Developing an Interface Management (IM) Model for Construction Projects
Date
2015-06-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Interface management (IM) is a main factor in the success of construction projects. Although there is no agreement about the definition of interfaces and IM, many researchers discuss the boundary conditions between tools, phases, systems, physical elements/components, people, organizations, and other elements. For the last two to, three decades there has been less than necessary awareness of the essentials of IM and the severity of interface problems, and this has negatively affected project performance. Failure to properly manage interfaces impacts project performance as defined by scope control, quality, schedule, cost, safety, and resources.
The objectives of this study are twofold: (a) enhancing the IM among different project participants involved in the construction projects and (b) increasing the effectiveness of IM throughout the project lifecycle, focusing specifically on the engineering/design phase. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed methods) to investigate, identify, and classify interface problem factors in construction projects.
This study is divided into three phases. The first phase categorizes IM factors contributing to interface conflicts among different project participants engaged in construction projects. The second phase then makes use of these variables to develop a multiple-regression analysis to develop models between underlying interface problem factors and project performance indicators. Finally, based on the results of the first and the second phases, the third phase consists of developing a conceptual framework (RIBA framework) and use case models to study the IM relationships among owner, contractor, and designer to identify the main responsibilities for each one, highlight the critical IM areas, and consequently provide suggestions for improving and enhancing IM.
The results of this research study could assist engineers, architects, and others within the construction industry to study and examine the interfaces and the project performance during the project’s early stages. This could in turn serve to minimize project delay and cost overruns and reduce conflict among different project participants involved in the construction projects, which will influence project performance positively.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Civil
Citation
Weshah, N. (2015). Developing an Interface Management (IM) Model for Construction Projects (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25615