Barriers to the adoption of emerging technologies for sustainable construction in SMEs.

Abstract

The construction industry activities contribute to and impact the environment; hence the industry continuously strives to adopt sustainable principles into its process and products. Another critical aspect to achieving this in the current technological revolution is the adoption of technology for achieving sustainable construction. Various technologies are available and have been explored to achieve sustainable construction. However, there is a dearth of studies on adopting technology for sustainable construction by construction SMEs and from the perspective of developing countries. This study investigates the adoption of technology for sustainable construction by SMEs in the South African construction industry. A total of eighty responses were collected through well-structured questionnaires administered randomly. It was observed that all barriers are significant, but the most significant barrier is the high cost of adopting technologies. The study recommends the provision of financial incentives and support for SMEs. Also, SMEs must not resist change birthed by the adoption of technology for sustainable construction.