Establish Relationship Between Critical Delay Factors and Rectification Measures for the Malaysian Construction Industry

The construction sector plays a crucial role in Malaysia's socio-economic growth, as high-rise building construction projects contribute approximately 4.7% to 7.2% of the national GDP annually. Despite their importance, project delays continue to present a significant challenge, frequently caused by subpar workmanship, a shortage of labour, ineffective site management, financial limitations, and adverse weather conditions. To capture a diverse range of perspectives from construction professionals, the study used a substantial sample size during data collection, thus bolstering the credibility and applicability of its findings. A carefully designed questionnaire, informed by insights from an initial study, was employed to conduct the survey. The questionnaire consisted of 43 delay factors commonly found in the research literature and seven additional factors from the initial pilot survey. Participants assessed the importance of each delay factor by utilising a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not significant" to "extremely significant. " The aim was to determine the order and significance of factors causing delays in construction endeavours. Significant findings suggest that a lack of staff, financial challenges, insufficient planning, client approval delays, material scarcity, and ineffective site management primarily cause delays. The challenges have a notable effect on stakeholders, resulting in delays, monetary setbacks, and, in some cases, project rejection. The study emphasises the capability of combining Construction Drone Technology (CDT) with Building Information Modelling (BIM) to address these delays efficiently. The integration significantly improves real-time monitoring, logistics planning efficiency, minimisation of material wastage, and fosters better communication among project teams. Moreover, there is a focus on training project stakeholders, such as consultants and contractors, to improve their grasp of delay factors and strategies for mitigation.