Ramos-Maldonado, David

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    Estudio de las órdenes de cambio en proyectos de diseño-construcción en las escuelas del siglo XXI
    (2015) Ramos-Maldonado, David; Molina-Bas, Omar I.; College of Engineering; González Quevedo, Antonio; Méndez Piñero, Mayra I.; Maldonado Fortunet, Francisco; Perdomo, José L.; Department of Civil Engineering; Pomales García, Cristina
    Change orders have a strong potential to become difficult, because of its significant increase in cost and contract duration extension. This research identifies and evaluates the causes of change orders in design build projects, which occurred in the renovation of “schools of the 21st century”, into the public education system of Puerto Rico. The Pareto diagram is used to identify and evaluates the causes that contribute the most to increase costs and extend the contract duration. There were 197 change orders analyzed in 40 identified schools. Those generated a cost increase of $24.9 million (13% of the total contract cost) and a time extension of 7874 calendars days (30% of the total contractual time). Among the most significant and important causes, the following were observed: commands of the owner to the contractor, change in the designs and changes in the maintenance program. In that matter, the Pareto diagram of increase in cost and contract time extension, separates the reasons above, nonetheless, these causes refer to direct changes. In conclusion, the owner (Authority for the Financing of the Infrastructure of Puerto Rico (AFI)) and the user (Department of Education (DE)) should improve the communication and coordination starting from the planning phase of the project. With these results and conclusions in consideration, there were methods analyzed to reduce these changes that cause higher costs and time extensions in future projects conducted by the user or other agencies. One of these methods is to realize a better planning by the owner (AFI) and user (DE), therefore with the designer-builder, having planned well, the increases in costs and time extensions of the contract, due to change orders, would experience a reduction of 95% and 94%, respectively.