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1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 19 October 2023

Nurol Huda Dahalan, Rahimi A. Rahman, Saffuan Wan Ahmad and Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim

This study aims to examine the performance indicators (PIs) for assessing environmental management plan (EMP) implementation in road construction projects. The specific objectives…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the performance indicators (PIs) for assessing environmental management plan (EMP) implementation in road construction projects. The specific objectives are to compare the key PIs between environment auditors and environment officers and among project stakeholders, develop components to categorize interrelated key PIs and evaluate the effectiveness of interrelated key PIs and components.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty-nine PIs were identified through a systematic literature review and in-depth interviews with environmental professionals. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was designed based on this list of PIs and distributed to industry professionals. Sixty-one responses were collected in Malaysia and analyzed using the mean score ranking, normalization, agreement analysis, overlap analysis, factor analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation.

Findings

The analyses identified 18 key PIs: soil erosion, dust appearance, spill of chemical substance, construction waste, clogged drainage, overflowed silt trap, oil/fuel spills, changes in the colour of bodies of water, excessive cut and fill, vegetation depletion, changes in the colour of the runoff water, landslide occurrence, slope failures, irregular flood, public safety, deforestation, open burning and increased of schedule waste. Also, the key PIs can be grouped and ranked into the following four components: geological, pollution, environmental changes and ecological. Finally, the overall importance of the key PIs is between important and very important.

Originality/value

This study is a pioneer in quantitively examining the key PIs for EMP implementation in road construction projects. Researchers, industry practitioners and policymakers can use the findings to develop strategies and tools to allow public monitoring of EMP implementation.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 April 2024

Jorge Furtado Falorca

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study carried out to identify and analyse which potential subject areas may have impact on developments in the field of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study carried out to identify and analyse which potential subject areas may have impact on developments in the field of building maintenance (BM). That is, it is intended to contribute to the integration of new approaches so that building maintenance management (BMM) becomes as automated, digital and intelligent or smartness as possible in the near future.

Design/methodology/approach

The research approach has resulted in a theory that is essentially based on a qualitative design. The route followed was a literature review, involving the collection, analysis and interpretation of carefully selected information, mostly from recently published records. The data assembled and the empirical experience itself made it possible to present a comprehensive viewpoint and some future outlooks.

Findings

Five thematic areas considered as potentially impactful for BM developments have been highlighted, analysed and generically labelled as thematic base words, which are monitoring, automation, digitalisation, intelligence and smart. It is believed that these may be aspects that will lay the groundwork for a much more advanced and integrated agenda, featured by a high-tech vision.

Originality/value

This is thought to be a different way of looking at the problem, as it addresses five current issues together. Trendy technological aspects are quite innovative and advantageous for BMM, providing opportunities not yet widely explored and boosting the paradigm shift.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2024

Gang Yu, Zhiqiang Li, Ruochen Zeng, Yucong Jin, Min Hu and Vijayan Sugumaran

Accurate prediction of the structural condition of urban critical infrastructure is crucial for predictive maintenance. However, the existing prediction methods lack precision due…

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Abstract

Purpose

Accurate prediction of the structural condition of urban critical infrastructure is crucial for predictive maintenance. However, the existing prediction methods lack precision due to limitations in utilizing heterogeneous sensing data and domain knowledge as well as insufficient generalizability resulting from limited data samples. This paper integrates implicit and qualitative expert knowledge into quantifiable values in tunnel condition assessment and proposes a tunnel structure prediction algorithm that augments a state-of-the-art attention-based long short-term memory (LSTM) model with expert rating knowledge to achieve robust prediction results to reasonably allocate maintenance resources.

Design/methodology/approach

Through formalizing domain experts' knowledge into quantitative tunnel condition index (TCI) with analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a fusion approach using sequence smoothing and sliding time window techniques is applied to the TCI and time-series sensing data. By incorporating both sensing data and expert ratings, an attention-based LSTM model is developed to improve prediction accuracy and reduce the uncertainty of structural influencing factors.

Findings

The empirical experiment in Dalian Road Tunnel in Shanghai, China showcases the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can comprehensively evaluate the tunnel structure condition and significantly improve prediction performance.

Originality/value

This study proposes a novel structure condition prediction algorithm that augments a state-of-the-art attention-based LSTM model with expert rating knowledge for robust prediction of structure condition of complex projects.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 March 2024

Bai Liu, Tao Ju, Jiarui Lu and Hing Kai Chan

This research investigates whether focal firms employ strategic supply chain information disclosure, focusing on the concealment of supplier and customer identities, as part of…

Abstract

Purpose

This research investigates whether focal firms employ strategic supply chain information disclosure, focusing on the concealment of supplier and customer identities, as part of their supply chain environmental risk management strategies (supplier sustainability risk and customer loss risk, respectively).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a panel dataset of Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2019 and utilizing the suppliers’ environmental punishment of peer firms (peer events) as an exogenous shock and employing ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation, this study conducts a regression analysis to test how focal firms disclose the identities of their suppliers and customers.

Findings

Our results indicate that focal firms prefer to hide the identities of their suppliers and customers following the environmental punishment of peer firms’ suppliers. In addition, supplier concentration weakens the effect of withholding supplier identities, whereas customer concentration strengthens the effect of hiding customer identities. Mechanism analysis shows that firms hide supplier identities to avoid their reputation being affected and hide customer identities to prevent the deterioration of customers’ reputations and thus impact their market share.

Originality/value

Our study reveals that reputation spillover is another crucial factor in supply chain transparency. It is also pioneering in applying the anonymity theory to explain focal firms’ information disclosure strategy in supply chains.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2023

Omid Alijani Mamaghani and Mohammad Zolfaghari

Gas transmission pipelines are at constant risk of gas leakage or fire due to various atmospheric environments, corrosion on pipe metal surfaces and other external factors. This…

Abstract

Purpose

Gas transmission pipelines are at constant risk of gas leakage or fire due to various atmospheric environments, corrosion on pipe metal surfaces and other external factors. This study aims to reduce the human and financial risks associated with gas transmission by regularly monitoring pipeline performance, controlling situations and preventing disasters.

Design/methodology/approach

Facility managers can monitor the status of gas transmission lines in real-time by integrating sensor information into a building information modeling (BIM) 3D model. Using the Monitoring Panel plugin, coded in C# programming language and operated through Navisworks software, the model provides up-to-date information on pipeline safety and performance.

Findings

By collecting project information on the BIM and installing critical sensors, this approach allows facility manager to observe the real-time safety status of gas pipelines. If any risks of gas leakage or accidents are identified by the sensors, the BIM model quickly shows the location of the incident, enabling facility managers to make the best decisions to reduce financial and life risks. This intelligent gas transmission pipeline approach changes traditional risk management and inspection methods, minimizing the risk of explosion and gas leakage in the environment.

Originality/value

This research distinguishes itself from related work by integrating sensor data into a BIM model for real-time monitoring and providing facility managers with up-to-date safety information. By leveraging intelligent gas transmission pipelines, the system enables quick identification and location of potential hazards, reducing financial and human risks associated with gas transmission.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2023

Rajib Chakraborty and Sajal Kumar Dey

This study examines the effects of corporate governance mechanisms on voluntary corporate carbon disclosure in Bangladeshi firms.

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the effects of corporate governance mechanisms on voluntary corporate carbon disclosure in Bangladeshi firms.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the association between corporate governance mechanisms and corporate carbon disclosures, this study employs ordinary least square (OLS) methods. To mitigate the potential endogeneity concerns, the authors also introduce firm fixed effect (FE) and random effect (RE). Primarily, the study sample includes 250 firm-year observations over the period 2015–2019 for listed companies on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) in Bangladesh. Subsequently, corporate governance mechanisms that influence voluntary carbon disclosure were examined using both univariate and OLS models.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that firms with a larger board size and more independent directors have a positive impact on the firm's intensity to disclose carbon-related information. However, no evidence has been found of the existence of an environmental committee, and the presence of female directors on the board tends to be associated with a higher level of voluntary corporate carbon disclosure.

Originality/value

The study offers necessary evidence of the determinants of corporate carbon disclosures, which will be useful for managers, senior executives, policymakers and regulatory bodies. To improve corporate governance practices and formulate separate sets of regulations and reporting criteria, disclosing extensive and holistic carbon-related information obligatory. Further, the outcomes of this study based on Bangladeshi firms can be comprehensive for other developing countries to take precautions to tackle the effect of global climate change.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1026-4116

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 November 2023

Nurol Huda Dahalan, Rahimi A. Rahman, Siti Hafizan Hassan and Saffuan Wan Ahmad

Evaluating the implementation of environmental management plans (EMPs) in highway construction projects is essential to avoid climate change. Public evaluations can help ensure…

Abstract

Purpose

Evaluating the implementation of environmental management plans (EMPs) in highway construction projects is essential to avoid climate change. Public evaluations can help ensure that the EMP is implemented correctly and efficiently. To allow public evaluation of EMP implementations, this study aims to investigate performance indicators (PIs) for assessing EMP implementation in highway construction projects. To that end, the study objectives are to compare the critical PIs between environment auditors (EAs) and environment officers (EOs) and among the main project stakeholders (i.e. clients, contractors and consultants), create components for the critical PIs and assess the efficiency of the components.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper identified 39 PIs from interviews with environmental professionals and a systematic literature review. Then a questionnaire survey was developed based on the PIs and sent to EAs and EOs. The data were analyzed via mean score ranking, normalization, agreement analysis, factor analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE).

Findings

The analyses revealed 21 critical PIs for assessing EMP implementation in highway construction projects. Also, the critical PIs can be grouped into four components: ecological, pollution, public safety and ecological. Finally, the overall importance of the critical PIs from the FSE is between important and very important.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first-of-its-kind study on the critical PIs for assessing EMP implementation in highway construction projects.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 July 2023

Shinta Rahma Diana and Farida Farida

Technology acceptance is a measure of that technology’s usefulness. Oil palm is one of the biggest contributors to Indonesia’s revenues, thus fueling its economy. Using remote…

Abstract

Purpose

Technology acceptance is a measure of that technology’s usefulness. Oil palm is one of the biggest contributors to Indonesia’s revenues, thus fueling its economy. Using remote sensing would allow a plantation to monitor and forecast its production and the amount of fertilizer used. This review aims to provide a policy recommendation in the form of a strategy to improve the added value of Indonesia’s oil palm and support the government in increasing oil palm production. This recommendation needs to be formulated by determining the users’ acceptance of remote sensing technology (state-owned plantations, private plantation companies and smallholder plantations).

Design/methodology/approach

This review’s methodology used sentiment analysis through text mining (bag of words model). The study’s primary data were from focus group discussions (FGDs), questionnaires, observations on participants, audio-visual documentation and focused discussions based on group category. The results of interviews and FGDs were transcribed into text and analyzed to 1) find words that can represent the content of the document; 2) classify and determine the frequency (word cloud); and finally 3) analyze the sentiment.

Findings

The result showed that private plantation companies and state-owned plantations had extremely high positive sentiments toward using remote sensing in their oil palm plantations, whereas smallholders had a 60% resistance. However, there is still a possibility for this technology’s adoption by smallholders, provided it is free and easily applied.

Research limitations/implications

Basically, technology is applied to make work easier. However, not everyone is tech-savvy, especially the older generations. One dimension of technology acceptance is user/customer retention. New technology would not be immediately accepted, but there would be user perceptions about its uses and ease. At first, people might be reluctant to accept a new technology due to the perception that it is useless and difficult. Technology acceptance is the gauge of how useful technology is in making work easier compared to conventional ways.

Practical implications

Therefore, technology acceptance needs to be improved among smallholders by intensively socializing the policies, and through dissemination and dedication by academics and the government.

Social implications

The social implications of using technology are reducing the workforce, but the company will be more profitable and efficient.

Originality/value

Remote sensing is one of the topics that people have not taken up in a large way, especially sentiment analysis. Acceptance of technology that utilizes remote sensing for plantations is very useful and efficient. In the end, company profits can be allocated more toward empowering the community and the environment.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2023

Nehal Elshaboury, Eslam Mohammed Abdelkader and Abobakr Al-Sakkaf

Modern human society has continuous advancements that have a negative impact on the quality of the air. Daily transportation, industrial and residential operations churn up…

Abstract

Purpose

Modern human society has continuous advancements that have a negative impact on the quality of the air. Daily transportation, industrial and residential operations churn up dangerous contaminants in our surroundings. Addressing air pollution issues is critical for human health and ecosystems, particularly in developing countries such as Egypt. Excessive levels of pollutants have been linked to a variety of circulatory, respiratory and nervous illnesses. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to forecast air pollution concentrations in Egypt based on time series analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Deep learning models are leveraged to analyze air quality time series in the 6th of October City, Egypt. In this regard, convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory network and multilayer perceptron neural network models are used to forecast the overall concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter 10 µm in diameter (PM10). The models are trained and validated by using monthly data available from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency between December 2014 and July 2020. The performance measures such as determination coefficient, root mean square error and mean absolute error are used to evaluate the outcomes of models.

Findings

The CNN model exhibits the best performance in terms of forecasting pollutant concentrations 3, 6, 9 and 12 months ahead. Finally, using data from December 2014 to July 2021, the CNN model is used to anticipate the pollutant concentrations 12 months ahead. In July 2022, the overall concentrations of SO2 and PM10 are expected to reach 10 and 127 µg/m3, respectively. The developed model could aid decision-makers, practitioners and local authorities in planning and implementing various interventions to mitigate their negative influences on the population and environment.

Originality/value

This research introduces the development of an efficient time-series model that can project the future concentrations of particulate and gaseous air pollutants in Egypt. This research study offers the first time application of deep learning models to forecast the air quality in Egypt. This research study examines the performance of machine learning approaches and deep learning techniques to forecast sulfur dioxide and particular matter concentrations using standard performance metrics.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2024

Masoud Bagherpasandi, Mahdi Salehi, Zohreh Hajiha and Rezvan Hejazi

Organizations experience various issues with the optimum use of data. This study is qualitative research to identify and provide a helpful pattern for increasing the performance…

Abstract

Purpose

Organizations experience various issues with the optimum use of data. This study is qualitative research to identify and provide a helpful pattern for increasing the performance of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).

Design/methodology/approach

The statistical population in the qualitative section includes managers and experts in the supply chain (SC) and food production. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews, and data saturation happens after the tenth interview. Then, the data were coded using grounded theory and qualitative research analysis. 384 questionnaires were distributed among employees via random sampling. SmartPLS software is used to investigate and analyze the relationships in the mentioned model through 13 core categories.

Findings

The findings indicate that organizational productivity and SC deficiencies are among the effective factors in the SSCM primarily identified by this study. Moreover, the findings propose that industry SC, macro policies, organizational performance, social factors, economic factors, organizational factors, political factors, technological factors, production and customer are likely to positively impact the SSCM, which have previously been documented by studies.

Originality/value

The model and concepts extracted from the responses of research participants show well that there are reasons and motivations for increasing the performance of SSCM. Also, the designed model shows well that the motives and reasons for turning to this system are satisfied due to its implementation.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

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