abstract_1445.pdf

7/29/2019 abstract_1445.pdf

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Abstract

The concept of sustainable construction calls for a holistic view of the design, planning andconstruction process in the building life cycle and the incorporation of sustainability into theconstruction practices of contractors is one of imperative approaches to help improve the

overall sustainability performance of the construction industry.

In Hong Kong, contractors demonstrated varying degrees of improvements in sustainabilityperformance over the past few years. Encouragingly, the HKSAR Government and manylarge construction organizations are playing as the role models in adopting ecologically soundconstruction practice through investing time and money in sustainability development.However the underlying issue is that in the environment of economic downturn, mostcontractors are forced to concentrate more on survival rather than on social responsibilitydespite the economy is now showing signs of recovery.

For the purposes of undertaking an analytical approach to exploring the problems in nurturing

sustainability performance, the existing state, pressure and response of contractors in thecontext of sustainability were identified through a survey sent to 233 construction firms underthe list of general building contractors of the Builder Directory 2003-2004 and on a databasesearched from the internet. On the whole, the industry experiences some critical problems tosee the progress of sustainability being further accelerated. First, there has been a lack ofconcept of sustainable construction by the senior management of organisations. Second,some sustainability practices such as the sorting of construction and demolition wastes andusing recycled materials are still in their infancy. Finally, the sustainability and cost paradoxseems to be the leading reason to explain why the attributes of the industry stakeholdersincluding clients and contractors have not fundamentally changed.

Key words: sustainable construction, construction and demolition wastes, recycled materials


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1 INTRODUCTION

In the 1980s, the construction industry began to adopt quality management system thatwas indeed a reflection of the need of organisations to respond quickly to changes inclients expectations and the marketplace (Preece & Tarawneh, 1996). The definition

of sustainable development was originated from the World Commission onEnvironment and Development in 1987 as meets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCED,1987). Since then, there has been greater pressure worldwide to vigorously pursue theconcept of sustainable development and a range of related principles have evolvedover time by different countries and governments. Nevertheless, it is generally agreedthat sustainable development concerns three interconnected dimensions in the contextsof economy, social and environment. Sustainable construction is seen as part ofsustainable development. The term Sustainable Construction was construed in theFirst International Conference on Sustainable Construction in 1994 as the creationand responsible maintenance of a healthy built environment, based on ecological

principles, and by means of an efficient use of resources (Kibert, 1994).

At both the regional and the global levels, the construction industry is one of the maindespoilers, depleting the natural resources and causing undesirable side effects such asair and water pollution, solid waste, deforestation, toxic wastes, health hazards andglobal warming.

Many researchers gave emphasis to a holistic view of the design process in thebuilding life cycle and thus architects and engineers have the potential to improvesustainability performance through well-thought out building designs (Littler, 1984).To enable a better quality of life for our community and future generations through amore sustainable approach to construction, more effort should be devoted to the propermanagement of various environmental issues not only in the design stage, but also inthe construction, operation and demolition stages.

In Hong Kong, the traditional design-tender-build procurement method is stillcommonplace despite the fact that design & build has been gaining in popularity overrecent years. Although contractors do not generally undertake or become involved inproject design work, the incorporation of the concept of sustainability into theirbusiness strategies and ultimately construction practice will appreciably help toimprove the overall sustainability performance of the industry.

Aiming for sustainable built environment requires a fundamental paradigm shift in theway the project participants approach time, cost and quality constraints (Augenbroe etal 1998). In reality, most construction clients concern themselves primarily with thecost of the completed building, whether it is delivered on time, its quality andfunctionality, but totally disregard the sustainability performance of the maincontractor. On the other hand, the local construction industry is undergoing arecession and cut-throat competition has sometimes led to the submission ofunrealistically low bids by contractors in order to win jobs. The overwhelmingconcern of construction organisations is to do what is necessary to ensure profit andsurvival and they have little incentive to do more than the minimum requirement. The

sustainability and cost paradox seems to be the leading reason to explain why the


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attributes of a multivariate of industry stakeholders including clients and contractorshave not fundamentally changed.

Looking from a resource-based approach, business strategy can be defined as thealignment of an organisations resources within the environmental conditions with

which it has to deal (Hofer & Schendel, 1978). In effect, the phrase structure followsstrategy is closely linked to the process of implementation of sustainability (Chandler,1962). For instance, more on-site personnel should be employed to assist in managingthe environmental aspects of construction activities. On this account, a balance has tobe established by contractors between their internal resources and the demands of theenvironment.

2 METHODOLOGY

The existing state, pressure and response of contractors in the context of sustainability

were examined through a survey sent to 233 construction firms under the list ofgeneral building contractors of the Builder Directory 2003-2004 and on a databasesearched from the internet.

The study intends to (i) evaluate the level of understanding of sustainable constructionby the respondents, (ii) gain an overview of the norm and progress of the industry innurturing sustainability and identify resources requirements and problems ofindividual contractors in improving sustainability performance and (iii) ascertainwhether the competitive environment can be an effective catalyst for changing thesustainability practices of construction organisations.

To undertake an analytical approach to exploring the problems in nurturingsustainability performance of contractors, the following background knowledge andinformation is reviewed to provide the main stem of the study.

3 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

In 1997, the HKSAR Government took its first step to advocate sustainabledevelopment with particular reference to a study on sustainable development in HongKong for the 21st Century (SUSDEV) (Planning Department, 1997). The

Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance was enacted in the same year. In 1999,the Government set out in its policy address that the concept of sustainabledevelopment would be taken into account in future planning and policy making ofHong Kong (Policy Address, 1999). To facilitate guiding policy development,evaluating the effectiveness of policy, and establishing a measurable focus forimplementing sustainable development, the working definition of sustainabledevelopment in Hong Kong was arrived at in SUSDEV 21 and completed in 2000 as:it balances social, economic and environmental needs, both for present and futuregenerations, simultaneously achieving a vibrant economy, social progress and better

quality, locally, nationally and internationally, through the efforts of the community

and the Government (Sing Tao Daily, 2001).


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Forming part of the long-term development plan of the government, the SustainableDevelopment Unit was set up in the Chief Secretary for Administrations Office inApril 2001 and it was agreed that all future policies and initiatives would be subject tothe consideration of sustainability impact assessment (Planning Department, 1997).

4 WAYS TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SPHERE OF

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The construction industry is one of the main pillars of our economy. It is large interms of both output and employment, produced 4.8 per cent of the Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) and employed in the region of 160,000 people (approximately 4.7 percent of total workforce) in 2001 (Year Book, 2001).

The industry stakeholders often appear to be introspective and totally concernthemselves with their own interests. Actually, the environmental impacts of the

construction industry are extensive (Shen & Tam, 2002). In order to alleviate theproblem, the industry has to change the way it interacts with the world.

In brief, sustainable construction refers to construction activities that aim to achieve abalance of economic, social and environmental performance. To effectively enhancethe sustainability performance of the industry, due consideration should be given to awide range of issues such as buildability, maintainability, repairability, upgradability,choice of materials, recyclability, construction methods, energy efficiency, and usershealth and comfort throughout the building life cycle. In considering this, clients,designers, contractors, suppliers and occupiers all have an important role to play in thedelivery of sustainable construction.

In Hong Kong, the traditional design-tender-build procurement system preventscollaborative effort between designers and contractors. The form of the building, itsstructure, materials used and the construction details are usually proposed byarchitects and engineers and approved by the client. Contractors are usually presentedwith design/working drawings and specifications and have little opportunity toinfluence the way in which the buildings are to be constructed. From the contractorsperspective, the use of prefabrication materials, minimizing air & water pollution,reducing, reusing and recycling of construction materials are some effective ways toimprove the project sustainability performance.

In the process of promoting sustainability, the HKSAR government has been takingthe lead to adopt ecologically sound construction practice through its role as both aconstruction client and a contractor. For instance, the widespread application ofprecast element is found in the construction of public houses of the Harmony andConcord Design under the Housing Authority and System-build precastconstruction and metal formwork are specified by the Architectural ServicesDepartment in undertaking new school projects in order to reduce construction wastesand enhance the quality of work. For public works and housing projects, thespecifications have been amended to regulate the use of recycled materials as hardcorein foundations, sub-base in road pavement and concrete in less technically demanding

works.


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5 BARRIER OF NURTURING SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE

Culture and Practices of the Industry

Construction is always part of human activity and culture. At an organisational level,there are deep-set beliefs about the way in which work should be organized, authorityshould be exercised, people rewarded and controlled (Kivisto, 1987). There is astrong tendency in construction personnel to do the job in the same way as it has beendone before. The standardization of work processes ensures that everyone does whatthey are supposed to do. Where culture has developed over long periods of time andbecome firmly embedded, it may be difficult to change quickly unless a traumaticevent occurs (Schein, 1990). Provided that contractors all tend to long for similarroutines, changes are always met with resistance (Erez & Earley, 1993). This situationis not only observed in workers but in managers as well. Culture may screen out newideas which are not compatible with the organizational practices.

It is generally accepted that project performance is assessed against the prescribedtime, cost and quality objectives. To realize the full potential of sustainability, itrequires a fundamental paradigm shift in the way the construction industry approachtime, cost and quality constraints and the industry is obliged to take a much broaderview in terms of full life cycle assessment, social cost and quality than used in the past(Augenbroe et al 1998).

Tender Assessment

Public accountability demands public sector clients to achieve good value for moneyin construction procurement. In the private sector, most construction clients are onlyinterested in the cost of the completed building, whether it is delivered on time, itsquality and functionality. They always equate best value with cost and selectcontractors almost exclusively on the basis on tendered price. In the property market,the clients and contractors seem to have agreed on what they are aiming at. Oneserious concern of developers is to recoup their financial investments as quickly aspossible and there is little interest in the environmental impacts of the constructionprocess. On the other hand, cut-throat competition has sometimes led to thesubmission of unrealistically low bids by the contractors. It becomes uneasy for

contractors to use their distinctive capabilities such as product differentiation andenvironmentally friendly construction method to gain a competitive edge since thechoice of contractor is nearly always dependent on price. To successfully incorporatesustainability as a guiding principle in construction, the construction industry needs aconvincing reason to do so.

Business Environment

Strategy is the process of setting the fundamental long term goals of the organisationand then allocating the resources necessary to achieve them (Chandler, 1962; Male,1991). Looking from a resource-based approach, business strategy can be defined as

the alignment of an organisations resources within the environmental conditions withwhich it has to deal (Hofer & Schendel, 1978). By integration of these principles, a


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business strategy constitutes a set of guidelines for determining the organisationsfuture by establishing a balance between its internal resources and the demands of theenvironment.

The objectives of an enterprise are seldom as clear-cut as they seem and it is too

simple to claim that making money is the prime objectives of an enterprise (Brech,1975). In recent times, the centrality of economic measures as indicator of success hasbeen challenged. Today, organisations are seen important in terms of their socialorganisational objectives.

However in a stable environment, changes tend to come slowly. Most organizationsseek to maintain equilibrium against internal and external disruptive forces. Theycontinue doing what they have always done and are unlikely to see any need forstrategic change or if changes occur, they tend to be evolutionary rather thanrevolutionary (Newcombe et al 1990). In principle, the change process starts with anawareness of the need for the change. Most organisations change mainly in response

to external circumstances (reactive change) while others change because they havedecided to change (proactive change) (Porter, 1980).

The process of interaction between sustainability and environment has led to changesin the way organisations approach their practices. To some content organisations haveto respond to the pressures of an external environment in the contexts of economic,social and environmental factors and rely on the ability of management to achieve anoptimum degree of fit between the complex and sometimes conflicting organisationalobjectives, culture and external environment.

Depending on their relative power in a particular situation, the behaviour ofstakeholders including clients, materials suppliers and competitors will exert influenceon the organisations decision. For any firm which has been acknowledged within theindustry, competitors may be forced to follow it in order to retain the market share(March & Olsen, 1989). For instance quantity surveyors and architecture firms followthe services provided by other firms of their own field. The leading firms really likesetting the rule of game for the industry. Of paramount importance, this depends upona mutual understanding across organisations that these changes will lead to a betterchance of securing the contract. Besides, the fragmented local construction industry ischaracterized by many contractors who are in a weak bargaining position bycomparison with the client and thus organisations will adapt their norms in order to

meet the customers requirements. However the current position is that clients selectcontractors fairly on the basis on tendered price.

6 RESEARCH FINDINGD

233 questionnaires were sent out and 42 were received which represents a return rateof 18%. All the returned questionnaires were found to be usable. Data from thequestionnaires were analyzed mainly in the forms of mean-weighted average andRelative Importance Index to compare the significance of various options in questionsand also standard deviation to measure the dispersion of the collected data. The

positions of the respondents within organisations are indicated below:


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Position No. ofCounts

No. ofPercentage

Quantity Surveyor 2 5%

Project Manager/ Project Director 10 24%

Managing Director/ Executive Director/ Director 20 48%

General Manager 9 21%Environment and Sustainability Manager 1 2%

Total: 42 100%

Table 1: Position of the Respondent within Organisation

The respondents were computed at an average of 20 and 12 years of work experiencein the construction industry and in their current organisation respectively. There is nodoubt about the validity of the results as nearly all of the returned questionnaires werecompleted by appropriate persons within the organisations such as project manager

and general manager who have a great sensitivity toward the industry and a thoroughunderstanding of the practices of project planning and resources management in theircurrent organisation.

Awareness and Culture of Sustainable Construction

Awareness of Sustainable Construction

Although a broad body of literature has been emerging in the domain of sustainableconstruction, it seems to be a rather new concept to the local industry practitioners atthis instant. 18 respondents (43%) were frank in admitting that they have not heard

about the term sustainable construction before reading the questionnaire. It ispresumed that most respondents learnt this concept from their workplace or throughattending relevant training courses as this content had not been included in coursecurriculum in the past.

For further understanding, the respondents were asked if they had attended anyrelevant training course. It was found that only 16 respondents (38%) have attendedrelevant training courses and 26 respondents (62%) did not. By exploring the linkagebetween these two questions, only 31% of the respondents who have not attended arelevant training course know about the term sustainable construction.

Yes NoHeard about the term sustainableconstruction

Number % Number %

All respondents 24 57% 18 43%

attended relevant training course 16 100% 0 0%

have not attended relevant trainingcourse

8 31% 18 69%

Total: 42 100% 100% 100%

Table 2: The proportion of the respondents knowing the term sustainable

construction with respect to their attendance of relevant training course


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Overall, 57% of the respondents had heard about the term sustainable construction.It can be concluded that there is a significant difference between the hypothesizedvalue of the population proportion (57%) and the proportion of employees who havenot attended relevant training course know about the term sustainable construction(31%). Hence attending relevant training courses by the industry practitioners is an

effective way to increase the level of understanding of sustainable construction by theindustry.

Measurement of the Organisational and Industrial Culture

Several questions have been designed to permit measurement of the characteristics ofthe industry culture 5 years ago and now in quantitative terms and ascertain whetherthe external environment is seen as an effective catalyst for achieving change from asociological perspective.

Unaware

Awarebut notactive

Awareand

activeTotalTime

1 2 3 4 5

5 years ago 8 (19%) 12 (29%) 18 (43%) 4 (10%) 0 (0%) 42 (100%)

Now 2 (5%) 4 (10%) 18 (43%) 12 (29%) 6 (14%) 42 (100%)

Table 3: Attitude of the Respondents towards Industry Sustainability

No respondent said that the attitude of the industry towards sustainability 5 years agowas aware and active. This proportion has been increased to 14% at the present time.Only 2 respondents (5%) believed that the industry is still taking an unaware attitudeover sustainability and this situation has improved noticeably by comparison with thefigure of 19% 5 years ago. Figure 1 shows that the proportion of respondents ratingfrom 3 to 5 (aware but not active to aware and active) has been increasedconsiderably over the past five years.


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Figure12: Attitude of the Industry towards Sustainability (Cumulative)

The respondents rated the attitude of the industry towards sustainability at an averageof 2.5 (37.5%) 5 years ago and 3.4 (60%) at the present time.

Effect from External Environment

The following two questions attempt to ascertain the effect from the externalenvironment including role models and competitors on inducing cultural change.

Effect of Role Model

Verystrong

Veryweak Total Mean

1 2 3 4 5 6

2(5%)

6(14%)

10(24%)

10(24%)

8(19%)

6(14%)

42 3.9

Table 4: The Effect of Role Models on Promoting Sustainability

Most respondents did not take either side of the sliding scale and tried to remainneutral concerning the effect of role models on the industry where 3 and 4 weremost frequently chosen by the respondents. Hence, it becomes quite difficult to drawa concrete conclusion as to the effect of role models on serving as a catalyst forachieving sustainability by the industry. Given that the mean of all respondents wascomputed at 3.9 and the median is 4 in the distribution, it is likely to say that therespondents were biased towards the weak effect side.

0%

10%

53%

87%

14%

43%

86%

96%100%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

5 yrs ago

Now

5 4 3 2 1Aware Aware but Unaware

and active Not active


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Effect of Competitors in the Industry

Seriouslyaffected

Totally Notaffected

% ofcontractors

1 2 3 4 5 6

Mean

25% 3(7%)

0(0%)

18(43%)

18(43%)

8(19%)

5(12%)

3.9

50% 3(7%)

10(24%)

10(42%)

16(38%)

0(0%)

3(7%)

3.2

75% 13(31%)

8(19%)

13(31%)

5(12%)

0(0%)

3(7%)

2.5

Table 5: The Pressure exerted on Organisations with respect to the Proportion of

their Competitors implementing Sustainability

As shown above, there will be a progressive increase in the pressure on contractors asthe sustainability culture is clouding the industry. Though many modern managementtheories emphasis the need for organizational responsiveness, the result shows that themajority of the respondents are not positive for initiating changes despite under thepressure of their competitors.

It is noted that the actions from the respondents can be very diverse. 7% of therespondents expressed that despite 75% of contractors is advocating sustainability, thiswill not affect their existing practice at all. This implies that a minority of contractorsare indifferent to what other organisations do in the industry. However, another 7% is

working under extreme pressure. They said that their sustainability performancewould be seriously affected if they knew that there are already 25% of contractorsadvocating sustainability.

Perception of Project Objectives

In order to understand the project objectives of the client systematically, the RelativeImportance Index (RII) was adopted here. A significant factor of 1, 0.75, 0.5 and 0.25is assigned to the preferences given by the respondents in order of 1, 2, 3 and 4,while a zero value will be given to the ranking 5. The RII of each option wascalculated by summing up the total score assigned to it, which is divided by the total

number of respondents.

The 5 prescribed project objectives were presented in descending order of importanceaccording to their calculated RII.


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Order ofImportance

Project Objectives RII StandardDeviation

1 Time and cost performance 0.91 0.78

2 Reducing construction accident 0.75 0.92

3 Reducing pollution 0.46 1.064 Reducing disposal of materials wastes at

landfills0.31 0.92

5 Using recycled materials 0.12 0.66

Table 6: Priority of Project Objectives of the Client

It is predictable that time and cost performance remains the primary concern of theclient as evidenced by, 74% of the respondents (according to the raw data collectedfrom the questionnaires) placing it as the first priority of the client and there is a

general consensus about its significance (standard deviation is 0.78).

Apart from time and cost performance, the other four objectives including reducingconstruction accident, reducing pollution, reducing disposal of material wastes atlandfills, and using recycled materials are a set of criteria and principles that centeraround sustainability.

It is not surprising to know that reducing construction accidents was ranked as thesecond most important area of concern by the client. As mentioned, 74% of therespondents ranked time and cost performance as a top priority while the remaining26% went to the objective of reducing construction accident. Much literature has

demonstrated the considerable costs of accidents at work. The result can be explainedfrom a different perspective that reputation is another important aspect of distinctivecapabilities to be assessed by the client. Reducing construction accidents is definitelya good way to help the client maintain their reputation in society.

Since the enactment of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance in 1997, theindustry emphasizes the effect of pollution on the community. The effects of reducingpollution are tangible, while the client may not easily perceive the added value ofreducing disposal of material wastes at landfills and using recycled materials inconstruction. This suggests the reason why they were ranked as the two leastimportant objectives of the client. The value of RII for using recycled materials is

only 0.12 and there seems to be a consensus that it is the least important objective ofthe client (standard deviation is 0.66 which is the least among the provided options).

Existing Practice in the Construction Industry

Using Recycled Building Materials

Of the 42 respondents, 22 respondents (52%) indicated that their organisation has usedrecycled building materials in the construction process on their own accord, while theorganisations of the remaining 20 respondents (48%) did not have such experience.

The common resistances expressed by the 42 respondents to using recycled building


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materials are summarized below (the 22 respondents whose organisations have usedrecycled materials voluntarily were also asked to complete this question):

Reasons for not usingRecycled Building Materials

No. ofCounts

% ofRespondent

1 Higher price when compared with traditionalproducts

16 38%

2 Lower quality when compared with similartraditional products

4 10%

3 Quality is not certain 20 48%

4 The prevailing products in the market cannot fulfillthe specifications

8 19%

5 Limited choices in the market 32 76%

6 Unable to source relevant product information 16 38%

*respondents can choose more than one reason

Table 7: Reasons for not using Recycled Building Materials

Although the population of resource guides is growing rapidly on a worldwide basis,76% of the respondents expressed that there are limited choices of recycled-contentbuilding products at the present time. 38% of the respondents are concerned with thehigher price of recycled materials when compared with traditional products. In HongKong, the market for recycled waste materials develops very slowly. Many productdesigns are only cost effective when they are mass produced. For instance, plywood istraditionally used as the materials of subfloor and concerning the sustainability issue,plywood can be replaced by a mixture of recycled plastic bottles and splinters of wood.

However, this sustainability product costs almost double that of the traditionalplywood subfloor. Since many recycled materials are now produced at low productionvolumes, they tend to be more expensive than their traditional competitors.

38% of the respondents stated that there is a lack of sufficient market information andreference standards for these recycled products. They often do not know where tosource such information or find catalogues for recycling materials lists of supplysources.

58% of the respondents were not comfortable with the quality of recycled materialsincluding the 10% who regarded them as of lower quality when compared to similar

traditional products and the 48% who regarded them as of uncertain quality. Forinstance, some technical reports pointed out that with the use of recycled aggregate theperformance of concrete is comparable to that of conventional concrete. However, thevariation coefficients are high as the recycled aggregates cannot be homogenous.Hence, for safety reasons, the use of residues is recommended for concrete with nonstructural purposes. Because of this reason, the Hong Kong Housing Authorityrestricted the use of recycled materials as hardcore only in less technically demandingworks.

In principle, the key to successful marketing of recycled materials is that they cancompete with the cost of virgin materials. The economical feasibility of the use of thewastes is directly related to the local price of conventional raw materials andassociated recycled materials. Despite the fact that the local contractors can obtain


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free recycled aggregate from a yard owned by the government in Tuen Mun with theonly cost involved being the transportation fee to and from Tuen Mun and theconstruction site, many contractors may still be tempted to use the traditionalaggregate as they are already sufficiently available at low prices of aroundHK80.00/tonne.

For recycling to become a viable option for the diversion of construction anddemolition wastes, the products using recycled materials must meet the qualitystandards that exist. It is explicable that contractors have serious reservations aboutthe use of recycled products as their long term effects have not been fully identified.There are few technical or quality control guidelines yet available for recycledmaterials. The real reason for the resistance to change is a fear of failure. It isobviously true that defects and failures occur in traditional methods of building, butnew materials will appear to offer a greater risk. There is little doubt that thetraditional construction methods are preferred by the builders because the problems oftraditional construction are better understood and less likely to attract claims by the

clients and consultants.

Established Procedures for Collecting, Separating and Transforming ConstructionWaste for Recycling Purpose

Of the 42 respondents, 17 respondents (40%) indicated that their organisation havelaid out some prescribed procedures to be followed by labours to collect, separate andtransform construction waste, while such practice is not currently implemented by theorganisations of the remaining 25 respondents (60%) with due regard on the followingissues:

Reasons for not sortingConstruction Wastes

No. ofCounts

% ofrespondent

1 Not enough space on site 18 72%

2 Not cost effective taking into account theadditional tasks to be involved

14 56%

3 Involving additional supervisory staff 6 24%

4 Difficult to control 8 32%


Table 8: Resistances to Sorting Construction Waste on Site

Out of the 25 respondents whose organisation does not sort construction wastes on site,18 (72%) felt hindered by a lack of space for sorting and this is especially true forconstruction sites in Hong Kong. It is obvious that as the disposal options requireseparation of wastes, the collection area needs to be larger than required by thetraditional system which has only one point for the collection of all wastes. Anotherconstraint has been the lack of space for the storage of waste materials to allow theaccumulation of sufficient volumes to make commercial transactions viable.

Ranked as the second priority, 14 respondents (56%) considered that sortingconstruction wastes is not economically viable. Once a market exists, the material is


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no longer a waste but a commodity. However, recycling industries are not generallyhighly profitable. From an economic perspective, resale for recycling will onlybecome business practice when the markets for the commodities such as scrap copperand structural steel create a profit margin. Normally, construction sites have largequantities of structural steel taken from the construction process. In Hong Kong, the

purchasing price of steel reinforcement bars is approximately HK$2,800/tonne whilethe scrap iron is sold at HK$500/tonne that does not warrant the labour cost ofseparation and preparation.

The greatest obstacle to recycling is the resources and manpower required to separateconstruction wastes for recovery. Given that contractors are constantly forced tominimize profit margins in order to win jobs, the source separation process with itsaccompanying implication of time and costs, is unlikely to be welcomed by theconstruction industry. In Hong Kong, the levying of the landfill charges still has notbeen put into practice by the government because of strong resistance from theindustry. This further inhibits the shift towards recycling.

24% and 33% of the respondents supposed that organisations face the problems ofsupervision and control in sorting construction wastes. On a construction site,recycling requires the education of workers about the recycling procedures and sortingof usable waste into bins clearly marked for different types of waste. It is absolute thatsource separation will not succeed if the workers are not motivated to do it.

Procurement of Recycling Plant

Only 10 respondents (24%) expressed that their organisation has procured a recyclingplant for use on a construction site, while a majority of the organisations (76%) did not.The following reasons were chosen by the respondents for not procuring recyclingplant by their organisation:

Reasons for not procuring recycling plant No. ofCounts

% ofRespondents

1 High investment cost of recycling plant 17 53%

2 Not operate efficiently 10 31%

3 Involving complicated procedures for sortingand separating construction wastes for its use

16 50%

4 Know nothing/ little about recycling plant 10 31%


Table 9: Reasons for not Procuring Recycling Plant

17 out of the 32 respondents (53%) whose organisations have not procured recyclingplant expressed concern over the high investment cost of recycling plant. Theprevalence of small and medium construction organisations inhibits the industry frominvesting heavily in the purchase of C&D waste recycling plants. Besides, ascompetitive tendering is now certainly unprofitable this tends to have a depressingeffect on investment in new technologies. The significant time and cost demand

related to investment in applying sophisticated measures for improving environmentalconditions discourages contractors, clients, and engineers initiatives from carrying


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out sustainable construction. 31% of the respondents thought that the recycling plantdoes not operate efficiently. In fact, some plants are not working continuously or areunder their capacity on a construction site because of the lack of an efficient policy forwaste collection/disposal and use of recycled materials. 50% of the respondentsworried about the complicated procedures for sorting and separating construction

wastes for its use. Although building materials can be retrieved after recycling, theirnet value is so small to make their separation from the waste stream and procuring ofrecycling plant economically feasible. Up till now, the concept of a recycling planthas not received widespread promotion in the industry. Hence, contractors may nothave the opportunity to gain knowledge of the functions and performances ofrecycling plants or lists of supply sources. Hence, it is not unexpected that 31% of therespondents know nothing or little about recycling plants.

Use of Precast Materials

Apart from 1 respondent, all the other 23 respondents (96%) supported the use of

precast elements to be specified by the architect in construction. However the fact isthat precast elements are infrequently used in the local construction industry. Ofparamount importance, cost is a matter of concern to the client. The contractorconstructs the building according to the designs, specifications and instructions givenby the architects and engineers. The uncertainty about the ability of precast element tomeet technical specifications, the perceived risk of product failure and the associatedprofessional liability seems to be a strong deterrent to the introduction of precastelements by the design team. Though a contract clause may allow the contractor topropose alternative building materials or components provided that it conforms to thedesigners specification, it involves additional time and resources for the submissionof the proposal and in some cases the contractor may not be able to reimburse theadditional cost from the client. Besides when compared with the traditional in-situconstruction method, precast construction appears to offer a greater risk and is morelikely to attract claims from the client.

Resources Requirements and Operational Changes

Decreasing the Layers of Subcontracting System

Most respondents (90%) agreed that decreasing the number of layers of subcontractors

helps the main contractor to better monitor the performance of subcontractors andhence working towards sustainability. Subcontracting is a long-established practice inthe local construction industry. Unfortunately, multi-layered subcontracting mustdistance the relationship between the management of main contractors and operativeson site and in fact, the main contractors do not have direct control over the workerswho actually carry out the work. In fact, there have been complaints thataccountability is undermined by the prevalence of non-value adding multi-layeredsubcontracting and lax supervision (CIRC, 2001). This must make collaborativeefforts at improving sustainability practices more difficult and less likely to occur.


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Increment of Managerial/ Supervisory Staff and Workers by comparison with whenSustainability is not considered

ManpowerNo

change 0-10% 10-

20%

20-

30%

30-

50%

Mean

Managerial/supervisory staff

4(10%)

13(31%)

3(7%)

17(40%)

5(12%)

18%

Workers4

(10%)13

(31%)3

(7%)19

(45%)3

(7%)17%

Table 10: Extent of Increment of Manpower to suit the Implementation of

Sustainability

Generally speaking, the respondents expressed similar levels of manpower incrementof managerial/supervisory staff (18%) and workers (17%) should the full potential ofsustainability be realized.

In the construction stage, the project manager, site manager, site agent, foremen andother managerial/supervisory staff receive a wide range of information from clients,consultants, statutory undertakers, sub-contractors and suppliers from time to time. Inthe absence of adequate control and supervision, sustainability practices will suffer. Itis further aggravated by the problem of multi-layered subcontracting as mentionedbefore. To move towards sustainability, supervision overload seems to be a potentialhazard and there is a need for greater supervision in construction work. For instance,dedicated personnel should be employed on-site to tell workers what they need to do

and also assist in reducing redundant work and managing the environmental aspects ofconstruction activities.

It has been noted earlier that separation of construction wastes for reuse / recyclingpasses the majority of responsibility for materials recovery to the contractor.Generation of dust, pollutants and materials wastage from construction site activitiesseems inevitable but these effects can be reduced by proper housekeeping on aconstruction site which involves additional manpower requirements at least. Forinstance, contractors should spray water to avoid dust emission on an exposed surfaceand keep the drainage clean and tidy. As materials can constitute over 50% of theproject cost, its wastage needs to be minimized in order to preserve natural resources,

reduce landfill disposal and keep costs down. However, it is always observed that thestandard of site supervision is far from satisfactory which leads to material wastage inthe construction process. Uncontrolled procedures for cutting reinforcing bars in size,the excess thickness in mortar coatings and in masonry joints and the lack of control inthe making of mortar are some causes of materials waste.

The HKIA/HKIS Standard Form of Contract defines the percentage labour content ofa contract as 25 percent (HK:RICS, 1999). By calculation, an increment of labourcontent by 17% brings an increase in 4% (25% x 17%) of total cost of the contractor(where the costs involved in such sustainability practices as sorting of material wastesand procurement of recycling plant are not taken into account). Given that the

construction industry is now a business with low profit margins, it is very difficult for


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contractors to afford the additional money to go on improving their sustainabilityperformance.

Training Course

To recap briefly, only 16 respondents (38%) have attended relevant training coursesand 26 respondents (62%) did not. All the 16 respondents had a very positiveresponse to the effectiveness of the training courses. On the sliding scale from 1(strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), they ranked the training courses from 1 to3 and none of the respondents gave their ranking beyond this region, which produceda fairly high average of 1.8 (equivalent to 80%) among all respondents. These trainingcourses can be proved of extremely high quality in the sense that they were ranked bythe respondents who have an average of 22 years of work experience in the industryand are engaged in senior positions of organisations. The following reasons werechosen by the 26 respondents who have not attended relevant training course:

Reasons for not attending relevant training course No. ofCounts

% ofRespondent

1 Not aware of relevant information 24 92%

2 Could not obtain sponsorship from the company 2 8%

3 Heavy work commitment 16 63%

4 Not useful to work 12 46%

5 Not able to make use of learnt knowledge toinfluence the organisations decision

6 23%

6 Do not feel interest 4 15%


Table 11: Reasons for not attending relevant Training Course

92% mentioned that they were not aware of any relevant information. Indeed, there isno lack of training programmes locally but the awareness of information is closelyrelated with the type and scale of promotion carried out by the organizing committee.For instance, the Business Environment Council Limited is a non-profit environmentalorganisation which frequently organizes conferences, forums and briefings to keep theindustry practitioners abreast of the latest development in environmental sustainability.

The recent training programmes include UN Asia-Pacific Leadership Forum Sustainable Development for Cities in February 2004, Balanced Development andEcological Sustainability in May 2004 and 2nd Conference in EnviroSeries 2004 Sustainable Production and Consumption in June 2004.

A common complaint concerning such programmes is that they are frequently not welladvertised, making it difficult for people to find the information that they need.Relevant information can commonly be searched from the website of the organizingcommittee and is available for the public to pick up at its counter. However, there isno proper channel for such information to reach construction organisations.

63% of the respondents were not able to attend relevant training courses because oftheir heavy work commitments. In the local construction industry, many people work


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more than ten hours a day and are frequently involved in working on Saturdays. Aswell, because of the uncertainty of a construction activity, working overtime is oftennecessary in order to meet construction programmes and deadlines.

7 CONCLUSION

Awareness and Culture of Sustainable Construction

Over the past few years, contractors are shifting their attitude toward moresustainability and some intend to show their social and environmental responsibility intheir construction projects. The 42 respondents ranked that the attitude of the industrytowards sustainability has improved from 37.5% 5 years ago to 60.0% at the presenttime. It is too simple to claim that the primary objective of an organisation is topursue profitability. In recent times, the centrality of economic measures as anindicator of success has been challenged whilst more social organisational objectives

have begun to be gaining focus on. It is perceived that the concept of sustainabilityhas already been integrated into the visions of many leading construction firms.

However, there is rather a lack of knowledge of the issue of sustainable constructionby the industry practitioners. Despite a broad body of literature emerging in thisdomain and the HKSAR government having launched a study of SustainableDevelopment for 21st century (SUSDEV 21) in 1997, 43% of the respondents engagedin senior positions of organisations do not have this area of learning, let alone the

junior staff and on-site operatives in the industry. It lies in the fact that there isinsufficient sustainability awareness ranging from management to the workforce.

Current Practice of the Construction Industry

Today, some sustainability practices such as sorting construction wastes and usingrecycled building materials are still in its infancy. Though demand has beenstimulated by stipulating the use of recycled content construction materials on publicworks and housing projects, only 52% of the respondents indicated that theirorganisation has used recycled building materials in the construction process on theirown accord.

For recycling to become a viable option in the future, there must be a wide range of

choices open to the contractor and the recycled materials must meet higher qualitystandards as evidenced by the facts that 76% of the respondents who are not usingrecycled materials claimed that there are limited choices of recycled-content buildingmaterials in the industry while 58% worried about the quality of recycled buildingmaterials. The real reason for the resistance to change is a fear of failure. It isobviously true that defects and failures occur in traditional methods of building, butnew materials are perceived as offering greater risk.

25 respondents (60%) indicated that their organisation does not follow any prescribedprocedures to collect, separate and transform construction wastes. Out of these 25respondents, 72% felt hindered by a lack of space for sorting, which is especially true

for construction sites in Hong Kong. 56% of the respondents considered that sortingconstruction wastes is not economically viable. Resale for recycling will only become


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business practice if the markets for material wastes create a profit margin that warrantsthe labour cost of separation and preparation.

Only 10 respondents (24%) stated that their organisations have procured a recyclingplant. 17 out of the 32 respondents whose organisations have not procured recycling

plant expressed concern over the high investment cost of recycling plant. In fact, theeconomic downturn has affected the industry seriously for nearly a decade and sosmall contractors have been forced to concentrate more on survival rather than onsocial responsibility and investing for the future.

Apart from 1 respondent, all the other 41 respondents supported the use of precastelements in construction. Except in housing projects, precast concrete is notcommonly used in Hong Kong. The uncertainty of precast elements to meetspecifications, the perceived risk of product failure and the associated liability fromconsultants or contractors seems to be a strong deterrent to its widespread adoption inthe industry.

Influence exerted by Role Models and Competitors on the Performance of Sustainable

Construction

Definitely, we want to see the progress of sustainability accelerated. However, it isrealized that the lowest price culture still dominates the construction industry currentlyand the social and environmental costs remain ignored by most contractors. It issupposed that the process of interaction between sustainability and environment willlead to changes in the way construction organisations approach their current practices.However, the effect of role models to serve as a catalyst for achieving sustainabilityseems rather weak. Faced with the same external environment, organisations responddifferently. Most small contractors adopt a reactor approach who take action onlywhen confronted by an internal or external crisis and a minority of contractors isindifferent to what other organisations do in the industry.

Resources Requirements and Operational Change

It is known that some existing problems encountered by the local industry result fromlong-established practices and processes. Certainly, multi-layered subcontractingmust distance the relationship between the management of main contractors andoperatives on site and in fact, the main contractors do not have direct control over the

workers who actually carry out the work. 90% of the respondents agreed thatdecreasing the number of layers of subcontractors helps the main contractor to movetowards sustainability. In addition to this, the respondents estimated the need for 18%and 17% of manpower increment of managerial staff and workers respectively if thefull potential of sustainability is to be realized. However, it is expected that mostcontractors could not afford the additional money to develop the sustainabilityperformance further.

Training is considered to be an essential investment item to support the continuoussustainability improvement in the long term. In an organisation, the major strategicand operational decisions are made by the senior management of organisations. It has

been noted that all respondents had a very positive response to the effectiveness of thetraining course but it is disappointing to learn that only 38% of the respondents have


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attended relevant training courses. Hence, the industry should respond positively towidespread concern about training opportunities in the industry.

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