Problems in Construction

Construction is one of the most basic and oldest professions known to man. It is a
vast and diverse industry. Numerous professionals, including architects, contractors,
engineers, material and other product suppliers collaborate to drive each project to
completion. The success of a construction project depends upon the time, cost,
quality and safety of the project. Due to its complexity and cyclical nature, the
construction industry faces many challenges and problems. Some of the main
problems of construction are the nature of the work itself, declining productivity,
environmental issues, workforce issues and safety.
(i) Nature of work
Construction is inherently faced with various challenges. The construction process
cannot be standardized, as each project is unique and demands its own functional,
aesthetic and structural considerations. Construction is prone to cyclical booms and
stagnations. The work is not automated and is subject to unforeseen conditions like
inclement weather, site conditions, disputes, socio-political conditions etc. Each of
these factors contributes significantly to the risk of the owner and other
stakeholders of the project (Muir 2005).
(ii) Declining productivity
Labor productivity statistics have shown that since 1964, the labor productivity of
the construction industry has steadily declined, while the productivity of other nonfarm industries has improved drastically. The decline is almost 0.32% per year,
despite the technological advances in the industry, including the introduction of
Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) and Building Information Technology (BIM) (Teicholz
et al. 2001). A significant cause of this decline may be attributed to the culture of
the industry itself, which is less collaborative, fragmented and wasteful. This is
where lean practices can be implemented to increase the efficiency of construction
operations.
(iii) Environmental issues
Construction activities also raise serious environmental concerns. These can be in
the form of hazardous or toxic materials; soil contaminants; storm water runoff;
sedimentation and erosion due to site activities and dust and noise generation.
Other issues include construction in environmentally protected areas. The US Green
Building Council (USGBC) is actively trying to improve building construction by
making it environmentally friendly and sustainable. Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Design (LEED) ratings and credentials ensure that a building
conforms to certain predetermined criteria like sustainable sites, energy and water
efficiency, material reuse and environmental quality.
(iv) Workforce issues
There is a serious dearth of skilled labor and qualified professionals in the
construction industry. One major reason behind this deficiency, is the bad image of
construction as a dirty, labor intensive and sometimes dangerous job. Some of the
least desirable professions in the country falls under the construction sector. Data

shows that there are less than 10 people per construction company in the United
States (Gould and Joyce 2013). Due to the lack of skilled and talented people in
construction, a large amount of the labor force is comprised of immigrants, mostly
Hispanics, which has led to language and cultural barriers.
(v) Safety
Building construction activities are prone to various accidents at the site like falls,
trips and collisions with material and equipment. Safety is an unavoidable factor
that causes the lack of labor and bad public image in the industry. Accidents also
lead to loss of property, deaths, cost implications and schedule delays. Apart from
these, legal actions and disputes may result, along with citations and penalties from
the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). These accidents can be
contained by following proper safety guidelines, policies and practices; provision of
safety equipment and training the workers.
References
1. Teicholz, P., Goodrum, P., and Haas, C. (2001). U.S. Construction Labor
Productivity Trends, 19701998. J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 127(5), 427429.
2. Muir, B. (2005). Challenges Facing Todays Construction Manager.
<http://www.ce.udel.edu/> (Jan. 22, 2015)
3. Gould, F. and Joyce, N. (2013). Construction Project Management, 4th Ed.,
Prentice Hall.