Mitigating schedule delays in road projects: application of lean construction approaches

Purpose The accurate scheduling of road construction projects is crucial for their success. However, inadequacies in scheduling processes can adversely affect project execution. Therefore, to ensure the success of road construction projects, it is essential to implement programming strategies that go beyond traditional limitations, improving resource utilisation and operational execution to maximise performance and minimise waste. Hence, this paper aims to examine how Lean Construction approaches can address scheduling deficiencies in road construction projects. Design/methodology/approach The research method adopted includes five main stages: (1) identification of Lean Construction approaches, (2) selection of causes of deficiencies in schedule planning, (3) estimation of the influence of Lean approaches on mitigating these deficiencies, (4) characterisation of the selected Lean approaches and (5) Analysis of road projects with Lean implementation. Findings The findings indicate that the most influential Lean Construction approaches in mitigating scheduling deficiencies are the Big Room, building information modelling, Last Planner System, Line of Balance Method and Supply Chain Integration. Practical implications The results of this research offer helpful insights for construction managers and practitioners. Adopting the identified Lean approaches can enhance scheduling processes, optimise resource use and improve collaboration among project stakeholders, leading to more agile and adaptive project execution. Originality/value This study provides a novel exploration of the application of Lean Construction methodologies, specifically in road construction scheduling. The research fills a gap in the literature regarding the practical implementation and benefits of Lean approaches in mitigating scheduling deficiencies in this sector.