Kofi Agyekum

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• PhD Building Technology
• Associate Professor at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Purpose Design issues are one of the factors contributing to waste production in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). Design for adaptability (DfA) is a construction approach that provides buildings with adaptive capabilities during the design phase. It facilitates easy modification, with no or limited demolition, waste reduction, sustainable...

The increase in waste and carbon emissions from the construction industry continues to fester although sustainable design approaches such as designing for adaptability (DfA) have been approved as a viable option to minimize construction waste and greenhouse gases while providing cost savings on building projects. This paper examines the views of de...

Circular procurement (CP) represents the complex process of acquiring and managing goods, services, and works in a manner that supports circular economy principles, emphasizing waste reduction, material reuse, and resource regeneration. As an emerging paradigm, its success is modulated by several stakeholders, requiring cross-functional collaborati...

A questionnaire survey of 5,800 residential buildings was conducted in the Dry Equatorial, South Western Equatorial, Tropical Continental and the Wet Semi Equatorial climatic zones in Ghana to identify the lead source of dampness in walls of residential buildings in Ghana. Data were analyzed using frequency and severity index. Majority of the house...

Purpose As construction project designs grow in complexity, the challenges associated with project monitoring also escalate. Therefore, it is recommended that cutting-edge technologies like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) be incorporated to alleviate some of the issues encountered during the execution of construction projects. This paper examines t...

Purpose Despite the growing construction subject of Design for Safety (DfS) in Malaysia, little effort has been made to understand the construction organisational DfS capability in a dynamic environment. This study aims to propose a framework for dynamic DfS capabilities for construction organisations in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach A qua...

Purpose There is proliferation of regulatory frameworks and guidelines globally to implement social considerations in the procurement of construction projects. However, there are scanty empirical studies that have researched into the implementation of social consideration in the procurement of construction projects in Africa, particularly Ghana. Th...

This study draws on neoclassical and behavioural economics theories to provide an empirical insight into the effect of knowledge, costs, and social norms on damp-proofing residential buildings in Ghana. This study used the quantitative approach involving survey data. A sample size of 242 participants was involved in the study. Applying principal co...

The increasing concern for waste reduction in the global construction industry has led to diverse sustainable approaches emerging globally in the past decade. Material passport (MP), a growing approach, has been seen to be very promising. This study examines the implementation of materials passports in the Ghanaian construction industry. The study...

This paper investigates the impact of green construction procurement practices (GCPPs) on circular economy (CE) success by identifying environmentally sustainable procurement practices that can promote a CE in the construction industry. The goal was to promote circularity in construction through GCPPs. A quantitative research approach was adopted a...

Robotics and autonomous systems are increasingly being used on construction sites to complete tasks and complement human effort. One such autonomous system is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), although their wrong use could be potentially hazardous to humans and the environment. Given its relative novelty in construction, there remains a dearth of kn...

Determining construction and demolition (C&D) waste reduction approaches in the architectural design stage is critical since this waste can be reduced by design decisions. Additionally, adding space and equipment which allow collection, recycling, and storage of solid waste at the usage phase of buildings are important in terms of design decisions....

Successfully integrating design for deconstruction (DfD) principles into the construction industry will require articulated design guides and designers’ competencies. This calls for understanding the attributes of designers’ competencies essential for effective DfD implementation. This study explores the attributes of designers’ competencies for Df...

BIM application in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sectors has received attention particularly in most Global North countries. However, there is a dearth of literature on its application in the Global South context. This research explores insights into the uptake and use of BIM in the Uruguayan AEC sector and proposes recommend...

The built environment is one of the largest consumers of natural resources and the biggest producer of waste and a major driver of growth. However, the built environment can drive actions on climate change towards realization of the global emission targets through decarbonization. This chapter explores the application of the concept of Circular Eco...

Effective safety communication facilitates the sharing of relevant knowledge that helps to improve safety behaviours, such as superior hazard identification and compliance. This study aims to explore channels by which construction companies can effectively communicate health and safety (H&S) among communities of their operations. Based on a quantit...

Despite endeavors to alleviate construction and demolition waste and the indications that the process of deconstruction has the potential to steer waste reduction initiatives, there has not been a progressive increase in the adoption of Design for Deconstruction (DfD) in the global south, especially Ghana. This paper aims to identify and analyze th...

Design for maintainability (DfM) is a construction technique that links maintenance objectives with the design process. Adopting DfM within the construction industry is a solution that can make the maintenance of buildings cost-efficient and simpler. This study investigates the level of implementation of DfM among design professionals in the Ghanai...

Design for Circularity (DfC) is an approach that seeks to optimize materials and resources in construction projects to minimize waste generation and thereby extend the lifecycle of materials used. Conventionally, the Construction Industry (CI) is known for employing linear economy practices which consumes a vast amount of virgin resources, consumpt...

The design for deconstruction (DfD) technique, a contemporaneous solution to demolition by optimizing disassembly activities to enable reuse, has recently emerged with several promises to promote the circular economy. However, little attention has been given to its implementation among design professionals, especially in the Global South. Therefore...

Circular economy (CE) is guided by principles, the key being the R-framework. All R-frameworks have a hierarchy. Although several studies have prioritized these principles, there is still an urgent call for country-specific prioritization. This study prioritized circular economy (CE) principles among Ghana’s built environment (BE) professionals. An...

This study aims to explore occupants’ perceived importance and satisfaction with high-rise students’ housing facilities’ fire safety considerations (FSCs). The specific objectives are to explore the FSCs for high-rise students’ housing facilities and assess the level of importance and satisfaction with the FSCs provided in high-rise students’ housi...

Despite the growing responsiveness in creating eco-friendly cities with reference to SDG 11, little attention has been focused on the role of Ghanaian local authorities (i.e., District Assemblies (DAs)) in achieving this global feat. Therefore, this study seeks to assess the views of personnel working with Ghana’s District Assemblies on the achieve...

Purpose This study aims to examine the strategies that can be adopted to enhance the practice of circular economy (CE) principles among built environment (BE) firms operating in the Ghanaian Construction Industry (GCI). Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 162 BE professionals working in co...

It's my pleasure to share our new publication. Many thanks to Prof. Emmanuel Adinyira, Dr. Kofi Agyekum, and Dr. Isaac Aidoo. https://lnkd.in/eEymjV2a Optimising building material emissions in single-dwelling residential buildings could significantly influence the need for Ghana to assist in mitigating local/regional climate change due to construct...

This paper aims to investigate the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management practices of construction companies in South Korea to ascertain specific components and practices that need improvement for successful OSH performance. A quantitative research strategy was adopted. A close-ended questionnaire survey covering 45 OSH management practic...

This study explores the utilization of simulation tools for building performance assessments among design professionals in Ghana. A quantitative approach was used to obtain responses from 104 design professionals in Ghana through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was generated through a critical review of the related literature on the s...

Purpose-This study explores the utilization of simulation tools for building performance assessments among design professionals in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach-A quantitative approach was used to obtain responses from 104 design professionals in Ghana through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was generated through a critical revie...

This study examines the challenges built environment (BE) professionals (comprising Contractors/ Construction Managers, Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, Real Estate Practitioners, and Quantity Surveyors) encounter in implementing the principles of circular economy (CE) in the Ghanaian building industry (GBI). A structured questionnaire surv...

Purpose This study explores the importance of and vulnerabilities in deploying physical access control (PAC) devices in a typical university setting. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts face-to-face and telephone interviews. This study uses a semi-structured interview guide to solicit the views of 25 interviewees on the subject under cons...

It is thought that there is a low level of awareness of key competencies that drive material waste reduction at the construction stage of a project which has led to the low impact of waste minimization in the construction industry. This study, therefore, explores the key competencies for driving waste minimization at the construction stage of proje...

Purpose Although many health and safety (H&S) studies have widely examined safety risk perception in the construction industry, few studies have explored how this perception influences site workers' risk-taking behaviours during construction. This study aims to examine how construction site workers perceive and judge safety risks in risk-taking beh...

Design for Deconstruction (DfD) is a technique where a structure is built to allow the reuse of its materials and components in addition to facilitating adaptation and renovation. Few design professionals in the building industry are knowledgeable with DfD implementation. The study examines how DfD is being implemented by design professionals in th...

Purpose Major maintenance projects are often regarded as maintenance activities regardless of the projects' complexity and scale. Consequently, very scarce research attention has hitherto been paid to the critical skills required when undertaking these projects. More specifically, the body of relevant knowledge is deprived of a study focusing on ma...

The participation of built environment (BE) professionals is essential in pushing the agenda of green buildings (GBs) in the construction industry. Considering willingness to pay (WTP) in light of these professionals plays a role in the management of the construction industry as one of the major energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases. Th...

Technology has undoubtedly played a vital role in improving construction procedures and processes for many years. However, its application for health and safety monitoring and management has not been fully exploited in the Ghanaian construction industry. This study aims at exploring the current technologies essential for health and safety in the Gh...

Purpose There are significantly fewer women than men in managerial positions, mainly project management. This problem is noticeable in the construction and engineering sectors, traditionally male-dominated industries with leadership much dependent on masculine qualities. This study examines the obstacles to the career progression of professional fe...

This study examines the level of awareness and practice of the principles of circular economy (CE) among built environment (BE) professionals in Ghana. A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 162 BE professionals working in construction, consulting and developer firms on the issue under investigation. Data were analyzed t...

Design has been identified as a contributor to adverse occupational safety and health (OSH) outcomes in construction. In spite of this, relatively fewer studies have focused on design for safety (DfS) within developing countries; Botswana being a prime example. This research investigates the extent of DfS implementation in Botswana’s construction i...

Purpose: The absence of effective stakeholder engagement at the early planning and implementation stages impact projects negatively. However, the role of stakeholders in Sustainable Procurement (SP) is not well recognized and as such there is limited involvement of stakeholders in sustainable procurement of public works. This research examines the...

Design for safety (DfS), also known as prevention through design (PtD), is a concept that mitigates accidents and hazards through considerations during the design stage of building projects. The literature provides much information on this concept, but such information is only limited to a few developed countries such as the UK, the USA and Austral...

The impacts of the construction sector are highly reflected in the transition and development of the society, environment, and economy. Economically, the construction industry has paved many ways with the creation of jobs and job opportunities and increased the gross domestic products (GDP) contributions. Socially, the advancement in technology and...

Globally, the construction industry is under pressure by constantly changing to fit the construction business's needs in executing its operations. The effect of COVID-19 on the global economy has further increased the pressure on the global construction industry. The industry has entered this new era where it is expected to bring benefits for the w...

Safety, health and environmental (SHE) management is becoming a priority as construction companies (i.e., contractors) strive to reduce construction accidents and negative environmental impacts, conform to regulatory requirements, and sustain their competitiveness. Consequently, construction firms are expected to adopt and implement innovative SHE...

Purpose For construction organisations to be effective at implementing an integrated safety, health and environmental (SHE) management system, they require the right level of organisational capability. This capability includes the policies, systems and resources of the organisation. However, within the academic literature, it is unclear which organ...

The Construction industry has a strong influence on the economies of na-tions, the environment, and society. The quality of human life is greatly influenced by the built environment surrounding people. The construction industry serves almost all other industries, as all economic value creation occurs within or by means of buildings or other constru...

Construction is one of the most dynamic and responsive industries with its remarkable contribution to sustainable economic development. It is one of the primary, satisfying objectives of the human needs thus became a prioritized industry along with two others viz., food and textile industries. Globally, the construction industry is under pressure b...

Purpose Effective procurement of infrastructure is partly dependent on infrastructure procurement personnel having the skills that are important for the discharge of their role. Addressing the infrastructure deficits in developing countries, therefore, calls for an understanding of the skills that are important for the discharge of the roles of pub...

Safety risk perception and local cultures are two determinants that influence site workers’ risk-taking behavioural intention during construction. The former and its influences are empirically valid, while the latter remains descriptive. How these two determinants relate to influencing site workers’ risk-taking behavioural intention remains unexplo...

Purpose The excellence in design and greater efficiencies (EDGE) certification system has seen a gradual adoption worldwide, with Ghana having six out of its eight certified green buildings bearing an EDGE certification. However, little is known about occupants’ satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of EDGE-certified buildings. T...

Multilateral aid agencies generate most of their funds from taxpayers, and therefore, it is necessary to ensure that recipients or borrowers use the funds for the intended purposes. The World Bank is one of the major multilateral aid agencies that fund infrastructure projects in developing countries. Like other multilateral aid agencies, the World...

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, which set out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets and 231 unique indicators as a significant initiative towards socio-economic development. The SDGs provide the construction industry with a new lens through which global needs and desires can be tr...

The term “responsible materials” refers to products that have been certified as meeting sustainability standards. Thus, the ethical management of sustainability challenges in the construction product supply chain is referred to as responsible sourcing. It encourages the appropriate availability of measurements that increase sustainability by assess...

Environmental implications are largely fixed once the materials for each of the building component is established because material selection occurs during the product design phase. This research is aimed at assessing the factors that influence material sourcing in the construction industry in which sustainability is promoted.

The majority of the literature on green buildings in Ghana focuses on environmental benefits, innovative designs, construction technologies and project management techniques. However, little is knownabout how such facilities are financed. This issue creates potential knowledge gaps, one of which this study aims to address. This study examines the k...

Purpose Though the Public Procurement Act of Ghana makes room for specific socio-economic policies (environmental, social, economic and other policies which are intended to promote social and economic impact), there is no explicit definition and provision for social value as an evaluation criterion, culminating in the absence of a definition in the...

Purpose Recent reports based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have revealed that no country is in line with achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, with the slowest progress being witnessed mainly on goals that are focused on the environment. This study examines environmental performance indicators for asses...

Purpose With its impact already felt, the construction industry worldwide is gradually reviving following the lifting up of lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Though some articles have been written regarding its impact on the construction industry in other countries, much is yet to be known concerning the current impact in Ghana. This study aims...

Purpose Knowledge of the effect of various cash-flow factors on expected project profit is important to effectively manage productivity on construction projects. This study was conducted to develop and test the sensitivity of a Machine Learning Support Vector Regression Algorithm (SVRA) to predict construction project profit in Ghana. Design/metho...

Purpose This study examines occupants' satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a green-certified building [The Green Star South Africa (SA) Building] in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Views of 300 respondents are solicited on 15 IEQ (obtained through a critical review of the literature and complemented with a pilot intervie...

Purpose The increased awareness of global environmental threats like climate change has created an upsurge of interest in low embodied carbon building materials for green building delivery. Though the literature advocates for the use of hemp-based building materials, there is no evidence of studies to explore its potential use in Ghana. Therefore,...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the views of construction practitioners on the prevalence of ethical misconduct within the invitation to tender and tender evaluation and award stages of construction contracts in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Following a critical comparative review of literature resulting in the identification...

Small and Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) are one of the most important forces for economic development. SMEs account for approximately 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Notwithstanding SMEs significant contributions, they face fundamental problems such as low product quality, high cost overruns, and huge material wastage...

Purpose Effective procurement of infrastructure is linked to the attainment of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. While the capacity of organisations is generally thought to be related to organisational performance, there is a lack of empirical insights concerning the contribution of procurement capacity of public organisa...

Purpose Supply chain (SC) disruption, whether demand sided or supply sided, is conversely perceived to affect organisational performance of construction firms. This paper, therefore, aims to examine the linkage of supply chain disruptions with organisational performance of construction firms through the moderating role of innovation. Design/method...

This study intended to examine the influence subcontractor risk management has on the quality performance of building construction projects. Using a quantitative research method, five hypothesised constructs were tested. The views of 139 Heads of Works for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana were elicited using a struct...

This study examines the perception of professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry regarding the obstacles to green building project financing. Following an extensive critical comparative review of literature resulting in the identification of ten potential obstacles, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 520 construction industry pro...

Purpose Religiousness is evident in every aspect of life, and its impact on construction project performance is undeniable. However, little has been done to fully understand the influences one's religiosity has on performance factors. This paper aims to explore the influence of religious elements on performance factors in the Ghanaian construction...

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of project managers (PMs) in construction health and safety in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Purposive sampling technique was used to select licenced PMs in Ghana where data was collected with the use of structured questionnaires. Mean score analysis, Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance, Relative I...

Purpose Work on construction sites involves individuals with diverse character, temperament,age, physical strength, culture, religion and experience level. A good number of these individuals are also alleged to involve themselves in substance and alcohol abuse due to the physically demanding nature of their work. These could promote the prevalence...

Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban culture makes open marketplaces an essential part of life in their cities. What goes on in these markets undoubtedly opens them up to threats of adversity, tragedy, and other significant sources of stress. How can these open marketplaces be regenerated into resiliently sustainable places? From a case study of the regenera...

This study intended to examine the influence subcontractor risk management has on the quality performance of building construction projects. Using a quantitative research method, five hypothesized constructs were tested. The views of 139 Heads of Works for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana were elicited using a struc...

Vernacular architecture is associated with numerous advantages. However, its adoption in the development of sustainable buildings is not appreciated. This paper examines professionals’ views of vernacular building materials and techniques for green building delivery in Ghana. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 54 built environment professio...

Purpose This paper aims to examine the factors that drive the career progression of construction project managers (CPM) in the Ghanaian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Based on the quantitative approach, the views of 80 CPMs working with D1 building construction firms were elicited using a structured questionnaire. Data was anal...

Purpose Sustainability has become a topical issue in many countries, with emphasis on green buildings. Though Ghana has recently adopted green buildings, there is lack of its speedy implementation. There is little literature on the adoption of green certification of buildings, especially in a developing country like Ghana. The purpose of this paper...