International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 11, Number 18 (2016) pp. 9526-9533 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com 9526 Causes and Effects of Delay Factors in Road Construction Projects in Sudan Khalid Khair 1 , Hazir Farouk 2 , Zainai Mohamed 3 and R. Mohammad 3 1 Khartoum State Roads, Bridges and Drainage Corporation, P.O. Box 3113, 11111 Khartoum, Sudan. E-mail: khalidkhair69@gmail.com 2 School of Mechanical Engineering, Sudan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 407, 11111 Khartoum, Sudan. E-mail: hazirfaroug@sustech.edu. 3 UTM Razak School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. E-mail: zainai.kl@utm.my, mroslina.kl@utm.my * Correspondence: khalidkhair69@gmail.com Abstract. This paper summarises research into the major causes of road construction project delays in Sudan. The research approach was to identify the different types of construction delays, their causes and effects from different perspectives, in order to determine the impact and the level of importance of the identified delay factors on road construction projects in Sudan. Drawing on the findings from a detailed literature review, a closed loop questionnaire was constructed and used to collect quantitative data from 100 experts and professionals drawn from Sudan’s roads construction industry. A relative importance index (RII) method was used to rank the level of importance of the identified delay factors and to determine their individual impact on the overall project delay. The results indicate that cost-overrun and time-overrun factors have the highest delay impact on road construction projects in Sudan, with RII values of 0.840 and 0.780 respectively. Furthermore, the study found that each delay factor has a different level of impact on the overall project delay, and that the most effective method to minimize delays in road construction projects in Sudan is the choice of a project manager with sufficient knowledge and experience relevant to project management, and the use of appropriate tools and techniques for the project. Keywords: Roads construction projects, delays, Sudan. INTRODUCTION Construction delay can be defined as the time overrun either beyond the contracted date or beyond the date that the parties have agreed upon for the delivery of the project (Marzouk and El-Rasas, 2014). In the road construction industry, project delays can occur due to the prolongation of the construction time due to disruptive events that hamper the construction workflow (Shebob et al., 2012). Moreover, these delays have a negative impact both on the contractors and on the beneficiaries of the completed projects. Construction delays are a common phenomenon in most countries, particularly in the developing ones. Many studies have shown that construction delays have negative effects on clients, contractors, and consultants (Ghaffari, 2013; Marzouk and El-Rasas, 2014). The causes and effects of these delay factors in the road construction industry vary from country to country, due to different environments and the techniques applied in the construction processes. In Sudan for instance, where government is the sole client for road construction projects, the set of factors are bound to influence delays are different to delay factors common for developed countries where the responsibility for road construction works rests more on the private sector. This makes it more difficult to generalize about the causes and effects of project delays as well as about the methodologies to be adopted in minimizing these delays which are prevalent in the road construction industry. This study therefore attempts to investigate the major causes of road construction project delays specific to Sudan, by identifying the different types of construction delays, their causes and effects from different perspectives, in order to determine the impact and the level of importance of the identified delay factors in road construction projects in Sudan. The paper is ordered as follows: Issues of identifying and ranking the delay factors; the significant effects of delay factors on road construction projects in Sudan; and discussions on possible methods that will minimize the effects of delay in road construction projects in Sudan. DELAY FACTOR ISSUES Several studies have in the recent past attempted to classify road construction project delays and differentiate them based on their context (Rosazuwad, 2010; Chai and Yusof, 2015; Elawi et al., 2015). Based on these studies, construction delay factors can be grouped into three main categories; excusable delays with compensation, excusable delays without compensation, and non-excusable delays. Excusable delays with compensation These are delays that are due to an unforeseeable event beyond the contractor’s or the subcontractor’s control and usually caused by the client's actions or inactions. When contractors encounter this type of delay, they are entitled to time extension as well as monetary compensation due to the delay. An example of an excusable delay with compensation is when an owner denies access to the site after the notice to proceed is issued. This type of delay happens in some unexpected situations, but is not due to the contractor's mistake (Chai and Yusof, 2015; Elawi et al., 2015). Excusable delays without compensation This type of delays occurs where neither the client nor the contractor is deemed responsible. When this type of delay is encountered, only a time extension will be warranted since there are no grounds for damages. This delay allows for time extension to finish construction without giving any compensation to the contractor. The factors that cause this type of delay include protest from the labour force, unexpected weather conditions preventing or affecting work,