Construction transport efficiency from the perspective of Main Contractor and Transporter

Sammanfattning: Transport efficiency within construction is low. One reason behind the lack of efficiency within the construction transport is the lack of proper logistics management that in turn results in problems of delivery reliability, material flows as well as material availability. Other issues caused by lack of proper logistics management are poor information sharing and poor transport planning. Poor information sharing results in outdated plans, last minutes changes, nonstandardized processes, whereas poor transport planning leads to low vehicle utilization, travelling extra due to poor routing, empty running, increased number of transports, improper material handling resulting in damages, etc. Therefore, lack of proper logistics management makes construction transports to use more resources (such as time, fuel, vehicle, energy, and effort) than needed which in turn has negative impact on the environment as well as on the productivity. Construction transport has not been given much focus in prior research because construction transport gets camouflaged in the purchasing price and therefore remains unnoticed as a distinct activity. This highlights the need to better understand construction transport to improve its efficiency. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to explore and describe the ways to measure and improve construction transport efficiency (CTE) by the use of logistics management. This is studied from two different perspectives: the main contractor and the transporter. In terms of logistics management, construction logistics setups (CLS) and performance measurements are studied. Following research questions fulfil the purpose of the thesis:RQ1: How to define and measure construction transport efficiency?RQ2: How can logistics management be used in improving construction transport efficiency?To answer the research questions, case study research has been used as there is a need to develop an in-depth and detailed understanding of construction transports. The thesis is based on two single case studies and one multiple case study. Data collection has been made via documents, interviews, and observations.The thesis defines construction transport efficiency and identifies performance measurements of importance within construction transport efficiency. However, there is a lack of useful data that makes it difficult to calculate most of the identified performance measures. The thesis enhances the understanding of lack of efficiency that exists within construction transports by identifying value adding, non-value adding, and necessary but non-value adding activities within construction transports. Furthermore, it shows that logistics management can be used in improving construction transport efficiency as logistics management has been found helpful in decreasing non-value adding transport activities such as waiting to load and unload, searching for the right unloading place, contacting the concerned person at site, putting a net on a filled waste container by the driver, taking pictures of the offloaded material etc. The thesis highlights the value that logistics services (such as material delivery management, on-site VMI, waste management) create for the main contractor and the transporter in terms of improving construction transport efficiency. Overall, this thesis increases the understanding of construction transport efficiency through the introduction of performance measures and providing examples of how logistics management can impact. The thesis is an important piece of knowledge in the bigger puzzle of developing performance measurement system (PMS). It contributes with a comprehensive, empirically based picture of value adding and non-value adding activities within construction transport.