The Use of Mobile Construction Applications in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

Abstract

There exist several construction applications (Apps) used on mobile phones or tablets within the construction industry, yet there is a gap between technology design and technology use in the Ghanaian construction industry. The aim of this study is to find out the use of construction apps in the Ghanaian construction industry. The objectives were to find out the awareness of the use of construction apps and to evaluate the construction apps used in the Ghanaian construction industry. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the construction applications available in the construction industry and were group under 5 main headings; namely, estimation, calculators, CAD, construction site and project management Apps. Field survey of Sixty-Two registered building and civil contractors in Ashanti Region was conducted. Questionnaires were distributed to top management team of the firms with a response rate of 89%. Data obtained were analysed with descriptive statistics techniques. The results show that majority were not aware of the use of construction apps by 58% of the respondents yet most use android phones or tablets that support Apps. However, the topmost applications normally used were site photos, microsoft, spirit level, material estimator calculator, AutoCAD WS, Construction Master Pro, Universal Estimator, AndCAD, Carpenter’s Calculator, and painting estimator. It is however important that tertiary educational institutions pursuing construction related programmes should from time to time educate the young construction engineers about the modern and importance of the usage of these construction apps to enhance efficiency in their operations. Keywords: construction Apps, contractors, construction industry, mobile phones, Ghana