dottorato di ricerca, akram ahmed elkhalifa
“the construction and building materials industries for
sustainable development in developing countries” The
construction industry (CI) in developing countries (DCs)
faces multitude challenges Confronting its improved
performance and development. Similar to many developing
countries, the Sudan faces severe problems in its
construction sector which should be seriously addressed and
eliminated. Problems related to building materials (BMs)
production, supply and management tend to dominate the
list of impediments to the development of the Sudanese
Construction Industry (SCI). The main objective of this
study is to conduct a comprehensive and elaborate review
and analysis of the construction and building materials
industries in the Sudan focusing on locally produced
building materials and building technologies employed in
the provision of housing. The research aimed to delineate
the significance of the construction industry in the
socioeconomic development in the Sudan and to assess the
potentials of the country in self sufficiency of key building
materials. It reviewed the status quo of the Sudanese
Construction Industry (SCI) and the Sudanese Building
Materials Industry (SBMI) by investigating the role of
construction in the socio-economic development of the
country. The study examined the causality relationship
between construction and the economy as a whole and its
subsectors employing statistical tests, namely the Granger
causality test. Data pertaining to the performance of the
Sudanese economy during 1982-2009 were employed for
the analysis. The study explored the possibility of producing
BMs locally in terms of raw materials availability and
distribution.
The underlying research demonstrated the role
that innovation and technology transfer (TT) could possibly
play in the adoption of appropriate materials and
technologies. It examined the role of globalization,
innovation and technology transfer in the development of
the CI in the Sudan and the extent of its effectiveness. Case
studies were helpful in understanding the mechanisms
through which innovative and appropriate technologies are
transferred. These case studies covered projects - involving
transfer of technology - developed by; research institutes,
governmental authorities, national and international NGOs,
private sector companies and individual practitioners. The
study attempted to evaluate the application of appropriate
building materials and technologies for housing in the
Sudan by reviewing research efforts in the field and
highlighting the potential role that technology transfer could
play. A comparative analysis, based on cost effectiveness
and environmental impact, was performed to assess the
appropriateness of selected building materials and
technologies applied or recently introduced in the Sudan.
Based on available literature, a generic model was proposed
for the categorization of problems facing the SCI. The
underlying research scrutinized the challenges facing the
SCI and the SBMI and the factors affecting the utilization of
local building materials (LBMs). It measured the relative
importance of the factors influencing the development of
the construction and building materials industries in the
country. Ranking these factors forms a reference for the
formulation of strategies and policies for the development
of the CI to take its due place in the socioeconomic
development of the nation. Moreover, the research indicated
the interrelationship between these factors, whereby
scenarios could be developed for the improvement of the
construction sector performance. The study also examined
the importance of the factors affecting successful
transference of technology for the adoption of appropriate
building materials and technologies. A questionnaire was
constructed and circulated to different stakeholders of the
SCI for the purpose of collecting primary data about the
impediments to the development of the SCI and the SBMI.
The research proposed a causality model to demonstrate
how the successfulness of technology transfer is influenced
by the level of awareness of the benefits associated with
technology transfer. The subject study provided a set of
recommendations for the purpose of attaining sustained
development in the construction and building materials
industries in the Sudan. Most of these recommendations are
expected to be handled by the government and the
professional intuitions jointly with other stakeholders of the
SCI. The study also identified areas where further research
is required.