Assessment Of Lean Construction Practice On Building Construction Projects: A Case Of Jimma City

Abstract

Lean Construction is a new Practice of Designing and Managing Construction Projects to reduce project time, cost, and wastages of resources, and it adds maximum value for the Project. The implementation of Lean Construction Practices includes culture, plans, techniques, tools, and concepts to maximize value while minimizing all construction waste forms. However, this Practices are still not fully implemented on building construction projects in Ethiopia. Due to this, there are many problems with building construction projects in Ethiopia, like cost overrun, delay, and wastage of resources, etc. The study aims to assess the Lean Construction Practice on building construction projects in a Jimma City using descriptive type of research. For this descriptive study, questionnaires were designed and distributed for purposively sampled consultants and contractors involved in building construction projects in Jimma city. Therefore; to achieve the objectives of the study both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used. Hence, the data was collected through a structured questionnaire, semi structural interview and observations then analyzed and presented by table, chart and graphs using MS word and excel sheet. The result of the study identified that LC practices implemented on building construction projects in the case of Jimma city are regular performance measurement of site workers, identification of client needs, project needing immediate attention is given more importance, strict criteria for the selection of a subcontractor and involvement of project participants in the making of schedules based on their RII value. Also it determined that 50% of respondents have average level of awareness on LC Practices and 46% respondents have said that the implementation of LC practices on building construction projects is effective. The study concludes that; some of the lean construction practices are implemented, firms have average level of awareness and partially effective implementation of LC practices to minimize construction wastes and add value for building construction projects in Jimma City. Therefore, training and workshop on lean construction practices are necessary to increase its level of implementation for stakeholders involved in building construction projects.