Assessing the impact of main contractor's site co-ordination on sub-contractors' performance in Hong Kong

It is a common practice in Hong Kong for the main contractors of local building projects to sub-let most of their works, consequently their roles have gradually transformed from a constructor to a manager of sub-contractors of the project. The outcome of most projects therefore depends heavily on the sub-contractors' performance. However, most Hong Kong based sub-contractors complain that they are unable to operate efficiently and effectively due to main contractors' poor coordination of construction information, temporary works, interfacing works and temporary power supply. A list of the most serious problems caused by main contractors during the construction stage that reduce sub-contractors' performance has been produced. A questionnaire survey has been conducted to identify and analyse the frequency and potential impact of the problems. The aggregated impact on subcontractors' site work is analysed. The findings have been used to formulate guidelines for the improvement of site co-ordination by main contractors.