Ajayi, S O (2017) Design, procurement and construction strategies for minimizing waste in construction projects. PhD thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Abstract
The construction industry contributes the largest portion of waste to landfill, and it consumes a significant proportion of mineral resources excavated from nature. Due to adverse environmental impacts of waste generation, as well as financial gains associated with its minimization, waste intensiveness of the industry has remained a major concern across nations. This study investigates the design, procurement and construction strategies for waste minimization, using a dynamic approach. Apart from an investigation of the key and underlying measures for construction waste mitigation, the study considers the interrelationship between stages of projects' lifecycle. This is as activities carried out at an earlier stage are capable of engendering occurrences at later stages of the dynamic project delivery processes. Following the tenets of critical realism philosophy and exploratory sequential mixed method, the study combined qualitative and quantitative approaches at intensive and extensive stages respectively. At the early stage of the study, data were collected through literature review and focus group discussions with industry experts. Results of the qualitative study were used to develop a questionnaire, which was analysed using statistical approach and structural equation modelling. As a means of investigating the key drivers of waste minimization at a holistic level, a system dynamic model was developed to simulate the interplay and effects of different strategies that were confirmed through the previous process. The study suggests that design stage has the most decisive impacts on construction waste minimization. At this stage, the key dimensions for designing out waste include design for modern methods of construction, collaborative design process, design for standardisation and waste-efficient design documentation. Error-free design and involvement of contractors at early design stage are part of the critical success factors for designing out waste. With design being much important for waste minimization, competencies of design in terms of waste behavioural competency, design task proficiency, construction-related knowledge and inter-professional collaborative competency are essential for designing out waste. Materials procurement process could enhance waste minimization by considering its key dimensions for driving waste-efficient projects, which includes waste-efficient materials purchase management, suppliers' alliance and waste-efficient bill of quantity. Efficient materials take-off and take back scheme are confirmed as critical success factors for driving waste minimization through materials procurement processes. During construction activities, waste could be reduced through prefabrication and offsite technology, contractual requirements, maximisation of materials reuse and improved collaboration, among others. Prefabrication, supply chain alliance and collaborative procurement routes are confirmed as the critical success factors for reducing waste during construction process. Dynamic interplay among these sets of strategies suggests that notwithstanding the significance of the different measures during design, procurement and construction processes, prefabrication technology and collaborative procurement route are the holistic drivers of construction waste minimisation. The study implies that designers could effectively drive waste minimization through dimensional coordination and standardisation of design in line with standard materials supplies. In addition to the need for prefabrication and offsite technologies, increasing collaboration among project team is requisite to reducing waste generated by construction activities. By implementing the strategies suggested in the study, substantial proportion of construction waste would be diverted from landfill.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | collaboration; design process; documentation; environmental impact; focus group; landfill; materials; offsite; prefabrication; procurement; project team; reuse |
| Index terms: | construction process, collaboration, construction project, mitigation, questionnaire, environmental impact, design stage, critical success factor, collaborative design, landfill, procurement process, design process, minimization, focus group, take-off, literature review, strategy, structural equation modelling, philosophy, maximization, critical realism, documentation, standardization, investigation, lifecycle, prefabrication, construction industry, bills of quantities, dimension, project delivery, early design stage, coordination, project team, construction waste, modern methods of construction, mixed method, construction activity, waste generation, qualitative study, designer |
| Subjects: | quantity surveying, performance measurement, management, professional development, philosophical studies, industry analysis, statistical analysis, profession, data collection methods, research design and methodology, control systems, design methods, data analysis and analytics, health monitoring assessment and metrics, project delivery, financial and cost management, theoretical framing, algorithms, production management, financial risk, design process, building construction, waste management, environmental impact, construction operations, contractual arrangements, professional practice |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Project Management, Sustainability, Procurement, Quality Management, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Information Management, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Construction Technology, Digital Applications, Design Practice, Site Management, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here