Adoption of Alternative Construction Materials: Estate Surveyors and Valuers’ Views

ABSTRACT

The construction industry is regarded as the lifeline of a country’s economy because it affects all facets of human activities. Despite all the positive attributes of the construction industry to the economy, its negative impact on the environment cannot be over-emphasized. This study examined the perception of Estate Surveyors and Valuers’ (ESVs) on the adoption of Alternative Construction Materials (ACMs). The objectives of the study are to investigate ESVs’ level of awareness of ACMs and to ascertain their perception of the benefits and barriers to the use of ACMs. Eighty-two ESVs in Ikeja, Lagos were sampled using a questionnaire and sixty-one (representing 74.39%) were found useful for analysis. Data was analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the analyses indicate that though ‘ACMs’ is not a new term among the ESVs in the study area, their level of awareness of the usage for construction purposes is low (46%). The results of factor analysis further showed that three (environmental protection, waste reduction, and reduction in cost of construction) out of the ten benefits accounted for 66.984% of the overall variability. Finally, the study revealed that the major barriers to using ACMs include: stakeholders’ satisfaction with conventional building materials (RII=0.938); lack of policies to support sustainable construction (RII=0.928) and inadequate encouragement and support from professional bodies (RII=0.885). Among other suggestions, the study makes a case for the introduction and implementation of government policies that support the use of ACMs, since their adoption can only work with the full support of the government.

Keywords: Alternative Construction Materials, Building Materials, Construction Industry, Conventional Building Materials, Sustainable Development

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