A comprehensive construction delay analysis technique: Enhanced with a float ownership concept

At this time, we do not have a universally accepted method to precisely determine the construction project delays, their causes or responsibilities. The float ownership is another vague issue and deserves up front assignment, because it can affect the project risk as a result of float consumption by the owner and the contractor(s). The current Project Management software is used as a tool only to manage the project time, cost, and resources without the ability to determine the project delay, acceleration, or float consumption responsibilities that frequently cause the construction projects ending up in litigations. This research has investigated the delay analysis techniques, and attempted to solve all of the identified weaknesses in analyzing the float ownership and consumption, acceleration impacts, and the effect of concurrent delays.; A new concept of float ownership has been introduced in this research labeled, "Total Risk Concept". The concept is based on the basic thinking that the party who carries the project risk should be entitled to the float ownership consumption and deserves compensation by other project parties that might increase the project risk by consuming the float. The concept takes into consideration the changes in float as a result of in-progress delaying or accelerating the project. A new technique, labeled "Total Float (TF) Management", has been introduced for attempting to solve all the associated issues of float ownership while determining the project delays and accelerations. The technique uses a day-by-day methodology to track the float consumptions in addition to track the project delays and accelerations. The analysis establishes a record of Entitlement Float Consumption, assigned to the owner and the contractor for each activity on the schedule. Further, the TF Management technique determines precisely the liquidated and compensable damages periods. The developed system in this research has been validated using two shell projects. Finally, a Computer Programming has been developed that automates the process of TF Management, by using C++ object-oriented programming. The Computer Programming has been tested on the two example projects used on the TF Management, in addition to a factual project.