Sustainable procurement in the Canadian construction industry: challenges and benefits

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 417-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeev Ruparathna ◽  
Kasun Hewage
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Harmful Emissions

Disregard of triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability is one of the major drawbacks of current construction procurement practices. Sustainable procurement is an emergent concept that can improve procurement practices and enhance the sustainability performance of the construction industry as a whole. Presently, sustainable procurement is still not fully utilized in the Canadian construction industry. A comprehensive literature review showed that the construction industry is still not fully aware about the benefits of using sustainable procurement or ways of implementing the same. This study evaluates challenges encountered in implementing sustainable procurement in the Canadian construction industry. In addition, this study investigates perceptions of construction professionals on the benefits of using sustainable procurement for construction projects. A country wide questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect required data. A statistical analysis was performed to rank the challenges and benefits of sustainable procurement. Findings from semi-structured interviews were used to validate the results observed in the statistical analysis. This study revealed that lack of funding is the main challenge for implementing sustainable procurement, while reducing harmful emissions and waste generation was identified as the main benefit. It was concluded that the leadership and commitment of the project owners is the key to fully establish sustainable procurement in the Canadian construction industry.

scholarly journals An Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for Sustainable Procurement of Construction Equipment: Multicriteria-Based Decision Framework for Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Waris ◽  
Shrikant Panigrahi ◽  
Abdullah Mengal ◽  
Mujeeb Iqbal Soomro ◽  
Nayyar Hussain Mirjat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Construction Equipment ◽  
P System ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Selection Framework ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Sustainable procurement is an emerging theme in the construction industry across the globe. However, organizations in the construction industry often encounter impediments in improving environmental performance in construction projects, especially in procurement. Besides its other facets, procurement of construction equipment is inherited to be capital-intensive and vital for managing environmental concerns associated with built environment projects. In this regard, selection criteria in such procurement processes are generally supportive of considering cost and engineering specifications as key parameters. However, sustainability apprehensions in today’s Malaysian construction industry have mounted pressure on industry professionals to rethink their equipment acquisition strategies. The notion of green or sustainable procurement is still infancy for the Malaysian construction industry and facing challenges for embedding it in the current procurement practices. This research aims to address these apprehensions by considering six main criteria, namely, life cycle cost (LCC), performance (P), system capability (SC), operational convenience (OC), environmental impact (EI), and social benefits (SBs), and their 38 subcriteria towards procurement of sustainable construction equipment. A multicriteria-based equipment selection framework on the triple bottom line of sustainability in the context of the Malaysian construction industry has been developed and tested. The application of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) established the sustainable procurement index with a consistent sensitivity analysis results. As such, the proposed procurement index shall help decision-makers in the process of the acquisition of sustainable construction equipment in Malaysia.

scholarly journals Construction Logistics Centres Proposing Kitting Service: Organization Analysis and Cost Mapping

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Soufiane El Moussaoui ◽  
Zoubeir Lafhaj ◽  
Fernanda Leite ◽  
Julien Fléchard ◽  
Bruno Linéatte
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Housing Project ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Harmful Emissions ◽  
Organization Analysis ◽  
Project Data

The construction industry represents an important part of the global economy but is known for many issues such as harmful emissions, low productivity, waste generation, poor ergonomics, and construction incidents and accidents. A logistical view has proved to be a solid basis for improving construction performance while construction logistics centres (CLC) are gaining interest and proposing more services such as Kitting. Since the CLC-kitting-based approach is a new phenomenon, it is still a relatively unexplored topic. Hence, this paper addresses how this configuration could be applied to construction projects and what are its related costs information. The research design is based on a single case study showing the CLC-kitting use by a French general contractor in a student housing project. Data has been collected through site visits, observations, project documents, and discussions conducted with construction managers and logistics planners. Data analysis identified realized effects from deploying CLC-kitting in construction projects. Therefore, recommendations are provided, at both strategic and operational levels, which can be leveraged in similar projects. Finally, an identification of constructions logistics costs shows their distribution along the supply chain and was evaluated at 14.7% over material purchasing price.

scholarly journals Quantity Surveyors’ Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Mixed Method Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
Seng Hansen ◽  
Susy F Rostiyanti ◽  
Rizaldi Rizaldi ◽  
Clara Andjarwati
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Method Approach ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Project Sustainability ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Method Approach

The COVID-19 outbreak began at the end of 2019, and has evolved to a pandemic threatening various industries’ sustainability. Decisive actions have been taken to tackle the pandemic’s spread, however, various impacts continue to be felt by many industries, including the construction industry. This paper therefore focuses on the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on Quantity Surveyors’ (QS) construction projects and activities, as a key profession in the industry. A mixed method approach, questionnaire survey followed by expert interviews, was adopted. Subsequently, 199 valid responses for analysis were obtained from the questionnaire distribution, using descriptive statistics and Significance Index. Furthermore, qualitative data were acquired through semi-structured interviews with five experts, and analyzed using a structured thematic analysis. According to the results, 56.78% of respondents experienced project slowdowns, 13.57% experienced project suspensions or terminations, and 12.56% experienced cost overruns. Most respondents acknowledged the pandemic had present changes to projects (84.92%), in the form of changes in organization structure, work culture, technological application, and project objectives. Meanwhile, the Significance Index has successfully established an 11-factors ranking, regarding the pandemic’s impact on QS activities, with impact on the overall project completion as the most profound impact followed by impacts on project scheduling, supply chain, tendering, cost controlling, and claim management. This study’s qualitative and quantitative findings tend to be in accordance, thus, providing some fundamental insights regarding the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on the construction industry, including direct impacts on project sustainability, technology adoption, and project resiliency issues. In addition, this study also contributes to scientific knowledge by discussing the issues and trends of work culture changes in QS professional activities.

scholarly journals Main Challenges to Concrete Recycling in Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 11077
Author(s):  
Abdulmalek K. Badraddin ◽  
Rahimi A. Rahman ◽  
Saud Almutairi ◽  
Muneera Esa
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Transportation Cost ◽  
Recycled Concrete ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Project Cost ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Small Medium Enterprises ◽  
National Programs ◽  
Concrete Recycling

While concrete recycling is crucial to protecting the environment, its implementation in practice is low in many countries. This study aims to highlight challenges to concrete recycling. To achieve that aim, the study objectives are (1) to identify the main challenges to concrete recycling in construction projects; (2) to compare the main challenges between small–medium enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises (LEs); and (3) to determine the underlying groups among the main challenges. Potential challenges were identified through a systematic literature review of journal articles and semi-structured interviews with fifteen industry practitioners. Then, the identified challenges were inserted into a questionnaire survey and distributed to industry practitioners. Eighty-nine valid responses were collected and analyzed using the mean score ranking, normalization, agreement analysis, and factor analysis techniques. The analyses show thirteen main challenges to concrete recycling. The main challenges include increased project duration, lack of national programs, lack of comprehensive rules and regulations, increased project cost, low demand for recycled concrete, low cost-effectiveness of concrete recycling, and increased transportation cost. However, there is no consensus on the criticality between SMEs and LEs. For example, increased project cost is the main challenge for SMEs but is only middlingly ranked for LEs. Finally, the main challenges can be categorized into three interrelated groups: people and technical, legal and environmental, and economic challenges. This study contributes to the literature by analyzing challenges that hinder concrete recycling in practice. The findings allow researchers and practitioners to develop strategies to reduce concrete recycling rejection.

scholarly journals Identification of Causes and Minimization of Delays in Highway Projects of Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-112
Author(s):  
Samiullah Sohu ◽  
Abdul Fattah Chandio ◽  
Kaleem ullah
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Highway Projects ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Causes Of Delays

The problem of delay in construction industry is a regular phenomenon worldwide, and construction industry of Pakistan has no exception, particularly in highways projects. Delay can be described as the extension of time to complete the construction project. The aim of this paper is to identify main causes of delays in highway projects of Pakistan, and to determine mitigating measures for the identified causes. The research method of this study is based on literature review, questionnaire survey and semi structured interview. From in-depth literature review, twenty-six common causes of delay were found. A questionnaire survey was carried out among construction professionals of highway projects. The causes of delay in highways projects were ranked referring to their Mean values. A semi structured interview was carried out to determine mitigation measures for the top ten causes of delays. The data gathered from questionnaire survey was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) while, data collected through semi structured interviews was analyzed using Nvivo software. The findings of this study are expected to be useful for construction parties, to mitigate the delays in highway construction projects of Pakistan.

scholarly journals ACHIEVING SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafiq Muhammad CHOUDHRY
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Hard Copy ◽  
Construction Sites

Improvement of safety and productivity are major concerns throughout the construction industry. There is a dearth of efforts that document the need for simultaneous achievement of safety and productivity on construction sites. The objective of this research is to investigate productivity and safety simultaneously on construction projects by con­ducting a survey. In total, 1,800 hard-copy questionnaires were distributed and the response rate was 81%, resulting in 1,454 valid questionnaires for analysis. Safety and productivity were investigated on 25 construction projects by means of statistical analysis. The results indicated that eleven of the fifteen significant findings pertained to safety and the rest to productivity. The results confirmed that it is possible to improve productivity and safety simultaneously on construc­tion projects. All measures were found to be correlated with both safety and productivity. The findings of this research provide practical knowledge to project managers and safety practitioners on construction projects to achieve safety and productivity simultaneously. The methodology of research might be useful for research at other construction projects in other regions and cultures.

scholarly journals Review of Design and Build Construction: Descriptive Statistics in one of the South East Asia country

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (Number 1) ◽  
pp. 72-88
Author(s):  
Hock Seng Raymond Yip ◽  
Herman Shah Anuar
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Policy Guideline

In the area of the construction sector, the primary concern is economic growth. There are many issues and challenges associated with it. The growth and rapid development of this industry put their players, mainly the construction firms feeling the heat by competing with each other. The main challenge is the completion period for a particular project. This study was done in Manila, Philippines, where Design and Build (D&B) method has gained much interest and considered very important today. The rise of new innovative systems saw the emergence of new factors in the construction industry that will become future adoption. This study focuses on factors affecting the successful completion period of the construction industry, whereby it is very crucial for the country's economic and market development. A quantitative research methodology was applied in this study. A total of 967 survey questionnaires sent out, and only 396 respondents fit to be analysed. Respondents involved were contractors, consultants, and developers. It was learned that critical success factors in project management play significant roles in driving projects to examine the determinants of success completion time of Design & Build construction projects. Findings from this study shall be used by the authority in drafting a policy guideline for future construction development. It is hoped that this study provides a better understanding of construction challenges for future undertaking.

scholarly journals Contractor's Attitude towards Risk and Risk Management in Construction in Two Western Provinces of Vietnam

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 6418-6421
Author(s):  
V. T. Phan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Important Task ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
Negative Impacts

Risk management is an important task in construction management that helps the contractor to actively identify, evaluate, control, and minimize negative impacts of risks on the project, thereby ensuring its effectiveness. People involved in the construction industry need to be well - equipped with information and knowledge to manage risks adequately and systematically. The purpose of this research is to explore the attitude towards risk and risk management in construction projects of the Vietnamese construction industry, with emphasis on the perspective of contractors. The research data are collected through a questionnaire associated with in-depth semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the perception of risk within the Vietnamese construction industry includes both threats and opportunities. The majority of professionals in the industry have a risk-neutral approach, contrary to previous research. The importance of implementing effective risk management is shared, in the planning and production phase while risk identification was perceived to be the most important out of the four core processes.

scholarly journals Factors for Time and Cost Overrun in Public Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-254
Author(s):  
Shehryar Idrees ◽  
Muhammad Tariq Shafiq
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public Projects ◽  
Public Facilities ◽  
Technical Errors ◽  
Potential Factors ◽  
Project Delays

Abstract The construction industry in Pakistan is experiencing a surge in public sector projects due to major investments in infrastructure projects. Project delays and cost overrun are common features in public sector construction projects in Pakistan. Therefore, an understanding of the causes of time and cost overrun in public projects is essential. This paper investigates delay and cost overrun factors within the context of public sector projects in Pakistan. This study identifies 48 potential factors from existing literature and semi-structured interviews were used to refine the identified factors into ten categories. A questionnaire survey was used to establish a hierarchy of factors using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the major causes of time overruns in public projects were (1) legal issues, such as court stay orders, land acquisition, relocation of public facilities; (2) technical errors leading to low-quality drawings, rework, and errors at bidding stage; and (3) Poor project management. The findings of this research contribute to understanding the causes of project delays in public sector projects in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Challenges Towards Reducing Illegal Dumping Activities in the Construction Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Hilmi Izwan Abd Rahim ◽  
◽  
Sulzakimin Mohamed ◽  
Narimah Kasim ◽  
Mazianah Rahmat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Construction Waste ◽  
Illegal Dumping

This nowadays an increasing number of construction projects in Malaysia have contributed to the production of construction waste which has had a negative impact on the environment, especially through illegal dumping. The increasing number of illegal dumping activities is a sign that construction waste management needs to be examined. To date, a comprehensive criterion for construction waste management, in developing countries is still not clearly defined. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to investigate current illegal dumping activities, and identify the challenges towards reducing illegal dumping activities in the Malaysian construction industry. Hence, this research conducted interviews with 20 expert stakeholders related to construction waste management in order to scrutinise illegal dumping activities in Malaysia. The data from these semi-structured interviews were analysed by content analysis. The findings are used to determine the current challenges for reducing illegal dumping activities in the Malaysian construction industry. The elements in the current findings are potentially to improve construction waste management in order to archive the proper construction waste management. Finally, this findings will help to identify strategies to reduce illegal dumping activities and to enhance challenges towards reducing illegal dumping activities in the Malaysian construction industry.

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