Value and Waste in Lean Construction

Non-value adding activities are otherwise known as ‘waste’ in the lean construction lexicon. The aim of this collection is to build 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 to construction 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.

This internationally researched collection seeks to create a paradigm shift, which will shape work processes and future directions for how value is conceptualized and operationalized in both the project management and 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 book are globally relevant. This is essential reading for all higher level students of construction management and economics, and all professionals interested in value management.

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.