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1 – 10 of 217
Article
Publication date: 23 September 2024

Hasith Chathuranga Victar and K.G.A.S. Waidyasekara

The concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained significant traction in addressing the issue of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste, which is generated because of global…

Abstract

Purpose

The concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained significant traction in addressing the issue of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste, which is generated because of global urbanisation and urban renewal. Therefore, this research aims to explore the applicability of CE strategies to minimise the C&D Waste Management (WM) issues in Sri Lanka considering the preconstruction stage of the building project.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopted a qualitative approach, using three expert interview rounds with the Delphi technique. In each round, 17, 15 and 12 experts were involved. A manual content analysis method was used to analyse the collected data.

Findings

Findings uncovered effective strategies in CE to address the 14 issues within C&D WM and its effects on the project management iron triangle in Sri Lanka. Integrating CE strategies within the construction sector to tackle C&D WM issues can significantly contribute to establishing a more sustainable, robust and resource-conscious built environment. By adopting CE strategies such as design for adaptability of existing buildings and design for disassembly, construction projects can optimise the project's timeline, cost and quality factors.

Originality/value

This will help to minimise the demand for virgin materials and reduce the volume of waste generated. Using recycled materials also helps close the loop of the materials cycle, thereby contributing to the CE. Also, this research contributes uniquely by offering practical, context-driven solutions that align with Sri Lanka’s construction sector.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2020

Khalid Naji, Murat Gunduz and Fatema Salat

The construction sector has a global reach, and construction professionals worldwide often encounter challenges in delivering a project on time and within the assigned budget…

1003

Abstract

Purpose

The construction sector has a global reach, and construction professionals worldwide often encounter challenges in delivering a project on time and within the assigned budget. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the preproject factors that most affect the performance of construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was conducted to identify these factors from previous research, after which a questionnaire was developed and distributed to construction industry professionals worldwide. The response data were collected and analyzed using several methods, including Cronbach’s alpha, Relative Importance Index (RII), Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman’s and Pearson correlations.

Findings

The results highlight four categories of significance, namely design, stakeholder, engineering, and procurement, with 31 factors being assigned to these categories. The relationships between each factor based on the categories established in the survey are then presented. With the help of data analysis, focusing on these significant preproject factors will help management teams to evaluate and improve the preconstruction process to achieve a higher project success rate.

Originality/value

This study differs from other studies in the literature by gathering all relevant preconstruction success factors by an extensive literature review. Finally, highly ranked factors are studied in detail for a better understanding of the impact of preconstruction factors on project performance. This study is supported by powerful tests such as Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman’s correlation to study the perception of different groups on preconstruction factors. Furthermore, the data analysis will help in identifying and avoiding the failure part of the previous projects and will improve the planning and/or forecasting of the new projects.

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2011

Branco Ponomariov and Gordon Kingsley

This paper explores changes in the attitudes of managers at a state transportation agency towards working with professional service consultants over time. The development of a…

Abstract

This paper explores changes in the attitudes of managers at a state transportation agency towards working with professional service consultants over time. The development of a relational orientation amongst agency managers is explored, i.e. managerial styles recognizing greater interdependence and emphasizing trust, partnership and collaboration over formal procedures and monitoring. Case studies of two points in time (2003 and 2007) are presented using semi-structured interviews and survey data. The evidence demonstrates growing patterns of interdependence and the structural and procedural adaptations made by the agency. Corresponding difference in means tests demonstrate patterns of change in relational orientation over time.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2022

Mohammad Nafe Assafi, Md. Mehrab Hossain, Nicholas Chileshe and Shuvo Dip Datta

As a developing nation, Bangladesh still has scarce technological applications in the construction sector, which results in construction delays. This paper aims to propose a…

Abstract

Purpose

As a developing nation, Bangladesh still has scarce technological applications in the construction sector, which results in construction delays. This paper aims to propose a framework that will diminish manual labor, reduce human error and apply four-dimensional (4D) building information modeling (BIM)-based solutions to mitigate and prevent construction project delays.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a systematic literature review was conducted on analyzing the construction delay scenario in the context of Bangladesh and other countries. Next, a 4D BIM-based framework was developed using Autodesk Navisworks Manage. Finally, it was used to run on-site simulations on an ongoing construction project which faced delays because of design errors and inefficient planning.

Findings

Affirmative results were found from applying these methods through real-time project simulation. The current status of the project and the status after using BIM technology were compared. It was observed that during both the preconstruction and execution phases, the application of 4D BIM could reduce the delay posed by design error and inefficient planning.

Practical implications

The project manager and the design engineers can use these frameworks to review their projects. For the design engineers, the preconstruction phase portion of the framework will help identify the probable errors in the design. For the project managers, keeping track of time using the execution phase portion of the framework will be resourceful.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess the significant delay factors endemic in Bangladesh and develop a BIM-based technological solution. This study is solely dedicated to reforming the construction techniques in Bangladesh through the application of 4D BIM technology.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 23 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 July 2018

Nnedinma Umeokafor

This purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study that assessed the attitudes, commitment and impact of public and private sector clients’ involvement in…

Abstract

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study that assessed the attitudes, commitment and impact of public and private sector clients’ involvement in construction health and safety (H&S) in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Structured questionnaires were designed based on literature review and a pilot study, and administered to public and private clients in Nigeria’s construction industry. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse the data.

Findings

The result shows that while clients’ attitudes towards H&S are not encouraging, public clients commitment and attitudes are better than that of private clients. This is emphasised by the significant difference between the categories of clients and: accident investigation; clients auditing contractors H&S records at the preconstruction stage. The common client H&S practice includes conducting site visits and inspections and attending H&S meetings, while engaging in H&S awareness and H&S audit during construction are not common. However, when clients are involved in H&S, it has resulted in a reduction in accidents, compensation claims, rework and improved the relationship between clients and contractors.

Practical implications

The findings form a basis for improving client involvement in H&S (factoring in the differences in clients) which policymakers, the construction industry and academics will find beneficial.

Originality/value

The study contributes to understanding the attitudes and commitment of public and private clients in H&S, evidencing the implications of the differences in their needs, characteristics and behaviours. While the study is the first to investigate the area in Nigeria, it also extends the knowledge of the discourse comparatively in broader terms.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 25 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2024

Emmanuel Chidiebere Eze, Onyinye Sofolahan, Clementina Nneji Uzoma, Ernest Effah Ameyaw and Olayinka Omoboye

Building Information modelling (BIM) has the potential to significantly minimise the quantity of construction waste (CW), but its adoption is low in construction waste management…

Abstract

Purpose

Building Information modelling (BIM) has the potential to significantly minimise the quantity of construction waste (CW), but its adoption is low in construction waste management (CWM). This study examined the factors impeding the adoption of BIM in CWM efforts at the design and precontract stages from the perspective of construction stakeholders in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was informed by a post-positivism philosophical stance, which involved using the structured questionnaire as a quantitative research design tool for data collection via snowball sampling technique. The data garnered from construction experts were analysed using Cronbach’s alpha test, normalities test, Frequency, Percentage, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and Chi-square tests, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), and exploratory factors analysis (EFA).

Findings

The study concluded that the awareness of BIM potential for CWM is high, but the adoption in waste management (WM) is low. The factor analysis reduced the twenty assessed factors into four key clusters of impediments to BIM adoption in CWM: (1) knowledge and resistance barriers, (2) support and interest barriers, (3) interoperability and experts' factors, and (4) economic barriers. These factors are critical impediments to BIM-enabled CWM at the design and precontract stage, and there was no significant statistical difference in their rating by the construction stakeholders in Nigeria.

Originality/value

Studies on the impediments to BIM adoption in CWM efforts, primarily at the design and pre-contract stages in emerging countries are scarce. This sought to fill this literature gap by establishing the critical impediments that should be overcome to improve BIM use in CWM.

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: 17 November 2022

Tamanna Islam Meem, Md. Mehrab Hossain and Jhumana Akter

In comparison to other industries, the construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries. Behavior-based safety (BBS) is a common and useful technique for risk…

Abstract

Purpose

In comparison to other industries, the construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries. Behavior-based safety (BBS) is a common and useful technique for risk indicator processing. Almost all studies are based on the BBS checklist, but very few of them focus on the increasing dangers faced by construction workers and the important factors that lead to accidents. This research represents a risk spatiotemporal analysis and visual tracking approach based on BBS and Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Design/methodology/approach

After the literature review, a BBS checklist was developed. Then a survey was conducted based on the BBS checklist and the temporal evolution of risks has been completed. After that, managing the risk with the automatic rule checking (ARC) system using BIM was conducted simultaneously to develop a framework by conducting a case study.

Findings

Based on the grey clustering analysis, this work provides a temporal evolution analysis approach for dynamic analyzing BBS risk. According to the grey relational analysis (GRA) data, the main key factor of risk was the missing guardrail/handrail system. After that, a case study was performed and the system automatically warn in the preconstruction phase that the barrier is missing as the system benefits.

Originality/value

A systematic framework has been provided for risk analysis through which high health and safety performance outcomes can be achieved on construction projects. This study will assist design engineers in addressing the potential danger to employees during the preconstruction stage and monitoring dynamic changes in risk on any construction site.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 November 2022

Debby Willar, Bambang Trigunarsyah, Anak Agung Diah Parami Dewi and Febriane Makalew

There are various methods to assess the failure of a road construction project that does not meet quality and performance standards. This study aims to evaluate the factors…

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Abstract

Purpose

There are various methods to assess the failure of a road construction project that does not meet quality and performance standards. This study aims to evaluate the factors affecting the quality management of road construction projects in Indonesia by identifying the critical challenges in implementing quality management processes and examining the countermeasures to address these problems.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the quality management processes in Indonesian road construction projects are evaluated using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. Quantitative data obtained from two rounds of Delphi questionnaire surveys as the primary data source, and focus group interviews as the qualitative data are used to achieve the aims of this study.

Findings

It is found that from as early as in the preconstruction stage of a project, the availability of quality standards and documentation is problematic when implementing quality management processes. The critical factor of the quality control activities of a project and the quality management roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders during road construction is the project team. This constraint deals with the interaction of the competency, commitment, and mutual cooperation among the main stakeholders to ensure that quality management processes are implemented. This implementation is a part of controlling the road pavement materials, supervising the project activities according to a specified standard, and reporting the project performance. The findings of this study add parameters relating to quality management and quality processes in a road construction project area.

Originality/value

This study is the first to evaluate the quality management processes in the construction of Indonesian road projects. The investigation identifies and evaluates the causes of the persistence of poor road quality. All revealed constraints are substantial factors that hinder the implementation of quality management processes when delivering quality road products. This study addresses the key influencing factors and scenarios related to quality management during road construction projects in Indonesia and other developing countries as practical examples and provides case-based insights for construction practitioners and civil engineering academics in developed countries.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 35 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2018

Argaw Tarekegn Gurmu and Ajibade Ayodeji Aibinu

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize management practices that have the potential to improve labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize management practices that have the potential to improve labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted two-phase mixed-methods research design and 58 project managers, contract administrators and project coordinators were involved in the survey. During Phase I, qualitative data were collected from 19 experts using interviews and the management practices that could enhance labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects were identified. In Phase II, quantitative data were collected from 39 contractors involved in the delivery of multi-storey building projects by using questionnaires. The data were analyzed to prioritize the practices identified in Phase I.

Findings

Well-defined scope of work, safety and health policy, safety and health plan, hazard analysis, long-lead materials identification, safe work method statement, and toolbox safety meetings are the top seven practices that have the potential to improve labor productivity in multi-storey building projects.

Originality/value

The research identifies the management practices that can be implemented to enhance labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects in the context of Australia. Being the first study in the Australian context, the findings can be used as benchmark for international comparison.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 67 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 August 2021

Michael C.P. Sing, David J. Edwards, Arthur W.T. Leung, Henry Liu and Chris J. Roberts

The accuracy and reliability of subjectively assessing a construction project's complexity at the pre-construction stage is questionable and relies upon the project manager's…

Abstract

Purpose

The accuracy and reliability of subjectively assessing a construction project's complexity at the pre-construction stage is questionable and relies upon the project manager's tacit experiences, knowledge and background. The purpose of this paper is to develop a scientifically robust analytical approach by presenting a novel classification mechanism for defining the level of project complexity in terms of work contents (WCs), scope, building structures (BSs) and site conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Empiricism is adopted to deductively analyze variables obtained from secondary data within extant literature and primary project data to develop project type classifications. Specifically, and from an operational perspective, a two-stage “waterfall process” was adopted. In stage one, the research identified 56 variables affecting project complexity from literature and utilized a structured questionnaire survey of 100 project managers to measure the relevance of these. A total of 27 variables were revealed to be significant and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is adopted to cluster these variables into six-factor thematic groups. In stage two, data from 62 real-life projects (including the layout and structural plans) were utilized for computing the factor score using the six-factor groups. Finally, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) is adopted to classify the projects into collected distinctive groups and each of a similar nature and characteristics.

Findings

The developed theoretical framework (that includes a novel complex index) provides a robust “blueprint platform” for main contractors to compile their project complexity database. The research outputs enable project managers to generate a more accurate picture of complexity at the pre-construction stage.

Originality/value

While numerous research articles have provided a comprehensive framework to define project complexity, scant empirical works have assessed it at the pre-construction stage or utilized real-life project samples to classify it. This research addresses this knowledge gap within the prevailing body of knowledge.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 29 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

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