Parallel delay occurs when two or more delays happen simultaneously on a project, and their root causes are attributed to the same party.
Understanding Parallel Delays
In project management and construction, delays are common occurrences that can impact timelines and costs. Delays happening at the same time are often categorized based on their origins. Parallel delays are a specific type of simultaneous delay.
According to project analysis, if the root causes of delays occurring at the same time stem from the same party, they are defined as parallel delays. This means that a single entity, whether it's the project owner, the main contractor, or another specific party involved, is responsible for initiating multiple delays that affect different activities concurrently.
Key Characteristics
- Simultaneous Occurrence: Multiple distinct delay events are happening during the exact same time frame.
- Single Party Cause: The underlying reasons or issues causing each of these simultaneous delays all trace back to actions or inactions of the same party.
Why Does It Matter?
Identifying parallel delays is crucial in delay analysis, especially when determining accountability and assessing potential claims for time extensions or damages. When parallel delays occur, the analysis focuses on the impact of the single responsible party's issues on the project schedule.
Example of Parallel Delay
Consider a construction project where the main contractor is experiencing significant financial difficulties. Due to this single issue (the contractor's financial problem), two separate activities are simultaneously delayed:
- Delay in Material Procurement: The contractor cannot afford to pay suppliers, leading to a hold-up in ordering critical steel beams.
- Delay in Subcontractor Mobilization: The contractor is also behind on payments to the concrete subcontractor, preventing them from starting work on the foundations.
In this scenario, both the material procurement delay and the subcontractor mobilization delay are happening at the same time, and the root cause of both is the contractor's financial issue. This fits the definition of a parallel delay, as both simultaneous delays stem from the same party's problem.
Project Management Delays
