Abimbola Windapo | University of Cape Town (original) (raw)

Courses by Abimbola Windapo

The course will introduce the user to the fundamentals of construction management, why orthodox m... more The course will introduce the user to the fundamentals of construction management, why orthodox management theories and systems theories do not address difficulties in managing construction projects and why a Construction Management theory is required. The course also outlines the objectives of construction management and factors that make construction projects inherently difficult. Users will also be exposed to straightforward/challenging projects and the construction management strategies for managing difficulties on construction projects.

7 video lessons238 views

Videos by Abimbola Windapo

The presentation presents an overview of the factors to consider in the provision of affordable h... more The presentation presents an overview of the factors to consider in the provision of affordable housing and follows this outline:
Understanding Housing Affordability
The State of Play
Issues in Affordable Housing
Land acquisition
Construction material inputs
Housing finance and interest rates
Basic Income
Way forward
Leveraging construction materials for affordable housing provision

164 views

Papers by Abimbola Windapo

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, Jul 1, 2023

Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2019

Routledge eBooks, Jun 14, 2023

Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2019

Poor safety culture is a systemic issue for construction workers in Nigeria. Evidence suggests wo... more Poor safety culture is a systemic issue for construction workers in Nigeria. Evidence suggests workers’ rights to safe work and dignity are abused frequently. Although extant Nigerian laws compel contractors to maximise work safety, media reports are rife with incidents of collapse of structures, site accidents and hazards. Fatalities, and consequential losses from these, are significant. In context, the Nigerian procurement law requires contractors to be pre-qualified before receiving contract awards. Through a systematic literature review (SLR), this study examines pre-award assessment processes and standards relating to contractors’ compliance with workers’ health and safety. In addition, pre-award assessment objectives are compared with normative objectives of health and safety standards during construction. A significant gap is found between the two: pre-award assessment is incapable of translating into considerable safety outcomes for workers and projects. As a result, a new framework for assessing contractors’ safety capability is proposed. The study also argues the significance of the proposed framework to extant pre-qualification frameworks used in Nigeria. Rather than being prescriptive, the framework can measure health and safety capabilities quantitatively. Conclusions are elicited from these on how to reform the Nigerian procurement landscape in terms of health and safety standards, and the cost benefits therefrom.

Computing in construction, Jul 10, 2019

Safety Science, Oct 1, 2019

International Journal of Construction Education and Research, May 8, 2017

Smart and sustainable built environment, May 18, 2015

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine green building legislation requirements and pra... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine green building legislation requirements and practices in the construction project execution stage within the context of the South African construction industry. The rationale for this examination rests with the perception that the implementation of green practices (per se) has been recognised as being “behind” the legislation enacted to control the design and construction of green buildings. Design/methodology/approach – The research process consisted of a literature review to identify existing green building legislation and practices applicable to the project execution phase. This was supported by a sequential mixed-method research approach, which involved a survey of contracting companies based in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to undertake focused interviews with management staff and site operatives. Findings – Research findings established a number of issues, not least: a gap between green building practices and legislation requirements; a high degree of unawareness of green building legislation/practices by construction company stakeholders; selective implementation of health and safety legislative requirements; that management staff had a more “positive” attitude to green building practices than site-based staff who tended to be less motivated and open to such practices. Research limitations/implications – Results from this study are considered generalisable with the sample frame only. Research inference and projections should therefore only be made within this set, and not to the wider population of South African contractors (as this study was limited to the Western Cape Province). Practical implications – Implications from this research are applicable to construction company stakeholders within the population set. Practical considerations include the need to acknowledge a formal commitment to developing a sustainable built environment – especially cognisant of the gap between practices on site and green building legislation requirements. Moreover, this lack of awareness in respect of green building practices and legislation requirements impinges upon several wider areas, not least: construction company stakeholders’ positioning, health and safety practices; managerial and operational staff perceptions, and stakeholders’ willingness and motivation to proactively address these gaps. Social implications – Government bodies and allied professionals in charge of construction industry development are encouraged to consider the implementation of green building legislation requirements on construction sites. This reflection should encourage engagement through formative legislative provision and transparent awareness campaigns. Originality/value – This work is original insofar as it directly addresses the alignment of legislation to current practices within the context of the South African construction industry. However, similar exercises have been undertaken on green building legislation in other countries such as USA, UK and Australia.

Springer eBooks, Dec 22, 2020

Facilities, Feb 7, 2017

Purpose This paper aims to examine briefing practices and whether these are related to the qualit... more Purpose This paper aims to examine briefing practices and whether these are related to the quality of brief documents and client satisfaction in constructed health-care facilities in South Africa. The rational for the examination stems from the view held by scholars that the briefing process is critical to the success of projects, as well as client/user satisfaction in the constructed facility, and also because of undocumented reports of client/end-user dissatisfaction in constructed health-care facilities in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The research process consisted of a literature review to identify existing briefing framework and practices in use applicable to facilities. This was supported by an exploratory case study of a recently completed public hospital in East London, South Africa. Data collection for the study was undertaken by means of conducting semi-structured interviews with two groups consisting of client representatives and the technical design team on the project. Findings The research established that in the context of this case study, inadequate client consultation took place, not all design consultants were adequately involved in the development of the project brief, limited use was made of a specific briefing framework in developing the project brief and that despite these shortcomings in the briefing process followed, a comprehensive good quality briefing document was produced and the client was satisfied with the health-care facility constructed. Research limitations/implications The results of this study are generalizable with health-care facilities only. As such, research inferences and projections can only be made within this set and may not necessarily be applicable to the wider construction sector or to all projects within this sector. Practical implications The implications of this research are applicable to constructed health-care facilities. Practical inferences include the need to acknowledge that there is a need for a briefing framework, which should outline the involvement of all design consultants and client representatives when developing the project briefs for health-care facilities. The briefing framework is proposed for use in addressing the shortcomings in the briefing processes and practices and will also help the client in the choice of a brief process and practice which will comprehensively capture their requirements, give clear directives/information to the design consultants and will result in higher levels of end-user/patient satisfaction in the constructed health-care facility. Social implications Clients and allied professionals in charge of health-care facilities’ construction are encouraged to consider the implementation of a standard framework for use in the briefing process. This reflection should encourage engagement through formative legislative provision and transparent awareness campaigns. Originality/value This work is original insofar, as it directly addresses the alignment of briefing practices to quality of brief documents and client satisfaction in constructed health-care facilities within the context of the South African construction industry. However, similar exercises have been undertaken on briefing practices in the wider construction sector.

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Apr 1, 2019

PurposeThe poor quality of design documentation has been identified as a significant contributor ... more PurposeThe poor quality of design documentation has been identified as a significant contributor to delays, rework and cost overruns on construction projects in South Africa. Despite this, limited research has been undertaken to specifically investigate the quality of design documentation. This in turn hampers efforts aimed at improving the quality of the design documents. The aim of this study is to identify the key quality attributes of design documentation and determine the extent to which the design documents issued on South African construction projects are perceived to incorporate the quality attributes.Design/methodology/approachA survey questionnaire was distributed among civil engineering design consultants and contractors in the South African construction industry. Responses to a total of 120 completed questionnaires were statistically analysed. The relative importance and extent of incorporation of the quality attributes was determined based on the mean scores.FindingsIt emerged from the study that the two key quality attributes of design documentation were legibility and coordinated design documentation. Attributes with the least importance were relevancy and certainty. Regarding the incorporation of the quality attributes, the design documents were rated highly with respect to their legibility and clarity. The quality of the documentation was deemed inadequate in terms of accuracy and certainty.Practical implicationsThe findings provide valuable insight to stakeholders involved in developing initiatives aimed at improving the quality of design documentation and as a result construction project performance.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical evidence and extends the literature on design documentation quality especially from the perspective of South Africa, a developing country.

Built environment project and asset management, Mar 26, 2020

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

PurposePrevious studies have postulated that an advance payment system (APS) positively impacts t... more PurposePrevious studies have postulated that an advance payment system (APS) positively impacts the contractor's working capital and is paramount to ensuring an efficient and effective project cash flow process. However, scant research has been undertaken to empirically establish the cash flow performance and domino effect of APS on project and organisational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe epistemological design adopted a positivist philosophical stance augmented by deductive reasoning to explore the phenomena under investigation. Primary quantitative data were collected from 504 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registered contractors (within the grade bandings 1–9) in South Africa. A five-point Likert scale was utilised, and subsequent data accrued were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).FindingsEmergent findings reveal that the mandatory use of an APS does not guarantee a positive project cash flow, an improvement in organisational per...

Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2019

The performance of labour is one of the factors that contribute to the success of the constructio... more The performance of labour is one of the factors that contribute to the success of the construction project. Labour productivity alone has been ascribed the sole measure of poor project performance without an examination of factors giving rise to this claim. Furthermore, there is limited research that examines the primary factors affecting labour productivity in the context of South African construction industry. This study examines the contextual factors affecting labour productivity on construction projects and whether there are key factors that impact on labour productivity on construction projects. The aim of this study will be achieved through a review of literature pertinent to contextual factors impacting labour productivity on construction projects. Additionally, a distribution of a questionnaire survey to construction companies listed on the cidb Register of Contractors in the grades 2–6. It emerged from the study of extant literature that delays in delivery of material, inspection delays from engineers, change orders from designers/consultants, lack of experience amongst workers and mismanagement of resources on site, critically and negatively impact on labour productivity on construction projects. This examination of contextual factors that affect labour productivity provides necessary information for use by construction organisations in implementing measures to properly address issues pertaining to poor labour productivity on construction projects. Based on these findings, the study recommends that construction organisations create a database that clusters contextual factors per region/location of the project. This is to ensure that the critical factors such as inadequate supervision and remuneration disputes that impact on the performance of labour are addressed, while those that are out of the organisation’s control such as shortage of materials and industrial action are planned for at the pre-construction phase of the project. Further studies that investigate the contextual factors impacting on labour productivity, using empirical data is recommended.

Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Jun 18, 2020

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, May 1, 2019

7 video lessons238 views

164 views

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, Jul 1, 2023

Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2019

Routledge eBooks, Jun 14, 2023

Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2019

Computing in construction, Jul 10, 2019

Safety Science, Oct 1, 2019

International Journal of Construction Education and Research, May 8, 2017

Smart and sustainable built environment, May 18, 2015

Springer eBooks, Dec 22, 2020

Facilities, Feb 7, 2017

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Apr 1, 2019

Built environment project and asset management, Mar 26, 2020

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

Routledge eBooks, Aug 22, 2019

Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Jun 18, 2020

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, May 1, 2019

Construction economics and building, Jun 18, 2013

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, Nov 23, 2021

Purpose Construction companies require meticulous and thorough financial planning to ensure busin... more Purpose Construction companies require meticulous and thorough financial planning to ensure business survival in an increasingly competitive global market. Past studies assert that cash flow management is also crucial to meeting project and organisational performance expectations. However, the link between an advance payment system (APS), cash flow and project performance has hitherto received scant academic attention. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the attributes and impact of APS on cash flow, project and organisational performance. This study surveyed all registered contractors listed in Grades 1–9 on the Construction Industry Development Board Register of Contractors in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted an empirical epistemological design and deductive reasoning to analyse primary data collated via a questionnaire data collection instrument. Summary statistical and regression analysis were used to explore data garnered. Findings This study found that key significant attributes of APS in South Africa were payment of balance to the contractor upon project delivery; advance payment to contractors before the commencement of the work; and payment to contractors as agreed. This study proffers that project performance in terms of cost, time and quality performance is highly and positively supported by APS. Moreover, APS positively supports the efficiency, competitiveness and profitability of construction organisations. Cumulatively, these findings confirm that APS attributes in South Africa conforms to the global attributes of APS. The research concludes that client use of APS on projects improves the likelihood of attaining improved quality and time performance. This paper concludes with a recommendation that both public and private clients consider the option of an APS as the ideal payment system to support project and organisational performance. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work constitutes the first attempt to explore the linkages between an APS, cash flow and project performance in South Africa and seeks to engender wider polemic debate and further discussion among industry stakeholders.

5th Research Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, 2020

Women possess skills and competencies that makes them relevant and gives them the capacity to fil... more Women possess skills and competencies that makes them relevant and gives them the capacity to fill in the skills shortage gap experienced in the construction industry. However, their participation in the industry is low especially in professional roles as they face difficulties affecting their recruitment and retention. Moreover, studies on women as professionals within the industry is scant. The participation of women Quantity Surveyors within the construction industry was explored. The study adopted a quantitative approach with structured questionnaire used to gather information from registered women Quantity Surveyors in the country. The data collected was analysed using the percentage and mean methods of descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that a high percentage of the women Quantity Surveyors studied are practising Quantity Surveyors who have worked on construction sites. However, women Quantity Surveyors still experience gender discrimination during recruitment. In order to overcome the myriads of difficulties faced, women take up jobs in firms with flexible work schedule rather than jobs in firms with rigid/hectic schedule. The study recommends that the government and Quantity Surveying bodies promulgate and enforce laws to mitigate gender discrimination during recruitment in both private and public organisations. The findings of this study provide insight into the participation of professional women; and will assist the professional bodies and researchers in the construction industry in exploring measures and policies that encourage women participation in the industry.