MANAGING QUALITY ON CONSTRUCTION SITES IN SOUTH AFRICA: AN EASTERN CAPE STUDY

Published ArticleIn South Africa, construction projects still experience non-conformance to quality requirements as well as cost and schedule overruns to the detriment of clients. For project success to be attained, conformance to these parameters is the minimum expectation in the face of other considerations related to client satisfaction. Thus, through the use of existing literature, and a field study conducted among site management employees working for general contractors (GCs) in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, the management of quality on construction sites was examined. The study that was descriptive in nature shows that lack of skilled general workers and artisans contribute to poor quality control and management processes; while defects and rework form the main reason for project quality deviations on the sampled sites. The quality deviations in turn influence the level of cost and time overrun experienced on construction projects. The study corroborates the literature reviewed in that there is an interrelationship between cost, quality, and time in South African construction. For example, when the quality of work is below the required threshold, it leads to cost and time overruns due to rework that requires extra effort and expense. The value of this explorative study is that both site management and workers should be hands-on in terms of managing quality on project sites as failure to do so could have a domino effect relative to other project consideration

ACCREDITATION BY PROFESSIONAL BODIES IN SOUTH AFRICA: PERCEPTIONS OF UNIVERSITY ACADEMICS

Published ArticleProfessional bodies have vital roles to fulfil in relation to the regulation and enhancement of concerned professions. Among other reasons, academic programmes are subjected to the accreditation process to ensure that such programmes are of acceptable quality in the higher education system. However, there is a perception that an intensifying influence is exerted on universities by professional bodies focused on disciplines affiliated with the South African construction industry. This has resulted in a concern that the nature and extent of involvement of some professional bodies amounts to undue interference, with possible consequences for academic freedom

Regenerative ideas for urban roads in South Africa

Published ArticleSafer and reliable infrastructure in cities is a necessity for urban dwellers. The question is whether conventional planning practices would provide solutions before urban roads are labelled as unmanageable sources of fatalities, especially in developing economies. This paper presents how smart mobility can be achieved. Using Bloemfontein in South Africa, a case study was performed to examine the causal feedback relations among the factors prompting mobility. The study revealed that: (a) the use of information and communication technology in everyday functions, instead of large-scale physical movement is crucial; and (b) efficient public transportation systems would assist in developing smart mobility in urban areas. In effect, regenerative ideas that are based on prioritised causal feedback relations should bring about smart mobility, which engenders traffic safety in urban areas

CONTEXTUALISING URBAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION FOR FUTURE CITIES

Published ArticleWhile rapidity in service activities have strengthened the role of urban areas as engines of economic growth, high population density and increased industrialization, has brought needless social and environmental complaints in cities. This phenomenon necessitates a change in societal attitude in favor of the creation of responsible living conditions, which demands requisite skills and knowledge that would shape the cities. Thus, this paper explores the adequacy of current urban engineering education in terms of the knowledge, skills and competencies required to plan and develop future cities. The paper examines how “wicked problems” that marginalize effective sustainable city planning can be addressed through astute understanding of social and environmental challenges, urban governance systems and stakeholder involvement. Based on current education system, initial findings suggest that competencies in urban planning will not necessarily enable students to address challenges related to the development of smart and sustainable cities. Rather, engineering, science and social knowledge, which would engender the ability to predict future social dynamics, should enable graduates to become active drivers of sustainable and livable cities

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF CANDIDATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION

Published ArticleImprovement of hard and soft skills, job security and other employment considerations are influenced by the education and training of a candidate professional who is keen to register with a built environment statutory council in South Africa. Methodology: The study, which is reported upon in this paper qualitatively assessed how candidate built environment professionals perceive their work in relation to their quest for professional registration. The phenomenological study underpinning this paper used faceto- face interviews to interrogate the issues among purposively selected professionals who are working towards professional registration with statutory councils affiliated with the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) in South Africa. Results: The study shows that the majority of the interviewees agree that employers need to promote training programmes that would assists candidate professional in South Africa. The main reason for this assertion is centred on the need for candidate professionals align their training with the requirements of registration councils. Value: Candidate professions that participate in employer assisted training programmes would be more secured about future employment prospects in the industry

Zero Carbon Emissions in Buildings: A Systems Thinking Modeling Approach

Published ArticleEmpirical evidence suggests that many variables affect energy use and carbon emissions in buildings. The variables interrelate in a sophisticated manner and constitute a socio-technical problem. While previous observations about the interrelationships among the factors stem from building physics and numerical simulations, gaps exist in the articulation of the socio-technical issues. This article argues for a paradigm shift in the modeling approach through the development of a systems thinking model (STM) for evaluating carbon emissions in buildings. The methodology for this research involved using the literature and knowledge elicitation of stakeholders in the housing sector to build the initial systems thinking model (iSTM), especially where the relationships could not be established empirically. The final systems thinking model (fSTM) was developed by subjecting the iSTM to experts’ review based on a focus group approach by way of knowledge elicitation of the experts. The findings indicate a population of causal variables influencing carbon emissions in dwellings and show the complexity involved among the variables. The study concludes that the approach used in building the model has the capability of improving the accuracy and credibility of the developed STM for evaluating carbon emissions for zero carbon homes