Proposal of construction materialflow index for multi-storey residential buildings

Abstract

Besides water, construction materials are indeed the major flows that enter the sites. Administrationand movement of these supplies are the challenges experienced on sites nowadays due to thescarcity of materials, delays in terms of availability, inefficient transport facilities, damage andwaste and limited space for storage. Effective flow of material is very critical for maintaining aproductive and cost efficient location. Poor disposal and haulage during site operations is animportant issue that jeopards the efficiency of construction projects. Unsatisfactory handling,storage and management of materials on work sites will seriously hinder the performance of theproject. In construction site, a new approach is therefore required to analyze the flow of materials.The project deals with the identification of optimum material flow factors identified from literaturereview and analysed for index generation by developing formula for index. This includes measuresof material movement, its consumption and excess disposal of waste. The proposed constructionflow index (CFI) is a composite indicator that illustrates the repetitive construction projectefficiency of the output flow. The CFI is a powerful instrument for assessing the efficiency andeffectiveness of construction projects and monitoring the movement of supplies. An index isgenerated for the quantitative analysis of the material flow at work sites in this project.