Assessing construction equipment maintenance practices for medium scale construction firms a case study of Tamale Metropolis

Abstract

The role of construction equipment in the execution of construction projects can never be overemphasized. Construction equipment plays a very vital role in most construction projects execution as it is the bedrock for the success of project execution. Despite this, the continues increase in the size of Construction Firms also leads to increase in the use of Construction Equipment but does not match with a corresponding increase in its equipment maintenance. This, however, overstretches equipment usage with thin or no maintenance of these equipment resulting to the breakdown or low efficiency of the equipment. This research was to assess construction equipment maintenance practices of medium scale construction firms in the Tamale Metropolis. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design. The target population of the study was management, staff and operators operating medium scale firms and in the Tamale Metropolis. Purposive sampling technique was used to select sixty respondents comprising forty Management and twenty staffs and operators of Medium Scale Construction Firms in Tamale for the study. Twenty-seven were retrieved but two were rejected during the analysis on the basis that it was incomplete responses. The major techniques or tools used in collecting data in this research were questionnaire, interview and observation as the study intends to examine the level of effectiveness of the recent available equipment maintenance systems applicable to Medium Scale Construction Firms and recommendations that would assist in improving safety and efficient firms in the Tamale Metropolis. The descriptive survey was found most appropriate. Twenty-five questionnaires were used for the analysis representing a response rate of 41.6%. The findings of the study revealed that some MSCF in the Tamale Metropolis do not practice equipment maintenance as it should have University of Education,Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh xvi been due to either financial constraints, inadequate data and lack of maintenance professionals. The study concluded by outlining a number of recommendations which were aimed at providing solutions to the premature breakdown of some equipment by some MSCF in the Tamale Metropolis. The provision of maintenance policies should be part of the criteria in the selection of the constructional firms for any project in the Tamale Metropolis, Monitors of constructional projects should insist on equipment maintenance practices and policies etc.