Analyzing the factors affecting construction project schedules amidst COVID-19 pandemic

The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions and challenges across many business sectors, including the construction industry. A serious ramification of the pandemic on the construction industry was an increase in the number of project schedule delays that affected a multitude of projects around the world. Although the current literature explores the factors that cause project schedule delays, little research is available on the impact of variables, such as the size of the industry, type of project, and category of the organization, on the delays. This study used a four-step approach to address this knowledge gap by performing a comprehensive literature search, developing a survey, distributing the survey online, and conducting a quantitative analysis of the responses. The study's findings revealed that the factors contributing to project schedule overruns during the pandemic were diverse and differed with the variables cited above. Distinct differences were observed in areas such as procurement of materials and changes in material specifications and prices. This research sheds light on the multifaceted nature of the variables that impacted construction project schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides valuable insights for industry stakeholders as they seek to establish effective strategies that will minimize risks and enhance project delivery during future periods of crisis.