Abstract
Material wastage on construction sites can contribute to cost overruns. Research to provide evidence of the extent of material wastages’ contribution to cost overruns on construction sites is based mostly on surveys. Thus, the actual contribution is not yet ascertained. The purpose of this article is to report the results of an objectively investigated study on the contributions of material waste to project-cost overrun. The methodological approach adopted for the study is the quantitative technique that is rooted in the positivist paradigm. The investigation included ongoing building construction projects within Abuja, Nigeria, from which a sample of 31 public and private projects was purposefully selected (project value of ₦1.6 billion Naira and above). The data for this research were sourced from the field investigation (measurement of the volume of material waste) and data from the archival records (drawings, bills of quantities, project-progress reports, and specifications) on material waste and cost overruns. The collected data were analysed using the Pearson moment correlation and the descriptive method. The research results revealed a statistically significant relationship between material waste and cost overrun. This implies that any increase in the volume of material waste would lead to a corresponding increase in the amount of cost overrun. The results showed that the significant percentage contribution of material waste to project-cost overrun ranges from 1.96% to 8.01%, with an average contribution of 4.0% to project-cost overruns. It is recommended that construction professionals be well informed of the consequences of material waste contributions to project-cost overrun at an early stage, in order to enable the professionals to evaluate the extent to which these consequences could be minimised. Keywords : Cost overrun, construction waste, construction industry, material waste, Nigeria
Highlights
The construction industry contributes to the socio-economic growth of any nation by improving the quality of life and providing the infrastructure, such as roads, hospitals, schools, and other basic facilities
The results showed that the significant percentage contribution of material waste to project-cost overrun ranges from 1.96% to 8.01%, with an average contribution of 4.0% to project-cost overruns
The result implies that any increase in material waste on the construction site would result in a corresponding increase in the amount of cost overrun for a project
Summary
The construction industry contributes to the socio-economic growth of any nation by improving the quality of life and providing the infrastructure, such as roads, hospitals, schools, and other basic facilities. Being a complex industry, it is faced with the severe problems of cost overruns, time overruns, and construction waste (Abdul-Rahman, Memon & AbdKarim, 2013: 268; Dania, Kehinde & Bala, 2007: 122; Tam, 2008: 1073). The majority of this waste has not been well managed, causing substantial health and environmental problems (Imam, Mohammed, Wilson & Cheesman, 2008: 469), and affecting the performance of many projects in Nigeria (Adewuyi & Otali, 2013: 746; Ameh & Itodo, 2013: 748; Oladiran, 2009: 1). The poor management of materials and waste leads to an increase in the total cost of building projects (Ameh & Itodo, 2013: 745)
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