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Labor productivity is one of the most important factors that affect the physical progress of any construction project. In order to improve labor productivity, site production should be measured on a regular basis, and then compared to acceptable standard benchmarks. The objective of this paper is to measure masonry labor productivity in Gaza Strip, Palestine, using a consistent benchmarking approach.

Production data were collected from nine different construction projects located in Gaza. For each project, values for baseline productivity, disruption index, performance index and project management index were calculated.

Based on the nine targeted projects, the baseline productivity of masonry works in Gaza seems to range from 0.29 to 0.80 work‐hours per square meter. Calculated values were utilized to develop a correlation between two project benchmarks (i.e. disruption and project management indices). AS only four out of the targeted nine projects performed reasonably well, the paper strongly recommends developing a benchmarking standard for each local construction firm in Palestine which may lead to an improvement in the national construction productivity.

The outcome of this research will improve the national construction productivity in Palestine and highlights the benefit of improving benchmarking standard.

Benchmark problem 13 of the TEAM Workshop consists of steel plates around a coil (a nonlinear magnetostatic problem). Seventeen computer codes developed by twelve groups are applied, and twenty‐five solutions are compared with each other and with experimental results. In addition to the numerical calculations, two theoretical presentations are given in order to explain discrepancies between the calculations and the experiment.

To propose trigonometric interpolation in combination with both sliding‐surface and moving‐band techniques for modelling rotation in finite‐element electrical machine models. To show that trigonometric interpolation is at least as accurate and efficient as standard stator‐rotor coupling schemes.

Trigonometric interpolation is explained concisely and put in a historical perspective. Characteristic drawbacks of trigonometric interpolation are alleviated one by one. A comparison with the more common locked‐step linear‐interpolation and mortar‐element approaches is carried out.

Trigonometric interpolation offers a higher accuracy and therefore can outperform standard stator‐rotor coupling techniques when equipped with an appropriate iterative solver incorporating Fast Fourier Transforms to reduce the higher computational cost.

The synthetic interpretation of trigonometric interpolation as a spectral‐element approach in the machine's air gap, the efficient iterative solver combining conjugate gradients with Fast Fourier Transforms. The unified application to both sliding‐surface and moving‐band techniques.

Problem 12 of the TEAM (Testing Electromagnetic Analysis Methods) Workshops for Eddy Current Code Comparison is a cantilever beam in crossed steady and time‐varying magnetic fields. A total of six solutions to this coupled problem are described and compared with experimental results. Most solutions treated the electromagnetic aspects of the problem numerically, but the mechanical motion aspects analytically with a single degree of freedom. In general, the numerical predictions are in very good agreement with experiments.

An algorithm for simultaneous solution of equations describing transient 3D magnetic field coupled to the Kirchhoff’s equations and the equation of motion has been presented. The nonlinearity and anisotropy of the magnetic core have been taken into account. Numerical implementation of the algorithm is based on the finite element method. In order to solve the 3D problem a special iterative procedure, in which the 3D task is substituted with a sequence of 2D problems, has been proposed. The time‐stepping backward difference algorithm for the time‐discretization of the electric circuit equations has been applied. To determine the moving armature position, an implicit procedure, which is unconditionally stable has been proposed. For the sake of example, the calculations of dynamic operation of the E‐type electromagnetic actuator equipped with the shading coil have been performed.

Locally authored textbooks are used at tertiary South African institutions to assist in marketing research studies. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the readability of locally authored marketing research textbooks in South Africa and compare them with international (USA) texts.

South African marketing research textbooks (authored locally) used at South African institutions were identified. Electronic versions of the textbooks were used and analysed using accepted readability formulae. The same procedure was used with texts produced in the USA and the findings of each were compared.

The South Africa texts scored higher on the Flesch Reading Ease score than US texts, which links to the target audience of these books (undergraduate students), while also being cognisant of the reading skills of the target audience but their score still describes them as “difficult”.

The original formulae and theory tend to be dated, though there are recent studies into readability in other areas of business studies. There are also those that question the applicability of readability formulae in the tertiary environment.

Instructors need to ensure that material is at a suitable reading level to maximise the student's learning. For publishers and authors, this means that the examples and illustrations used need to be linked to the context in which the student lives and functions, and not just focus on the English used in the text.

While studies have been conducted into the readability of US textbooks, there is little published research into the readability of regional marketing research textbooks in other contexts to facilitate comparison.

The aim of the Journal of Property Investment & Finance (JPIF) is to keep industry practitioners informed on current thinking and developments in all aspects of real estate research and practice by informing and encouraging debate between academics and practising professionals. To achieve this aim the journal seeks to: “publish well‐written, readable articles of intellectual rigour with a theoretical and practical relevance to the real estate profession”. But some papers are likely to be more difficult to understand than others and may not be effective if the reader is unable to completely comprehend the contents. Thus, the readability of academic papers has a major effect on how well the reader is informed by the articles appearing in the journal. However, nothing is known about the readability of real estate journals. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study that analysed the readability of academic papers in the JPIF and concludes that the academic articles are “difficult” to read.

In this study, readability is defined as the “ease of understanding or comprehension based on the style of writing”. That is, the legibility of the print (typography) or the ease of reading due to the pleasantness of writing but the ease with which the reader can understand an article, read it at an optimal speed, and find it interesting, i.e. its comprehension, is being measured. In this briefing, the authors follow previous studies and use five different readability tests, designed to identify the number of years of education needed to read the text, and average the results across the tests.

Using the sample of all academic JPIF papers over the period 1997 to 2009, it was found that the academic papers in the JPIF come under the “difficult” range with the reader needing a college level education in order to understand the text.

Readability is generally considered to be one of the most important characteristics of effective writing. Yet nothing is known about the readability of academic papers in real estate journals. This paper fills some of the gaps.

Deals with the coupled field‐circuit simulation of the dynamic state of electromagnetic system with capacitors. Mathematical model of the dynamic phenomena includes: equation of transient electromagnetic field in non‐linear conducting and moving medium, equation of the converter electric circuit and the equation of mechanical motion. The two different methods of grid remeshing according to the armature movement have been proposed. System designed for the ground penetrator of comet landing module has been investigated.

Problem 11 of the TEAM workshops for eddy current code comparison is a hollow conducting sphere in a uniform magnetic field. The applied field varies with time as a step function, requiring a fully transient solution. A total of 13 sets of results are presented in this paper from various groups employing 12 different computer codes. The numerical results are compared with an analytic solution to the problem.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the causes and effects of delays in public sector housing projects in Ghana.

A purposive sampling approach was used in selecting the respondents for the study. These were experts working on various state housing construction projects in Ghana.

Results from the study showed that the critical factors that contribute to project delays in Ghana are; delay in payment to contractor/supplier, inflation/price fluctuation, price increases in materials, inadequate funds from sponsors/clients, variation orders and poor financial/capital market. The critical effects of delays are cost overrun, time overrun, litigation, lack of continuity by client and arbitration.

This paper is limited to causes and effects of project delays in Ghana based on data collected from only one state institution. Due to geographic constraints the researchers were unable to sample state institutions across Ghana involved in various housing projects.

This paper has documented the critical state housing construction project delay factors in Ghana. The results will help project managers and policymakers appreciate the effects of these delays on project outcomes.

Measures aimed at reducing cost of housing projects in Ghana can translate into significant benefits to the poor and support achievement of government objective of providing affordable housing to low income citizens.

This research focussed on the key factors and best practices that lead to the success of state housing projects within the Ghanaian context.