Thesis Group 3 FINAL Document

BSC TB WOLKITE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
RESEARCH TITLE: A STUDY ON MANAGING AND MINIMIZING BUILDING
PROJECT’S CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WASTAGE IN WOLKITE TOWN
A Thesis Submitted to Partial Fulfillment of The Requirement for The Degree of Bachler
of Science in Construction Technology and Management
By: 1) ABEL WORKU……………………………….......... ENGR/047/10
2) ESKEDAR TADESSE………………………...…… ENGR/1046/10
3) GETAHUN AYANO………………………….…… ENGR/427/10
4) HAYAT ABDELBER…………………………….... ENGR/1068/10
5) ROBERA FIKRU……...………………………….... ENGR/748/10
JUNE 16,2022
WOLKITE, ETHIOPIA
A Study on Managing and Minimizing Building Project’s Construction Materials
Wastage in Wolkite Town

A thesis Submitted to Wolkite University College of Engineering and Technology,
Department of Construction Technology & Management in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the degree of bachelor of science (BSC) in Construction Technology and
Management.

5) ROBERA FIKRU……...………………………….... ENGR/748/10
PRINCIPAL ADVISOR: Mr. KELKIYAS ALEMU

CO-ADVISOR: Mr. BESHIR MUDESIR
JUNE16,2022
WOLKITE, ETHIOPIA
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C i

WOLKITE UNIVERSTY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
A thesis Submitted to Wolkite University College of Engineering and Technology,
Department of Construction Technology & Management in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the degree of bachelor of science (BSC) in Construction Technology and
Management.
5) ROBERA FIKRU……...………………………….... ENGR748/10
APPROVED BY BOARD OF EXAMINERS:
Approved by
1.____________________________ ______________ ____________________
Main Advisor Signature Date
2.____________________________ _______________ ____________________
Co- Advisor Signature Date
3. ____________________________ _______________ ____________________
Department chairperson Signature Date
4. ____________________________ ______________ ____________________
Examiner Signature Date
5.____________________________ _____________ ___________________
Examiner Signature Date
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C ii

DECLARATION
We, the undersigned, declare that this thesis is our original work; prepared under the
guidance of Mr. Kelkiyas Alemu and Mr. Beshir Mudesir. All sources of materials used
for the thesis have been duly acknowledged.
Name Signature
ABEL WORKU _______________
ESKEDAR TADESSE _______________
GETAHUN AYANO _______________
HAYAT ABDELBER _______________
ROBERA FIKRU _______________
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, we want to give God the glory and praise he deserves.
Second, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Kelkiyas Alemu for his
unwavering patience, invaluable counsel, guidance, and support, as well as for their
constant conversation, recommendations, and encouragement throughout the research
time.
Next to that, our genuine appreciation also goes to every respondent who participated in
the data collection process.
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C iv

LIST OF ABBREVATIONS
BC Building Contractor
BRE Building Research Establishment
CET College of Engineering and Technology
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CoTM Construction Technology and Management
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
GC General Contractor
HCB Hollow Concrete Block
RII Relative Important Index
WKU Wolkite University
WRFP Waste Reduction Framework Plan
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C v

TABLE CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF ABBREVATIONS .............................................................................................. v
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x
ABSTRUCT ....................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Background of the study .......................................................................................... 1
1.2. Significance of the study.......................................................................................... 1
1.3. Statement of the problem ......................................................................................... 2
1.4. Objective of the study .............................................................................................. 3
1.4.1. General Objective ............................................................................................. 3
1.4.2. Specific Objectives ........................................................................................... 3
1.5. Research of Questions.............................................................................................. 3
1.6. Scope of study .......................................................................................................... 3
1.7. Limitation of the Study ............................................................................................ 3
1.8. Structure of research ................................................................................................ 4
CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................ 5
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 5
2.1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 5
2.2. Construction Materials Management on construction projects ............................... 5
2.3. Materials Management Issues in construction projects ........................................... 5
2.4. Material Waste in Construction ............................................................................... 6
2.5. Construction Waste Management ............................................................................ 6
2.6. Waste in the Construction Industry.......................................................................... 8
2.6.1. Definition of waste ............................................................................................ 8
2.6.2. Classifications of Construction Waste ............................................................ 10
2.6.3. Sources and causes of Construction material Waste....................................... 11
2.6.4. Material waste in construction site ................................................................. 19
CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 24
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C vi

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................. 24
3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 24
3.2. Study area............................................................................................................... 24
3.3. Research approach and design ............................................................................... 24
3.4. Research population ............................................................................................... 25
3.4.1. Sampling technique ......................................................................................... 25
3.4.2. Sample Size..................................................................................................... 25
3.5. Data sources ........................................................................................................... 26
3.6. Data collection ....................................................................................................... 26
3.7. Data analysis .......................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................. 28
4. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION................................................................................. 28
4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 28
4.2 Wastage factors ....................................................................................................... 31
4.2.1. Design and Documentation ............................................................................. 32
4.2.2. Material Procurement and handling ................................................................ 33
4.2.3. Operation and workmanship ........................................................................... 34
4.2.4. Site management and practices ....................................................................... 35
4.2.5. Site Supervision and Management.................................................................. 35
4.3. Major factors of waste in key construction materials during construction ............ 36
4.3.1. Concrete Wastage Factors............................................................................... 37
4.3.2. Steel Reinforcement Wastage Factors ............................................................ 37
4.3.3. Cement Wastage factors ................................................................................. 38
4.3.4. Aggregate Wastage Factors ............................................................................ 39
4.3.5. Sand Wastage Factors ..................................................................................... 40
4.3.6. Hollow Concrete Block (HCB) Wastage Factors ........................................... 40
4.3.7. Tile Wastage Factors....................................................................................... 41
4.3.8. Timber Formwork Wastage Factors ............................................................... 42
4.4. Responses of open-ended question ........................................................................ 43
CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................. 44
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 44
5.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 44
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C vii

5.2. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 44

5.4. Recommendations .................................................................................................. 45
5.4.1 Recommendations for further study areas ....................................................... 45
References ........................................................................................................................ 46
APPENDIX- A.................................................................................................................. 48
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C viii

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Waste Reduction Hierarchy ................................................................................... 7
Table 2 Factors of construction material wastage............................................................. 15
Table 3 A summary of the major causes of materials waste............................................. 16
Table 4 Sources and Causes of Construction Waste in Netherlands (Bossink 1996). ...... 17
Table 5 Sources and causes of construction site waste in Singapore (Ekanayake, 2000) 18
Table 6 Respondent’s firm level ....................................................................................... 28
Table 7 Respondent's Position .......................................................................................... 29
Table 8 Respondent's years of experience ........................................................................ 30
Table 9 Construction material wastage factor categories ................................................. 31
Table 10 Design and Documentation ................................................................................ 32
Table 11 Material Procurement and handling ................................................................... 33
Table 12 Operation and workmanship .............................................................................. 34
Table 13 Site management and practices .......................................................................... 35
Table 14 Site Supervision and Management .................................................................... 36
Table 15 Top five wastage factors .................................................................................... 36
Table 16 Concrete Wastage factors .................................................................................. 37
Table 17 Steel Reinforcement Wastage Factors ............................................................... 38
Table 18 Cement Wastage Factors ................................................................................... 39
Table 19 Aggregate Wastage Factors ............................................................................... 39
Table 20 Sand Wastage Factors ........................................................................................ 40
Table 21 Hollow Concrete Block (HCB) Wastage Factors .............................................. 41
Table 22 Tile Wastage Factors ......................................................................................... 41
Table 23 Timber Formwork Wastage Factors .................................................................. 42
Table 24 Top five construction material wastage factors ................................................. 43
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C ix

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Sources of Construction Waste .......................................................................... 12
Figure 2 Respondent’s firm level ...................................................................................... 29
Figure 3 Respondent’s Position ........................................................................................ 30
Figure 4 Respondent's years of experience ....................................................................... 31
Figure 5 Damaged during storage and rusting Reinforcement ........................................... 38
Figure 6 Wrong handling of aggregate ............................................................................. 40
Figure 7 Poor storage of ceramic tiles .............................................................................. 42
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C x

ABSTRUCT
The construction industry is concerned with the planning, execution, and evaluation
(monitoring) of various civil works. Buildings, communication and energy-related
construction works, water supply and sewerage civil works, and other physical
infrastructures are some of the important projects (programs) in the construction business.
Construction industry plays an important role in social, economic & political development
of a country. However, the industry has been experiencing such problems on identifying
contributing factors of waste in the construction materials in the industry. In many regions
of the world, rapid increase in building activities because of rising population and
urbanization due to this large amount of construction waste is generated. The objective of
this study is to assess the major building construction material waste factors in Wolkite
town building projects. Questionnaire and observation were used as data collection tools.
Secondary data was gathered from relevant literature, which included studies and
publications on the issue. According to the findings of this study, Poor quality of materials,
Production of a quantity greater than required or earlier than necessary, Design changes
and revisions, Wrong storage of materials, Poor workmanship are among the findings of
the study. In addition, high amount of steel reinforcement and concrete wastage was
identified as the top major contributing factors in the performance of building construction
projects since steel reinforcement and concrete uses in larger quantity in construction sites.
Construction material waste minimizing measures are not practiced yet in the construction
sites. Adoption of different technologies like prefabrication and precast units, proper
detailing during designing, coordinating dimensions between materials and the design,
and planning ahead to minimize design changes and wastage are sensible mechanisms
Key Words: Building Construction, Causes and sources of materials, Construction
material management, Waste managing and waste minimizing.
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C xi

CHAPTER ONE
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study
The construction sector is very important for the development of every country. Its
contribution to economic growth and national development is widely acknowledged,
highlighting its importance, particularly to developing countries. The construction industry
makes significant contributions to the socio-economic development process of a country.
It is significant because of the direct and indirect effects it has on all economic activity.
Through a complex structure of interconnections, it contributes to national output and
encourages the growth of other sectors. It is noted that about one-tenth of the global
economy is dedicated to constructing and operating homes and offices. (UNEP, 2017 Ofori,
2015).
Ethiopia's building industry makes a considerable contribution to the country's economy.

The importance of the sector can be assessed by examining in detail the overall
performance of the sector. One of the most significant difficulties facing Ethiopia's
building industry is resource management (Ayalew, 01-2015)). Most sectors consume
material resources more than the amount originally calculated. If the material waste is not
properly handled and managed on the project site, this will lead to financial crises, and
eventually negatively impact the community and the environment. The construction sector
produces huge waste leading to environmental contamination and CO2 emissions (Ajayi,
(2015))Inappropriate material management causes waste and results in environmental
damage and financial loss during the various construction stages (Tafesse, (2021)Waste
minimization and management at construction sites reduces disposal and transportation
costs, enhances revenues, saves time, and preserves the environment, and creates clean and
safe worksites (Eze et al., 2016).
1.2. Significance of the study
This study may aid those working in the construction sector in determining how to manage
and reduce construction waste while planning, transporting, and storing goods.
WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 1

Furthermore, this research will present new construction waste management concepts,
plans, and strategies that will assist individuals and entities in appropriately managing
waste in the construction industry.
1.3. Statement of the problem
Construction waste, which is primarily disposed of in landfills, has increased as a result of

the increasing number of construction projects throughout the year. As a result of this
expansion, the demand for an effective waste management strategy will increase, and all
contractors and construction firms will be required to implement one.
Waste is caused by poor handling, ordering errors, over-ordering, under-ordering,

inappropriate storage, design changes, manufacturing defects, and rework. Because of the
lack of knowledge and poor craftsmanship that leads to loss of raw materials, ineffective
waste management, and other issues on building sites, waste minimization has become a
major concern in the business.
Construction waste has been regarded a major cause of environmental pollution due to its
negative effects on land depletion and deterioration, energy consumption, and noise
pollution, and it has been considered a major source of solid waste generation, dust, and
gas emission. All of these concerns underscore the importance of construction waste
management strategies.
Waste is generated at all stages of the construction process, including planning, estimating,
and construction. In Ethiopia, all of the materials acquired are not fully utilized during
building, implying that the remainder is waste that may go unaccounted for. Inadequate
material control at various stages of construction has resulted in waste and associated
environmental issues. As a result, this study examined the types, causes, and variables that
contribute to building waste, as well as strategies to effectively limit construction waste.
As a result, the purpose of this study was to determine the existing state of construction
waste management and minimization in Wolkite town.

1.4. Objective of the study
1.4.1. General Objective
To study Managing and Minimizing building projects construction Materials Wastage in a

wolkite town.
1.4.2. Specific Objectives
➢ To assess the contributing factors of construction materials wastage on building

construction projects at wolkite town.
➢ To identify the major wastage factors on key construction materials on building
construction projects in wolkite town.
➢ To examine the measures taken for minimizing construction material wastage
identifying in building construction projects at wolkite town.
1.5. Research of Questions
➢ What are the major contributing factors of construction Material wastage?

➢ What are the major factors of waste in the key construction materials?
➢ What measures have been taken for minimizing construction material wastage?
1.6. Scope of study

The research focused on building projects which are under construction located in Wolkite
town. In addition to this, the term construction wastages consist of different wastage types
like material wastage, time wastage, human resource wastage, but this study focused on
material wastage because materials cover 65-70% of the construction cost (Meghan 2011)
So throughout this study, construction material wastage was the major wastage type that
was considered.
1.7. Limitation of the Study
To conduct this study, we have come across the following difficulties
➢ Most projects are not under construction.

➢ Carelessness of some respondents to return the questionnaires on time.
➢ The time given for the thesis is too short to conduct deep and wide study.

1.8. Structure of research
The report is logically organized into five chapters and appendices:

Chapter One; Deals with the introduction, which talks about the general idea and
relevance of the study. It defines the problem, objectives, limitation, and significance of
the study as well as the organization of the thesis.
Chapter Two; This chapter provides an overview of material waste in the construction
industry; the classification of waste; the project stages and associated material waste; the
causes and sources of waste; the control measures for material waste.
Chapter Three; Attempts to describe in detail the methodology followed in this research
study.
Chapter Four; Contains the analysis of the information gathered through the data survey,
and a discussion of the results.
Chapter Five; Provides the conclusions and recommendations of the study.

CHAPTER TWO
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Introduction
A review of the related literature on the management of material wastage and minimization
in the construction industry is required to provide a theoretical framework for this
investigation. This chapter gives an overview of the construction industry's material waste
management and minimization concepts. The literature on the sources and causes of
material waste is also discussed, as well as the current relationship between material waste
and factors at various stages of a project, material waste recovery strategies, and procedures
for quantifying material waste on construction sites.
2.2. Construction Materials Management on construction projects
Materials management in construction projects is a key function that significantly
contributes to the success of a project. Materials shortages, supply delays, price volatility,
damage and loss, and a lack of knowledge make material management difficult in building
projects. Material management is a vital function for improving productivity in
construction projects. The management of materials should consider all the phases of the
construction process and throughout the construction and production periods. This is due
to the fact that inadequate material management can have a significant impact on the total
building time, quality, and budget. Material planning and management are essential for
ensuring that the correct quality and quantity of materials and installed equipment are
specified on time, bought at a reasonable cost, and available when needed. Many
construction projects use manual methods, not only for material tracking but also for
materials management in general, which entails paper-based approaches and is prone to
human mistake. (Kasim, RFID Technology for materials management in construction
projects, 2013).
2.3. Materials Management Issues in construction projects
The construction industry is the most significant industry in the economy and the successful
measure with completion within time, within budget, by specification and satisfaction of
stakeholders. Construction is the process of physically erecting a project and putting in
place the necessary construction equipment, materials, supplies, supervision, and
management to complete the work in the allotted time. Construction within projects is
complex with any organizations involved such as clients or owners, architects, engineers,
contractors, suppliers, and vendors (sellers This comprises the diverse and often complex
process of creating one-of-a-kind, huge, immovable items with a sufficient supply of
resources. Materials management becomes more difficult as projects grow in scale and
complexity, necessitating the use of appropriate tools and techniques to ensure, among

other things, that materials are delivered on time, stock levels are well managed, the
construction schedule is not jeopardized, and waste is minimized. Materials management
is particularly difficult for large and complicated projects that necessitate the use of
advanced tools and processes. The management of materials in complex construction
projects needs adequate consideration due to the various elements involved and the
importance of the project. The improper handling and management of materials on
construction sites have entail to severely buildup project performance. The result of
improper handling and managing materials on-site during construction process will
influence the total project cost, time and the (Kasim, RFID Technology for materials
management in construction projects, 2013)).
2.4. Material Waste in Construction
Formoso C. T., (1999, July), defined building material wastages as the difference between
the value of materials delivered and accepted on site and those properly used as specified
and accurately measured in the work, after deducting the cost savings of substituted
materials transferred elsewhere, where material wastages may result in unnecessary cost
and time.
According to (Serpell, 1995), construction managers must cope with a variety of
circumstances that can negatively impact the construction process, resulting in various
sorts of waste. Material wastes are caused by a variety of factors, the majority of which are
determined by the type of construction methods used, the materials used, and/or the stage
of development. Mistakes, working out of order, superfluous activity and movement,
delayed or premature inputs, and products or services that do not match consumer
expectations can all result in waste.
2.5. Construction Waste Management
Material handling, reduction, reuse, recycling, and disposal of construction waste materials
are all part of construction waste management. Construction waste management has been
promoted for a variety of reasons, including cost savings and the recognition that waste
from construction and demolition projects contributes considerably to the contamination
of the environment. Waste management in the construction industry can be tackled in a
variety of ways. The process of dealing with construction waste goes far beyond its
disposal. It's a comprehensive plan for effectively utilizing building resources with the goal
of reducing waste generation while optimizing the use of waste generated. The most
common way of waste management is to dump construction waste in landfills. However,
since landfill space has become scarce, the contractor's rubbish disposal costs have
increased (BIE, 1993, cited in Lingard, 2001).
Furthermore, due to poor material control on construction sites, a significant proportion of
materials is wasted (Poon, et al, 2004). This has driven the need for waste prevention

alternatives, as well as attempts to reduce, reuse, and/or recycle waste generated, dubbed
the "three R's" of construction waste management. In keeping with the principles of
sustainable construction, a waste hierarchy has been extensively embraced as a guide for
construction managers. The Waste hierarchy suggests that:
➢ The most effective environmental solution may often be to reduce the generation
of waste.
➢ Where further reduction is not practicable, products and materials can sometimes
be re-used, either for the same or a different purpose.
➢ Failing that, value should be recovered from waste, through recycling, composting
or energy recovery from waste.
➢ Only if none of these solutions is appropriate should waste be disposed of, using
the best practicable environmental option.
(Source: Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions, 2000)
According to (Coventry, 1998), there are two fundamental reasons for reducing, reusing
and recycling waste: the economic advantages, and the environmental advantages. The
environmental advantages include the minimization of the risk of immediate and future
environmental pollution and harm to human health while the economic advantages include
lower project costs, increased business patronage, lower risk of litigation regarding wastes
amongst others. In view of these advantages and the negative impact of construction wastes
on successful project delivery, this paper identifies major causes of waste, the position of
construction firms and professionals in the Nigerian construction industry on construction
waste management and constraints to effective site waste management such as policy and
legislative issues.
Table 1 Waste Reduction Hierarchy
Goal Attribute Outcome

Avoid Preventative Most desirable
Reduce Preventative
Reduce at source Preventative
Reuse Predominantly ameliorative, partially
preventative
Recycle Predominantly ameliorative

Part preventative
Treatment Predominantly assimilative,
Partially ameliorative Least desirable
Disposal Assimilative
Source: (Gertsakis, 2003)

In general, terms the strategies of construction waste management are avoiding waste,
reusing and recycling waste materials. Avoiding waste refers to any practice to avoid or
minimize waste at source. Re-using and recycling refer to the re-using and recycling of
waste materials, and thus, reducing the volume of waste needed to be disposed to the
landfills. Minimization of waste at source is given the highest priority (Crittenden, 1995),
because it is always more efficient to minimize the generation of waste at source than to
develop ways for treating or handling the waste. Although re-using and recycling allow
waste materials to be put into a beneficial use, reusing and recycling do not completely
avoid the waste generation. Reusing and recycling can only reduce the quantity of waste
to be eventually disposed to the landfill sites. Since reusing requires less energy and
processes in dealing with the waste than recycling, reusing should be put in higher
hierarchy than recycling.
According to the waste management principles of the EU the most effective environmental
solution may often be to reduce the generation of waste. Where further reduction is not
practicable, products and materials can sometimes be reused, either for the same or for a
different purpose. Failing that, value should be recovered from waste, through recycling,
composting or energy recovery from waste. Only if none of these solutions is appropriate
should waste be disposed of, using the best practicable environmental option.
The Waste Reduction Framework Plan (WRFP, 1998) recommends the following five
waste management actions in waste management and disposal:
➢ Waste avoidance: waste should not be produced in the first place;
➢ Waste minimization: if waste production is unavoidable, the quantities should be
minimized;
➢ Waste recovery, recycling and reuse: the recovery, recycling and reuse of suitable
waste materials should be maximized;
➢ Waste bulk reduction: if it is not possible to recover, recycle or reuse the waste
materials, the volume of residual waste should be reduced before final disposal,
this might involve incineration or composting; and
➢ Waste disposal: wherever possible the residue left after bulk reduction will be used
for construction purposes or reclamation in preference to being dumped in the
landfills.
2.6. Waste in the Construction Industry
2.6.1. Definition of waste
There are various definitions for the term "waste." Waste is defined as any incompetence
that results in the use of more tools, materials, labor, equipment, and capital than are
considered necessary for the construction. Furthermore, waste, which includes material

losses and superfluous labour, adds to the project's cost while adding no value to the final
result (Koskela, 1992).
Building material wastages can be defined as the difference between the value of materials
delivered and accepted on site and those properly used as specified and accurately
measured in the work, after deducting the cost saving of substituted materials transferred
elsewhere, in which unnecessary cost and time may be incurred by materials wastage.
Wastages of building materials can be defined direct waste as the loss of those materials,
which were damaged and could not be repaired and subsequently used, or which were lost
during the building process; indirect waste was distinguished from direct waste because it
normally represented only a monetary loss and the materials were not lost physically. Such
losses arise principally from substitution of materials, from use of materials in excess of
quantities allowable under the contract, and from errors. The failure to recognize and record
waste from these causes makes accounting for materials meaningless. Therefore, a simple
measure of waste on site would be the difference between that used as specified and the
quantity of material delivered to site as a percentage of such deliveries. (Skoyles, 1987).
Construction waste is a global challenge facing both construction practitioners and
researchers. It can have a significant impact on time, cost, quality and sustainability, as
well as the success of projects (Nagapan, 2012).
(Akinkurolere, 2005)reported that the Building Research Establishment (BRE) categorizes
material wastage into four groups, namely: design waste; taking-off and ordering waste;
supply waste; and contract waste. And so, each stage has the potential to contribute to
material wastage on a construction site. Furthermore, Ma (2011) contends that construction
waste does not occur, as a result of materials alone, but opines that the following are some
of the issues that contribute to waste on construction sites:
➢ Waiting: While a worker hangs around, resources like water and electricity, are
being wasted by paying for what was not used. Plant and equipment are idle,
causing workers to be demotivated. These issues have economic, social, and
environmental implications.
➢ Over complex procedures: Simplifying procedures on-site helps in reducing waste.
Complex procedures may result in mistakes. For instance, difficult design/design
complexity.
➢ Not working to plan: The consequences are lost time, effort, resources, and
materials.
➢ Over-doing or re-doing: The problem of poor communication results in over-doing
things; while change in design results in the need to re-do the work.
➢ Excessive transport: Poor design, poor communications, wrong procurement, and
poor training-all these causes excessive transport, which is expensive.
➢ Overstocking: The rate of materials preservation is less when they are loaded onsite.

➢ Defects, mistakes and errors: Occasioned by poor communication, faulty design

and poor training.
➢ Lost ideas and innovations: This are the most serious waste of all.
As suggested by Lemlem Temesgen (2016), checking materials supplied for the right
quantities, proper storage, accurate specifications of materials, change of attitude of
workers towards the handling of materials, assigning waste management officer are the
most important measures used to mitigate material wastes. The quantity of material wasted
could be reduced by implementing particular strategies for each of the construction
materials. As recommended by (Seyoum, 2015)wastage of blocks is reduced by “stacking
on pallets or level grounds and storing in a container or a covered place” and for the
aggregate, “storing in separate bunkers and open stockpiles”. On the other hand, waste of
concrete making material is reduced by using ready mix concrete, transporting through
pulleys and cranes, proper storage of material, improving site facilities, assigning skilled
personnel, using proper formwork, and purchasing material from approved suppliers
(Markos, 2017).
(Bossink, 1996) identified six reasons behind waste generation and their causes in
Netherland as (1) design: error in contract documents, insufficient documents availability,
changes in design, adoption of wrong specifications, choice of low quality materials,
unawareness of product specification, and lack of construction knowledge; (2)
procurement: over and under ordering, lack of options for ordering small quantities, and
use of unsuitable product; (3) materials handling: damage during transportation, unsuitable
storage, and unpacked supply; (4) operation: error by trade persons or labor, equipment
malfunction, extreme weather conditions, accidents, damage caused by subsequent trades,
use of improper material, method for laying of foundation, and requisite quantities not fully
known; (5) residual: improper cutting, over mixings, waste from implementation process,
and improper packaging; and (6) others: theft and lack of onsite material management plan.
2.6.2. Classifications of Construction Waste
One common categorization of material wastage in building construction is as avoidable

and unavoidable. What is commonly known as unavoidable or natural waste is an
acceptable level of material waste the reduction of which, according to Formoso (2002),
requires a higher cost or investment than the economy produced. The level of unavoidable
waste may vary depending on the process, technology employed and other factors but it
always exists and considered as acceptable. The other category, avoidable waste as defined
by Formoso (2003), and others is waste the cost of which is significantly higher than the
cost to reduce or prevent it.
Another common classification of building construction waste is based on the sources of
waste. Though classification by waste is common, there are differences as to which sources

it should cover. The widely accepted classification of waste by source is based on what is
known as Shingos seven wastes (UFRGS, 1989), and is as follows;
• Processing Waste- Relating to the processing (conversion) activity commonly

exemplified by the amount of mortar wasted during ceiling plastering;
• Storage related- The deterioration, and loss of materials due to inadequate and poor
storage conditions and monetary loss due to storage related costs;
• Movement related- Caused by unnecessary or inefficient movements caused by due
to inadequate equipment, inefficient working methods, or inconvenient work place
at site;
• Production related waste- The production of defective materials incompatible with
specifications that may be caused by a wide range of reasons like poor design,
specification, etc.
• Waste caused by other reasons such as robbery, theft and vandalism, weather,
accidents, etc.
2.6.3. Sources and causes of Construction material Waste
Construction waste levels do not only relate to the construction type or the firm/industry
alone, but also to the site and the people involved in the project (Chikezirim, 2013). And
achieving an effective waste minimization depends on the level to which construction
participants change their behavior towards waste issues.
Finishing stage; and recommend the identification and understanding of the causes at
source. (Al-Hajj, 2011)believe that waste sources and causes revolve around four factors,
namely: procurement, handling, operation and culture. The analysis of the main origins of
material waste appropriate to each category is summarized in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Sources of Construction Waste

Source: Al-Hajj and Hamani (2011)
Okorafor (2014: 209) highlighted that construction waste originates from many sources,
these include the processes that occur before production, such as: materials manufacturing,
design, material supply and planning, as shown in the Figure 2.
There are different approaches to assessing the main origins, the sources, and the causes of
construction waste. It has been estimated that 33 percent of all the on-site material waste
is generated because of the architect ‘s inability to implement waste-minimizations
measures during the design phase of a project. Additionally, clients also contribute directly
or indirectly to on-site waste generation. There is a general consensus in the literature that

design changes occurring whilst construction is in progress are one of the main sources of
construction waste (Osmani, 2008). However, (Saidu, 2017)contend that construction
waste could arise from different sources, depending on the complexity of the project,
namely: design stage, procurement stage, operation stage, material management stage, and
material storage area.
In another study, poor site management and supervision, the lack of experience, inadequate
planning and scheduling, mistakes and errors in design, and construction were ranked as
the top causes of waste in a project. Furthermore, Al-hajj and Hamani (2011) summarized
that design error leading to unnecessary off-cuts‖, low-quality products‖, lack of
awareness‖, rework and variations‖, and temporary works‖ are the major causes of material
waste on construction sites.
Nagapan et al. (2013) conducted a survey on the causes of material waste at three
construction sites in Malaysia. The study revealed the following: inappropriate storage of
materials, poor materials handling, low quality of materials, error in material ordering,
mistakes in estimation, bad attitudes of workers, inadequate supervision, and the lack of
waste management plans.
(Adewuyi, 2013)found that, rework, design changes, waste from uneconomical outlines,
inclement weather, and bad quality materials contrary to specification were ranked as the
top causes of waste in the Rivers State of Nigeria. Identified the major sources of material
waste with their causes at the pre-contract and post-contract stages of a project, as follows:
1. Planning and designing: (the pre-contract stage)
Variation to design: lack of co-ordination in the standardization of materials. Over-
estimation to accommodate the variation: The extra materials ordered are discarded,
instead of being carried over to the next project
2. Estimating and purchasing (the pre-contract stage)
Over-allowance: for site losses and breakages, materials ‘variable dimensions, skill and
work ethics of the trade people. Under-ordering: the minimum quantity is often more than
required to compensate; and the extra is consigned to waste.
3. Manufacturers and suppliers (the pre-contract stage)
Insufficient projection for materials: materials are damaged during delivery and loading.
4. Operational waste (the post-contract stage)
Due to the nature of the construction process, there is waste generated by the type of work,
time pressure, poor craftsmanship, lack of supervision, and poor work ethics.
5. Transporting and delivery waste (the post-contract stage)

This is caused by factors dependent on access to the site, and methods of loading and
offloading. The amount of waste generated depends on the situation.
6. Storage (the post contract stage)
Improper stacking methods, transferring materials from remote storage location to the point
of application, damage by other trades and weather conditions. Waste incurred due to bad
site management, and failing to provide adequate protection for the materials stored.
7. Crimes and theft (the post-contract stage)
Insufficient site security: There is need to prevent vandalism or pilferage of materials by
both outsiders and insiders.
Nagapan et al. (2012) identified 81 causes of material waste and categorized them into
seven sources. These include: design, workers, management, procurement, site condition,
handling and external factor groups. The identification of these causes could help in
increasing awareness amongst the construction practitioners to control material waste.
(Osmani M. (2012) categorized waste into eleven sources, thereby showing that
construction waste is generated throughout the project from commencement to conclusion,
and emphasizing that the pre-construction stage provides a significant share.
➢ Contractual waste: Client-driven or enforced waste; mistakes in contract
documents; and incomplete contract and tender documents at the commencement
of construction.
➢ Procurement: The lack of early stakeholders ‘involvement, poor communication
flow, improper co-ordination amongst the parties and trades, and lack of allocated
duties for decision making.
➢ Design: Changes in design, complexity in design and specifications, mistakes in
design and construction details, insufficient or incoherent specifications; poor
coordination and communication (late information, last-minute client requirements,
slow in drawing revision and distribution).
Osmani, Glass and Price (2008) concluded that the following four factors are responsible
for causing waste at the design stage of a project: last-minute changes in design, errors in
detailing, inaccurate specifications, lack of information on drawings and delays due to
drawing revision and distribution.
➢ On-site Management and Planning: improper site management; improper planning
for the required quantities; delayed information on the kinds and size of materials
and components to be used; the lack of on-site material control; and inappropriate
site supervision.

Construction waste is caused due to several factors. The most common and widely
recognized factors in literature are categorized and summarized under Table 2 below.
Table 2 Factors of construction material wastage
Design Management Material Operation Others

Construction management
process
Incompatible Ordering errors Materials Use of incorrect Theft
market supplied material
standard sizes
Lack of Use of incorrect Damages Damage to Lack of material
attention paid material while work done due control on site
to dimensional requiring transporting to subsequent
coordination replacement trade
of products
Design Lack of Inappropriate
Required Lack of waste
changes while possibility to site storagequantity unclear management
construction is order small due to improper plan
in progress quantities planning
Lack of Purchases not Unfriendly Delays in Natural disasters
knowledge complying with attitudes of providing
about standard specifications project team information to
sizes available and workers contractors
in market regarding types
and sizes of
products to be
used
Designers Design changes Lack of Accidents due Inclement
unfamiliarity while environmental to negligence weather
with construction is awareness of
alternative in progress employees on
products site
Complexity of quality products Lack of Errors by trades
drawings Selection of low technical persons or
direction for laborers
workers on Malfunctioning
site of equipment
Source: -Researchers analysis (2017)

According to (Poon, 2001) research in Hong Kong indicates there are many contributory
factors to the generation of waste; these include both human and mechanical activities.
Table 3 is a summary of the major causes of materials waste in Hong- Kong (Poon,2001).
Table 3 A summary of the major causes of materials waste
Causes of Building Waste Examples

onof a quality
Lack Site
management system aimed lack o f waste management plan
at waste minimization
Site Management and Practices
Poor handling breakage, damage, losses
Over-sized over design leads to excess excavation and

foundations and other cut-offs
elements
Inadequate protection to finished finished concrete staircases are
work not protected by boarding
Limited visibility on site inadequate lighting in covered
resulting in damage storage area
Poor storage pallet is not used to protect cement bags
from contamination by ground water
Poor workmanship poor workmanship of formwork
Waste generation e.g. timber formwork, wet trade
inherited with traditional
construction method
Over-ordering over ordering of concrete becomes
Delivery of Products
waste
Method of packaging inadequate protection to the materials
Method of transport materials drop from forklift
Inadequate data regarding lack of records concerning materials
time and method of delivery
delivery
Research in the United State of America indicated the causes of waste during the
construction process as rework/repair, defect, material waste, delays, waiting time, poor
material allocation, unnecessary material handling and material waste (Lee,1999).
According to (Bossink, 1996) in the Netherlands indicated the main sources and causes
of construction waste as shown in Table 4

Table 4 Sources and Causes of Construction Waste in Netherlands (Bossink 1996).
Source Cause
Design Error in contract documents
Design Contract documents incomplete at commencement of
construction
Design Changes to design
Design Choices about specifications of products
Design Choices of low quality to sizes of used products
Design Designer is not familiar with possibilities of different
Design Lack of influence of contractors and lack of knowledge
products
about Construction
Procurement Ordering error, over ordering, under ordering, and so on
Procurement Lake of possibilities to order small quantities
Procurement Use of products that do not fit
Materials Damage during transportation to site/on site
Materials
handling Inappropriate storage leading to damage or deterioration
Materials
handling Unpacked supply
Materials
handling Throwaway packaging
Operation
handling Error by tradesmen or operatives
Operation Equipment malfunction
Operation Inclement weather
Operation Accidents
Operation Damage caused by subsequent trades
Operation Use of incorrect material, requiring replacement
Operation Method to lay the foundation
Operation Required quantity of product unknown due to imperfect
Operation Information
planning about types and sizes of products that will
be used arrived
too late on the construction site
Residual Off cuts from cutting material to length
Residual Over mixing of material for wet trades due to a lack of
knowledge of
Requirements
Residual Waste from application process
Residual Packaging
Other Criminal waste due to damage or theft
Other Lack of onsite materials control and waste management
plans

Table 5 Sources and causes of construction site waste in Singapore (Ekanayake, 2000)
Factor
Lack of attention paid to dimensional coordination of products
Changes made to the design while construction is in progress
Lack of attention paid to standard sizes available on the market
Designer‟s unfamiliarity with alternative products
Complexity of detailing in the drawings
Lack of information in the drawings
Errors in contract documents
Incomplete contract documents at commencement of project
Selection of low quality products
Errors by tradespersons or laborers
Accidents due to negligence
Damage to work done caused by subsequent trades
Use of incorrect material, thus requiring replacement
Required quantity unclear due to improper planning
Delays in passing of information to the contractor on types and sizes of products
to be used
Inclement weather
Damages during transportation
Inappropriate storage leading to damage or deterioration
Materials supplied in loose form
Use of whatever material which are close to working place
Unfriendly attitudes of project team and laborers
Theft
Ordering errors (e.g. ordering significantly more or less)
Lack of possibilities to order small quantities
Purchased products that do not comply with specific

2.6.4. Material waste in construction site
Key material in site that have the highest level of wastage on building sites includes
Concrete, cement/mortar, timber, and blocks (Agyekum, 2013). Bossink and Brouwers,
(1996) indicated that in Brazil, 20%-30% of the purchased materials are not used well and
end up as waste.
2.6.4.1. Concrete
Formoso, et al., (2002) classified mixed concrete as concrete ready mixed concrete
(premixed concrete) and concrete site mixed. Concrete is the most widely used material
both for substructure and superstructure parts of a building. According to Shen et al., 2002)
the wastage that occurs when a ready-mix concrete supply is not ordered according to the
quantity of concrete that is required is caused by the mismatch between the quantity
ordered and the required amount. The improper handling of concrete wastes can result in
over ordering and delays in the construction of projects.
In a survey which was carried out by Poon and Jailon (2002) of 22 construction sites in
Hong Kong, 80% of the work was made from ready mixed concrete. On average, 3–5% of
the material was wasted and most of it was lost through excessive material ordering, broken
formwork and redoing due to poor concrete placement quality. According to Bossink and
Brouwers, (1996) The construction contractor may not know the exact quantity of concrete
that is needed for a given project. This leads to over-ordering and overfilling of the
formwork. If the formwork is overfilled, skimming becomes necessary i.e. leveling off the
concrete poured into the formwork.
2.6.4.2. Cement
(HAILEMARIAM, 2021)mentioned that Understanding the waste of cement can be
challenging due to its various uses and the various processes involved. such as brick work,
plastering, and floor screed. As stated by Formoso, et al., (2002) cement is a relatively
expensive material that has high levels of waste in Brazil. In addition, Sand and mortar are
usually delivered in trucks, and so there may be additional losses related to the lack of
control in the delivery operation and the necessary handling it demands. As concluded by
enough data are available, there are indications that such changes have reduced the waste
of mortar, in comparison to the traditional method of producing mortar on site.
2.6.4.3. Steel Reinforcement
According to Tam, et at., (2007), Steel reinforcement bars are usually utilized materials in
building construction. The main factor for steel wastage is because of cutting. Damaged
and rusting during storage are also the major part for steel reinforcement wastage. Shen et

al., (2002) stated that steel reinforcement bars are common materials used in building
construction and the main causes of wastage of steel are as a result of cutting, damages
during storage and rusting. Controlling the use of steel reinforcement in building sites is
relatively difficult because it is cumbersome to handle due to its weight and shape.
As stated by Poon and Jailon, (2002) the reasons of likely waste of steel reinforcement are
damage to mesh and bars, loss in mud and excess use of tying wire. Pointed out the three
main reasons for steel reinforcement waste, Short unusable pieces that are produced when
bars are cut, some bars may have an excessively large diameter due to fabrication problem
and trespassing and Structural design that is poor in terms of standardization and detailing,
causing waste due to non-optimized cutting of bars.
2.6.4.4. Sand
According to Formoso, et al., (2002) in some parts of the world like Brazil, Sand and mortar
are usually delivered in trucks, and so there may be additional losses related to the delivery
process. Although not enough data are available, there are indications that such changes
have reduced the waste of mortar, in comparison to the traditional method of producing
mortar on site.
2.6.4.5. Timber Formwork
According to Agyekem, (2012) timber is a popular construction material due to its various
advantages. Its low weight and high load bearing capacity make it a good choice for
construction. But it is a wastage because of its low durability and reusability.
Shen et al., (2002) stated that the main causes of wastage are natural deterioration and the
usage and cutting of waste. One of the most commonly used materials for formwork is
timber board. The main causes of wastage are those that result from usage and cutting
waste.
A study undertaken on construction sites in Hong-Kong Poon and Jailon, (2002) showed
that the majority of timber waste generated from formwork was diverted to other uses such
as timber cutting for internal finishing and fittings. In the case of formwork, most of the
timber materials delivered to site were eventually discarded as waste (100% wastage) after
several reuses.
2.6.4.6. Brick and block
Bricks and blocks are the most common walling materials. The main cause of brick and
block waste is cutting. Since the nature of the material is fragile the unpacked supply may
increase wastage of broken damage. Similarly, the unused bricks left on site is ending up
in the trash. (Shen et al., 2002).

According to Ayrkwa, (2012) wastage of bricks and blocks are directly related to the lack
of control in the amount of bricks or blocks delivered as well as the bricks that are the
damaged.
2.6.5. Waste Minimization
Hoe, (2006), described waste minimization as the process of reducing or preventing waste.
It involves the identification and changing processes for reduction of raw materials, water,
and energy consumption. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United
States of America views waste minimization as; any method that reduces the volume or
toxicity of a waste that requires disposal.
According to Poon and Jailon, (2002), waste minimization involves any technique, process
or activity which avoids, eliminates, or reduces waste at its source or allows reuse or
recycling of the waste.
According to Hoe, (2006) Waste minimization is about common sense and a change of
attitude, rather than new technologies and waste minimization is the first stage of a whole
waste management plan so that, it’s clear that the best option for waste is not to be crated
at all. In addition to this the process of minimization involves surveying the flow of
materials into as well as out of a site and assessing what steps could be employed to reduce
the quality and range of material discarded.
According to (Al-Moghany, 2006)the process of waste minimization consists of two basic
operations source reduction and recycling. To avoid waste generation, their need to be
source reduction, while recycling is useful to use the resources and prevent materials from
entering the waste stream.
2.6.6. Waste Minimization In construction
According to Formoso, et al., (2002) the building industry is using a considerable amount
of resources, but if the life cycle of the material on site is closely examined, it is generally
known that a large portion of the materials used on construction sites are wasted because
of poor material control.
Coventry, et al., (2001) stated that the potential for minimizing construction and demolition
waste is considerable. To find a practical waste minimization strategy, it requires a detailed
understanding of what causes construction waste on the other hand examined waste
minimization strategies and the relative significance of construction waste sources using
survey. The researchers found that a significant number of firms lacked waste-reduction
policies. Furthermore, while most companies with explicit waste reduction policies
attempted to reduce waste at the source, such as by avoiding waste generation in the first
place, this effort was limited to waste generated by site offices and services. Their study
concluded that by addressing the origins of all waste created throughout the building phase,
there is potential for enhancing the efficacy of waste reduction at source.

According to Teo and Loosemore, (2001) People changing their wasteful behavior makes
a significant contribution to waste reduction in the construction industry, according to
them. Waste is an unavoidable by-product of construction activity; its management is a low
project priority with an absence of appropriate resources and incentives to support it. The
availability of local infrastructure and top management support were recognized as the
most important determinants of waste reduction behavior on projects, according to their
research. Their recommendations for managers to change operators' attitudes about waste
include clear communication of waste management policies, the provision of appropriate
waste infrastructure, and the collaboration and promotion of senior management.
2.6.6.1. Reduction, Reuse and Recycling of Construction Materials Waste
The 3 “R”s of construction waste minimization refers to the 3 waste minimization
techniques namely reduction, reuse and recycling. According to Hoe, (2006) waste
reduction or source reduction, means preventing the creation of the waste in the first place
and is one of the basic principles of sustainable.
According to (Coventry et al., 2001), if contractors aim for zero waste, they are not only
conserve natural resources and avoid the associated impacts of their extraction and
processing but also save money .there are different strategies to minimize waste for
instance as Hoe, (2006) stated, designing with standard building material sizes in mind
reduce purchasing, handling and disposal costs and also Re-use is another form of waste
reduction that: (1) extends resource supplies; (2) keeps high-quality-matter resources from
being reduced to low-matter quality waste; and (3) saves even more energy and pollutants
than recycling (Begum et al., 2006). On the other hand, according to Hoe, (2006), recycling
waste without sufficient scientific study and development might result in environmental
concerns that are worse than the waste itself. Successful research and development of new
construction materials or components using waste as a raw material is a multidisciplinary
process that involves technical, environmental, financial, marketing, legal, and social
concerns. Source Reduction
A. Reduction of Construction Material Waste
Reduction is defined as any activity that reduces or eliminates the generation of waste at
the source, usually within the process. Therefore, Waste reduction or source reduction,
means preventing the creation of the waste in the first place (Begum et al., 2006).
The biggest opportunity to impact on waste generation through prevention principles is at
(Dennis, 2002): Design: - through design for waste reduction, i.e. the design stage will
provide plans and specify materials that are prefabricated, recyclable and low waste
building technologies. Operations: - through clear communication of the designer to the
project team to avoid unnecessary waste through errors and redo. Procurement: - through

the engagement of suppliers in delivering quality materials and through take back
agreements for unused materials.
Reduction is at the highest preference on the construction waste minimization hierarchy; it
has the most positive environmental impact due to the action having a direct effect. Many
design and job site practices can significantly reduce waste and cost of materials while
requiring only slight modifications of procedures.
B. Reuse of Construction Material Waste
According to Hoe, (2006), reuse is to salvage and reprocess materials as much as possible
in a construction project. This includes materials removed during demolition, scrap
generated on site and used materials or scraps from other jobs. As many of the materials in
demolished structures can be removed, cleaned, renovated, and used in the same
construction project or in other projects. When reusing materials, the contractor should
ensure that the material is appropriate for the use of proper quality and is prepared for its
reuse. The contractor should also exercise care in installation and removal of materials and
provide warehousing to facilitate their reuse in the future. Provision for alterations and
remodeling can be made during the initial construction process. Main contractors in
controlling sub-Contractors usage of materials through separation of waste for reuse would
reduce the amount of waste generated.
C. Recycling of Construction Material Waste
According to Al-Moghany, (2006), recycling is commonly defined as a process of
separating recyclable materials from non-recyclable materials and supplying them to a
hauler or business so they can be processed to make new products and buying building
materials with recycled content helps develop a market for the waste material one recycles
from the job site.

CHAPTER THREE
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
This chapter discusses the study's research strategy and methods. The research approach
and design are revealed in the second section of the chapter. It explains the research design,
the study's population and sample, the devices utilized for data collection, and the
techniques used in the study.
3.2. Study area
Wolkite is a town and separate woreda in south western-Ethiopia. The administrative center
of Gurag zone of southern nation, nationalities and people’s region (SNNPR), this town
has a latitude and longitude of 8°17′N 37°47′E and an elevation between 1910 and 1935
meter above sea level. The primary areas focus for the study implementation were wolkite
Town. Therefore, a methodology is set to collect information from different construction
site that has direct relation to the building construction projects been included for the
present day.
3.3. Research approach and design
The research approach must be defined before any study can be designed. In general, there
are two types of research methods: quantitative research and qualitative research. We chose
the quantitative approach, which is a strategy for identifying problems based on numerical
measurements and examined with tables, charts, and figures.
According to Creswell (2003), quantitative research approach counts things, data
statistically and quotes results in numeric forms. This approach is used to find facts based
on evidence or records. The method relies on experiments and surveys to collect
measurable data. Therefore, a quantitative research approach is adopted to rank the wastage
contributing factors, to identify the major factors of waste in the main construction
materials during construction operations and to find out measures taken for minimizing
construction material wastage.
The stages needed in conducting an inquiry in a quantitative study are very common
(AlMoghany, 2006). Structured questionnaires, and site visits were employed to collect
data for this study. Site visit were utilized to gather preliminary data to aid in the
organization of the surveys. The questionnaire survey was also modified to obtain feedback
on respondents' views on building material waste in the Wolkite town construction
projects.
As a research design, descriptive design was selected based on the research questions.
According to Naoum (2007), descriptive research is used to describe a specific population
or a phenomenon and to answer the “what” question. As it is stated earlier, the objectives
of this study are mainly to identify the wastage contributing factors, identify the major

factors of waste in the main construction materials during construction operations and to
find out measures taken for minimizing construction material wastage. So, the reason
behind using the descriptive design is because all the research questions are towards
answering the “what” and are explaining or describing the construction material wastage
phenomenon.
3.4. Research population
This study focused on Construction material wastage in the under construction building
projects. As a result, the targeted populations of the study were construction building sites
where are under construction in wolkite town.
3.4.1. Sampling technique
Simple random probability sampling method was used to give equal opportunity for the
targeted population of the study. Selecting random numbers allows us to select a sample
without bias. So, the sample which is selected randomly can be said it is representative to
the targeted population. (Mark et al., 2016) the authors stated that, simple random sampling
is best used when there is an easy and accessible sampling frame that lists the population
and for a few hundred target population. The research employed Simple random probability
sampling method obtain data from population.
3.4.2. Sample Size
The required sample size for the research was calculated statistically using the following
expression for each party participated in the survey (Kish, 1965 cited in Tadesse Ayalew,
2009). no=pxq/v2 …………………. [Eq. 3.1]
n= no / [1+(no /N)] ………………. [Eq. 3.2]
Where: no: First estimate of sample size
P: The proportion of the characteristic being measured in the target population
q: Complement of p or 1-p
v: The maximum standard error allowed
N: The population size
n: The sample size
To maximize, p was set at 0.5. To account for possible error in the respondent answers
from the questionnaire, the maximum standard error was set at 10% or 0.1. According to
Wolkite town urban development and construction project bureau, the target populations
were building projects in Wolkite town which are 128. We will use those numbers as our
populations for the above formula.

Then by inserting those population sizes to the above formula, we get our sample size to
be 20. As a result, the sample size for the study was set at 20.
3.5. Data sources
In this research both primary and secondary data sources are used. Internet, magazines,
journals, and books that relates to material wastage in construction industry are used as
secondary data sources. The primary data source on the thesis will be obtained from the
observation and research questionnaire. The data will be gathered from different building
construction professionals that engaged in building projects in wolkite Town. Finally, the
collected data will be analyzed, identified and ranked.
3.6. Data collection
For successfully conduction we have used both primary and secondary data source.
Primary data are data which the research used for the purpose of study at hand. Primary
data is collected directly from the population by using self-administered questionnaire and
as a secondary data literature review from other sources is used.
Preparation of Questionnaire
Questionnaire design is a key part of survey research methodology. It is important that the
questionnaire is clear and has no mistakes or differences in its design. In our research it
had been an important tool or mechanism of gathering data towards the research problem
and objective.
The questionnaire was undertaken as a data collection tool to identify the major factors of
construction material wastage, major factors of waste in the main construction materials
and the measures taken for minimizing it. The questions were prepared to be filled with
construction professionals who are directly involved in the under construction. Based on
the objective of the study the questions were classified into four sections. All the questions
are closed-ended except the last two questions.
Part1: Respondent’s identification
This section is included to obtain information about the respondents. The questionnaire
includes the four important questions which are category of the firm, position, and year of
experience in the company they are working.
Part 2: Wastage Factors
This section is of the questionnaire was added to answer the first question of the research.
About 39 factors with five groups were identified from different literature reviews and then
the respondents were asked to identify the level of influence for wastage factors on their
projects.

Part 3: Major construction material level of waste during construction operations This
section of the questionnaire was added to answer the second question of the study. In this
section major factors were collected from the literature review were listed. The respondents
were asked to identify the level of influence on the identified factors of construction
material wastage.
Part 4: Measures Taken for Minimizing Construction Material Wastage
This section of the questionnaire was added to answer the third question of the study. This
section was asked if there are any measures taken to minimize construction material
wastage. At last, an open-ended question was raised for the respondents to add if there are
any recommendation, they want to give to minimize construction material wastage in
building projects.
As stated by Naoum (2007), understanding the level of measurement is essential to be able
to select the appropriate method of analysis and for each type of measurement. According
to the author, the Likert scale, an assumption that shows each item on the scale has equal
attitudinal value. In this research, a five-level Likert scale was used depending on the
questions. To rate the wastage factors a range from extremely significant to not significant.
3.7. Data analysis
We will design questionnaires to the construction organizations. The questionnaires are
design for contractors. These questions will focus on the wastage of construction material
in wolkite town building projects. The data analysis methods are relative important index
The Relative Importance
Index (RII) is calculated as follows (Aibinu and Jagboro, 2002).
RII = (4n1+3n2+2n3+1n4+0n5)/ 4N ------------------------------------------------- {Equation
3.3}
Where:
N = Total number of respondents
ni = the variable expressing the frequency of the ith response.
n1= Number of frequencies 'extremely significant ' response,
n2= Number of frequencies 'very significant ' response
n3 = Number of frequencies 'moderately significant ' response
n4 = Number of frequencies 'slightly significant ' response.
n5 = Number of frequencies 'not significant ' response.

CHAPTER FOUR
4. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

4.1. Introduction
The results and explanation of the acquired data via survey are detailed in this chapter. The
survey results revealed the contributing elements of construction material waste, the major
sources of waste in the main construction materials during building operations, and the
actions implemented to reduce construction material waste. The questionnaire is divided
into four sections: respondent identification, wastage factors categorized into five groups,
major factors of waste in the main construction materials during construction operations,
and measures taken for minimizing construction material wastage, as well as an open-
ended question to collect respondents' opinions on how to reduce material wastage in the
construction industry.
A. Respondent’s firm level
Table 6 Respondent’s firm level
Firm level Frequency Percent Cumulative

Percent
BC1-BC2 5 25 25
BC3-BC4 9 45 70
GC1-GC2 2 10 80
GC3-GC4 4 20 100
Total 20 100
Source: Own Survey (2022)

Respondant's firm level

50
45
40
35
30
percent
25
20
15
10
5
0
BC1-BC2 BC3-BC4 GC1-GC2 GC3-GC4
Firim level
Figure 2 Respondent’s firm level

B. Respondent’s Position
The questionnaires were completed by 20 people who operate in various capacities within
their construction firm. According to Table 8, 35 percent of the respondents worked as
Forman and 25 percent of the respondents worked as site engineers. This shows that
because Forman are more experienced, the data they gather will be more reliable, and site
engineers are more involved in the activity, they will have more practical waste experience,
therefore the data collected from those experienced site engineers will be more reliable.
Table 7 Respondent's Position
Position Frequency Percent Cumulative

Percent
Project Manager 6 30 30
Site Engineer 5 25 55
Office Engineer 2 10 65
Forman 7 35 100
Total 20 100

Respondent's position
40
35
30
25
percent
20
15
10
5
0
Project Manager Site Engineer Office Engineer Forman
position
Figure 3 Respondent’s Position

C. Years of Work experience
Table 8 shows that 12 (60%) of respondents have 1 to 5 years of experience, 7 (35%) have
6 to 10 years of experience and 1(5%) have 11 to 15 years of experience.
Table 8 Respondent's years of experience
Experience Frequency Percent Cumulative

Percent
1-5 years 12 60 60
6-10 years 7 35 35
11-15 years 1 5 100
>15 years 0 0
Total

Respondent's year of experience

70
60
50
percent
40
30
20
10
0
1-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years >15 years
Experience level
Figure 4 Respondent's years of experience

4.2 Wastage factors
This component of the questionnaire was created to collect information on the most
common causes of rework in building projects. A list of common wastage variables was
created through a literature review in order to achieve this. Design and documentation,
material procurement and handling, operation and workmanship, site management and
practices, and site supervision and management were chosen as the five groups of wastage
reasons. The five categories' rankings, as well as each of the 39 waste variables, were
examined and ranked. The five groups were ordered as follows based on the acquired
findings.
Table 9 Construction material wastage factor categories
Construction wastage factor Number of factors Average Rank

categories RII
Design and Documentation 5 0.80 1st
Material Procurement 15 0.74 2nd
Operation and Workmanship 9 0.62 4th
Site management and 6 0.63 3rd

practices
Site Supervision and 4 0.57 5th
Management
As shown in the table 10, the top three major wastage factors are found to be in the
categories of design and documentation, material procurement and Site management
practice. Each of five groups are discussed in detail.

4.2.1. Design and Documentation
Five wastage factors were selected under design and documentation category. Respondents
were asked to indicate their level of influence on the listed wastage factors. Based on the
received responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table 10.
Table 10 Design and Documentation
Design and Documentation RII Rank Over all rank
Design changes and revisions 0.88 1st 3rd
Designer's inexperience in 0.83 2nd 8th

method and sequence of
construction
Lack o f attention p a i d t o 0.80 3rd 10th
s t a n d a r d sizes available on the
market
Lack of information in the 0.78 4th 12th
drawings
Poor/ wrong specifications 0.75 5th 13th
Respondents ranked “Design changes and revisions” as the first wastage factor with the
RII value of 0.88. This wastage factor is further ranked 3rd from total factors. This result
indicates that during the design stages, the client and the contractor must sit down and agree
on the project's final decision. This is very important during the construction phase as it
will affect the building projects by having material wastage. Therefore, to overcome this
problem, more attention should be given in waste reduction during design phase. The
parties, who involve in any construction projects, should always have a good
communication with clients to avoid the last minutes changes. Nagapan, et al., (2007)
found Frequent design changes as the most dominant cause for generating construction
wastage. Osmani and Price, (2008) Ranked design change as the second major factor for
wastage.
According to the responses collected, respondents ranked both “Designer's inexperience in
method and sequence of construction” as 2nd factor with RII value of 0.83. This wastage
factor further ranked 8th from the total factors.
Based on the responses, “Lack of attention paid to standard sizes available on the market”
Who is ranked as the 3rd wastage factor with RII 0.80. This wastage factor further ranked
10th from the total factors.

4.2.2. Material Procurement and handling

Respondents were asked to indicate their level of influence on listed wastage factors.
Based on the received responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table 11.
Table 11 Material Procurement and handling
Material Procurement and handling RII Rank Over all rank

th
Lack storage of materials near of 0.82 6 9th
construction site
Poorly schedule to procurement the 0.73 8th 14th
materials
Over ordering or under ordering duet 0.72 10th 16th
mistake in quantity surveys
Purchased materials that don’t comply 0.51 15th 33rd
with specification
Production of a quantity greater than 0.93 2nd 2nd
required or earlier than necessary
Lack of onsite materials control 0.85 4th 6th
Poor quality of materials 0.95 1st 1st
Using excessive quantities of 0.68 13th 21st
materials more than the required
Damage during transportation 0.71 12th 19th

Wrong handling of materials 0.73 8th 14th
Unnecessary material handling 0.72 10th 16th
Insufficient instructions about 0.47 13th 36th

Handling
Inappropriate storage leading to 0.85 4th 6th
damage or deterioration
Wrong storage of materials 0.87 3rd 4th
Insufficient instructions about 0.56 14th 27th
storage and stacking
On material and procurement and handling castigatory respondents ranked “Poor quality
of materials” as the first wastage factor with the RII value of 0.95. This wastage factor was
ranked 1st from total factors. This illustrates that construction material quality have a high
impact to prevent wastage. Studies related to wastages included this factor as the major

factor for wastage. For instance, Yadeta and Eshetie, (2019), stated that the major causes
of construction materials wastage of building projects are selection of low-quality products.
The second factor identified based on the responses was “Production of a quantity greater
than required or earlier than necessary” with RII value of 0.93. This wastage factor ranked
2nd from the total factors.
As indicated in Table 12, “Wrong storage of materials” ranked third from the category with
the RII value of 0.87. This factor ranked 4th from the total identified factors.
4.2.3. Operation and workmanship
Under Operation and workmanship 9 wastage factors were selected. Respondents were
asked to indicate their level of influence on the list of wastage factors. Based on the
received responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table 12.
Table 12 Operation and workmanship
Operation and workmanship RII Rank Over all rank
Poor technology of equipment 0.60 4th 26th
Damage to work done caused 0.47 9th 36th

by subsequent trades
Use of incorrect material, thus 0.55 6th 30th
requiring replacement
Poor workmanship 0.87 1st 4th
Choice of wrong construction 0.50 8th 35th
Method
Using untrained labors 0.66 3rd 23rd
Lack of coordination among 0.80 2nd 10th

crews
Problems between the 0.60 4th 26th
contractor and his
subcontractors
Equipment frequently 0.55 6th 30th
breakdown
The wastage factor ranked first in this category was “Poor workmanship” with RII value
of 0.87.
The wastage factor ranked second in this category was “Lack of coordination among
crews” with RII value of 0.80. This wastage factor is ranked 10th from total of factors.

The third responses collected, “Using untrained labors” ranked third from the category with
RII value of 0.66. This wastage factor ranked 23th from the total identified wastage factors.
4.2.4. Site management and practices
Table 13 Site management and practices
Site management and practices RII Rank Over all rank
Poor project management 0.72 1st 16th
Lack of a quality management 0.51 6th 33rd

system
aimed at waste minimization
Lack of strategy to waste 0.55 5th 29th
Minimization
Ineffective control of the project 0.71 2nd 19th
progress by the contractor
Shortage of technical 0.68 3rd 21st
professionals in
the contractor’s organization
Poor management and distribution 0.63 4th 24th
of labors, materials and
equipment’s
Respondents ranked “Poor project management” as the first wastage factor with the and
RII value of 0.72. This wastage factor is also ranked 16th from the total factors.
The wastage factor ranked second in this category was “Ineffective control of the project
progress by the contractor” with RII value of 0.71. This wastage factor is ranked 19th from
total of factors.
As indicated in Table 13, “Shortage of technical professionals in the contractor’s organization”
ranked third from the category with the RII value of 0.68. This factor ranked 21st from the
total identified factors.
4.2.5. Site Supervision and Management
A total of 4 factors attribute to Site Supervision and Management categories were

identified. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of influence on the listed wastage
factors. Based on the received responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table
14.

Table 14 Site Supervision and Management
Site Supervision and Management RII Rank Over all rank
Lack of supervision and delay of 0.52 4th 32nd

Inspections
Poor qualification of consultant 0.63 1st 24th
engineers staff assigned to the project
Slow response from the consultant 0.58 2nd 28th
engineer to contractor inquiries
Poor coordination and 0.56 3rd 29th
communication
between the consultant engineer,
contactor and client
According to the responses collected “poor qualification of consultant engineers staff
assigned to the project” was ranked 1st from the category with RII value of 0.63. This
wastage factor is ranked 24th from the total factors.
The following are the top five major wastage factors from the overall 39 factors. All are
discussed above in detail in their own category.
Table 15 Top five wastage factors
Wastage Factor Categories RII Over all rank
Poor quality of materials Material Procurement and 0.95 1st

handling
Production of a quantity greater Material Procurement and 0.93 2nd
than required or earlier than handling
necessary
Design changes and revisions, Design and 0.88 3rd
Wrong storage of materials Documentation
Poor workmanship Operation and 0.87 4th
workmanship
Wrong storage of materials Material Procurement and 0.87 5th
handling
4.3. Major factors of waste in key construction materials during construction
The participants were asked to identify the primary causes of construction waste. As a
result, the research will be able to identify the principal sources of waste in the primary
construction materials used during construction.

4.3.1. Concrete Wastage Factors
Concreting is a major building process. Site managers often express about the difficulty of
controlling the amount of concrete deliveries. Five wastage factors were selected under
Concrete. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of influence, based on the
received responses the mean and rank of each factor of the concrete waste are presented in
the table 16.
Table 16 Concrete Wastage factors
Concrete RII Rank Over all rank

Excessive dimensions of concrete 0.45 5th 35th
Structure
Use of inadequate tools and 0.60 3rd 11th
Equipment’s
Poor performance mixing and 0.78 1st 2nd
Transport
Far distance between place of 0.75 2nd 4th
mixing and casting
Inadequate use of vibration which 0.57 4th 17th
leads to problems in concrete
As shown in the table 16, the top 3 respondents ranked for concrete wastage factors are
Poor performance mixing and Transport, Far distance between place of mixing and casting
Use of inadequate tools and Equipment’s.
Respondents ranked “Poor performance mixing and Transport” as the first factor for
concrete wastage with the RII value of 0.78. The factor illustrates about the poor
performance of mixing which leads to redoing and material wastage due to poor concrete
placement quality. For instance, the building contractor may not know the necessary
quantity because of imperfect planning. This leads to overordering and overfilling of the
means of transport and formwork.
Based on the responses, “Far distance between place of mixing and casting” was ranked as
the second wastage factor with the RII value of 0.75. According to the responses collected,
respondents ranked “Use of inadequate tools and Equipment’s” as a 3rd factor with RII
value of 0.60.
4.3.2. Steel Reinforcement Wastage Factors
Under this material, seven wastage factors are selected. Respondents were asked to indicate
their level of influence on the listed wastage factors. Based on the received responses the
factors were ranked as indicated in the table 17.

Table 17 Steel Reinforcement Wastage Factors
Steel Reinforcement RII Rank Over all rank
Unnecessary replacement of some 0.68 3rd 7th

bars by others of large diameter
No optimized cutting of bars 0.69 2nd 6th
Structure design was poor in terms 0.55 4th 22nd

of standardization and detailing
Damage during storage and rusting 0.81 1st 1st

Respondents ranked “Damage during storage and rusting” as the first wastage factor for
steel reinforcement with the RII value of 0.81. Exposing materials to extreme weather such
as steel bars which rust needs to have proper storage to avoid construction material
wastage. The second cause identified based on the responses was “Nonoptimized cutting
of bars” with RII value of 0.69. According to the responses collected, “Unnecessary
replacement of some bars by others of large diameter” ranked third from the category with
RII value of 0.68.
Figure 5 Damaged during storage and rusting Reinforcement
4.3.3. Cement Wastage factors
A total of six factors were identified. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of
agreement on the listed wastage factors. Based on the received responses the factors were
ranked as indicated in the table 18.

Table 18 Cement Wastage Factors
Cement RII Rank Over all rank

Loading the cement manually in the 0.58 2nd 14th
Mixer using inadequate equipment’s and
tools
Excessive quantities during mixing 0.52 5th 27th
more than the required
Mixing of quantities greater than the 0.48 6th 31st
Required
Inappropriate way of transportation 0.57 3rd 17th
Wrong storage 0.71 1st 5th
Mixing in unsuitable places 0.53 4th 25th
Respondents ranked “Wrong storage” of cement at the first wastage factor with the RII
value of 0.71. unstacking cement bags on pallet and disorganized stocks which leading to
broken bags. According to the responses collected, “Loading the cement manually in the
mixer using inadequate equipment’s and tools” was ranked 2nd from the category with RII
value of 0.58. The wastage factor ranked 3rd by the respondents in cement category was
“Inappropriate way of transportation” with a RII value of 4.47
4.3.4. Aggregate Wastage Factors
Four wastage factors were selected under Aggregate. Respondents were asked to indicate
their level of influence, based on the received responses the mean and rank of each factor
of the concrete waste are presented in the table 19.
Table 19 Aggregate Wastage Factors
Aggregate RII Rank Over all rank

Excessive quantities during mixing 0.66 3rd 9th
Wrong handling 0.67 2nd 8th
Far distance between place of mixing 0.77 1st 3rd
and casting
Losing the aggregate during 0.57 4th 17th
passing
the equipment on it

Figure 6 Wrong handling of aggregate

4.3.5. Sand Wastage Factors
Under these category four factors were selected. Respondents were asked to indicate their
level of influence on the listed wastage factors. Based on the received responses the factors
were ranked as indicate in the table 20.
Table 20 Sand Wastage Factors
Sand RII Rank Over all rank

Poor storage 0.52 1st 27th
Excessive consumption of sand 0.46 3rd 34th
Damage the remained quantities in 0.52 1st 27th
the place work
Theft of sand 0.17 4th 37nd
Respondents ranked “Poor storage and Damage the remained quantities in the place work”
as the first wastage factor with the RII value of 0.52. Based on the responses, “Excessive
consumption of sand” was ranked as the 3rd wastage factor with RII value of 0.46.
4.3.6. Hollow Concrete Block (HCB) Wastage Factors
This category indicates Block wastage factors, under these category four factors were
selected. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of influence on the listed factors.
Based on the received responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table 21.

Table 21 Hollow Concrete Block (HCB) Wastage Factors
Block RII Rank Over all rank

Excessive cutting of blocks 0.58 3rd 14th
Block damage during the process of 0.52 4th 27th

Cutting
Damage the blocks during 0.66 1st 9th
unloading
and transportation o p e r a t i o n
Lack of halves and quarters of 0.60 2nd 11th
Blocks
According to the responses collected, respondents ranked “Damage the blocks during
unloading and transportation operation” as 1st factor with RII value of 0.66. During
transportation due to their fragile nature the material will have high wastage. Based on the
results obtained from the survey, respondents ranked “Lack of halves and quarters of
blocks” as the 2nd wastage factor for Block with the RII value of 0.60. The wastage factor
ranked 3rd in this category was “Excessive cutting of blocks” with RII value of 0.58.
4.3.7. Tile Wastage Factors
Under this material, eleven wastage factors were selected. Respondents were asked to
indicate their level of influence on the listed wastage factors. Based on the received
responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table 22.
Table 22 Tile Wastage Factors
Tiles RII Rank Over all rank

nd
Excessive quantities o f tiles on site 0.58 2 14th
th
Poor distribution o f tiles in site 0.47 6 32nd
Damage during transportation 0.56 3rd 20th
Damage of the remains left on site 0.55 4th 22nd
Inadequate workers 0.50 5th 30th
st
Damage during finishing 0.60 1 11th
Respondents ranked “Damage during finishing” as the first wastage factor for Tile with
the RII value of 0.60. The second cause identified based on the responses was “Excessive
quantities of tiles on site” with RII value of 0.58. According to the responses collected,
“Damage during transportation” ranked third from the category with RII value of 0.56.

Figure 7 Poor storage of ceramic tiles
4.3.8. Timber Formwork Wastage Factors
This category indicates timber formwork wastage factors, under this category eight factor
was selected. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of influence on the listed
factors. Based on the received responses the factors were ranked as indicated in the table
23.
Table 23 Timber Formwork Wastage Factors
Timber Formwork RII Rank Over all rank

Non-optimized cutting of timber 0.56 1st 20th
Boards
Cutting the longer timber although 0.42 5th 36th
the required are found
Cutting for internal finishing a n d 0.47 4th 32nd
Fittings
Wrong storage 0.55 2nd 22nd
Using for other purposes 0.53 3rd 25th
Based on the results obtained from the survey, respondents ranked “Non-optimized
cutting of timber” as the first wastage factor for timber formwork with the RII value of

0.56. The wastage factor ranked second in this category was “Wrong storage” with RII
value of 0.55.
Table 24 Top five construction material wastage factors
Categories Wastage Factor RII Rank

Steel Damage during storage 0.81 1st
Reinforcement and rusting
Concrete Poor performance 0.78 2nd
mixing and
Transport
Aggregate Far distance between 0.77 3rd
place of mixing
and casting
Concrete Far distance between 0.75 4th
place of
mixing and casting
Cement Mixing of quantities 0.71 5th
greater than the
Required
4.4. Responses of open-ended question
In this section of the questionnaire the respondents were asked if there are any techniques
used to minimize construction material wastage and if so, respondents were requested to
indicate what techniques to reduce waste generated.
The major techniques adopted by respondents to minimize waste is
➢ Having made detailed specification
➢ Storing materials in the right place
➢ Utilizing materials based on specification
➢ Reducing the use of packaging material
➢ Reusing the scrap metal
Recommendations to reduce Construction material wastage is
➢ Assign key professional
➢ Combination of re-using waste and recycling waste
➢ Staff training and awareness on waste management
➢ Proper storage facilities and improved store control
➢ Proper site supervision

CHAPTER FIVE
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1. Introduction
This chapter is divided into two parts. The first portion detailed the main conclusions
obtained based on the data, and the second section provided recommendations for
interested parties who can help reduce building materials waste.
5.2. Conclusion
According to the data acquired via questionnaire, the study found the following results
based on several categories in order of their contribution to building waste.
1, The major factors of construction materials wastage in wolkite town building
construction projects.
A, Design and documentation
✓ In this categories factor causing wastage is Design changes and revisions,
Designer's inexperience in method and sequence of construction and Lack of
attention paid to standard sizes available on the market.
B, Material procurement and handling
✓ There are three major factor those are purchasing of Poor quality of materials,
Production of a quantity greater than required or earlier than necessary and Wrong
storage of materials.
C, Site management and practice
✓ There are three major causes or factors poor project management, ineffective
control of the project progress by the contractor and shortage of technical
professionals in contractor’s organization.
2, Major wastage factors on key construction materials on building construction projects
in wolkite town.
✓ Wastage of steel reinforcement caused by damage during storage and rusting, no
optimized cutting of bars and unnecessary replacement of some bars by others of
large diameter.
✓ Wastage of concrete caused by poor performance mixing and transport, far distance
between place of mixing and casting and use of inadequate tools and equipment’s.
✓ Wastage of aggregate caused by far distance between place of mixing and casting,
wrong handling and excessive quantities during mixing.
3, Measures taken to minimize wastage is made detailed specification, storing materials in
the right place utilizing materials based on specification and reusing the scrap metal.

5.4. Recommendations
Based on the obtained results, the following recommendations were given to the major
project participants to reduce construction material wastage on under construction of
building projects.
❖ Improving the standard of the contract documents to avoid wastage resulting from
poor documents, design changes, and changes of the client’s requirements and
avoiding design errors should be done. The contractors should play important role
in reducing the waste during the construction process. This would be through
implementing good strategies for resource management, waste minimization,
procurement policy, control of the progress of the project, and coordination and
communications between parties.
❖ Material ordering practice needs to be improved in order to reduce waste comes
from excessive quantity of material used that could be addressed by introducing
just in time material delivery system, especially for steel reinforcement, hollow
concrete block. Storage facility on the sites needs to be improved by planning the
details of material delivery and their storage space on site. Besides, all workers shall
practice careful handling and usage of tools in all courses of the construction
process.
❖ To minimize wastage happened in building construction projects, practicing highly
off-site construction by adopting different technologies like prefabrication and
precast units, proper detailing during designing, coordinating dimensions between
materials and the design, and planning ahead to minimize design changes are
sensible mechanisms.
5.4.1 Recommendations for further study areas
✓ This study was carried out in the perspective of building contracting companies
further studies should include the perspective of consultants and clients in this area.
✓ It is needed to develop a study concerning cost minimization alternatives base on
managing and minimizing construction waste and improving an efficient
management practice in Ethiopian Construction Industry.
✓ It is required study Practices of Construction materials Management in Ethiopian
Construction Industry.

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APPENDIX- A
WOLKITE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
Questionnaire Survey for a Thesis paper
Dear Respondent,
We are kindly requesting your willingness to participate in this research “A Study on
Managing and Minimizing building project’s construction Material Wastage in
wolkite town” by filling out this questionnaire. Any information you are willing to provide
will be greatly appreciated.
The objective of this research is to assess the contributing factors of construction Material
waste, to identify the major factors of waste in the main construction materials during
construction operations, and to examine the measures taken for minimizing construction
material wastage.
All the data collected will only be used for academic purposes. If you have any inquiries,
please feel free to contact us through the provided addresses
Phone number 0968453062/0964727662
Thank you for giving 10 minutes of your time and your kind cooperation in the
research.

Part 1: General Organization Information

Please add ( ) as appropriate:
1.Value of estimated projects cost: (in ETB)
10 -50 Million 50 -100 Million
100- 120 Million More than 120 Million

2. Category of your firm: Level
BC 1-BC 2
BC 3-BC 4
GC 1-GC 2
GC 3-GC 4
3. Your position in the company
[1] Project Manager
[2] Site Engineer
[3] Office Engineer
[4] Forman
[5] Other please specify
---------------------------------------
-------
4. For how long have you been working on the construction industry?
[1] 1-5 years
[2] 6-10 years
[3] 11-15 years
[4] >15 year
Part 2: sources and causes of construction materials waste on the construction project.
The given below are numbers of Sources and causes of construction materials waste on
building construction sites in Wolkite town. Please indicate the influence of each factor
by ticking the appropriate boxes. Add any remarks relating to each factor on the last column
e.g. as to the reasons, the critical factors, or the solutions. E.S. = extremely significant [5]
V.S. = very significant [4]

M.S. = moderately significant [3] S.S. = slightly significant [2]

N.S. = not significant [1]
Causes of construction materials E.S V.S M.S S.S N.S
Waste 5 4 3 2 1 Re marks
Group 1. Design and documentation
Design changes and revisions
Designer's inexperience in method and

sequence of construction
Lack o f attention p a i d t o s t a n d a r d
sizes available on the market
Lack of information in the drawings
Poor/ wrong specifications
Group 2. Materials
(A): Procurement
Poorly schedule to procurement the materials

Over ordering or under ordering duet mistake
in quantity surveys
Purchased materials that don’t comply with
specification
(B): On site
Production of a quantity greater than required
or earlier than necessary
Lack of onsite materials control
Poor storage of materials
Using excessive quantities of materials more
than the required
(C): Handling
Wrong handling of materials

Unnecessary material handling
Insufficient instructions about Handling
(D): Storage
Wrong storage of materials
Insufficient instructions about storage and
stacking

Inappropriate storage leading to damage or

deterioration
(E): Transportation
Damage during transportation
Lack storage of materials near of construction
site
Group3. Operation
(A): On site
Damage to work done caused by subsequent
trades
Use of incorrect material, thus requiring
replacement
Poor workmanship
Choice of wrong construction Method
Using untrained labors
Lack of coordination among crews
Problems between the contractor and his
subcontractors
(B): Equipment
Equipment frequently breakdown
Poor technology of equipment
Group 4. Site management and practices
Poor project management
Lack of a quality management system
aimed at waste minimization
Lack of strategy to waste
Minimization
Ineffective control of the project
progress by the contractor
Shortage of technical professionals in
the contractor’s organization
Poor management and distribution of
labors, materials and equipments
Group 5. Site supervisor
Lack of supervision and delay of
Inspections
Poor qualification o f consultant
engineers staff assigned to the project

Slow response from the consultant

engineer to contractor inquiries
Poor coordination and communication
between the consultant engineer, contactor
and client
Part 3: Causes of key material wastage on building construction sites.

Please indicate the influence of each factor by ticking the appropriate boxes. Add any
remarks relating to each factor on the last column e.g. as to the reasons, the critical factors
or the solutions.
E.S. = extremely significant [5] V.S. = very significant [4]
M.S. = moderately significant [3] S.S. = slightly significant [2]
N.S. = not significant [1]
Causes of key construction E.S V.S M.S S.S N.S
Materials waste 5 4 3 2 1 Remarks
1. concrete
Excessive dimensions of concrete
Structure
Use of inadequate tools and
Equipment’s
Poor performance mixing and
Transport
Far distance between place of
mixing and casting
Inadequate use of vibration which
leads to problems in concrete
2. Steel reinforcement
Unnecessary replacement of some
bars by others of large diameter
No optimized cutting of bars
Structure design was poor in terms
of standardization and detailing
Damage during storage and rusting
3.Cement
Loading the cement manually in the
Mixer using inadequate equipments and
tools

Excessive quantities during mixing

more than the required
Wrong storage
Inappropriate way of transportation
Mixing of quantities greater than the
Required
Mixing in unsuitable places
4.Aggregate
Excessive quantities during mixing
Wrong handling
Far distance between place of mixing
and casting
Losing the aggregate during passing
the equipments on it
5.Sand
Poor storage
Excessive consumption of sand
Damage the remained quantities in the
place work
Theft of sand
Causes of key construction E.S V.S M.S S.S N.S
materials waste 5 4 3 2 1 Re marks
6.Block
Excessive cutting of blocks
Block damage during the process of
Cutting
Damage the blocks during unloading
and transportation o p e r a t i o n
Lack of halves and quarters of
Blocks
7.Tile
Excessive quantities o f tiles on site
Poor distribution o f tiles in site
Damage during transportation
Damage of the remains left on site
Inadequate workers
Damage during finishing
8.Timber Formwork
Non-optimize d cutting of timber
Boards

Cutting the longer timber although

the required are found
Cutting for internal finishing a n d
Fittings
Wrong storage
Using for other purposes
Deterioration resulting from un paint
before use and unclean after use
Part 3: Measures Taken for Minimizing Construction Material Wastage

1, Is there any kind of techniques used to minimize this material wastage in your site?
Yes No
If your answer is yes, please list some of them
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2, What are your recommendations to minimize material wastage in building projects?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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BSC TB WOLKITE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

RESEARCH TITLE: A STUDY ON MANAGING AND MINIMIZING BUILDING

By: 1) ABEL WORKU……………………………….......... ENGR/047/10

PRINCIPAL ADVISOR: Mr. KELKIYAS ALEMU

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C i

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C ii

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C iii

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C iv

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C v

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C vi

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C vii

5.2. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 44

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C viii

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C ix

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C x

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C xi

Ethiopia's building industry makes a considerable contribution to the country's economy.

1.2. Significance of the study

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 1

1.3. Statement of the problem

Construction waste, which is primarily disposed of in landfills, has increased as a result of

Waste is caused by poor handling, ordering errors, over-ordering, under-ordering,

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 2

1.4. Objective of the study

1.4.1. General Objective

To study Managing and Minimizing building projects construction Materials Wastage in a

1.4.2. Specific Objectives

➢ To assess the contributing factors of construction materials wastage on building

1.5. Research of Questions

➢ What are the major contributing factors of construction Material wastage?

1.6. Scope of study

1.7. Limitation of the Study

To conduct this study, we have come across the following difficulties

➢ Most projects are not under construction.

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 3

1.8. Structure of research

The report is logically organized into five chapters and appendices:

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 4

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 5

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 6

Goal Attribute Outcome

Recycle Predominantly ameliorative

Source: (Gertsakis, 2003)

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 7

2.6.1. Definition of waste

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 8

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 9

➢ Defects, mistakes and errors: Occasioned by poor communication, faulty design

2.6.2. Classifications of Construction Waste

One common categorization of material wastage in building construction is as avoidable

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 10

• Processing Waste- Relating to the processing (conversion) activity commonly

2.6.3. Sources and causes of Construction material Waste

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 11

Figure 1 Sources of Construction Waste

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 12

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 13

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 14

Design Management Material Operation Others

WKU,CET,Department of CoTM 2022 G.C 15

Causes of Building Waste Examples

Poor handling breakage, damage, losses

Over-sized over design leads to excess excavation and