South African Construction Industry Research Articles

Construction Health and Safety Agent Collaboration and Its Influence on Health and Safety Performance in the South African Construction Industry

Fatalities, injuries, and illnesses continue to occur in the construction industry (CI), despite efforts made by clients, designers, and contractors. The lack of collaboration between these project actors and construction health and safety agents (CHSA) remains a challenge for both construction professionals and academics. Given the urgent need for CHSA to collaborate with other construction project members, this study proposes a model for improving CHSA collaboration and its influence on health and safety (H&S) performance. The exploratory sequential mixed method, which included a Delphi study and a questionnaire survey, was adopted. H&S experts were purposively sampled. A three-round Delphi study was conducted to identify the factors, and these factors were categorized into 9 main factors developed from a review of the literature and the input of 15 H&S experts, 14 of whom completed all 3 iterations. Stratified sampling was used to gather quantitative data. A total of 257 questionnaires were returned, of which 213 responses were usable for analysis. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was conducted and resulted in 6 main factors. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to establish the validity and reliability of constructs, and finally, path analysis in EQS version 6.4 was used to analyze the results of the questionnaire survey and evaluate the goodness of model fit. The findings were that mutuality, trust, institutional support, project context, and common purpose contribute to CHSA collaboration. Additionally, the influence of project context, common purpose, and CHSA collaboration on H&S performance were found to be statistically significant. The study’s implication is that in order to improve H&S performance, clients, designers, and contractors may not limit the participation of CHSA on the project. The implication for the CI is that by promoting CHSA collaboration, the likelihood of CHSA influence could increase and H&S performance could improve on construction projects. The study revealed that collaboration should be considered for improving H&S performance. The study is limited to respondents who met the selection criteria to participate in the Delphi study and questionnaire survey. Any registered persons who did not receive regular communication and announcements would have not participated. Despite the requirements of the South Africa Construction Regulations 2014 that CHSA should be part of the construction project team, more studies should be conducted to investigate the CHSA level of involvement on the project.

Factors influencing the intention to adopt green construction: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to assess the behavioural factors that influence professionals' intention to adopt green construction based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB).Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a quantitative research design with the use of online questionnaires to elicit information from construction professionals in South Africa. Descriptive statistics of frequencies, mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data obtained from the survey. Linear regression was also used to assess the effect of behavioural factors on professionals' intention to adopt green construction.FindingsThe results showed that attitude and perceived behavioural control (PBC) have a significant effect on the intention to adopt green construction. These were significant at p < 0.05, having p-values of 0.000 and 0.015 respectively. The study also found that there was a positive disposition towards green construction, particularly with regards to insisting on green construction. This had a mean value of 3.99. There was also a high perception of succeeding in the execution of green projects with mean score of 3.76.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of the findings is that adoption of green construction in South Africa is majorly based on the positive attitude of stakeholders towards green construction and also the PBC or the perceived ease of executing green construction. However, these factors are not sufficient to generate long term commitment for green transformation among a critical mass of stakeholders in the South African construction industry. Hence, there is a need for focus on subjective norms (pressure) particularly from the government, to encourage the widespread adoption of green construction in South Africa.Originality/valueFindings present one of the pioneering efforts to empirically validate the influence of behavioural factors on the intention to adopt green construction in South Africa and the outcomes can provide policy directions and baseline data for further research.

Perspectives of Severity in the Choice of Risk Management Techniques

This study examines the risk management practices prevalent in the South African construction industry. This was necessitated by ineffective risk management practices in the construction industry, particularly in developing countries such as South Africa. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish the risk management practices in use. The study adopted a quantitative research approach that employs an electronic questionnaire to contractors operating in South Africa. The findings suggest that the South African construction industry experiences ineffective risk management implementation, which is impacted by the perception of the risk severity. The study established that contractors face many risks, chief among them high competition in bids, political instability, payment delays, corruption and bribery and an overbearing influence of bureaucratic processes from government-aligned agencies. Furthermore, it was also established that risk management techniques used amongst South African contractors are largely informal with low implementation. It also emerged that risk management implementation is perceived to be an expensive venture that erodes the marginal profits contractors aim to make. Resultantly, risk management practices implementation is low among the contractors. The study recommends that public and private construction clients encourage adopting risk management practices linked to good practice and not based on perceptions of risk severity.

Housing Quantum and Innovative Building Systems in South Africa – the Affordability Perspective for 2020

The adoption of innovative building technologies (IBTs) and social welfare policies in South Africa has facilitated an increase in decent homeownership among low-income groups, thus improving their quality of life. However, due to the escalating costs of building materials, the capital and lifecycle costs of implementing these technologies may no longer be affordable. This research aims to provide a comparative evaluation of the affordability of some readily available IBTs in the South African construction industry, relative to existing homeownership subsidy grants. The method used involved the use of secondary data for these IBTs and the income constraint methods. The results showed that, apart from the technologies suitable for the provision of temporary structures, most of the other technologies were not affordable for the complete subsidisation of the top structure when both capital and lifecycle costs were used, except the Moladi and Robust structure IBTs under some low-income homeownership programmes. Further analysis using credit-linked subsidies revealed that the minimum household income required to achieve affordable homeownership (and their rankings) depends both on the evaluation technique (lifecycle or capital costs) and technology used. To improve affordability, any implementing government can either raise the amount of the top structure subsidy grant, promote the use of cheaper but durable IBTs, or promote the use in incremental building methods, such as the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP) for the case of South Africa.

Critical factors influencing the failure of joint ventures in the South African construction industry: a confirmatory factor analysis approach

PurposeJoint ventures (JVs) serve as a viable tool in mitigating some of the challenges posed to the effective delivery of construction projects. However, JVs are highly susceptible to failure in most developing countries. Therefore, this study seeks to unravel the critical factors influencing the failure of JVs in the South African construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was adopted for the study using a well-structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. Respondents for the study were built environment professionals in Gauteng province in South Africa. Data elicited from respondents were analyzed using a four-pronged process which included descriptive statistics, one sample t-test, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.FindingsResulting from the analysis conducted, four critical components emerged as the major factors influencing the failure of JVs in the South African construction industry, which are inefficient financial framework, divergent organizational culture, poor project governance and inadequacies from project stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe outcome of this study presents a roadmap for stakeholders in the construction industry with the requisite knowledge of the critical factors leading to the failure of JVs, consequently providing a clear path for the successful delivery of JV mandates.Originality/valueEvidence from literature suggests that several studies have been conducted on the various aspects of JVs in the South African construction industry; however, none has focused on the leading factors attributed to the failure of JVs. Also, the findings of this study cultivate a good theoretical platform for future studies on JVs.

A proposal to facilitate BIM implementation across the South African construction industry

The value of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been noted by the global construction industry, and several countries are facilitating BIM through national strategies and initiatives. However, the South African Construction Industry (SACI) lacks widespread and effective BIM implementation. Therefore, this study presents a proposal to facilitate BIM implementation across the industry. A qualitative, exploratory methodology was followed involving semi-structured interviews with nine BIM experts. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. An understanding was gained of the challenges associated with BIM implementation across the construction industry. Possible solutions were found in terms of initiatives and strategies to facilitate and promote BIM implementation locally. Key role-players responsible for facilitating BIM implementation in the SACI were identified. Finally, a proposal is made to facilitate BIM implementation across the local industry, which comprises three key concepts, namely leadership, strategy, and roles and responsibilities. This research contributes to BIM adoption and implementation in the SACI and can be used for future research on national BIM implementation strategies.

An investigation into the relationship between diversity, leadership and innovation in the South African construction industry

Without a diverse leadership and workforce, in the South African construction industry innovation is hindered and slowed, resulting in a weakened ability to respond to a fast paced and technologically driven market and economical changes, which has a direct impact on organisational growth. Little is known about the role of leadership in managing the relationship between diversity and innovation in the South African construction industry. The construction industry has not been responsive to market changes and therefore slow to innovate. This rapidly evolving contextual landscape requires a more diverse workforce in order to address these challenges. This paper presents the findings from a study that investigated and analysed the role of leadership in managing the relationship between diversity and innovation in the construction industry. In this context leadership is described as the ability to select, equip, train, and influence one or more followers who have diverse gifts, abilities, and skills and focuses the followers to the organisation’s mission and objectives. Diversity are described as age, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, race and capabilities. Innovation is described as the implementation of ideas that have come together to create new solutions to problems or improvements to existing systems, processes, products, or attempted solutions.

The use of prefabrication in building

Prefabricated construction in the construction industry is a growing technology implemented globally. However, some countries do not implement this new technology. This study sought to identify the barriers hindering the adoption of prefabricated construction in the South African construction industry. The research focused on South Africa, specifically East London in Eastern Cape Province. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of six prefabrication building firms. The data collected was then analysed and coded using thematic content analysis. The study’s findings indicate the barriers to the acceptance of prefabricated construction as aesthetic appeal, product stigmas and beliefs, financial commitment, product flexibility, public and construction industry knowledge, and effect on construction industry professionals. Thus the lack of understanding of the prefabricated construction method is the primary barrier to adopting this construction method in South Africa. All these factors underpin the lack of prefabricated construction and building methods in the South African construction industry, especially in East London. The study suggests that with the barriers against adopting prefabricated construction, further investigation is recommended to mitigate these barriers.

Health and Safety practices relative to nanomaterial usage in the South African construction industry

Nanotechnology is a recent development within construction, however, exposure to nanomaterials entails exposure to emerging hazards and risk, which is exacerbated by the limited knowledge pertaining thereto. A quantitative survey was conducted among medium to large sized general contractors, and architects in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The salient findings include: architects and contractors specify and use nanomaterials during the construction process; architects follow ‘designing for safety’ practice to a limited extent; contractors conduct the necessary training, inform their employees of the potential hazards related to the use of nanomaterials, implement safe application techniques when working with nanomaterials, issue employees with the necessary PPE to carry out the work safely, and generally do not analyse the characteristics of materials to a major extent, but do analyse material safety data sheets (MSDSs). Conclusions include: there is a low level of awareness and knowledge with respect to nanomaterials; the responding architects are barely committed to construction H&S; responding contractors are committed to H&S, and there is a need for research to determine the healthiest and safest methods of using nanomaterials. It is recommended that designers and contractors should enhance their awareness of and knowledge pertaining to nanomaterials, including the hazards and risks.

Data Management Risks: A Bane of Construction Project Performance

The construction industry is a sector that creates employment opportunities for everybody from all backgrounds. A good performance achieved through managing data is one factor that enables the construction industry’s success and development. Unfortunately, data management encounters challenges regarding data safety, due to the implementation of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) (digitalisation). This study sets out to evaluate the effects of risks to data management on the performance of construction projects. This research work used a quantitative methodology and gathered information from different construction professionals in the South African construction industry via a well-structured questionnaire through online platforms. These professionals were quantity surveyors, architects, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers practising for a firm, company, organization, or institution within Gauteng province, South Africa. A random sampling technique was used in this research to ensure that each part and set of individuals had an equivalent possibility of being incorporated into the sample. Of 215 questionnaires sent out, 181 (84.19%) responses were received and used for data analysis. Mean item score (MIS), standard deviation (SD), a non-parametric test, and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyse the retrieved data. Findings revealed that loss of construction project data, loss of confidential information, company image and reputational harm are among the top three effects that risks to data have on people working in the construction sector. This study concluded that these data management risk effects could be prevented if construction project stakeholders were aware of the different data management risks.

Cyber attack risks to construction data management in the fourth industrial revolution era: a case of Gauteng province, South Africa

The 4IR or the digital revolution refers to a collective term for a value chain organizational concepts and technologies that together build the Internet of Things, Internet of people, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Internet of Services and the Internet of Energy. While this digital revolution has helped the construction industry to prevent cost and time overruns and enable efficiency and good work’s quality, it also has disadvantages and risks such as cyberattacks and loss of jobs. This study set out to determine the risks associated with data management (cyberattacks) on construction projects in the fourth industrial revolution era. The research study will address the questions of “what are the cyberattacks risk attributed to construction data management in the fourth revolution era?” and “What are the differences in the opinion of respondents concerning the identified cyberattacks?”. This research work used a quantitative method and gathered information from different construction professionals in the South African construction industry precisely in Gauteng province via a well-structured questionnaire through online platforms. These professionals involve quantity surveyors, architects, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers practising under a firm, company, organisation, or institution within the Gauteng province, South Africa. Findings revealed that viruses, hacking, and password cracking are the most frequent risk to data management encountered in the construction industry. It was also indicated that construction project stakeholders need a strong knowledge of how attackers operate to address, avoid, and stop the different risks rising when executing a project. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by highlighting the various risks encountered in managing data in the construction industry which will assist professionals in the industry to pay attention to means of mitigating the identified risks. This will keep stakeholders abreast of how simple negligence from their side can deeply affect the project data thereby affecting project delivery. It was concluded based on findings that construction professionals need to avoid the occurrence of these risks to enhance satisfactory project delivery and protect their project information. The study recommended that all construction project parties require full training sessions on risks to data to prevent any types of intrusion into the company’s information system.

Hindering factors to the utilisation of UAVs for construction projects in South Africa

As the designs of construction projects become more complex, there is a corresponding increase in the difficulty encountered in project monitoring. Hence, it is advisable to integrate innovative technologies such as the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to abate some of the problems encountered in the delivery of construction projects. This paper aims to evaluate the barriers to the usage of UAVs in construction project delivery in South Africa. Adopting a quantitative method for the study, data was collected with the aid of a questionnaire from construction professionals in Gauteng province, South Africa. Findings from the study indicate that the most significant factors hindering the deployment of drones in the South African construction industry are lack of training by institutions and lack of investment in new technologies by organisations. Conclusively, the paper recommends measures that would propel the espousal of drone technologies for effective and efficient construction project delivery in the South African construction industry.

Unmanned aerial vehicles usage on south african construction projects: perceived benefits

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being employed in various parts of the engineering industries for project development, project management, surveying, among others. UAVs can also be adopted in construction for pre-planning, proper surveying of the given area, checking or inspecting site safety and quality monitoring. Based on these envisaged uses, this study is set to assess the benefits of UAVs usage in the construction industry. This was achieved through a detailed literature review combined with empirical data analysis. Data was retrieved through questionnaire survey distributed to professionals randomly in the South African construction industry. The retrieved data was analysed using descriptive and inferential data analysis methods. Findings revealed that UAVs adoption in the construction industry will lead to reduction in worker’s injury as it will be implemented for monitoring of workers activities on site. It was also revealed that UAVs are useful in on-site asset tracking which allows stakeholders to have real-time information on the construction project from anywhere. The study concluded that the efficiency in the performance of the construction industry can be achieved through the adoption of UAVs in the different stages of construction projects.

BIM implementation: an empirical validation for a four-wheel model

PurposeBecause BIM adoption is still afflicted by various types of hurdles, a complete BIM implementation model is required to provide the necessary methods for driving BIM adoption. As a result, this study looked into the parts of the BIM implementation model that had the most impact on increasing the percentage of BIM adoption in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis study developed a four-wheel model of BIM implementation based on implementation process theory, which includes BIM inspiration, BIM capacity development, BIM use and BIM commitment. To assess BIM capacity development, two sub-constructs (BIM learning process and BIM learning methodologies) were used. Two sub-constructs were used to assess BIM utilisation (efficient BIM application and effective BIM application). The sub-constructs employed to quantify BIM motivation were organisational competitiveness, societal conformity and contractual obligations. Incentives, investments and obligations were used to assess BIM commitment. The model was validated using four assumptions and maximum likelihood estimation – structural equation modelling (MLE-SEM).FindingsThe MLE-SEM results demonstrated unequivocally that all of the constructions are critical components of the BIM deployment paradigm in the South African construction industry. BIM motivation, as characterised by organisational competitiveness and social compliance, has the greatest impact. The findings on BIM motivation also revealed that the desire for technological sophistication, competitiveness and social acceptance by clients are encouraging construction organisations and professionals to embrace BIM adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's findings have contributed to the increasing body of literature on BIM deployment. The study has significant implications for achieving BIM implementation in underdeveloped nations where BIM deployment is either non-existent or in its early stages. The theoretical component of the study serves as the foundation for further analysis of BIM deployment.Practical implicationsThis research is important for identifying BIM goals, developing a BIM implementation framework, allocating resources for BIM implementation and defining key performance indicators for BIM implementation. The BIM implementation aspects outlined in this study will be effective in lowering BIM adoption hurdles.Originality/valueThis study makes a unique contribution to BIM research by providing theoretical and empirical analysis into the elements of the BIM implementation model in a developing country. The study offers an excellent opportunity to further our understanding of BIM application in underdeveloped nations.

Assessing Construction Constraint Factors on Project Performance in the Construction Industry

A construction constraint is a condition that impedes progress toward meeting construction project goals. This paper seeks to assess the constraint factors affecting project performance in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative research design, and a questionnaire was designed to retrieve data from the target populations. The target population were construction professionals within the South African construction industry. One hundred and eighty questionnaires were administered to construction professionals within the study area through the purposive quota sampling technique. Retrieved data were analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. In order to determine the data reliability and the interrelatedness of the variables, Cronbach’s alpha test was carried out on each component. The results of the exploratory factor analysis show that stakeholders’ inappropriate project scheduling and coordination factors, organisation and government policies factors, and organisation and government policies factors were the leading constraints affecting construction project performance in the South African construction industry. Due to time and distance constraints, this study was limited to construction professionals in South Africa’s Free State province. The paper concluded that to reduce the construction constraints affecting construction project performance, construction professionals must improve their project scheduling, coordination, organisational policies, and managerial capacity. The paper’s findings will assist stakeholders in identifying and overcoming construction constraints in construction projects’ execution and delivery.

Analyzing the Project Delay Causes in the South African Construction Industry

Analyzing the Project Delay Causes in the South African Construction Industry

IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES: A THEORETICAL EVALUATION ON A COUNTRY’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Recent years have seen many challenges associated with sustainable construction practices, which stem mainly from the need to maintain a balance between the different dimensions of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental. As a result, the paper investigates previous literature on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices in the South African construction industry. The data for this paper came from a systematic literature review, which included references to published theoretical literature. According to literature findings, one of the major challenges in sustainability implementation is capital cost, which is followed by information gathering, a lack of legislative incentives, leadership/management barriers, the challenges of chronic labor shortages, a lack of innovation and adaptability among industry stakeholders, and the industry's overall resistance to change. The study is primarily a literature review on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices as well as contributing innovative strategies to the thinking on sustainability in the South African construction industry. It is recommended that the construction industry be robust, have an attitude shift in finding practical solutions to tackle sustainable construction barriers, and develop standards and training objectives to ensure that the construction processes undertaken by various construction firms result in higher levels of education and environmental awareness.

The Use of the Exploratory Sequential Approach in Mixed-Method Research: A Case of Contextual Top Leadership Interventions in Construction H&S.

Quality and rigour remain central to the methodological process in research. The use of qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study was justified here against using a single method; the empirical output from the literature review should direct the current worldview and, subsequently, the methodologies applied in research. It is critical to gather contextual behavioural data from subject matter experts—this helps establish context and confirm the hypotheses arising from the literature, which leads to the refinement of the theory’s applicability for developing a conceptual model. This paper identified the top leaders in construction organisations as subject matter experts. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted, representing the South African construction industry grading. The output of the refined hypothesis was followed by a survey that targeted n = 182 multi-level senior leaders to gather further perspectives and validate the conceptual model. The outcome resulting from the rigorous validation process adopted—the analysis process, which included Spearman rank correlation, ordinal logistic regression and multinomial generalised linear modelling—demonstrated that the lack of H&S commitment in top leadership persists, despite high awareness of the cruciality of H&S in their organisations. Contextual competence, exaggerated by the local setting, is one source of this deficiency. This paper provides guidelines for using the exploratory sequential approach in mixed-method research to effectively deal with contextual issues based on non-parametric modelling data in top leadership H&S interventions.

IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES: A THEORETICAL EVALUATION ON A COUNTRY’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Recent years have seen many challenges associated with sustainable construction practices, which stem mainly from the need to maintain a balance between the different dimensions of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental. As a result, the paper investigates previous literature on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices in the South African construction industry. The data for this paper came from a systematic literature review, which included references to published theoretical literature. According to literature findings, one of the major challenges in sustainability implementation is capital cost, which is followed by information gathering, a lack of legislative incentives, leadership/management barriers, the challenges of chronic labor shortages, a lack of innovation and adaptability among industry stakeholders, and the industry's overall resistance to change. The study is primarily a literature review on the challenges of implementing sustainable practices as well as contributing innovative strategies to the thinking on sustainability in the South African construction industry. It is recommended that the construction industry be robust, have an attitude shift in finding practical solutions to tackle sustainable construction barriers, and develop standards and training objectives to ensure that the construction processes undertaken by various construction firms result in higher levels of education and environmental awareness.

Barriers to Digital Technology Deployment in Value Management Practice

In the quest to promote constant value for money, value management (VM) has been proposed and adopted within the construction industry of countries across the world. To improve the VM process for a more effective outcome, pervasive digital technologies can be employed throughout a project and in the VM process. However, developing countries like South Africa are still lagging in using these emerging technologies. Therefore, this study assessed the digital technologies that can improve the VM process and the barriers hindering their usage within the construction industry. The study adopted a postpositivism philosophical stance with a questionnaire used to gather quantitative data from construction professionals that have participated in VM exercises within the South African construction industry. The data gathered were analysed using mean item score, standard deviation, the Kruskal-Wallis H-test, multiple linear regression and exploratory factor analysis. The study found with high predictive accuracy that digital technologies such as computer-based software, BIM, mobile devices, electronic meeting tools, cloud computing, augmented and virtual realities will significantly impact the overall success of VM practices. Furthermore, the barriers to the effective deployment of these technologies in the VM process can be categorised into (1) cost and awareness, (2) complexities of the VM and digital tools, (3) the construction industry’s digital culture, and (4) the availability of technology and expertise. This study provides a theoretical backdrop for future studies exploring the use of digital technologies for VM practices—an aspect that has not gained significant attention in VM discourse in the construction industry.