Sources and Cause of Poor Performances on Residential Building Projects – Case Study of the Republic of Mauritius

Abstract

In this particular study the intent was to determine the sources and causes of poor performances on residential projects. The methodology adopted was through observation of the construction (from start to end) of 18 houses, and to be part of the study the houses needed to satisfy specific requirements such as (i) floor area of residence not exceeding 1615 square feet; (ii) the residence has ground floor only; (iii) the residence will be made of reinforced concrete elements and cladded with cellular blocks; (iv) acceptance of the client to be part of the survey; (v) acceptance of the client to give access to the site during the execution of works; (vi) acceptance of the client to give access to the plans and financial information; (vii) construction will be executed by a team of masons or small to medium labour contractors; (viii) the team of masons or the labour contractor will supply labour only; (ix) the client will be the sole party to deal with the different suppliers throughout the project; and (x) construction will start in the coming weeks. Miscommunication, improper planning and absence of internal supervision of works lead to some reworks which add to the overall cost of the project as well as increases the duration. In many cases, the end product was not of standard quality, and there was nobody to flag these issues. To bridge the gap between the client and the contractor, it is primordial to have the third stakeholder (consultant) into the picture. The proposed consultant’s scope of works will have to be precisely defined and the fees charged will have to be rational.