Volume 1, Issue 1 — Year 2024 — Article e100006

Mohammadreza Tayebi¹; Sanaz Farshad²; Shahram Pourakaber³

1. Department of Civil and Construction Management, Binaloud Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad 9351991949, Iran
2. Department of Civil and Construction Management, Binaloud Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad 9351991949, Iran
3. Department of Civil and Construction Management, Binaloud Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad 9351991949, Iran

Delays are a prevalent challenge in construction projects, affecting their performance across various phases. These delays often stem from the interplay of key project constraints: scope, cost, time, and quality. Changes in one constraint typically trigger alterations in others, leading to time overruns. Such delays impose significant financial and economic burdens, underscoring the importance of understanding their root causes. This study identifies and prioritizes contractor selection criteria that impact project delays, focusing on Mashhad's 12th district. The analysis evaluated contractor capabilities, management skills, quality assurance, reliability, resource availability, commitment, and financial stability. A sample of 384 individuals, selected from a statistical population of 10,000 using Morgan's table, was surveyed. Respondents included 289 workshop employees and 95 technical and management office staff. The AHP and TOPSIS ranking revealed that contractor ability, with a weight of 0.166, is the most critical factor for achieving project success in the region. Conversely, financial factors, though significant, ranked lowest with a weight of 0.073. These findings suggest that while financial challenges are common in construction, the primary cause of delays is the contractors' lack of technical ability and inefficient resource utilization. The study highlights the need for prioritizing contractor selection criteria to mitigate delays and enhance project outcomes. By focusing on competency and effective management, projects in Mashhad's 12th district—and similar regions—can achieve greater success despite financial constraints.

Project management, Contractor selection, Delays, Construction project, Hierarchical analysis, TOPSIS