Key managerial measures contributing to construction waste reduction: evidence from construction projects in Ghana
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Date
2021-07-13
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Abstract
Ghana is overwhelmed with high wastage levels and this is very evident in the sites
and communities in the country. Research has shown that, the construction industry
plays a significant role in this waste generation. Therefore, the aim of the study is to
ascertain the key managerial measures contributing to construction waste reduction in
Ghana. With this aim, three (3) objectives were set which were to identify the causes
of wastage on construction sites, to identify the key managerial measures contributing
to construction waste reduction in Ghana and to identify the challenges impeding the
implementation of the managerial measures to waste reduction in Ghana. Establishing
the objectives led to the extensive review of literature and subsequently, developing a
structured questionnaire to aid in the collection of data from the respondents. Using
the convenient non-probability sampling technique, fifty-one (51) questionnaires were
retrieved for the analysis. The data were analyzed using RII. With the first objective,
poor site management ranked as the most significant cause of wastage on construction
sites. A study conducted stated that, waste can occur due to poor construction
management on construction sites. Poor planning and scheduling by the contractor
were ranked second. Poor planning by the contractor was also identified the most
significant cause of waste generation in the construction. Overproduction was ranked
third. Overproduction is also a different type of waste which can be associated with
over-use of materials and excess input of energy by employees into production. With
the second objective, effective supervision was ranked as the most applicable strategy.
Supervision is the general direction, coordination and oversight of the processes of a
project on-site. Reduce, reuse, recycle was ranked as the second most applicable
strategy. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is a common assertion made in general waste
management processes in the construction industry. Development of waste
management plan was ranked as the third most applicable strategy. The development
of a plan for waste management is also a vital tool in waste reduction. With the third
objective, the most severe challenge was inexperience of the contractor. This was
followed by lack of funds and time constraints. Lack of experience on the side of the
contractor is a significant challenge in the effective implementation of waste
management strategies. With these findings, it was recommended that, for public
projects, bidders should submit their methods of minimizing waste as part of bid
requirements and any bidder who fails to do so can be deemed not responsive. Also,
construction firms should enact strict procedures towards waste reduction during the
execution of a project. Lastly, construction firms should educate their work personnel
on effective ways of waste minimization. This study was limited to only construction
firms operating in the Accra metropolis. Further studies can expand the scope to
include other areas in the country. The study was also limited to waste generated at the
construction phase of project execution. Further studies can expand to include other
phase of the construction process. There is also an avenue to study the impact of
contactor’s waste management strategies on construction project performance.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Construction Technology and Management,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in partial
Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of Master of Science.
Keywords
Construction, Waste, Managerial, Measures, Project, Management.