Abstract

Road construction in Ethiopia is in high demand to meet its short and long-term goals in infrastructure development programs. The road network is constructed radiating outwards North-South and East-West direction of the Capital City. Some projects are experiencing weather malady due to changing weather conditions in project locations. The study area of this research was focused on some selected projects in Addis Ababa and Oromia. The research had been addressed the effects of changes in weather in the three project planning phases, namely conception planning, design planning, and construction planning. A quantitative research design was used in this study. A literature review was undertaken and the result of which showed that the effects of weather changes are not extensively researched in the construction industry and there are limited references on the effects of weather change within the road construction industry. Sample data were obtained from sixty-three (63) construction practitioners through questionnaires, which were mailed to prospective respondents to assess their opinions. Questions were subdivided into three relevant areas covering demographics, experience with weather change factors, and the effects of weather change on road construction project planning. The study found that the effects of weather change on road construction project planning are similar to those found in other construction industries. The effects of weather change factors on road project planning vary with planning phases. These weather change factors as well as their effects were listed and ranked based on their frequency of occurrence and mean score. An independent sample t-test was used to compare respondents’ opinions on weather change effects between the two sample groups taken in Addis Ababa and part of Oromia. A partial correlation was also employed to identify the relationship between weather change factors and their effect on road construction project planning using SPSS-20. Delay of site preparation activities as a result of weather change on road project conception planning phase has a mean score of 4.30 Addis Ababa and 4.00 in for Oromia, while the influence of weather change on the selection and specification of construction materials for road project design planning phase has the highest mean score of 4.23 for Addis Ababa and 4.03 for Oromia. The effect of weather change on road workers' physiological comfort and quality of work for the road project construction planning phase has the highest mean score of 4.80 and 4.58 in Addis Ababa and Oromia, respectively. The study concludes with recommendations for potential research and with useful information and considerations on the effects of weather change on road construction project planning for construction professionals and project managers.