{"title":"Identifying Factors Influencing Time and Cost Overruns in Public Construction Projects in Bhutan","authors":"Yeshey Lotay, Ugyen Wangdi","doi":"10.58696/230009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.58696/230009","url":null,"abstract":"Construction industries worldwide are impacted by time and cost overruns, resulting in significant financial loss and failure to complete projects on time. Clients, contractors, and consultants can plan properly for public construction projects if they have a better understanding of cost and time overruns. The Construction Development Board (now Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority) is the lead agency regulating and overseeing the government construction projects in Bhutan. However, in recent four years, from July 2017 to June 2021, about 50% of the total 2111 government construction projects experienced time and cost overruns, and the total financial loss was Nu. 2,578.86 million. Therefore, study was designed to examine the factors causing delays and cost escalations in the construction project implemented by government during the financial year July 2017 to June 2021. Thus, this study explores identifying factors influencing time and cost overruns to avoid time delays and financial losses. The primary data was collected through the questionnaire survey from engineers of 20 Dzongkhags and 4 Thromdes. The secondary data was collected from the CDB's annual reports, the Construction Association of Bhutan (CAB), and the National Statistics Bureau (NSB). The data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics method, and the relative importance index (RII) was calculated to rank the factors identified from literature reviews. The research results show that financial issue was the critical factor causing delays and cost escalation in the government construction project in Bhutan. Followed by the issue of delays and cost overruns due to shortage of local construction materials, inadequate experience of the contractor, poor site planning, shortage of skilled workers, unrealistic schedule, design change, contractual issues, and project manager competence.","PeriodicalId":251398,"journal":{"name":"Construction Journal of Bhutan","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130615337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analysis of road accidents due to obstruction in sight distance caused by foggy weather using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) at Jumja along Thimphu-Phuentsholing Highway (Asian Highway 48)","authors":"Sangey Pasang","doi":"10.58696/230007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.58696/230007","url":null,"abstract":"Road accident analysis is a crucial technique for determining what elements contribute to collisions and can help lower the accident rate. The consideration of sight distance is a crucial component of highway geometric design in order to guarantee effective traffic operations with the highest level of safety at an affordable price. Road accidents frequently result from reduced visibility caused by foggy weather, hence there is increased interest in studying this issue. This study aims to determine and correlate sight distance, fog blockage, and their effects on traffic accidents at Jumja along Thimphu-Phuentsholing Highway (Asian Highway 48). Data gathering and prediction was aided by the usage of Geographic Information Systems and Artificial Neural Network technologies. Temperature, relative humidity and wind speed for seven years from 2017 to 2023 were considered for fog occurrence to train Artificial Neural Network. Visibility was trained and predicted for summer and winter seasons since the occurrence of fog is prevalent during these seasons. As a result, a correlation value R of 0.998 was found, proving the findings to be almost accurate. This study offers a thorough investigation of how sight distance contributes to traffic accidents at Jumja region. A conclusive finding addressing the significance of sight distance as a contributing factor to traffic accidents due to fog invisibility along Jumja region was made after completion of this study.","PeriodicalId":251398,"journal":{"name":"Construction Journal of Bhutan","volume":"66 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115623086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing Financial Sustainability of Urban Water Supply Systems in Bhutan: A case study of Thimphu Thromde (Municipality).","authors":"M. Pradhan","doi":"10.58696/230006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.58696/230006","url":null,"abstract":"In almost all existing Urban Water Supply systems in Bhutan, one major issue confronting the sustainability aspect is the lack of adequate financial resources thereby failing to achieve the intended level of performances in terms of service delivery. Recognizing the poor financial scenario of the systems at the moment, it is deemed necessary to adopt necessary measures/interventions to help improve the existing financial situation and to ensure the optimum level of operation and maintenance. To further substantiate the findings and assessments, a case study for Thimphu Water supply systems was carried out through a conventional approach to examine specific interventions that are deemed vital to address key issues and challenges. In conclusion, based on overall findings and assessment, recommendations have been proposed that are in principle, implementable across all existing urban water supply systems in Bhutan because of the reasons that all water utilities across the country are managed/operated in the same manner as Thimphu Thromde including the organizational set-up of the existing water supply management, mode of financing, availing donor assistance for capital investments, seeking tariff revisions, system designs, amongst others and such parameters are regulated by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The adoption of the proposed measures, particularly addressing of the ‘non-revenue water’ and conduct of advocacy measures on water conservation would significantly help the water utilities enhance the financial sustainability of the systems thereby resulting in overall improvement in the delivery of water services to the consumers.","PeriodicalId":251398,"journal":{"name":"Construction Journal of Bhutan","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131930921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}