Challenges in Construction Industry

Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................1
Environmental Management Challenges........................................................................1
Materials :................................................................................................................2
Plant and Equipment...............................................................................................2
Professional construction staff and highly skilled trade operatives........................3
Production methods and assembly strategies..........................................................3
Sustainable Construction................................................................................................3
Sustainability framework...............................................................................................4
Building Information Modeling..............................................................................5
Conclusion......................................................................................................................5
References......................................................................................................................6
Introduction

The construction industry contributes significantly to economic growth. Yet, the

sector has a negative influence on both society and the environment (Pearce, Yong
Han Ahn and Co, 2017). Construction operations contaminate the air, water, land, and
noise considerably as well as utilize a lot of energy and natural resources. Yet, the
construction industry's wastes from construction and demolition have a huge
influence on the economy, the environment, and public health (Nielsen, 1992). The
construction sector in the United Kingdom is the largest user of resources, with a
yearly material need of over 400 million tonnes. More and more corporations are
adopting the notion of sustainable development in an effort to avoid global warming
(Misopoulos, Manthou and Michaelides, 2019). One of the key concepts of
sustainable development is the promotion of mechanisms that provide a country with
access to its natural resources while simultaneously improving people's quality of life
and health.

Environmental Management Challenges

Since the early 1990s, researchers and business professionals have debated the subject
of sustainability in the building sector. The built environment must be planned,
created, and maintained, and infrastructure projects such as road construction, railway
construction, and bridge construction must be completed by the construction
companies(Murray, Goodhew and Turpin-Brooks, 2007). The fragmentation of
construction professional employment is a problem in the UK construction industry,
which is exacerbated by the fact that some professionals work as independent
contractors or subcontractors. Architects, engineers, consultants, builders, and
surveyors are just a few of the professionals involved in the UK construction sector.
Construction activities account for up to 50% of energy consumption and more than
50% of carbon emissions in the UK (Holton, Glass and Price, 2008). These activities
also utilize land, 12-16% of available water supply, 32% of renewable and
nonrenewable resources, and up to 19% of total garbage generated in the country
(Opoku and Fortune, 2015). In light of this, the UK construction industry is under
pressure to change its current traditional approach and adopt more sustainable
practices.

Materials :

Construction and construction-related activities Every year, the globe consumes 3

billion tonnes of raw materials, accounting for 40% of all accessible resources. Every
year, the United Kingdom requires 170 million tonnes of raw materials and completed
goods, 125 million tonnes of quarry products, and 70 million tonnes of used, recycled,
and reclaimed items (Dijk et al., 2014). Steel and concrete, the two most often used
construction materials, both have a high embodied energy. Thermal properties,
structural capabilities, and cost will all be considered while selecting building
materials and components. In addition to the energy implications of the materials, the
consequences of mining minerals to manufacture the fundamental product, as well as
the energy and pollution implications of the manufacturing and production processes,
must also be considered (A Eales, 2020). Another big issue is the toxicity of the
materials and chemicals used in the manufacturing process, which may cause ozone
depletion or global warming.

Plant and Equipment

Non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) has a significant influence on air pollution due
to its emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and particulates.
An NRMM is any mobile machine, portable industrial piece of equipment, or vehicle
powered by a combustion engine but not intended to transport people or goods on
public roads (Yuan, 2016). This comprises small hand tools for gardening and other
little chores, as well as larger gear for farming and agricultural, such as locomotives,
inland canal ships, generators, and construction tools. It could be challenging to
evaluate and quantify the extent to which a certain factor affects the rate at which
emissions from construction equipment occur(Zhang and Zhang, 2013). Nevertheless,
based on the kind and state of the equipment, how it is maintained, used, and
operated, the elements can be divided into four groups.
Professional construction staff and highly skilled trade operatives

The majority of nations rely on the organization of other resources such as money,
materials, and equipment, as well as the human resources of the construction sector, to
pay between 30 and 50% of the total cost of the project. Skilled employees are
regarded to properly reflect the efficacy and success of building operations since they
have the greatest impact on labour productivity (Kodama et al., 1997). The majority
of skilled employees in the construction business are skilled tradespeople who do
high-value operations and have obtained education and training. The performance of
these trained individuals clearly highlights the need of acquiring sustainable building
techniques that take economic, social, and environmental aspects into account (Leje et
al., 2020). A skilled worker is required to execute a task in the delivery of a
construction project. A competent worker is well-versed in the tasks at hand. The
completed task may be related to the specialized abilities necessary to participate in
the execution of building projects. A competent worker's abilities allow them to be
more productive and achieve the task at hand. Skilled personnel should not be
overlooked because they have the necessary skills to prevent common operational
issues in the construction industry.

Production methods and assembly strategies

Building projects need a large number of resources and are difficult and dispersed.
The industry has significant negative consequences, exerts a significant pressure on
the environment, and contributes to the depletion of critical natural resources. If
environmental concerns are not controlled during construction, rivers, lakes, fragile
ecosystems, and aquatic life, particularly fish kills, may be harmed (Rahman and Esa,
2014). Moreover, they can destroy species habitats and pollute soil and groundwater.
Working on highlands, incline slopes, and near lakes, rivers, and coastal locations
raises significant environmental problems. The local building industry must be
effective, able to satisfy these expectations, and cognizant of them throughout the
complete production process. Hiring builders, architects, planners, and other industry
experts must be done actively.
Sustainable Construction

Engineering, planning, regulation, supply chains, buying, innovation, skill sets,

economics, market impacts, and a variety of other elements all play a role in practical
sustainable construction (Arif and Syal, 2013). This opens up the possibility of
reducing social, economic, and environmental challenges. As a result, sustainable
building in the UK construction industry tries to strike a balance between economic
growth, environmental conservation, and social advancement for both current and
future generations.(Opoku and Ahmed, 2015) Tracking and reducing energy
consumption, recycling and reusing construction materials, sustainable procurement,
the use of sustainable building materials, and integrating lean practices into
construction activities are just a few of the many measures the UK construction
industry is taking to achieve sustainable development (Waddell, 2008). Previous study
in the UK construction sector has focused on the advantages and potential drawbacks
of sustainability practices, emphasising institutional theories as both a driver and a
hindrance to sustainable growth. It may be difficult to implement sustainable practices
in the construction industry. Hoffman and Henn (2008) evaluated a variety of barriers
to environmentally friendly and sustainable building. Psychological and social
impediments occur at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels, according
to research. Environmental literacy, hopeful thinking about the future, and positive
illusions all impact cognitive decisions on an individual level. Internal culture and
relationships, language, economics, and organizational inertia all have an impact on
company operations, which forms the difficult challenge of implementing
sustainability (Hoffman & Henn, 2008). It is simple to decide not to adopt sustainable
building approaches when there is a fixed pie due to well defined jobs and
responsibilities, as well as competing interests, which stops an organization from
realizing potential benefits. Humans embrace established routines and administrative
structures that have been regarded helpful historically, even if they are not long-term
feasible. Businesses, like people, are wary of change because they are fearful of the
unknown.
Sustainability framework

Institutions, organizations, and governments throughout the world are working to

discover sustainable principles and put them into life via actions and performances.
As previously said, academics and researchers are becoming increasingly interested in
the tools, methodologies, and assessment standards that are now being utilized . The
triple bottom line (TBL) paradigm, which balances social, environmental, and
economic issues, is the most commonly talked and acknowledged strategy to
managing an organization's sustainability operations (Azevedo and Barros, 2017).

Building Information Modeling

In a virtual environment, a building may be created and understood using BIM. It
blends collaborative working methods with information-rich 3D models to help with
job completion. Despite its association with design and preconstruction, BIM is
valuable at all stages of a project's life cycle Farzaneh, Monfet and Forgues (2019). In
actuality, because BIM approaches offer so many efficiencies, they reduce a
building's entire lifetime environmental footprint. By applying cutting-edge analysis
to foresee a building's operational performance before it is created, BIM encourages a
more transparent design process. By using energy-saving techniques at every step of
the building's existence, designers may employ this information to drive the efficiency
of the structure from the beginning (Connaughton and Meikle, 2013). By aiding in the
off-site manufacture of more precise parts, it can help in the early detection of flaws
or dangers. By doing this, you may prevent overordering, reduce material usage and
waste, and protect natural resources that could otherwise be wasted for redundant
processes. BIM has been highlighted by the UK government as a technique of
enhancing productivity. According to a recent government study, BIM resulted in
15% to 20% cost reductions at the capital expenditure stage, with additional cost
savings projected at handover and beyond (Alwan, Jones and Holgate, 2017).
Construction businesses in the UK should be able to capture a greater portion of the
global construction sector, which is anticipated to rise by more than 70% by 2025 if
they use BIM and become more efficient and sustainable.
Conclusion

Sustainability is vital for construction to enhance and reduce its negative

environmental consequences. To balance capital expenditure and long-term asset
value, sustainable building strategies must be used. Developing workplaces that
promote a healthy and ergonomic work environment, are financially viable, and take
into account local ecosystems are important components of biodiversity. According to
the report, the UK construction sector has made modest progress towards delivering
sustainable building over the last ten years, and case studies illustrate that the industry
may be leading the world in sustainable building by 2025 by using building
information modeling.
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