Examining the Effect of Material Management Practices on Material Availability and Waste Reduction in Construction Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 149, Issue 8
Abstract
Ensuring material availability and reducing material waste are two crucial aspects of material management to improve construction project performance and sustainability. Past studies have illustrated several material management practices without revealing their effect on material availability and waste reduction. This study fills these research gaps and aims to explore important material management practices by examining their impact on material availability and waste reduction in construction projects. This study identified 23 material management practices from a literature review and collected 107 responses from a questionnaire survey. An underlying structure of the practices was established, and factors were extracted from the exploratory factor analysis. A structural equation model was then developed to explore their influence on material availability and waste reduction. The results revealed six critical factors and associated practices that significantly and positively affect material availability and waste reduction: System for procurement and storage was found to have the highest impact, followed by on-site material control, procurement quality, procurement costing, central procurement database, and material planning systems. By revealing the underlying structure of the practices and establishing their positive influence on material availability and waste reduction, the present study adds value to existing knowledge. Construction practitioners can focus on implementing these crucial practices to ensure material availability and reduce material waste, which will enhance the project’s success and sustainability.
Practical Applications
Construction projects often suffer from nonavailability of materials and waste of materials at construction sites. It is vital to know the important material management practices that can reduce these problems. Hypotheses are developed in this study to explore the effect of material management practices on material availability and waste reduction. This study identified six critical material management factors (systems for procurement and storage, on-site material control, procurement quality, procurement costing, central procurement database, and material planning) that can be managed to improve material management in construction. Implementing these factors and associated practices will enhance material availability and reduce material waste in construction projects which will ultimately support completing the projects within the scheduled time and budgeted cost and promote sustainable construction.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all of the data and models that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 149 • Issue 8 • August 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 28, 2023
Accepted: Apr 3, 2023
Published online: May 31, 2023
Published in print: Aug 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 31, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Construction engineering
- Construction management
- Construction materials
- Construction wastes
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Industrial wastes
- Materials engineering
- Pollutants
- Practice and Profession
- Procurement
- Project management
- Solid wastes
- Structural analysis
- Structural engineering
- Sustainable development
- Waste management
- Wastes
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