Factors Inhibiting the Use of Indigenous Building Materials (IBM) in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

Abstract

The cost of construction in Ghana, as in many developing countries is increasing at an exponential rate. In spite of the numerous calls by stakeholders to incorporate the use of indigenous building materials (IBM) which seek to reduce cost of construction, the use of conventional building materials continue to dominate the construction industry. This paper seeks to investigate factors that inhibit the use of IBM in the Ghanaian construction industry, from the professional’s perspective. The study adopted a selfadministered questionnaire survey of 120 Architects, Quantity Surveyors, and Structural Engineers. The data was analysed using a relative importance index and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance to establish the degree of agreement among the respondents. The results show that factors such as non-availability, inadequate strength, apathy towards the use of such materials, high initial cost of construction, low level of technical expertise, high maintenance costs, and a low level of education inhibit the use of IBM. It is recommended that government takes the initiative to use IBMs in its mass housing projects in order to
attract the participation of private developers. This study is of value to the construction industry to reduce housing deficit and provide affordable houses.