Strategies for minimising material wastage in project construction in Ghana
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Date
2019-11
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KNUST
Abstract
The concept of sustainable development stresses on the responsibility of the present
generation to preserve or enhance the opportunities and capabilities of future generations
through efficient resource usage. In the construction trade, the problem of material waste on
building site is a major problem which threatens the sustainability of the industry. Within
each passing day, significant volumes of waste are produced on project sites in Ghana and
the world at large. The study aims at identify strategies for minimizing material wastage in
construction project delivery in Ghana. Structured questionnaires were self-administered to
project supervisors, site foremen, Quantity surveyors and other key professionals who are
involved in the procurement and management of materials in the selected firms after extant
literature was reviewed. To Identifying major sources of materials wastage in the
construction sites, identifying the causes of materials wastage and identifying strategies in
minimizing wastage of materials were the objectives set to realizing the aim of the study.
The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics. The ordinal data were further
analysed using Mean Score Ranking criterion. There was a response rate of 90.80%, thus,
148 respondents participated in the survey. Moreover, material storage and handling,
overproduction and waste resulting from cutting uneconomical shapes were identified by
respondents as major causes of material wastage on construction site. Some of the strategies
identified in waste minimization were clear communication of waste management policies,
provision of required waste facilities and collaborating, support for top leadership and
promoting collective accountability among the workers. The study recommends that
frequent training should be organised for the workers in the industry to educate and equip
them with the necessary capacity to understand and utilize the construction waste.
Description
A thesis submitted to the department of Construction Technology and Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award degree of Master of Science in Project Management