Project owners' role in improving constructability of construction projects: an example analysis for Indonesia

Constructability is an approach that links the design and construction processes, which can lead to significant savings in both cost and time required for completing construction projects. Improving constructability of construction projects is the responsibility of all project stakeholders: owners, designers and contractors. As the owners have the most authority in enforcing the implementation of constructability, the owners' awareness of the benefit of improved constructability is the most important. Project owners must be aware that the decisions that are made in the initial stages of planning and design are difficult and costly to change once construction begins. A questionnaire survey was used to gain information on the Indonesian construction project owners' understanding of constructability by assessing the current constructability practices and their impact on project performance. The study shows that project owners in Indonesia do have some understanding of the importance of constructability. However, the traditional approach to project delivery, which is the preferred method by most of them, limits their option for involving construction personnel in the pre-construction phases.