Civil Engineering ETDs

Fei Han

Publication Date

7-11-2013

Abstract

Both competitive market forces and growing societal needs have triggered the demand for rapid delivery of construction projects, or at a minimum, for projects completed on schedule. However, schedule delays are common and recurring in construction, inevitably resulting in rework, cost overruns and legal claims. As projects become increasingly complicated, delays arise in a more unpredictable manner. The initial motivation for this research is to explore a systematic flexibility to deal with delays caused by complex changes in construction and meanwhile enhance the overall project performance. Accordingly, agile construction management is proposed in terms of a conceptual framework. Derived from agile theories in other engineering disciplines, agile management is an integrated method that allows projects thrive in a fluid environment by applying agile enablers (approaches) throughout the project lifecycle. Since agility and relevant theories are emerging in construction, the proposed agile ideas and enablers are verified by qualitative interviews with construction professionals. With ultimate goal of reducing delays, a case study is conducted investigating how much delays could be reduced if the agile enablers were used.

Keywords

Agile, Construction Management, Delay Reduction

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Civil Engineering

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Civil Engineering

First Committee Member (Chair)

Bogus, Susan

Second Committee Member

Rounds, Jerald

Third Committee Member

Valentin, Vanessa

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