Evaluating the Time–Cost–Quality Trade-Off in the Design and Construction of Industrial Drinking and Demineralized Water Tanks: A Case Study from the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Construction projects frequently face competing requirements for timely delivery, budget control and conformance to specified quality. This study evaluates the time–cost–quality trade-off (TCQT) associated with the design and construction of industrial drinking-water and demineralised-water tanks for an oil and gas facility in Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted an exploratory qualitative case-study design and relied on secondary evidence comprising published literature, industry sources and project planning/completion records. An inductive thematic analysis, informed by Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach, was used to identify recurring mechanisms through which project decisions influence time, cost and quality. The project records indicate a planned contract value of US$5,533,150.70 and an approved quality requirement of 94.54%; the final varied value increased to US$7,183,313.44, while reported achieved quality declined to 86.15%. The project milestones also experienced substantial schedule slippage, with reported milestone delays ranging from 444 to 730 days. Eight integrated themes emerged: timely completion with quality and budget compliance; critical-path and procurement management; KPI based performance control; benefits and limitations of experienced permanent crews; proactive risk identification; non-linear relationships between resource loading and duration; scope-change effects on TCQT; and the strategic use of external expertise and digital tools. The findings indicate that accelerating work through additional resources does not automatically reduce overall duration because activity dependencies, bottlenecks and coordination constraints may limit productivity. The study therefore proposes an integrated TCQT decision framework combining scope definition, critical-path analysis, procurement planning, risk and contingency management, standardised KPIs, lean practices, BIM/digital coordination, stakeholder communication and controlled external support. The framework provides a practical decision structure for industrial water-tank projects where quality and functional integrity cannot be sacrificed merely to recover schedule or reduce initial cost.