Feasibility of a Program Delay Claims Scheme: Synergistic Effect and Risk–Cost Optimization

In an individual project, the delay of a contractor does not affect third parties other than the owner. However, this is not the case for a program with multiple projects. In this case, a delay to a previous project can cause work idleness losses for subsequent projects. However, if a delay claims scheme is applied to an individual project, the program owner would be responsible for the work idleness losses through no fault of their own, such as paying financial compensation to the contractor and extending the construction period, which is clearly unreasonable. Although some studies have identified this problem and proposed reasonable solutions, they have not focused on the feasibility of a program delay claims scheme. Therefore, it is not known whether a program delay claims scheme would help program owners and contractors reduce their risk cost. To solve this problem, from the perspective of the synergistic effect and risk-cost optimization, this study introduces the concept of a special free float and optimizes its calculation method. A program delay-response mechanism and risk-cost optimization model of program participants are established using the nondominated sorting genetic Algorithm III (NSGA-III) algorithm. The results showed that under the synergistic effect, program owners and contractors can achieve a win–win situation, and the program delay claims scheme is both reasonable and feasible. This study lays a theoretical foundation for cooperation between program owners and contractors and assists program owners in the management of delays and subsequent claims.