Exploring the critical waste factors affecting construction projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Saad Bajjou ◽  
Anas Chafi
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
People Development ◽  
Communication And Coordination

PurposeWaste is typically encountered during the building's life cycle, from the design phase, through the construction phase, to modification and demolition. Most of these construction wastes are unnoticed or unattended by project managers, which lead to serious environmental problems. Effective waste reduction strategies will require a thorough and detailed understanding of the causes of construction waste. Hence, this paper aims to explore critical waste factors (CWFs) affecting the performance of construction projects.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review was carried out to determine these factors based on previous studies, from which a questionnaire was developed. Series of statistical analyses such as reliability analysis, Spearman Correlation, Kruskal–Wallis and factor analysis were performed on a total of 330 valid responses to identify latent factors responsible for wastes occurrence.FindingsThis study reveals 31 CWFs through evaluation of prior relevant studies carried out in several countries and then adjusted and validated through semistructured interviews. The significant differences in views within various groups of respondents with different organizational characteristics are highlighted. The results of factor analysis showed that there are six principal components extracted with 66.3% of variance explained (material-related factors; subcontractors and workers; planning, communication and coordination; people involvement and financial issues; people development strategies; and external factors).Originality/valueThis study differs from other studies in the literature by gathering all relevant waste factors including those related to nonphysical waste such as time, budget, workers and equipment. Furthermore, this paper will be of great interest to both practitioners and researchers since it brings various recommendations concerning the prevention/reduction of waste through lean construction for more sustainable construction projects.

Factors affecting the delivery of optimum health and safety on construction projects during the covid-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benviolent Chigara ◽  
Tirivavi Moyo
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Monitoring And Enforcement

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of construction professionals relative to factors that affect the delivery of optimum health and safety (H&S) on construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a quantitative design which entailed the distribution of a web-based questionnaire among construction professionals, namely, architects, construction/project managers, engineers, H&S managers and quantity surveyors working for contractors and construction consultants in Zimbabwe. The data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Factor analysis was used to reveal interrelated significant sets of factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S. Findings Factor analysis revealed nine components/factors: change and innovation-related, monitoring and enforcement-related, production-related, access to information and health service-related, on-site facilities and welfare-related, risk assessment and mitigation-related, job security and funding-related, cost-related and COVID-19 risk perception-related factors as the significant factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe. Research limitations/implications The results highlighted the need for social dialogue among construction stakeholders to support initiatives that will enhance the delivery of H&S on construction projects. Construction stakeholders may find the results useful in highlighting the areas that need improvement to protect workers’ H&S during the pandemic. However, the small sample limits the generalisability of the results to construction sectors in other regions. Originality/value The study investigated factors affecting the delivery of optimum H&S during the COVID-19 to inform interventions to enhance H&S.

Clustering of host countries to facilitate learning between similar international construction markets

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-82
Author(s):  
Beste Ozyurt ◽  
Irem Dikmen ◽  
M. Talat Birgonul
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Construction ◽  
Country Factors ◽  
Country Clusters

Purpose In the global construction industry, experience gained in various countries is a major source of competitive advantage. By transferring the knowledge gained in previous projects using an effective knowledge management strategy, they can increase their competitiveness by adopting best practices and by not repeating the same mistakes under similar conditions. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how similar countries can be clustered to facilitate learning in global markets. Design/methodology/approach Initially, country factors that can affect success in international projects and can be used to assess the similarity of markets were identified by an extensive literature review and prioritised by a web-based questionnaire. A country evaluation form was prepared to collect country-specific data to be used in the cluster analysis of 39 countries where the Turkish contractors have been frequently working since the last 45 years. Cluster analysis was performed with SPSS 23.0. Findings Three country clusters were obtained and validated. Ultimately, how obtained country clusters may be used to facilitate learning from international construction projects was demonstrated by using an illustrative example. Research limitations/implications The findings depend on the experience and perspective of Turkish contractors doing business abroad. Thus, the identified clusters are not generic. Moreover, country clusters were not identified considering only the country factors such as economy, culture, politics, etc.; thus, countries in the same cluster do not necessarily represent “similar” countries in terms of macro-factors. Clusters were identified so that the lessons learned can be effectively transferred within the same cluster considering construction and project-related factors as well as country-related factors. Although the findings cannot be generalised and clusters are not static, it is believed that the methodology used in this research is repeatable for different countries considering different timeframes. Originality/value Theoretical contributions include the identification of factors that can be used for similarity assessment of countries for transferring lessons learned as well as a methodology for clustering. Findings may also have a practical value for the Turkish contractors.

scholarly journals Integrating value management into sustainable construction projects in Hong Kong

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1475-1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Arshad Ali Javed ◽  
Tsun Ip Lam ◽  
Geoffrey Qiping Shen ◽  
Ming Sun
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction And Demolition Waste ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Demolition Waste ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Integrating sustainability into the value management (VM) process can provide a strategic platform for promoting and incorporating sustainable design and development during the lifespans of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for integrating sustainability into the VM process in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach Following an extensive literature review, 45 attributes were identified and grouped into strength, weakness, opportunity and threat elements. A questionnaire survey based on these groupings was supported by semi-structured interviews with public sector clients, value managers and VM facilitators. They shared their experience and views on how to integrate sustainability into the VM exercises. Findings The triangulated results of the survey and interviews are presented in this paper. The ranking of the SWOT analysis results indicate that VM does provide opportunities for multidisciplinary professionals and stakeholders to focus on issues relating to society and the environment, which is considered a main strength. The major weakness of integration is the lack of well-trained staff and low levels of VM participant expertise in relation to the sustainable construction issue. Research limitations/implications Current practices generally neglect integration of sustainability into the VM process due to cost and time constraints. There are ample strengths and opportunities recommended by this study for integrating sustainability into the VM process which are beneficial for the clients and contractors for achieving value for money and meeting sustainability targets. Practical implications There are immense opportunities for integrating sustainability into the VM process, including encouragement of the reduction, reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste. However, threats presented by integration include the additional time and costs required for achieving sustainability targets. Originality/value Findings and recommendations provided in this paper should be helpful to decision makers including clients and VM facilitators for the successful integration of the sustainability concept into the VM process.

scholarly journals Risk factors affecting the ability for earned value management to accurately assess the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maan Nihad Ibrahim ◽  
David Thorpe ◽  
Muhammad Nateque Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Performance ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Earned Value ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Earned Value Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Factors Influencing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a set of risk-related factors influencing the earned value management (EVM) concept as an assessment technique in evaluating the progress of modern sustainable infrastructure construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach has been adopted for identifying risk-related factors influencing EVM concept from a literature review and through interviewing industry personnel, followed by an inductive process to form sets of key factors and their measuring items. Findings EVM is a common method for assessing project performance. A weakness of this approach is that EVM assessment in its current form does not measure the impact of a number of project performance factors that result from the complexity of modern infrastructure construction projects, and thus does not accurately assess their impact in this performance. This paper discusses and explains a range of potential risk factors to evaluating project performance such as sustainability, stakeholder requirements, communication, procurement strategy, weather, experience of staff, site condition, design issues, financial risk, subcontractor, government requirements and material. In addition, their measuring items were identified. Practical implications This research assists projects managers to improve the evaluation process of infrastructure construction performance by incorporating a range of factors likely to impact on that performance and which are not included in current EVM calculations. Originality/value This research addresses the need to include in the EVM calculation a range of risk factors affecting the performance of infrastructure projects in Australia and therefore makes this calculation a more reliable tool for assessing project performance.

scholarly journals Understanding off-site readiness in Indian construction organisations

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepthi Bendi ◽  
Muhammad Qasim Rana ◽  
Mohammed Arif ◽  
Jack Steven Goulding ◽  
Amit Kant Kaushik
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Descriptive Statistical Analysis

Purpose This paper presents a bespoke model for understanding off-site construction (OSC) readiness among Indian construction organisations. This model presents 17 variables for discussion, the results from which help support OSC strategic decision-making. Design/methodology/approach Factor analysis was used to investigate the relationship between variables to group them into factors. After identifying 26 different variables, these were reduced to 17 using factor analysis and categorised into four groups. Descriptive statistical analysis and factor analysis using SPSS was used to develop a hierarchy of factors that affect OSC readiness in India. These findings were reinforced by five domain experts to support the results. Findings Minimising on-site duration, ensuring cost and time certainty and transportation issues were identified as the three most important factors, whereas lack of guidance and scepticism were among the lowest factors affecting the Indian OSC sector. Research limitations/implications This research is specifically focused on OSC within the Indian construction sector. As such, data collection, propagation and analysis should be constrained to the population context regarding inference, generalisability and repeatability. Practical implications The proffered OSC readiness model offers OSC practitioners an ability to assess the OSC readiness of construction organisations in India. This includes the evaluation and benchmarking of processes in both strategic and operational phases, including highlighting areas of concern and scope for further development (to achieve optimal advantage of OSC methods). Originality/value Originality rests with the use of factor analysis and descriptive statistical analysis to study the influence of different construction-related factors and variables on the OSC sector in India. This impact readiness model is context-specific to the Indian OSC sector – providing a unique insight into the causal factors and dependencies that can affect the adoption and uptake of modern methods of construction in India.

Key criteria for selecting green suppliers for construction projects in the UAE

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
AbdulRahman Asaad ◽  
Sameh Monir El-Sayegh
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Traditional Construction ◽  
Green Suppliers

Purpose This paper aims to identify and assess the key criteria for selecting green suppliers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A total of 20 criteria were identified and shortlisted through an extensive literature review. These criteria were grouped into four categories: technical and commercial bid, company characteristics, environmental and socioeconomic. A questionnaire was then developed and distributed to construction professionals in the UAE. A total of 39 professionals responded to the survey including contractors, consultants, owners and suppliers. The respondents performed pairwise comparisons among the selection criteria. Data was then analyzed using the Expert Choice Software. Findings The research findings highlighted that the technical and commercial bid category was ranked as the most important with a weight of 0.338, followed by socioeconomic, company characteristics and environmental categories weighing 0.239, 0.225 and 0.199, respectively. The UAE construction professionals also ranked health and safety, material’s quality and tender price as the top three most important criteria when selecting a sustainable supplier. Practical implications This research addresses the lack of literature toward green supplier selection in the UAE. In addition, it assists contractors in selecting the appropriate supplier and promotes sustainable practices in the construction industry. Originality/value Material suppliers play an important role in the successful delivery of construction projects. Selecting the appropriate supplier is of paramount importance to project success. Several methods can be used to evaluate and select the best-fit suppliers. However, the selection criteria in such methods are primarily based on traditional construction projects rather than sustainable construction projects. Recently, there is an increase in the number of sustainable construction projects in the UAE. Therefore, identifying and assessing the key criteria for selecting green suppliers is needed. This paper fills the gap in literature as to selecting green suppliers in construction projects.

scholarly journals Understanding employee turnover in humanitarian organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Nezih Altay ◽  
Stephen J Childe ◽  
Thanos Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
High Level

Purpose – At a time when the number and seriousness of disasters seems to be increasing, humanitarian organizations find that besides their challenging work they are faced with problems caused by a high level of turnover of staff. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the 24 variables leading to employee turnover identified by Cotton and Tuttle (1986) the authors analyse the work-related, external and personal factors affecting employee turnover in humanitarian organizations, using a survey of members of the Indian National Institute of Disaster Management. Findings – Results indicated that the three factors are present. Of the external factors, only employment perception had a factor loading over 0.7; of the work-related factors, all were significant; of the personal factors, biographical information, marital status, number of dependants, aptitude and ability and intelligence had the highest loadings. It was also shown that behavioural intentions and net expectation were not significant. Originality/value – Only a few studies reported on employee turnover and its reasons are not well understood in the context of humanitarian organizations. To address this need, the aim of this paper is to explore the personal reasons impacting employee turnover in humanitarian organizations. In the study the authors have adopted 24 variables used in Cotton and Tuttle (1986) and classified into constructs to explain turnover, and further tested the model using data gathered from humanitarian organizations.

Quality of life in breast cancer sufferers

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 721-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Essmat Shouman ◽  
Nahla Fawzy Abou El Ezz ◽  
Nivine Gado ◽  
Amal Mahmoud Ibrahim Goda
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Functional Domain ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with early stage cancer breast under curative treatment at department of oncology and nuclear medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Identify factors affecting QOL among these patients. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study measured QOL among early stage female breast cancer (BC) patients and determined the main factors affecting their QOL. Three interviewer administered questionnaires were used. Findings – The physical domain mostly affected in BC patients and the functional domain least. Socio-demographic factors that significantly affected BC patients QOL scores were patient age, education, having children and family income. Specific patient characteristics include caregiver presence – a factor that affected different QOL scores. Age at diagnosis, affection in the side of the predominant hand, post-operative chemotherapy and difficulty in obtaining the medication were the disease-related factors that affected QOL scores. Originality/value – The final model predicting QOL for early stage female BC patients included age, education and difficulty in obtaining the medication as determinants for total QOL score. Carer presence was the specific patient characteristic that affected different QOL scores.

Achieving sustainability through integrating risk management into the architectural design process

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman ◽  
Nermeen Mohamed Amin Abdelwahab
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Design Firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework integrating risk management (RM) into the architectural design process (ADP) as an approach for delivering sustainable construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A research methodology, which consisted of literature review and field study, is designed to accomplish four objectives. First, to provide a comprehensive literature review of the concepts of sustainability, ADP and RM. Second, to present and synthesis the results of two relevant studies focused on identifying, quantifying and classifying the risks associated with ADP; and investigating the perception and application of Egyptian architectural design firms (ADFs) towards integrating RM into ADP as an approach for delivering sustainable construction projects. Third, to develop a framework that integrates RM into ADP towards delivering sustainable construction projects. Finally, to draw conclusions and recommendations to improve the practice of delivering sustainable construction projects among ADFs, construction professionals and governmental authorities. Findings ADP is a fundamental phase of the construction process because the decisions adopted during this phase affect the project performance throughout its life cycle. While RM is widely applied in different sectors of the construction industry, its application in ADP received scant attention in construction literature. The research identified 18 key risks that affect the sustainable delivery of construction projects during ADP. The architect, the client and the project manager are the highest ranked responsible parties for the occurrence of these key risks. The field study highlighted the need to develop a framework to facilitate integrating RM into ADP. Research limitations/implications This paper focused only on the integration of RM into ADP. Originality/value The conducted literature review and field study provided an in-depth understanding of the key risks that affect the sustainable delivery of construction projects during ADP. Through its five stages, the proposed framework is expected to serve as a foundation for integrating RM into ADP as an approach for delivering sustainable projects. This ideology has received scant attention in construction literature. The developed framework represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value to the knowledge in a manner that has not previously occurred.

Underlying factors for successful project management to construct sustainable built assets

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marios Stanitsas ◽  
Konstantinos Kirytopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Sustainability Indicators ◽  
The Body ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the underlying factors that give rise to the set of sustainability indicators which are used for the implementation of sustainable construction projects and eventually the production of sustainable built assets.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish the purpose of this research, an online questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of 200 experts. By employing the statistical method of exploratory factor analysis (EFA), five distinct dimensions (factors) of stakeholders' attitudes were revealed.FindingsThe findings indicate that the sustainability indicators are based on five underlying factors, namely (1) sustainable competitiveness; (2) stakeholder engagement; (3) sustainable economic growth; (4) social sustainability; and (5) resource conservation and environmental policy.Research limitations/implicationsMore studies would be welcome to verify the underlying factors revealed in this paper.Practical implicationsThe knowledge of the underlying factors enables senior management to maintain a balance of choices during the project management (PM) phase in order to implement and deliver sustainable construction projects. Furthermore, the findings deepen the understanding toward sustainable PM practices by providing insights on its core attributes.Originality/valueAs a theoretical contribution to knowledge, this study enhances the body of knowledge by revealing the underlying factors that give rise to the predefined set of the 82 sustainability indicators which are used to enable sustainable construction projects. In practice, the findings aid senior management in adopting strategies that enhance the delivery of sustainable construction projects.

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