-
1
MINIMIZING WASTAGE IN CONSTRUCTION
USING SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGY
A PROJECT BY
Monish U. Balsurkar , Akash R. Butole
Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Jawaharlal Nehru
Engineering college
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 431003
Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION:-
1.1 Introduction to six sigma
Six Sigma is a philosophy based on setting attainable short-term
goals while
striving for long-term objectives. Six sigma is a highly
disciplined approach used to reduce the process variations to the
extent that the level of defects are drastically reduced to less
than 3.4 per million process, product or service opportunities
(DPMO). Six Sigma, in many organizations, simply means a measure of
quality that strives for near perfection. Six Sigma is a
disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating
defects (driving towards six standard deviations between the mean
and the nearest specification limit) in any process; from
manufacturing to transactional and from product to service and also
in construction processes. The Six Sigma method allows us to draw
comparisons to other similar or dissimilar products, services, and
processes. In this manner, we can see how far ahead or behind we
are. Six Sigma helps us to establish our course and gauge our pace
in the race for total customer satisfaction.
Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process that helps us focus on
developing and
delivering near-perfect products and services. Why Sigma? The
word is a statistical term that measures how far a given process
deviates from perfection. The central idea behind Six Sigma is that
if you can measure how many defects you have in a process, you can
systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to
zero defects as possible. In construction field Six Sigma is used
specially to prevent wastage during various construction processes
by finding the root causes for wastages and rectifying the
same.
The aim of this project to use Six Sigma methodology in
construction field so as to
improve construction processes and minimize wastages occurring
in various construction processes so as to increase profit while
maintaining the quality standards in construction.
-
2
1.2 SIX SIGMA PERPECTIVES:
1. Statistical approach. 2. Quality conscious approach combined
with profit. 3. Customer satisfaction approach.
Process capability is defined as the probability of a product or
service or process meeting customer requirements. The process
capability index is defined as allowable process spread over actual
process spread. Thus:
Cp = (USL LSL)/6
Where, USL and LSL are the process upper and lower specification
limits. A three-
sigma process (normally distributed) gives a Cp of 1.0 with
66,807 defects per million
opportunities. In contrast, a six-sigma process will give a rate
of only 3.4 p.p.m. outside the
limits. The higher the Sigma level, the less likely a process is
to create defective parts.This
is a normal distribution curve which shows number of parts
falling within and outside the
control limits (as shown in fig.1).
LSL USL
u 6 6 6 6 6
-
3
1.3 HISTORY OF SIX SIGMA:-
The roots of Six Sigma as a measurement standard can be traced
back to Carl
Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) who introduced the concept of the
normal curve. Six Sigma as
a measurement standard in product variation can be traced back
to the 1920s when Walter
Shewhart showed that three sigma from the mean is the point
where a process requires
correction. Many measurement standards (Cpk, Zero Defects, etc.)
later came on the scene
but credit for coining the term Six Sigma goes to a Motorola
engineer named Bill Smith.
About Bill Smith:
Bill Smith is a key person in inventing Six Sigma concept though
many news media
ignore his contribution. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1929,
Bill Smith graduated from the
U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and studied at the University of
Minnesota School of Business.
In 1980s, after working for nearly 35 years in engineering and
quality assurance, he joined
Motorola, serving as senior quality engineer for the Land Mobile
Products Sector. He
passed away after a heart attack in early 90s and Bill Smith is
recognized as "The father of
Six Sigma" for his great contribution to the quality's evolution
journey.}
In the early and mid-1980s with Chairman Bob Galvin at the helm,
Motorola
engineers decided that the traditional quality levels measuring
defects in thousands of
opportunities didnt provide enough granularity. Instead, they
wanted to measure the
defects per million opportunities. Motorola developed this new
standard and created the
methodology and needed cultural change associated with it. Six
Sigma helped Motorola
realize powerful bottom-line results in their organization in
fact, they documented more
than $16 Billion in savings as a result of our Six Sigma
efforts.
Since then, hundreds of companies around the world have adopted
Six Sigma as a
way of doing business. This is a direct result of many of
Americas leaders openly praising
the benefits of Six Sigma. Leaders such as Larry Bossidy of
Allied Signal (now Honeywell),
and Jack Welch of General Electric Company.
GE saved $12 billion over five years and added $1 to its
earnings per share.
Honeywell (Allied Signal) recorded more than $800 million in
savings.
-
4
1.4 MOTIVATION AND NEED OF THE PROJECT:-
The construction industry of India is an important indicator of
the development as it
creates investment opportunities across various related sectors.
The construction industry
has contributed an estimated 6708 billion to the national GDP in
2011-12 (a share of
around 9%). Civil or Construction is the oldest known
engineering field. But still there is no
standard procedure followed while constructing buildings.
Unlike other engineering departments like mechanical,
electrical, computer science,
etc where implementation by design is given high importance and
a standard procedure is
followed during the work as given by the engineer, construction
works or processes have no
standard procedure to follow and implementation according to the
design given by the
engineer is merely followed practically on site.
The design of the building is always done precisely with the use
of latest software
and techniques but the proper implementation of this design is
where civil work fails to keep
the precision and hence problems like over use of materials and
wastages of material are
faced by various construction companies. This leads to decrease
in profits for the
constructing companies which the companies try to keep constant
by increasing prices of
the units of the building which leads to customer
dis-satisfaction and less sale of building
units which ultimately leads to less overall profits for the
company or the builder or the
owner.
Hence, this project aims to solve the problems mentioned above
by using Six Sigma methodology in construction field so as to
improve construction processes and minimize wastages occurring in
various construction processes so as to increase profit while
maintaining the quality standards in construction.
-
5
Chapter 2 Literature Overview 1: Minimizing waste in
construction using Six sigma principles
Project by: Sunil V. Desale and Dr. Sharad V. Deodhar
A case study is carried out in Dhule district in Maharashtra. A
Table shows list of prestigious
project and its location along with construction organizations
name. So many Works are
going on out of these four organization where selected based on
complete availability of
technical data has been taken into consideration who is going to
construct residential
bungalow, flat system, and semi Govt.contractor work.
2: Implementing Six sigma in Concrete panel production
Project by: Yong-Woo Kim ,John Hutchison and Seungheon Han
Due to the lack of available information and many organizations
reluctance to
disclose Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Project(PIP) case
study, we were able to
study only one case study. The case study is presented in this
paper to investigate the Lean
Six Sigma methodology and the implementation in the construction
industry. A brief
description of this case study project is given to provide the
context. A description of
the analysis and key findings from this case study is also
explained.
-
6
3: Improving Precast Production Management
Project by :Luh-Maan Chang*, Chun-Hung Chao, Ya-Hui Lin
Professor, National Taiwan University
The goal of the Six Sigma project is to improve the
manufacturing process of precast
column components and achieving savings. The scope is shown
including the mold
assembly, the reinforcement cage and embedded assembly, concrete
pouring and curing to
the finished product activities, but not includes the banding of
the reinforcement cage and
storage of finished products, the above process operated by
specific manufacturing crews.
4) Project: Study for Brick Masonary
Project by: Sunil V. Desale and Dr. Sharad V. Deodhar
A case study approach is used to compare the B.B Masonry work,
constructed at
two similar, medium sized commercial construction projects
located in at Walwadi area of
Dhule city. The objectives of this case study are to qualify the
potential benefits. For a
concern site, Material related problems are identified and
linked to the material
management practices. A Study for Brick Masonry is taken.
-
7
Chapter 3. DMAIC methodology 3.1 SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGIES:-
Balanced Scorecard
Benchmarking
Business Process Management (BPM)
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
DMAIC
Harada Method
Kaizen
Lean
Metrics
Plan, Do, Check, Act
Project Management, etc.
From the following methodologies DMAIC methodology is used in
this project for Six Sigma
implementation on an under-construction project or building for
its waste management
which is explained below.
-
8
3.2 DMAIC METHODOLOGY:-
DMAIC (an abbreviation for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and
Control) refers
to a data-driven improvement cycle used for improving,
optimizing and stabilizing business
and construction processes and designs. The DMAIC improvement
cycle is the core tool
used to drive Six Sigma projects. However, DMAIC is not
exclusive to Six Sigma and can be
used as the framework for other improvement applications.
DMAIC is an abbreviation of the five improvement steps it
comprises: Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. All of the DMAIC process
steps are required and
always proceed in the given order.
-
9
For a specific time, there were two sites under observation for
the implementation of lean
methodology. These two sites are as follows:
Site: A (Lalitya Apartment)
Specifications :
Located in Osmanpura, behind Eknath mandir, Aurangabad
Area of site is 9600sq ft
RCC framed structure, external 6 internal 4 brickwork
G+4 storeyed building
Site: B (Nandanvan Apartment).
Specifications:
Located on Jalna road, opp. of airport, MIDC, Aurangabad.
Area of site is 10,000 Sq. ft
RCC framed structure, external 6 internal 4 brickwork
G+4 storeyed building
-
10
Chapter 4 Lean Six Sigma System Development:
4.1 DEFINE:
The purpose of this step is to clearly articulate the business
problem, goal, potential
resources, project scope and high-level project timeline. This
information is typically
captured within project charter document. Write down what you
currently know. Seek to
clarify facts, set objectives and form the project team. Define
the following:
A problem
The customer(s)
The target process subject to DMAIC and other related
business/construction processes
Project targets or goal
Project boundaries or scope
A project charter is often created and agreed upon during the
Define step.
For site A:
Nature of activity : Construction
Dependency : Independent
Organization type : Privet limited.
Problem area: Material wastage.
Define problem: Wastage of materials during construction
process.
Tools used: Flow chart, data collection, bar chart, root cause
analysis, improvement
chart.
For site B:
Nature of activity: Construction.
Dependency: Independent.
Organization type: Privet limited.
Problem area: Material wastage.
Define problem: Wastage of materials during construction
process.
-
11
Tools used: Flow chart, data collection, bar chart, root cause
analysis, improvement
chart.
4.2 MEASURE:
The purpose of this step is to objectively establish current
baselines as the basis for
improvement. This is a data collection step, the purpose of
which is to establish process
performance baselines. The performance metric baseline(s) from
the Measure phase will be
compared to the performance metric at the conclusion of the
project to determine objectively
whether significant improvement has been made. The team decides
on what should be
measured and how to measure it. It is usual for teams to invest
a lot of effort into assessing
the suitability of the proposed measurement systems. Good data
is at the heart of the
DMAIC process:
Identify the gap between current and required performance.
Collect data to create a process performance capability baseline
for the project metric,
that is, the process.
Assess the measurement system for adequate accuracy and
precision.
Establish a high level process flow baseline. Additional detail
can be filled in later.
For specific time, all data available for two sites was
collected. For successful adopting
of lean methodology, it is most important job to find estimation
and costing of project.
Monthly interval for selected 3 materials, viz., AAC blocks,
cement, steel was made for
knowing their actual demand and total use. All data is collected
and presented in a well-
mannered tabular form as shown below.
TOOLS FOR MEASUREMENT:-
Process Flowchart
Data Collection Plan/Example
Benchmarking
Measurement System Analysis/Gage R&R
Voice of the Customer Gathering
Process Sigma Calculation
-
12
Problem definition: Wastage of AAC blocks during
construction.
Site: A
Table 1
DESCRIPTION
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Total
ESTIMATE
575
1321
1948
648
1670
980
7142
TRANSPORTATION DAMAGE
3
136
46
4
23
12
224
USED
557
1284
1902
634
1639
963
6979
ON SITE DAMAGE
18
30
46
14
31
17
156
% WASTE
3.13%
2.3%
2.3%
2.16%
1.8%
1.73%
2.18%
-
13
Problem definition: Wastage of AAC blocks during
construction.
Site: B
Table 2
DESCRIPTION December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Total
ESTIMATE
1072
900
600
750
380
450
4152
TRANSPORTATION DAMAGE
11
19
7
8
4
8
57
USED 1051
871
592
740
376
446
4076
ON SITE DAMAGE
21
29
8
10
4
4
76
% WASTE 1.95%
3.22%
1.33%
1.34%
1.05%
0.89%
1.83%
-
14
Problem definition: Wastage of cement during construction.
Site: A
Table 3
DESCRIPTION
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Total
ESTIMATE
370 bags
340 bags
710 bags
240 bags
680 bags
180 bags
2520
USED
350 bags
335 bags
685 Bags
238 bags
676 bags
179 bags
2463
WASTED
3.5 bags
2 bags
5.5 bags
1.39 bags
3.33 bags
1 bag
16.72
% WASTE
1%
0.58%
0.77%
0.57%
0.49%
0.5%
0.66%
-
15
Problem definition: Wastage of cement during construction.
Site: B
DESCRIPTION
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Total
ESTIMATE
200
520
650
1370
400
120
2970
USED
200
460
380
1040
360
120
2560
WASTED
Nominal
1.6
3
4.6
1.44
Nominal
11
% WASTE
-
0.32%
0.48%
0.43%
0.36%
-
0.37%
-
16
Table 4
Problem definition: Wastage of steel during construction.
Site: A
Table 5
DESCRIPTION
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Total
ESTIMATE
3050 kg
3092 kg
4585 kg
2065 kg
3563 kg
1500 kg
17855 kg
Wastage
5 kg
2.5kg
12kg
4kg
5kg
1kg
29.5 kg
% WASTE
0.16
0.08
0.28
0.19
0.15
0.06
0.17 %
-
17
Problem definition: Wastage of steel during construction.
Site: B
Table 6
DESCRIPTION
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Total
ESTIMATE
5394 kg
950 kg
6885 kg
1000 kg
7130 kg
4960 kg
26319 kg
Wastage
13 kg
4 kg
26 kg
3.2 kg
19.2 kg
8 kg
73.4 kg
% WASTE
0.24
0.42
0.38
0.32
0.27
0.16
0.27 %
-
18
Chapter 5 Performance Analysis
5.1 Analyse:
The purpose of this step is to identify, validate and select
root cause for elimination. A
large number of potential root causes (process inputs, X) of the
project problem are
identified via root cause analysis (for example a fishbone
diagram). The top 3-4 potential
root causes are selected using multi-voting or other consensus
tool for further validation. A
data collection plan is created and data are collected to
establish the relative contribution of
each root causes to the project metric, Y. This process is
repeated until "valid" root causes
can be identified. Within Six Sigma, often complex analysis
tools are used. However, it is
acceptable to use basic tools if these are appropriate. Of the
"validated" root causes, all or
some can be
List and prioritize potential causes of the problem
Prioritize the root causes (key process inputs) to pursue in the
Improve step
Identify how the process inputs (Xs) affect the process outputs
(Ys). Data is analyzed to
understand the magnitude of contribution of each root cause, X,
to the project metric, Y.
Statistical tests using p-values accompanied by Histograms,
Pareto charts, and line
plots are often used to do this.
Detailed process maps can be created to help pin-point where in
the process the root
causes reside, and what might be contributing to the occurrence.
Analysing the time lapsed
for the construction and identification of the ways to eliminate
gap between the current
performance of the system or process and the desired goal.
Improving the top causes
identified in the Analyse phase, with the intent of either
controlling or eliminating those
causes to achieve breakthrough performance. This step use
creative ways to find new
ways to do things better, cheaper or faster.
TOOLS FOR ANALYSE:-
Histogram
Pareto Chart
Time Series/Run Chart
Scatter Plot
Regression Analysis
Cause and Effect/Fishbone Diagram
5 Whys
Process Map Review and Analysis
Statistical Analysis
-
19
Hypothesis Testing (Continuous and Discrete)
Non-Normal Data Analysis
Qualitative analysis:
Asked for expert advice, on site investigation, investigate best
practices through
benchmarking, fishbone analysis.
Graphical analysis:
Analyse historical data using box plots.
Pareto plots to identify the potential inputs
Risk analysis:
Failure mode effect analysis(FMEA)
-
20
For site A problem analysis of AAC block wastage is as
follows:
This whole root cause description is dependent on reason
analysis. It includes following
reasoning:
1. AAC blocks transportation damage
WHY?
-Type of vehicle used is not suitable for proper transportation
(vehicle)
- Blocks are originally transported from Nasik.(Distance)
(cannot be controlled or changed)
2. AAC blocks on site damage
WHY?
- Blocks are not properly loaded and placed.(unloading)
- Improper way of stacking of blocks & careless handling.
(storage and handling)
- Less supervision on labours.
For site B problem analysis of AAC block wastage is as
follows:
-
21
Transportation
VehicleRoute
Distance
On site
Handling
Storage
SupervisionWastage ofAAC blocks
Damaged
Design change
Brickwork
Careless use
Lack of Skills
Labour
Site: B
This whole root cause description is dependent on reason
analysis. It includes following
reasoning:
1. AAC blocks transportation damage
WHY?
-Type of vehicle used is not suitable for proper transportation
(vehicle)
- Blocks are originally transported from Nasik.(Distance)
2. AAC blocks on site damage
WHY?
-Changes made to design while construction was in progress.
(Brickwork)
-Blocks are not properly loaded and placed.
- Improper way of stacking of blocks & careless
handling.
-
22
-
23
For site A problem analysis of cement wastage is as follows:
Climate Over ordering
Wastage ofCEMENT
Improper storage
Lack of good supervision
Site: A
Loss during concreting
Labour tendency to use more concrete while concreting
CAUSE ANALYSIS
This whole root cause description is dependent on reason
analysis. It includes following
reasoning:
Cement wastage on site
WHY?
- Due to sudden rainfall and improper storage of cement bags,
resulted in watering effect on cement. (Climate change )
- Labour uses more cement while concreting. (Labour tendency
)
- Ignoring measuring in design. (Over ordering )
-
24
For site B problem analysis of cement wastage is as follows:
Unmeasured use
Wastage ofCEMENT
labour
Site: B
Tendency to use more concrete
On site
CAUSE ANALYSIS
Handling
Storage
Lack of skill
Cement wastage on site
WHY?
- Unavailability of proper shed for cement . (Storage, handling
)
- Labour uses more cement while concreting. (Labour tendency
)
- Ignoring measuring in design. (Over ordering )
-
25
-
26
For site A problem analysis of steel wastage is as follows:
Ignorance in design
Over ordering
Wastage ofSTEEL
Lack of good supervision
Site: A
No availability of PRECISED record
CUTTING WASTE
CAUSE ANALYSIS
This whole root cause description is dependent on reason
analysis. It includes following reasoning:
Steel wastage on site
WHY?
- Steel design of building was not properly checked. (Ignorance
in design)
- Ignoring measuring in design. (Cutting waste)
- Ignoring steel design resulted in extra order. (Over
ordering)
-
27
For site B problem analysis of steel wastage is as follows:
Ignorance in design
Wastage ofSTEEL
Lack of good supervision
Site: B
Designing more than sufficient.
CUTTING WASTE
CAUSE ANALYSIS
This whole root cause description is dependent on reason
analysis. It includes following
reasoning:
Steel wastage on site
WHY?
- Steel design of building was not properly checked. (Ignorance
in design)
- Ignoring measuring in design. (Cutting waste)
- Ignoring steel design resulted in extra order. (Over
ordering)
-
28
-
29
5.2 IMPROVE:
The purpose of this step is to identify, test and implement a
solution to the problem; in
part or in whole. Identify creative solutions to eliminate the
key root causes in order to fix
and prevent process problems. Use brainstorming or techniques
like Six Thinking
Hats and Random Word. Some projects can utilize complex analysis
tools like DOE (Design
of Experiments), but try to focus on obvious solutions if these
are apparent.
Create innovative solutions
Focus on the simplest and easiest solutions
Test solutions using Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle
Based on PDCA results, attempt to anticipate any avoidable risks
associated with the
"improvement" using FMEA
Create a detailed implementation plan
Deploy improvements
Designing the factors to be improved and implemented such as
Cement ,Bricks,
Formwork, Reinforcement and Labour. Measuring the losses and
variation using the
methodology so as to rectify it further for minimum wastage.
An action plan is proposed to improve the current system of
construction. Therefore, an
Expert Supervisor is appointed, to supervise and implement the
action plan at the
construction site.However, practically it is impossible to
rectify wastage @ 100%
-
30
SITE A : Action Plan (Material AAC blocks )
Monthly action plan was made for improvement as follows.
Month- December 2014
Due to improper handling and stacking of blocks, 18 blocks out
of 575 i.e., 3.13% were
damaged in this month.
Therefore, instructions were given to labour to handle blocks
properly.
Month January 2015
In this month, out of 532 blocks, 126 blocks were broken in
transportation.
Therefore, supervisor was advised that, such amount of broken
blocks should not be
accepted and returned back to consigner. Also, these 126 broken
blocks must be stacked
separately and labours were instructed to use these blocks
first.
Month- February 2015
In this month out of 1948 blocks, 46 blocks were damaged.
Hence about 2.3% waste occurred.
Therefore, supervisor was suggested to guide labour about
handling of AAC blocks.
Month- March 2015
In the month of March out of 648 bricks only 14 bricks were
broken. This is a less amount of
wastage as compared to previous month as the percentage wasted
is 2.16% .As the
estimate was less the delivery was made with other materials
which damaged few blocks.
Month- April-May 2015
As per the measurement chart, only 48 blocks were broken but not
totally damaged out of
2650 blocks, which is a very significant reduction in wastage as
compared in previous
month. Here the lean methodology was applied throughout the
construction activity and thus
only 1.8% of damage occurred.
-
31
SITE A : Action Plan (Material Cement )
Month- December 2014
In this month, out of 370 estimated cement bags, 350 bags were
used with wastage of 3.5
bags. Hence, about 1% wastage of cement occurred due to use of
cement without
measuring by labour and without knowing sufficient amount
needed.
Therefore, supervisor at the site was suggested to give proper
knowledge to labour for use
of cement. Also labour were suggested to use only necessary
amount of cement.
Month January 2015
In this month, out of 340 estimated cement bags, 335 bags were
used with wastage of 2
cement bags. Hence about 0.58% wastage occurred. Though, labour
was suggested to use
particular amount of cement, unfortunately 2 bags wasted.
Therefore, strict suggestions were given to labour about
sufficient amount of use.
Month- February 2015
In this month the percentage wastage was increased from 0.58% to
0.77% due to the
delayed in work and some minor issues with the construction
activities. To avoid these
problems the supervisor and site engineer was given a
qualitative checklist and lean
procedure which can help to create a work structure.
Month- March 2015
In this month the wastage was reduced from 0.77% to 0.57%. An
assessment was done to
check whether the procedure was followed by the supervisor and
the checklist was
redesigned eliminating the errors.
Month- April-May 2015
In these months the percentage of waste was reduced to 0.5%
which was marked as
optimum level of reduction as further reduction would lead to
economic and time loss rather
which outcomes the gain. Hence, the supervisor was advised to
operate under that system.
-
32
SITE A : Action Plan (Material Steel )
Month- December 2014
In this month, out of 3050kg of estimated steel, total 2853 kg
of steel was used with 5 kg of
wastage. About 0.16% waste.
Month January to February 2015
In this month, out of 3092 kg of steel estimated, 3080 kg of
steel was used with 2.5 kg
wastage. About 0.08% waste.
REASONS-
Cutting waste occurred while using steel in construction which
is unavoidable.
Month- March-June 2015
From the previous months it was observed that the loss of time
required to manage the
cutting waste of steel was not worth the economic gain. Hence, a
rather alternative was
chosen which included to perform the reuse of steel. This was
done by using the remaining
steel in various construction activities.
-
33
SITE B : Action Plan (Material AAC blocks )
Month- December 2014
Out of 1072 blocks 21 blocks were damaged during the
construction process i.e 1.95% of
blocks were wasted.
Blocks were wasted due to bad adjustments in blocks as the wall
sizes were not in standard
dimensions.
Hence, it was suggested to use good quality of cutting machine
for less broken pieces.
Month- January 2015
Out of 900 blocks 29 blocks were damaged (i.e.3.22%) because,
some portion was required
to deconstruct due to change in the design plan.
Hence the designer was advised to thorough the design plan and
supervisor was advised to
check the design plan regularly. In addition to this , the
broken block pieces were piled at
one single place and labours were instructed to use these blocks
if suitable and not to cut
the fresh blocks.
Month- Feburary2015
As compared to analysis of previous month and its improvement,
only 8 blocks were
damaged out of 600 blocks i.e. 1.33% wastage.
In this improvement phase, the labors were instructed to handle
and store the bricks
properly.
Month- March 2015
The wastage percentage remained unchanged so a procedure and
checklist was prepared
and the supervisor was advised to follow it to reduce more
amount of wastage.
Month- April-May 2015
In these two months, due to the use of lean system given to the
supervisor, a significant
results were observed as only 1% wastage occurred in the
construction activity. Also
-
34
attempt was made to use all the damaged and non-useful blocks
for waterproofing. This
system was advised to keep operating in future work.
SITE B : Action Plan (Material Cement )
Month- December 2014:
In this month, out of 200 estimated cement bags. As per
information given site engineer
approximately 200 bags were used with nominal waste.
Month- January 2015 :-
Here out of 520 cement bags 460 bags were used and half bag was
wasted due to non-
measurement use of cement.
Hence, supervisor was suggested to instruct the labours to use
cement by measuring it do
decrease the over use of cement.
Month-February 2015 :
In this month, out of 650 bags 3bags were wasted from which
2bags were wasted due to
unpredicted rainfall, because proper ground protection from
water entering in the shelter
was not provided.
Month- March-June 2015
In these months, the prepared system and checklist proved a
useful way to reduce the
wastage as the total wastage was observed to be only 0.37%
.Hence this was marked as
the optimum wastage reduction. The engineer was advised to
manage the inventory control
for further easy assessment of the work.
-
35
5.3 Control :
Control:
The purpose of this step is to sustain the gains. Monitor the
improvements to ensure
continued and sustainable success. Create a control plan. Update
documents,
business process and training records as required.
A Control chart can be useful during the Control stage to assess
the stability of the
improvements over time by serving as guide to continue
monitoring the process and
provide a response plan for each of the measures being monitored
in case the
process becomes unstable.
Control phase is about sustaining the changes made in the
Improve phase to
guarantee lasting results. The best controls are those that
require no
monitoring.Controls are required to ensure that the improvements
are
maintained over time.
A check list is prepared which determines total improvement.
Choose type of construction -
Small scale Medium scale Large scale
Small scale projects
Define material and its specifications
Bought material should satisfy specific limits
Transportation of materials
-
36
Distance between site and supplier should be minimum as
possible. If possible, stable
vehicle should be preferred for transportation.
Contract
As far as possible, contract should be taken without material;
materials which satisfy
specification should be provided with optimum cost.
If not possible, the quality of materials should be checked
thoroughly according to its
specifications.
On site
Due to being a small scale project, if latest equipments are not
available, then skilled labour
should be preferred so as to minimize waste due to delay
mistakes and overuse.
On site usage of materials
1. BRICKS
Choosing type of bricks
Machine made AAC blocks/ bricks are more preferred than handmade
red bricks.
Stacking of bricks
1. Stacking in pile formation
2. Providing appropriate shelter
3. Stacking near to working area
Prefer use of cutting machine for bricks than normal
cutting.
-
37
As per the requirement, prefer use of broken bricks instead of
fresh ones.
Reuse of broken bricks pieces :
Reuse of AAC blocks
Small broken pieces of AAC blocks should be used for PCC
flooring.
Reuse of red bricks Small broken pieces of red bricks should be
used for waterproofing
purposes.
2. CEMENT
Stacking of cement
1. Cement should be stacked on higher ground.
2. Appropriate arrangements must be made under cement bags to
avoid contact with
water. For ex. Place cement bags over bamboos to prevent contact
from water
beneath it.
Handling of cement
Place plastic sheet below cement bags to avoid wastage of cement
while handling.
Avoiding overuse of cement
To maintain M15 grade mix design (1:2:4), it is advised that 6
liter tub must be used for
concrete proportion to avoid overuse of cement annually.
3. STEEL
Precise design estimation of steel requirement so as to order
the steel accordingly.
-
38
Specify the order of steel bar length 32 feet or 30 feet
only.
Reuse of steel cutting wastage
The steel wastage from cutting can be used for construction of
lintels and compound walls.
It is recommended to use steel rapidly and order accordingly to
avoid rusting of steel.
Medium scale projects
Define materials and their specifications.
Materials satisfying the specific limits should be bought. Most
minimum costing brand with
satisfying specification should be used.
Transportation of materials
Truck for transporting materials is recommended. If not,
possible, then tractor
with 2 axle is preferred.
If received materials like bricks are broken more than 15% of
ordered quantity
then consignment should not be accepted and returned to
consigner.
Contract
As far as possible, contract should be taken without material;
materials which satisfy
specification should be provided with optimum cost.
If not possible, the quality of materials should be checked
thoroughly according to its
specifications.
On site
Machines such as mixer, material lift, vibrators etc. should be
used. Skilled labour to
avoid mistakes and delay.
-
39
On site usage of materials
1. BRICKS
Choosing type of bricks
Machine made AAC blocks / bricks are more preferable than
handmade red
bricks.
Stacking of bricks
1. Stacking in pile formation
2. Providing appropriate shelter
3. Stacking near to working area
Handling of bricks
Circulation of bricks within the site should be carefully done
and handled. If
possible, instrument should be used.
Reuse of broken bricks
Small broken pieces of AAC blocks should be used for PCC
flooring and compound wall.
2. CEMENT
Stacking of cement bags
1. Cement should be stacked on higher ground.
2. Appropriate arrangements must be made under cement bags to
avoid contact with
water. For ex. Place cement bags over bamboos to prevent contact
from water
beneath it.
-
40
Handling of cement
Place plastic sheet below cement bags to avoid wastage of cement
while handling.
Avoiding overuse of cement
To maintain M15 grade mix design (1:2:4), it is advised that 6
liter tub must be used for
concrete proportion to avoid overuse of cement annually.
Preparation of cement concrete shall be restricted to
anticipated daily usage Release of cement to labour shall be
controlled by the site in-charge on daily consumption basis.
3.STEEL
Specify the order of steel bars of length 40 feet and 32 feet
only. Rest is same as small
scale construction.
Usage of steel shall be planned and executed by site in-charge
to minimize wastage. As and when smaller length pieces of steel are
available to meet the requirement, the same shall be used rather
than cutting from long pieces. This requires effective control and
monitoring by site in-charge.
Instructions to Contractor:
1. Provision of waste reduction training to on-site staff is
also considered important in raising environmental awareness and
helping site staff generating a better working procedure to reduce
generation of materials wastage. 2. Use suitable, safe and secure
storage For trades or materials where just in time
deliveries cannot be set up, suitable, safe and secure storage
should be provided so that
damage during storage and moves is avoided.
3. Consider mechanical systems and machinery for moving
materials This is particular useful for trades where materials are
delivered in large quantities ( brickwork, block work). 4. By using
mechanical handling of materials damage and loss during materials
movement on site is minimised. 5. Consider off site construction
Off site construction of elements is becoming a popular method to
improve efficiency and quality. Offsite construction minimises the
amount of work required on Site and in particular reduces
wastage.
-
41
6. Programme and monitor construction activities This can be
achieved by creating procedure which allows monitoring of
performance and control of the construction process. Project
management activities should also include regular reviews of the
materials management process. Planning work helps in fast
competition of project. 7. Use packaging in an efficient way
Contractors and sub-contractors should investigate ways of
packaging. Where possible, take back schemes for packaging unused
materials.
-
42
Qualitative Checklist
Focus on: Producing an accurate estimate of the materials
required for the project as this is the first step in avoiding
unnecessary waste. Think about: Ways to ensure accurate estimates
includes obtaining robust and reliable Information and using this
information to produce accurate measures
How was the material quantity calculated?
CAD take-off Measure from printed drawings Cost plan / BQ
quantity Site measurement Other (please specify)
Remarks
Focus on: The waste allowance can be split between design waste
(i.e. off cuts) and construction process waste. By doing this, more
accurate estimates can be made, resulting in tighter material
ordering and more focused mitigating actions. Think about: Using
accurate material estimates, what are the factors that generate
waste and how they relate to design and/or the construction
process
How was the allowance for construction process waste
developed?
Based on historical data Personal experience Other (Please
identify)
Remarks
Are there opportunities to reduce this wastage through the
construction process? If so, what are they?
Yes....................... No........................
Remarks
-
43
Focus on: Identifying the largest contributors to waste specific
to this project and in identifying ways to reduce this waste with
minimal effort. Think about: How opportunities to reduce waste can
be achieved
To what extent do the following factors influence the waste
allowance and why
1 - Material delivery
Remarks
2- On site storage
3- Co-ordination & sequencing
4- Complexity of design
5- Rework
6- Design changes
7 - Others (please list) ...................................
Focus on: How to minimise the quantity of materials which are
unused. Think about: How to reuse or recycle materials that are
left over after work is completed.
What will be done with unused materials?
Returned to supplier Taken away by sub-contractor Given away
Recycled
Remarks
What will be done with damaged materials?
Recycled Sent to landfill Other
Remarks
-
44
Focus on: How work is planned to avoid damage and rework. Think
about: Who takes responsibility for reducing waste.
Is work programmed in a way that avoids damage and rework?
Responsibility Remarks
Does the programme include project reviews that require waste
performance assessments?
Are procedures in place to record the causes of waste on site
and prompt effective actions?
Is training in place to educate people on how to reduce
waste?
-
45
Various planned flow chart were provided for both sites for all
materials.
For both sites flow chart for reducing AAC blocks wastage is as
follows-
TRANSPORTATION OF MATERIAL
UNLOADING MATERIAL
LARGE AMOUNT OF BROKEN
BLOCKS
YES
NO
Supervised handling
Proper cutting (use of machine)
Reuse of cut block
Stacking of blocks at particular
place
RETURN TO THE CONSIGNER
-
46
For both sites flow chart for reducing cement wastage is as
follows-
ACCURATE DESIGN CHECK
PROPER DEMAND OF CEMENT
SUPERVISED PROCEDURE
DAILY OBSERVATION
SUFFICENT USE WITHOUT HARMING QUALITY
-
47
For both sites flow chart for reducing steel wastage is as
follows-
DESIGN BY USING MODERN SOFTWARE
PROPER DEMAND OF STEEL
REGULAR RECORD OF STEEL USE
DAILY OBSERVATION
ATTEMPT TO DECREASE CUTTING WASTE
-
48
Chapter no. 6 Evaluation
6.1 Comparison of work structure before and after the start of
the project
From the above data compilation, the wastage of the materials
were compared with the current wastage and the wastage before
starting the project. It was found that a major
units of materials wastage was minimized and the lean
methodology also proved a
continuum improvement in the ways of material management.
Following data shows us the improvements before starting the
project.
BEFORE AFTER
Broken bricks were discarded Stacking of broken bricks
-
49
Manual cutting of bricks Use of machine for cutting
Improper stacking of cement bags Provision of storage for cement
bags
-
50
Improper stacking of bricks Proper way to pile and
stack bricks
Mix left unattended led to wastage Use of machine for mixing
-
51
Unused damaged bricks left unstacked Reuse of damaged bricks
The above images shows the implementation of Improvement Phase
in Lean
methodology.
6.2 Graphical representation of monthly reduction in wastage
Bar chart showing the reduction of Bricks wastage
0.00%
0.50%
1.00%
1.50%
2.00%
2.50%
3.00%
3.50%
AAC Blocks Site A AAC Blocks Site B
December
January
Febuary
March
April
May
-
52
Bar chart showing the reduction of Cement wastage
6.3 Benefit of the project:
According to the measurement charts and implementation of the
solutions, we can
observe the difference of material use in each month. This
project has proposed a way to
use the optimum amount of materials and a common framework for
almost every
construction activity.
As this project is a Cost-Saving project, it is obvious that it
will not be able to trace a hard
benefit. But due to wastage minimization, the original cost of
the construction can be
reduced thus increasing the percentage profit. This economic
gain is called as Soft benefit.
Hence, in this project an attempt has been made to gain a soft
profit.
6.3.1 Bricks
In case of the bricks, the total percentage wastage on site was
3.13% but using the lean
methodology it was reduced to 1.73%, i.e. the current wastage is
45% less than it was
before starting the project. The amount of AAC blocks which were
damaged included in the
wastage were used for waterproofing. This makes the total
utilization of the blocks, in other
words the amount of blocks which was estimated for the
waterproofing was saved and this
is a soft financial benefit which will ultimately sum up along
the other materials boosting the
economic gain.
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Cement Site A Cement Site B
December
January
February
March
April
May
-
53
6.3.2 Cement
In case of cement, the wastage of cement only occurs due to
carelessness and
improper storage of the cement. But the lean methodology has
attempted to reduce its
defects and mistakes and the measurement charts show the wastage
reduction percentage.
The soft benefit of the cement is hardly makes any difference in
the overall economic gain
but it sure makes an impression on the way of the work structure
and how it should have
been. Hence, the project focuses on the management of the use of
cement and its storage,
because it may not differ much in the profit but if implemented
it can sure prevent any
uncertain losses.
6.3.3 Steel
The major amount of loss in steel was occurred due to the
cutting of steel. As the
dimensions of the construction may differ respectively it is
impossible to manufacture exact
dimension of individual steel requirement. As a result, in this
project an attempt has been
made to reuse the steel instead of reducing the wastage
technically. In this case, the steel
of appropriate dimensions were used for other construction
activities. This helped to
manage the estimate of the steel thus saving the cost of extra
steel required for those
activities.
-
54
Chapter no. 7 Conclusion
The use of Lean six sigma methodology led to the minimization of
the wastage of
materials but in addition to that it provided a work breakdown
structure which provided as a
common framework for other exercises of the entire project. The
complex project had many
activities which was impossible to be managed individually so
the qualitative checklist
prepared proved an effective method to manage every aspect of
the wastage management.
The proposed method enabled quality assessment of the design and
construction
process, which also served as quality assurance method due to
the possibility to avoid
potential defects. The use of lean methodology reduced the
percentage of wastage in each
parameter thus increasing the percentage profit. Also the
materials were salvaged and
reused which is beneficial as environmental point of view. The
finished quality was
assessed by the site engineer and effective results were
obtained which satisfied the
customer as well as the owner of the project. This method made
an excellent use of project
management softwares, project planning, communication and
manager role.
It validated that Lean Six Sigma approach can be effectively
applied to the
construction industry, not only to reduce the wastage but also
to improve the quality and
economic gain.
Hence, the Six Sigma approach may provide to the construction
industry for the
pursuit of high level of quality and minimize the wastage
beneficial in terms of finance as
well as environment.
7.1 Scope for future work
The aim of this project is the assessment of each and every
exercise and construction activity of the project. Hence, this is a
continuous process and it must be
evaluated periodically. The framework given in the Control phase
can prove useful in the
assessment of the each aspects of the activities. As this
project was only intended for
limited materials that are Bricks, Cement and Steel, but the
project manager can perform
this work structure to manage every material used for the
construction and ultimately reduce
its wastage and improve the quality of the project.
This work structure can continue until the completion of the
project. The manager
can keep records before the use of this method and after the use
of the method to compare
the statistics. At the end of the project, the sum of benefited
cost will add in the profit
percentage and will show the overall economic gain
-
55
Chapter 8 References
1. IJETT - Implementation Barriers for Six Sigma in
Construction
http://www.ijettjournal.org/archive/ijett-v4i2p218
2. Minimising waste in construction by using lean six sigma by
Sunil V. Desale, Dr Sharad
V.Deodhar
http://www.iaeme.com/MasterAdmin/UploadFolder/MINIMISING%20WASTE%20IN%20CONSTRUC
TION%20BY%20USING%20LEAN%20SIX%20SIGMA%20PRINCIPLE%5CMINIMISING%20WAST
E%20IN%20CONSTRUCTION%20BY%20USING%20LEAN%20SIX%20SIGMA%20PRINCIPLE.pd
f
3. Minimising wastage in construction using Lean six
sigmahttp://
www.academia.edu/4752273/
MINIMISING_WASTE_IN_CONSTRUCTION_BY_USING_LEAN_SIX_SIGMA_PRINCIPLES
4 Six Sigma-Based Approach to Improve Performance in
Construction Operations journal by Seung Heon Han, M.ASCE; Myung
Jin Chae, Ph.D., P.E.; Keon Soon Im, P.E.; and Ho
Dong Ryu
https://notendur.hi.is/aho4/Lesk%C3%BArs%20hj%C3%A1%20Helga/Six%20Sigma-
Based%20Approach%20to%20Improve%20Performance%20in%20Construction%20Operat
ions.pdf
5 Six sigma in lean construction systems: Opportunities and
challenges Tariq S. Abdulhamid
http://leanconstruction.dk/media/16779/Six-
Sigma%20in%20Lean%20Construction%20Systems_Opportunities%20and%20Challenges.
pdf
6 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced
Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering,SSVPS Deore College of
Engineering,Dhule ,India
http://www.ijetae.com/files/Volume3Issue5/IJETAE_0513_88.pdf
1.3 HISTORY OF SIX SIGMA:-The roots of Six Sigma as a
measurement standard can be traced back to Carl Friedrich Gauss
(1777-1855) who introduced the concept of the normal curve. Six
Sigma as a measurement standard in product variation can be traced
back to the 1920s when Wal...About Bill Smith:Bill Smith is a key
person in inventing Six Sigma concept though many news media ignore
his contribution. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1929, Bill Smith
graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and studied at the
University of Minnesota School of...In the early and mid-1980s with
Chairman Bob Galvin at the helm, Motorola engineers decided that
the traditional quality levels measuring defects in thousands of
opportunities didnt provide enough granularity. Instead, they
wanted to measure the ...Since then, hundreds of companies around
the world have adopted Six Sigma as a way of doing business. This
is a direct result of many of Americas leaders openly praising the
benefits of Six Sigma. Leaders such as Larry Bossidy of Allied
Signal (now H...GE saved $12 billion over five years and added $1
to its earnings per share. Honeywell (Allied Signal) recorded more
than $800 million in savings.1.4 MOTIVATION AND NEED OF THE
PROJECT:-1. IJETT - Implementation Barriers for Six Sigma in
Construction