ABSTRACT

Construction materials usually constitute a major portion of the total cost in building construction project. An essential factor adversely affecting the performance of construction projects is the improper handling of materials during site activities. This research studied the Professional’s Perception on Materials Management Practices on Construction Sites in selected states in Nigeria by the use of structured questionnaires administered to senior construction professional personnel of construction firms. The data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics. 62% response rate was achieved and used for analysis. The study showed that the factors militating against materials management contributes to delay in completion time of project such as storage of materials on site with mean value (4.9), incompetence of estimators (4.8), issuing of materials for use (4.7) and procurement for materials (4.6). Based on the findings, it was concluded that Materials management practices require a transformation to improve the overall in handling of materials for more efficiency and effectiveness on the construction site. It was also recommended that material management should be practiced on all sites and by all categories of building construction firms whether large, medium or small, adequate site security, also the provision for material storage in the preliminaries, competent and experienced personnel with basic managerial skills in material management should be engaged on site as store officer to enhance material management practice.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Material management can be defined as a process that coordinates planning, assessing the requirement, sourcing, purchasing, transporting, storing and controlling of materials, minimizing the wastage and optimizing the profitability by reducing cost of material. Baldva (1997) noted that Materials management is a process for planning, executing and controlling field and office activities in construction. While Eduardo (2002) viewed Materials management as the system for planning and controlling all of the efforts necessary to ensure that the correct quality and quantity of materials are properly specified in a timely manner, are obtained at a reasonable cost and most importantly are available at the point of use when required. 

According to Khyomesh and Chetna, (2011) Building materials account for 60 to 70 percent of direct cost of a project or a facility, the remaining 30 to 40 percent being the labour cost. Therefore, efficient procurement and handling of material represent a key role in the successful completion of the work. It is important for the project manager to consider that there may be significant difference in the date that the material was requested or date when the purchase order was made, and the time at which the material will be delivered. These delays can occur if the contractor needs a large quantity of material that the supplier is not able to produce at that time or by any other factors beyond his control. Chan (2002) noted that the project manager should always consider that procurement of materials is a potential cause for delay. The management of

Construction processes to reduce, reuse, recycle and effectively dispose of wastes has a serious bearing on the final cost, quality, time and impact of the project on the environment. (Dania, 2007)

The goal of materials management is to ensure that construction materials are available at their point of use when needed. The materials management system attempts to ensure that the right quality and quantity of materials are appropriately selected, purchased, delivered and handled on site in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost, (khyomesh and chetna 2011). The scope of materials waste is vast, and this waste occurs in the industry irrespective of the size of the building firm, instructions about handling, storage and stacking are not provided with the goods or sent in advance to the site (Abdulazeez, 2000).

Materials management in construction is also regarded as the efficient use of goods and equipment before, during and upon completion of a building process. Petra (2013) observed that Successful materials management requires the participation of all persons involved in a construction process. For Materials may deteriorate during storage or get stolen unless special care is taken. Delays and extras expenses may be incurred if materials required for particular activities are unavailable. Ensuring a timely flow of materials is an important concern of material management (Shah, 1993).