FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS IN LAO PDR

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to identify causes of factors affecting quality of construction works in Lao PDR in negative aspects, to assess the relative important level of each cause of factor and to propose guidelines for solving such causes of factor leading to poor quality problems. The research methodologies consist of studying causes and important level of each cause of factor based on interviews and questionnaire surveys and was analysed by the relative importance index (RII) technique. In addition, the proposed guidelines for solving causes of factor are based on in-depth interview with individual informant and analyzed by the average weight technique. The data was collected from the perspectives of the respondents in local and in international projects located in Vientiane, the capital city of Lao PDR. The results of this research found that the important causes of factor affecting quality of construction works in Lao PDR in top ranking are such as lack of skilled labors, use of poor quality material and products which ranked by the respondents in local projects while lack of skilled labors, inadequate owner’s need and project objective which ranked by the respondents in international projects. For the results of the proposed guidelines showed that creating and developing the skill of labors by government, and evaluating labor’s qualification before working by the contractor to solve lack of skilled labors were agreed among respondents in local projects in the high level. On the other hand, respondents in international project were agreed with evaluating labor’s qualification before working by the contractor in the very high level.