Capacity gaps in post disaster construction & demolition waste management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the identification of the existing capacities of post disaster C & D waste management in developing countries, with a special emphasis on Sri Lanka to determine the capacity gaps and related influencing factors. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple case studies and expert interviews were conducted to gather primary information on the existing capacities of disaster C & D waste management. Three case studies, including 15 individuals and six experts representing government, non-government institutions and others, were selected. Findings – The results revealed the existing capacities, capacity gaps and influencing factors for post disaster C & D waste management in the areas of skills and confidence building, links and collaborations, continuity and sustainability, research and development, communication and coordination, organisational implementation and investment in infrastructure. Research limitations/implications – This study limited disaster C & D waste to debris generated from totally or partially damaged buildings and infrastructure as a direct impact of natural disasters or from demolished buildings and infrastructure at rehabilitation or at early recovery stages. Originality/value – The research enabled an analysis of existing capacities and identified capacity gaps in post disaster C & D waste management with influencing factors developing countries

Framework for capacity building for post disaster construction & demolition waste management at national level

The entire world is facing frequent and severe disasters In a disaster, generation of waste is unavoidable and critical as it differs from a normal situation in terms of quantity and composition Thus, improper waste management is a major environmental issue in any postdisaster scenario, specifically when it is contaminated with toxic substances leading to environmental degradation and health problems Therefore, measures to control waste generation and management of waste are needed for proper disaster waste management, being an important aspect of the entire process of disaster management Literature revealed capacity gaps in disaster waste management emphasizing the importance of capacity building for post disaster waste management in Sri Lanka Thus this paper presents framework for capacity building for post disaster waste management with special emphasis on C&D waste at national level entities in Sri Lanka Data were gathered through semi structured interviews conducted with experts representing Government, Non government and other sector organizations involved in post disaster waste management Capacity gaps such as fewer opportunities for career development, unawareness, lack of incentives are identified at individual level while unavailability of formal procedures for preparation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes/ projects, policy issues such as unenforceability, inadequate government support and unavailability of institutional arrangement are identified at entity level Framework for capability building in disaster C&D waste management was presented, with suggested approaches to overcome identified capacity gaps Framework can assist national entities involved in disaster waste management to focus on specific capacity building processes based on their institutional priorities It contains evaluated approaches to enhance capacities, providing flexibility to initiate capacity building at different levels such as individual, team, programmes, projects, entity or network of entities and in different contexts than disaster waste management It guides national entities involved in post disaster waste management to enhance their capacities for effective and efficient processes of post disaster waste management with special emphasis to C&D wast

Capacity Building for Post Disaster Construction and Demolition Waste Management: A Case of Sri Lanka

Purpose – This paper aims to present a theoretical framework for capacity building in post disaster Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste management at a national level to address the identified capacity gaps in managing disaster waste resulting from natural hazards. Design/methodology/approach – Data was gathered through pilot interviews, case studies and expert opinion surveys representing government, non government and other sector organisations involved in post disaster waste management. Findings - The study revealed unavailability of a single point of responsibility and provision for disaster waste in existing policies and capacity constraints in prevailing peace time solid waste management practices which were identified as major capacity gaps. Establishment of a regulatory body and enforceable rules and regulations with necessary levels of capacities was identified and presented in a theoretical framework comprising of seven identified areas for capacity building in post disaster waste management. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to disaster C&D waste as debris generated from totally or partially damaged buildings and infrastructure as a direct impact of natural hazards or from demolished buildings and infrastructure at rehabilitation or early recovery stages. Waste generated during reconstruction phase of post disaster management cycle is not considered as disaster C&D waste for purposes of this study. Originality/value – The research enabled analysis of existing capacities and presents approaches for capacity building for identified gaps in post disaster C&D waste management to attain sustainable post disaster waste management for future resilience

Post disaster waste management strategies in developing countries: Case of Sri Lanka

Disasters cause substantial damage around the world. This causes serious environmental and economic burden on normal living conditions, reconstruction and general waste collection processes. Within this context, waste management has emerged as a critical issue in responding to a disaster. Thus, this paper addresses post disaster waste management strategies adopted in developing countries and applicability of best global practices in respect of challenges encountered. Comprehensive literature review and field survey among national level institutes in Sri Lanka were conducted to gather information and semi‐structured interviews were used as a method of data collection. The findings revealed that strategies, issues and challenges are varying according to type of disaster, magnitude, location, country etc. Further, poor implementation of prevailing rules and regulations; poor standards of local expertise and capacities, inadequate funds, lack of communication and coordination are identified as key issues encountered. Santruka Stichines nelaimes visame pasaulyje pridaro daug žalos. Tai labai pasunkina aplinkosaugine ir ekonomine situacija iprastomis gyvenimo salygomis, atstatant aplinka ir vykdant bendruosius atlieku rinkimo procesus. Šiame kontekste atlieku tvarkymas išryškejo kaip esmine problema, reaguojant i stichine nelaime. Taigi šiame darbe nagrinejamos atlieku tvarkymo po stichiniu nelaimiu strategijos, taikomos besivystančiose šalyse, ir geriausiu pasauliniu praktiku taikymas, imantis kilusiu iššūkiu. Siekiant surinkti informacija, išsamiai apžvelgta literatūra ir tiesiogiai ištirtos Šri Lankos valstybines institucijos, o duomenims rinkti pasitelktas pusiau struktūriniu interviu metodas. Iš rezultatu aišku, kad strategijos, problemos ir iššūkiai skiriasi priklausomai nuo stichines nelaimes pobūdžio, masto, vietos, valstybes ir pan. Be to, nustatyta, kad pagrindines problemos yra prastas visuotiniu taisykliu ir reglamentu taikymas, prasti vietines patirties standartai ir menkos galimybes, lešu trūkumas, komunikacijos ir koordinavimo trūkumas. First Publish Online: 18 Oct 201

Exploring the status of e-procurement: a case of the construction industry in Sri-Lanka

Information Technology has radically changed the way most businesses operate in recent past. Certain inefficiencies of traditional procurement processes and cycles have been eliminated through the introduction of network based electronic procurement systems. Thus, the emerging concept of e-procurement is currently being applied in almost all types of procurement. Construction industry is no exception, which has attempted to adopt these latest technologies in its procurement process. Despite the wealth of merits of e-procurement, the practice of e-procurement in Sri Lankan construction industry is still in its infancy. Thus, this study aims to investigate the current status of e-procurement including the barriers and drivers to e-procurement in Sri Lanka. Literature review identifies an extensive range of aspects with regard to e-procurement both locally and globally. A questionnaire survey was used as the mode of data collection and fifty professionals from both private and public sector involved in construction were surveyed to ascertain their views on e-procurement. Findings of the study revealed that reduction of paper work and administrative and process cost saving were the key drivers whereas lack of policies, expertise, regulatory bodies and legal challenges were the key barriers for e-procurement in Sri Lanka. These results are confined to certain limitations where construction professionals selected were from the highest ranking construction consultancy and contractor organizations within the Colombo Metropolitan region. The study enabled to investigate the current status of the e-procurement including drives and barriers to e-procurement and highlighted barriers to overcome for successful implementation of e-procurement within Sri Lankan construction industry

A Decision Support Model for the Selection of Best Value Information Technology Procurement Method

SUMMARY: The procurement of Information Technology (IT) is as important as the use of the technology. Procurement includes two aspects: the selection of the right IT product as well as the selection of the method to procure it. Ineffective IT exploitation and poor procurement practices in construction organizations often create obstacles in reaping the full potential of IT investments. This paper presents a Decision Support Model to assist in the selection of the best procurement method for procuring IT for construction organizations. It uses a value-based framework drawn from value engineering (value matrices) which enables the identification of best value IT procurement methods to procure IT solutions and requirements. The model was developed using object oriented modeling techniques providing greater flexibility in future modification and expansion. It was implemented as a decision support system and tested using real life cases from the construction industry. A forum of experts positively evaluated and verified the concept and the usability of the system. The research was carried out in Sri Lanka using the construction industry as the forum for development of the system. The decision support model creates a knowledge repository for IT procurement in Sri Lanka but introduces a methodology and opens the opportunity to further enhance aspects of IT procurement globally

CMMS: Computer-aided Construction Materials Management System

Many management-oriented problems exist amongst various construction organizations in the world, especially in developing countries. Among these materials management has been an important issue. This research is aimed at identifying drawbacks associated with materials management as practiced in the industry and developing a computerized Construction Materials Management System (CMMS) to overcome these. CMMS consists of five main modules i.e., materials requisition, purchase, delivery, reports generate, and system maintenance. It was developed with the collaboration of three grade M11general contractors operating in Colombo metropolitan area in order to ensure its ability to address materials management needs. The development was carried out using “Access 2000” software since it is a prototype. CMMS is a tool for managing construction materials in a timely manner and provides the ability to retrieve relevant file in an efficient and effective manner. The system has been successfully tested within the participatory organisations