3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Construction progress reporting methods and project outcomes(2018) Ngomana, NtsakoThe construction industry is commonly known for project delays and cost overruns in various parts of the world. Developing countries such as South Africa have experienced their fair share of these negative outcomes as outlined in existing literature. The causative factors identified, which relate to poor construction project management, include poor project control and poor progress monitoring and reporting by building contractors. This research was aimed at determining and evaluating the effectiveness of current progress monitoring and reporting methods and their linkage with undesirable project outcomes. The research methodological approach was essentially phenomenological, using a review of relevant literature, which was complemented with a phased field investigation. The field investigation used a mix of both quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for qualitative data and a survey by questionnaire was used for quantitative data collection. The data was collected from professionals working in the greater Johannesburg area, and hence, the findings could be interpreted to only affect construction projects in Johannesburg; while limiting the generalizability to the Construction industry in South Africa. Therefore, in regulating the impact of the limitation, the sources from which data was collected, intentionally consisted of experienced professionals who have worked on different types of projects of varying complexities. Results from the 80 questionnaire surveys and 15 interviews suggest the existence of appreciable gaps in the accuracy, or quality, in the monitoring and reporting of construction projects progress. Furthermore, the findings revealed that construction inexperience, the lack in project information and the poor allocation of project resources, were perceived to be the most influential factors of undesirable project outcomes. Therefore, the results from this study can be used as a guideline for construction stakeholders to ascertain the importance of implementing adequate progress monitoring and reporting systems to improve poor project outcomes. Building contractors can also use the findings from this study to evaluate their current projects and check the most influential causes of negative outcomes, and how these can be remedied.Item Challenges and enablers of green commercial office buildings in South Africa, Gauteng: a focus on cost related factors(2018) Lacovig, LorenzoThere seems to be a general consensus from green building literature that financial related factors are the most influential to investment decisions for stakeholders. Despite this consensus, research continues to focus on multi-disciplinary factors instead of only financial. Such studies have focused on the categorisation of factors into challengers or enablers; however the level of influence was not determined. There is a need to identify and classify the level of influence of financial related factors in terms of investment decision for green commercial buildings to aid in investment decisions. The research aimed to identify, classify and determine the nature and occurrence of cost related factors for green commercial buildings in South Africa, Gauteng throughout the life of the project. A pragmatic philosophy was adopted and mixed methods were used to gather the information and data required to meet the aim of the research. The data was analysed and each cost factor was classified and ranked. The required stakeholders were identified through the use of purposive, convenience and snowball sampling. Data was collected via interviews and questionnaires. Research findings revealed the top five factors categorised as enabling factors and which significantly influenced investment decisions on green commercial projects as: ‘lower operating costs’, ‘water use reduction’, ‘rising energy costs’, ‘higher return on investment’ and ‘increased property value’ respectively. Contrary to literature findings, marketing and environmental factors were also found to influence investment decisions. The operational stage of the project was the most cost intensive while the inception stage the most influential. The small sample data set and respondent constraints on answering the questions could affect the credibility or validity of the findings of this research. Findings conclude that investors in green commercial buildings in South Africa, Gauteng should be mindful of the top five cost factors before investing, they should be aware that the majority of cost saving opportunities lie in the operational stage of the project and should ensure the top five factors are discussed in detail during inception stage of the project. Marketing and environmental factors should be considered during inception stage of the project as they are found to influence investment decisions through tenant’s requirements. This research provides stakeholders with a deeper understanding on how the cost related factors affect green commercial projects. The findings have increased awareness and knowledge amongst professionals, clients and tenants as well as provided a solid baseline study for further research on cost related factors.Item Evaluating the procurement systems within the department of infrastructure development for better service delivery(2018) Zvomunya, MemorySouth Africa is currently faced with the challenge of reducing the huge backlog of infrastructure delivery to communities that were previously disadvantaged. Specifically, the Government needs to deliver school infrastructure to accommodate the rapidly growing student population particularly in areas that have experienced high levels of urban migration. It is generally agreed that there is need to step up the quality of planning, costing and project management, to speed up the delivery process of schools in line with the schools calendar. This research report critically assesses the characteristics and application of procurement systems currently being utilised by Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) for the delivery of school buildings. GDID utilises three procurement systems; the traditional, the integrated and the management-oriented procurement systems, providing an opportunity to compare the performance of each system within a single organisational context. A descriptive survey was conducted for school projects with the same prototype design executed within GDID, to identify the external and internal factors that are complimentary or detrimental to the effective implementation of the different procurement systems. Data was collected and the content analysed. The literature research confirms that different procurement systems have an effect on the total project delivery time, assuming all other variables remain constant. The integrated procurement system was found to be the most suitable procurement system for schools service delivery projects, from initiation to close out, for GDID, given the tight time frameworks. However, due regard should be given to extensive communication with all stakeholders to obtain their buy-in and approvals.Item Main contractors' design contribution to the delivery of green buildings(2016) Mothobiso, CharlesThis study set out to establish the extent to which South African contractors are seen as capable of engaging and contributing towards the designs of green buildings. The study further examines how the traditional procurement path, which is dominant in delivery of construction projects, affects a contractor’s contribution towards green buildings. The problem that exists is the exclusion of contractors at the design stage of a project through the use of the traditional procurement path. This exclusion potentially leads to clients not getting the full benefits of green practices in the delivery of their projects. The research adopted a positivist methodology collecting quantitative data using a questionnaire surveying construction professionals that are registered with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).The construction professionals that were surveyed include construction managers, project managers, architects, quantity surveyors and engineers who have direct experience and knowledge of green buildings Findings from the research reveals that there is a perception that the lack of awareness of green buildings in South Africa leads to certain clients, most notably government and parastatals, to invest less in green buildings. The use of the traditional procurement path is perceived to be inappropriate in the delivery of green buildings. This is due to the fact that the traditional procurement path excludes involvement by contractors at the early stages of the project therefore they do not contribute to the design of green buildings. The clients are therefore advised to plan and strategise procurement plans so that contractors can be involved early during the design stages, so that they can provide input so as to improve the buildability of projects and prepare proper health and safety plans.Item The client satisfaction of green building procurement systems(2016) Rose, Matthew RonaldThe world population continues to grow resulting in continuous demand for development. The building and construction industry is the avenue by which a vast majority of human settlements are developed. With this in mind, it is an industry that can have a far reaching effect on human and ecological well-being across the globe and South Africa is no exception. This study posits the problem that the correct building procurement systems to enhance client satisfaction in Green Building practices are not being applied in South Africa and as a consequence the application and integration of Green Building is being curbed. The overall aim of the study was therefore to determine how to improve client satisfaction through the correct use of building procurement systems in order to increase Green Building implementation across South Africa. The relationship between building procurement systems, client satisfaction and Green Building implementation remained the focal point throughout the study. This relationship was broken down within the literature as well as through the analysis of a questionnaire submitted to South African Green Building professionals, including clients. This examination determined that the client is the key to whether a project is developed and how it is procured. Moreover, it established that the choice of procurement strategy is the defining factor in the successful outcome of a project and ultimately the outcome of client satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The results indicated a significant correlation of the views in practice with that in theory whereby it was determined that the most appropriate procurement systems for Green Building are collaborative systems , including Design and Manage as well as Design and Build. On the contrary the findings illustrated that the Traditional System is the least appropriate for Green Building as it is a segregated building procurement system. Furthermore, the respondents confirmed the hypothesis that incorrect building procurement systems are being applied on Green Building projects in South Africa as the Traditional System was found to be the most utilised system for Green Building across South Africa even though it is the least appropriate system. This is a noteworthy finding, as environmental progress will continually be curbed on account of low levels of client satisfaction from inadequate building procurement systems. This research gives clear solutions on which building procurement systems to use and which not to use for Green Building. By applying this knowledge client satisfaction will be enhanced and so too the Green Building environment of South Africa.Item An investigation into the outlook business travellers to South Africa have towards a green hotel(2015-05-14) Gaibee, KhatijaThis study investigated the outlook business travellers to and within South Africa have towards green hotels. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which greenness affects consumers in South Africa. This was achieved by reviewing literature related to green hotels and consumers’ attitudes towards green products and its competitiveness in the market. A questionnaire was compiled based on existing literature. Data was collected by means of an online survey and the data was tested using the chi square frequency test. The findings indicated that respondents had a positive attitude towards greening hotels but the chi-test indicated that there was agreement on the positive relationship between greening hotels and perception. Guests believed that a standard should be set for green hotels as well as that if a conventional and green hotel served the same function, the green hotel would be the preferred choice. It is important for green hotels to incorporate a premium into the hotel bill. Future research should establish a model that the hotel can adopt to include a premium in the pricing of the hotel. The potential benefits of this study will be to improve the brand and corporate image of the hotel alongside contributing to a sustainable environment.