Assessing the potential of agri-waste coarse aggregates for sustainable concrete production in Ghana
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The increasing adoption of alternative construction materials is central to advancing sustainability in the construction industry, particularly in developing countries where agricultural waste presents both an environmental challenge and a resource opportunity. This study examined the factors influencing the preparedness of construction professionals in Ghana to adopt agricultural-waste coarse aggregates (AWCA) for sustainable concrete production. Specifically, the study assessed professionals’ knowledge and awareness of AWCA, their perceptions and intentions toward its use, as well as the key drivers and barriers affecting adoption. A structured questionnaire was administered to construction professionals, yielding 260 valid responses. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The results indicate that while respondents exhibited moderate awareness of AWCA, their technical understanding of material processing, testing requirements, and performance standards was limited. Perceptions toward AWCA were generally cautious, with concerns related to durability, contamination risks, client acceptance, and the lack of local demonstration projects. SEM results showed that both knowledge and perception significantly influenced professionals’ intention to adopt AWCA, with perception emerging as the stronger predictor. The study further identified major barriers to adoption, including the absence of standards, inadequate testing infrastructure, supply-chain challenges, and limited policy support. These constraints persist despite the recognised environmental benefits of AWCA. The study concludes that improving AWCA adoption in Ghana requires targeted professional capacity-building initiatives, locally validated demonstration projects, and clear regulatory guidelines. Strengthening partnerships between academia and industry is also critical for building trust, reducing uncertainty, and advancing circular material practices. Overall, the findings highlight the transformative potential of agricultural waste utilisation in Ghana’s built environment.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
c) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Open Access Citation Advantage Service). Where authors include such a work in an institutional repository or on their website (ie. a copy of a work which has been published in a UTS ePRESS journal, or a pre-print or post-print version of that work), we request that they include a statement that acknowledges the UTS ePRESS publication including the name of the journal, the volume number and a web-link to the journal item.
d) Authors should be aware that the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License permits readers to share (copy and redistribute the work in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the work) for any purpose, even commercially, provided they also give appropriate credit to the work, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. They may do these things in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests you or your publisher endorses their use.
How to Cite
References
Abdulai, S. F., Nani, G., Taiwo, R., Antwi-Afari, P., Zayed, T., & Sojobi, A. O. (2024). Modelling the relationship between circular economy barriers and drivers for sustainable construction industry. Building and Environment, 254, 111388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111388
Addy, M. N., Dadzoe, F., Kwofie, T. E., Aigbavboa, C., & Simons, B. (2024). Innovative green construction adoption in Ghana: Architects’ perspectives from theory of planned behaviour. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 14(5), 782–797. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-07-2023-0127
Adolwa, I. S., Schwarze, S., Bellwood-Howard, I., Schareika, N., & Buerkert, A. (2017). A comparative analysis of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems in Kenya and Ghana: Sustainable agricultural intensification in the rural–urban interface. Agriculture and Human Values, 34(2), 453–472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-016-9725-0
Agyekum, K., Adinyira, E., Amudjie, J., Pittri, H., Dompey, A. M. A., Oppon, J. A., Jantuah, S. K., Tackey-Otoo, E., & Agyemang, N. K. (2024). If Others Are, Why not Ghana? A Case for Industrial Hemp Application in the Ghanaian Construction Industry. In E. Adinyira, C. Amoako, T. E. Kwofie, C. Aigbavboa, K. Agyekum, & M. Addy (Eds), Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Development in Africa’s Changing Climate (pp. 23–39). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69606-0_2
Ahinkorah, B. O., Kang, M., Perry, L., & Brooks, F. (2023). Knowledge and awareness of policies and programmes to reduce adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: A qualitative study among key stakeholders. Reproductive Health, 20(1), 143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-023-01672-2
Alabduljabbar, H., Farooq, F., Alyami, M., & Hammad, A. W. (2024). Assessment of the split tensile strength of fiber reinforced recycled aggregate concrete using interpretable approaches with graphical user interface. Materials Today Communications, 38, 108009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2023.108009
Ali, Y., Hassan, M. S., & Petrillo, A. (2025). From waste to resource: Life cycle assessment of eco-friendly concrete in developing nations through energy transition. Journal of Cleaner Production, 501, 145226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145226
Al-Otaibi, A. (2024). Barriers and Enablers for Green Concrete Adoption: A Scientometric Aided Literature Review Approach. Sustainability, 16(12), 5093. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125093
Amede, E. A., Woldesenbet, A. K., Bahiru, A. K., Tibebu, F. T., & Hailemariam, L. M. (2025). Transforming construction in emerging economies: Overcoming barriers to the adoption of industrialized building systems. Discover Applied Sciences, 7(7), 765. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-025-06963-w
Amran, M. A., Palaniveloo, K., Fauzi, R., Satar, N. M., Mohidin, T. B. M., Mohan, G., Razak, S. A., Arunasalam, M., Nagappan, T., & Sathiya Seelan, J. S. (2021). Value-Added Metabolites from Agricultural Waste and Application of Green Extraction Techniques. Sustainability, 13(20), 11432. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011432
Anarfi, K., Hill, R. A., & Shiel, C. (2020). Highlighting the Sustainability Implications of Urbanisation: A Comparative Analysis of Two Urban Areas in Ghana. Land, 9(9), 300. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9090300
Anokye, K., Mohammed, S. A., Agyemang, P., Agya, A. B., Yahans Amuah, E. E., Sodoke, S., & Diderutua, E. K. (2024). From perception to action: Waste management challenges in Kassena Nankana East Municipality. Heliyon, 10(14), e32438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32438
Azunna, S. U. (2019). Compressive strength of concrete with palm kernel shell as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate. SN Applied Sciences, 1(4), 342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-019-0334-6
Badraddin, A. K., Rahman, R. A., Almutairi, S., & Esa, M. (2021). Main Challenges to Concrete Recycling in Practice. Sustainability, 13(19), 11077. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911077
Bonke, V., & Musshoff, O. (2020). Understanding German farmer’s intention to adopt mixed cropping using the theory of planned behavior. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 40(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-020-00653-0
Boon, E. K., & Anuga, S. W. (2020). Circular Economy and Its Relevance for Improving Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana. Materials Circular Economy, 2(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42824-020-00005-z
Bouhout, N., Askitou, A., & Es-soufi, K. (2024). TPACK for soft skills in online higher education: A factor-based PLS-SEM analysis of the mediating role of care. Education and Information Technologies, 29(18), 24181–24201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12774-0
Chen, L., Yang, M., Chen, Z., Xie, Z., Huang, L., Osman, A. I., Farghali, M., Sandanayake, M., Liu, E., Ahn, Y. H., Al-Muhtaseb, A. H., Rooney, D. W., & Yap, P.-S. (2024). Conversion of waste into sustainable construction materials: A review of recent developments and prospects. Materials Today Sustainability, 27, 100930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtsust.2024.100930
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (Fifth Edition). SAGE Publications.
Danvers, S., Robertson, J., & Zutshi, A. (2023). Conceptualizing How Collaboration Advances Circularity. Sustainability, 15(6), 5553. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065553
Dragomir, V. D., & Dumitru, M. (2024). The state of the research on circular economy in the European Union: A bibliometric review. Cleaner Waste Systems, 7, 100127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2023.100127
Duan, M., Hou, Y., Zhang, B., Chen, C., Sun, Y., Luo, Y., & Tan, T. (2024). Skill sets and wage premium: A network analysis based on Chinese agriculture online job offers. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 201, 123260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123260
Fei, W., Opoku, A., Agyekum, K., Oppon, J. A., Ahmed, V., Chen, C., & Lok, K. L. (2021). The Critical Role of the Construction Industry in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Delivering Projects for the Common Good. Sustainability, 13(16), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169112
Feldman, J., Seligmann, H., King, S., Flynn, M., Shelley, T., Helwig, A., & Burey, P. (Polly). (2024). Circular economy barriers in Australia: How to translate theory into practice? Sustainable Production and Consumption, 45, 582–597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.02.001
Flowers, E., Freeman, P., & Gladwell, V. (2017). The Development of Three Questionnaires to Assess Beliefs about Green Exercise. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(10), 1172. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101172
Frimpong, B. E., Sunindijo, R. Y., & Wang, C. (2020). Towards Improving Performance of the Construction Industry in Ghana: A SWOT Approach. Civil Engineering Dimension, 22(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.9744/ced.22.1.37-46
Galmarini, B., Costa, P., & Chiesi, L. (2022). Natural Building Materials and Social Representations in Informal Settlements: How Perceptions of Bamboo Interfere with Sustainable, Affordable, and Quality Housing. Sustainability, 14(19), 12252. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912252
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M. P., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The Circular Economy – A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757–768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
Ghisellini, P., Cialani, C., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: The expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007
Godfrey, L., Scott, D., Difford, M., & Trois, C. (2012). Part II – The effect of data on waste behaviour: The South African waste information system. Waste Management, 32(11), 2163–2176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.05.018
Goubran, S. (2019). On the Role of Construction in Achieving the SDGs. Journal of Sustainability Research, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20190020
Govindan, K. (2018). Sustainable consumption and production in the food supply chain: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Production Economics, 195, 419–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2017.03.003
Gupta, A. P., Upadhyay, P., Sen, T., & Dutta, J. (2023). Agricultural Waste as a Resource: The Lesser Travelled Road to Sustainability. In S. Singh, P. Singh, A. Sharma, & M. Choudhury (Eds), Agriculture Waste Management and Bioresource (1st edn, pp. 1–20). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119808428.ch1
Haleem, F., Farooq, S., & Boer, H. (2021). The impact of country of origin and operation on sustainability practices and performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 304, 127097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127097
Hasbullah, N. A., Khairi, K. F., & Ab. Aziz, M. R. (2016). INTENTION TO CONTRIBUTE IN CORPORATE WAQF: APPLYING THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR. UMRAN - International Journal of Islamic and Civilizational Studies (EISSN: 2289-8204), 3(1). https://doi.org/10.11113/umran2016.3n1.39
Herold, D. M., & Marzantowicz, Ł. (2023). Supply chain responses to global disruptions and its ripple effects: An institutional complexity perspective. Operations Management Research, 16(4), 2213–2224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12063-023-00404-w
Hwang, B., & Tan, J. S. (2012). Green building project management: Obstacles and solutions for sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 20(5), 335–349. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.492
Islam, N. F., Gogoi, B., Saikia, R., Yousaf, B., Narayan, M., & Sarma, H. (2024). Encouraging circular economy and sustainable environmental practices by addressing waste management and biomass energy production. Regional Sustainability, 5(4), 100174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100174
Jampala, M. B., & Shivnani, T. (2024). Investigating behavior, attitude and intention towards waste segregation in tier II cities of India using theory of planned behavior. Cleaner Waste Systems, 9, 100188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2024.100188
Jia, Q., Islam, M. S., Hossain, M. S., Li, F., & Wang, Y. (2023). Understanding residents’ behaviour intention of recycling plastic waste in a densely populated megacity of emerging economy. Heliyon, 9(8), e18921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18921
Jin, R., Li, B., Zhou, T., Wanatowski, D., & Piroozfar, P. (2017a). An empirical study of perceptions towards construction and demolition waste recycling and reuse in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 126, 86–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.07.034
Jin, R., Li, B., Zhou, T., Wanatowski, D., & Piroozfar, P. (2017b). An empirical study of perceptions towards construction and demolition waste recycling and reuse in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 126, 86–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.07.034
Keong, Y. O., & Hirst, G. (2010). An Empirical Integration of Goal Orientation and the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Predicting Innovation Adoption Behaviour. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 11(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000010790772430
Khalil, M. S., Ming, H. Y., Abd Manaf, L., Sharaai, A. H., & Nabegu, A. B. (2019). INCOME PERSPECTIVE ON THE FACTORS INFLUENCING HOUSEHOLDS’ RECYCLING INTENTION: IMPLICATIONS FROM THE EXTENDED THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR. PLANNING MALAYSIA, 17. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v17i10.640
Kibert, C. J. (2016). Sustainable construction: Green building design and delivery (Fourth edition). Wiley.
Langen, S. K. V., Vassillo, C., Ghisellini, P., Restaino, D., Passaro, R., & Ulgiati, S. (2021). Promoting circular economy transition: A study about perceptions and awareness by different stakeholders groups. Journal of Cleaner Production, 316, 128166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128166
Liao, C., & Li, H. (2019). Environmental Education, Knowledge, and High School Students’ Intention toward Separation of Solid Waste on Campus. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(9), 1659. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091659
Liu, X., & Zhang, X. (2021). Industrial agglomeration, technological innovation and carbon productivity: Evidence from China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 166, 105330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105330
Mahmood, A., Nanos, N., Begg, D., & Dhakal, H. N. (2025). Recycled Waste Materials Utilised in 3D Concrete Printing for Construction Applications: A Scientometric Review. Buildings, 15(19), 3572. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15193572
Maraveas, C. (2020). Production of Sustainable Construction Materials Using Agro-Wastes. Materials, 13(2), 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13020262
Mbadugha, L. C., Ozumba, A. O. U., & Shakantu, W. (2022). Knowledge, attitude, and practice of construction waste prevention among construction professionals. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1101(6), 062024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1101/6/062024
Mohammed, S. A., Shakor, P., S., S., Rauniyar, A., Krishnaraj, L., Kumar Singh, A., & Laghi, V. (2023). An environmental sustainability roadmap for partially substituting agricultural waste for sand in cement blocks. Frontiers in Built Environment, 9, 1214788. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1214788
Moseley, S. F. (2004). Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory: Its Utility and Value in Public Health. Journal of Health Communication, 9(sup1), 149–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730490271601
Mujahid, H., Rizwan, M., Khan, A. A., & Fayaz, M. (2024). Impact of Green Environmental Awareness, Knowledge, Product Trust, and Technological Factors on Youth Green Purchasing Intention. Sustainable Business and Society in Emerging Economies, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.26710/sbsee.v6i2.2973
Nelson, N., Darkwa, J., Calautit, J., Worall, M., Mokaya, R., Adjei, E., Kemausuor, F., & Ahiekpor, J. (2021). Potential of Bioenergy in Rural Ghana. Sustainability, 13(1), 381. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010381
Nuno Pacheco, J., de Brito, J., & Lamperti Tornagi, M. (2023). Use of recycled aggregates in concrete: Opportunities for upscaling in Europe. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/144802
Ofori-Kuragu, J. K., Owusu Manu, D.-G., & Ayarkwa, J. (2016). The Case for a Construction Industry Council in Ghana. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 21(2), 131–149. https://doi.org/10.21315/jcdc2016.21.2.7
Ojedokun, O., Henschel, N., Arant, R., & Boehnke, K. (2022). Applying the theory of planned behaviour to littering prevention behaviour in a developing country (Nigeria). Waste Management, 142, 19–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.02.006
Oppon, J. A., Adinyira, E., & Agyekum, K. (2025). A bibliometric review of agricultural waste as coarse aggregates in sustainable concrete. Discover Civil Engineering, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00286-w
Pacheco, J. N., Brito, J. de, & Lamperti Tornaghi, M. (with Europäische Kommission). (2023). Use of recycled aggregates in concrete: Opportunities for upscaling in Europe. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/144802
Ram, P. K., Pandey, N., & Persis, J. (2024). Modeling social coupon redemption decisions of consumers in food industry: A machine learning perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 200, 123093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123093
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (Fifth edition). Free Press.
Sangmesh, B., Patil, N., Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Gowrishankar, T. P., Selvakumar, K. K., Jyothi, M. S., Jyothilakshmi, R., & Kumar, S. (2023). Development of sustainable alternative materials for the construction of green buildings using agricultural residues: A review. Construction and Building Materials, 368, 130457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.130457
Shafigh, P., Pordesari, A. J., & Zaki, A. (2021). Challenges of Using Agricultural Solid Wastes as Aggregate in Structural Concrete: 4th International Conference on Sustainable Innovation 2020–Technology, Engineering and Agriculture (ICoSITEA 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/aer.k.210204.025
Shooshtarian, S., Caldera, S., Maqsood, T., & Ryley, T. (2020). Using Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste Products: A Review of Stakeholders’ Perceptions, Decisions, and Motivations. Recycling, 5(4), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling5040031
Siddiqua, A., Hahladakis, J. N., & Al-Attiya, W. A. K. A. (2022). An overview of the environmental pollution and health effects associated with waste landfilling and open dumping. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(39), 58514–58536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21578-z
Soares, M., Faria, L., Miranda, T., Pereira, E., Vilarinho, C., & Carvalho, J. (2025). The potential of agri-food waste to solve construction’s environmental problems: A review. Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy, 10, 100138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100138
Tam, V. W. Y., Soomro, M., & Evangelista, A. C. J. (2018). A review of recycled aggregate in concrete applications (2000–2017). Construction and Building Materials, 172, 272–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.240
Wang, W., Wei, W., Gao, S., Chen, G., Yuan, J., & Li, Y. (2021). Agricultural and Aquaculture Wastes as Concrete Components: A Review. Frontiers in Materials, 8, 762568. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2021.762568