APPLICATION OF BIM TO CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT: STAKEHOLDERS’ PERCEPTIONS IN SELECTED STATES OF SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

Purpose: Construction material waste management (CMWM) is one enigma that has given the construction stakeholders brain-cracking efforts to tackle possibly employing all the available strategies at their disposal and new inventions possible to come to a sustainable level. This study investigated the application of BIM in solving the problem of construction material waste which is one of the options yet untapped by construction stakeholders in the study area. Design/methodology/approach: A survey research design method was used with 197 valid participants who are construction professionals stratified into their respective State of residence or professional domicile within the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaires which were analysed using relative importance index, mean score and Kruskal Wallis H test for the hypotheses. Findings: High cost of integrated software, lack of trained professionals to handle the tools, and lack of awareness of the technology are the three most important inhibitors of BIM for CMWM. The availability of trained professionals to handle BIM tools, knowledge of BIM applications, and developing a strategic implementation plan by organisations and firms are the three foremost factors facilitating the use of BIM for CMWM. The study revealed that the perceptions of the respondents on inhibitors to the usage of BIM for CMWM do not differ significantly while their perceptions on facilitators varied significantly among the selected States. Research limitation/implications: The study relied on the expertise of the 197 professionals sampled in the three selected States to represent the six States in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country. It also depends on only fifteen inhibitors and ten facilitators influencing the application of BIM for CMWM which may not be exhaustive enough to uncover the realism. Practical implication: The study unveiled the critical demand on the players in the construction industry in the study area for the exploration of BIM for minimising waste for enhancing project performance and advancing the course of Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) professions. Originality/value: The study uncovered the state-of-art about the management of construction material waste in the study area.