An assessment of quality of workmanship in civil engineering construction: a decision model to evaluate the workmanship

Abstract

The construction industry in Sri Lanka is a major contributor to the national gross domestic product and expects a high standard of workmanship by stake holders. The construction project management processes have a significant effect on construction quality. In this context, the study first identified the constraints responsible for poor workmanship in construction. They were categorised as external and internal constraints and classified into subcategories. The level of influence of each constraint on construction workmanship and the extent to which each constraint could be expected at worksites were identified and ranked through a questionnaire survey conducted among professionals. The five most significant constraints were thereafter identified and their correlation with workmanship. An effort to introduce an equation correlating the workmanship and the availability of influencing constraints is taken with the difficulties faced in collecting the data.