Browsing by Subject "construction industry"

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    Investigating the impact of the education level of construction owners on business performance
    (2022) Makalichi, Silas; Windapo, Abimbola
    The study investigates the impact of the level of education of owners on the performance of the business in the construction industry. Construction companies are key to economic development in South Africa, playing an economic role in the nation's GDP and solving economic problems like unemployment and equitable distribution of wealth, among other things. The construction industry is one of the industries with very high employment potential in South Africa; therefore, the success of the small businesses in the industry is key to the nation's success. Previous research in the field of business identified several parameters that affect business performance and among these is the human capital of the business (education level of managers and owners). However, limited studies have examined the level of education of business owners and how this impacts the performance of the construction business. So, this study aims to find the common level of education of business owners, the typical performance of the businesses and whether the level of education impacts the performance. The following objectives were used to achieve this; to find out the level of education of business owners in the construction industry; to establish the typical level of performance of construction businesses; to determine the perception of business owners on the impact of education on construction company performance and; to find out whether the level of education of business owners' impacts construction company performance. A quantitative research design approach was adopted using a questionnaire survey, administered using email, to obtain information from a sample population of 40 contractors that were being managed by Navi Professional consulting on Sanitation projects in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics that include cross-tabulations and histograms of the education parameters. A Chi-square statistical analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis but established that the level of education of construction owners does not significantly impact business performance. Based on the findings, the study concludes that the level of education of the business owner is not a significant factor that impacts the performance of construction businesses. It is therefore recommended that in order to avert failure, construction business owners should learn from their experience and continuos on-the-job training. Further research that examines the impact of the level of education of construction owners on business performance using a larger sample size is also recommended.
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    Open Access
    Quality management in the public building construction process
    (1996) Rwelamila, Pantaleo Mutajwaa Daniel; Boaden, Bruce
    The poor quality of public buildings in the Botswana construction industry has been surrounded by controversy and strongly held opinions. The work reported here attempts to indicate some salient issues affecting the quality management system, with particular reference to the construction phase. Three propositions are addressed by the work. First that quality problems related to public building processes in Botswana are primarily due to an inappropriate project organizational structure. Secondly, that the traditional building procurement system provides a poor quality management system. The third proposition is that the traditional building procurement system does not facilitate derived quality levels as defined by the contract drawings and specifications. Five objectives of this study are identified and various issues which are fundamental to the research are reviewed. The first is the way in which the Botswana public building sector is organized, focussing on the building construction process. The second is the review of quality management theories both in the manufacturing and construction industries. The third is the relationship between the project management structure and project quality management, and the quality of building. The fourth is the proposal of a conceptual framework of an appropriate quality management system. Finally, recommendations about how to deal with organization of public building projects in order to select appropriate quality management systems are given. Information is obtained on the research areas through the use of the following methods: 1. Consultations with quality management practitioners and review of the Quality Management literature. 2. Questionnaires to architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, construction firm executives, contracts managers, site managers, trade foremen and skilled tradespersons, on quality management problems and procurement systems. 3. Case studies investigating approaches to site quality management in general and the adequacy of quality management documents. 4. Semi structured interviews investigating public building clients views on the quality management system and project procurement systems. The data collected are analysed using triangulation (qualitative and quantitative methodologies) methodology and the main results are reported below. The primary conclusion to be drawn is that the quality management system purported to be in use in the Botswana public building sector differs significantly from that recommended in the theory, resulting in poor quality buildings. This is primarily due to the use of an inappropriate building procurement system. In general the traditional building procurement system in the Botswana public building sector is used as a 'default system'. There are indications to suggest that it is used merely because the clients and consultants have failed to consider the issue of appropriateness. An appropriate quality management model for the construction phase is proposed with a proviso that the Botswana public building sector should establish appropriate methods of selecting appropriate procurement systems as a prerequisite in formulating appropriate quality management systems for various projects.
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    Open Access
    Use of grape pomace as a fine aggregate in concrete
    (2025) Adam, Christopher; Beushausen, Hans-Dieter; Surana, Saarthak
    The construction industry utilizes significant quantities of natural resources, which is most evident in the production of concrete. With the global shift towards sustainable construction materials and techniques, research has been conducted into the replacement of cement or aggregates with alternative materials. These alternatives range from recycled glass, plastic, rubber, hemp, and sawdust, to other organic materials. Minimal research has been conducted into the use of pomace in concrete. Grape pomace is a waste by-product from the six-stage wine-making process comprising skins, stalks, and seeds. Stalks are removed during destemming at stage two while white grape pomace is removed after the pressing process, stage 3, and red grape pomace after the fermentation process, stage 4. The waste is generated annually during the harvest season and is currently either used as a conditioner in the vineyards or taken to landfill sites. The abundance of pomace in the Western Cape of South Africa necessitates the need for the valorisation of the material with the focus of this research being the partial replacement of fine aggregate in concrete with grape pomace. Grapes are the most abundant crop globally with the highest wastage factor of approximately 20% when used for winemaking. Red grape pomace from a single source in Stellenbosch, South Africa, was used as white grapes are expected to contain sugars that may retard the setting of the concrete. The stalks were omitted from the pomace and only the seeds and skins were oven dried and ground from a particle size of 3 to 5 mm down to 0.6 to 2.4 mm. Fine aggregate in concrete aids the binding of cement, water, and coarse aggregate, increasing workability, limiting shrinkage, and reducing the cement content required to fill the voids between the coarse aggregate. Philippi dune sand was used as the fine aggregate in the concrete mix design and was replaced with the dried and ground pomace by volume at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30%. Specimens were cast in the laboratory and cured in a temperature-controlled water bath and compression testing performed at 1, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days. Water absorption testing was performed on the pomace multiple times and the results were deemed unreliable, for this reason, the mix water quantity was kept constant in all the specimens and no adjustment was made for absorption. The slump testing displayed the effects of water absorption on the pomace with the slump decreasing with an increase in pomace content. The compressive strength testing highlighted that an increase in pomace content resulted in a decrease in compressive strength. Two pomace specimens, 5 and 10% achieved the design strength of 25 MPa after 28 days while the control specimen achieved 1.5 times the design strength after the same 28-day period. The remaining pomace specimens all failed to reach the design strength after 28 days with the lowest strength recorded at 18.2 MPa after 28-days. It is expected that the material properties of the grape pomace, having a lower specific gravity to the fine aggregate, were the cause of the reduction in the slump, lower density, and reduced compressive strength. The density reduction is attributed to the differing material densities between the pomace and fine aggregate, while the slump variation is because of the pomace's absorption of available mix water. The pomace particles aided the mechanical interlock while blocking the bleed water resulting in a weaker bond between the cement paste and aggregates causing the concrete specimens to experience a reduction in compressive strength. Furthermore, the low pH of the pomace could be causing an unstable environment restricting the microstructure development. Concrete is designed for a specific compressive strength requiring a certain water-to-cement ratio. The experimental testing highlighted that pomace, even at low replacement percentages, significantly reduced the compressive strength of concrete. To achieve a 25 MPa pomace concrete, the water-to-cement ratio would have to be lowered resulting in an increased cement content. The pomace content would need to be a minimum of 30% and yield similar results to the control specimen to justify its use. Pomace is not deemed to be a suitable replacement for fine aggregate in concrete as it results in inferior concrete, is uneconomical, and increases the concrete's carbon footprint.