ABSTRACT
The current economic crisis has widened the gap between
resources requirements to meet planned goals and the projected availability of funds
for construction projects. Ineffective materials management has become a source
of problem to successful construction project management, because materials
take about 65 percent of the total cost of a construction project.
In this study, fifty construction professionals provided
the data on materials management in construction industry using Port Harcourt
as the sampling site. Questionnaires were used to collect data from three main
groups of project participants. (clients, consultants and contractors). The
critical factors of materials management were summarized into five basic
variables namely materials planning, material procurement, material handling,
material storage and material usage. Six basic questions were asked on each and
the numerical summation of the ratings of a respondent formed the observed
value for the variable for that particular respondent. The same was done for
the assessment of the state materials management as applicable to construction
industry in Nigeria, which formed the dependent variable Y. The summary of the
field data was subjected to statistical analysis. The result of the analysis
showed that of the five factors, only three (planning, procurement and usage)
were statistically established as being critical to materials management
efforts for construction project to the level of 77.8%.
The study therefore, concludes that materials handling and
storage efforts though important to materials management in construction
projects should be de-emphasized since good planning, procurement and usage
procedure will incorporate them.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
The construction industry occupies an important position in
the structure of Nigeria’s economy. This assertion becomes necessary when one
considers the role played by the sub sector to the growth of other sectors as
well as the economy in general. Olaloku (1986) reported that this industry
employs about four percent (4%) of the country’s labour force and contributed
about twelve percent (12%) of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Despite the noted contributions the industry has maintained
unimpressive track of performance evidenced by numerous failed and abandoned
construction projects scattering every nook and cranny of the country. The
socio-cultural, economic, and political environment in which the industry
operates has directly or indirectly affected growth.
On of the areas of construction operation, which has
attracted little attention, is the management of construction materials. The
construction project evaluation with focus on the material management processes
and procedures has become necessary since it will equally subsume other areas
of construction cost management. Modern material’s management tools and
techniques as applied to construction projects, analysis the elemental cost of projects based on material inputs and
possible cost variations based on price fluctuations but not at the expense of
quality/value maximization. According to Sloan (1990) of a total utility of
100% associated with a construction project, the client places the following
importance upon the three critical functional aspects:
|
i
|
Quality
|
-
|
45%
|
|
ii
|
Cost
|
-
|
35%
|
|
iii
|
Time
|
-
|
20%
|
On the other hand Onyeador (1997) posits that the success or
failure of construction projects could be measured in terms of cost of
completion vs budget, time take to complete the project vs planned duration and
the extent to which the completed project conforms with the design
specifications (quality).
However, Onyeador (1992) is of the view that construction
project undertakings are difficult to mange. This according to him may be due
to the complex nature of activities involved: always having design systems
separated from actual construction, and the multi-disciplinary nature of the
team. Also the competitive tendering often adopted in practice introduces some
socio-economic and political dimensions to the management system. Apart from
the client/sponsor, other project participants include the contractors,
consultants, (Architects, Quantity surveyors, Engineers) and other stakeholders
(material suppliers, government regulatory agencies and host community).
These project participants agree to implement the project
according to the time, cost and quality specifications, which the client has
directly or indirectly caused to be made in respect of the design for the
project.
Where these initial project specifications otherwise referred
to as success. Criteria or parameters are met, the project is deemed to have
been a success, otherwise a verdict of failure is returned on the project Kerzner
(1995).
However what may be the single most critical factor to the
client is quality PMBOK (2001). In this era of economic depression and rapid
rising material cost, concerns for optimum utilization of available resources
tend to dominate all decisions relating to construction project undertakings.
It is only with highly skilled project management team that uncertainties in
the planning and execution processes can be kept to a minimum on order attain
significantly the quality objectives of the construction project within optimal
time and cost. Infact Mezue (1992) placed cost material input at an average of
655 of the total construction project delivery sum.
Consequently, construction materials, has become one of the
most important elements of cost management in the construction industry toady.
There is therefore particular need for increased attention in the area of
material management to ensure cost effectiveness in construction project
management. Thomas and Kramer (1987).
This research work therefore, attempts to evaluate the
materials management strategies in the Nigeria construction industry as a way
of improving the state of project management practices as applied in the
construction industry in Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
In recent time, the Nigerian society has faced the challenge
of increasing need for construction projects. Despite that concerted efforts
have been made in response to this by the system; the scenario has been that of
more disappointment (widespread project failure and abandonment). More often
than not these projects are characterized by cost overruns, shoe pace of
project execution and time lags, substandard level of workmanship and quality.
In extreme cases total abandonment are experienced. Equally, the planning and
management of construction materials usage are often based on the contractors;
experience and intuition than on rational analysis of the works to be performed
based on application of known scientific tolls and technique. The failure of
any construction project through poor materials management carried two
repercussions to the economy. These are the waste of resource used in its
execution and the denial of the opportunity for other projects that depend on the
former from coming on stream. All these put together have made most
construction project efforts to seem like promotion of economic waste and
social misdeeds.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 70 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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