Prioritizing Corrective Actions to Mitigate Causes of Material Waste in Construction Using Quality Function Deployment

Material waste in construction projects remains a significant issue, leading to increased costs, environmental impacts, and inefficiencies. This study addresses this challenge by prioritizing corrective actions to mitigate material waste that aligns with the unique condition of each construction site. Causes and corrective actions were firstly identified through a literature review, expert interviews, and a survey analysis. Next, principal component analysis simplified the dataset's complexity. Corrective actions were then prioritized using a quality function deployment (QFD) model, with the results validated by experts to assess the method's appropriateness for material wastage. The study appropriately introduced a process to prioritize the corrective actions aligning with identified causes and other actions. Additionally, 29 causes and 18 corrective actions were identified. Major causes included fire and explosion incidents, defective materials, and material theft. Key corrective actions were efficient project planning, accurate material management, and the implementation of comprehensive storage and handling procedures. Construction process supervision emerged as the highest priority, while reuse and recycling promotion, though ranked lowest, remained significant. This study introduced a systematic approach to prioritize corrective actions that addresses root causes and assesses the impact of each action on others, providing practical, cascading solutions to site-specific challenges.