Appropriate building technologies: An appraisal based on case studies of building projects in Senegal and Kenya

Wells, J (1993) Appropriate building technologies: An appraisal based on case studies of building projects in Senegal and Kenya. Construction Management and Economics, 11(3), pp. 203-216. ISSN 01446193

Abstract

This paper reports the findings from three case studies of building projects where a conscious decision was taken to incorporate appropriate technologies into the structure of the buildings. The paper describes each project, documents any problems encountered in the implementation process, and assesses the success of the technologies in meeting client expectations in terms of time, cost and quality. The broader economic implications of the use of these technologies are also examined. The conclusion emerges that the benefits to the economy from the use of appropriate technologies may be greater than the benefits to individual clients.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: appropriate technologies; building materials; fibre-concrete; Kenya; quality control; Senegal; stabilized soil
Index terms: Senegal, appraisal, Kenya, appropriate technology, documents, building technology, implementation, quality control, building material, case study
Subjects: factor and component analysis, Geography, professional development, building materials, contractual arrangements, project delivery, data collection methods, technological development, engineering systems
Topics: Design Practice, Quality Management, Sustainability, Procurement, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice
Descriptive scope: 3 PCE

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