Managing uncertainty from planning and design to construction process of building refurbishment projects: A proposed conceptual approach

• Published in: International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering and Technology
• Main Author: Yacob R.; Saruwono M.; Ismail Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Penerbit UTHM 2019
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85073523477&doi=10.30880%2fijscet.2019.10.01.007&partnerID=40&md5=8ca6c3709fc9183ee8bc204cb3549e50

The number of building refurbishment projects in Malaysia has increased significantly over the past few years. Empirical data from previous research confirmed that managing Building Refurbishment Project (BRP) is demanding and risky which is inherent in Uncertainty Factor (UF) associated with unforeseen elements, mostly comprising of actual cost that exceeds budget. This occurs when they involve structural modifications with sensitive, dangerous, difficult operations with large number of sub-contractors, and the high number of building services that has always been identified as one of the reasons for poor performance. The reasons were as stated because UF of construction process was less emphasised compared to planning and design process. This emphasis is however questionable in the real world as the UF is consistent throughout the BRP life cycle. This paper aims to determine the UF of construction process and the relationship with BRP performance. The method used for this study is based on a comprehensive review of related journal papers, book chapters and conference papers from 1997 to 2019, from which 125 articles were identified and 53 papers were subsequently selected for further analysis. This study concluded that UF of construction process is indeed one of the most important factors that influence the performance of BRP. On that basis, there is still room for improving the level of BRP performance. The findings of this study form the foundation for an extended investigation to identify UF specifically in the construction process to serve as a guide in managing the UF and improving BRP performance in Klang Valley. © Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Publisher’s Office.