DEPARTMENT OF QUANTITY SURVEYING

The increasing digitalization of the construction industry has highlighted the growingrelevance of virtual platforms as alternatives to traditional face-to-face site meetings. Thisstudy examines the use, benefits, and challenges of virtual platforms for constructionsitemeetings in Benin City, Nigeria, where infrastructural limitations and cultural preferencesinfluence technology adoption. A quantitative research design was employed, withdatacollected from 140 construction professionals—including architects, engineers, quantitysurveyors, and contractors—selected from a target population of 842. Using MeanItemScores (MIS), the findings show that Google Meet, Zoom, and WhatsApp are themost commonly used virtual platforms due to their accessibility and low data requirements. Keybenefits identified include enhanced stakeholder participation regardless of location, reducedmeeting costs, time savings, and improved documentation. However, major barrierstoeffective adoption remain, such as poor internet connectivity, unstable power supply, limitedtechnical skills, and low acceptance among older professionals. The study concludes that
while virtual platforms significantly improve communication efficiency and stakeholder engagement, their full potential is hindered by infrastructural and cultural constraints. It recommends targeted digital training, improved technological infrastructure, and hybrid meeting models to support sustainable digital transformation in Benin City’s construction sector.

This study examines the influence of price instability on cost estimation practices in the construction industry in Edo State, Nigeria. The study aims to identify the key drivers of price fluctuations and evaluate their impact on the accuracy and reliability of construction cost estimates. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to construction professionals, including quantity surveyors, architects, engineers, and builders. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean item scores and standard deviation.
The findings reveal that inflation (mean = 4.42), material price fluctuations (mean = 4.34), and high interest rates (mean = 4.17) are the most significant factors contributing to price instability in the construction industry. Other notable factors include poor weather conditions, inadequate planning, and unstable government policies. The study further shows that key building elements such as reinforced concrete works, roofing materials, electrical systems, and finishing components are the most affected by these fluctuations. The results also indicate that price instability significantly reduces the accuracy of cost estimation, leading to frequent revisions of estimates, cost overruns, unreliable budgeting, and financial strain on both contractors and clients. In response to these challenges, the study identifies several effective mitigation strategies, including the use of price adjustment clauses, contingency allowances, early procurement, local sourcing of materials, and continuous market price monitoring. The study concludes that price instability remains a major threat to effective cost planning in the construction industry in Edo State. It recommends the adoption of proactive risk management strategies and improved forecasting techniques to enhance the reliability of cost estimation. This research contributes to existing knowledge by providing localized empirical evidence and practical solutions for managing cost uncertainty in a volatile economic environment.

This study examines the impact of material wastage on construction project cost and delivery in Benin City, Edo State, with a view to identifying its causes and evaluating strategies for mitigating wastage during construction. The research was driven by the increasing cost overruns, reduced profit margins, and inefficiencies associated with waste generation on construction sites in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to construction professionals including quantity surveyors, architects, builders, site supervisors, and engineers operating within Benin City. A total of 200 valid responses were analyzed using Mean Item Score (MIS) for ranking the causes, cost implications, and mitigation strategies .Findings revealed that the major causes of material wastage include delay in the use of materials, ineffective communication, use of substandard materials, human negligence, improper mixing, and inadequate supervision. The results further indicate that material wastage significantly contributes to increased overhead costs, extended project duration, poor resource utilization, escalation of material prices, loss of productivity, and budget overruns. The study also identified Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery, improved material handling, proper material storage, reuse and recycling, and the adoption of digital planning tools as the most effective strategies for minimizing waste. The study concludes that material wastage poses a substantial challenge to cost efficiency and project performance in the construction industry and recommends enhanced supervision, accurate material estimation, improved site management practices, and policy enforcement to reduce wastage and improve overall project delivery. Suggestions for further research include comparative studies across cities, financial quantification of waste-related losses, and evaluation of prefabrication technologies in waste
reduction.

his study investigates the relationship between construction equipment maintenance and safety
risks on construction sites in Edo State. The purpose of the study is to determine how different
maintenance practices influence the likelihood of equipment-related accidents and identify the
key challenges affecting effective maintenance implementation. Using a quantitative research
design, data were collected from 102 construction professionals, including site engineers, equipment operators, and safety officers, through structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were applied to identify commonly adopted maintenance strategies, while Spearman Rank Correlation was used to assess the strength of the relationship between equipment maintenance and safety risks. The findings reveal that preventive maintenance practices such as scheduled servicing, tire pressure checks, hydraulic inspections, and safety system testing are the most widely implemented and significantly reduce the occurrence of mechanical failures, hydraulic leaks, electrical faults, and unplanned equipment breakdowns. A strong positive correlation was established between poor maintenance and increased safety risks, indicating that inadequate servicing greatly heightens the likelihood of equipment-related accidents on construction sites. The study further identifies major challenges limiting effective maintenance, including insufficient budgets, shortage of skilled technicians, poor record-keeping systems, and pressure to meet project deadlines. The practical implications suggest that improving maintenance culture, providing adequate funding, enhancing technical capacity, and enforcing safety compliance are essential for reducing accidents and improving safety performance in the construction industry. The originality and value of this research lie in its provision of empirical evidence from Edo State, where equipment-related safety challenges are prevalent, thereby contributing to the limited body of local literature on maintenance-driven safety management and offering actionable insights for construction firms, safety regulators, and policymakers committed to enhancing workplace safety standards.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of design changes on various elements of building on project cost in Benin City by identifying the common causes of such changes, analyzing how they influence specific building elements including substructure, superstructure, finishes and various services assessing their contribution to cost overruns. 714 target population were identified with 159 responses received. The study identifies client-driven revisions and inadequate project scoping as the chief catalysts for increased costs, necessitating expensive rework, demolition, and administrative overhead. The research specifically analyzes how these design changes impact elemental costs, particularly those affecting major structural components. Through factor analysis, the cost influences are grouped into three main clusters: primary structures framework, enclosed & internal partition, interior finishes & components, and services & Site-Related operations. To counter these issues, the study advocates for mitigation strategies focused on creating a clear and detailed scope of work early on, concluding that establishing a realistic contingency budget and ensuring strong leadership are vital for maintaining financial stability and minimizing the negative effects of design changes. Furthermore, the implementation of a rigorous Change Control Protocol is advised to clearly quantify both direct and indirect costs such as schedule penalties and administrative time associated with every deviation. Finally, the research advocates for strengthening project leadership by empowering Project Managers to exercise abstract reasoning and act as financial stewards. By conducting regular budget adherence meetings and utilizing cost-to-complete forecasts, leaders can better manage client expectations and act as a deterrent to non-essential scope creep, ultimately safeguarding the project's financial stability

Building defects have become a critical issue in the Nigerian construction industry, contributing to structural failures, safety risks, economic losses, and increased incidence of building collapses. This study investigates the perceptions of built environment professionals regarding the causes, frequency, and prevention strategies for building defects in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A quantitative research approach was adopted involving administering structured questionnaire to 114 professionals comprising Engineers, Architects, Builders, Quantity Surveyors, and Estate Surveyors. Data were analyzed using Mean Item Score and the
Mann-Whitney U test. Findings revealed that cracks in walls/foundations, poor drainage, and roof leaks are the most prevalent defects across both public and private buildings in Benin City. The findings show no significant difference in the occurrence of defects between public and private sectors, highlighting industry-wide challenges such as poor workmanship, inadequate maintenance, and the use of substandard materials. A critical finding of the study is the lack of regular maintenance culture and insufficient professional oversight, which significantly contributed to the defects of building and facilities. The study recommends stricter enforcement of building codes, improved quality control, regular maintenance, and enhancedprofessional training to mitigate building defects. The study further recommends that policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders should aimed at improving building performance, safety, and durability within the rapidly growing urban environment of Benin City. Furthermore, the research highlights the need for a more integrated and collaborative approach among stakeholders, including government regulatory bodies, construction professionals, and property developers. The study also emphasized that while both public and private buildings face similar defect challenges, systemic issues such as corruption, budgetary constraints, and poor policy implementation exacerbate the situation in the public sector. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by presenting a contextual analysis of building defects specific to Benin City, offering both empirical data and practical recommendations. The adoption of digital tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), improved regulatory compliance, and investment in capacity building for construction professionals are proposed as sustainable strategies. Ultimately, thisresearch underscores the importance of proactive maintenance planning, quality assurance, and stakeholder education in fostering a
safer, more resilient built environment in Nigeria

This study aimed to analyze the maintenance management practices in-use in industrial and assembly buildings with a view to enhancing the life and function of the buildings. To achieve the aim, the study identified the maintenance management practices used in industrial and assembly buildings in Edo State, investigated factors influencing the choice of maintenance management practices used, evaluated the challenges faced and examined the strategies to mitigate challenges faced in implementing maintenance management practices in the study area. These objectives were analyzed using the mean item score. Data from 60 responses out of a total sample of 100 professionals were analyzed. The research identified ‘‘preventive maintenance” to be the most prevalent and commonly used maintenance management practice in Edo State, followed by “corrective maintenance” and then by “predictive maintenance”, “Condition based” and “Total- productive maintenance” were the lowest ranking 5th and 6th. The research results further showed “the type of the building”, “Criticality of equipment” and “age of the building” ranked the highest being 1st,2nd ,3rd respectively other factors like “manager preferences” sand “building location” were outlined less crucial from the research results. Regarding challenges, building complexity, high-cost maintenance and lack of skilled personnel, topped the charts as the most
prevalent challenges. Ranking 1st, 2nd, 3rd respectively other challenges “building location” were deduced less challenging and ranked lowest. Amongst the strategies that can be adopted to mitigate challenges, “Training and Development programs” was ranked 1st, followed by“implementation of cost benefit analysis” and “better incentives for maintenance personnel” ranked 2nd and 3rd

The construction industry has been plagued by the issue of payment delay. This study examined the effects of payment delay on construction projects in Benin City, Edo State with a view to enhancing contractors’ projects cash flow. The data for this study was gotten through the response to the administered structured questionnaire. The data obtained was analyzed using the mean item score, this answered the question of this study through the research objectives; to; identify the causes of payment delay on construction projects in Edo State, assess the effects of payment delay on construction projects in Edo State, ascertain the measures for mitigating the effects of payment delay on construction projects in Edo State. The research findings showed
that administrative bottlenecks/bureaucracy ranked as the highest cause of payment delay. It also found that delayed payment had a detrimental effect to construction projects where delay in project completion was seen to be the highest effect. Contractors should adhere strictly to the conditions of contract so as to reduce the effect of payment delay on construction projects

Information and Communication Technology (or Technologies) is the acquisition, processing, storage, and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual, and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications (Karl, 1961). According to UNESCO “ICT is a scientific, technological and engineering discipline and management technique used in handling information, its application and association with social, economic, and cultural matters”. ICT is a branch of Information Technology (IT) that emphasizes the communication technologies that affect our society and how we communicate or share data or information. Four main types of communication devices help with the ease of sharing information across the globe, these are the internet, television, radio, and telephone. ICT has been defined by many scholars and authors over the years and the definitions are central to the sharing of information for easier communication

The Nigerian construction industry is expanding at a rapid rate both in terms of complexity and volume, with that comes a host of issues with project cost and time overruns being at the top. As a result of this, it has become important to conduct this study with the aim of developing cost and time models that can be used by stakeholders in the construction industry. The objectives of this study are to: determine the relationship between cost per kilometer and cost overrun in Nigeria, ascertain the relationship between cost per kilometer and time overrun in Nigeria, analyze the relationship between initial cost and cost overrun in Nigeria and determine the relationship between initial time and time overrun in Nigeria. Secondary data of a population size of 229 extracted from a document released by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in 2017 on the ongoing highway projects in Nigeria was the source of data for this study. Linear regression was the form of analysis performed in order to develop the models in this study. The models obtained in this study are as follows:
C1 = -4.681 x 10
10 + (5.946 x 10
9) Log Ckm + εi, T1 = -322.174 + (58.454) Log Ckm + εi, C1 = -4.336 x 10
9 + (1.088) C0 + εi, T1 = -15.463 + (1.333) T0 + εi. The four models developed posted R2 values, ranging from ≥10% to ≤30%. In conclusion, the relationship between the initial cost of highway projects and its corresponding cost overrun posted the highest R2 value of 30.2% with an adjusted R2 value of 29.1%. This study recommends that reliable cost and time models should more often than not be utilized in predicting the actual time and cost it would take to complete a highway project in Nigeria.