Sarfo Mensah | Kumasi Polytechnic university (original) (raw)
Papers by Sarfo Mensah
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2024
Purpose – The practice of the defects liability period (DLP) is a risk management strategy meant ... more Purpose – The practice of the defects liability period (DLP) is a risk management strategy meant to secure durable and high-quality works. However, construction products continue to malfunction even after the
expiration of DLPs. This study seeks to determine the adequacy of DLPs existing in the construction industry and propose appropriate DLPs for construction projects in the Ghanaian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach – Applying quantitative research strategy, 124 questionnaires were retrieved from construction professionals surveyed. The data obtained were analysed using descriptive
statistics, Cramer’s V and the significance test with the aid of Stata software.
Findings – It was found that defects start showing in both buildings and roads within 12 months after being handed over for the client’s use. The significance test and Cramer’s V analysis indicate low concordance
amongst respondents that the 6–12 month DLPs existing in Ghana are adequate. It is found that the existing DLP practice does not provide sufficient security to clients.
Practical implications – Construction project clients will need to include the tenderer’s proposed DLP as part of the tender evaluation criteria with the objective of picking up a signal of the quality of work to be
delivered.
Originality/value – This paper is one of the pioneering studies addressing the issue of the adequacy of DLPs in the construction industry in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. The findings trigger policy and regulatory
changes in conditions guiding construction contracts procured in most developing countries that have adopted and adapted to the World Bank Public Procurement Guidelines.
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2024
Purpose – The lack of carbon emission reduction strategies specifically devised for buildings in ... more Purpose – The lack of carbon emission reduction strategies specifically devised for buildings in urban areas in developing countries has affected the global course of tackling carbon emissions. The purpose of this study is to identify the causes of carbon emissions from buildings in urban settings in Ghana and generate specific reduction strategies.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted with reference to Kumasi Metropolis, an urban area in Ghana. Adopting a survey research design, data obtained from 106 built environment professionals
(BEP) were analyzed using Garrett’s mean ranking and factor analysis (FA) techniques.
Findings – Urban buildings’ carbon emissions in the study area are attributable to construction, demolition energy consumption, technological and economic factors. The strategies emerging from the study emphasize
organizational and governmental policy and regulatory factors, as well as the adoption of indigenous sustainable materials and technology.
Practical implications – BEPs and construction industry regulatory bodies will have to consider socioeconomic characteristics of a specific location in the development of organizational and localized carbon
emission reduction policies.
Social implications – Local authorities who plan economic activities such as trading and associated taxation in urban areas in developing countries should consider the climate change implications of such socioeconomic
activities.
Originality/value – This is one of the first studies that has conceived carbon emission causes and reduction strategies within the context of a typical developing country’s urban setting to overcome the pragmatic
challenges associated with past carbon emission reduction frameworks.
Proceedings of the WABER SuDBE Conference, 30 to 31 July 2024, Johannesburg, South Africa 1034-1043, 2024
Vertical movements in most residential storey buildings in urban areas in developing countries ar... more Vertical movements in most residential storey buildings in urban areas in developing countries are made using reinforced concrete stairs. However, there seem to be movement difficulties owing to poorly designed and constructed staircases. The objective of this study is to determine
the existence and extent of differential measurements (DMs) in stair construction and their effects on building users. Using 120 residential storey buildings selected by purposive sampling in ten sub metropolitan districts in the Greater Kumasi area, the study adopted survey questionnaires, observations, and physical measurements of stairs to collect data. The study revealed that differential measurements in stair construction and associated problems exist in residential storey buildings. Its awareness level is low owing to the low number of publications
on the health impact of building units in the country and the occupancy evaluation of existing buildings. We noted that professional bodies and other educational institutions should develop a complete guide/manual on the construction of residential storey stairs and agreeable standards
for construction works for the Ghanaian construction industry. Further, it is recommended that on-site training for carpenters/joiners on the construction/erection of formwork for stairs and masons on working on and around stairs/staircase areas must be employed to avoid DMs on
stairs.
Proceedings of the WABER SuDBE Conference, 30 to 31 July 2024, Johannesburg, South Africa , 2024
Building paint defects have environmental and health implications and cause damage to properties.... more Building paint defects have environmental and health implications and cause damage to properties. However, the role of masonry background materials in painting defects has not been explored. The objective of this study was to reveal the effects of background materials used in the construction of external masonry walls on the paints applied to the walls and to further determine the appropriate constructional remedies. Using a simple random sampling technique to select three sub-metropolitan districts in the Kumasi metropolitan area of Ghana, 173 buildings were sampled for observation. Using an experimental research design, painting defects in 173 buildings in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana were observed. Laboratory examination of background material specimens collected from the building sites revealed that the sand used for moulding of sandcrete blocks had certain properties such as uncontrolled sizes, unwanted particles such as silt, salts, and alkali substances, and other contaminants, which affect the block strength, cement/sand mortar for plastering and rendering block walls, and eventually, the paints applied to the walls. We determined that moulding 20 units of 125 mm thick sandcrete blocks using 50 kg OPC cement, in addition to sieving and washing sand before use for block moulding
and wall rendering, would provide excellent background performance for painting.
African Journal of Applied Research, Feb 10, 2015
There are several professional bodies within the construction industry with their professional co... more There are several professional bodies within the construction industry with their professional code of ethics, yet unethical practices is one of the most challenging issues in the construction industry. Professional members of professional bodies in their efforts to adhere to their code of ethics encounter numerous challenges ranging from internal factors to external factors. The aim of this research is to identify the challenges faced by the members of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) in complying with their professional code of ethics. The objectives of this study were to find out the importance of the code of ethics and to evaluate the challenges associated with the compliance. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the importance and challenges facing professional ethics compliance. Field survey of Seventy-four (74) members of the GhIS was selected using purposive sampling techniques with a response rate of 95%. Data obtained were analysed with descriptive statistics techniques. The results show that the importance of Professional code of ethics includes its ability to increases public trust in co-operations, define professional responsibilities, safeguard professionals, create a common operational framework and increase awareness of key ethical issues. Moreover, the topmost rated challenges faced by members include political pressure, corruption, social pressure, and non-application of the necessary penaltiesto defaulters.
Proceedings of WABER SuDBE Conference 2024, 2024
All papers in this publication have been through a review process involving a review of abstracts... more All papers in this publication have been through a review process involving a review of abstracts, peer review of full papers by at least two referees, reporting of comments to authors, revision of papers by authors and reevaluation of the revised papers to ensure quality of content.
Journal of Building Engineering, 2022
The Public Procurement Act (Act 663) 2003 was introduced in Ghana to streamline the anomalies in ... more The Public Procurement Act (Act 663) 2003 was introduced in Ghana to streamline the anomalies in public procurement. The objective of the law is to promote fairness, transparency and ensure that public procurement is non-discriminatory. The implementation of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (PPA) has been quiet challenging coupled with a number of inefficiencies. The aim of this study is to observe and compare the extent to which selected public procurement entities have complied with the processes and requirements of the Law during the year 2008. The entities were chosen from the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. Structured questionnaire and face-to-face interviews were used to obtain data for this study. The overall compliance levels in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions lies at 19.58 % and 17.8% respectively. This indicates low compliance levels of public entities. The study confirms that the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) is observed to proffer solutions but not w...
Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to complet... more Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to completion. There is ample evidence across the world that corruption hinders economic development; reduces social services; diverts investments in infrastructure and social services and impacts the poor disproportionately The study assesses the perceptions of procurement professionals; specifically practicing quantity surveyors on the existence of corruption in the procurement process and also establishes the stages in the procurement process fraught with corrupt practices. A survey research design was employed and purposive sampling technique adopted. Descriptive statistics, relative importance index and one sample t-test were adopted in analyzing the data. This research results confirmed the perception that corruption exists in public procurement in Ghana. It also revealed that the public procurement law is contributing immensely in curbing corruption. The study further revealed that corrupti...
The state of health and safety on construction sites in Ghana was investigated using first hand o... more The state of health and safety on construction sites in Ghana was investigated using first hand observation of fourteen
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology,Kwame Nkrumah University of Science a... more A Thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology,Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Construction Management. April-2009
PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the transaction cost (TC) contractors incur whe... more PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the transaction cost (TC) contractors incur when tendering for a project as well as establish a correlation between the TC of tender and tender amount of projects procured through the national competitive bidding procurement method.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws extensively documentary analysis, observation and interviews to collect cost data on 14 different tenders submitted by a D1/K1 contractor. Using TC theory, the data are analyzed and the actual cost is determined. Further, Spearman rank correlation is employed to establish a relationship between tender price (TP) and the cost of tender by the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences.FindingsThe research developed a tender preparation conceptual framework highlighting the components of TC in competitive tendering in Ghana and also revealed that, apart from the emotional and psychological costs, contractors in Ghana incur approximately Gh₵ 4,625 (US$ 925)–Gh...
The practice of procurement in Ghana seems to have neglected sustainability considerations. The p... more The practice of procurement in Ghana seems to have neglected sustainability considerations. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the extent to which public procurement practice in Ghanaian construction industry incorporates sustainability and the challenges that faces the practice of Sustainable Procurement (SP). First, procurement practitioners were interviewed to find out their understanding of SP in light of the environmental, economical and social goals of SP, and to also identify challenges that face the practice of SP in Ghana. Second, RII analysis was performed to measure the significance of challenges identified through the interview and from literature. It was found out that, by perception, SP is adequately addressed by the Procurement Law operating in Ghana; Act 663 (2003). However, among practitioners interviewed, there exists low level of awareness and understanding of the environmental, economic and social concerns of SP. Lack of understanding of the SP concept was determined as a major challenge that faces its practice in Ghana.
Performance of building projects is affected by several factors and project management practices ... more Performance of building projects is affected by several factors and project management practices stand out as one of them. Different organizations carry out different project management practices. Considerably, there is difference between the time performance of different projects managed by different organizations. Cost performance tend to differ significantly from project to project. Quality performance of a given project tend to remain unchanged irrespective of the project management organization in charge. Notwithstanding, significant difference exists between the overall project performance when practices differ from organization to organization. Likewise, project performance remains significantly unchanged when the corresponding project management practices do not differ from one project management organization to the other.
Public Policy and Administration Research, 2013
Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to complet... more Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to completion. There is ample evidence across the world that corruption hinders economic development; reduces social services; diverts investments in infrastructure and social services and impacts the poor disproportionately The study assesses the perceptions of procurement professionals; specifically practicing quantity surveyors on the existence of corruption in the procurement process and also establishes the stages in the procurement process fraught with corrupt practices. A survey research design was employed and purposive sampling technique adopted. Descriptive statistics, relative importance index and one sample t-test were adopted in analyzing the data. This research results confirmed the perception that corruption exists in public procurement in Ghana. It also revealed that the public procurement law is contributing immensely in curbing corruption. The study further revealed that corrupti...
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2024
Purpose – The practice of the defects liability period (DLP) is a risk management strategy meant ... more Purpose – The practice of the defects liability period (DLP) is a risk management strategy meant to secure durable and high-quality works. However, construction products continue to malfunction even after the
expiration of DLPs. This study seeks to determine the adequacy of DLPs existing in the construction industry and propose appropriate DLPs for construction projects in the Ghanaian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach – Applying quantitative research strategy, 124 questionnaires were retrieved from construction professionals surveyed. The data obtained were analysed using descriptive
statistics, Cramer’s V and the significance test with the aid of Stata software.
Findings – It was found that defects start showing in both buildings and roads within 12 months after being handed over for the client’s use. The significance test and Cramer’s V analysis indicate low concordance
amongst respondents that the 6–12 month DLPs existing in Ghana are adequate. It is found that the existing DLP practice does not provide sufficient security to clients.
Practical implications – Construction project clients will need to include the tenderer’s proposed DLP as part of the tender evaluation criteria with the objective of picking up a signal of the quality of work to be
delivered.
Originality/value – This paper is one of the pioneering studies addressing the issue of the adequacy of DLPs in the construction industry in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. The findings trigger policy and regulatory
changes in conditions guiding construction contracts procured in most developing countries that have adopted and adapted to the World Bank Public Procurement Guidelines.
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2024
Purpose – The lack of carbon emission reduction strategies specifically devised for buildings in ... more Purpose – The lack of carbon emission reduction strategies specifically devised for buildings in urban areas in developing countries has affected the global course of tackling carbon emissions. The purpose of this study is to identify the causes of carbon emissions from buildings in urban settings in Ghana and generate specific reduction strategies.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted with reference to Kumasi Metropolis, an urban area in Ghana. Adopting a survey research design, data obtained from 106 built environment professionals
(BEP) were analyzed using Garrett’s mean ranking and factor analysis (FA) techniques.
Findings – Urban buildings’ carbon emissions in the study area are attributable to construction, demolition energy consumption, technological and economic factors. The strategies emerging from the study emphasize
organizational and governmental policy and regulatory factors, as well as the adoption of indigenous sustainable materials and technology.
Practical implications – BEPs and construction industry regulatory bodies will have to consider socioeconomic characteristics of a specific location in the development of organizational and localized carbon
emission reduction policies.
Social implications – Local authorities who plan economic activities such as trading and associated taxation in urban areas in developing countries should consider the climate change implications of such socioeconomic
activities.
Originality/value – This is one of the first studies that has conceived carbon emission causes and reduction strategies within the context of a typical developing country’s urban setting to overcome the pragmatic
challenges associated with past carbon emission reduction frameworks.
Proceedings of the WABER SuDBE Conference, 30 to 31 July 2024, Johannesburg, South Africa 1034-1043, 2024
Vertical movements in most residential storey buildings in urban areas in developing countries ar... more Vertical movements in most residential storey buildings in urban areas in developing countries are made using reinforced concrete stairs. However, there seem to be movement difficulties owing to poorly designed and constructed staircases. The objective of this study is to determine
the existence and extent of differential measurements (DMs) in stair construction and their effects on building users. Using 120 residential storey buildings selected by purposive sampling in ten sub metropolitan districts in the Greater Kumasi area, the study adopted survey questionnaires, observations, and physical measurements of stairs to collect data. The study revealed that differential measurements in stair construction and associated problems exist in residential storey buildings. Its awareness level is low owing to the low number of publications
on the health impact of building units in the country and the occupancy evaluation of existing buildings. We noted that professional bodies and other educational institutions should develop a complete guide/manual on the construction of residential storey stairs and agreeable standards
for construction works for the Ghanaian construction industry. Further, it is recommended that on-site training for carpenters/joiners on the construction/erection of formwork for stairs and masons on working on and around stairs/staircase areas must be employed to avoid DMs on
stairs.
Proceedings of the WABER SuDBE Conference, 30 to 31 July 2024, Johannesburg, South Africa , 2024
Building paint defects have environmental and health implications and cause damage to properties.... more Building paint defects have environmental and health implications and cause damage to properties. However, the role of masonry background materials in painting defects has not been explored. The objective of this study was to reveal the effects of background materials used in the construction of external masonry walls on the paints applied to the walls and to further determine the appropriate constructional remedies. Using a simple random sampling technique to select three sub-metropolitan districts in the Kumasi metropolitan area of Ghana, 173 buildings were sampled for observation. Using an experimental research design, painting defects in 173 buildings in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana were observed. Laboratory examination of background material specimens collected from the building sites revealed that the sand used for moulding of sandcrete blocks had certain properties such as uncontrolled sizes, unwanted particles such as silt, salts, and alkali substances, and other contaminants, which affect the block strength, cement/sand mortar for plastering and rendering block walls, and eventually, the paints applied to the walls. We determined that moulding 20 units of 125 mm thick sandcrete blocks using 50 kg OPC cement, in addition to sieving and washing sand before use for block moulding
and wall rendering, would provide excellent background performance for painting.
African Journal of Applied Research, Feb 10, 2015
There are several professional bodies within the construction industry with their professional co... more There are several professional bodies within the construction industry with their professional code of ethics, yet unethical practices is one of the most challenging issues in the construction industry. Professional members of professional bodies in their efforts to adhere to their code of ethics encounter numerous challenges ranging from internal factors to external factors. The aim of this research is to identify the challenges faced by the members of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) in complying with their professional code of ethics. The objectives of this study were to find out the importance of the code of ethics and to evaluate the challenges associated with the compliance. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the importance and challenges facing professional ethics compliance. Field survey of Seventy-four (74) members of the GhIS was selected using purposive sampling techniques with a response rate of 95%. Data obtained were analysed with descriptive statistics techniques. The results show that the importance of Professional code of ethics includes its ability to increases public trust in co-operations, define professional responsibilities, safeguard professionals, create a common operational framework and increase awareness of key ethical issues. Moreover, the topmost rated challenges faced by members include political pressure, corruption, social pressure, and non-application of the necessary penaltiesto defaulters.
Proceedings of WABER SuDBE Conference 2024, 2024
All papers in this publication have been through a review process involving a review of abstracts... more All papers in this publication have been through a review process involving a review of abstracts, peer review of full papers by at least two referees, reporting of comments to authors, revision of papers by authors and reevaluation of the revised papers to ensure quality of content.
Journal of Building Engineering, 2022
The Public Procurement Act (Act 663) 2003 was introduced in Ghana to streamline the anomalies in ... more The Public Procurement Act (Act 663) 2003 was introduced in Ghana to streamline the anomalies in public procurement. The objective of the law is to promote fairness, transparency and ensure that public procurement is non-discriminatory. The implementation of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (PPA) has been quiet challenging coupled with a number of inefficiencies. The aim of this study is to observe and compare the extent to which selected public procurement entities have complied with the processes and requirements of the Law during the year 2008. The entities were chosen from the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. Structured questionnaire and face-to-face interviews were used to obtain data for this study. The overall compliance levels in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions lies at 19.58 % and 17.8% respectively. This indicates low compliance levels of public entities. The study confirms that the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) is observed to proffer solutions but not w...
Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to complet... more Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to completion. There is ample evidence across the world that corruption hinders economic development; reduces social services; diverts investments in infrastructure and social services and impacts the poor disproportionately The study assesses the perceptions of procurement professionals; specifically practicing quantity surveyors on the existence of corruption in the procurement process and also establishes the stages in the procurement process fraught with corrupt practices. A survey research design was employed and purposive sampling technique adopted. Descriptive statistics, relative importance index and one sample t-test were adopted in analyzing the data. This research results confirmed the perception that corruption exists in public procurement in Ghana. It also revealed that the public procurement law is contributing immensely in curbing corruption. The study further revealed that corrupti...
The state of health and safety on construction sites in Ghana was investigated using first hand o... more The state of health and safety on construction sites in Ghana was investigated using first hand observation of fourteen
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology,Kwame Nkrumah University of Science a... more A Thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology,Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Construction Management. April-2009
PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the transaction cost (TC) contractors incur whe... more PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the transaction cost (TC) contractors incur when tendering for a project as well as establish a correlation between the TC of tender and tender amount of projects procured through the national competitive bidding procurement method.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws extensively documentary analysis, observation and interviews to collect cost data on 14 different tenders submitted by a D1/K1 contractor. Using TC theory, the data are analyzed and the actual cost is determined. Further, Spearman rank correlation is employed to establish a relationship between tender price (TP) and the cost of tender by the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences.FindingsThe research developed a tender preparation conceptual framework highlighting the components of TC in competitive tendering in Ghana and also revealed that, apart from the emotional and psychological costs, contractors in Ghana incur approximately Gh₵ 4,625 (US$ 925)–Gh...
The practice of procurement in Ghana seems to have neglected sustainability considerations. The p... more The practice of procurement in Ghana seems to have neglected sustainability considerations. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the extent to which public procurement practice in Ghanaian construction industry incorporates sustainability and the challenges that faces the practice of Sustainable Procurement (SP). First, procurement practitioners were interviewed to find out their understanding of SP in light of the environmental, economical and social goals of SP, and to also identify challenges that face the practice of SP in Ghana. Second, RII analysis was performed to measure the significance of challenges identified through the interview and from literature. It was found out that, by perception, SP is adequately addressed by the Procurement Law operating in Ghana; Act 663 (2003). However, among practitioners interviewed, there exists low level of awareness and understanding of the environmental, economic and social concerns of SP. Lack of understanding of the SP concept was determined as a major challenge that faces its practice in Ghana.
Performance of building projects is affected by several factors and project management practices ... more Performance of building projects is affected by several factors and project management practices stand out as one of them. Different organizations carry out different project management practices. Considerably, there is difference between the time performance of different projects managed by different organizations. Cost performance tend to differ significantly from project to project. Quality performance of a given project tend to remain unchanged irrespective of the project management organization in charge. Notwithstanding, significant difference exists between the overall project performance when practices differ from organization to organization. Likewise, project performance remains significantly unchanged when the corresponding project management practices do not differ from one project management organization to the other.
Public Policy and Administration Research, 2013
Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to complet... more Public procurement is perceived to be susceptible to corruption from project inception to completion. There is ample evidence across the world that corruption hinders economic development; reduces social services; diverts investments in infrastructure and social services and impacts the poor disproportionately The study assesses the perceptions of procurement professionals; specifically practicing quantity surveyors on the existence of corruption in the procurement process and also establishes the stages in the procurement process fraught with corrupt practices. A survey research design was employed and purposive sampling technique adopted. Descriptive statistics, relative importance index and one sample t-test were adopted in analyzing the data. This research results confirmed the perception that corruption exists in public procurement in Ghana. It also revealed that the public procurement law is contributing immensely in curbing corruption. The study further revealed that corrupti...