Evaluation of Causes of Construction Material Waste: Case of River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research paper evaluates the causes of construction waste generation on building sites in Rivers State, Nigeria. The methods employed to collect data include review of relevant literature and structured questionnaire. The statistical techniques used to analyse the data collected are Mean score method, ranking method and Man-Whitney U test. The results of analysis showed that the three most important factors contributing to construction material waste generation on building sites in Rivers State, Nigeria are ‘’rework contrary to drawing and specification”, “design changes and revision” and “waste from uneconomical shapes” respectively. It was also discovered that inappropriate equipment contributed least to waste generation on site and there is little “bottle neck” in obtaining work permit by contractors in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study revealed that all the 74 factors were considered important by the respondents. The study showed that there is no significant difference between the consultants and contractors perception about the factors affecting construction waste generation on building sites in Rivers State, Nigeria. This study therefore recommended that construction stakeholders should consider the studied factors at every level of the construction processes and in their waste management plan.

Key words: Building Sites, Construction Waste, Evaluation, Factors, Nigeria