This paper reports on an on-going action research study on waste in the structural design process (SDP). To understand the waste types and their effects, the lean tool, value stream mapping (VSM), has been deployed in the doctoral study.

Although lean construction is now widely known and practiced by contractors in the developed world, contractors in developing countries such as South Africa are either unaware of it or just beginning its implementation. However, the application of lean construction practices is reported to occur with a gap between training/teaching and the actual reality of a...