ASSESSING ATTRIBUTES OF DESIGN AND DESIGN DOCUMENTS IN RELATION TO CONSTRUCTION WASTE

Abstract

Construction waste is a worldwide problem and is produced at most construction sites. Despite the consensus that waste exists in the construction industry, the source of waste is different. As such, this study aims to assess the attributes of design and design documents concerning construction waste. A literature review was carried out to identify major construction causes of waste related to design and design documentation and minimization measures being used in the Ethiopian construction industry. It is clearly evident from the literature review and industry experts’ opinion that a huge quantity of waste exists and needs immediate attention. Consequently, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the attitudes of the professionals towards waste, the main reasons for the production of waste in preliminary phases, and measures to be exercised in minimizing that waste. This study employs a critical sampling technique to include a cadre of construction industry stakeholders as representatives, including architects, contractors, civil/structural engineers, site engineers, and construction project managers. The study used descriptive and exploratory survey design and the research used primary and secondary data collected through qualitative and quantitative methods. It collected data through survey questions, face-to-face interviews, and field surveys. Besides, site observations were undertaken to understand the problem very well. It used Likert’s evaluation techniques and statistical analysis software (SPSS) to analyze data. Validation of these findings in a case study of the projects during a site visit confirmed that the strategies are essential in preventing construction waste. Measures through which design and design documents could achieve the identified waste minimization/mitigation effective attributes are highlighted and discussed. The findings of the study could assist in understanding a set of measures that should be taken at project planning and design stages to mitigate the waste intensiveness of the construction industry. It would also assist designers in understanding a set of attributes that must be possessed by design and design documents to minimize or eliminate construction waste.