MINIMIZED WASTAGES IN
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
PRESENTED BY
IR. SUYANTO HJ. OSMAN
BRICKS
CEMENT
WOOD
REBAR
SAND
INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING
INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING
INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING
WHAT IS
‘WASTAGE’
Something that
is wasted;
waste or
waste materials.
What is construction waste?
Construction Waste
Waste generated by
design activities
Waste generated by
construction activities
Construction Waste
Waste generated by design activities
 Drylining: cutting of plasterboard sheets and metal studs to fit wall
heights and openings
 Flooring: cuttings of floor tiles to fit room layouts
 Ceilings: cuttings of ceiling tiles and fixings to fit room layouts
 Insulation: cutting of insulation boards to fit openings
 Tiling: cutting of floor and wall tiles to suit design and room shapes
 Paving: cutting of paving slabs to fit layout
 Brickwork and blockwork: cuttings of bricks and blocks to suit
building dimensions and building services
Construction Waste
Waste generated by construction activities

Inaccurate or surplus ordering of materials that don’t get used
 Damage through transportation and handling errors
 Damage through inadequate storage
 Damage generated by poor co-ordination with other trades
 Rework due to low quality of work
 Inefficient use of materials
 Temporary works materials (e.g. formwork, hoarding etc)
Construction Waste Facts
(UK Statistics)



Recent research indicates that about 5-10% of building
materials end up as waste on building sites.
2.5 to 4 tons — about 1.5 to 2.5 kg per square foot — of
waste is created during the construction of a typical
home.
Most construction waste currently goes into landfills,
increasing the burden on landfill loading and operation.
(In Malaysia, most construction waste goes into illegal
dumping site)
Construction Waste Facts
(UK statistics)
Consists mainly of :
lumber and manufactured wood
products
35 %
drywall
15 %
masonry materials
12 %
cardboard
10 %
roofing materials, metals, plaster,
plastics, foam, insulation, textiles,
glass and packaging
28 %
The process of buying materials

A ‘waste allowance’ is generally included within the order to
account for design waste and construction process waste.

Often generic and not project specific and as such run a risk of
being inaccurate.

Leads to either the order of a surplus of materials or a materials
shortfall.

Little evidence exists on the practice of reconciliation between
materials ordered and materials used, therefore limiting the
information available on contractors’ knowledge of their own
efficiency levels.
Typical Malaysian Contractor’s
Material Wastage Allowance
Material
Concrete
Rebar up to 16mm
Rebar more than 16mm
Wastage Allowance
7%
8%
15%
BMC
Formwork
Cement screed
15%
12%
30%
Red bricks wall
Metal roofing
Tiling
12%
5%
8%
The true cost of waste
Purchase Cost
of the delivered
materials
wasted



+
Cost of waste
storage,
transport,
treatment and
disposal
+
Loss of not
selling waste
for salvage or
not recycling
Cost of waste usually included in the project tender price.
Contractors often underestimate the real cost of waste.
Clients often end up paying for new materials that simply get
thrown away.
WHY BOTHER?
An effective effort in minimizing
wastage in construction can:
1. Make significant savings to the
client, contractors and the
environment
2. Divert a high percentage of all
construction waste materials
from the landfill and recycled
into new products.
Conventional Construction
Structure
Client
Main
Contractor
Sub
Contractor
Sub
Contractor
Financial Benefits to clients
and contractors

Clients end up paying for material
wastage.

By reducing wastage, a reduced
cost for the project can be
achieved.

Cost saving may be shared by
main contractors, sub contractors
and clients
Financial Benefits to
sub contractors
Minimized
wastage
Drop in
tender
prices
=
=
total saving
or
increased profit.
Commercially
Competitive
advantage.
Environmental benefits
less landfill space used
Reduced
waste
=
Recycled
packaging =
and waste
reduced environmental
impacts
reduced demand for virgin
materials
stimulate demand for
recycled materials amongst
product manufacturers
Once
By
setting
the
amount
waste
of
reduction
waste
generated
actions,
you
has
can
been
reduce
reduced,
the
Many
products
contain
recycled
material.
This
Let’s
There
Let’s
Only
waste
assume
now
are
say
45%
look
can
often
that
ofthat
then
at
the
you
opportunities
what
20%
waste
be
are
included
of
happens
able
would
the
to
materials
to
recover
in
be
toreuse
the
the
sent
project
waste
purchased
some
50%
to
landfill.
of
that
waste
instead
thehas
for
amount
actions of
can
waste
beof
set
that
toproject
is
recover
generated
MORE
by
the project.
wasted materials,
This is the
this
being
materials
been
disposed
offsite.
generated.
will
on-site.
be
of10%
wasted.
inofyour
skips.
Recommended
minimum
target
recycled
content
first step in reducing
sending
the LESS
amount
to of
landfill.
waste sent to landfill.
Recycled
Materials
10 tonnes
Recycled
Content
10%
Virgin
Materials
90 tonnes
Materials
Materials
Materials
Used In
In
Used
Recovered
Reused
Offsite
Onsite
Project
Project
80 tonnes
tonnes
90
5 tonnes
7
10
tonnes
0.5
tonne
1 tonne
Materials
Purchased
100
tonnes
Waste Destinations
Wastage
rate
Reused on site:5%
site:
20%
10%
Sent to landfill:25%
landfill:
landfill:45%
Materials
wasted
20
10 tonnes
Recovered off site:70
site: %
site:50
%
Sent to
landfill
4.5
2.5
9 tonnes
tonnes
CAUSES OF
CONSTRUCTION WASTAGE
1. DESIGN



Design Changes.
Failure to use standard
production item or standard
size component
Lack of



design information/delayed
instruction
Lack of dimension
coordination.
No consideration on Value
Management.
CAUSES OF
Cont…..CONSTRUCTION WASTAGE
2.
WASTAGE DURING
CONSTRUCTION







Purchasing
Material Transportation and
delivery
Storage problems
Practical waste
Handling and Fixing Waste
Faulty or poor workmanship
Vandalism and Theft
Site Management and Practices
EXAMPLES OF CAUSES
Causes of Wastage on Site
Lack of a quality management
system aimed at wastage
minimization
Untidy construction sites
Poor handling
Over-sized foundations and
other elements
Inadequate protection to
finished work
Examples
e.g. no waste management
plan
e.g. waste materials are not
segregated from useful materials
e.g. breakage, damage, losses
e.g. over design leads to excess
excavation and cut-offs
e.g. finished concrete staircases
are not protected by boarding
EXAMPLES OF CAUSES
Site Management and Practices
Causes of Wastage on Site
Examples
Limited visibility on site
resulting in damage
e.g. inadequate lighting in covered
storage area
Poor storage
e.g. pallet is not used to protect
cement bags from contamination
by ground water
Wrong construction method/
Unskilled personal
e.g. poor workmanship of
Formwork
Waste generation inherited with
traditional construction method
e.g. timber formwork, wet trade
EXAMPLES OF CAUSES
Delivery of products
Causes of Wastage on Site
Examples
Over-ordering
e.g. over ordering of concrete
becomes waste
Method of packaging
Method of transport
e.g. inadequate protection to the
materials
e.g. materials drop from forklift
Inadequate data regarding time
and method of delivery
e.g. lack of records concerning
materials delivery
THE IMPORTANCE OF MINIMIZING
WASTAGE IN CONSTRUCTION
TIME
WASTAGE
QUALITY
COST
Wastage will have direct impact on Time, Cost and
Quality of a construction project
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY
MINIMIZE WASTAGE





Attitude toward Minimizing
wastage
Design to prevent waste
Use of prefabrication
construction method instead of
conventional method.
Material procurement and
handling
Adapting a Site Waste
Management Plan
Who should take action to
reduce construction waste?

A shared responsibility between all
parties:
 The
Client
 The Designer
 The Contractor
 The Sub contractor and Supplier
 The Workers

Contractors and sub contractors,
cannot work in isolation.

Leadership is required from clients.
Design To Prevent Waste
Examples:

Optimize designed dimensions to correspond to standard
product dimensions.

Modify framing details to optimize lumber use and reduce
waste and costs when ordering.

Order drywall in optimal dimensions to minimize cut-off
waste. Drywall is available in different lengths, and designed
dimensions should correspond to standard sizes.

Minimize the number of blueprints and reproductions
necessary during the design and construction.

Evaluate if salvaging used products is possible.
COMPARISON WASTAGE LEVEL OF MAJOR MATERIAL USED ON SITE
BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL & PREFAB CONSTRUCTION
Trade
Average wastage Level
(in percentage)
Waste
Reduction
% of
Reduction
Conventional
(A)
Prefab
(B)
(C=A-B)
C/A %
Concreting
3.78
1.00
2.78
73.51
Rebar Fixing
4.33
1.00
3.33
76.88
Bricklaying
5.50
0.00
5.50
100
Plastering
6.83
0.00
6.83
100
Tiling
7.20
3.00
4.20
58.33
Source : Comparing material wastage level between conventional in-situ and prefabrication construction on 30 construction projects ; Hong
Kong Universities
Purchase To Prevent Waste

Avoid excessively packaged materials and supplies.
Packaging should be adequate to prevent damage and
waste.

Minimize waste of vinyl siding, flooring and countertop
materials by ordering only the quantity needed in building
specific lengths.

Evaluate estimating procedures to make sure that excess
material is not delivered to the site.
The solution
Adopt a robust system that enables the
production of accurate estimates of
material requirements at the start of a
project that links to real waste figures on
completion.
A best practice approach to waste reduction
1
Planning
2
3
4
Implementation
Review
Improvement
Clients sets
targets for waste
Main contractor
prepares Site
Waste
Management
Plan
Sub contractor
estimates waste
Quantitative
Estimate
Qualitative
Checklist
Main contractors
and
sub-contractors
review waste and
take action to
minimise and
manage waste
Main contractor
requests final waste
information from
sub contractors
Sub contractors
complete waste
information
questionnaires
Quantitative
Record
Qualitative
Checklist
Main contractor
coordinates data and
feeds back to client
Share lessons
learned
Promote
innovation
Raise awareness
Demonstrate
better financial
and
environmental
results
Planning
A Site Waste Management
Plan contains the following
key features:
Client sets targets for
waste

Main contractor
prepares Site Waste
Q
Management Plan


Sub contractor
estimates waste
Quantitative
Estimate
Qualitative
Checklist

waste targets as set by
client,
an estimate of the waste to
be generated on site,
actions to reduce waste,
and
actions to avoid waste
going to landfill
Best Practices
Implementation

Main contractors
and
sub-contractors
review waste and
take action to
minimise and
manage waste




Appoint a Site Waste Manager
responsible to
 ensure that appropriate storage
conditions are available
 keep a record of all materials
brought to site
Site Waste Manager to ensure materials
are supplied in an appropriate manner,
and in the correct quantity
Site Waste Manager monitor
costs/volumes of disposal
The Site Waste Manager to determine
KPI’s on this basis
Sub contractors appoint a Trade Waste
Manager
Review
Main contractor
requests final waste
information from sub
contractors
Sub contractors
complete
Q waste
information
questionnaires
Quantitative
Record
Qualitative
Checklist
Main contractor
coordinates data and
feeds back to client
Reviewing data and providing
feedback can have real benefits,
such as:





Assess effectiveness of the waste
minimization and management strategy.
Learn what works and doesn’t work in
reducing waste
Identify exactly how efficient main
contractors and sub contractors were on
the project – in turn enabling them to
understand how wasteful they were
Main contractors can see which trades
contributed what quantity of materials to
the waste stream and why – enabling
them to prepare better waste estimates in
the future
Capture any relevant data for future
reference and use.
Improvement
Share lessons
learned
Promote innovation
Raise awareness
Demonstrate better
financial and
environmental
results
Appoint A Site Waste Manager
While all people involved should be encouraged to contribute their
ideas and suggestions on ways to minimize waste, one person (or
the Environmental, Health and Safety Manager) should act as the
Site Waste Manager, responsible for overseeing the management of
construction wastes.
This person will be responsible for managing waste reduction
initiatives and coordinating the activities of other employees.
Key role of a site waste manager ….






Ensure that all relevant legislation and the contractor’s duty of care is
complied with.
Initiate waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Ensure all site personnel know their responsibilities for site waste
management.
Co-ordinate waste management on site, gather data about waste on site,
keep accurate records on waste movement on and off site.
Ensure that all waste storage areas and containers are properly labelled
to show site workers where to deposit specific materials.
Be aware of the construction activities currently taking place on site and
the activities planned in the short term.
Key role of a site waste manager

Conduct a survey of wastes likely to be generated on site and
keep a record of them for planning ahead.

Whenever possible, ensure the re-use or recycling of
material already on site before it is carted away or new
materials are imported.

Obtain a list of potential buyers or collectors of materials to
be re-used or recycled.

Encourage all site personnel to use their initiative in coming
up with ideas of how to reduce, reuse and recycle wastes.

Inform designers so that waste can be reused and recycled
on site or on another site.
Managing Subcontractors
• Use a system of allowable waste percentages. In the early pre-work
agreements the site manager decides how much waste is acceptable,
and agrees a percentage with the subcontractor.
If they waste more than the agreed amount, they can be charged the
extra costs.
This is a great incentive to reduce wastes by efficient use of
materials. The lower the allowable percentage, the more care people
will take with materials.
Setting the right level is crucial.
Managing Subcontractors
• Make subcontractors responsible for both purchasing the raw
materials they need, and disposing of any waste material from
their activities. This will give them a direct financial incentive to
use materials efficiently with the minimum of wastage.
• Make subcontractors aware of wastage and the costs involved in
dealing with wastes.
• Hold regular meetings to discuss wastage on site.
INCENTIVES
If contractors or sub-contractors
can demonstrate a willingness to
support and engage in waste
reduction measures and
demonstrate that these have an
effect on their waste, then they be
identified as preferred bidders.
Policy and legislation

Currently no regulatory obligation
in Malaysia to reduce and manage
waste to good practice standards.

Hope this presentation will
increase the awareness for the
need of public policy to achieve
greater resource efficiency and
reduce wastage in the construction
industry.
Landfill Tax
The Landfill Tax in UK was
introduced in 1996 to encourage
all organisations, including
those in the construction
industry, to reduce the amount
of waste disposed to landfill.
Mandatory requirement for Site Waste
Management Plans (SWMPs)
It is expected that the use of SWMPs will become a mandatory
requirement for many construction projects throughout the UK in
the near future, the current position being summarised below.
OFFENCES AND TO WHOM (UK)
OFFENCE
GUILTY
PARTY/PARTIES
PENALTY
Starting a project without a
SWMP
Client and principal contractor
A person guilty of any offence is
liable:
Failing to update a SWMP
when waste is removed from
the site
Principal contractor
(or client, if no principal
contractor)
Failing to make a SWMP
Available on site
Principal contractor
(or client, if no principal
contractor)
Failing to keep a SWMP for
two years from completion
Principal contractor
(or client, if no principal
contractor)
Failing to comply with
Additional duties
Client and/or principal
contractor as specified in the
Regulations
Making a false or misleading
statement in a SWMP
Client, person drafting the
plan or principal contractor
Failing to co-operate with, or
intentionally obstructing, an
Enforcing officer
Anyone responding to a
request or visit by an officer
(a) on summary conviction, to a
fine not exceeding £20,000 or to
imprisonment for three months,
or to both, or
(b) on conviction on indictment,
to imprisonment for two years, a
fine, or both.
Where a body corporate is
guilty of an offence, proved
to be committed by a
qualified person, director,
manager, secretary or
someone acting in such
capacity he is guilty of an
offence as well as the body
corporate.
CONCLUSION

Activities that minimize wastage, such as designing
to standard sizes, reusing building materials, not
only cut waste and recycling collection costs but
also reduces materials' expenses.

Small changes to construction practices and extra
attention to detail can add up to significant savings
to the client, the contractor and the environment.

Everyone of us here has a role to play in bringing
changes to our construction practice. Let us begin.