Operationalisation of Offsite Manufacturing of Concrete Building Elements in Building Construction Projects in Nairobi

Abstract

Offsite manufacturing of concrete building elements in building construction projects offers quite significant advantages over onsite methods. This study aimed to identify the types of OSM of concrete building elements used in building construction projects in Nairobi; identify the parameters that influence positively and negatively the use of these OSM concrete building elements; establish parameters that need to be considered in the decision-making to use OSM concrete building elements; and establish the appropriate strategies that can be implemented to increase the adoption of OSM concrete building elements in building construction projects in Nairobi. The study was conducted through a cross section survey method. Primary data was collected from consultants (project managers, architects, structural engineers and quantity surveyor), developers, contractors, manufacturers, and other stakeholders in the built environment by administering questionnaires, conducting interviews and visiting active building construction projects and offsite manufacturing facilities to make observations. The analysis of the data collected was done using SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The research was based on the following variables: cost; schedule/time; labour and productivity; scope; quality, predictability and reliability; risk; research and development; and sustainability (environmental dimension, social dimension, cultural dimension, economic dimension). Other parameters were included that were not captured by these variables. The findings show: it is only the non-volumetric type of OSM concrete building elements that are used; low usage of OSM concrete building elements; the parameters adopted from the variables all need to be considered in the decision-making to use OSM concrete building elements; and the strategies proposed were very highly considered as appropriate that can be implemented to increase the use of OSM concrete building elements in building construction projects in Nairobi. These strategies formed part of the recommendations.