Schedule Delay Analysis
Jack A. Lazarczyk, CPA, CCC
Senior Consultant
Types of Construction Delay
Basic Distinctions:
Excusable and Non-Excusable
Compensable and Non-Compensable
Concurrent and Non-Concurrent
Critical versus Non-Critical
Types of Construction Delay
Excusable Delays:
General labor strikes
Fires, floods and other natural disasters
Owner directed changes
Errors and omissions in the plans and specifications
Differing site conditions or concealed conditions
Lack of action by government bodies
Intervention by outside agencies
Types of Construction Delay
Excusable Delays (defined):
Excusable delays are caused by conditions that are
reasonably unforseeable and not within the contractors
control
Note: Always check the particular construction contract
documents for valid delay factors and limitations.
Types of Construction Delay
Non-Excusable Delays:
Late performance of subcontractors
Late performance by suppliers
Faulty workmanship by the contractor or subcontractors
A project specific labor strike caused by either the
contractors unwillingness to negotiate or by unfair job
practices
Types of Construction Delay
Non-Excusable Delays:
Again: Verify the particular contract
language for definitions and limitations!
Categories of Delays
Is the delay excusable?
nonexcusable
excusable
Is the delay compensable
noncompensable
compensable
Assess delay
Critical Documentation
As Planned Schedule:
Detailed Critical Path Method schedule;
or
Bar chart schedule;
or
Narrative schedule
Critical Documentation
As Built Schedule:
Final as-built CPM schedule with periodic updates;
and
Project daily reports;
Meeting minutes;
Inspection reports by the designer, owner, bldg inspector
Correspondence
Memos to file
As Planned Schedule
(Sample Project)
As Built Schedule
(Sample Project)
Schedule Analysis Methods
1.
2.
3.
4.
As Planned versus As Built Comparison
The Impacted As Planned Method
Collapsed (But for) As Built Method
Contemporaneous Period (Windows)
Analysis
As Planned versus As Built
Comparison
As Planned versus As Built
Comparison
Benefits:
Simple to Prepare:
168 actual days 112 planned days = 56 delay days
Shortcomings:
No information on particular delay events;
Similar to Total Cost approach
Impacted As Planned Method
Begin with As Planned Schedule
Add Owner or Contractor Delays
Compute Owner caused delay and
Contractor caused delay
As Built with Delays
As Planned with Owner Delays
As Planned with Owner Delays
Total duration of As Built = 168 days
Total duration of As Planned with Owner Delays = 154
days
Total duration of original As Planned = 112 days
The Owner is responsible for the difference between
impacted and the original as planned:
154 112 = 42 days
Contractor is responsible for the remaining difference:
168 154 = 14 days
As Planned with Contractor Delays
As Planned with Contractor Delays
Total duration of As Built = 168 days
Total duration of As Planned with Contractor Delays =
140 days
Total duration of original As Planned = 112 days
The Contractor is responsible for the difference between
impacted and the original as planned:
140 112 = 28 days
The Owner is responsible for the remaining difference:
168 140 = 28 days
As Planned Method Discussion
Benefits:
Relatively simple to implement
Allows for mitigation of delays
Shortcomings:
Highly subjective
Assumes as-planned (baseline) logic holds.
Collapsed (But For) As Built Method
Begin with As Built Schedule, including;
Owner and Contractor Delays.
Remove Owner (Contractor) caused
delays.
Resulting schedule shows when
Contractor (Owner) would have finished
but for Owner (Contractor) delays.
As Built with Delays
Collapsed As Built without (but for)
Owner Delays
Collapsed As Built without (but for)
Owner Delays
Total duration of As Built = 168 days
Total duration of Collapsed As Built without Owners
Delays = 147 days
Total duration of original As Planned = 112 days
The Owner is responsible for the difference between
collapsed as built and the as built schedules:
168 147 = 21 days
The Contractor is responsible for the remaining
difference between collapsed as built and as planned:
147 112 = 35 days
Collapsed As Built Discussion
Benefits:
Very good accuracy
Shortcomings:
No allowance for mitigation of delays
Contemporaneous Period Analysis
(Windows)
Begin with As Planned Schedule;
Select periods (windows) to analyze;
Enter actual progress and delay activities using
contemporaneous project documents;
Calculate the schedule;
Repeat the process for the next window
CPA Method Window 1
CPA Method Window 1
Update
Number
0
1
Schedule
Project
Date
Completion
(Week No.)
(days)
0
112
4
133
Delay
During
Period
0
21
Non
Excusable
0
0
Delays
Excusable
Excusable
Comments
Noncompensable Compensable
0
0
0
21
Unforseen site condition
The first update is compared to the original schedule.
Delays in that period are analyzed using but for
method.
The first update becomes the new baseline for
subsequent window.
Evaluation of non-excusable, compensable and noncompensable delays performed at each update
CPA Method Window 2
CPA Method Window 2
Update
Number
0
1
2
Schedule
Project
Date
Completion
(Week No.)
(days)
0
112
4
133
8
133
Delay
During
Period
0
21
0
Non
Excusable
0
0
0
Delays
Excusable
Excusable
Comments
Noncompensable Compensable
0
0
0
21
Unforseen site condition
0
0
No delay
No delays during 2nd window
Note activities that were supposed to start by now.
CPA Method Window 3
CPA Method Window 3
Update
Number
Schedule
Project
Date
Completion
(Week No.)
(days)
Delay
During
Period
Non
Excusable
Delays
Excusable
Excusable
Noncompensable Compensable
Comments
112
133
21
21
Unforseen site condition
133
12
154
21
14
No delay
Subcontractor left job; Owner
changed window design
Two overlapping delays
2 weeks charged to concurrent delay (excusable and
non-compensable)
1 week charged to contractor (non-excusable)
CPA Method Window 4
CPA Method Window 4
Update
Number
Schedule
Project
Date
Completion
(Week No.)
(days)
Delay
During
Period
Non
Excusable
Delays
Excusable
Excusable
Noncompensable Compensable
Comments
112
133
21
21
Unforseen site condition
133
12
154
21
14
16
154
No delay
Subcontractor left job; Owner
changed window design
Garage walls delay; not on critical
path.
Contractor-caused delay not on critical path.
As long as the delay is within available float there is no
effect on the final completion date.
CPA Method Window 5
CPA Method Window 5
Update
Number
Schedule
Project
Date
Completion
(Week No.)
(days)
Delay
During
Period
Non
Excusable
Delays
Excusable
Excusable
Noncompensable Compensable
Comments
112
133
21
21
Unforseen site condition
133
12
154
21
14
16
154
No delay
Subcontractor left job; Owner
changed window design
Garage walls delay; not on critical
path.
20
168
14
14
Owner's revision to Garage doors
56
14
35
TOTALS
Owners delay of 4 weeks in Garage door revision.
Net change to the project is only 2 weeks; other 2 weeks
absorbed by available float.
Contemporaneous Period Analysis
(Windows) Discussion
Benefits:
Most accurate results
Considers dynamic nature of the critical path
Shortcomings
Time consuming
Costly to prepare
Comparison of Results
Method
Non
Excusable
1
Delays
Excusable
Excusable
Noncompensable Compensable
56 (0)
0 (56)
Impacted As-Planned (Owner Delays)
14
42
Impacted As-Planned (Contractor Delays)
28
28
Collapsed As-Built (But For)
35
21
Comparison Method (Total Time)
Contemporaneous Period (Windows) Analysis
1.
14
Schedule comparison itself does not indicate which party is
responsible for the delay.
35
Method Selection Criteria
METHOD
Comparison Method (Total Time)
Data Required
Effort/Cost
Accuracy Expected
Low
Poor
Impacted As-Planned (Owner Delays)
Moderate
$$
Good
Impacted As-Planned (Contractor Delays)
Moderate
$$
Good
Above Moderate
$$$
Very Good
Collapsed As-Built (But For)
Contemporaneous Period (Windows) Analysis
Extensive
$$$$$
Excellent
