Construction Defects and their Classifications in the Construction Phase of Building Projects – A Review

Construction defects are a common issue faced by buildings, and they can occur at any point during the building’s lifespan. The construction industry often considers construction defects as the top issue. However, accurately identifying the type of construction defects can be challenging, which makes it difficult to determine their causes and potential mitigation strategies. Several studies have been conducted to identify the various types of construction defects, and this review aims to consolidate and examine the categories of construction defects that occur mostly at the construction stage of building projects to improve the accuracy of detecting their causes and ensuring effective mitigating techniques. Based on the examination and descriptive analysis of previously published research, this review identifies several defect classifications based on; defect nature, defect occurrence time, defect functionality, and defect based on the building process. Classifying construction defects will help construction stakeholders identify potential causes of construction defects at the construction stage and offer preventive strategies during the design and construction stages, which may eventually lead to a reduction in the time and cost of major repairs during the occupancy stage.