Content area
Full Text
Introduction
The term lean has been borrowed from the Japanese and converted to suitable form for use within construction. Lean construction was pioneered by Koskela who developed the transformation flow view (TFV) theory of production in construction. Lean construction is a philosophy based on lean manufacturing concepts (Koskela, 1992). However, lean construction has been used with significant benefits in countries like UK (Mossman, 2009), Singapore (Dulaimi and Tanamas, 2001), Brazil (Silva and Cardoso, 1999), Chile (Alarcon and Diethelm, 2001), The Netherlands (Johansen et al., 2002), South Africa (Emuze and Smallwood, 2012), Turkey (Polat and Ballard, 2004), USA (Nahmens and Ikuma, 2009), and in many other countries. The aim of lean construction is to work on continuous improvement, waste elimination, strong user focus, value for money, high quality management of projects and supply chains, and improved communications (OGC, 2000).
Generally, the concept of sustainable development is broad. It concerns the attitudes and judgment to help ensure long-term ecological, social and economic growth in society through the efficient allocation of resources, minimum energy consumption, low embodied energy intensity in building materials, reuse and recycling, and other mechanisms to achieve effective and efficient short-term and long-term use of natural resources when applied to project development (Ding, 2008; RICS, 2009). Bourdeau et al. (1998) stated that current sustainable construction practices are widely different depending on how the concept of sustainable construction is developed in various countries. Sustainable development has been defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising that ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland Report, 1987).
Principles of sustainable construction
The term “sustainable construction” was originally proposed to describe the responsibility of the construction industry in attaining “sustainability” (Kibert, 2008). The concept of sustainable construction addresses three main pillars: environmental protection, social well-being and economic prosperity (Brownhill and Rao, 2002). Sustainable construction refers to the integration of environmental, social and economic considerations into construction business strategies and practice. Sustainable construction is the set of processes by which a profitable and competitive industry delivers built assets (buildings, structures, supporting infrastructure, and their immediate surroundings), which: enhance the quality of life and offer customer satisfaction; offer flexibility and the potential to cater for user changes in the future; provide and support...