Competencies Driving Waste Minimization during the Construction Phase of Buildings

Abstract

It is thought that there is a low level of awareness of key competencies that drive material waste reduction at the construction stage of a project which has led to the low impact of waste minimization in the construction industry. This study, therefore, explores the key competencies for driving waste minimization at the construction stage of projects. Twenty-four (24) key factors that drive CW minimization at the construction stage of projects were derived from a thorough review of existing literature. The research adopted the quantitative approach whereby a questionnaire survey involving 53 construction professionals was conducted. Factor analysis was the statistical tool employed for the analysis of the data gathered. The findings of the study revealed four major competencies that drive CW minimization: Awareness Competency (AC), Managerial Competency (MC), Personnel Ability Competency (PAC), and Communication Competency (CC). The implementation of the key competencies from the findings of the study is highly recommended for the achievement of low waste in building projects. In view of this, it is recommended that government should enact legislative and fiscal measures to instill waste management habits in the construction industry. Several studies have investigated strategies or measures for CW minimization. However, this study focused on the knowledge and skills of construction stakeholders as the main component of waste minimization competencies.

Achieving Healthy City Development in Ghana: Referencing Sustainable Development Goal 11

“…The same explanation can be given to the Likert scale used to assess the respondents' level of awareness and level of achievement of healthy cities in Ghana. This procedure for determining the sample test value has been applied in most recent construction-related research [79,[81][82][83]. The statistical test (i.e., one-sample t-test) was conducted at a confidence level of 95% with a p-value of 0.05.…”

Drivers for design for deconstruction (DfD) implementation among design professionals

“…The interview duration ranged from 20 to 30 minutes, allowing interviewees to express their thoughts and ideas freely. According to Botchway et al (2023a), using 2 to 50 participants for a qualitative study is adequate. Hence, the ten respondents in this study phase adequately provided the information needed.…”

“…Construction and demolition waste (CDW) has expanded dramatically with negative and catastrophic consequences for urban sustainability and survival regarding economic values and environmental safety (Aslam et al, 2020). CDW is viewed as the most urgent issue in the construction sector because of its devastating effects on the environment and economy (Botchway et al, 2023a). CDW impacts the environment, including the loss of land for new landfills, damage to the soil from removing raw materials for new construction items, and the depletion of natural resources (Aslam et al, 2020).…”