Big Construction Research Articles

Practical approach for analysing and engaging stakeholders in construction megaprojects

Purpose: The construction industry is a complex environment, it is facing massive challenges, especially on megaprojects, due to the huge construction development and stakeholder management (SM). This paper seeks to explore, investigate, and assess the methods for analysing and engaging stakeholders on construction megaprojects to overcome stakeholder management problems and enhance performance. Methodology: The quantitative methodology is adopted in this research; a questionnaire survey is carried out among big construction firms in Qatar, with a 59% response rate. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) software. Findings: This paper investigated and assessed the common methods for analysing and engaging stakeholders on construction megaprojects, where they come together more integrative. Hence, this will boost their chances of reaching higher levels of success and project effectiveness. Lastly, the findings are foreseen to aid project managers in adjusting their strategies when considering future implementation plans via a broad picture and understanding of SM and their relationships in CMPs. Practical implications: Investigating and assessing the methods for analysing and engaging stakeholders is expected to assist project managers in improving projects’ performance and completing construction within the predefined time and cost. Besides, it enhances and strengthens the present body of knowledge in SM study domains and provides a starting point for practitioners and academics. Originality: This study contributes significantly by investigating and assessing the methods for analysing and engaging stakeholders in MCPs. Moreover, the findings are important for all concerned project stakeholders and are considered as a roadmap for effective stakeholder management in MCPs.

Implementation of BIM-based model checking technology for managing maintenance planning in green building ecosystem

PurposeThe green building (GB) maintenance industry has been under increasing pressure by designers to demonstrate its evaluation and information management of building information modelling based model checking (BMC) to the competency's performance and design knowledge of building control instrument. This main problem has been termed as maintenance planning level. Although maintenance planning has been explored in GB maintenance environments, less is known about what maintenance planning problems currently exist and what their causes are, such as the recent fire in the Grenfell Tower (14 June 2017, about 80 fatalities) in North Kensington, West London. The aim of this paper is to identify how GB maintenance environments could integrate BMC within their processes. The purpose of this study is to assess the BMC technology management of GB maintenance ecosystem and that of a soft skills level to establish the impact of innovation policy features on database and safety risk function mechanism.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this aim, a comprehensive literature review of the existing conceptualisation of BMC practices is reviewed and the main features of Information and Communication Technology tools and techniques currently being employed on such GB maintenance ecosystem is carried out to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the previous studies. The conceptual framework explores the importance of integration of BMC in the construction phase to identify alternative methods in the automation system (AS) process to co-generate, monitor and optimise BMC.FindingsThe results confirm that BMC tool positively influences database application and risk mechanism of construction project safety while agreeableness negatively does. Besides, database application has a negative influence on innovation policy of company towards BMC implementation. Propositions derived not only shed light on guidance for future research on the soft skills of construction organisations, but also provide decision-making support through a better understanding of the factors affecting soft skills level amongst biggest construction companies.Originality/valueThus far, this study advances the knowledge about how GB maintenance environments can ensure BMC delivery. This paper highlights the need for further research to integrate BMC in GB maintenance environments validates the framework across the construction phase with different GB project managers and engineers.

The Current Risk Management Practices and Knowledge in the Construction Industry

Construction is a critical sector of any economy in terms of value production, labor, and contributing to the gross national product. Managing risk is a relatively young area in Yemen’s construction sector, but it is gaining traction as building activity and competition rise. Construction firms mitigate risk by using a variety of risk management methods. Therefore, there is a need to assess these procedures in order to detect shortcomings. This research aims to establish the existing risk management strategies used in Yemeni building projects. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data. Respondents were drawn from Yemeni construction businesses. Risk management is not executed systematically, intentionally, or continuously, and most firms’ risk management procedures are reactive, semipermanent, informal, and unstructured, with no or few dedicated resources to address risks. This strategy is inconsistent with generally accepted risk management principles. Nonetheless, the findings suggest a general understanding of risk management and a willingness to learn from previous errors. The study of the findings suggests that risk identification approaches such as judgment and historical data are employed for risk analysis, and that the industry typically attempts to avoid or transfer risks in Yemeni building projects. The results shed light on the shortcomings of Yemen’s project management practices. To guarantee that construction projects obtain maximum value for money, project managers of big construction businesses in Yemen need a strong understanding of and training in globally accepted systematic risk management procedures. Finally, this study can help future stakeholders determine how to work together to manage risk.

Structure Monitoring with BIM and IoT: The Case Study of a Bridge Beam Model

The diffusion of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a reference methodology, applied to the world of construction, leads to important changes in the design and the management of big constructions and infrastructures. However, although the BIM approach is necessary for managing the entire life cycle of a construction, today, this methodology is still rarely adopted beyond the design phase. This represents a major flaw because the management of every phase of the life cycle of buildings needs accurate preliminary planning. Certainly, one of the most complex and important phases of the life cycle of a construction is the monitoring phase, which represents a fundamental aspect for the maintenance and the safe fruition of buildings or civil constructions. Considering this, the multidisciplinary approach of merging BIM methodology with real-time monitoring, using low-cost IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, seems to be an interesting topic to develop. In this paper, we will propose an example of a connection between an IoT system and a BIM model for monitoring the deflection of a bridge beam at the centerline using a schematic scale model reproduced in the laboratory and modelled in BIM. The developed system allows the real-time connection between the real model and its digital twin through the use of a relational database management system (RDBMS), to which the data detected by the sensor are transmitted, allowing the risk assessment of the real structure. This solution gives the possibility to remotely monitor, in real time, the behaviour of the structure visualised in the BIM model.

Relationship between transport infrastructure expenditures and costs and transport indicators - an overview of European and Ukrainian situation

Quality of transport infrastructure determines the quality of the provision of services for the transportation of goods and passengers. The infrastructure sector is a guarantee of efficiency, mobility and uninterrupted economic activity. However, the high quality of the transport infrastructure implies significant and long-term investments. According to a McKinsey research report, to support sustainable economic growth in the world in line with forecasts for 2030, it is necessary to cover the need for additional investment of $ 3.3 trillion annually, equivalent to 3.8% of world GDP. The purpose of this work is to analyze the existing European approach to assessing transport infrastructure expenditures and costs, their impact on transport performance at the country level, as well as trends in Ukrainian policy regarding the support and development of road infrastructure. Transport infrastructure costs include the investment in new infrastructure, the cost of upgrading the existing infrastructure, the cost of maintaining the infrastructure, and the operating costs to enable the use of the transport infrastructure. Directive 2011/76 / EU prescribes that the weighted average infrastructure charges should be linked to construction costs, as well as the costs of operation, maintenance and development of the corresponding infrastructure network. The official Eurostat data of investment and O&M costs of transport infrastructure based on the citizenship principle was taken for this study, namely: - the number of ton-kilometers traveled per year; - the volume of investments in road infrastructure per year; - the amount of funds for the maintenance of road infrastructure per year. The indicators were taken for countries of the EU for which statistics were available for 2016 and 2019. According to the study, the effect of investments in transport infrastructure is strongly manifested both in the same year and affects subsequent years in terms of the volume of annual transport work. That is, an increase in investment in road infrastructure clearly has a positive effect on the volume of transport work performed. On the other hand, the volume of investments in the EU infrastructure brings a much greater positive effect than funds for road maintenance. Thus, the experience of developed countries shows a positive relationship between investment in the maintenance and construction of transport infrastructure and economic performance of the state. Part of the research was devoted to the study of the impact of investments in road infrastructure of Ukraine on the example of the global Ukrainian infrastructure project "Big Construction". It is projected that in 2024, thanks to road works under the Big Construction, Ukraine's GDP will be 4.4% higher than GDP in 2020. But, as the research shows, good transport infrastructure is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for growth. "Big Construction" project in Ukraine does not show any positive effect on the volume of performed internal transport work now. The reasons may lie both in more long-term effect from improving the infrastructure, and in the facts of corruption and theft of funds allocated for the project.

Automatic Repair Method for D2D Communication Routing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in Cellular Network

Repairing D2D communication routing buffer overflow in a cellular network is of great significance in improving communication quality and security. Due to the increase of user usage, the communication data are easy to exceed the boundary of the buffer, resulting in the reduction of covered data information. The traditional repair methods mainly repair through the characteristics of covered data information, ignoring the impact of network topology information transmission delay and packet loss during calculation, resulting in the problem of low communication security. A cellular network routing buffer overflow repair algorithm based on the homomorphic analysis of node residual energy is proposed; the cellular network D2D communication routing protocol is designed; the cellular network D2D communication protocol path index is determined; then, the cellular network D2D communication routing protocol is designed by analyzing node residual energy; and the cellular network D2D communication network routing optimization method based on AHP is designed. Big constructs the energy model of cellular network D2D communication network, solves and sets the routing optimization objective function, realizes the control of network routing, and repairs the buffer overflow. The experiment results show that the improved method can effectively reduce the packet loss rate of communication data, improve the anti-interference ability of the system, and ensure the security of network communication.

USE OF BUDGET REGULATION MECHANISMS OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC MODEL OF UKRAINE

The article is devoted to the review and analysis of the possibilities of using budgetary regulatory mechanisms in Ukraine. Based on previous research, a hypothesis was put forward about the characteristics of budget regulation depending on the socio-economic model of the country, namely the ratio of three vectors of influence: state, social and market. In order to determine the inherent features of the model of Ukraine, an analysis of the dynamics of the main structural items of revenue and expenditure of Ukraine, assessed the effectiveness of such changes in the domestic economy and their impact on the economic environment over the past five years. In the course of the research, the items of expenditures and the main sources of budget revenues were considered separately. Thus, the analytical analysis of the income part allows us to claim an increase in the tax burden on individuals and entrepreneurs, but at the same time indicates a decrease in the share of income from rent for the use of natural resources. In addition, the increase in the minimum wage led to an increase in the transition of the share of workers in the «shadow», which in turn did not allow to realize the forecasts for an increase in this article of income. Along with this, the increase in revenues from entrepreneurial activities due to the nationalization of some enterprises and financial institutions, indicates a relatively large share of the role of the state in shaping the budget process, but also indicates its inefficiency. The decrease in the share of revenues from value added tax and excise duty also reveals the shortcomings of the NBU’s monetary policy and the corruption component in customs. Calculations of the dynamics of growth of absolute indicators of budget revenue items indicate a predominant excess of dynamics on inflation, which in turn confirms the thesis of increasing the tax burden against the background of the economic downturn during the global pandemic. In this case, the use of deterrence instruments (increase in taxes, increase in the discount rate) is not considered appropriate by the state regulator during the phase of decline in terms of generally accepted economic theories. The analysis of budget expenditures by articles indicates the state’s efforts to respond to current challenges. There is a clear increase in health and defense spending. But at the same time, expenditures on education, environmental protection and utilities do not have such a dynamic upward trend. Attempts to use «monetary mitigation» mechanisms in the context of the implementation of the «Big Construction» plan were not effective: the increase in jobs was insignificant, and corruption scandals with budget funding and dubious tenders again indicate the inefficiency of state institutions in general and the budget process in particular. As a result, it is necessary to emphasize the need for a gradual reorientation of the socioeconomic model to a more balanced one, taking into account current trends in the world economy. Indeed, the role of the state in times of crisis is very important. But the state must be effective in its regulatory activities. Therefore, the creation of powerful public organizations and the development of market mechanisms will help balance economic development and prevent the monopolization of Ukraine’s economy.

Roles of Contractors in Implementing Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) in Construction Projects

In recent decades, the construction industry has been widely criticized for its lack of efficiency and productivity, and it has been shown that the Malaysian construction industry records poor quality on its projects. To overcome this issue, the Technical Committee on Quality Assessment in Construction with the support of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has introduced Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC). QLASSIC is a scoring system that is used to assess and evaluate the performance of construction buildings. It is based on the Construction Industry Standard (CIS 7:2006). Unfortunately, this assessment system had poor implementation since its introduction in November 2006. QLASSIC was not extensively implemented and was taken lightly by the contractors and developers in Malaysia. There are still a huge number of contractors that are not aware of QLASSIC even the big construction companies. Thus, this research is aimed at investigating the contractor’s perspective towards the implementation of QLASSIC in the construction industry in Malaysia. Three objectives are developed to achieve the aim: (1) identification of the needs to implement QLASSIC; (2) investigation of issues and challenges to implement QLASSIC and (3) recommendation of strategies to implement QLASSIC. Structured questionnaire surveys were distributed to the G7 and G6 contractors in the Klang Valley area; which may have or may not have experience in implementing QLASSIC in their projects. The result revealed that majority of the respondents were aware and understand the needs of QLASSIC implementation, but there were still few who were unfamiliar with the QLASSIC. The current level of implementation of QLASSIC in Malaysia is still not satisfactory due to several issues and challenges acting as barriers to its implementation. Therefore, the initiatives from the government are important to promote QLASSIC implementation in the construction industry. By doing this, the contractors would be aware of the implementation of QLASSIC in the construction industry. The significance of this research is that it will assist contractors and other construction players in comprehending the implications and importance of QLASSIC implementation.

Strategic Management Model of Network Organization Based on Artificial Intelligence and Modular Enterprise Big Data

Modularization has been a research hotspot in recent years. Among these, there are two issues that many scholars pay attention to. First, we must know what factors cause modularization, and secondly, what impact modularization has brought to enterprises. The era of information technology background makes enterprises have to deal with more and more complex information. The integration and application of internal knowledge resources also force enterprises to adjust their structure, so that knowledge can spread and create value within the enterprise more effectively. This paper, based on artificial intelligence and modular enterprise big data, constructs a matching model of corporate strategy and performance management mode, determines four different matching methods based on corporate strategy and performance management mode, and puts forward corresponding assumptions. This article selects the participants of EMBA and MBA courses offered by several universities as the survey subjects. Most of them are enterprise managers, have many years of management practical experience, have a good understanding of the basic situation of the enterprise, and can truly understand the scale and make a choice based on the actual content. In this paper, a strategic management model based on artificial intelligence and modular enterprise big data construction proves that paired sample T test can be found, the data analysis is based on the various indicator scores of the enterprise modularity level, and the resulting P value is less than 0.05 as a significant difference, which proves that these two indicators are too quantitative. The company has not done relevant statistics, so it is difficult to make a practical answer. Through comparison and analysis, it is more likely to find the gap between the company’s financial strategy and its competitors, and then it is possible to make targeted improvements and upgrades.

Combined fluorescent seed selection and multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 assembly for fast generation of multiple Arabidopsis mutants

BackgroundMultiplex CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing is an efficient method for targeted disruption of gene function in plants. Use of CRISPR-Cas9 has increased rapidly in recent years and is becoming a routine method for generating single and higher order Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. Low entry, reliable assembly of CRISPR/Cas9 vectors and efficient mutagenesis is necessary to enable a maximum of researchers to break through the genetic redundancy within plant multi-gene families and allow for a plethora of gene function studies that have been previously unachievable. It will also allow routine de novo generation of mutations in ever more complex genetic backgrounds that make introgression of pre-existing alleles highly cumbersome.ResultsTo facilitate rapid and efficient use of CRISPR/Cas9 for Arabidopsis research, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based toolbox for generating mutations at multiple genomic loci, using two-color fluorescent seed selection. In our system, up-to eight gRNAs can be routinely introduced into a binary vector carrying either a FastRed, FastGreen or FastCyan fluorescent seed selection cassette. FastRed and FastGreen binary vectors can be co-transformed as a cocktail via floral dip to introduce sixteen gRNAs at the same time. The seeds can be screened either for red or green fluorescence, or for the presence of both colors. Importantly, in the second generation after transformation, Cas9 free plants are identified simply by screening the non-fluorescent seeds. Our collection of binary vectors allows to choose between two widely-used promoters to drive Cas enzymes, either the egg cell-specific (pEC1.2) from A. thaliana or the constitutive promoter from Petroselinum crispum (PcUBi4-2). Available enzymes are “classical” Cas9 codon-optimized for A. thaliana and a recently reported, intron-containing version of Cas9 codon-optimized for Zea mays, zCas9i. We observed the highest efficiency in producing knockout phenotypes by using intron-containing zCas9i driven under egg-cell specific pEC1.2 promoter. Finally, we introduced convenient restriction sites flanking promoter, Cas9 and fluorescent selection cassette in some of the T-DNA vectors, thus allowing straightforward swapping of all three elements for further adaptation and improvement of the system.ConclusionA rapid, simple and flexible CISPR/Cas9 cloning system was established that allows assembly of multi-guide RNA constructs in a robust and reproducible fashion, by avoiding generation of very big constructs. The system enables a flexible, fast and efficient screening of single or higher order A. thaliana mutants.

Environmental risks of innovations in the management of motor transport systems

In modern conditions, when the negative impact on the components of the environ-ment is constantly increasing, and global environmental problems are becoming more and more urgent, the issues of attracting environmental investments in energy and resource-intensive sectors of the economy are becoming more and more urgent. Among all the sources of destructive influence, one of the least studied are motor transport systems, which are a combination of highway and flow of motorvehicles that move along it. In the current conditions of the modern development of the state road network and the implementation of the "Big Construction" program, the problem of assessing the environmental risks of innovations in the management of motor transport systems becomes especially relevant and requires a solution in the context of ensuring the state's environmental safety. Goal. The goal of the work is to develop approaches to assessing the envi-ronmental risks of innovations in the management of motor transport systems to ensure an appropriate level of the state environmental safety. Methodology. The analytical methods to develop an organizational and economic mechanism for managing environmental risks of innovation in the functioning of the state's motor transport systems were used in the work. Re-sults. The main environmental problems of the functioning of motor transport systems are analyzed and priority ones are highlighted. The general foundations of environmental risk management of innovative activity are analyzed. The efficiency of the state motor transport systems management system is estimated. Measures to determine the environmental risks of innovation have been developed. The organizational and economic mechanism for managing the environmental risks of innovation in the functioning of the transport systems of Ukraine were proposed. Originality. The system of environmental risk man-agement of innovation has been further developed in the context of the eco-innovation process of develop-ment of motor transport systems, which will increase the level of environmental safety of the state. Practical value. The use of the proposed general organizational and economic mechanism for managing the environmental risks of innovation in the functioning of the state's motor transport systems will increase the efficiency of this process. The obtained result is the basis for the development and implementation of effective mechanisms for the ecoinvestment in the development of motor transport systems. In the long term, this will help to improve the state's ecoinvestment climate and indirectly increase the level of environmental safety.

Managing project scope creep in construction industry

PurposeProject scope creep is a nightmare and nearly intolerable task. Most project managers struggle to curtail the expanse and degree of scope creep. This study examines different likely project scope creep factors associated with the construction industry projects.Design/methodology/approachAfter many brainstorming sessions with construction stakeholders, several project scope creep factors were identified. Then, a detailed survey was executed in big construction projects of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).FindingsThe results derived and validated five conspicuous factors leading to project scope creep. Respectively, the highest and the lowest impact on project scope appears to be imposed by tasks/specifications and complexity/uncertainty.Practical implicationsIt offers crucial support to the project stakeholders in scrutinizing different factors that stand as hurdles to project success and allows them to seek remedies to resolve them.Originality/valueIt is among the first study in the region that identifies and validates the factors that hinder construction project success.

Research on Key Construction Technology of Building Engineering Under the Background of Big Data

In the era of the construction engineering industry informatization, the collection, storage, and reuse of big construction data is the only way to apply and inform big data in the construction industry. Relying on the reverse logistics management system, modern construction technology can simulate the timeliness of materials, funds, and time limits of the actual construction site according to the logistics reverse engineering principle. Then, reverse the active management status of the internal logistics model of the actual project. It is one of the critical problems for construction engineering informatization to study applying big data and cloud computing technology to solve problems from massive and complicated data or mass data. Since the research on big data and cloud computing technology started late in construction engineering, it is worth studying which aspects of these technologies can be used in the whole life cycle of this field. This paper proposes a structural construction optimization identification method based on IPEM rapid reanalysis. USES the co-solubility of reverse logistics structure construction technology and applied the data mining method to solve many problems such as refined construction management leftover material surplus in the later construction stage. Finally, a construction optimization model of reverse logistics building system based on improved data mining is proposed according to the actual engineering requirements.

ПУБЛІЧНІ ФІНАНСИ УКРАЇНИ В УМОВАХ ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19

The article presents the results of a study of the world experience of using public finances in the context of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluates domestic measures of anti-crisis support of the national economy. It was noted that the volume and forms of financial support depended on the depth of the negative consequences of a pandemic in a country, as well as on the solvency of governments, their reputation as borrowers. Developed countries had the opportunity to approve fiscal support measures for several years, while in developing countries, such measures were short-term. It is emphasized that in these conditions the biggest concern is the growing budget deficit and public debt. The total package of anti-crisis measures of Ukraine, which is estimated at UAH 111.2 billion (2.8% of GDP), is analyzed. It is noted that this package is significantly inferior to the volume of support programs in developed countries, which reached levels ranging from 5-10% of GDP (China, UK, USA) to 18.8% of GDP (Canada) and even 23% of GDP (France). It was noted that despite the fact that the implementation of the "Big Construction" program has become the largest anti-crisis instrument in 2020, which undoubtedly had a positive effect and impact on economic indicators, it should not be considered an anti-crisis measure. This program was planned before the deployment of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not directly related to the direct support of the population and compensation for business losses, so it cannot be considered a government response to the COVID-19. It is concluded that the expected continuation of the pandemic in 2021 will require governments to pursue policies to support business and households. In these circumstances, the Ukrainian government will be required to increase the volume of anti-crisis measures. At the same time it is necessary to observe prudence and caution in choosing the sources of government borrowing. For the Ukrainian state, this task is complicated by the fact that overcoming the crisis must be carried out in the context of continuing reforms, strengthening the imbalance of public finances, increasing macroeconomic instability.

Cloud computing based big data platform construction of university informatization teaching service in Yunnan Province under the background of community of destiny

This paper summarizes the current situation of the university education informatization, cloud computing and the application of big data in education, and preliminarily constructs the big data platform model of university informatization intelligent teaching service of Yunnan University Teacher Education Alliance Based on cloud computing Part of the content of the model is described to provide reference for regional alliance education related research.

Планування реновації міст у Німеччині - аналіз управління

The European Union and Germany strive for a “green and just Europe” with a climate-neutral building stock, net zero land consumption and cities of social cohesion and cultural identity. Thus, urban renewal as the protection and cautious re-modelling of socio-material urban fabrics re-gains topicality. Urban renewal is neither a new nor an easy mode of urban development: West Germany experienced the first heydays of urban renewal planning in 1960s and 70s; big constructions works triggered civil protests and spurred institutional changes, namely the introduction of citizen participation in planning. Since then, the planning and local political institutions have continued to change oscillating between neoliberal and ‘citizen democratic reforms’. So far, however, the German planning research has ignored these changes and the evolving experiences of urban renewal. This paper steps in here: It aims at a critical review of the local practices of renewal planning in German cities today. Starting from the governance concept, the paper reveals key characteristics of and interdependencies among the local stakeholder groups in urban renewal – i.e. planners, politicians, citizens and activists, private entrepreneurs. It shows (1) how the formal political and planning institutions pre-frame the actors’ opportunities and interdependencies, and how they use leeway differently due to specific informal institutions. The paper (2) points at the tight and critical interdependency between the local political bodies and the planning departments, which differs importantly from some Eastern European contexts. Finally, the paper reveal (3) some new challenges that are the un-explored local effects of citizen participation and ppp-cooperation in German renewal planning today: It becomes evident that participatory and cooperative renewal planning is still a demanding learning process in Germany without easy nor final receipts.

Exit, Voice or Loyalty? VET Stakeholders’ Response to Large Scale Skilled Emigration From Poland

Context: The topic of this paper is how mass emigration of skilled workers affects national policies, and employers’ willingness to invest in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Poland. In the wake of EU enlargement in 2004, Poland became one of the biggest sending countries for skilled labour to Western European countries. These massive outflows of skilled labour, not compensated by adequate inflows of equally skilled workers, have led to serious skills shortages, especially in the construction sector. The paper investigates whether emigration and immigration constitute a driving force for institutional change of the Polish VET system, by analysing policy development and the attitudes of VET stakeholders towards contributing to VET.Approach: The paper focuses on the emigration of skilled construction workers in Poland. Drawing on Hirschman’s (1970) framework, when faced with massive skills deficits construction companies are confronted with different options: i) withdraw from the VET system and find other training and recruitment options (exit), ii) attempt to improve conditions by turning to policy makers (voice), and/or iii) remain loyal to the VET system. The analysis is based on an interview study of decision makers responsible for VET policies, employers, chamber of Craft and trade unions, principals of vocational schools, teachers and representatives of regional examination boards.Findings: After years of inattention, VET has been regaining a strong position in national policies. We find that construction companies are mostly more willing now, compared to 5 years ago, to take on learners for practical training and to contribute to improving school equipment. The study showed that one of the most significant obstacles to employers investing in the training of VET learners is the fear of losing a young skilled employee through emigration. Yet, dependent on skilled labour, employers of big construction companies saw no other option than to continue investing in training young learners. However, smaller companies seeking the short-term benefits of employing low-cost labour are less interested in investing in VET.Conclusion: Despite a range of recent policy actions and legislative efforts, several major challenges in the Polish VET system remain unresolved. Continued effort to institutionalise and enhance dialogue between the education system and the labour market appears as the most pressing need. It is currently too early to determine the degree of "institutional stickiness" of the activities observed on the policy level and among employers regarding their increased interest in VET as a response to mass skilled emigration.

Magnitude of risky sexual practice and associated factors among big construction site daily laborers in Bahir Dar city, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

Young person's susceptibility to sexually transmitted infection has been consistently linked to intractable work places. In Ethiopia, different behavior related interventions had carried out to raise awareness of risky sexual behaviors and their consequences. However, there is still limited information on risky sexual practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the big construction site daily laborers from April 1, 2019 to May 30, 2019. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection, and data were entered into Epidata and transported to SPSS for analysis. Independent variables with p < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were considered to have a statistically significant association with risky sexual practice. Among 627 sample respondents, the magnitude of risky sexual practice was found to be 24.2%. Labor workers who had a history of an STIs (AOR = 4.29; 95% CI: 2.56, 7.19), those who enjoy in the nightclubs (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.34, 4.08), those who started sex by peer pressure (AOR = 3.42; 95% CI: 2.06, 5.68), substance users (AOR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.82), those who were unable to read and write (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI: 1.41, 9.67), living independently (AOR = 3.71; 95% CI: 1.78, 7.77) and living with relatives (AOR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.06, 9.20) were statistically associated with risky sexual practice. The magnitude of risky sexual practice among big constriction daily laborers was high in Bahir Dar City likely to increase their vulnerability to HIV. The findings of this study show the need of targeted HIV prevention plan to give due attention for daily laborers who had a history of an STI, enjoy in the night clubs, peer pressure, substance users, educational status and living arrangement. The Amhara Education Bureau and the city education department have to design ways to deliver at least a high school education.

A Robotic Cognitive Architecture for Slope and Dam Inspections.

Big construction enterprises, such as electrical power generation dams and mining slopes, demand continuous visual inspections. The sizes of these structures and the necessary level of detail in each mission requires a conflicting set of multi-objective goals, such as performance, quality, and safety. It is challenging for human operators, or simple autonomous path-following drones, to process all this information, and thus, it is common that a mission must be repeated several times until it succeeds. This paper deals with this problem by developing a new cognitive architecture based on a collaborative environment between the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other agents focusing on optimizing the data gathering, information processing, and decision-making. The proposed architecture breaks the problem into independent units ranging from sensors and actuators up to high-level intelligence processes. It organizes the structures into data and information; each agent may request an individual behavior from the system. To deal with conflicting behaviors, a supervisory agent analyzes all requests and defines the final planning. This architecture enables real-time decision-making with intelligent social behavior among the agents. Thus, it is possible to process and make decisions about the best way to accomplish the mission. To present the methodology, slope inspection scenarios are shown.

Challenges and Opportunities: Big Data Construction of Social Work Based on Evidence-based Practice in Gerontology and Health Industry

Challenges and Opportunities: Big Data Construction of Social Work Based on Evidence-based Practice in Gerontology and Health Industry