Sustainable construction practices of Sri Lankan contractors

Abstract

Construction industry is conversely depleting of natural resources. It impacts on the environment, economy and society, not only during a project’s life cycle but also for coming generations. Adhering sustainable principles in construction industry brings the sustainable construction which ensures better quality of life for everyone. The contractor as a key player in the construction industry has to play an imperative role to promote sustainable construction by minimising their negative impact on the environment and society while maximising their economic contribution. Thus, this research intended to examine current sustainable construction practices and issues of contracting organisations to suggest a framework which can be used for the ultimate delivery of sustainable construction in Sri Lanka. Case study research approach was used to collect data among contracting organisations and eight semi-structured interviews were conducted. Four industry expert interviews were conducted to verify the gathered opinions and suggestions on enhancements of sustainable construction practices of contracting organisations. Cross-case analysis was used to analyse multiple cases using code based content analysis technique. Findings revealed that the organisations were at primary stage in sustainable construction practices, namely legal framework, standards, guidelines or policies, design, procurement, technologies, processes and innovations, organisational structure and people, education and training, measurements and reporting.