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1 – 10 of over 8000Hui‐Yuan Hsieh and John Forster
The aim of this article is to present a new, simple applicable method of inferring and assessing residential construction quality at an industry‐wide level.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to present a new, simple applicable method of inferring and assessing residential construction quality at an industry‐wide level.
Design/methodology/approach
Construction quality is measured using ratios of structural materials to production levels. Cement and reinforcing bar per 1,000m2 of residential floor space are the metrics, especially appropriate in Taiwan as new dwelling units (virtually all apartments and row houses) and all of reinforced concrete. Complementary measurements of quality for labour and non‐structural construction material inputs were also made.
Findings
The structural input and complementary measures indicate that the quality of Taiwanese residential construction declines dramatically and consistently at higher production levels. The implication is that dwelling units from the 1990s construction boom are especially at risk.
Research limitations/implications
The methods cannot be used to identify specific buildings at risk. The methods are difficult to apply in situations where construction methods and residential types are heterogeneous.
Practical implications
Construction quality can be monitored on a regular basis so industry‐wide steps can be taken if quality declines appear. The evidence is consistent with Taiwan's sub‐contractor network enabling rapid expansions and contractions at the expense of hidden quality failure.
Originality/value
This paper provides information that could lead to much firmer regulatory systems, hence has the potential to help save lives and property.
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Keywords
Andrew P. McCoy, Walid Thabet and Ralph Badinelli
The purpose of this paper is to offer a commercialization framework that outlines phases and functional areas for technical and business practices in getting innovative products…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer a commercialization framework that outlines phases and functional areas for technical and business practices in getting innovative products to market. The development of this framework was motivated by a history of failures of entrepreneurial business ventures in the commercialization of construction products.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents Phase 1 of commercialization research efforts, which includes a definition of innovation and commercialization for the residential construction industry; a review of literature related to generic commercialization models; and construction of a new commercialization framework for innovative construction products. This paper also introduces Phase 2 of this research, which includes qualitative and quantitative knowledge capture from construction industry experts; and the development of a domain‐specific commercialization model for the residential industry based on these inputs to reflect the unique challenges of construction products.
Findings
This paper presents a generic commercialization framework as a basis for interpreting various data from product interviews and case study literature. These data were used to further specify the framework. This paper presents an example of the many construction products reviewed in this research and its possible impact on the framework.
Practical implications
The generic commercialization model presented here could benefit innovators of construction products. The research indicates the importance of key steps in the commercialization of these kinds of products.
Originality/value
Since, no model captured the specific issues of commercializing residential construction products, this paper introduces a basis for one. In creating a generic commercialization framework, this paper facilitates entrepreneurial product commercialization for the construction industry.
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Xiaolin Zhai, Richard Reed and Anthony Mills
The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach to addressing increasing sustainable challenges facing China's built environment which are linked to a diverse range…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach to addressing increasing sustainable challenges facing China's built environment which are linked to a diverse range of factors including rapid economic and population growth. The research context includes mass urbanisation in and the Chinese construction industry's attitude towards adopting sustainable construction processes. The focus is placed on examining current on-site construction practices in China which have historically remained largely unchanged; this includes a high reliance on cheap labour accompanied by a substantial material waste. An alternative approach is to increase the uptake of off-site production in China's residential construction industry, however no previous studies have investigated the potential advantages and barriers of this alternative approach.
Design/methodology/approach
In collaboration with an industry organisation a survey was completed by 110 construction professionals in China. The questionnaire referred to 21 individual factors relating to their perception about the current and potential future uptake of off-site production in construction processes in China.
Findings
The results confirmed the existing level of off-site production in China's urban residential construction industry was relatively low. At present the cast-in-situ method was considered by stakeholders as the most effective approach. The findings also confirmed the benefits of off-site production are not fully understood by the housing construction industry in China. It is argued this knowledge gap reduces the Chinese construction industry's motivation levels when seeking to embrace the off-site production approach and adopt improved sustainable construction practices.
Originality/value
This is an original study designed to address a gap in knowledge as there has been no previous research conducted into the use of off-site industrialised process in China. The results provide a valuable insight into the uptake of off-site production in the residential construction industry and will assist stakeholders and policymakers to increase the level of sustainability.
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Simon Adamtey and James Ogechi Kereri
Residential projects frequently suffer from low-risk management (RM) implementation and, consequently, are more likely to fail to meet performance objectives. With RM becoming an…
Abstract
Purpose
Residential projects frequently suffer from low-risk management (RM) implementation and, consequently, are more likely to fail to meet performance objectives. With RM becoming an essential requirement, the purpose of this study is to investigate RM implementation in terms of status, risk analysis techniques, barriers and impact of RM on residential projects across the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 105 general contractors who had completed 3,265 residential projects in the past five years. Data collection was through a US national survey sent out through emails between August and November 2019 to residential general contractor firms. The firms were randomly selected from national organizations, such as the National Association of Home Builders, Associated General Contractors of America and Associated Builders and Contractors.
Findings
The analysis indicated that RM implementation is still extremely low at 22.27%. However, there was an increase in RM implementation as the cost and duration of projects increased. Direct judgment is the most used technique. Also, the one-sample t-test indicated that the barriers have a significant impact on RM implementation. Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that the impact of lack of management support, lack of money or budget, the complexity of analytical tools and lack of time to perform analysis predict the impact on the overall performance of construction projects. Overall, the results provide empirical evidence, which can influence management’s decision-making regarding RM and improve implementation in residential projects.
Originality/value
There is a lack of empirical evidence on the impact of barriers to RM implementation on the performance of construction projects. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by bridging this gap through a robust analysis of data collected from real residential projects.
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Farouq Sammour, Heba Alkailani, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Rateb J. Sweis, Wasan Maaitah and Abdulla Alashkar
Demand forecasts are a key component of planning efforts and are crucial for managing core operations. This study aims to evaluate the use of several machine learning (ML…
Abstract
Purpose
Demand forecasts are a key component of planning efforts and are crucial for managing core operations. This study aims to evaluate the use of several machine learning (ML) algorithms to forecast demand for residential construction in Jordan.
Design/methodology/approach
The identification and selection of variables and ML algorithms that are related to the demand for residential construction are indicated using a literature review. Feature selection was done by using a stepwise backward elimination. The developed algorithm’s accuracy has been demonstrated by comparing the ML predictions with real residual values and compared based on the coefficient of determination.
Findings
Nine economic indicators were selected to develop the demand models. Elastic-Net showed the highest accuracy of (0.838) versus artificial neural networkwith an accuracy of (0.727), followed by Eureqa with an accuracy of (0.715) and the Extra Trees with an accuracy of (0.703). According to the results of the best-performing model forecast, Jordan’s 2023 first-quarter demand for residential construction is anticipated to rise by 11.5% from the same quarter of the year 2022.
Originality/value
The results of this study extend to the existing body of knowledge through the identification of the most influential variables in the Jordanian residential construction industry. In addition, the models developed will enable users in the fields of construction engineering to make reliable demand forecasts while also assisting in effective financial decision-making.
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Keywords
David Thorpe, Neal Ryan and Michael B. Charles
Through investigating the innovation‐adoption process in smaller construction industry firms, this paper aims to ascertain the drivers of innovation in Australian small residential…
Abstract
Purpose
Through investigating the innovation‐adoption process in smaller construction industry firms, this paper aims to ascertain the drivers of innovation in Australian small residential building firms, and determine how such firms develop or adopt innovations. The research thus provides a more thoroughly nuanced understanding of the innovation‐adoption process within these firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The research described in this paper was conducted among small residential housing contractors in South‐East Queensland, Australia. This was undertaken by means of a semi‐structured interview process, based on a questionnaire requesting information from owners or managers.
Findings
Innovation in this sector is driven by general business concerns pertaining to maintaining overall competitiveness rather than specific client needs. The same firms also utilize supply‐chain relationships and broader industry associations as sources of external knowledge. Despite this, better pathways to transfer externally generated knowledge require implementation, especially as a means to ensure continued sector growth and deliver public goods such as enhanced worker health and environmental sustainability.
Practical implications
The paper highlights the current communication and informational disjuncture between research institutions and practitioners. As a result, workable suggestions for enhanced and meaningful interaction among firms, peak bodies and key research institutions are advanced.
Originality/value
The study complements previous research on innovation development and adoption. Given that there is little previous research on the innovation‐adoption process in the residential building sector, the paper provides an important counterpoint to studies that generally focus on much larger construction firms.
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James Ogechi Kereri and Simon Adamtey
In the past decade, radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) have attracted the attention of the construction industry, having been proven to be an effective technology for…
Abstract
Purpose
In the past decade, radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) have attracted the attention of the construction industry, having been proven to be an effective technology for addressing operational challenges in other industries such as health-care, retail and manufacturing. Despite the benefits, the use of RFID in construction industry is limited even in the face of inefficiencies that exist and that the need for improvement is yet to drive the widespread adoption in the residential/commercial construction industry. The purpose of this study is to investigate key drivers and critical success factors for RFID adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
The study included extensive and systematic literature review, interviews and questionnaire survey.
Findings
The study revealed that the most important key driver for RFID adoption is productivity improvement, while the most important critical success factors include management support and commitment, having clear RFID strategy, needs and benefits, having strong motivation for improvement, providing adequate funding and proper planning.
Practical implications
This study provides an exploratory framework that can be used by construction company executives and managers to provide justification for deciding to implement RFID on their projects and to enhance success rates of implementation.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the knowledge on RFID use in residential/commercial construction industry and provides a basis for further investigation by construction management researchers on the emerging issues regarding RFID use in the construction industry.
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Le Ma, Henry Liu and Michael Sing
This study aims to address the gap by empirically exploring how residential construction-production progress, which includes project commencement, under-construction and project…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address the gap by empirically exploring how residential construction-production progress, which includes project commencement, under-construction and project completion, responds dynamically to fluctuations in house prices.
Design/methodology/approach
A vector autoregressive model and an impulse response function are applied to simulate and analyse the circle of the stage-responsiveness of residential construction to residential property price dynamics in the state of Victoria, Australia. The quarterly numbers of dwelling units commenced, under-construction and completed are used as the proxy for the residential construction activities at three stages over the construction progress.
Findings
The analysis indicates that the dynamics are essentially transmitted throughout the construction process and can substantially impact the pace of production progress. The findings from this study provide an empirical base that should be useful in developing price-elasticity and production theories applicable to the context of residential property construction.
Research limitations/implications
The findings described above have been generated basically by examining the case of Victoria, Australia at a macro level. The generalisation of the research output needs to be verified further by future researchers using data collected from other regions/countries. Nevertheless, the reliability of the conclusions with particular practical implications can be substantially improved by future researchers by analysing more markets and production proxies at the activity level.
Practical implications
Based on new empirical findings, this research argues that building activity (i.e. under construction) played as a gateway between the construction and housing sectors, via which the inter-responsiveness of the housing supply in terms of construction activities and housing prices are transmitted.
Originality/value
This research firstly attempts to explore the inter-responsiveness between the real estate and construction sectors. A simulated circle of the stage-responsiveness of residential construction to residential property price dynamics is proposed, which can serve as a significant foundation for developing the theory of construction production.
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Malindu Sandanayake, Wei Yang, Namita Chhibba and Zora Vrcelj
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…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Research limitations/implications
The study lacks generalisation as it covers only Victorian scenario and further studies are needed to generalise the findings.
Originality/value
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.
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Tillmann Böhme, Alberto Escribano, Emma Elizabeth Heffernan and Scott Beazley
The construction industry is a significant driver of economic activity in many countries. However, there has been a lack of growth in productivity within the Australian…
Abstract
Purpose
The construction industry is a significant driver of economic activity in many countries. However, there has been a lack of growth in productivity within the Australian construction sector over recent years. The purpose of this paper is to gain an in-depth understanding of the causes for declining productivity within the Australian mid-rise residential construction network.
Design/methodology/approach
Two in-depth case studies have been conducted with a builder and developer, both significant entities of the Australian mid-rise residential construction network. Case study data collection comprised a five-stage process including semi-structured interviews and archival information review.
Findings
Drivers for declining construction productivity were identified under the categories of: industry-, firm- and project-level productivity. The drivers include: incomplete documentation, design changes, inefficient project management, supply chain fragmentation, among others.
Originality/value
The contribution of this study is the identification and categorisation of major issues impacting sector productivity along the mid-rise residential construction supply chain. The research identified that the substructure and superstructure are the construction phases during which most productivity losses occur. Mitigations are discussed in terms of systemic sector productivity increases at an industry, firm and project levels.
Details