Identify and avoid 4 situations of waste in Construction

Have you ever thought about all the waste that happens in the industrial area? Did you ever consider how much this waste affects the costs in construction and, consequently, the costs for your company? Maybe there is some kind of waste in your project you haven’t realized yet. Let’s talk about this?

According to a survey carried out by the Department of Civil Construction of the Polytechnic School of USP, the loss of materials in a construction site can go up to 8%, while the financial loss, including losses related to rework costs, can reach up to 30%.

Unlike what most people think, wasting does not mean only having a lot of rubble and leftover material. Using supplies unnecessarily can also be considered a waste of material, for example.

So, find out what are the most common situations of waste and learn how to avoid them.

1. Waste of material
This kind of waste is the easiest one to identify. The rubble generated by pieces of blocks and bricks, leftovers of wood and steel, as well as improperly stored materials, is likely to generate financial losses. It is also worth remembering that the inadequate disposal of these leftovers can cause damage to the environment.

There is also the so-called built-in loss, which is nothing more than the unnecessary expenditure of material. For example, a certain item of the project should measure one meter and by carelessness it was done with an extra 10 centimeters. There was no generation of debris, but there was an out-of-budget expense, and this material might be needed at some other time during the execution of the project or had simply generated an additional cost.

2. Waste in Human Resources
Another type of waste is related to human resources. Employees who are idle or doing the work inappropriately are also responsible for financial losses in construction. If the employee has no task at all, there’s a chance the team is larger than necessary. If he or she is performing tasks incorrectly, time is being wasted and work is being delayed. Besides that, they might be using more material than what is ideal.

Wrong planning regarding materials acquisition can also cause waste in human resources, since the team will need to stand by waiting for the supplies to arrive in order to continue following the schedule of the project.

Workforce-related time savings can also happen when the construction site is built. If the location of bathrooms, refectories and storage room is done properly, the time spent on employee displacement is reduced and this savings can be destined for the project execution.

3- Waste in Equipment
Losses related to equipment happen when there is no appropriate prior planning. An example is hiring a crane for five days and using it only during three. It is an unnecessary expense, as well as equipment sitting in queue waiting to be used.

Misuse of equipment can also cause damage that generates high costs, besides costs related to the time it will be out-of-use for maintenance and the time it takes to get a replacement.

4- Financial waste
Contrary to many people’s thinking, buying all materials at once and keeping the stock full is not a good strategy. Products can spoil, causing financial loss. In addition, the money spent on material that might not be used at the moment could be invested in more urgent needs.

When material buying planning is done wrong, making a new purchase implies paying a new freight and risking to spend more money than what was paid initially.

After analyzing situations where there are signs of waste, we have come to the conclusion that, in order to prevent it, it is necessary to follow a good plan and guarantee that the work is done in accordance with the project. Another valuable tip is reuse. Investing in new technologies is also a great option to reduce waste in your business.

By using structural panels you avoid these waste situations, since, in addition to needing less manpower, this material also requires the use of few operational and administrative resources, reduces the cost of mobilization and transportation, and can be reused several times, optimizing your investment with a fast, resistant and low cost construction.

Only four people are enough to build a structure of 200 to 250 m² in one day. It sure can vary to more or less time depending on the design or the speed at which you want and need it to be built. You can assemble your structure with just one screwdriver.

The panels are self-supporting and do not require additional structures. In some cases, a ladder or a mini scaffold may be needed – but nothing like cranes or more complicated tools. In addition, it is possible to load up to 80 panels in a single truck. This is enough to build a structure of 42m², for example. That is, if you need to transport your structure, you also save freight money.

By reducing the manpower required, you will also reduce your spending on food, transportation and PPE, for example. Not to mention the leasing of equipment and machines for concrete, framing and carpentry; waste disposal and energy and water costs, which are unnecessary in constructions with structural panels.

That is certainly the main point that draws the attention of those who want to make a good investment in construction material. The structural panels can be assembled and disassembled repeatedly, in different places and formats. That is, you invest in material to build an office near a construction site, for example, and at the end of the working period you want to move it to another location or turn it into another structure, such as a guardhouse or a cafeteria, you can do this with 100% reuse.

As you could see, there are many things to take into consideration. It’s like buying good equipment: your investment may be higher initially, but over time, it dissolves, since good products last longer and require less maintenance.

Flexmade structural panel was developed with high technology by a team specialized in the Civil Construction sector, searching for an unique solution to all the problems perceived during construction.

To learn more, talk to one of our experts!