Development of a Prediction System for Design Defects of Buildings

https://doi.org/10.28991/CEJ-SP2023-09-017
Design Defects Design Responsibility Design of Experiment (DOE) Contractor Design Liability Cost of Poor Quality.

Authors

  • Ahmed Nouh Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Benha,, Egypt
  • El-Sayed El-Kasaby Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Benha,, Egypt
  • Khaled Aboulata
    khaled_aboulata@hotmail.com
    Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Benha University, Benha,, Egypt
Vol. 9 (2023): Special Issue "Innovative Strategies in Civil Engineering Grand Challenges"
Special Issue "Innovative Strategies in Civil Engineering Grand Challenges"

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The research aimed to establish a quantitative model to predict the occurrence of five types of design defects: unsafe design, incompatible design, inefficient design, design ambiguity, and design delays. It also examined the contractor's liability for design to determine who is ultimately responsible for design defects disputes between the employer and contractor. The study employed a descriptive methodology to identify fifteen potential influencing factors on design defects. Data were collected from 42 construction projects and tested using Design of Experiments (DOE). Out of these fifteen factors, only five”design schedule, design firm experience, stakeholders' involvement, project delivery system, and information accuracy”had a significant impact on design defects. These factors were used in the development of a new model to predict the occurrence of design defects. The model was validated using data that was held separate from the model development process for validation purposes. The calculated Mean Absolute Percentage of Error (MAPE) for the new model is 19%, which is considered a "good" prediction accuracy. The research achieved three significant milestones: 1) It identified the ultimate responsibility for the consequences of design defects in construction projects across different jurisdictions. This information can be used to resolve potential disputes between employers, designers, and contractors' organizations. 2) It provided guidelines on how to minimize design defects in construction projects, thereby mitigating the consequences of such defects. 3) It developed a new model to predict the occurrence of design defects in construction projects. This model aids decision-makers in responsible organizations during the process of predicting the appropriate reserve to be added to the project schedule and budget. Consequently, it helps mitigate the risk of design defect-related delays and cost overruns.

 

Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-SP2023-09-017

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