Construction materials management practices enhancing labour productivity in multi-storey building projects

Implementation of good construction materials management practices can improve productivity in construction projects. The purpose of this research is to identify and prioritise construction materials management practices that have the potential to enhance labour productivity in multi-storey building projects. The study adopted two-phase mixed-methods research design and it was conducted in the Victoria State, Australia. Fifty-eight project managers, contract administrators and project coordinators were involved in the survey. During Phase I, qualitative data was collected from 19 experts using interviews and the construction materials management practices that could increase labour productivity in multi-storey building projects were identified. In Phase-II, quantitative data was collected from 39 contractors involved in the delivery of multi-storey building projects by using questionnaires. The data was analysed to prioritise the materials management practices identified in Phase-I. Long-lead materials identification (RII = 0.92), procurement plans for materials (RII = 0.85) and materials delivery schedule (RII = 0.75) are found to be the three most important construction materials management practices.