Material waste minimisation at the construction phase of a building project through the implementation of lean construction principles

Abstract

Material waste is made up of unwanted materials generated during construction, such as rejected structures and materials, materials that have been over ordered or are surplus to requirements, and materials that have been used and discarded. In Ghana, between 5% and 27% of the materials acquired for construction projects are wasted. Ghana's construction business finds it challenging to compete globally due to the current free global economic order. The study sought to assess material waste minimisation at the construction phase of a building project through the implementation of lean construction principles. The objectives of the study include; to assess the level of contribution of some waste minimization measures to waste reduction in the Ghanaian construction industry, to determine the level of understanding of the lean concept among construction practitioners in Ghana, and to determine the obstacles to successful lean construction implementation in the Ghanaian construction industry. Quantitative was used as the research design. A questionnaire survey was adapted to get feedback on the opinions of respondents about the wastage of building materials and the implementation of lean principles in the Ghanaian construction industry. The study adopted a census approach in the first stage in which the population of D1K1 contractors operating in the study area was determined. In the second stage, systematic random sampling was adopted to select the construction professionals covered in the survey using the sampling frame compiled for the list of professionals. Out of the total construction professional population of 105 in the study area, 83 of them representing 79.05% were chosen as the sample size for the study. The findings from the study revealed that purchasing just enough raw materials, using materials before they expire, good coordination between store and construction personnel to avoid overordering, using more efficient construction equipment, and using proper site management