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Constructability is a system for achieving optimum integration of construction knowledge in the building process and balancing the various project and environmental constraints to achieve maximisation of project goals and building performance (CII Australia 1993). Constructability concepts and principles, considered during conceptual planning, design, procurement, construction and use, can make the total building process easier to manage, quicker and more cost effective. When constructability becomes an implied and accepted aspect of the total building process it has the potential to deliver real benefits to clients, consultants, contractors and users. Constructability practices have developed from application and a considerable body of research conducted over the last thirty years. This paper reviews the development of constructability concepts and the identification of the key principles of constructability, and identifies the likely future developments in constructability research and practice. Historically, the attention given to constructability has been somewhat narrowly focused on individual project stages, and therefore, the multi‐dimensional aspects of constructability have not been fully considered and the real benefits may have been missed. The findings presented in this paper indicate that the construction industry has begun to address more purposefully the concerns and difficulties of actively managing the interface between the various stages of the building process in addition to considering the facets of the individual stages themselves. In this way, constructability is becoming an important and powerful concept which can be applied beneficially to the total building process.

During the tendering process for most major construction contracts there is the opportunity for bidders to suggest alternative innovative solutions. Clearly clients are keen to take advantage of these opportunities, and equally contractors want to use their expertise to establish competitive advantage. Both parties may very well benefit from the encouragement of such innovation and the availability of cheaper methods of construction than have been contemplated by the tendering authority. However recent developments in common law have raised doubts about the ability of owners to seek alternative tenders without placing themselves at risk of litigation. This common law has recognised the existence of the so‐called “tendering contract” or “process contract”. Since the tendering process is inherently price competitive, the application of the tendering contract concept is likely to severely inhibit the opportunity for alternative tenders. The “tendering contract” is automatically brought into being upon the timely submission of a conforming tender. This is contrary to the traditional view that an invitation to tender was considered to be no more than an invitation to treat, therefore submission of a tender creates obligations for neither party. Under the “tendering contract”, the owner becomes obliged to treat all tenderers equally and fairly. This paper is primarily based on the literature review. The aim of this paper is to highlight the problems with the competitive tendering process in relation to contractor‐led innovation and explore ways in which owners can develop procurement procedures that will allow and encourage innovation from contractors.

Construction time performance (CTP) factors recently identified in work commissioned by the Construction Industry Institute Australia (CIIA) indicate that project team effectiveness significantly influences CTP. Project complexity also was found to significantly contribute to CTP. However, no residential projects were studied in that survey. This paper reports upon CTP research undertaken into Australian multi‐unit residential construction that fills this theory gap. Results indicate that the construction management (CM) team's effectiveness in managing theconstruction process has a major but not predominant role in influencing CTP. Team communication effectiveness and teamwork factors are also essential factors influencing CTP. Other factors found to affect CTP include: design team's management style; intra‐team working relationships; the degree of experience and expertise for the same type and size of project; procurement method; and the level of the CM team's current workload.

Conclusions flowing from an investigation of the literature together with the results of two recent research studies suggest that the relationship quality between the client representative (CR), the design team and the team undertaking construction management activities is a major factor governing construction time performance (CTP). While the managerial performance of the manager of the construction team was found to be a pivotal factor, the interaction between the CR and the construction management team was found to be crucial in facilitating good CTP, i.e. achieving a fast build rate. One interesting and valuable insight gained from the research studies reviewed in the present paper suggests that selection of a CR should be based on the capacity of the CR to gain the confidence of the project team. The CR characteristics which are significantly associated with good CTP are also discussed. It is proposed that these provide useful selection guidelines for appointing the appropriate person or team to represent the client's interests within the project coalition.

Reports the findings of a research study, which was undertaken to examine the underlying factors affecting the quality of a building project. Aims to identify factors that showed a strong correlation to good quality performance. The ultimate goal is to provide clients, project managers, designers and contractors with information that can help them become more efficient with their limited resources and, as a result, achieve better quality outcomes. A total of 110 recently‐completed building projects in Hong Kong were examined and analysed. Using factor analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis, factors affecting the quality of the building project were identified. It was shown that project management action by the project team was the most powerful predictor of client’s satisfaction with quality. Other factors included effectiveness of the construction team leader, the client’s emphasis on quality, and the client’s emphasis on time.

This paper is aimed at identifying the common approaches for improving constructability and evaluating their effectiveness of implementation.

A comprehensive survey has been carried out on contemporary literature, i.e. from 1990 onwards, to trace the development of the buildability and constructability concepts and the common approaches of improvement.

Results show that buildability is mainly concerned with design, quality of built products, ease of construction, as well as efficient and economical construction. Constructability emphasises integration of construction knowledge and experience at various project stages; optimisation of different project requirements to achieve overall goals; and ease of construction. Therefore, “constructability” embraces the concept of “buildability”. The implementation of Quantified Assessment, Constructability Review and Constructability Programmes are the three commonly adopted approaches.

Improvement measures should be implemented at the design stage, whereas improved constructability would eventually bring about tangible benefits in terms of time, cost, quality and safety. The Quantified Assessment approach appears to be the most practicable way of improving constructability.

Up till now, there have been very limited studies providing an evaluation of different approaches for improving constructability. The study has offered an insight into the commonly adopted improvement measures, highlighting proven success cases, hence enabling effective strategies to be developed for enhancing constructability.

International comparisons of contractor performance allow contractors in different countries to distinguish their own strengths and weaknesses and improve their competitiveness accordingly. Based on a survey of contractors in Japan, the UK and the US, contractor time performance is evaluated and compared. It is found that Japanese contractors achieve shorter construction times and higher levels of time certainty than their UK and US counterparts. Furthermore, anticipated delays are far shorter in Japan and levels of client satisfaction are significantly higher than in the US and UK. The superior performance of Japanese contractors may be attributed to their working practices which were characterized by the use of a larger workforce on site, detailed planning, close working relationships with their subcontractors, and an overriding focus on time certainty.

The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach to addressing increasing sustainable challenges facing China's built environment which are linked to a diverse range of factors including rapid economic and population growth. The research context includes mass urbanisation in and the Chinese construction industry's attitude towards adopting sustainable construction processes. The focus is placed on examining current on-site construction practices in China which have historically remained largely unchanged; this includes a high reliance on cheap labour accompanied by a substantial material waste. An alternative approach is to increase the uptake of off-site production in China's residential construction industry, however no previous studies have investigated the potential advantages and barriers of this alternative approach.

In collaboration with an industry organisation a survey was completed by 110 construction professionals in China. The questionnaire referred to 21 individual factors relating to their perception about the current and potential future uptake of off-site production in construction processes in China.

The results confirmed the existing level of off-site production in China's urban residential construction industry was relatively low. At present the cast-in-situ method was considered by stakeholders as the most effective approach. The findings also confirmed the benefits of off-site production are not fully understood by the housing construction industry in China. It is argued this knowledge gap reduces the Chinese construction industry's motivation levels when seeking to embrace the off-site production approach and adopt improved sustainable construction practices.

This is an original study designed to address a gap in knowledge as there has been no previous research conducted into the use of off-site industrialised process in China. The results provide a valuable insight into the uptake of off-site production in the residential construction industry and will assist stakeholders and policymakers to increase the level of sustainability.

A change order is an order from an employer authorizing a variation. Success in managing change orders results in uninterrupted construction operations and an agreed final project cost as well as duration. One of the methods to manage change orders is to establish good communication and cooperation among project team members. Success of this method can be enhanced by developing and utilizing a web‐based change order management system that supports documentation practice, communication and integration between different team members in the change order workflow. This paper discusses our web‐based project management system, change order management system (COMS), to manage change orders using the Internet. In order to show COMS’ potential benefits, a test case was conducted for comparing the COMS with the conventional practice of change order management.

The paper seeks to provide recommendations for construction clients who design and implement financial incentive mechanisms (FIMs) on projects.

Four large Australian building projects commissioned by government clients under managing contractor contracts and completed between 2001 and 2005 were examined to explore the “drivers” that promoted motivation toward financial incentive goals. The results were triangulated across data sources, projects and stakeholder types.

FIM design should incorporate: flexibility to modify goals and measurement procedures over time; multiple goals covering different project areas; distribution of rewards across all the key organisations contributing to team performance (e.g. potentially not just the contractor, but the subcontractors and consultants) and a reward amount sufficient to be valued by potential recipients. FIM benefits are maximised through the following complementary procurement initiatives: equitable contract risk allocation; early contractor involvement in design; value‐driven tender selection; relationship workshops; and future work opportunities.

This paper provides practical recommendations to industry and hence does not emphasise theoretical aspects.

The uptake of these recommendations is likely to increase the impact of FIMs on motivation and improve project and industry outcomes. Although the study focuses on government clients of building projects, all the recommendations would seem to apply equally to private‐sector clients and to non‐building projects.

In order to improve motivation and reward high performance, clients are increasingly using FIM in their construction contracts. Despite the rising use of financial incentives, there is a lack of comprehensive construction‐specific knowledge available to help clients maximise outcomes. The study addresses this gap in the literature.