Viswalekshmi, B R and Bendi, D (2026) Construction waste reduction measures for high-rise buildings in India – a stakeholder's perspective. Construction Innovation, 26(2), pp. 491-530. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose – Construction waste reduction (CWR) plays a vital role in achieving sustainability in construction. A good CWR practice can result in optimizing material usage, conserving natural resources, limiting environmental pollution, protecting the environment and enhancing human health. In this regard, the purpose of the current study is to identify the most relevant organizational policies that aid in waste reduction and concurrently explores the congruent measures to be adopted during the construction process in the Indian high-rise building sector. Design/methodology/approach – The research findings were obtained through a mixed- method approach. Content analysis was used to identify waste reduction measures (variables) targeting on the two domains of construction – "waste-efficient execution" and "waste – mitigating organizational policies." Furthermore, the authors explored and documented the key measures from the identified waste reduction measures using the constraint value of the relative importance index. As the next step, the study listed the theoretical hypothesis based on expert interviews and tested the theory through confirmatory factor analysis. Findings – The results revealed that "waste sensitive construction techniques and strategies" as the most significant category under the domain "Execution" with a path coefficient of 0.85. Concurrently, the study has also determined that "control procedures for budget, quality and resources" as the most effective organizational approach in reducing construction waste in the Indian building industry, with a path coefficient of 0.83. Originality/value – The current research is context-sensitive to the Indian construction sector. It presents the stakeholder's perspective on construction waste reduction and the relevant measures to be implemented to reduce construction waste in high-rise building projects in India. It can also act as a concordance for decision-makers to further focus on CWR management and aid in formulating policies suitable for the Indian context.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | confirmatory factor analysis; construction waste; high rise; India; relative importance index; waste reduction |
| Index terms: | relative importance index, content analysis, strategy, confirmatory factor analysis, interview, human health, construction waste reduction, waste reduction, high-rise building, construction sector, high rise, methodology, construction process, control procedure, natural resource, pollution, India, construction waste, building industry |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, risk assessment, data analysis and analytics, project delivery, management, public and environmental health, industry analysis, environmental health, statistical analysis, waste management, construction type, environmental resource management, Geography, sustainability assessment, research methods, building construction |
| Topics: | Site Management, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Construction Technology, Health and Safety, Project Management, Geographical Context, Risk Management, Sustainability |
| 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