Examining the Effect of Material Management Practices on Material Availability and Waste Reduction in Construction Projects

Abstract

Ensuring material availability and reducing material waste are two crucial aspects of material management to improve construction project performance and sustainability. Past studies have illustrated several material management practices without revealing their effect on material availability and waste reduction. This study fills these research gaps and aims to explore important material management practices by examining their impact on material availability and waste reduction in construction projects. This study identified 23 material management practices from a literature review and collected 107 responses from a questionnaire survey. An underlying structure of the practices was established, and factors were extracted from the exploratory factor analysis. A structural equation model was then developed to explore their influence on material availability and waste reduction. The results revealed six critical factors and associated practices that significantly and positively affect material availability and waste reduction: System for procurement and storage was found to have the highest impact, followed by on-site material control, procurement quality, procurement costing, central procurement database, and material planning systems. By revealing the underlying structure of the practices and establishing their positive influence on material availability and waste reduction, the present study adds value to existing knowledge. Construction practitioners can focus on implementing these crucial practices to ensure material availability and reduce material waste, which will enhance the project’s success and sustainability. Construction projects often suffer from nonavailability of materials and waste of materials at construction sites. It is vital to know the important material management practices that can reduce these problems. Hypotheses are developed in this study to explore the effect of material management practices on material availability and waste reduction. This study identified six critical material management factors (systems for procurement and storage, on-site material control, procurement quality, procurement costing, central procurement database, and material planning) that can be managed to improve material management in construction. Implementing these factors and associated practices will enhance material availability and reduce material waste in construction projects which will ultimately support completing the projects within the scheduled time and budgeted cost and promote sustainable construction.