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Quantity Surveying Project Topics

Evaluating the Role of Quantity Surveyors in Sustainable Infrastructure Development

Evaluating the Role of Quantity Surveyors in Sustainable Infrastructure Development

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Evaluating the Role of Quantity Surveyors in Sustainable Infrastructure Development

Chapter One

Research aim andย objectives

Thisย researchย aimsย toย provideย insightย intoย theย perceptionsย ofย quantityย surveyorsย onย theirย abilityย advising sustainable building developments at the project planning phase in Lagos.

The following objectives of this research to:

  • Determine the self-perception of quantity surveyors towards advising on alternative building specifications for sustainable buildings designs;
  • To understand how to recognize quantity surveyors with the appropriate knowledge to provide insights on sustainable building;
  • Establish to which degree, their willingness to give advice on sustainable building materials based on their knowledge of the building industry and previous experience;
  • Gauge the ability of quantity surveyors to influence project changes at planning stages in favour of sustainability ;and
  • Identify factors that influence quantity surveying professionals to adopt a different mind-set to sustainable thinking and material

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATUREย REVIEW

Sustainability in the builtย environment

Theย Royalย Institutionย ofย Charteredย Surveyorsย (RICS)ย describesย sustainabilityย toย beย aย dynamicย balance of social, economic and environmental elements that can be applied at an international, national and localย levelย ofย anย economyย (RICS,ย 2009).ย Itย isย nowย aย globallyย agreedย notionย thatย sustainabilityย shouldย form aย partย ofย theย decision-makingย processย (Zainul-Abidin,ย 2008).ย Thereย isย aย growingย focusย onย sustainability that has led the built industry to shift more focus towards the production of buildings that are deemed to be sustainable (Berardi,ย 2011).

The quest for sustainability has kept governments, other bodies and players in the industry busy designing strategies, policies, regulations, laws, initiatives to push for more adoption of sustainable buildings (Arif et al., 2009). The key driving force behind this quest for sustainability has largely been emissions, which are forecasted to keep rising at par with industrial levels as energy demands by the buildings increase (IPCC, 2007). The ability of buildings to reduce these projected levels of emission toย theย minimalย makesย itย credibleย forย moreย attentionย toย theย buildingย sectorย (IPCC,ย 2007).ย Thisย leadsย toย the needย forย sustainabilityย ratingย methodsย toย rankย buildingsย inย termsย ofย theirย sustainabilityย orย greennessย (Arif et al.,ย 2009).

Principles of sustainability

For quantity surveyors to deliver on sustainable aspects of projects, practitioners should understand theย principalsย ofย sustainabilityย (SACQSP,ย 2012).ย Toย gainย aย broadย viewย ofย sustainability,ย theย principalsย of sustainabilityย areย brokenย downย intoย threeย essentialย characteristicsย thatย canย beย brokenย downย intoย further issues (Hill and Bowen, 1997; Edum-Fotwe and Price, 2009)ย namely:

Economicย sustainability

Economicย sustainabilityย relatesย toย theย exchangeย ofย goodsย andย services.ย Sustainableย developmentsย have theย abilityย toย generateย anย increasingย perย capitaย ofย qualityย ofย lifeย overย aย period,ย whichย leadsย toย improved real incomes, healthier well-being and education of people, enhanced value of natural and built environments.ย Thisย isย enhancedย throughย anyย incrementalย profitabilityย thatย resultsย fromย benefitsย ofย more efficient use of resources (Pearce, 2003). To achieve the economic benefits of green buildings the environmental and social costs must be suitably priced (Eichholtz et al.,ย 2010)

Environmentalย sustainability

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Environmental sustainability relates to recognising the limits of our environment and the need to consume resources less to maintain a healthy state (Vanegas, 2003). This further entails avoiding irreversible environmental changes through optimal use of resources, waste management and protection (Pearce, 2003).

ย Socialย sustainability

Social sustainability looks at improvement of the quality of life and is viewed as one of the most challengingย aspectsย toย defineย (Hillย andย Bowen,ย 1997)ย asย itย isย anย ever-evolvingย conceptย (Vanegas,ย 2003). It has characteristics that can vary considerably from different stakeholders having diverse views that areย alsoย dependantย onย theย lifecycleย stageย ofย theย projectย (Valdes-Vasquezย andย Klotz,ย 2012).ย Forย instance, at the planning phase making consideration for the local community involvement on a project or consideringย theย impactย ofย theย projectย onย theย workersย involved.ย Thereย areย fourย fundamentalย areasย which the social characteristics embrace that is, community involvement in projects, and private sector involvementย inย corporateย socialย responsibility,ย designย safety,ย andย societalย designย (Venegas,ย 2003).

Delvingย intoย theย conceptย ofย communityย involvement,ย thereย isย aย directย linkย toย theย negativeย environmental consequencesย arisingย becauseย ofย constructionย projects,ย localย communitiesย couldย howeverย beย engaged on the non-technical elements of construction (Vanegas, 2003). This does not only enable locals to deriveย financialย gainย butย ensuresย aย communalย buyย inย intoย theย projectย (Valdes-Vasquezย andย Klotz,ย 2012). Whenย approachingย socialย aspectsย fromย aย corporateย socialย responsibilityย perspective,ย suchย canย beย seen through the eyes of game theory (Kolk, 2003; Olander and Ladin, 2005; Mathur et al., 2008) where a corporateโ€™sย isย heldย accountableย forย theirย effortsย towardsย developmentย ofย projectsย (Valdes-Vasquezย and Klotz,ย 2012).ย Theย safetyย throughย designย characteristicย onย theย otherย handย incorporatesย measuresย to counterย safetyย hazardsย duringย theย pre-constructionย phaseย whileย theย socialย designย factorsย collaboration fromย theย teamย involvedย inย designingย theย projectย towardsย socialย sustainabilityย (Valdes-Vasquezย andย Klotz, 2012).

In their research on social considerations in the preconstruction phase, Valdes-Vasquez and Klotz (2012),ย couldย comeย upย withย fiftyย processesย whichย theyย mergedย intoย sixย categoriesย thatย clusteredย social sustainability into the contexts of the: stakeholder concerns, client considerations, team composition, management concerns, impact assessment, and location contexts.

 

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Research methods

There are two main research methodologies as discussed by Fellows and Liu (1997) and Babbie and Mouton (2005). The first methodology being qualitative research, commonly referred to as an anti- positivistย approachย andย theย secondย approachย isย theย quantitativeย researchย knownย asย aย positivistย approach (Welman et al.,ย 2005).

This research adopted the mixed methods research as it utilized both qualitative and quantitative researchย methods.ย This research utilized interviews (qualitative research) and online questionnaires (positivism) to meet the objectives of the study.

Use ofย Interviews

This research made use of both the structured and semi-structured interviews. The Semi structured interviews provided a list of questions as a guide for the discussion โ€“ but not as strict as structured interviews.ย Theย useย ofย semi-structuredย interviewsย allowsย respondentsย toย expoundย onย areasย ofย discussion whileย alsoย allowingย theย interviewerย toย guideย themย backย ifย theyย haveย veeredย offย topicย (Easterby-Smithย et al., 2008). The use of semi structured interviews was critical for this research as it enabled the investigation of the respondentโ€™s beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of quantity surveyors with regards to sustainable building designs. The use of structured interviews was also important for this research asย itย providedย theย sameย lineย ofย questioningย forย allย respondentsย andย thisย eliminatedย anyย bias.ย Moreover, theย dataย collectedย fromย theย structuredย interviewsย isย moreย numericalย andย conclusiveย (Strachย andย Everett, 2008).

Use ofย Questionnaires

This research administered the questionnaires via an online survey. โ€œIn the last 25 years, technology hasย revolutionisedย theย wayย inย whichย surveysย areย administeredย โ€“ย withย theย adventย ofย theย firstย emailย survey in the 1980โ€™s and the initial web based surveys in the 1990โ€™sโ€ (Evans and Mathur, 2005, pg. 2). The internet is increasingly used as the tool by which researchers opt to conduct their surveys (Van Selm andย Jankowski,ย 2006).

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION ANDย ANALYSIS

ย Data analysisย background

This Chapter aims to answer the primary question that states, โ€œAre quantity surveyors sufficiently knowledgeable in sustainable development to effectively engage and advise on strategies for sustainable specifications at a project planning level?โ€ The findings were derived from research instrument, that is, an online survey and semi-structured interviews. The analysis techniques used to determineย theย researchย findingsย forย theย semi-ย structuredย in-depthย interviewsย wereย contentย analysisย and pattern matching. While statistical data analysis (i.e. means, standard deviations, minimums, maximums,ย frequencyย distributionย andย medians),ย correlationย andย factorย analysisย wereย appliedย fromย the online surveyย results.

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSIONS ANDย RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Inย conclusion;

  • Theconstructionย ofย sustainableย developmentsย isย mostย effectiveย atย designย stageย whenย allย theย project stakeholders are
  • Quantity surveyors in the current market are the least likely to effect alternative building specifications as they remain traditionally driven to cost preservation and remain inexperienced in sustainableย Theย findingsย doย howeverย proveย thatย quantityย surveyorsย haveย aย keyย roleย to play and that sustainability trained quantity surveyors can effectively engage and advise on strategies for sustainable specifications at a project planning level while still practicing green cost management.

ย Recommendations

The following recommendations were drawn from the findings:

  1. Quantity surveyors need to have a better understanding of green rating tools available in the marketasย wellย asย doย researchย onย greenย trendsย toย beย betterย informedย onย sustainabilityย issuesย in the industry. As professionals, they should invest in further training related to sustainability or greenย buildingย developmentsย soย thatย theyย canย playย aย proactiveย partย inย theย design
  2. Theresearchย foundย thatย engagementย andย effectiveย communicationย withย otherย professionalsย in the team is vital to achieving project outcomes. Quantity surveyors need to ensure that they understandย whatย otherย designย consultantsย areย puttingย forwardย inย termsย ofย sustainabilityย changes andย theirย impactย toย theย buildingย inย termsย ofย valueย asย wellย asย overallย cost
  3. Although demand is growing towards sustainable developments. The study has shown that a smallnumberย ofย quantityย surveyorsย hasย beenย involvedย inย greenย ย Governmentsย should promoteย legislationย thatย requiresย theย adoptionย ofย sustainableย buildingย practicesย soย thatย thereย is significant growth in the sector, thus providing opportunities for quantity surveyors to get involvedย in.
  4. The quantity surveyor can show value of sustainability for long term gain to the client despite the added cost. Buy in from the clients will eventually lead to more demand of sustainable buildingpracticesย andย thisย willย inย turnย compelย quantityย surveyorsย toย getย greenย ratings/accredited.
  5. Provisions should be made within the quantity surveyors professional fee structure to provide themtheย opportunityย toย giveย adviceย onย alternativeย buildingย specificationsย andย otherย sustainability aspects. Quantity surveyors should be able to show value to clients and thus be rewarded within their fees
  6. The misconceptions of significant inflated costs of sustainable building materials should be addressed by carrying out appropriate life cycle assessments on alternatives. Quantity surveyorsworkingย closelyย withย keyย participantsย onย projectsย canย developย proposalsย toย proveย the viability of alternatives in the long term which will beneficial the

ย Areas of furtherย research

Thisย researchย isย limitedย toย theย pre-contractย stageย ofย projectsย whereย itย offersย theย greatestย opportunitiesย to contribute to design changes and specifications. However, there are other areas in which further research related to this topic can be undertaken. These include theย following:

  • There is a need to consider the role quantity surveyors manage the post contract stage of projects to maintain the green building ratings a project requires. As cost professionals, they continuously provide advice to the client and team and there are opportunities for them to provide value to clients as well as the design team regarding sustainability matters during construction.
  • Consideration of how quantity surveyors encourage key stakeholders such as the client to promote sustainability on their

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