Search results

Construction defects in residential buildings are causing significant impacts both on consumers and the industry. As a consequence, several countries have established new home warranty schemes. However, designing a public policy for domestic building warranties can become a difficult task. In fact, many of these programs in the past have failed, collapsed or gone bankrupt. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to provide a systematic comparative representation of various active programs internationally.

The methodology relied on a multiple-case study research design. The case selection covered a total of nine jurisdictions with compulsory home warranty programs. Those included Japan, France, United Kingdom, three provinces in Canada (Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta), and three states in Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland). The study applied a data collection protocol to gather all the evidence in a replicable manner for each individual case. Subsequently, a cross-case analysis was conducted to identify similarities and variations between programs.

The findings unveiled institutional practices that aimed to resolve, compensate, or rectify defects in residential constructions within these countries. The review mostly suggested that every home warranty program presents certain unique characteristics. At the end, this paper proposed an analytical illustration representing the diversification of components adopted by each jurisdiction.

Nowadays, there is still not a consensus within the academic community on what is an optimal solution when conceiving a new home warranty program. Hence, the current study aims to fill this knowledge gap by presenting the plurality of methods employed by several countries. This paper seeks to help policy makers and industry leaders to improve their home warranty scheme based on awareness derived from observations and analyses of what has been accomplished elsewhere in the world.

Despite the quantity of collaborations, the vocational network of the housing production in Ankara during its first five years (1923–1928) remains dispersed. The aim of this study is to identify all the actors of housing production and their collaborations which shaped Ankara's urban development as the new capital city.

The study engages with the literature and archival documents to identify the actors of the housing production, i.e. architects, master-builders, public institutions, private companies, contractors and entrepreneurs, and their resultant vocational network in the housing production in Ankara during 1923–1928.

Due to different agendas, such as speculation, financial interests or patriotism, the construction industry in Ankara had become an arena where many paths intersected, forming an intertwined vocational network. The profession of contractor became popular, and local architects, engineers and even individuals of various other professions began to work as mediators for foreign companies and public institutions, which required support especially in large-scale projects.

The dispersed information revealed that the actors of the housing production remained mostly anonymous, or only the famous architects were commemorated; however, others could be found within the lines of the established literature on Ankara and/or in archival documents. This research not only focuses on “salient” actors but also highlights the “silent” actors of the housing production and prepares charts to clarify the vocational network in Ankara during its first five years to contribute to the future studies on Ankara and its housing.

Due to the need to enhance the buildability of building designs in building construction industry, a buildability assessment framework was developed for use in Nigeria. This paper aims to investigate and determine the factors influencing buildability assessment implementation in the Nigerian construction industry with the view to improving buildability of building designs. To address the aim, this study will provide answers to the following research question: what are the factors hindering and supporting the implementation of buildability assessment in the Nigerian construction industry?

Survey research method was adopted for the study. Questionnaires were administered to purposively selected group of architects, engineers, builders and quantity surveyors involved in construction project delivery within the client, consulting and contracting organisations in Nigeria. A total of 368 questionnaires were distributed among the sampled participants, out of which a total of 219 representing 60% were sufficiently filled and returned. Data collected were analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics.

The results revealed owner’s commitment, clients’ awareness of the benefits of conducting buildability assessment on building design, unity among different professionals in the construction industry, designers consider buildability important, adequate coordination among different design disciplines, adequate channel for coordination and communication between designers and constructors at the design stage and adequate support from the government as the topmost seven factors supporting buildability assessment implementation in the construction sector of Nigeria. Second, the study revealed that poor coordination among different design disciplines, lack of buildability assessment awareness, design review pattern where construction personnel (builders) are invited to assess the building production information, unwillingness to invest extra money and effort during the early stage of project and designers value aesthetics and functionalities more than buildability in their designs are the topmost five factors hindering buildability assessment implementation in the Nigerian construction industry.

The study provides detailed insights into the factors supporting and hindering buildability assessment implementation in the Nigerian construction industry. The findings indicate the need to enlighten principal stakeholders in construction about buildability and the outcome of the buildability assessment tool. This information can motivate principal stakeholders in implementing and practising buildability assessment.

Construction industry is a vital sector for economic and national development. However, the industry suffers buildability problems. Improving construction projects buildability is the duty of every key stakeholder. Thus, this study aims to identify and evaluate the project designers’ roles in improving construction projects buildability in Nigeria.

This study adopted quantitative research method. A purposive sampling approach was used in identifying the representative sample for the administration of the questionnaire survey. A total of 122 questionnaires were distributed to the targeted construction professionals, out of which 93 questionnaires were sufficiently filled and returned, representing a response rate of 76%. This study used descriptive and inferential statistics for data analyses.

The results from factors analysis show that the roles of project designers in improving construction projects buildability in Nigeria can be categorised into two constructs: “discuss fully the design objectives with builders” and “prepare cost effective and buildable designs”.

This study contributed to more effective buildability studies by highlighting the roles of project designers in improving construction projects buildability in the construction industry. An understanding of these roles is vital for reducing buildability problems as well as for improving and embedding buildability as a practice in construction management.

This study examines the deployment of excellent retired principals (ERPs) as system leaders to facilitate systemic professional capital building in Taipei City, Taiwan. It explores the unique approach of the Taipei City government and contributions of ERPs in driving educational reforms.

This study combines the perspectives of system leadership and professional capital, and analyzes the roles and practices of ERPs in promoting professional capital in Taipei's local education system. It draws on qualitative data gathered through interviews and document analyses.

The findings reveal that the Taipei City government adopted a systemic approach by appointing designated retired principals as system leaders. The findings are categorized into three themes. ERPs serve as systemic capacity-builders, enhancing leadership across the local education system; ERPs act as collaborators and bridge-builders, fostering joint work and a collective sense of professional responsibility; and ERPs function as facilitators and advisors, cultivating decisional capital by providing informed decision-making support based on their experiences and wisdom. These roles challenge the notion of late-career decline, highlight the ongoing contributions of ERPs to the education system, and extend professional capital beyond teacher development, influencing system-wide collective capacity-building, collective responsibility, and policy enactments.

This study contributes to understanding how exceptional retired principals can drive systemic reform and build systemic professional capital. It expands previous research by highlighting the unique Chinese cultural context in Taipei City and continued contributions of retired principals to the education system.

In this chapter the potential to use water-based Trombe walls to provide heated water for building applications during the summer months is investigated. Design Builder software is used to model a simple single-story building with a south-facing Trombe wall. The effects of using different thermal storage mediums within the Trombe wall on building heating loads during the winter and building cooling loads during the summer are modeled. The amount of thermal energy stored and temperature of water within the thermal storage medium during hot weather conditions were also simulated. On a sunny day on Toronto, Canada, the average temperature of the water in a Trombe wall integrated into a single-story building can reach ∼57°C, which is high enough to provide for the main hot water usages in buildings. Furthermore, the amount of water heated is three times greater than that required in an average household in Canada. The results from this work suggest that water-based Trombe walls have great potential to enhance the flexibility and utility of Trombe walls by providing heated water for building applications during summer months, without compromising performance during winter months.

Improving buildability of building designs with the aid of buildability assessment is essential because of the effect of designs on construction. Despite the plethora of research into buildability reported over the years, a review of the literature shown a dearth of research into the factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment. Because buildability assessment has been confirmed to be highly beneficial to construction business, this study aims to investigate the factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment as a tool for buildability improvement using Nigeria as a representative case.

Survey research method was adopted for the study. Questionnaires were administered to a purposively selected group of architects, engineers, builders and quantity surveyors involved in construction project delivery within client, consulting and contracting organisations in Nigeria. A total of 368 questionnaires were distributed among the sampled participants, out of which, a total of 219 representing 60% were sufficiently filled and returned. Data collected were analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics.

The results revealed owner’s commitment, clients’ awareness of the benefits of conducting buildability assessment on building design, unity amongst different professionals in the construction industry, designers consider buildability important, adequate coordination amongst different design disciplines, adequate channel for co-ordination and communication between designers and constructors at the design stage and adequate support from the government as the top most seven factors supporting buildability assessment implementation in construction sector of Nigeria. Secondly, the results from the research revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in factors supporting buildability assessment implementation in construction between clients and consulting and contracting construction organisations in Nigeria.

The findings provide in-depth insight of the factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment in construction that can help principal stakeholders in construction to facilitate development of strategies required in supporting the adoption and implementation of buildability assessment tool for buildability improvement.

This study sheds light on a hitherto understudied group in family business literature: widows. We explore the roles a widow may take following the unexpected death of her owner-manager spouse when she had no salient role in the business prior to the death.

We used a qualitative approach to research, to study inductively the roles considered and taken by three widows who unexpectedly succeeded as owners of Swedish privately held family firms. We conducted semi-structured interviews with widows and children in top management.

We construct a typology of four main roles a widow can take and analyse the underlying dimensions that they represent. We also analyse to which extent the choice of role widow can be explained by psychological ownership and double-loss theory. The typology can be used as a tool for family business owners and their advisors as the basis of an open and non-prejudiced discussion of the choices available to a widow.

We have investigated the factors that influence a widow's decision whether to take over the business or not, as suggested in previous research by, for example, Martinez et al. (2009). We explore the roles a widow can consider and adopt. The study advances our understanding of how businesses can remain as family firms also in the event of the unexpected death of an owner-manager (De Massis et al., 2008). We hereby contribute to the literature on sudden successions and on women in family businesses.

The application of good buildability practices is vital for improving the performance of projects and businesses in the construction sector. Despite the plethora of research into buildability in construction in the previous years, there is little information concerning how buildability practice can be successfully implemented. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that explains how buildability practice can be implemented successfully in the construction industry.

The paper uses an integrative literature review method to synthesise literature from different domains to describe various themes by which buildability assessment can be successfully implemented in the construction industry.

The findings of the review of literature conceptualised a buildability implementation framework at four principal themes: buildability attributes for improving the practice of construction management, factors supporting the implementation of buildability assessment, measures for improving the buildability of building designs and factors impeding the implementation of buildability assessment.

The outcome of this study contributes to knowledge in three different ways. First, the framework emerging from this study provides guidance to stakeholders on strategies for the successful implementation of buildability. Second, the information gathered in this study is useful for the development of buildability assessment tool. Finally, the framework has a potential of improving the practice of embedding buildability into designs. The detailed descriptions of the relevant variables at each principal theme advance the understanding of buildability in the construction industry and are fundamental to developing buildability assessment tools for the industry.

The main objective of this study was to establish a model of competitiveness factors to measure the value of construction companies adequately.

A theoretical model of four main factors was developed, and they include human capital, ethical values, process innovation and financing. Information was collected from 18 construction companies in the city of Metropolitan Lima, collecting information on each of these factors. Through an analysis of the principal components, the weighting of each factor about the competitiveness of a construction company was determined.

The cost of person-hours, the cost of equipment to execute work, and the cost of materials used are the strongest indicators to measure the competitiveness of a construction company. On the other hand, the number of employees holding university degrees and the number of master builders holding technical degrees in the human capital factor also have a moderate weight in determining the competitiveness value of a company. The indicator of work delivered within the deadline also moderately affects competitiveness. Finally, the monthly debt payment indicator has a very small effect on the company’s competitiveness.

In conclusion, this study provides evidence of a competitiveness model with highly related factors on human capital, process innovation and ethical values as the most important in measuring competitiveness.

El objetivo principal de la investigación fue establecer un modelo de factores de competitividad para medir adecuadamente el valor de las empresas constructoras.

Se desarrolló un modelo teórico de cuatro factores principales, que incluyen el capital humano, los valores éticos, la innovación de procesos y el financiamiento. Se recolectó información de 18 empresas constructoras de la ciudad de Lima Metropolitana, recolectando información de cada uno de estos factores. A través de un análisis de componentes principales se determinó la ponderación de cada uno de ellos sobre la competitividad de una empresa constructora.

El costo de horas hombre, el costo de los equipos para ejecutar obras y el costo de material utilizado son los indicadores más fuertes para medir la competitividad de una empresa constructora. Por otro lado, la cantidad de empleados con títulos universitarios y la cantidad de maestros de obra con título técnico del factor de capital humano también tienen un peso moderado en la determinación del valor de competitividad de una empresa. El indicador de obras entregadas dentro de plazo también tiene un efecto moderado sobre la competitividad. Finalmente, el indicador de pago mensual de la deuda tiene un efecto muy pequeño sobre la competitividad de la empresa.

En conclusión, el estudio proporciona evidencia de un modelo de competitividad con factores altamente relacionados sobre el capital humano, la innovación de procesos y los valores éticos como los más importantes a la hora de medir la competitividad.