor efficiency than unimpacted projects. Additionally, the later a change order occurs in the life of a project the more impact it will have on the labor efficiency. The results appear to be consistent with the intuition of experienced professionals. Although each project has unique characteristics, the resultant model provides owners and contractors with a baseline measure of lost labor efficiency.
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References
1.
Ibbs, C. W., and Allen, W. E. ( 1995). “Quantitative impacts of project change.” Source Document 108, Construction Industry Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tex.
2.
Leonard, C. A. ( 1987). “The effect of change orders on productivity.” Revay Rep., Revay and Associates, Limited, 6(2).
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Published online: Jun 1, 1999
Published in print: Jun 1999
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