Prioritizing Causes of Construction Delays: A Global Comparative Analysis Using PRISMA Methodology

The construction industry plays a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, positioning it as a vital sector whose significance cannot be overstated. Risk factor identification is a critical component of project risk analysis. While previous studies have explored risk causes from diverse perspectives and regional contexts, they often examine a relatively limited number of causes. In contrast, this study provides a comprehensive synthesis of the 103 most frequently cited risk causes identified across 92 peer-reviewed articles, selected based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology. These sources encompass data from 35 countries, ensuring a broad and representative understanding of global construction risk factors. The identified causes are categorized into key thematic groups: consultant, communication, contractor, design, engineering, equipment, external factors, financial, human resources, managerial, owner, procurement, scope, safety and quality, subcontractor, tender, and contract. To assess the relative importance of these factors, rankings reported in the literature were utilized as inputs for this research. A K-Means clustering algorithm was then applied to group the factors based on their importance, with the optimal number of clusters determined using the Within-Cluster Sum of Squares method. Based on the clustering results, the risk factors were divided into five distinct groups reflecting varying levels of importance. The most critical factors identified are: Contractor's financial problems, Lack of cost and cash flow control, OWNER's financial problems, Delays in the contractor’s payment by the owner, Delay in subcontractor's work, Change in Design, and Failure to treat the delays when implementing the project.