Al-Hajj, A and Hamani, K (2011) Material waste in the UAE construction industry: Main causes and minimization practices. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 7(4), pp. 221-235. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is facing the challenge of achieving sustainability on construction sites. One of the main barriers lies in the increasing amounts of material waste generated from construction activities, dumped in landfills. This research examined previous studies about the sources of waste and the recommended measures to minimize it. The significance of these causes and frequency of implementation of adequate measures in the UAE construction sites were examined. Four construction projects were visited before a survey of contractors' perceptions was conducted of the problem, causes of material waste, waste minimization measures and their benefits. The research revealed that the main causes of material waste are lack of awareness, excessive off-cuts resulting from poor design, and rework and variations. The most frequent measures practised to minimize material waste are: staff training, adequate storage and just-in-time delivery of materials. Waste measurement and waste segregation are areas that need more efficient implementation to achieve material waste minimization targets. Moreover, contractors' perceptions towards the benefits of material waste minimization revealed that this waste is primarily considered a financial problem and its minimization a cost-cutting activity. In contrast, the environmental dimension was neglected by surveyed companies.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; material waste; sustainability; UAE; waste management; waste minimization |
| Index terms: | minimization, construction activity, rework, construction site, survey, variation, construction project, just-in-time, waste management, United Arab Emirates, construction industry, implementation, dimension, landfill |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, lean logistics, Geography, contractual condition, production management, algorithms, health monitoring assessment and metrics, contractual arrangements, construction operations, work location, operations management, waste management, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Procurement, Project Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Site Management, Contract Administration, Supply Chain Management, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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