Causes of materials waste in the Palestinian construction industry

A. Enshassil, S. El-Moghany, P. E. Mayer, J. Zimmermann

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

The construction industry is a driving force in the Palestinian economy and the necessary for local infrastructure development. It plays an important role in meeting society needs and enhancing the quality of life. Waste has been recognized as a major problem in the construction industry. Not only does waste have an impact on the efficiency of the construction industry but also on the overall economy of the country. A number of scholars have investigated this problem in different countries, however little research concerning material waste has been conducted in Palestine. The objective of this paper is toidentify and rank the causes of materials waste in the construction industry in the Gaza Strip according to their relative importance. The research approach adopted in this study was questionnaire survey. 80 validquestionnaires have been studied and analyzed. The results of analyzing 92 causes of materials waste indicated that reworks which don’t comply with drawing and specifications, rework due to workers’ mistakes,cutting uneconomical shapes, ordering of materials that don’t fulfill project requirements defined in design documents, and inappropriate storage leading to damage or deterioration are the most five significant sources of onstruction waste during the construction process. The Palestinian National Authority is encouraged to develop waste management policies that engender positive attitudes towards waste atoperative level on onstruction project. Contractors should prepare waste management plan to minimize the waste.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationManaging it in Construction/Managing Construction for Tomorrow
PublisherCRC Press
Pages657-664
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781482266665
ISBN (Print)9780415567442
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2009

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