Search results

1 – 10 of 12
Article
Publication date: 30 August 2024

Janet Chang, Xiang Xie and Ajith Kumar Parlikad

This research investigates the capabilities of Cloud-based Building Information Modelling (CBIM) in managing quality asset information, drawing upon software engineers'…

Abstract

Purpose

This research investigates the capabilities of Cloud-based Building Information Modelling (CBIM) in managing quality asset information, drawing upon software engineers' perspectives. Compelling statistics highlight the relationship between building information and environmental sustainability. However, despite the growing utilisation of CBIM in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, a significant knowledge gap remains concerning its effectiveness in maintaining quality asset information.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed an exploratory qualitative approach, utilising semi-structured interviews with thirteen software engineers actively developing technological solutions for the AEC industry. Following thematic analysis, the findings are categorised into four dimensions: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and technological limitations. Subsequently, these findings are analysed in relation to previously identified information quality problems.

Findings

This research reveals that while CBIM improves project coordination and information accessibility, its effectiveness is challenged by the need for manual updates, vulnerability to human errors and dependency on network services. Technological limitations, notably the absence of automated updates for as-built drawings and the risk of data loss during file conversions in the design phase, coupled with its reduced capability to validate context-specific information from the user's viewpoint, emphasise the urgent need for managerial strategies to maximise CBIM's capabilities in addressing information quality problems.

Originality/value

This study augments the understanding of CBIM, highlighting the managerial implications of a robust information management process to safeguard information integrity. This approach fosters sustainable practices anchored in reliable information essential for achieving desired outcomes. The findings also have broader managerial implications, especially for sectors that employ CBIM as an instrumental tool.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 March 2024

Janet Chang, Klaudia Jaskula, Eleni Papadonikolaki, Dimitrios Rovas and Ajith Kumar Parlikad

This research investigates the distinct characteristics of blockchain technology to safeguard against the deterioration of handover information quality in the post-construction…

Abstract

Purpose

This research investigates the distinct characteristics of blockchain technology to safeguard against the deterioration of handover information quality in the post-construction phase. The significance of effective management of handover information is highlighted by global building failures, such as the Grenfell Tower fire in London, UK. Despite existing technological interventions, there remains a paucity of understanding regarding the factors contributing to the decline in the quality of handover information during the post-construction phase.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a multi-case studies approach across five higher education institutions. It involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 52 asset management professionals, uncovering the underlying reasons for the decline in handover information quality. Building on these insights, the study performed a mapping exercise to align these identified factors with blockchain technology features and information quality dimensions, aiming to evaluate blockchain’s potential in managing quality handover information.

Findings

The study findings suggest that blockchain technology offers advantages but has limitations in addressing all the identified quality issues of managing handover information. Due to the lack of an automated process and file-based information exchange, updating handover information still requires an error-prone manual process, leading to potential information loss. Additionally, no solutions are available for encoding drawings for updates and validation.

Originality/value

This study proposes a framework integrating blockchain to enhance the information management process and improve handover information quality.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 July 2023

Justin Zuopeng Zhang, Wu He, Sachin Shetty, Xin Tian, Yuming He, Abhishek Behl and Ajith Kumar Vadakki Veetil

Despite rapid growth in blockchains, there was limited discussion about non-technical and technical factors on blockchain governance in the extant literature. This study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite rapid growth in blockchains, there was limited discussion about non-technical and technical factors on blockchain governance in the extant literature. This study aims to contribute new knowledge to the literature on potential factors affecting the adoption, governance and scale-up of blockchain technologies in the health-care and energy sectors, presented in a holistic framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts the qualitative case study research methodology to research blockchain governance in practice. The authors contacted a national blockchain consortium to conduct their research on the governance issue of blockchain. Two leading case organizations, one from the health-care industry and another from the energy industry, were deliberately selected for their study for their active role and reputation in the consortium and practical experience in blockchain governance.

Findings

The developed framework helps identify potential research gaps or concerns on adopting a blockchain as well as assessing blockchain implementation and governance in other industries. Depending on the circumstances, some of the factors can be either drivers or obstacles to further blockchain development. The different forces may also be more or less evident over time as blockchains develop. The two real-world case studies contribute to the information technology governance literature on blockchain governance.

Originality/value

The results of this case studies will be beneficial for developing theories and empirical models to determine antecedents for achieving consensus and trust in blockchain and testing the relationship between these factors and blockchain governance at different levels. As a result, theories related to the governance of blockchain technologies could be further developed.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2024

Amirreza Rashidi, Hadi Sarvari, Daniel W.M. Chan, Timothy O. Olawumi and David J. Edwards

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the transition from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to digital twins (DT) in the construction industry. Specifically, the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the transition from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to digital twins (DT) in the construction industry. Specifically, the research explores the current state (themes and trends) and future directions of this emerging research domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-stage approach was employed that combines scientometric and systematic review approaches. The scientometric analysis involves quantitative assessment of scientific publications retrieved from the Web of Science database – using software tools like VOSviewer and HistCite. The systematic review involved a rigorous synthesis and evaluation of the existing literature to identify research gaps, themes, clusters and future directions. Clusters obtained from the scientometric analysis of the co-occurrence network were then used as a subject base for a systematic study.

Findings

Emergent findings reveal a rapidly growing interest in BIM-DT integration, with over 90% of publications since 2020. The United Kingdom, China and Italy are the leading contributing countries. Five prominent research clusters identified are: (1) Construction 4.0 technologies; (2) smart cities and urban environments; (3) heritage BIM and laser scanning; (4) asset and facility management; and (5) energy and sustainability. The study highlights the potential of BIM-DT integration for enhancing project delivery, asset management and sustainability practices in the built environment. Moreover, the project’s life cycle operation phase has garnered the most attention from researchers in this field compared to other phases.

Originality/value

This unique study is comprehensive in its approach by combining scientometric and systematic methods to provide a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the BIM-DT research landscape. Unlike previous reviews that focused solely on facility management, this study’s scope covers the entire construction sector. By identifying research gaps, challenges and future directions, this study establishes a solid foundation for researchers exploring this emerging field and envisions the future landscape of BIM-DT integration in the built environment.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 November 2022

K.V. Ansab and S. Pavan Kumar

Electric cars have very little market share in developing countries despite their environmental benefits. Thus, governments have started promoting electric cars by providing…

Abstract

Purpose

Electric cars have very little market share in developing countries despite their environmental benefits. Thus, governments have started promoting electric cars by providing financial incentives to consumers. The current article aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of government financial incentives on consumer electric car adoption in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study followed a quantitative research method that employed a self-administered survey questionnaire. Structural Equation Modelling and Multi-Group Analysis were followed for data analysis.

Findings

The study revealed that financial incentives have an indirect effect on electric car adoption intention rather than a direct effect. In addition, financial incentives were found to have a direct effect on attitude and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). Attitude and PBC positively influenced consumer adoption intention.

Practical implications

The insights and implications from the present study would help policymakers and marketers to formulate better incentive policies and market strategies to increase consumer acceptance of electric cars in developing countries.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by analysing the underlying mechanism that links government financial incentives to electric car adoption intention. This study also explored the direct effect of financial incentives on attitude and PBC, which are less investigated in electric vehicle literature. In addition, the present article also assessed the moderating role of age in electric car adoption, which has mixed evidence in the literature, and such studies are scarce in the Indian context.

Details

South Asian Journal of Business Studies, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-628X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2024

Farhat Haque

This paper aims to focus on the issue of high employee turnover in the Indian tech industry. An integrative review is conducted to analyse the past and current state of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the issue of high employee turnover in the Indian tech industry. An integrative review is conducted to analyse the past and current state of literature, as well as prepare a research agenda for future studies.

Design/methodology/approach

A pool of 72 articles published between 2010 and 2022 is reviewed with a special focus on Indian tech employees. This study elucidates the extent and impact of employee retention strategies through content analysis.

Findings

Two broad perspectives have been established in the literature: the reasons for quitting and the explanations for staying. By means of a comprehensive review, this paper combines these two aspects of literature and suggests factors under organization’s control to retain competent tech employees.

Originality/value

The study is designed to integrate the two theoretical viewpoints of employee turnover literature by consolidating the reasons behind quitting behaviour and staying intention. Codes combining the two aspects are presented as a valuable resource to retain tech talent.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2024

Hillal M. Elshehabey

The purpose of this paper is to present numerical simulations for magnetohydrodynamics natural convection of a nanofluid flow inside a cavity with an H-shaped obstacle based on…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present numerical simulations for magnetohydrodynamics natural convection of a nanofluid flow inside a cavity with an H-shaped obstacle based on combining artificial neural network (ANN) with the finite element method (FEM), and predict the heat transfer rate and system entropy.

Design/methodology/approach

The enclosure is assumed to be inclined. Changing the inclination angle results in a different obstacle shape, which affects the buoyancy force. Hence, different configurations of the contours of the fluid flow, isotherms and the entropy of the system are obtained. The outer walls of the cavity as well as the central part of the obstacle are kept adiabatic. The left vertical portion of the hindrance is cooled, whereas the right vertical part of the obstacle is a heated wall. Using dimensionless variables allows obtaining a dimensionless version of the governing system of equations that is solved via the consistency FEM. The coupled problem of pressure and velocity is overcome via the Increment Pressure Correction Scheme, which is known for its accuracy and stability for similar simple problems. A numerical computation is performed across a broad range of the governing parameters. A total of 304 data sets were used in the development of an ANN model. That data set was conducted from the numerical simulations. The data set underwent optimization, with 70% sets used for training the model, 15% for validation and another 15% for the testing phase. The training of the network model used the Levenberg–Marquardt training algorithm.

Findings

From the numerical simulations, it is concluded that the H-shaped obstacle boosts heat transfer rate in comparison with the I-shaped case. Also, raising the value of the inclination angle improves the entropy of the system presented by the Bejen number. Furthermore, strength heat transfer rate is obtained via decreasing the Hartmann number while this decrease decays the values of the Bejen number for both positive and negative amounts of the nonlinear Boussinesq parameter. Slower velocity and a better heat transfer rate characterize nanofluid compared with pure fluid. Leveraging the capabilities of the ANN, the developed model adeptly forecasts the values of both the average Nusselt and Bejen numbers with a high degree of accuracy.

Originality/value

A novel fusion of FEM and ANN has been tailored to forecast the heat transfer rate and system entropy of MHD natural convective flow within an inclined cavity containing an H-shaped obstacle, amid various physical influences.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 May 2024

Alshaymaa Foudah, May Tarek, Sarah Essam, Mostafa El Hawary, Kareem Adel and Mohamed Marzouk

This study aims to thoroughly explore and visualize the trends and developments of digital twin (DT) literature in the construction field while revealing future research…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to thoroughly explore and visualize the trends and developments of digital twin (DT) literature in the construction field while revealing future research directions for further exploration and exploitation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research follows a three-stage methodology. First, the bibliographic data is acquired using the Web of Science database. Second, the bibliometric methods are defined to include co-authorship analysis, citation analysis, keywords co-occurrence, thematic mapping while the software tools include MS Excel, VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. Third, analysis and findings include yearly DT publication output, influential DT publications, leading DT contributors, top DT sources and science mapping of DT literature.

Findings

This study identifies top-cited DT publications (35 out of 320) in terms of citations score, local citations score and document average citations per year. Furthermore, the key contributors with respect to authors (58 out of 1147), organizations (55 out of 427) and countries (19 out of 51) are recognized in terms of productivity, influence, activeness and scientific value. Similarly, the major publishing sources (24 out of 58) are identified using the same measures. Regarding science mapping, the DT domain comprises four research frontiers, namely, deep learning and smart city, internet of things and blockchain, DT and building information modeling and machine learning and asset management.

Originality/value

Through a mixed-review strategy, this study introduces a comprehensive analysis of DT literature while avoiding the subjectivity/cognitive bias of traditional review approaches. Moreover, it illuminates the promising and rising DT themes for new/seasoned researchers, institutions, editorial boards and funding agencies.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2024

Ajith Tom James

The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the assessment of service quality of bus fleet services based on the service quality influencing factors. The paper also…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the assessment of service quality of bus fleet services based on the service quality influencing factors. The paper also tries to evolve a quantitative measure for fleet service quality in the form of a fleet service quality index.

Design/methodology/approach

A graph theoretical approach is employed in this paper for bus fleet service quality assessment. Modelling of fleet service quality factors and their interrelations with due attention towards their structure is achieved through graph theory. A directed graph (digraph) of the service quality is developed, where its nodes represent factors influencing the quality while its edges show the degree of interrelationships. A matrix, which is equivalent to the digraph, is established that will generate a service quality function that will result in the development of a fleet service quality index (FSQI).

Findings

Attaining customer satisfaction through assurance of quality is the cornerstone of the existence and survival of any business organization, and bus fleet services are no exception to this. Several influential factors are there for the bus fleet service quality. This research paper has identified factors such as fleet management practices, operational characteristics, safety and reliability features, travel comfort, bus maintenance and environmental concerns that affect fleet service quality. Every factor is composed of distinct sub-factors. Furthermore, these factors are linked with one another. A higher value of the fleet service quality index indicates the adequate performance of the bus fleet service organization.

Practical implications

The methodology is useful for not only evaluating but also for comparison of service quality of different fleet agencies or organizations. The perceptions would be useful to the fleet service managers to create procedures and arrangements for improving the service quality.

Originality/value

The paper identifies various service quality factors of the bus fleet and an evaluation scheme for those factors has been developed. Based on these, a framework had been developed for the assessment of the service quality of different fleet service providers.

Details

Journal of Advances in Management Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-7981

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 April 2024

Naveen Srinivas Madugula, Yogesh Kumar, Vimal K.E.K and Sujeet Kumar

The purpose of this paper is to improve the productivity and quality of the wire arc additive manufacturing process by benchmarking the strategies from the selected six…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the productivity and quality of the wire arc additive manufacturing process by benchmarking the strategies from the selected six strategies, namely, heat treatment process, inter pass cooling process, inter pass cold rolling process, peening process, friction stir processing and oscillation process.

Design/methodology/approach

To overcome the lack of certainty associated with correlations and relationships in quality functional deployment, fuzzy numbers have been integrated with the quality functional deployment framework. Twenty performance measures have been identified from the literature under five groups, namely, mechanical properties, physical properties, geometrical properties, cost and material properties. Using house of quality weights are allocated to performance measures and groups, relationships are established between performance measures and strategies, and correlations are assigned between strategies. Finally, for each strategy, relative importance, score and crisp values are calculated.

Findings

Inter pass cold rolling process strategy is computed with the highest crisp value of 15.80 which is followed by peening process, heat treatment process, friction stir processing, inter pass cooling process,] and oscillation process strategy.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has been no research in the literature that analyzes the strategies to improve the quality and productivity of the wire arc additive manufacturing process.

1 – 10 of 12