Showing papers by "Frank C. Harris published in 1995"

An evaluation of clients' needs and responsibilities in the construction process

Abstract: The importance of clients' responsibilities in the construction process, as perceived by both clients and consultants, was assessed through a structured questionnaire survey. Using the relative index ranking technique, clients' fundamental needs and responsibilities in the construction process were analysed and ranked. Results indicate that the four most important needs are: functionality of the building, safety of the building, quality of the building, and completion time. The four most important clients' responsibilities identified by clients themselves are: planning/design, project finance, project implementation/management, and project definition/formulation. The four most important clients' responsibilities to project consultants are: project finance, project definition/formulation, planning/design, and project implementation/management. If both consultants and clients understand the fundamental needs of construction clients and if clients themselves are prepared to take an active role in the construction process, the chances of producing more successful projects will improve.

Computer aided construction delay analysis and claims preparation

Abstract: Delays are the most common and costly problem encountered on construction projects. Analysing construction delays has become an integral part of the project's construction life. To prepare for litigation, schedule documentation proving responsibility must be prepared. With present methods of tracking projects, the preparation of such schedules can be time consuming and costly. The analysis itself is usually complex and can be aided by a computerized approach. This paper describes the introduction of a computer system for delays claim analysis called computerized delay claims analysis (CDCA). The system utilizes the isolated delay type (IDT) technique. Part of this system can use existing software such as project management, cost control, database management and spreadsheets. In addition to these, an expert system tailored to the specific expertise of construction claims has been used to facilitate the decision making process. CDCA is tested against a real case study of a building project to demonstrate it...

Quantifying client-generated risk by project consultants

Abstract: An assessment procedure has been developed to evaluate the attributes of construction client organizations with respect to their effects on the performance of consulting firms. It consists of quantifying the degree to which each attribute affects the performance of consultants by processing numerical values through two successive levels. Level 1 consists of client attributes of major interest to consultants in the construction process. These are subdivided at level 2 into groups of mutually related attributes (sub-attributes), each requiring simple judgements from consultants based on their experience with clients. Results from level 2 are processed through level 1 into a single non-dimensional value which represents the potential risk exposure of project consultants to their clients which affords the consultants an appreciation of the risk they face in accepting work from their clients and the opportunity to take corrective action. The most important client attributes used for measuring the risk exposure...

Application of an alternative contractor selection model

Abstract: The results described confirm the thorough assessment implemented by the model and an output mechanism able to highlight key contractor characteristics. The exercise also supports the contention, that examination of contractors should aim to establish project performance potential and rely less on estimated project cost (tender sum).