Gaps between awareness and activities on green construction in China : a perspective of on-site personnel

On-site construction stage has been considered as the key in practicing the view of green construction. Moreover, the unity of awareness and actions of on-site contractors on green construction plays a conclusive role through the implementation of green principles on the construction site. This study aims to investigate the awareness on green construction and to identify the gaps between the awareness and activities in adopting green specifications from the perspective of on-site personnel. A questionnaire survey was conducted with on-site personnel in Mainland China for identifying the gaps between the awareness and activities in the adoption of green construction. The results show that the level of awareness on a certain green requirement is higher than the performance of implementation. Nine groups with large gaps between awareness and activities are identified. Activities about pumping groundwater, burning wooden scraps, preventing strong light, reducing construction sound and noise, adopting green material, optimizing material plan, adopting water recycling devices, and employing energy efficiency machine cannot support high green construction awareness. Moreover, the "utilization of natural resources on-site" has the lowest performance with both low level of awareness and activities. This paper also suggests some useful implications for governments and departments of construction administrations to take measures in ensuring the thorough implementation of green activities on the construction site.