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In this article, the sixth in a series on microcomputer software for information storage and retrieval, test results of nine programs are presented and various properties and qualities of these programs are discussed. We discuss additional programs for information storage and retrieval and for text retrieval from several of the various categories which have been looked at in previous instalments. One new (secondary) type of 1SR software is defined as administrative software. The programs reviewed in this issue are BRS‐Search, dtSearch, InfoBank, Micro‐OPC, Q&A, STN‐PFS, Strix, TINman and ZYindex. All but dtSearch and ZYindex can be regarded as primarily classical retrieval packages; Q&A boasts comprehensive administrative features as well; dtSearch and ZYindex are indexing programs. For ZYindex a new Windows version has been tested. All other programs run under MS‐DOS. For each of the nine programs about 100 facts and test results are tabulated. All the programs are individually discussed as well.

While aiming to create methods for fibre recycling, the question of colours in waste textiles is also in focus; whether the colour should be kept or should be removed while recycling textile fibre. More knowledge is needed for colour management in a circular economy approach.

The research included the use of different dye types in a cotton dyeing process, the process for decolourizing and the results. Two reactive dyes, two direct dyes and one vat dye were used in the study. Four chemical treatment sequences were used to evaluate colour removal from the dyed cotton fabrics, namely, HCE-A, HCE-P-A, HCE-Z-P-A and HCE-Y-A.

The objective was to evaluate how different chemical refining sequences remove colour from direct, reactive and vat dyed cotton fabrics, and how they influence the specific cellulose properties. Dyeing methods and the used refining sequences influence the degree of colour removal. The highest achieved final brightness of refined cotton materials were between 71 and 91 per cent ISO brightness, depending on the dyeing method used.

Only cotton fibre and three different colour types were tested.

With cotton waste, it appears to be easier to remove the colour than to retain it, especially if the textile contains polyester residues, which are desired to be removed in the textile refining stage.

Colour management in the CE context is an important new track to study in the context of the increasing amount of textile waste used as a raw material.

Until recently there were very few publications dealing with comparison of different CDROM information retrieval software packages (Richards & Robinson 1993). The few exceptions (e.g. Harry & Oppenheim 1993; Jacsó 1991; McFaul 1992; Tian‐Zhu 1991; Zink 1991) mostly deal only with the principles of such comparisons, not with actual comparisons, and mostly only with user interfaces, not with the software as a whole. They usually give collections of rules — how to rank the CDROM publications, how to give ‘award marks’ to them — but this usually characterises CDROM publications and databases, not the software itself. Moreover, the performance factors, the properties most important for professional searchers, are usually completely missing from these collections of rules.

Personal bibliographic systems (PBS) manage the input, storage, retrieval and output of bibliographic references, allowing for a number of different document types to accommodate for journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, reports, unpublished documents, etc. Unlike general purpose database management packages they are made to measure for bibliographic information, featuring amongst other things a variety of import profiles for records downloaded from the major commercial databases and automatic generation of dozens of different output styles, including those used by the most popular journals. This paper concentrates on low‐cost mainstream bibliographic software for personal use or smaller libraries. Full‐scale integrated library automation systems and online public access catalogue (OPAC) software, which specialise in finding a specific title within a vast amount of book‐type references, are not discussed. This paper does not review or compare individual products but focuses on the various characteristics which, when available, make a PBS attractive. Special attention is paid to structural flexibility, retrieval options, input, display and output formats, and interface‐ and management‐related issues. A product‐independent table of desirable features is included as an appendix.

Information technology (IT) has been hailed as a great time and paper saver. How far is this true? Are you benefiting as much as you could from the computer on your desk or are you wasting time learning how to use complex software when it would be more cost‐effective to buy in expertise? This paper looks at what, for some, may be novel ways of using a PC and indicates areas where computer use may not be beneficial. The article is geared towards special libraries, but may have wider applications.

Evaluating project success within the construction industry presents challenges due to the unique characteristics of the sector, the complexity of projects, and the involvement of diverse stakeholders. Conducting a bibliometric analysis, this paper aims to unravel the major research themes and methodologies utilised by researchers in studying the critical success criteria for construction projects, as well as extracting these success criteria.

The researchers systematically searched and screened 95 papers from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. This study conducted research focus parallelship network (RFPN) analysis and keywords co-occurrence network (KCON) analysis using BibExcel and Gephi to cluster the papers, illuminate the relationships among keywords within each cluster, and identify the primary research directions.

Using the RFPN analysis, this study classified the papers into three distinct clusters: infrastructure and public projects success, risk and knowledge management, and contractors and procurement management. Statistical techniques such as structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-criteria decision-making methods such as analytic hierarchy process (AHP) have been used to analyse project success in the construction industry.

Considering the intensified demand for streamlined digital interactions and the increasing emphasis on sustainability and safety performance, construction companies are recommended to allocate greater investments toward the automation and digitisation of their products and processes. Prioritising modular construction and embracing transformative technologies alongside data science is crucial for enabling well-informed decision-making, and enhancing project success.

This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by conducting a quantitative and systematic evaluation of the literature on project success criteria in the construction industry and uncovering key research areas. It addresses the pressing need to understand the complexities of construction projects amidst evolving industry dynamics and emerging disruptions. Moreover, by highlighting the implications of digital innovations and modular construction, this study urges deeper exploration into their impact on project performance and stakeholder satisfaction. This research sets a comprehensive framework for investigating the interplay between project complexity, technological advancements, and sustainable practices in the construction sector, paving the way for strategic advancements in the field.

The exact process of construction projects performance assessment and benchmarking still remains subjective relying on qualitative techniques, which does not allow stakeholders to address the issues and the drawbacks of their respective projects as effectively as possible for performance improvement purposes. Hence, this research aims to establish a unified project performance score (PPS) for assessing and comparing projects performance.

Data were collected from Construction Industry Institute (CII) members and through University of Wisconsin active research projects. Exploratory data analysis was done to investigate the calculated performance metrics and the collected data characteristics. Data were converted into six performance metrics which were used as the independent variables in creating the PPS model. Logistic regression model was developed to generate the unified PPS equation in order to explain the variables that significantly affect construction projects successful post-completion performance. The PPS model was then applied on the collected dataset to benchmark projects in terms of project delivery systems, compensation types and project types in order to showcase the PPS capabilities and possible applications.

The model revealed that construction cost and schedule growth are the most important metrics in assessing projects performance, while RFIs’ processing time and change orders per million dollars were the features with the least effect on the PPS value. The authors found that integrated project delivery (IPD) and target value (TV) projects outperformed all other project delivery and compensation types. While, industrial projects showed the worst performance, as compared to commercial or institutional projects.

The PPS model can be used to assess the performance of any pool of executed projects, and introducing a novel addition to the field of construction business analytics which is a supplementary tool to successful decision making and performance improvement. Additionally, the bidding selection system can be revolutionized from a cost-based to a performance based one using the PPS model to improve the outcomes of the buyout process.

The unique nature of the construction sector makes it fall behind other sectors in terms of productivity. Monitoring construction productivity is crucial for the construction project's success. Current practices for construction productivity monitoring are time-consuming, manned and error prone. Although previous studies have been implemented toward reducing these limitations, a gap still exists in the automated monitoring of construction productivity.

This study aims to investigate and assess the different techniques used for monitoring productivity in building construction projects. Therefore, a mixed review methodology (bibliometric analysis and systematic review) was adopted. All the related publications were collected from different databases, which were further screened to get the most relevant based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.

A detailed review was performed, and it was found that traditional methods, computer vision-based and photogrammetry are the most adopted data acquisition for productivity monitoring of building projects, respectively. Machine learning algorithms (ANN, SVM) and BIM were integrated with monitoring tools and technologies to enhance the automated monitoring performance in construction productivity. Also, it was observed that current studies did not cover all the complex construction job sites and they were applied based on a small sample of construction workers and machines separately.

This review paper contributes to the literature on construction management by providing insight into different productivity monitoring techniques.

A comparison of international construction labour productivity (CLP) is carried out by the conventional use of exchange rates to convert national construction output to a common base currency. Such measurement is always distorted by price-level differences between countries and therefore the purpose of this paper is to adopt a purchasing power parities (PPPs) approach, which eliminates price-level differences, as an alternative means of comparing CLP.

PPP construction expenditure data from the World Bank’s International Comparison Programme 2011 and employment statistics maintained by the International Labour Organization are used to generate the CLP of 93 matching economies. A one-way analysis of variance is conducted to evaluate the relationship between the development status and the CLPs.

The CLPs of developed economies are higher than developing economies in both PPPs (real) and exchange rate (nominal) measurements. The real CLPs are always higher than nominal CLP in high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income and low-income economies. Both real and nominal CLPs converge along with the economic growth.

The average figures used in the study may not always be the most representative statistics. The CLPs determined provide an initial approximation for comparison between different economies to gain further insights into the best practices and policies for the more successful economies. Future research is recommended to uncover the underlying factors of CLPs congruence.

The convergence of real and nominal CLPs when economies transit from a developing to developed status indicates that the construction product has transformed from a commonly understood non-internationally traded product to an internationally traded product.

This study aims to provide an excellent overview of current research trends in the construction sector in digital advancements. It provides a roadmap to policymakers for the effective utilisation of emergent digital technologies and a need for a managerial shift for its smooth adoption.

A total of 3,046 peer-reviewed journal review articles covering Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, building information modelling (BIM) and digital technologies within the construction sector were reviewed using scientometric mapping and weighted mind-map analysis techniques.

Prominent research clusters identified were: practice-factor-strategy, system, sustainability, BIM and construction worker safety. Leading countries, authors, institutions and their collaborative networks were identified with the UK, the USA, China and Australia leading this field of research. A conceptual framework for an IoT-based concrete lifecycle quality control system is provided.

The study traces the origins of the initial application of Industry 4.0 concepts in the construction field and reviews available literature from 1983 to 2021. It raises awareness of the latest developments and potential landscape realignment of the construction industry through digital technologies conceptual framework for an IoT-based concrete lifecycle quality control system is provided.