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Exploring the integrated cost control models used in the construction industry

  • Authors: Adjei, K.O. , Aigbavboa, C.O. , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Cost control , Model , Construction industry
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/217000 , uj:21584 , Citation: Adjei, K.O., Aigbavboa, C.O. & Thwala, W.D. 2016. Exploring the integrated cost control models used in the construction industry.
  • Description: Abstract: Project cost control models bring about all the techniques used in developing construction cost, cash flow forecasting and cost control. The construction industry has been unfamiliar with its characteristics and properties.This study therefore exploresthe existing integrated cost control models used in the construction industry.The study was conducted through a literatureresearch. Three different integrated cost control models used for the construction industry were selected between the years 2001 and 2013. The data used in the report is mainly qualitative and it was based on content analysis.The findings show that all the models had cost control systems. The inputs of the models were bills of quantities, resources list, activities programme, work breakdown structure and estimates. The processes of the models were managing all the resources; materials, labour, equipment and overhead costs, monitoring, controlling, reporting, decision making, corrective actions, forecasting and deadlines. Lastly the outputs of the models were project loss or profit, post evaluation and historical data kept for future use.
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Early retirement of construction workers in South Africa : case of occupation permanent disability

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus , Musonda, Innocent
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Accidents , Construction industry , Permanent disability
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/244756 , uj:25312 , Citation: Agumba, J. & Musonda, I. 2017. Early retirement of construction workers in South Africa : case of occupation permanent disability.
  • Description: Abstract: The purpose of this study is to determine the types of accidents that lead to permanent disability of construction workers resulting in early retirement. The data was obtained from Federated Employer Mutual Assurance (FEM). The types of accidents were analysed from the decade of data from 2007 to 2016. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysis established that 7 670 accidents were experienced in the construction industry from 2007 to 2016, of which the major cause of accidents in the construction industry in South Africa was being struck by e.g. object while working. Furthermore, the highest average cost of accident was when a construction worker was electrocuted, the average cost was R214 767.00. The most fatal accidents was caused by motor vehicles. The study further established that there is a 10% chance of a construction worker to be permanently disabled and take early retirement or permanently disabled without taking early retirement when involved in any type of accident while at work. In conclusion construction workers using any work related vehicle, either being transported to site or using the vehicle on site, caution should be adhered to in order to prevent fatalities. The government of South Africa should ensure that strict measures are taken for drivers who do not observe the traffic rules on site and on the public roads. This will ensure the prevention of permanent disability, among the construction workers in South Africa. It is also imperative for construction workers to receive training on health and safety when they work in any construction project, this need to be emphasized on a daily on site by the construction health and safety practitioners. The authors recommends a further study on the type of injury and ill-health associated with the type of accident that force the construction worker to retire early.
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Evaluating management commitment to health and safety in small and medium construction enterprises

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus N. , Haupt, Theo.
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Construction health and safety , Small business
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5308 , ISBN 978-0-620-44689-1 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5297
  • Description: Construction health and safety (H&S) in small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) has received little attention in South Africa, in terms of either research or support for preventive initiatives. Previous research suggests that this sector has serious problems exacerbated by limited access to human, economic and technological resources. Moreover it is now recognized that methods developed specifically for large firms cannot necessarily be transferred to smaller and medium firms, hence the need to investigate management commitment to H&S among SMEs.
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Construction health and safety culture in South African small and medium enterprises

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus N. , Haupt, Theo
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Construction health and safety , Construction industry , Small business
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5307 , ISSN 978-0-62043702-8 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5293
  • Description: Construction health and safety (H&S) culture in small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) has received little attention in South Africa, in terms of either research or support for preventive initiatives. Previous research suggests that this sector has serious problems exacerbated by limited access to human, economic and technological resources. Moreover it is now recognized that methods developed specifically for large firms cannot necessarily be transferred to smaller and medium firms, hence the need to investigate the H&S culture in SMEs. This exploratory study is based on descriptive survey using semi-structured and structured questionnaire, and non-probability sampling to give an overview of the characteristics of H&S culture and practices in SMEs firms in the South African construction industry.
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Evaluating the use of project management techniques in infrastructure delivery by South African small and medium sized contractors

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus Ngala
  • Date: 2008-07-16T12:54:49Z
  • Subjects: Project management , Construction industry , Small business
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7289 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/802
  • Description: South Africa is currently faced with the challenge of reducing the huge backlog of infrastructure delivery to communities that were previously disadvantaged. Given the prioritization of empowerment by the South African government, the previously disadvantaged and marginalized sector of the construction industry that comprises mainly, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is the preferred vehicle of delivery. However, consequent to their historic position outside of the mainstream construction industry, they lack the requisite project management expertise and experience to make good on this objective. This study investigates the characteristics of the personnel managing SMEs and the SMEs themselves, the usage, necessity, importance and adequate use of the techniques, effectiveness and potential applicability of various project management techniques to improve the performance of the SMEs in delivering the much-needed infrastructure. The study also identifies those external and internal factors that are detrimental to the effective implementation of project management techniques. Given the aforementioned, a descriptive survey was conducted among contractors who were either registered members of the Gauteng Master Builders Association (GMBA) or the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in Gauteng. The data was collected using a semi-structured, structured and open-ended interview questionnaire, and analysed using descriptive analysis, severity index and content analysis respectively. The findings indicate that experienced and educated personnel manage SMEs. There is usage of essential project management techniques, which the contractors agreed are necessary and important in managing their projects. There is inadequate use of project management techniques among the SMEs. When used, the techniques brought about improvement in the delivery of projects. The research also established various factors that deterred the adequate implementation of project management techniques, namely, lack of adequate project information from professionals, time and financial constraints. The research concludes by suggesting that if significant improvements in the delivery of construction projects are to be attained, the findings stated need to be taken into consideration. , Mr. F.C. Fester Prof. F.A.O. Otieno Mr. I.O. Adegoke
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Construction health and safety culture in South Africa small and medium enterprises

Information Communication Technology (ICT) usage as a driver of construction professional practice : lessons from South Africa

  • Authors: Aigbavboa, C.O. , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku , Lesito, K.P.
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Information Communication Technology , Construction industry , Professional practice
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/85333 , uj:19330 , Citation: Aigbavboa, C.O., Thwala, W.D. & Lesito, K.P. 2015. Information Communication Technology (ICT) usage as a driver of construction professional practice : lessons from South Africa.
  • Description: Abstract: This paper examines the impact of ICT in professional practice in the South African construction industry. This is with the view that ICT utilization inprofessional practice has the potential to facilitate better decision-making ability and savings in operating costs, amongst others. The data for the study was derived from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data -was obtained through the survey method, while the secondary data -was obtained from the review of literature. Theprimary datafor the study -was collected through a structured questionnaire survey distributed to a sample of 37professionals in the construction industry. The results revealed that architectura engineering and quantity surveying functions have been largely computerised. However, data and document management is still done through the traditional -way of manual.filing. Therefore, because construction industry professionals are a rich source of information about ICT and its improvement within the industry, the study provide valuable insight into the cu"ent usage of ICT in construction professional practise firms, which thus reveals the level of ICT adaptation in South African CL Hence, this thus shows that ICT surveys can be used to determine the number of users of these systems, identify the core impacts ICT has had on day to day activities.
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Failure of small and medium contracting firms in Gauteng Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Aigbavboa, Clinton , Oke, Ayodeji , Kakanyo, Felicity
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Contractors , Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/122711 , uj:20694 , Citation: Aigbavboa, C., Oke, A., & Kakanyo, F. 2016. Failure of small and medium contracting firms in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
  • Description: Abstract: Organisations are established to address a particular issue of the society and their success or failure in achieving their set goals and objectives largely depend on both external and internal factors. Inthis study, sources of failure of small and medium businesses in the construction industry were examined and remedies that can be implemented to reduce the failures were evaluated. Data for the study were collected through administration of structured questionnaire on owners of small and medium construction companies. Itwas revealed that the major causes of small business failure are lack of financial managerial ability and general administration of the business. Challenges faced by these firms include inadequate managerial skills and planning, lack of access to work opportunities, prolonged economic recession, lack of financial skills, competition, incompetent employees and lack of basic business, technical and pricing skills. Small construction businesses need to be supported by government and other stakeholders in order for them to be sustainable and this will also guarantee job security for construction professionals and other form of workforce employed in the companies. The managers and directors of these firms should attend and participate in conferences, workshops, seminars and other forms of leadership meetings within and outside the country to improve their leadership, business and organisation skills.
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Review of critical success factors for the implementation of total quality management in the construction industry

The extent to which human relations in the construction industry contributes to productivity

  • Authors: Arthur-Aidoo, B.M. , Aigbavboa, C.O. , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Human relations , Impact
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/73595 , uj:18429 , Citation: Arthur-Aidoo, B.M., Aigbavboa, C.O. & Thwala, W.D. 2015. The extent to which human relations in the construction industry contributes to productivity.
  • Description: Abstract: The construction industry has an essential feature of been classified as a labour intensive sector. The workforce plays a vital role in the Construction process. As a result, the performance and improvement in construction productivity are achieved through prudent resource allocation, human efficiency and human relations. Human relations within an organization cease only on employee relationship, but it goes beyond and also promotes extrinsic factors that enhance productivity. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which human relations within the construction industry contributes to productivity. The research was exploratory in nature and made use of structured interviews with professionals from the construction sector selected via purposive sampling technique. The study established that successful human relations within the organization creates harmony, encourage employee satisfaction and enhances employee’s operational efficiency. The study recommends Managers of construction firms to institute good human relations in their corporate objectives due to its associated benefits that emanate from such practice.
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A case study on improving labour productivity in civil engineering projects

  • Authors: Balci, Besim U.
  • Date: 2012-01-25
  • Subjects: Civil engineering , Construction industry , Labor productivity
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:1964 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4321
  • Description: M.Ing. , The ability of construction firms to stay solvent largely depends on productivity. Productivity improvement is the key to economic prosperity in the long term. It provides the basis for increasing wages and more prosperous firms. Various methods can be implemented to measure and increase productivity which will result an increased output and efficiency. The aim of this work is to address the methods to be used for labour productivity measurement and improvement in civil engineering context. A case study will be done on a current construction project.
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Theoretical exploration of construction site management practices

  • Authors: Dube, N , Aigbavboa, C , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Construction industry - Swaziland - Management
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5299 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/15053
  • Description: The construction industry is vital to the existence of other industrial sector and provides the environment under which other sectors operate. It is the largest industry and contributes about 10% of the gross national product (GNP) in industrial-ized countries. It also plays a major role in development and reaching the goals of society. The current study aims to establish the factors required in the manage-ment of good site management on construction sites in Swaziland. The study is conducted with reference to existing theoretical literature, published and un-published research. The study is mainly a literature review/survey on site man-agement practices on construction sites. Findings emanating from the study reveal that realistic studies have identified a number of problems on site management practices such as management and administration problems, technical problems and communication problems. It also indicates that site management involves a mixture of activities which turn basic sources to a finished product. The study presents a strong background on site management practices on construction sites in the Swaziland construction industry.
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Challenges facing construction site management in the Swaziland construction industry

  • Authors: Dube, N.N.F. , Aigbavboa, C.O. , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Site management , Swaziland
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/383970 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/75700 , uj:18708 , Citation: Dube, N.N.F., Aigbavboa, C.O. & Thwala, W.D. 2015. Challenges facing construction site management in the Swaziland construction industry.
  • Description: Abstract: Site Management involves a mixture of activities that turn basic resources into a finished product. Construction is seen as the conversion of raw resource inputs into defined functioning output by means of a managed process. Therefore, the construction site is viewed as a key area where money is made or lost and where there is considerable scope for improving efficiency, productivity and quality. Achieving good site management on construction sites is imperative. Hence, this paper present research findings on the challenges affecting construction site management on construction sites in the Swaziland construction industry. The study was conducted with reference to existing theoretical literature and the use of a survey questionnaire distributed to 120 participants in the construction industry. The questionnaire survey participants include: construction professionals and contractors. The questionnaires were analysed through the use of multivariate statistics. To ascertain the validity and reliability of the results, the study made use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Findings emanating from the study showed that there are several challenging and management problems that affects effective construction site management in Swaziland. The identified findings from the questionnaire analysis include: time, limited budget, planning, and non-adherence to specification which often cause defects, disputes and delays. The study findings contribute to the understanding of snags affecting effective construction site management in the Swaziland construction industry.
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Performance of construction projectsin the gauteng province of shouth: insight of consultants and contractors

An investigation of the major causes of failure in construction small businesses : a case study of the Gauteng Province

An exploratory study of the causes of failure in construction small businesses : a case of the Johannesburg construction industry, South Africa

Sustaining small and medium-size enterprises growth through stakeholder engagement

Critical barriers affecting stakeholder management in the construction industry

  • Authors: Eyiah-Botwe, E. , Aigbavboa, C. , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Critical barriers , Procurement
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/75706 , uj:18709 , Citation: Eyiah-Botwe, E., Aigbavboa, C. & Thwala, W.D. 2015. Critical barriers affecting stakeholder management in the construction industry.
  • Description: Abstract: Effective stakeholder management is essential in achieving stakeholder satisfaction and project success targets. This paper investigates critical barriers to stakeholder management in the construction industry of developing countries as part of a larger study aimed at developing a “Sustainable stakeholder management framework for construction projects in developing countries”. The present paper aim is necessary since construction projects have numerous stakeholders and involves several activities hence stakeholder management is vital for an enhanced project delivery. A literature review of selected articles on stakeholder management was validated using interviews of 6 project key stakeholders. The study confirmed five additional critical barriers relating to (1) project managers knowledge in stakeholder management (2) public procurement approach, (3) politicization of projects (4) project delays and (5) poor project planning and development. These findings may not be generalized due to limited research participants involved. Nonetheless, it serves as a useful basis for the larger dissertation and contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying critical barriers affecting stakeholder management in the developing nations’ construction industry for improved construction projects delivery. Considering and managing these critical barriers will ensure the achievement of project goals, stakeholder needs and satisfaction.
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Improving the effectiveness and image of the building and civil construction process

  • Authors: Grobler, Kobus
  • Date: 2011-12-06
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Civil engineering , Construction industry quality control
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:1815 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4177
  • Description: D.Ing. , The construction industry has changed dramatically over the past thirty odd years. The following factors played a significant role in this change: (1) The building boom around the 1970s pressurized the industry to work faster. This was followed by periods of variation in workload, which have over the last number of years manifested in a permanent low demand for construction in South Africa. (2) Projects became larger and more complex. (3) An over-regulated labour environment not only leads to the downsize of organizations, but is a main contributor towards the increased use of subcontracting. (4) The time value of money causes owners to specify compressed project schedules and lowest price is often the only selection factor in the award of contracts. The shift in work from predominantly public sector towards the private sector, which by nature is more time conscious, is another factor pressurizing the industry to work faster. The industry has introduced amongst others the following measures to cope with these demands: (1) Main contractors are subcontracting more and more of the work. (2) The traditional in-series concept came under pressure - the management approaches became formal procurement concepts and design-build re-appeared. (3) New construction techniques such as fast-tracking and the movement towards factory produced elements in certain areas, for example precast concrete elements, reduced project schedules and replaced previously time consuming activities and counteracted to a certain extent the shortage of skilled tradesmen. The author argues that in the process to combat these external pressures, the following problems, amongst others, manifested: (1) Ineffective project procurement. (2) Unethical and unsound practices between main contractors and subcontractors. (3) Lack of quality and reliability of a substantial share of end-products. Another problem burdening the industry is historical, namely cultural differences between designers and contractors.
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Overcoming barriers that hinders the adoption and implementation of building information modelling in the South African construction industry

  • Authors: Kekana, George , Aigbavboa, Clinton , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Building information modelling , Construction industry
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/72324 , uj:18264 , Citation: Kekana, G., Aigbavboa, C. & Thwala, W. 2015. Overcoming barriers that hinders the adoption and implementation of building information modelling in the South African construction industry.
  • Description: Abstract: Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a concept that has been defined as a technology that digitally constructs an accurate virtual model of a building. BIM can be defined as an IT enabled approach that involves the application and maintenance of a fundamental digital representation of a building and all its information throughout the different stages of the project. This study assesses the ways to overcome the barriers hindering the adoption and implementation of BIM in the South African construction industry. The data used in this paper were derived from primary and secondary sources. The primary data tool (questionnaires), was designed based on the related literature that were reviewed. The questionnaire was distributed to construction professionals in the South Africa construction industry, facility managers, and academics who have are scholars on BIM in the South African construction industry. The questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistical procedures. The findings revealed that a lack of skills, education, and knowledge of BIM are the biggest barriers to the adaptation and implementation of BIM in South Africa. Furthermore, the results also show that educational and skill development initiatives are widely considered to being the answer to the existing barriers to BIM adoption. Lastly, the study makes some recommendation on feasible ways of moving away from the common practice of construction process and to the adoption of BIM on construction projects in South Africa.
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