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Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 134-140).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140). Also available in print.

The thesis is concerned with the implementation of Total Quality Management principles in a construction company in the United Arab Emirates. Three case studies regarding the progress of TQM implementation in the concerned company are highlighting successes, failures and difficulties, and are assessing results through the review of Key Performance Indicators set by the organisation. Progress in TQM implementation is externally confirmed by recognitions granted by a governmental TQM award body. Critical Success Factors, as identified through Total Quality Management literature review, are reviewed in the light of the TQM implementation experience of the company considered, and recommendations and guidelines for similar organisations are drawn from this experience.

The rates of fatalities, injuries and diseases from work, has been a longstanding challenge for centuries. The challenge is validated by the fact that there is not a paper, or publication, that appears to have been written worldwide, without discussion regarding the extent of the problem in the construction industry. Despite there being prescriptive statutory requirements applicable to the sector, all attempts to reduce the reduce the accident rates in South Africa appear to have been largely unsuccessful. The review of literature indicates that most research has focused on design, designers, roles of stakeholders, inter alia that relate to construction health and safety. Given the situation noted, the research investigated design, various aspects of the construction process and stakeholders, and the inclusion of procurement as a major component of the construction process. A triangulated, or mixed methods research methodology was utilised for the thesis. The qualitative methodology utilised in Action Research (AR) and a total of three FGs’ sought to develop a theoretical model that would identify multi-stakeholder policies, practice and education requirements. An extensive international, African and South African literature review was conducted as part of the secondary research and the grounding for the mixed methodology of research. The information sought to contextualise the South African paradigm and practices. Two quantitative, multi-stakeholders’ studies were conducted during the development of the research. The quantitative aspect considers the perceptions of those practicing or involved in H&S, the interface regarding the stakeholders and ‘issues’ experienced in the challenges relating to daily work. Themes were developed, inter alia: a general; workers; management (including supervision, responsibilities and pricing); a stakeholders’ theme (including project managers; design and designers, and client), and the construction H&S theme (including the CHSA, construction H&S Manager (CHSM), construction H&S Officer (CHSO)). A total of 22 hypotheses were tested. The hypotheses considered all the stakeholders, within the framework of the research. Only 1 hypothesis was not supported, and hypothesis was partially supported. Three AR FGs’ were held in the Sarah Baartman District (a building focus) and at the Bhisho offices (a civil engineering focus) of the ECDRPW. The research considered the procurement processes that underpins a project, with some elements relative to the interface of H&S, design, the stages of work, and the current legislative framework. A validated theoretical model, the ‘Deacon Procurement, Design and Health and Safety Model’ emerged from the qualitative aspect of the research. The salient findings indicate a tendency in the industry to operate in silos, adhere to minimum levels of compliance, and not determining other aspects that could possibly reduce project and financial risk. Therefore, stakeholders need to work together, across the stages of work. Level of confidence is low among clients and built environment groups regarding H&S across the project life cycle, resulting in the non-compliance, and increased project risk. Clients such as the National Treasury do not identify H&S risks during project planning, resulting in the lack of adequate resources for projects, with supply chain management and procurement not ensuring compliance and technical expertise. Due to lack of knowledge CHSAs’, CHSMs’, and CHSOs,’ are not appointed timeously, resulting in noncompliance, and increased project risk. The construction H&S practitioners level of confidence is affected by lack of experience, not knowledge, in contrast to the lack of H&S knowledge of built environment professionals. A range of recommendations are provided that include, inter alia: development of policy, guidelines and practice notes regarding H&S, supply chain management and procurement; education and training, continuing professional development, training and workshops, and further research.

Thesis ( Masters Diploma(Civil Engineering))--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 1991 / The incidence of disputes has long frustrated effective management and completion of Construction Contracts. Very little material is available on the causes of disputes and how the respective General Conditions of Contract used in this country handle circumstances relating to these areas of dispute. Causes of dispute can be divided into two categories, namely Primary Causes and Secondary Causes. The Primary Causes are Time, Cost and Quality and the Secondary Causes are Risk. Variations and Alterations, Delays, Claims, Adverse Physical Conditions, Extensions of Time and Payment. All the secondary causes of dispute are risk related and a consideration of risk is therefore of utmost importance with regard to avoidance of disputes. To avoid disputes. risk has to be fairly allocated amongst the parties involved in the Contract. Before this can be done, however, risk first has to be identified and an attempt has to be made to reduce it. For a long time General Conditions of Contract have been used in this country which have been closely allied to British General Conditions. The General Conditions of Contract (1982) (Blue Book) is very closely allied to the I.CR General Conditions of Contract (4th edition). The latter contract was revised in 1979 and was generally considered to be more favourable toward the Contractor. It has become known as the LCE. General COnditions of Contract (5th edition). Both the General Conditions of Contract (1982) and the ESKOM General Conditions of Contract have recently been reVised, and on comparison of the clauses relating specifically to the major causes of disputes mentioned preViously, were found to be more biased in favour of the Employer and more closely allied to the C.S.R.A. General Conditions of Contract 1986, also widely used in South Africa The major reason for having drawn this conclusion is that in the case of GC C '90 and ESKOM '90, all claims have to be made in accordance with a general claims clause which involves a procedure which subjects the Contractor to unfair requirements and allocates risk unfairly on him. The General Conditions of Contract 1990 do, however, represent improvements in certain respects, namely with respect to clauses relating to Care of Works, Excepted Risks, Valuation of Variations, Monthly Payments, Time of Payments and Correction or Withholding of Certificates. No set of General Conditions can provide a completely equitable situation and each has its pros and cons. This thesis should provide an easy reference as to which are the major causes of disputes and as to how the respective General Conditions of Contract in this country handle the circumstances relating to these areas of dispute. It will also put forward recommendations on how disputes can be avoided and how certain clauses of the relevant documents can be improved.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Master of Technology (Construction Management) In the Faculty of Engineering 2014 / According to findings presented in literature, construction projects are restrained within budgeted cost. Hence, the operational system is challenged within prohibitive cost limits to deliver projects at a stipulated time and at a satisfactory quality. This has prompted the intention of establishing effective management of cost constraint on building project delivery in South Africa. Data for the main study were collected through observations, semi-structured and unstructured qualitative interviews and quantitative close-ended questionnaires administered to construction stakeholders working in the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces, South Africa. Findings are that the following are factors that affect cost during building production process: additional works without contractual procedure, inadequate co-ordination of design phase and construction phase during production by project managers, financial mismanagement, frequent changes in design, cost of materials in the market, fluctuation of price of materials. Additional findings are proper monitoring and controlling at stages during production, procurement of competent contractors and subcontractors, involvement of experienced professionals in production, proper briefing by the client during production process, targeting quality during production, prompt decision taking during production, and the establishment of effective communication systems on site during production, frequent changes in building design by the client during production affect construction cost; frequent changes in building design during production cause rework; changes in building design during construction caused by errors and omissions detected affects quality of project delivered; and specification due to procurement of new materials during construction causes changes in building design, labour productivities, wrong planning for machine usage on site, late delivery of equipment during production and unanticipated increases in prices of building materials. Late delivery of materials also affects production process. Regular meetings on site will promote efficient productivities of human resources, team work on site during production, general progress reports on site during production, projects schedule/timetable for production and work programmes for site activities. The study concluded by recommending that proper adoption of these findings by the South African construction stakeholders during production processes will enhance delivery of building projects at reduced construction resources, at the standard of quality expected, at the time stipulated, at the budgeted cost specified, and to the satisfaction of the client. Interest will be achieved as illustrated under each objective of the research study. This research recommends further investigation of the effects of building material supply management during production processes in the South African construction industry.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Construction Management in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / The study investigates the predominant factors that adversely affect the efficiency of construction labour in the South African construction industry. There is a significant number of studies on construction labour efficiency and productivity. Nonetheless, construction labour efficiency in developed and developing nations is widely reported to be inadequate, and thus adversely impacts the delivery of construction projects. Adequate utilisation of basic construction resources (construction materials and machinery) is significantly dependent on the efficiency of human assets in the construction industry. Hence, the utilisation of construction resources to achieve project objectives in the construction sector cannot be disconnected from the efficiency of construction employees. As a result, the study identified five objectives directed towards improving the efficiency of employees in the construction industry. The first objective identified construction-related factors affecting construction workers’ efficiency; the second objective highlighted design-related factors reducing the efficiency of construction labour; the third identified the impact of construction resources on construction labour efficiency; and the fourth ascertained the external factors affecting the efficiency of human assets in the construction industry. Finally, the last objective is directed towards developing a framework for improving the efficiency of the South African construction workforce. The research adopted a mixed methodological approach, utilising a quantitative questionnaire completed by construction professionals (architects, quantity surveyors, site engineers, project managers, contract managers and site manager). Due to the high level of awareness of site supervisors on labour performance in construction, the quantitative data obtained from construction professionals was subsequently validated using semi-structured interviews with site supervisors. The research questionnaire was designed to elicit the perceptions of construction professionals on various identified factors affecting construction workers’ efficiency on Gauteng and Western Cape construction sites in South Africa. With the aid of 35 unstructured questionnaire surveys, an exploratory study was undertaken within construction firms in Cape Town to ensure the validity of research instruments, where the inputs and comments of respondents were duly considered in formulating the questionnaire for the main study. In the main study, two hundred and sixty-five (265) questionnaires were administered via hand-delivered and electronic mail to construction professionals in the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces, South Africa. Sixty-two (62) questionnaires (23.39%) were duly completed, returned and analysed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Cronbach's alpha coefficient reliability test was subsequently conducted on scaled research questions to ensure reliability of the research questionnaire. The findings revealed that the major factors contributing to the shortfall of construction workers’ performance include; missing details in architectural working drawings, the communication ability of site managers, site managers’ coordinating skills, the effect of strikes on construction operations, the planning ability of site managers, slow response of architects to drawing questions, slow response of structural engineers to drawing questions, construction skills of site supervisors and, finally, shortages of construction materials. Improved construction productivity is a product of construction labour efficiency and enables the achievement of construction project objectives. Therefore, an adequate implementation of the framework presented in this study will not only enhance construction labour efficiency and heighten construction productivity during building production process, but will also increase the satisfaction of construction stakeholder on Gauteng and Western Cape construction projects.

Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / Urbanisation and globalisation are the foremost trends propelling the growth and development of cities and towns in the world today. The Cape Town central business district is an example of an urban centre that is required to deal with rapid urbanisation. The increasing number of inner-city developments evoked the congested construction sites and are rapidly becoming the norm within the industry. Innovative building production management is crucial in driving productivity which includes reducing cost at all stages, from planning to completion. However, from several literatures, construction firms are not significantly proactive towards innovative technology that could enhance the efficient delivery of building production. The improved building production management is advancing at a slow pace both in South Africa and internationally. Hence, this research analyse the strategies that could significantly enhance current building production processes and establish the effective management systems that could enhance efficient building production in the urban centres. Innovative methods of stimulating building production processes are needed to ensure that building projects are completed within timeframes and budgets. The research method is both quantitative and qualitative using surveys for data collection. This type of research aims to record an accurate and adequate description of the problem statement and the sub-question. Data for the study are collected through observations, semi-structured and unstructured qualitative interviews and quantitative close-ended questionnaires administered to construction stakeholders working in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. This research focuses on the City of Cape Town to gain an understanding of the dynamics of innovation in building production processes within the building industry. The population of this research include building project managers, registered contractors as well as consultants. Quantitative data obtained from the structured questionnaire design was analysed with descriptive statistics, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software 21 and content analysis are used to analyse the qualitative data obtained through interviewees.

M. Tech. / The financing needs of contractors, especially emerging contractors, need to be explored. In the case of the Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs’) within the contracting sector, a type of “finance-PLUS” arrangement, which sees the lender, or an intermediary, offer additional support services to emerging enterprises, would be worth exploring. There are various perspectives and opinions on the format and context of the contribution. One of these perspectives embraces the obstacles involved in the entrepreneurial process hindering contribution and economic catalisation. This study follows a focused approach towards the investigation of a financial model for small, medium sized contractors in South Africa. Interviews were conducted and questioners were sent out to different constructors who have been successful in the business for more than five years and also contractors who are currently straggling and trying to survive and grow. Conclusions will be drawn from the analysis and recommendations will be made for further study and curriculum revision, if necessary. All types of businesses need capital before and after they start operating as well as for expansion purpose. The problem is people who have been listed on credit bureaus have their records count against them when they apply for a loan. A key factor mitigating against increased investment in the SMMEs’ sector is the structure of the financial sector. The findings of the study point to the fact that conventional financing mechanisms do not allow for cost-effective provision of finance to large numbers of entrepreneurs seeking small quantities of finance. Effects of poverty and lack of assets mean that many people do not have the collateral needed to access finance. The study also found that although there are different initiatives that are in place to assist small and medium size contractors the typical problems and challenges are still existing. The scopes of this study only focused on small, medium and micro-enterprise in the built environment (specifically the construction industry). In addition, the study focuses on the different financial programmes that are currently in place. An overarching concern is that previously disadvantaged individuals do not have adequate access to credit offered by formal financial institutions and therefore are forced to seek relatively expensive (and often inadequate) amounts of credit from alternative financial sources.