PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT ON CONSTRUCTION SITES IN NIGERIA
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Date
2017-03
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Published by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Abstract
Construction activities generate an enormous amount of material waste and it is therefore essential that waste management is given due consideration. The problem of material wastage on construction sites is not only uneconomical but also an environmental concern. This paper addressed the study of materials waste generation on construction sites in Kwara state, Nigeria. Causes and wastage levels of construction materials were identified and investigated. The target population comprises contacting organizations. Primary data was obtained using structured questionnaires, interviews and site visits. Respondents were requested to rate the 25 variables identified from literature review. A total of sixty-five (65) questionnaires were returned and found useful out of one hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires that were administered to contractors and site operatives amounts to a return rate of 54.17%. The relative contribution index method (RCI) was used to analyze the respondents’ perceptions of the level of contributions of the identified factors to material waste generation on sites. The research analyses revealed that incorrect estimated quantity is the highest contributor to waste generation with RCI of 0.765. Wrong handling of material is adjudged the second with RCI of 0.743. Inadequate supervision, impossibility to order small quantities and waste from uneconomical shapes are ascribed the third, fourth and fifth factors with RCI of 0.728, 0.713 and 0.708 respectively. The findings revealed that there was no significant difference between the perceptions of contractors and site operatives and there was no location effect in the level of contribution of the assessed factors to material waste generation as perceived by the respondents from different locality with a p-value of 0.469 with all the factors being scored with relative contribution index greater than 0.600. In view of the findings, this study recommends that contractors and other stakeholders on construction sites should jointly consider the use of waste minimization strategies by purchasing exact quantities of materials required. Trained personnel for monitoring and supervising the flow and handling of materials should be employed on every construction sites.
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Keywords
Construction sites, Contractors, Kwara State, Material handling, Material waste
Citation
8. Adebiyi, R. T., Bako, A. I., and Amuda-Yusuf, G. (2017). Promoting Sustainable Waste Management on Construction Sites in Nigeria. Ife Planning Journal, 6(1), 17-26. Published by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.