In Plain English
Quick Answer
A formal schedule analysis that measures how much a specific delay event pushes back the project completion date.
Definition
Definition
A Time Impact Analysis (TIA) is a forensic scheduling method used to quantify the impact of a delay event on the project completion date by inserting the delay into the project schedule at the time it occurred and measuring the shift in the critical path. TIA is the preferred method for prospective (forward-looking) delay analysis during construction and is often required by contract to support requests for time extensions.
Context
Why It Matters in Bidding
Time impact analysis is the contractually preferred basis for justifying time extensions and the compensable delay costs that follow, so its quality directly affects whether a GC recovers extended general conditions or absorbs them. A well-built TIA, tied to the accepted baseline and critical path, is the estimator's and scheduler's strongest tool in change-order negotiation.
Example
Example
After an owner-directed design change stalled the foundation, the scheduler inserts a fragnet into the contemporaneous schedule to run a TIA, demonstrating a 14-day critical-path slip that supports the GC's request for a time extension and extended general conditions.
See Also
Related Terms
FAQ
Questions Contractors Ask
When should a contractor perform a time impact analysis?
A TIA is best performed prospectively, near the time a delay event occurs, using the then-current schedule before later events muddy the picture. Many contracts require submitting a TIA with each time-extension request. Performing it contemporaneously strengthens the claim because it reflects the actual schedule state rather than a reconstructed after-the-fact narrative.
What is a fragnet in time impact analysis?
A fragnet is a small fragment of network activities representing the delay event, inserted into the project schedule to model its effect. The analyst measures how inserting the fragnet shifts the completion date along the critical path. A defensible fragnet ties to documented facts, durations, and logic so the resulting delay can withstand owner scrutiny.
Why do contracts prefer TIA over other delay methods?
TIA is favored for forward-looking analysis because it isolates a single delay event against the schedule as it existed, producing a clear cause-and-effect on the completion date. Retrospective methods like as-planned-versus-as-built can blur concurrent causes. The transparency of inserting a discrete fragnet makes TIA easier to negotiate and harder to dispute.
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