scholarly journals INVESTIGATION OF PLANT AND EQUIPMENT OPERATORS IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN SRI LANKA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.G.A.S Waidyasekara ◽  
◽  
K.I. Ridmika ◽  
N.M.G.H. Sandagomika ◽  
A.N Konara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Data Collection Tool ◽  
Social Returns ◽  
The Status ◽  
Essential Input

The construction industry, which is a labour intensive and skill development of the industry would yield both economic and social returns to the national economy. Among other occupational categories, there is a significant demand for the plant and equipment (P&E) operators in the construction industry. Nevertheless, limited numbers of research are available on the said area. Hence, the aim of this paper is to investigate the status of P&E operators in Sri Lankan building construction projects. Accordingly, this study encompassed a qualitative research approach, and six semi-structured expert interviews were conducted as the data collection tool. The study revealed that mainly two categories of P&E as moveable and immovable and further identified subcategories under each. Based on the results, occupational map was developed for the P&E operators in building construction projects in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the study revealed that technical and mechanical skills as an essential input for an efficient P& E operator. Moreover, the paper discussed issues with P & E operators. Accordingly, inconsistency, taking long leave, poor health conditions, less experience, and less motivation were identified as prominent issues.

Selecting suitable procurement system for steel building construction

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
G.P.P.S. Perera ◽  
T.M.M.P. Tennakoon ◽  
Udayangani Kulatunga ◽  
Himal Suranga Jayasena ◽  
M.K.C.S. Wijewickrama
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Steel Building ◽  
Selection Factors ◽  
Procurement System ◽  
Procurement Method ◽  
Critical Literature

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to select a suitable procurement method for steel building construction in Sri Lanka following a systematic method which weigh, both procurement selection factors and existing procurement systems.Design/methodology/approachAn abductive research stance is followed in this empirical study. Procurement selection factors were selected through a critical literature review which was followed by a quantitative questionnaire survey. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis and relative important index.FindingsThe critical literature review outlined 46 procurement selection factors, out of which 26 factors were very important in steel building procurement selection. Short construction period and higher constructability of design are ranked at the top with the highest priority rating factors. Management-oriented procurement system was selected as the most appropriate procurement system for steel building constructions within the Sri Lankan context.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to widely use three procurement systems in Sri Lankan construction industry. Yet, the process followed in selecting the most appropriate procurement system could be applied for other contexts. The implications of the study are mainly identifying management-oriented procurement as the most suitable procurement method for steel building construction in Sri Lanka.Practical implicationsThe systematic procedure of procurement method selection for steel building construction may use in the Sri Lankan construction industry to limit the resource loss due to wrong selection of procurement.Originality/valueA study which critically and comprehensively presenting a procurement selection process for steel building construction is not recorded in Sri Lanka prior to this study.

scholarly journals CHALLENGES AND ISSUES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INSTRUMENTS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SRI LANKA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.V.M.K. Wijerathna ◽  
◽  
M.D.T.E. Abeynayake ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Regulatory Instruments ◽  
Level Of Significance

The construction industry is required to improve sustainability to increase the rapid growth of the economy of Sri Lanka. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has introduced Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) survey, Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), and Environmental Protection License (EPL) as environmental protection instruments that have been correlated with construction projects. To interrupt the smooth performance of the EIA, IEE, and EPL, many challenges have been associated with these procedures. The research problem was approached through six preliminary interviews to refine the identified challenges and issues related to EIA, IEE and EPL with their processes within the Sri Lankan context. Based on the preliminary interview results, forty questionnaires were distributed to investigate the level of significance of the challenges and issues with regard to EIA, IEE, and EPL related to development projects. For this research, mixed research approach is used. Collected data were analysed in terms of statistical analysis and content analysis using NVivo 12 software respectively. The analysed data were revealed different issues of EIA, IEE, and EPL instruments in Sri Lanka. Especially challenges related to regulatory bodies were identified. According to the research, there were many adverse effects due to the ineffective implementation of environmental protection regulatory instruments. Similarly, it revealed that issues were affected to the time, cost, and quality of the construction projects. Ultimately, it provided proper guidance for implementing EIA, IEE, and EPL instruments and the necessity of implementation of a post-monitoring mechanism for environmental protection instruments.

scholarly journals An Investigation into the Significant Causes of Disputes in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry

10.29007/vbwk ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vajira Edirisinghe ◽  
Dianne Marsh ◽  
Fiona Borthwick ◽  
Alison Cotgrave
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Dispute Resolution ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Cost Optimization ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Construction Disputes ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Cost Of Construction

Disputes in construction projects affect not only delay in construction progress but also its cost and potentially its quality. The construction industry of Sri Lanka contributes significantly to its economy and the cost of construction disputes can influence its economic welfare. It is important to understand the significant disputes in the Sri Lankan construction industry in order to mitigate this cost. A qualitative descriptive study has been conducted through semi-structured questionnaires analyzed using a thematic approach. The sample comprised of 10-construction industry professionals all involved in the dispute resolution process. The literature identified 7 main dispute causes as being owner related, contractor related, project related, design related, contract related, human behavior related and consultant related. The interviews identified sub themes from each, which were then ranked in order to identify those that were most significant. It was found that many of the sub themes were inter related and that one cause could be the creation of another. The lack of appropriate communication between parties and lack of team spirit were identified as the genesis of disputes in the Sri Lankan construction industry. The next stage of this research is to identify the dispute resolution methods specific to Sri Lanka in order to develop a framework for cost optimization of dispute resolution methods that link specifically with the causes of dispute as identified in this study.

scholarly journals ENHANCING VALUE ENGINEERING APPLICATION IN THE SRI LANKAN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A FRAMEWORK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.V.P.U. Sandupama ◽  
◽  
T. Ramachandra ◽  
U.G.D. Madushika ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Engineering Application ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Value Engineering ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Concept Design

The concept of value engineering (VE) is used to optimise the cost, time, quality, and functional performance toward achieving the best value for client money. However, the application of VE in construction industries is limited as there are differences in the use of the VE concept to developing economies, application of cost-oriented procurement systems, and lack of a practically applicable framework. In the local construction context, VE is practiced in an ad hoc manner. Therefore, the current study aimed to develop a framework including a tailored approach to enhance the VE application in the building construction industry. A qualitative approach was adapted to solicit views of twenty-two (22) construction professionals who involved in the six (6) high-rise building construction projects and practiced the VE concept. Views of professionals were synthesised using content analysis and finally developed a framework including a tailored VE approach. The findings conclude that cost and time as the main value criteria which motivate the VE application. Further, VE application in the construction industry is initiated mostly in the construction stages while professionals’ preference is laid on the initial project phases. Consequently, the contractor change proposal was identified as the sound approach to deliver VE since motivations emerge during physical construction. Finally, a tailored VE approach was developed considering concept design, developed design, and construction stages with related VE motivations to enhance the VE application in the Sri Lankan building construction context in a simplified manner.

Management of variations in the public-sector building construction projects in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.A.K.S. Perera ◽  
D.C. Sirimewan ◽  
A.D. Senadeera
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Variation Management

Purpose Many public-sector building projects in developing countries are prone to variations owing to the changes made to their original project scopes, and economic depressions and stagnations. Cost and time-overruns are consequences of such variations. Thus, variation management in these projects is important. Hence, this paper aims to analyse the methods of managing variations in public-sector building projects in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a mixed research approach. Seventeen expert interviews and a questionnaire survey were conducted to identify the causes and consequences of the variations, and the strategies that will help manage those variations. Manual content analysis and mean weighted rankings (MWR) were used to analyse the collected quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Findings The employer, consultant, contractor and several other factors are mostly responsible for the variations in public-sector building projects in Sri Lanka. Cost and time-overruns, rework and demolition and disputes are the major consequences of such variations. The study findings reveal that a detailed employer’s brief, clearly defined project objectives, a comprehensive design and set of specifications, and preliminary investigations are the strategies that will mostly minimise the variations in public-sector building projects in Sri Lanka. Originality/value The study proposes strategies to avoid or minimise the adverse impact of variations, which the industry practitioners can adopt for variation management in public-sector building projects. The study theoretically contributes to knowledge by revealing how variations in public-sector building projects in Sri Lanka can be managed by identifying their causes and consequences.

scholarly journals CROSS-CULTURAL DIMENSIONS AND CROSS-CULTURAL ORIENTATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: CASE STUDY OF SRI LANKA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
NIRUSIKA RAJENTHIRAN ◽  
◽  
H.A.S MADHUWANTHI ◽  
D.M.P.P DISSANAYAKE ◽  
D.C. SIRIMEWAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Team Selection ◽  
Cultural Orientations

Significant issues affecting the success of construction projects due to globalisation is the establishment of a multicultural project team. Presently, China has emerged as one of Sri Lanka's main sources of foreign and commercial loans in an environment, where the island is seeking to rebuild and modernise infrastructure. However, the involvement of multi-cultural project teams often present unique challenges due to cross-cultural interactions, thereby, creating conflicts through construction projects, makes the conflict unavoidable. Therefore, this study was attempting to identify the cross-cultural dimensions and cross-cultural orientations in cross-cultural teamwork of Chinese contractors in construction projects in Sri Lanka. A qualitative approach was followed in this study in which multiple case study was selected as the most appropriate method for the research. Accordingly, semi-structured interviews were conducted among the selected four (4) respondents from each case to collect the data. Captured data was analysed by the manual content analysis method. An empirical investigation has been validated communication, leadership, trust, collectivism, team selection, uncertainty, team development and management as the common cross-cultural dimensions for all the three cases. This study added new cross-cultural dimensions to the literature in the context of Sri Lankan construction industry namely, coordination, harmony and customs with specific cross-cultural orientations. The study can be further developed to investigate strategies to manage intragroup conflicts occurs in cross-cultural teamwork of Sri Lankans and Chinese professionals in the Sri Lankan construction industry.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Procurement Methods in Malaysia – Comparing Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build and Construction Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azeanita Suratkon ◽  
◽  
Riduan Yunus ◽  
Rafikullah Deraman ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Technical Expertise ◽  
Time Cost ◽  
Project Complexity ◽  
Design Build ◽  
Procurement Method ◽  
Design Bid Build

Design-Bid-Build (DBB) or commonly known as Traditional method is the earliest and most prevalent procurement method used in Malaysian construction industry. Design-Build (DB) and Construction Management (CM) procurement methods were later introduced in Malaysia as an endeavour to satisfy and accommodate the increase in project complexity and the need for avoiding drawbacks of the Traditional methods. Each procurement method has different nature and possesses certain characteristics. Therefore, this study was carried out to ascertain and compare the characteristics of these three procurement methods that are implemented in building construction projects in Malaysia. A questionnaire survey was conducted among architects, consultants, contractors and owners or developers to elicit their feedback on the characteristics which were categorised into time, cost, quality, complexity and flexibility, degree of involvement and responsibility allocation and technical expertise. The findings indicated that only DB method almost fulfils all the characteristics under the six categories, whereas, DBB methods garnered agreement only for certain characteristics under time, cost, complexity and flexibility and technical expertise categories. Meanwhile, the only CM method’s characteristics that satisfy agreement from the respondents are the often used of fast track approach and lack of certainty in price. This study concludes that when a procurement method is adopted for a construction project, not all the features or characteristics will turn out as expected. There are many factors that contribute and are influential on the success in procurement methods that are worth for further investigation.

The Occupational Health and Safety Management of Workers in Building Construction Site

2014 ◽  
Vol 501-504 ◽  
pp. 2695-2699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Dong Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Occupational Injury ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
The Status ◽  
Countermeasures And Suggestions

The work of occupational health and safety about construction industry has increasingly aroused peoples' attention ,so this article puts forward the problems existing in the occupational health and safety management of construction industry as well as the countermeasures and suggestions through the analysis of the construction labours' common occupational injury accident of the present stage in our country and the status quo in the aspects of professional physical,mental health and safety ,which is to develop the workers' way of life on safety,civilization and health.

scholarly journals The status quo and perspective for improvement of public works procurement performance in Vietnam

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai Luong Nguyen ◽  
Tsunemi Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Public Works ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Status ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys

The public procurement sector plays a vital role in the economic development in developing countries such as Vietnam. However, public procurement activities usually perform poorly. This situation can be attributed to ineffective procedures and system (“hardware”) and human resource management (“software”), which occurs at every stage in project purchasing. The poor performance has reduced the effectiveness and efficiency of project delivery in the construction industry, causing delays, cost over-runs, and defects in construction projects. This paper, through working experience and observation by the first author, problems of public procurement were obtained as hypotheses and then validated based on questionnaire surveys and CIS (Construction Industry Structure) model analysis. The survey results indicated a relative correlation with CIS model in description of current construction industry. The study aims to identify issues of public procurement at all stages: pre bid, bid information, evaluation, and award. Based on identified major problems and determined risks, the results are expected to provide a valuable perspective, and thus, to propose necessary strategies to deliver high performance, competition and transparency for the public procurement. In further studies, it is relevant to propose a new model for sustainable public procurement based on the best value approach.

scholarly journals The Status of Value Management Practice on Construction Projects in Uganda and Strategies for Improvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-267
Author(s):  
Apollo Tutesigensi ◽  
Nathan Kibwami ◽  
Saul B. Matege
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Ordinal Variables ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
The Status ◽  
Industry Professionals

In many developing countries, value management (VM) is not applied widely and systematically in construction projects. This limits the achievement of value for money. The objectives of this study were to describe the state of VM practice in Uganda and suggest strategies for improvement. Based on the extant literature, a conceptual framework depicting VM practice in the lifecycle of construction projects was developed. A questionnaire containing both nominal and ordinal measures was distributed to a sample of Ugandan construction industry professionals. During data analysis, the distributions of nominal variables were expressed in terms of percentages. A univariate analysis of the ordinal variables was undertaken using measures of central tendency (mean) and dispersion (standard deviation). A bivariate analysis of the ordinal variables was undertaken using Friedman, Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. The application of VM in Uganda was rudimentary, inconsistent and misguided, based on the reports of the respondents. This finding constitutes the first major contribution of this work to knowledge. It also led to the idea that the practice of VM in Uganda can be improved by raising awareness and the standard for VM application. Ten strategies for these two purposes have been put forward in this article. These strategies constitute the second major contribution to knowledge.

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