INVESTIGATING SITE LAYOUT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PRACTICE IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Abstract

Building projects in SNNPRS experience challenges of meeting project objectives due to an improper initial work management plan, which includes a site layout planning. Lack of proper site layout planning contributes to cost and time overruns in projects of the Region. Site layout planning utilization has implications for project safety, construction efficiency, scheduling, and budgetary performance of a project. The main purpose of this research was to investigate site layout planning and implementation practice in building construction projects in SNNPRS. The objectives of this study were identifying effects of poor site layout planning in building construction activities, identifying the key factors which contribute to achieving an effective site layout planning, and studying site layout plan utilization practice in building construction projects in SNNPRS and finally to provide practical procedure that can be referenced when developing site layout plan. The main approaches used in collecting information for the study were through a questionnaire survey, and personal observations of some major construction sites in SNNPRS in case of selected towns. The questionnaire survey was distributed to 40 respondents and a total of 36 responses were received. For the analysis of the data, statistical analysis by using mean score ranking and descriptive statistics were employed. The finding of the research indicated that the main impacts of poor site layout planning in building construction activities were a decrease in the output from labour and machinery, construction materials lost and damage, and increased travel distance on site. Availability of access and exit road to the construction site, location of plant and equipment, and positioning of temporary facilities were the major key factors which were found to be contributing to achieving an effective site layout planning. In the research, site layout plan utilization practice in building construction projects was also studied which led to development of a procedure describing an approach of site layout plan in construction projects. The procedure incorporates important aspects associated with project constraint identification, plan necessity, data acquisition, plan development, communication, implementation and enforcement, monitoring and evaluating, and documentation. This research contributes by providing information (factors) that one has to examine in order to have an effective and efficient site layout planning and also by bringing practical procedures and recommendations that can be referenced when developing site layout plan on the construction site