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1 – 10 of 430Felix Hübner, Rebekka Volk, Anna Kühlen and Frank Schultmann
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of literature and methods that can be used for deconstruction project planning of buildings. Furthermore…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of literature and methods that can be used for deconstruction project planning of buildings. Furthermore, shortcomings of the identified planning methods are presented and research gaps are identified.
Design/methodology/approach
Requirements to consider for the planning of deconstruction projects are defined, to help in the classification of planning methods. With the help of these requirements, in a detailed literature review strategic and operational planning methods for deconstruction projects are investigated and discussed. Requirements which are not met by any of the identified planning methods can be interpreted as research and/or documentation gaps.
Findings
On the one hand, the literature review shows that recent approaches deal with planning methods for deterministic time and resource scheduling. Furthermore, project costs can be well planned by several methods. On the other hand, the literature review reveals that recent approaches mostly do not consider risks and uncertainties, environmental hazards or specific safety issues. A major shortcoming is that applied planning methods can only calculate up to a specific level of detail, e.g. with a limited number of activities, due to a very high computational effort in solving such project planning problems exactly.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that provides an overview of literature and methods for the deconstruction project planning of buildings and it is also the first study that unveils research gaps for future research. Furthermore, the classified planning methods assist in identifying suitable methods for the planning of future deconstruction projects.
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Anish Banerjee and R. Ramesh Nayaka
The purpose of this paper is to investigate building information modelling (BIM) integrated Internet of Things (IoT) architectures extensively and provide comparative evaluation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate building information modelling (BIM) integrated Internet of Things (IoT) architectures extensively and provide comparative evaluation of those against deciding parameters pertaining to their characteristics and subsequent applications in construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper identifies BIM-integrated cyber physical system frameworks, specific to project objectives, comprising of sensors working as physical assets and BIM-based virtual models acting as the cyber component , connected via wired or wireless protocols (e.g. WiFi, Zigbee, near-field communication, mobile-to-mobile, Zwave, 3 G, 4 G, long-term evolution, 5 G and low-power wide-area networks) and their potential applications in decision-making, visual management, logistics and supply chain management, smart building system management and structural performance assessment, etc. Such proposed architectures are evaluated against deciding parameters such as availability, reliability, mobility, performance, management, scalability, interoperability and security and privacy to evaluate their respective efficiencies.
Findings
This study finds that the underlying aim of planned IoT frameworks is to integrate systems and processes for a better information flow and to initiate shift from silo solutions to a smart ecosystem. The efficiencies of such frameworks are completely subjective to their respective project natures, objectives and requirements.
Originality/value
This study is unique in its nature to identify requirements of an efficient BIM-integrated IoT architecture and provide comprehensive insights about potential applications in construction industry.
Details
Keywords
- Smart construction objects (SCOs)
- Building information modelling (BIM)
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- BIM-integrated cyber physical system architecture
- Knowledge-based data management
- Logistics and supply chain management
- Safety management
- Structural performance assessment
- Facility maintenance
- Smart city design
Mayara Regina Munaro and Sergio Fernando Tavares
Design for adaptability and disassembly (DfAD) is an effective method to reduce construction and demolition waste generation, landfill loads and greenhouse gas generation;…
Abstract
Purpose
Design for adaptability and disassembly (DfAD) is an effective method to reduce construction and demolition waste generation, landfill loads and greenhouse gas generation; preserve natural resources; and increase environmental awareness in the construction industry. However, it is an underexplored strategy due to a lack of information about projects and a set of agreed guidelines to guide buildings deconstruction. This study aims to understand how DfAD can support the sector’s transition toward circularity.
Design/methodology/approach
Through an integrative literature review, this study analyzed the current publications and terminologies used, identified the main themes discussed and described the key criteria for integrating deconstruction in the building design stage.
Findings
The results showed that the term DfAD encompasses different ecodesign strategies and is concentrated in six major thematic categories (design and construction principles, tools for DfAD, components and connections for DfAD, barriers, drivers and guidelines for DfAD, existing building stock potential and selective deconstruction process). In total, 60 criteria were presented to guide the deconstruction of buildings, emphasizing standardization, modularization and prefabrication of materials and components as fundamental requirements.
Originality/value
The study highlighted the need to expand the knowledge and training of the design team, establish public policies and tax incentives and develop tools, methods, and circular indicators to enable the implementation of deconstruction strategies for buildings.
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The problem of diverse cash flows associated with a construction “project” appear in four progressive cycles. These are the initiating construction cycle and closing deconstruction…
Abstract
Purpose
The problem of diverse cash flows associated with a construction “project” appear in four progressive cycles. These are the initiating construction cycle and closing deconstruction cycle (devaluation cycle). The effectiveness of any project is given by capitalisation cycle. The optimisation of payback (credit return) cycle is critical for any project.
Design/methodology/approach
For calculate of activity durations, cash flows and even we may use the spreadsheet table as a tool for expression of calculation formulas. This approach may offer a mechanism for answers regarding the sensitivity of manageable parameters (say changes in costs, construction speeds, duration of activity). The problem of optimal capacity expansion of construction work as a time dependent problem is studied in many different applied contexts. Traditional capacity planning usually begins with a forecast of demand on the basis of organisational or technological needs.
Findings
The implementation of a technical project carried out in conditions of high production speeds and low time reserves requires changes in technologies, organisation and preparation of construction. In each specific case, a civil engineer needs to know the economic impacts (the capability of applicable calculations).
Originality/value
It is obvious from the given example, which has the same features as the execution of a series of construction projects in recent years, that the myth of the importance of executing works in large volumes ahead of the deadlines has significant financial consequences.
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Hayford Pittri, Kofi Agyekum, Edward Ayebeng Botchway, João Alencastro, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin and Annabel Morkporkpor Ami Dompey
The design for deconstruction (DfD) technique, a contemporaneous solution to demolition by optimizing disassembly activities to enable reuse, has recently emerged with several…
Abstract
Purpose
The design for deconstruction (DfD) technique, a contemporaneous solution to demolition by optimizing disassembly activities to enable reuse, has recently emerged with several promises to promote the circular economy. However, little attention has been given to its implementation among design professionals, especially in the Global South. Therefore, this study aims to explore the drivers for DfD implementation among design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI).
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a mixed research approach (explanatory sequential design) with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. Data from the survey were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, one-sample t-Test, and normalization value (NV) test after a review of pertinent literature. These data were then validated through semistructured interviews with ten design professionals with in-depth knowledge of DfD.
Findings
The findings revealed that although all ten drivers are important, the eight key drivers for the DfD implementation were identified as, in order of importance, “Availability of computer software applications regarding DfD,” “Inclusion of DfD in the formal education of design professionals,” “Increasing public awareness of the concept of DfD,” “Organizing workshops/seminars for design professionals on the concept of DfD,” “Availability of DfD training,” “Regulation regarding DfD,” “Industry guidance regarding DfD” and “Establishing a market for salvaged construction components.”
Originality/value
This study's findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in Ghana and offer new and additional information and insights into the current state-of-the-art on the factors that drive DfD implementation.
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The improper evaluation and information management of circular economy (CE) (i.e. design, planning, supply chain, waste pile and material hazard) is critical for public health and…
Abstract
Purpose
The improper evaluation and information management of circular economy (CE) (i.e. design, planning, supply chain, waste pile and material hazard) is critical for public health and is a major problem in the waste management of precast concrete (PC) building manufacture and construction and demolition wastes industry. The CE model is particularly problematic for PC building construction projects where the standard practices for the total number of waste building materials are not appropriate and do not match the safe disposal design specification, such as the recent number increase in the Malaysian illegal construction waste pile during the Movement Control Order (11 March 2021, about 5 out of 29 landfills related to states enforcing Act 672). The study aims to develop a framework application (i.e. Building Information Modelling [BIM]) that supports intelligent waste recycling management and sophisticated CE model system solutions.
Design/methodology/approach
Thus, the development of a new BIM-based programming algorithm approach is proposed for optimising CE in accordance with the needs of the current PC building construction schemes. As a precursor to this study, the concepts of CE practices are reviewed and the main features of BIM tools and techniques currently being employed on such projects are presented.
Findings
Sophisticated CE system solutions are described as an essential component of this optimisation to reduce the amount of waste generated at the end of the life cycle of PC building construction projects and to better manage the resources used throughout it.
Originality/value
Finally, the potential for a research framework for developing such a system in the future is presented.
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John Francis McKernan and Katarzyna Kosmala
The paper's purpose is to use religious thought to inform accounting, and in particular to make a contribution to the ongoing debates concerning the merits of rules‐ and…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper's purpose is to use religious thought to inform accounting, and in particular to make a contribution to the ongoing debates concerning the merits of rules‐ and principles‐based accounting systems and the value of a rule‐overriding requirement of fair presentation in financial reporting.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applies to accounting a conception of religion that is heavily influenced by Jacques Derrida's writings on religion and deconstruction. In order to clarify the nature of this religion and to facilitate appreciation of its significance for accounting it is progressively recast, in the paper, first in terms of deconstruction and then in terms of a demand for an infinite justice.
Findings
At the core of the paper, religious responsibility, as a demand for justice, in accounting is explored through Derrida's analysis of the relation between justice and law, which is found to have clear application to accounting in terms of an aporetic tension between an infinite demand for fairness in accounting and accounting regulation.
Practical implications
The analysis implies that the pursuit of justice as fairness in accounting, “doing the truth” in accounting, will always demand the negotiation of an unstable and difficult mediation between the poles of regulation and fairness, the calculable and the incalculable, the possible and the impossible.
Originality/value
The paper draws on the postsecular current in religion to make a novel contribution to the critical and interdisciplinary awareness in accounting that has begun to unsettle the hold that certain modernist dichotomies, such as that of myth and reason, have had on accounting thought.
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Ruchini Senarath Jayasinghe, Nicholas Chileshe and Raufdeen Rameezdeen
The purpose of this paper is to explore the synergies among reverse logistics supply chain (RLSC), quality management (QM) and information management (IM) concepts to enhance the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the synergies among reverse logistics supply chain (RLSC), quality management (QM) and information management (IM) concepts to enhance the effectiveness of demolition waste management (DWM) practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted using 70 articles published between the years of 2006 and 2017, which were subjected to descriptive and thematic analysis.
Findings
The descriptive analysis established that the RLSC concept was dealt within the majority of the publications (61 per cent), followed by concepts related to quality in RLSC (24 per cent). Only 14 per cent of the articles were based on IM concepts related to RLSC. Quality and information are interrelated in the effective implementation of RLSC. The thematic analysis demonstrated that there is a need for using quality parameters in a regulatory environment in an information-based environment. Based on the findings, future research directions were developed.
Research limitations/implications
The study encourages researchers to identify novel directions by combining these three concepts. The study developed a future research agenda regarding use of building information modelling (BIM) for existing buildings under novel technologies; analysis of secondary market demand and supply; and assessment of cost and safety management with quality in a BIM-enabled environment.
Practical implications
The practical implications include the application of sustainable management principles based on stakeholders and the regulatory environment.
Originality/value
Integration of the three concepts is an emerging area. This integration developed a robust approach to achieve QM in RLSC operations under a sound information flow enabling the optimisation of DWM.
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Nicholas Chileshe, Raufdeen Rameezdeen and M. Reza Hosseini
The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyse the perceptions of South Australian construction practitioners on drivers affecting the implementation of reverse logistics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyse the perceptions of South Australian construction practitioners on drivers affecting the implementation of reverse logistics (RL). In this context, RL is defined as the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value or ensuring proper disposal.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight practitioners to collect data and the interview transcripts were analysed using the NVivo (version 10) package. Cluster analysis was used to cross-validate the findings and provide an in-depth insight into the findings.
Findings
The findings indicate that most of the drivers identified in earlier research are relevant for the construction industry. In addition, the study identified some new drivers that are categorised as “targeted demands by an exclusive clientele”. These drivers were found to be complementary to the economic, environmental and social drivers as previously conceptualised. In addition, a set of factors affecting the strength of drivers that had been overlooked in previous studies emanated from the interview analysis. These include the type of project and the attributes of clients, both of which strongly affect the drivers of RL implementation in construction.
Research limitations/implications
The major limitations are the relatively small size of the sample of interviewees and having interviewees from one geographic area with specific socio-economic characteristics.
Practical implications
The identified drivers and the clustering of RL themes could be used by practitioners as a “road map” for the development of appropriate solutions to successfully promote RL within the construction industry. Organisational energies could thus be channelled towards the drivers that need the most improvement.
Originality/value
The study contributes to this research sphere by employing cluster analysis to customise and contextualise the drivers that were previously identified. The study goes beyond the extant literature by discovering the prominent effects of these drivers on the impact of targeted demands by an exclusive clientele. This could be of great value in terms of creating avenues for future investigations on the topic.
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The classic essay, “Can the Subaltern Speak?” by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak takes leftist western intellectuals to task for essentializing subaltern subjectivity. I say this as…
Abstract
Purpose
The classic essay, “Can the Subaltern Speak?” by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak takes leftist western intellectuals to task for essentializing subaltern subjectivity. I say this as someone who is guilty of this very thing and is struggling with this very question in my work as qualitative researcher. While Spivak concludes the essay with a resounding, “No,” she does provide us with a blueprint for conduction effective qualitative analysis using Derridean deconstruction. But after the deconstruction is done, how might I think about intellectual uncertainty and regret? Reflecting on a study of domestic workers I disbanded, in this paper I examine these questions and further query the limits of intellectual representation. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This essay uses ethnography as an approach.
Findings
Through an engagement of the seminal essay, “Can the Subaltern Speak,” I argue that in the ethnographic relationship, researchers will be sure to come up against their own limitations, but that does not mean they should refrain from the work. Rather, being open to seeing our errors, and working through uncertainty and regret, reveals something vitally important about the participants of our study and about ourselves.
Originality/value
This essay adds to the academic discussion on the ethics of researching subaltern subjects, and expands on Antonio Gramsci’s concept of contradictory consciousness.
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