Value and Waste in Lean Construction

Non-value adding activities are otherwise known as ‘waste’ in the lean construction lexicon.Theaim of this collection is tobuild a common understanding of the role and contribution of value-adding activities in achieving stipulated objectives and continuous improvement in construction projects, and to contrast this with waste. Although the lean approach toconstruction projects has been widely covered, this is the first book that explicitly provides the link between value and waste in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. Thisinternationally researchedcollection seeks to create a paradigm shift, which willshape work processes and future directions for how value is conceptualized and operationalized in both the project managementand business aspects of construction.The readers will gain an understanding of: The value-adding paradigm in construction How to make value-supporting decisions Waste identification and control in practice With contributions from South Africa, Brazil, Norway, and the USA, the implications of this bookare globally relevant.This is essential reading forall higher level students of construction management and economics, and all professionals interested in value management.

Introduction Part 1: Theory of Waste in Construction 1. Wastes in Construction: Concepts and Types 2. Making-Do or Resilience? Making Sense of Variability 3. Measuring Workflow and Waste in Project-based Production Part 2: Value in Construction 4. A Systemic Proposal for the Concept of Value in Lean Construction 5. Value is Relative: How Decision Making Theories affect Lean Construction 6. Lean and Sustainability in Construction: Creating Value Part 3: Control of Waste in Construction 7. Last Planner System: Improving Planning Procedures as an Approach to Reduce Waste 8. Guidelines and Conditions for Implementing the Kanban System in Construction 9. Use of Andon in a Horizontal Residential Construction Project 10. Genchi Genbutsu: the importance of ‘Go And See Yourself’ to Project Value Conclusion

Fidelis A. Emuze is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Built Environment, and Head of the Unit for Lean Construction and Sustainability at the Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa. Construction research in lean construction, health and safety, supply chain management, and sustainability constitutes the main research interest of Dr Emuze, who is a member of the Association of Researchers in Construction Management and the Lean Construction Institute. Tarcisio Abreu Saurin is a Professor in the Industrial Engineering Department of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. His main research interests are related to lean production and safety management in complex systems. He has worked as a coordinator and/or researcher in funded projects related to those areas in construction, electricity distribution, manufacturing, and healthcare.