A dissertation presented to the Higher Degrees Committee of the Cape
Peninsula University of Technology in fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Technology: Construction Management, 2012 / This study investigated the underlying causes of rework in construction projects and the
impact on overall project performance so that effective containment and reduction
strategies can be developed. The objectives of the study were as follows: (i) to
determine the influence different project types have on the causes of rework in
construction projects; (ii) to determine the impact of rework on organisational and project
performance; (iii) to determine the influence various project types have on rework costs
(direct and indirect) in construction projects; (iv) to determine the influence various
procurement methods have on total rework costs in construction projects; (v) to design
and develop rework reduction and containment strategies. The research was motivated
by several international and local studies demonstrating a lack of concern for the root
causes of rework and the potential impact on cost, overall project performance, and the
‘value-addedness’ to the completed project.
The research approach adopted included an exploratory and main study targeting
purposively selected construction professionals and stakeholders in the Cape Peninsula
metropolitan area of the Western Cape Province. The exploratory case study was
carried out at the initial stage of the study to gain more insight into the causes and
impact of rework on overall project performance. Specifically, data was collected by
means of observation of physical works, semi-structured interviews with relevant parties
directly involved in site operation and the analysis of site instruction record documents.
The main study obtained data from 78 construction professionals and stakeholders via
questionnaire survey, a survey conducted among design consultants and contractors in
the general building category ranging from grade 3 to 9 who are registered with
Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Descriptive, inferential statistics and
probability distribution functions were used to analyse the data.
The findings revealed that changes initiated by the client, changes initiated by the design
team due to errors and omissions, poor coordination, and finally, integration among the
design team were the major contributing factors to rework. Moreover, non-compliance
with specifications, setting-out errors, low labour skills, and emphasis on time and cost
aggravated the occurrence of rework on site. The study revealed that while there is no
significant difference between the causes of rework and various project types, rework
can and often does make a significant contribution to any project’s cost overrun. The
total mean cost of rework as a percentage of the original contract value for new build
project and refurbishment/renovation projects was 4.89% and 6.28% respectively.
However, rework costs do not differ relative to project type or procurement method.
Furthermore, the study revealed that cost overruns, time overruns and design team
dissatisfaction all impacted on project performance. The findings indicate that designrelated
rework can be minimised by implementing the following strategies: team building,
involvement of subcontractors and suppliers, and design for construction. Moreover,
involvement of subcontractors during construction, and the implementation of quality
control and site quality management systems could also lead to reduction in rework
during the construction phase. Furthermore, the probabilistic analysis of rework
occurrence was determined in the projects selected; this analysis predicts the
occurrence of rework so that a quantitative risk assessment could be undertaken prior to
the commencement of construction.
The research concludes by recommending that design and construction firms must
develop organisational measurement systems for recording rework occurrence and its
associated costs. It is by determining the frequency and costs of rework that effective
strategies for its containment and reduction can be identified.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/1046 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Simpeh, Eric Kwame |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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