Engineering Geophysics In Australia: Urban Case Studies From Downunder

Within Australia's major coastal cities and urban areas geotechnical engineers are increasingly applying engineering geophysics for improved site characterisation in civil engineering projects and to assist with specific problems. Recent case studies from these cities illustrate the application of a variety of methods to a range of projects. Combining conventional surface geophysics, innovative borehole and underground geophysics with geotechnical methods increased innovative engineering opportunities and assisted the solution of specific design, construction and remediation problems for these civil projects. In Darwin, Vertical Shear Wave Profiling (VSSP), surface‐to‐borehole seismic tomographic imaging or Site Uniformity Borehole Seismic (SUBS) Testing combined with Standard Penetration Testing (SPT) improved the confidence of the designers that fill materials and construction processes for a new berth construction were meeting specifications and identified problem areas. The route of pipelines for a desalination plant at the Gold Coast, traversed an old landfill whose margins were identified with electromagnetic (EM31) profiling. Seismic refraction and Multiple Analysis of Shear Waves (MASW) imaging on this route showed variable bedrock levels and soft soils t some locations. This led to the abandonment of shallow tunnel construction in favour of rock tunnelling a much greater depth. A heavily contaminated, former steelworks site in the industrial city of Newcastle was to be remediated by capping and containment on three sides within a soil‐bentonite groundwater barrier wall. Gravity and Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) proved very effective in providing sufficient subsurface information on rock levels thicknesses of the extensive shallow fill materials for initial design and for the bid process. Ground subsidence near the Helipad at Sydney Airport was believed due to groundwater and sand being drawn into leaking sections of a nearby buried concrete encased sewer. Conventional drilling, Cone Penetration Testing (CTP) testing and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspection were combined with innovative seismic imaging from the surface to the sewer (called SEWREEL) to rapidly define the extent of loosened ground. Following remediation, SEWREEL was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the remedial works that involved extensive grouting. Webb Dock, one of Melbourne's main container terminals is sited on reclaimed land underlain by soft to very soft sediments. As a result, settlements and bearing capacity were key issues in the development of the site. During initial construction, failures occurred in this material, resulting in the formation of mud waves. The combination of drilling, seismic refraction and SUBS imaging provided clear indications of the degree of sediment displacement due to construction and was used to calculate more accurate settlement profiles and improve preloading strategies for future construction. A major residential development near Adelaide was proposed adjacent to an old limestone quarry showing open caves and other major karst features. To better define the subsurface beneath each allotment drilling near the centre of each proposed house foundation was supplemented by seismic refraction, SUBS and calibrated with VSP (Vertical Seismic Profiling) and geotechnical logging. This approach identified areas of weak and potentially voided limestone and assisted safe development. To the north of Perth a detailed seismic refraction survey on dune sands along the alignment of proposed shallow waste water tunnel showed highly variable geology, coastal limestones and siliceous calcarenites with karst features and pinnacles. The area is within sensitive parkland and aboriginal heritage lands and only limited drilling sites were available. This information was used to estimate the expected rock‐fraction at the tunnel level and the rock mechanics parameter, QTBM. Variable tunnelling conditions were predicted from seismic with some sections having estimated QTBM values of < 0.1 suggesting tunnelling “may be problematic” beneath many of the limestone pinnacles to “very problematic” with estimated QTBM values of < 0.01. Downunder, engineering geophysics is alive and well!

Rework has been identified as a major contributor to cost and schedule overrun in construction projects. Previous studies that have examined rework are based on a limited data sets and thus eschew generalizations being made about the key determinants. Using data from 260 completed building (n=147) and civil engineering (n=113) projects, path analysis is used to develop a structural model of the most significant causes of rework. The model revealed that the paths of client-directed changes, site management and subcontractors, and project communication were statistically significant contributors to rework costs. The analysis confirmed that the lack of attention to quality management resulted in higher rework costs being incurred in the projects sampled. The analysis also revealed that there were no significant differences between building and civil engineering projects in terms of the direct and indirect cost of rework experienced, and the effectiveness of the project management practices implemented. Considering the findings, it is suggested that generic strategies for reducing the incidence rework in construction and civil engineering projects can be developed.

The most important key participants in a construction project are the integration between different entities comprising client, the multidisciplinary consultants (architect, engineers, surveyors) and the contractors. Thus, the contract is needed to protect the contracting parties against opportunistic behaviour and other risks in business relations besides to govern the project implementation in achieving the project goals. Unfortunately, literature has replete with the problems rendered in construction projects caused by the behaviour of key participants who do not duly adhere to the contract in the project implementation. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the common undesired contractual behaviours of key participants in civil engineering projects which largely reported as one of the major factors affecting the project performance. 288 feedbacks received out of 700 questionnaires distributed to the G7 CIDB registered contractors and professional engineers registered under the Board of Engineers Malaysia. Descriptive analysis and Mann-Whitney U test were used in data analysis. The findings revealed that among the seven (7) undesired contractual behaviours investigated in this study, the delay in making payment was ranked as the highest occurrence followed by the delay in work progress, delay in issuing drawings and information and delay in site possession. Poor communication and unauthorised instruction were considered as moderate while client direct instruction was a very low occurrence in civil engineering projects. In the attempt to observe the performance of civil engineering projects in Malaysia, the four high occurrence contractual behaviours are critical to be put more concern.KeywordsCivil engineeringContractual behaviorContractProject performance

The construction industry is a major economic driver in Sri Lanka. However, the construction industry was significantly affected by the responses made by the Sri Lankan government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of those government responses on construction projects are diverse as time, cost, and qualityrelated impacts. These effects resulted in numerous contractual effects that were mostly to be dealt with reference to the provisions made in the standard forms of contracts such as ICTAD/SBD/02 and FIDIC 1999 in Sri Lanka. Since no similar pandemic has affected Sri Lanka at this magnitude before, neither ICTAD/SBD/02 nor FIDIC 1999 have been drafted giving due consideration to such exceptional circumstances. Furthermore, no studies that researched these kinds of aspects can be found in the existing literature. Hence, this research aims to explore the effects of the responses made by the Sri Lankan government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry and the possible adaptations of standard forms of contracts to address the contractual implications of those effects to mitigate the effects on the contractual parties in both building and civil engineering projects. A desk review was carried out to identify the existing provisions of ICTAD/SBD/02 and FIDIC 1999 to overcome the effects of pandemic situations, and three case studies, including two building projects and one civil engineering project, were used for the empirical data collection. Representing contractors, consultants, and employers, twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted within the three case studies. The research findings reveal that a collaborative approach with cost and time-sharing is the best approach to address the effects of a pandemic situation. Furthermore, defining terminologies, developing transparency in contractual relationships, and establishing an equal assessment basis can all aid in the contractual development of the ICTAD/SBD/02. As a result, the study suggests improving documentation practices, developing guidelines for amicable settlement, and eliminating the adversarial effects of ICTAD/SBD/02 through an equal assessment process. Thus, this research contributes to the further development of ICTAD/SBD/02 while also improving Sri Lankan building and civil engineering projects by reducing contractual issues in future pandemics.

This study investigates the role of geospatial technologies in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of civil engineering projects. Geospatial technologies, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial analysis, have revolutionized the field of civil engineering by providing critical tools for planning, design, construction, and management of infrastructure projects. The integration of these technologies enables accurate terrain mapping, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making, which are crucial for ensuring the safety, sustainability, and resilience of modern infrastructure. This research aims to explore the applications of geospatial technologies in various civil engineering projects, including highway planning, urban development, and environmental monitoring. The study also examines the potential benefits and limitations of these technologies and provides recommendations for their effective integration into civil engineering practices. By understanding the impact of geospatial technologies on civil engineering projects, this research aims to contribute to the development of more efficient, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure that supports the needs of modern society.

Estimation of cost for building and civil engineering projects with minimum error at the conceptual stage of project development is crucial for planning. This paper evaluated the most significant cost escalation causing factors in building and civil engineering projects. Questionnaires were administered to clients, consultants and contractors to elicit information regarding their opinions with regard to these factors. Mean score value for each factor was determined. Also level of agreement of ranking of such factors between groups was investigated. The results of the analysis show that the most significant causes were the “Fluctuation of price of material” and “Variations” with the highest mean score values of 3.9 and 3.73 respectively. Also there was agreement in the opinions between all the groups with regard to these factors. A linear multiple regression models for the prediction of final cost of construction of building and civil engineering projects were developed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has revolutionized the construction industry by presenting a new approach to project design and construction. BIM enables the integration of comprehensive project data, including 3D design, material information, and construction schedules, into a centralized digital model. This literature review aims to explore the integration of BIM in civil engineering projects, focusing on its benefits, challenges, and implementation. This study aims to examine the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in civil engineering projects through a comprehensive literature review. BIM is a technology that enables the creation and management of digital representations of the physical and functional characteristics of a construction project. The results of this study conclude that BIM enables more accurate and efficient design by detecting potential clashes and design errors in the early stages of the project thus saving time and costs.

The design and construction of a landfill leachate lagoon, which is to be used for the storage of between 150 000 m3 and 200 000 m3 of leachate is documented. Owing to the anticipated ground conditions, principally relating to the soft alluvial clays and waste material that dominate the near-surface ground profile, the high groundwater levels and client-driven design limitations, imaginative and innovative design solutions, coupled with the use of non-traditional geomaterials, were required. A detailed discussion of the geotechnical and environmental issues considered during the design process is presented and the need for responsive design during the construction phase of a project is highlighted. The benefits of value engineering in civil engineering are also discussed in the context of design and construction projects. By their very nature, civil engineering projects such as this require imaginative and innovative design solutions, coupled with the use of non-traditional geomaterials. A discussion of the geosynthetics employed at this site is provided, in the context of their primary and secondary applications.

Purpose– Rework is an endemic problem in construction projects and has been identified as being a significant factor contributing cost and schedule overruns. Causal ascription is necessary to obtain knowledge about the underlying nature of rework so that appropriate prevention mechanisms can be put in place. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Using a supervised questionnaire survey and case-study interviews, data from 112 building and engineering projects about the sources and causes of rework in projects were obtained. A multivariate exploration was conducted to examine the underlying relationships between rework variables.Findings– The analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between rework causes for building and civil engineering projects. The set of associations explored in the analyses will be useful to develop a generic causal model to examine the quantitative impact of rework on project performance so that appropriate prevention strategies can be identified and developed.Research limitations/implications– The limitations include: small data set (112 projects), which include 75 from building and 37 from civil engineering projects.Practical implications– Meaningful insights into the rework occurrences in construction projects will pave pathways for rational mitigation and effective management measures.Originality/value– To date there has been limited empirical research that has sought to determine the causal ascription of rework, particularly in Hong Kong.

Large conservation opportunities exist in >90% of tropic-subtropic coastal habitats adjacent to cities

Risks Involved in Using Alternative Project Delivery (APD) Methods in Water and Wastewater Projects

The current legal regulations in the EU and in the world force us to seek new solutions in design and construction of transport infrastructure structure-solutions which comply with the environmental protection rules while being economically justified. The article includes an analysis of innovative solutions in design and construction of transport infrastructure structures in the world using as an example the plans of reconstruction and modernization of a viaduct along A3 highway in Calabria(Italy).

Project cost is an important concern in any construction project. Although there has been a lot of studies on factors affecting the cost of construction projects, there seems no consensus as what cost factors have direct influence on the cost of civil engineering projects. This study therefore aims to bridge the current knowledge gap by examining quantity surveyors' perception of the factor structure among nineteen costing attributes identified based on literature review. Questionnaire was used to elicit responses from quantity surveyors working in the Hong Kong construction industry. Principal component analysis is conducted to extract the factor structure of the cost attributes and the attributes are grouped into three factor components, namely the contract management factor, the project management factor and the monetary value factor. Understanding these cost impact factors could be crucial in managing civil engineering projects, since it allows the project stakeholders and quantity surveyors to take precautionary steps to identify the cost management problems and areas for improvement and could even help to avoid cost deviations in engineering projects.

Efficient scheduling optimization is a critical component of resource management in civil engineering projects, which often involve dynamic and complex environments. Traditional scheduling approaches face challenges in addressing large-scale constraints, real-time adaptability, and the combinatorial nature of tasks, leading to resource underutilization and delays. To address these issues, this study proposes a novel Adaptive Scheduling Framework (ASF) integrated with a Dynamic Task Allocation Strategy (DTAS) tailored specifically for civil engineering applications. The ASF employs graph-based task-resource modeling and multi-objective optimization to manage the scalability and flexibility required in construction projects. By representing scheduling problems as bipartite graphs, the framework captures temporal dynamics, task dependencies, and resource constraints to achieve a balance between priority and feasibility. The DTAS enhances scheduling efficiency by introducing dynamic task prioritization, iterative conflict resolution, and real-time feedback-driven refinement. Experimental results, focused on civil engineering scenarios, demonstrate that the proposed methods significantly reduce project completion time, improve resource utilization, and adapt effectively to changes in construction requirements and resource availability. This study underscores the transformative potential of intelligent algorithms in optimizing scheduling for civil engineering project management and other resource-intensive domains.

Purpose Construction material management plays a significant role in achieving successful project delivery of a construction project. However, ineffective material management is a critical issue in the construction industry, especially in developing economies, of which Sri Lanka is not an exception. Therefore, this study aims to focus on exploring the causes of ineffective material management practices in civil engineering construction projects in Sri Lanka and their impact on successful project delivery. Design/methodology/approach Furthermore, the literature findings were validated through the preliminary survey. Subsequently, a quantitative research approach was adopted to pursue the research aim. Questionnaire responses were obtained from 215 construction professionals in civil engineering projects who were selected using the judgemental and snowball sampling techniques. Collected data were analysed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) V26 and Microsoft Excel 2016. Findings Moreover, the study revealed that material price fluctuation, shortage of material in the market, delay in material procurement, inadequate planning and delays in material delivery are the most frequent causes of ineffective material management in civil engineering projects. In addition, it was evidenced that most ineffective material management practices cause both time and cost overruns in civil engineering construction projects. Most respondents emphasized inadequate planning, inadequate qualified and experienced staff, lack of supervision and lack of leadership as the causes for both time and cost overruns. Originality/value The study was concluded by proposing strategies for effective material management. Education/training/enlightenment of staff in charge of materials management, use of software like Microsoft Project, Primavera and similar software to eliminate manual errors in material management, and providing clear specifications to suppliers were the most agreed strategies for effective material management in civil engineering construction projects.