Abstract—Construction industry plays a significant role in fulfilling the major requirements of the human being. It is one of the major constituents of every developed country. Although the construction industry of both the developing and developed countries encompasses a major part of the economy, and millions of rupees are utilized every year on various kinds of construction projects. But, this industry is facing numerous hurdles in terms of its budget and timely completion. Construction projects generally consist of several phases like planning, designing, execution, and finishing. This research study aims to determine the significant factors of time overrun in pre- construction planning (PCP) phase of construction projects in Pakistan. Questionnaires were distributed by various means and responses of respondents were compiled and collected data were then analyzed through a statistical technique using SPSS version 24. Major causes of time overrun in pre-construction planning phase; which is an extremely important phase of construction projects, were revealed. The research conclusion will provide a pathway for stakeholders to pay attention to the mentioned causes to overcome the major issue of time overrun. Keywords—Construction industry, Pakistan, pre-construction planning phase, time overrun. I. INTRODUCTION ONSTRUCTION is a large dynamic sector that plays a significant role in developing the economic profile of a country. Its behavior sometimes is uneven and very sensitive to the economic cycles due to many reasons such as the political environment and has a significantly high rate of business failure [1]. The problem of time overrun in construction projects is a global issue. Time overrun issues are normal in construction projects and can be categorized as simple or complex. When a project is not completed within the estimated time and budgeted cost as mentioned in the project contract, it is regarded as time overrun and cost overrun, respectively [2]. Various studies indicate that construction projects throughout the world face time overrun in the completion of projects [3]. Literature review depicts that there are several phases in the life cycle of a construction project. It is stated that there are four project phases in construction projects, i.e. conception phase, planning phase, execution phase and transfer phase [4]. In the planning phase, the expected cost and time of the project are estimated. The time and cost overruns generally Hafiz Usama Imad is with the ISRA University, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Muhammad Akram Akhund is with the ISRA University, Hyderabad, Pakistan (corresponding author, phone: +92-3337222078; e-mail: akhund42@gmail.com). Tauha Hussain Ali, Ali Raza Khoso and Fida Hussain Siddiqui are with the Mehran UET Jamshoro, Sindh Pakistan. occur in the planning phase [5]. These overrun problems continue to show up from the planning phase to final design stages [6]. The role of time overrun in PCP has been found and discussed by numerous researchers. Formerly, a study related to PCP was conducted by [7], in the Singaporean construction industry. The findings of this research claim that 10 out of 12 construction projects handled by 15% of Singaporean construction firms were completed on time or less than the originally planned project duration. Remaining 85% of construction companies’ projects were delayed during PCP. Similarly, 92 % of projects in Malaysia are susceptible to time overrun. [8]. Therefore, the goal of this research study is to determine the most significant factors of time overrun in the construction project of Pakistan during PCP phase. In this research, time overrun factors are detected with the support of construction projects’ main stakeholders. A. Causes of Time Overrun in PCP Phase The construction project mainly varies by nature, size, location, type of contract, and expertise of group members. These attributes can generally disturb the construction projects and turn up the things in difficult situations like time overrun, if not taken care of properly. The results findings of research carried out by [9] conclude that there are many time overrun factors which are affecting construction project performance. The usual factors are weather condition, poor safety management, poor area and site investigation. But, the most significant factors which affect construction projects performance are the inadequate scope of the project during PCP. Besides that [10] found that the significant factors of delay in buildings project during the planning stage are lack of PCP professionals and lack of experienced and expert personnel at an early stage of the project. Furthermore, causes of time overrun in construction projects of Ghana through a case study were found by [11]. These significant causes of time overrun are preparation and approval of drawing samples, late in decision making by the owner, waiting for the approval, shortage of technical and experienced staff, lack of database in estimating activity duration and resources, poor geological conditions of the site, low bidding filled, working estimation, licenses and accessing facilities, delays in site inspections for approval of drawings by site inspectors. Similarly, in India, [12] conducted a research to identify crucial factors responsible for time overrun in Indian construction industry. The study highlighted 66 causes, where respondents were asked to rate on Likert’s scale between 1 to 5. Delays by subcontractors, financial constraints, delays in payments, variation in the scope of project, design change, labor deficiency, landscaping, design revision and delays in design Hafiz Usama Imad, Muhammad Akram Akhund, Tauha Hussain Ali, Ali Raza Khoso, Fida Hussain Siddiqui Time Overrun in Pre-Construction Planning Phase of Construction Projects C World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Vol:12, No:9, 2018 817 International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 12(9) 2018 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/10009475 International Science Index, Civil and Environmental Engineering Vol:12, No:9, 2018 waset.org/Publication/10009475