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The main objective of the study is to present a systematic process that can assess, compare and benchmark different geographical levels environmental impacts of using sustainable materials at construction stage.

Current study presents a methodological framework to evaluate environmental impacts at the construction stage of using sustainable materials through a cradle-to-gate process based quantitative LCA study. Scenario analyses and an optimisation analysis using Monte-Carlo simulation are conducted to investigate the influence of external factors on environmental impacts at different geographical regions.

Materials account for 98% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon monoxide (CO) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) record significant non-GHG emissions. Particulate matter (PM₁₀) emissions are significant from transportation and equipment. High significance of global warming potential (GWP) (38.98%) and photochemical oxidation formation potential (POFP) (34.49%) at global level and eutrophication potential (EP) (52.83%) and human toxicity potential (HTP) (25.30%) impacts at local level were observed. Shortest transportation distance reduces 14.91% PM₁₀ and 4.69% nitrous oxide (NO_x) emissions. Inventory variations have major influence on POFP impact at global level. Local level impacts are not significantly affected by inventory variations. Optimisation analysis indicated, high fly ash in concrete increase local level carbon emissions, if OPC concrete transportation distance is less than 23.7 km.

Use of case-specific information for validation may lack generalisation. However, methodology can be used for future sustainable decision making over using sustainable materials in construction.

The study estimate environmental impacts at different geographical levels when sustainable materials are used for construction.

The issue of building defects is a growing concern that affects all major construction stakeholders as a result of costs and time implications of reworks. The magnitude of the problem is severe with statistics highlighting defects often result in 4% of the total cost of construction of a building. Despite the importance of this problem, studies have seldom considered development of systematic approaches to enhance the quality control process in construction.

Building defects is a growing concern that affects all major construction stakeholders because of costs and time implications of reworks. Magnitude of the problem is severe with statistics highlighting defects often result in 4% of the total cost of construction of a building. Despite the importance, studies have seldom considered development of systematic approaches to enhance the quality control process in construction.

Results indicated that poor workmanship is the main cause of building defects and incomplete works is a frequently detected defect type. Results categorised defects based on cost and frequency to identify the severity. Findings also identified four focus areas including control measures, technology use audit and inspections and promotion of best knowledge.

The study lacks generalisation as it covers only Victorian scenario and further studies are needed to generalise the findings.

The study provides a deeper understanding of the challenges currently facing the residential construction industry in Victoria, Australia, and underlines the need for developing quantitative models and methodologies to improve current processes, practices and policies for effective defects minimisation in Victoria, Australia. The systematic methodological framework can also be adopted by researches across the globe to effectively analyse the options for minimising residential building defects.

The present study aims to inform the requirements for developing a sustainable rating tool for small-scale infrastructure projects (SSIPs) through research findings.

A review-based comparative study of existing infrastructure sustainability (IS) rating tools for assessment of SSIPs is presented. Key stakeholder participants of the existing IS rating tools, are interviewed to identify existing barriers and requirements for sustainability rating. The study further presents possible rating tool options to optimise the sustainable performance evaluation of SSIPs.

Findings of this study indicated that prevalent IS rating tools are majorly applied to large-scale infrastructure projects and sustainability of SSIPs are seldom assessed. Based on a literature review and series of interviews, it was found that user friendliness, efficient structure, training and technical support, cost effectiveness and stakeholder recognition are the five key requirements of a sustainability rating tool for SSIPs. Additionally, six sustainability assessment options were proposed for SSIPs which range from pathways for existing tools through to new, customisable tools. Upon comparison, a new modified tool with verification process and revised tool with defined grouping of sustainable criteria was more effective for evaluation of SSIPs.

Use of case specific information for validation and framework development may lack generalisation. However, methodology can be used for future decision-making by making necessary adjustments to suit different local regional requirements.

Despite lack of generalisation, the findings can lead to future general studies on sustainability of SSIPs. Findings of the study provide foundation knowledge and awareness for sustainability evaluation of SSIPs.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the perceptions of constructional professionals on barriers to implementation of building information modeling (BIM) within the Nigerian construction industry.

A scoping literature review was conducted to identify the fourteen barriers to implementation of BIM, which were employed to design a questionnaire survey. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean score, Kruskal–Wallis test, analysis of variance and multivariate techniques such as factor analysis.

The descriptive and empirical analysis demonstrated a disparity of ranking of the 14 barriers factors among the groups; however no statistically significant differences among the 14 barriers to BIM. Based on the mean score ranking results, only three (out of 14) barriers are identified as critical (mean score greater than 3.5): few studies available on BIM and lack of knowledge, inexistence or inadequate government policies, and high cost of implementation. The results of the one-sample t-tests show that they were statistically significant differences in 10 out of 14 barriers as follows: few studies available on BIM and lack of knowledge, lack of demand for use and acceptance of BIM, inadequate contractual coordination, lack of specified standards, cost of data and information sharing, technological availability issues, reluctance of other stakeholders, business and cultural changes, data and intellectual property issues, and interoperability issues. The study, through factor analysis, categorized the fourteen barriers to BIM implementation into four principal factors. The factors are: technology and business-related barriers; training and people-related barriers; cost and standards-related barriers; and process and economic-related barriers.

The identification and assessment of the key barriers to BIM implementation would be useful for the construction professionals and other stakeholder of the construction industry with the view to advance BIM adoption in Nigeria. This could also be extended to other developing countries through considerations of the local economic conditions, given the status of BIM as being in the germinating stage of development in Africa.

The study provides insights on the barriers to BIM implementation across the Nigerian construction sector environments. The innovative aspect of the study is the identification of the ordered and grouped (composite) set of barriers to BIM which could be used to developing appropriate mitigating solutions.

The Nigerian construction industry, like in most emerging economies has been slow with technological advances such as building information modeling (BIM). More so, the application of BIM among Nigerian practitioners is rather limited to architects’ usage for schematic design and presentation of drawings. The purpose of this study is to enhance BIM’s uptake, this study explores the drivers for the implementation of BIM within the Nigerian construction industry.

An interpretivist epistemological design was adapted to extensively manually review and search the literature on BIM implementation drivers. Based on 14 drivers for BIM implementation drivers identified, a survey questionnaire was used to collect data from the Nigerian construction practitioners. The data obtained is then subjected to descriptive, inferential statistics and multivariate techniques such as factor analysis.

The study, through factor analysis, categorized the 14 drivers to BIM implementation into four principal factors. The factors are construction related-drivers; process digitalization and economic-related drivers; sustainability and efficiency-related drivers; and visualization and productivity-related drivers.

To effectively adopt BIM in the construction industry, it is necessary to identify the BIM implementing drivers, which can act as catalysts of change and, thus leading to sustained adoption of BIM. Therefore, the identified drivers and categorization of principal factors could provide managerial implications for better execution and adoption of BIM, as well as the creation of the required change for the BIM implementation.

The research provides insights into the implementation drivers of BIM in lesser studies in a developing country such as Nigeria. The study further contributes to this research sphere by using factor analysis to customize and contextualize the drivers that were previously identified.