Evaluation and Improvement of the Construction Waste in Saudi Arabia - Case Study Example

Research methodology Introduction This chapter presents the method used in conducting the research that can include the research design sampling and the data collection. The research is seeking to evaluate and improve the construction waste in Saudi Arabia aiming at comparing with that of UK. The researcher made use of first-hand information through ensuring collection of the necessary data that is useful in the process of answering the research objectives. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the waste management at the construction site in Saudi Arabia and suggest the necessary improvements after comparing with that of United Kingdom. Research design The descriptive study design was considered important in the process of providing the necessary descriptions concerning phenomenon under research. The waste management systems at the construction sites in Saudi Arabia can be properly evaluated and compared with that of the United Kingdom using the descriptive research design. Besides, the studies concerning the management of waste in Saudi Arabia usually take two dimensions which mostly revolve around the empirical research as well as the theoretical research. In accordance with the theoretical aspect of the research, provided documentary evidence concerning how waste management in the Saudi Arabia was carried out (Barcellos, et al, 2006). Moreover, the survey questionnaires was actually another aspect of this research which was supported by a large number of interviews conducted among the construction staff who were working in the sites of construction. In addition, in accordance to the statistics, Saudi Arabia has cities which are mostly affected by the issues of waste management. Importantly, the Saudi Arabia cities in which many construction industries have been located are attracting a large number of people from the rural areas hence increasing the chances of challenges in managing waste in the construction sites. The researcher made use of short questions that were both closed and open (Baxter and Jack, 2008). The main aim of the short questions on the survey questionnaires was actually to examine various factors which usually limit the establishment of environmentally friendly and also scientifically engineered landfills in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the questions on the questionnaire also examined some of the ways which can be used to manage the waste in Saudi Arabia as well as the perception of the engineering practitioners concerning the government efforts towards the management of waste. Moreover, the questions of the interview revolved around factors which limit government efforts in the management of waste, measures that can be taken to manage waste in Saudi Arabia. Besides, the questionnaire comprised of questions that were aimed at evaluating the challenges which face the waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia. Sampling technique The researcher could not conduct the research on the whole targeted population due to the cost and time implications. The sampling technique helped in obtaining the necessary sample that can be used to represent the whole population and the researcher can be in a better position to conduct the research easily. In the process of identification of the respondents as well as the process of investigating the effectiveness of a project sampling technique was used in the research. This is because it comprises distinct advantages which are clear than in the other research methods like the use of interview (Shen, et al, 2004). Moreover, identifying respondents by using the sampling technique is quite advantageous since it provides simplicity in terms of the content brief concerning the survey questionnaires. In addition, sampling technique in doing the research is of great importance since it actually creates a friendly atmosphere when identifying respondents and also when explaining to the respondents about what is expected in the process of responding to the questions. The sample size that was used in the research is 200 respondents who were provided with questionnaires to give their opinions concerning the waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia. Collecting data Questionnaires formed an important part of the data collection as the respondents were issued with the questionnaires to help in collecting the data necessary for evaluating waste management in construction sites in Saudi Arabia. The questions were simple to help the respondents in providing the necessary opinions that can help the researcher in obtaining the research objectives. However, it is always necessary to make sure that the respondents are secure and this can be done by using survey questionnaires (Van der, et al, 2003). Importantly, the use of random sampling technique usually creates a room for every individual to take part in the research as the targeted population has equal opportunities of being included in the sample size. The survey questionnaire comprised of short questions which revolved around the issues of waste management in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the questionnaires were actually tested and also pre-tested to assess their ability to collect the necessary data that can help in addressing the research problem. In addition, the procedure of pre-testing usually encompassed of construction practitioners who included the engineers, project managers and also quantity surveyors among the others who reformulated some questions in the survey questionnaire. Importantly, the structure of the questionnaire was quite appropriate in doing this research concerning the waste management issues in Saudi Arabia. The process of identifying the sample population of the Saudi Arabia was actually based on random sampling where the researcher selected the 200 respondents to represent the whole population under research. Pilot study A pilot study is the mini-research which is usually conducted before conducting the main research aimed at achieving the objectives of the study. It usually helps in the modification of the already existing methods of the real distribution of the questionnaires (Fogelholm, et al, 2006). Moreover, it is quite necessary to pilot the instruments since it may assist in identifying the potential challenges as well as the problems associated with the survey questionnaires and solve them out. Therefore, in this research on the waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia, the researcher had an opinion that the pilot study would provide a chance for testing the reliability of the instruments which are used in conducting the research. The fact that the researcher was in a position to test the reliability of the research instruments creates the confidence in the research methods used. Besides, the pilot study assists in minimizing the errors and also the mistakes that are found in the research approach. The pilot study also functions as the feedback source concerning the ability of the data collection instruments to collect the relevant data to help in achieving the set objectives of the research. However, the pilot project was carried out in Riyadh which is among the most populated cities in Saudi Arabia because of its close connection with the construction industries and also the current engineered landfills. Moreover, some of the questionnaires were then distributed to the sample population which was expected to be used in the research (Rietjens, et al, 2008). Importantly, the results that are obtained from the pilot project clearly indicates whether the research risk will be successful. Piloting helps the researcher to identify the possible challenges he or she is likely to face in the process of collecting the necessary data hence helping in managing the possible research risks. Target population The target population included the construction industries operating in the Saudi Arabia where their waste management at the construction sites. The researcher selected the sample from the targeted population to act as the representative of the entire population. The target population which is used in collecting data in this research mostly comprises of the construction staff and also the firms of the engineering consultation which are involved in the construction industries. Moreover, the target population was also made up of the project practitioners who include the Quantity surveyors, project managers, construction labourers and also the architects among the others. In addition, the respondents during this research were usually approached in a formal manner so as to determine whether the respondents are willing to provide the required information concerning the waste management in the sites of construction. Furthermore, every construction industry in Saudi Arabia is required to have an operation license which is usually issued by the ministry of construction. However, the construction industries are always registered according to their classes which depend on the design as well as the construction nature of the industries. For instance, the construction industry can include the civil engineering, building construction, electrical and plumbing. The researcher was targeting the cities that were highly populated with construction industries like Riyadh. Research instruments The questionnaire was the primary source of data necessary for evaluating the waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia to compare with that of United Kingdom. The researcher was able to collect first-hand information from the respondents. The questionnaire The questionnaire used by the researcher to collect data was comprised of closed and open questions which tackled three main objectives of the research. The first part of the questions found in the survey questionnaire revolved around some of the waste materials that are usually released from the construction industry and various ways in which the waste materials can be used. The second part of the questions in the questionnaire mainly focussed about the perceptions of the construction practitioners concerning the waste management in Saudi Arabia (Tam, 2008). The last part of the questionnaire was focussed in examining the causes of the wastes as well as the ways in which the management of the waste can be improved. The questionnaires were actually distributed to the selected respondents forming the sample size to give their opinions concerning waste management at the construction sites. The researcher made use of drop and pick method to give the respondents the necessary time for responding to the questions (Pennington, et al, 2004). However, during the visits in the Riyadh city, the respondents were actually sampled from both the construction sites and also from the dumping sites. They were provided with questionnaires to provide their opinions and view concerning waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia (So, et al, 2007). Moreover, the project managers, as well as the construction professionals, were conducted via research invitation letters so that they could air their own views concerning waste management. In addition, some of the construction labourers were also interviewed in their respective construction sites. Translation of questionnaires In the process of ensuring better understanding among the respondents, the questionnaires were translated into Arabic. They were written in English and most of the targeted respondents are not able to understand English well hence translating helped in improving the responses provided. A linguistic specialized was employed to ensure the questions of the questionnaires were in a language that could enhance the ability to comprehend the questions (Chandrakanthi, et al, 2002). Through the use of the linguistic specialist, the answers that were in Arabic were later translated into English to help in analysis. Validation of the questionnaires The questionnaire was the major tool that was used by the researcher in the process of collecting the necessary data for the research. The validity of the questionnaire used was first tested to make sure that they could collect the relevant data to achieve the objectives of the research. The validity of the data collection tool can be evaluated through assessing the acceptability level of the research tests conducted. In this study, the validity of the questionnaires can be assessed depending on the ability to evaluate and improve the construction waste in Saudi Arabia (Solís-Guzmán, et al, 2009). In the course of ascertaining the validity of the questionnaires, different experts were consulted to give their opinions on the content of the questionnaires and assess the ability to achieve the set objectives. After the opinion of the experts, the necessary adjustments of the questionnaires were made to ensure that the set objectives could be achieved. Reliability of questionnaires Examining the filled questionnaires formed an important part of the assessing the reliability where the questionnaires that were not filled could be discarded. Also, the consistency of the content was used in assessing the reliability of the questionnaires used in the research. The researcher made use of 200 questionnaires based on the plan of the study. However, during the collection of the filled questionnaires, the ones that were not complete were not included in the research (Yuan and Shen, 2011). Also, the questionnaires that seemed to be unreliable and questionable were also questioned based on the views and opinions of the experts. The experts’ opinions were provided by the experts during the pre-testing of the questionnaires. Life-cycle Assessment tool LCA has been used as the holistic tool necessary for waste management especially when making decisions concerning the strategic processes. It has been considered as a hybrid approach that uses the equations necessary inventory analysis and recycling loops. LCA makes use of the expertise input especially in the matters that are linked to impact assessment while revolving around the characterization. The concepts of LCA can be employed in the research with the aim of evaluating the social, economic and environmental impacts associated with waste management at the construction sites in Saudi Arabia (Huang, Bird and Heidrich, 2009). Besides, LCA can be important in the process of comparing waste management techniques that are existing in Saudi Arabia and that are used in the United Kingdom. Figure 1: showing life cycle assessment The LCA analysis considered the analysis of two scenarios of waste management. After the analysis of the scenarios, the load associated with each scenario and the environmental discharge were presented and the necessary choice made. The first scenario involved the current waste management in the UK compared to that of Saudi Arabia. In the scenario, waste management systems included material recovery facility, source separation, compositing and landfilling. In the second scenario landfilling was replaced by the process of incineration. Conclusion The primary aim of the research is to evaluate the waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia to compare with the United Kingdom for purpose of providing the necessary recommendations. The evaluation of the waste management and comparing with that of UK is crucial in identifying the possible strategies that can be employed in the course of improving waste management at the construction sites in Saudi Arabia. The study is important in helping make a selection of the waste management measures that can be efficient and effective at the construction sites in Saudi Arabia. The best measures of addressing the waste management can be evaluated while considering the environmental, social and economic implications in the management of waste. Recycling, compositing and landfilling are some of the waste management practices that can be employed in the process of managing waste at the construction sites. Comparing the waste management systems of Saudi Arabia and the UK waste management systems at the construction sites can help in improving waste management at construction sites in Saudi Arabia. This can be possible through assessing how the management of waste in the construction sites in Saudi Arabia are different from that of United Kingdom hence making the necessary improvements. The fact that Riyadh has many construction industries makes it the best to evaluate the waste management at the construction sites in Saudi Arabia. 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