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Ratios were constructed using bidding data for highway construction projects in Texas to study whether there are useful patterns in project bids that are indicators of the project completion cost. The use of the ratios to improve predictions of completed project cost was studied.

Ratios were calculated relating the second lowest bid, mean bid, and maximum bid to the low bid for the highway construction projects. Regression and neural network models were developed to predict the completed cost of the highway projects using bidding data. Models including the bidding ratios, low bid, second lowest bid, mean bid and maximum bid were developed. Natural log transformations were applied to the data to improve model performance.

Analysis of the bidding ratios indicates some relationship between high values of the bidding ratios and final project costs that deviate significantly from the low bid amount. Addition of the ratios to neural network and regression models to predict the completed project cost were not found to enhance the predictions. The best performing regression model used only the low bid as input. The best performing neural network model used the low bid and second lowest bid as inputs.

The nature of bid ratios that can describe the pattern of bids submitted for a project and the relationship of the ratios to project outcomes were studied. The ratio values may be useful indicators of project outcome that can be used by construction managers.

Describes the involvement of British health educators in a Hungarian project to introduce health education into the school curriculum for children aged ten to 14. The project is part of an attempt to close the gap between the health of the Hungarian population and that of other countries in western Europe. It is being funded by a grant from the World Bank to develop health services in Hungary. Explains how the British‐Hungarian collaborators are following the model pioneered in the Health for Life books and adapting this to the Hungarian culture and lifestyle. Compares the similarities and differences between aspects of health education in the UK and in Hungary.

The purpose of this research is to identify the key aspects present in collaborative projects with the objective of producing a clear definition for collaboration within the UK construction industry. Firstly, the research provided a summary of the different forms of “working together” that have become more prevalent since Latham's and Egan's work. Partnering was seen as the ultimate form of collaboration, but due to the recent economic crisis, it has enjoyed diminishing support. Collaboration was perceived as the new way forward. However, the literature on the subject often used the term “collaboration” interchangeably with partnering, alliances, joint ventures, and networks. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify what the meaning of collaboration is currently.

Primary research was carried out in order to provide a clearer picture of what collaboration is. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected through a triangulation of questionnaires and interviews. Selective samples of personnel were approached to take part in interviews to identify aspects of collaboration which were subsequently used to produce a questionnaire. A larger selected sample of personnel was then approached to complete the questionnaires. All personnel in the sample were selected as they had been involved in collaborative construction projects. Semi structured interviews were used to provide a list of aspects to collaboration. The aspects were then ranked in importance based on the analysis of results from an online questionnaire. The aspects were then grouped into those that were considered essential; for those that were considered desirable and those that merely added an extra dimension to collaborative working.

The interviews produced a list of 48 aspects which the participants considered were relevant to collaboration. Through the use of online questionnaires, the 48 aspects were rank ordered and the essential aspects to collaboration identified. The rank ordered list of aspects was then used to inform the definitions of collaboration.

The findings of this research indicated that there are a large number of aspects that are associated with collaborative working. However, the results provide an indication of which of the many aspects identified are essential if a collaborative environment is to be established.

This research aimed to test the hypothesis “The use of incentivisation with a gain/pain share of about 15 per cent is a precursor to the achievement of successful infrastructure partnering projects in South Wales”. This hypothesis arose from Egan's speech in 2008 discussing the success of partnering.

Two infrastructure projects in South Wales were chosen for the study. This research demonstrates that partnering is not suitable for all projects. Incentivisation places a focus on cost that can have a detrimental effect on the other aspects that exist within the oft quoted triangle of time, cost and quality.

Neither of the two case projects can be judged a success from the perspective of both parties. What represents success to one client would not equal success to the other. Overall it must be concluded that the hypothesis was not proven. Egan's view appears to be too simplistic to apply in all situations and is not always the key to success as he suggests.

This paper makes an original contribution by exploring if incentivisation can provide success within infrastructure projects in South Wales. The content of the paper will be of interest to clients, contractors and consultants engaged in formulating partnering contracts.

Many large construction companies in the UK are now operating a quality assurance (QA) system to ISO 9000, yet there seems to be no available evidence that they have developed any way of measuring the “effectiveness” of their systems in meeting prescribed quality objectives. This paper discusses the difficulties faced in attempting to develop a model in the form of a matrix to measure the effectiveness of QA systems.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the features and tendency of cost indices in the global construction setting.

Data from 22 countries/regions are collected and analyzed using maximum variance formulation and Kendall rank correlation coefficient.

It is found that global construction cost indexes (CCIs) have commonly maintained a steady increase for decades, and the CCIs synchronize with each other. Overall synchronicity and synchronicity of different countries pairs have increased with time significantly.

The major limitation, however, is the availability of data: only 22 regions/countries are examined, the distribution of these regions/countries is imbalanced between different continents and various indices are adopted around the world, of which statistical methods are not same.

The implication is that a better perception of CCIs enables contractors to have a robust estimation for bidding prices and to improve the efficiency of construction projects management. The research findings also provide a useful reference for those countries that have not established construction cost indices databases to forecast the tendency of domestic construction industries.

This paper contributes to the overall body of knowledge by presenting the co-movement of global CCIs and measuring the changes of CCI synchronicity with time and in different countries pairs.

In 1772 a British scientist published a method of producing carbonated water. He produced carbon dioxide by adding hydrochloric acid to marble, captured the gas, added it to water in a sealed barrel and shook the barrel violently to mix the contents together. The water drawn from the barrel bubbled and sparkled and was the start of the soft drinks we know today.

This seventeenth Home Economics Convention reflects the constantly broadening spectrum of subject material relevant to the modern home economist, and our speakers are specially chosen to provide you with the most up‐to‐date information and viewpoints. It is in the light of the new developments in home economics that we have devoted this year's Convention to a forward‐looking assessment of the ‘new home economics’.