Construction cost prediction for public school buildings in Jordan

Abstract

An empirical model for predicting the construction costs for public school buildings is presented. Observations of 125 school projects were carried out in Jordan for the period 1984–1994. The results indicate that by the time a project is completed, the actual cost exceeds the original contract price by 30% while change orders result in an 8.3% cost overrun. Capital expenditure on school projects over the next 5 years is anticipated at 695.9 million JD. Out of this disbursement 208 million JD will be cost overrun and 57.7 million JD will result from issuing change orders. These figures highlight the need to improve current practices. A cooperative effort between concerned agencies is required to alleviate construction problems and could lead to new major innovations to meet the challenges ahead.

Keywords:

• Claims
• Cost
• Contract
• Planning
• Estimating
• Variations