A study to assess the impact of Mechanical Equipment and Plant on the progress of works and quality of a construction project.

Abstract

The Construction industry is a very big and vibrant sector in many of the economies worldwide; this is basically due to the acute need for housing and infrastructure to sustain the lives of the population. There have been various advancements in the construction industry since its inception before medieval times; advancements as regards the scope of projects, the methods of construction and the tools and machines used. This has greatly helped in the execution of the huge and complex projects with efficiency and in a timely manner. However, the shift in the construction trend has not been as fast in the developing world, with particular focus on Uganda. The common assessment of the success of construction projects is that they are delivered on time, to budget, to technical specification and meet client satisfaction. Often times, to achieve this, the employment of machinery and construction plant is a vital requirement and it can enhance quality and productivity on projects. This paper is aimed at assessing the impact of use of mechanization on the project quality by indigenous firms. The respondents are mainly technical and professional staff. Both primary and secondary data were used in sourcing out information, twenty five questionnaires were selfadministered to the respondent and all are valid which form the basis of the analysis. The study ascertained that the use of construction equipment and plant is indeed a very pertinent aspect though it has been inadequately embraced by most local construction companies and projects.