Building Construction Industry Research Articles

A Final Cost Estimating Model for Building Renovation Projects

The construction sector in Greece has been developing radically in the field of building renovations. The foremost problem for projects in the building construction industry is producing an accurate and reliable cost estimate at the onset of construction. The artificial neural network (AΝΝ) approach, using data available at the early stages of the project, can help resolve or prevent any kind of difficulty that could make the successful completion of a building less likely. ANNs have been highly efficient in gaining results which could prevent the failure of building constructions projects. The ultimate goal is to highlight the usefulness of the adoption of ANNs models to predict the final cost of a building renovation project. Thus, construction companies could avoid financial failure, provided that the gap between cost prediction and final cost for renovation projects is minimized. This paper presents an artificial neural network (ANN) approach for predicting renovation costs in Greek construction projects. The study, based on a comprehensive literature review and real renovation data from construction companies, employs IBM SPSS Statistics software to build, train, and test the ANN model. The model, which uses initial cost, estimated time, and initial demolition cost as inputs, is based on the radial basis function procedure. The model presents high performance with up to 2% sum of squares error and near zero relative error, demonstrating the ANN’s effectiveness in estimating total renovation costs.

Cradle-to-gate embodied carbon assessment of green office building using life cycle analysis: A case study from Sri Lanka

One of the most significant contributors to the economies of many nations is the building and construction sector. However, this industry is one of the world's most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, the concept of green building (GB) has emerged as the cornerstone of sustainable development. Even though GBs have a variety of advantages, the use of low-carbon materials is still lacking for both traditional buildings and green buildings in the Sri Lankan context, and energy-intensive building materials are responsible for 80% of the carbon emissions of the construction industry in the world. In Sri Lanka, buildings make up more than 70.9% of contracts and consume a significant amount of raw materials, and office buildings use 33% of the raw materials. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the embodied carbon (EC) of green office buildings and to provide potential measures to reduce the EC of buildings in Sri Lanka. Following the case study research strategy, the EC emission was calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method for an eight-storey Platinum-rated green office building in Sri Lanka. The results showed that the green office building had an EC 583.82 kgCO2e/m2 of the gross floor area. Reinforcement steel was found to be the significant EC material, contributing 47.88% of the total EC. In addition to that, ready-mixed concrete, cement block, plywood, and aluminium are the other highly intensive EC materials in this study. The findings showed that the use of low-carbon materials, materials minimising design, utilisation of reusable or recycled materials, utilisation of local or regional materials, and utilisation of eco-labelling materials are potential measures to reduce cradle-to-gate EC in the building construction industry in Sri Lanka.

DOES INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONER CONTRIBUTE TO DECREASE EARNINGS MANAGEMENT AND TAX AVOIDANCE ACTIVITIES

This study examines the independent commissioner's role in moderating earnings management's effect on tax avoidance practices in the building construction industry. This study uses data from building construction sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2017-2020. Of the 15 companies observed, 42 samples were obtained using purposive sampling to be used in the study. They are processing data using regression analysis with cross-sectional data. The study results show that the company's earnings management positively affects tax avoidance activities carried out by building construction companies. Meanwhile, an independent commissioner does not affect the relationship between earnings management practices and corporate tax avoidance. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Earnings Quality, Tax Planning

The Influence of Fundamental and Macroeconomic Factors on Stock Returns in Building Construction Companies Listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange for the 2018-2022 Period

This research focuses on analyzing the impact of fundamental and macroeconomic factors on stock returns within the building construction sector of companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period from 2018 to 2022. Employing a quantitative, associative approach, the study encompasses a population of 25 building construction companies, with a purposive sampling method narrowing it down to 14 companies. The research employs multiple linear regression analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software as the analytical tool. The findings reveal that the Return on Equity Ratio (ROE) and Debt to Equity Ratio (DER) exert a negative and significant influence on stock returns. Furthermore, economic growth (GDP) demonstrates a positive and significant impact, while inflation and interest rates exhibit a negative and insignificant effect on stock returns. Collectively, these factors, including ROE, DER, GDP, inflation, and interest rates, collectively exert a significant influence on stock returns. The implications of these findings underscore the importance of considering these factors for investors, policymakers, and practitioners in the building construction industry.

Implications Fraud Diamond in Fraudulent Financial Statements on Property, Real Estate and Building Construction Industries

Fraudulent financial statements involve intentional actions of manipulating or hiding information in financial reports to deceive users. Understanding the factors behind such fraud can be explored through the Diamond Scheme Theory, consists of four materials: opportunity, rationalization, ability, and pressure. The aim of this research analyze the impact of each component of the Fraud Diamond on fraudulent financial statements. The quantitative research methodology focuses on industries in the real estate, construction and property sectors listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange starting 2020 to 2022. The sample includes 69 companies selected through purposive sampling. Utilizing multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS 26 is employed for analysis. The study results reveal that, individually, only the capability variable within the Fraud Diamond has a significant negative impact on fraudulent financial statements. Pressure, opportunity, and rationalization variables do not show a significant influence. Additionally, when considered collectively, there is no discernible impact of the Fraud Diamond components on fraudulent financial statements.

A Eutectic Mixture of Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate and Bischofite with Promising Performance for Thermochemical Energy Storage

Thermochemical energy storage using salt hydrates is a promising method for the efficient use of energy. In this study, three host matrices, expanded vermiculite, expanded clay, and expanded natural graphite were impregnated with a eutectic mixture of CaCl2·6H2O and bischofite (MgCl2·6H2O). These composites were subjected to various humidity conditions (30–70% relative humidity) at 20 °C over an extended hydration period to investigate their cyclability. It was shown that only expanded natural graphite could contain the deliquescent salt at high humidity over 50 cycles. Hence, the expanded natural graphite composites containing either CaCl2·6H2O or CaCl2·6H2O/bischofite eutectic mixture were placed in a lab-scale open packed bed reactor, providing energy densities of 150 and 120 kWh/m3 over 20 h, respectively. The eutectic composite showed slightly lower temperature lift, water uptake rate, and power output but at reduced cost. Using the eutectic mixture also decreased the composite’s dehydration temperature at which the maximum mass loss rate occurred around 16.2 °C to 62.3 °C, allowing recharge using less energy-intensive heating methods. The cost of storing 1 kWh of energy with expanded natural graphite composites is only USD 0.08 due to its stability. This research leveraging cost-effective composites with enhanced stability, reaction kinetics, and high thermal energy storage capabilities benefits renewable energy, power generation, and the building construction research communities and industries by providing a competitive alternative to sensible heat storage technologies.

Greening the Building Construction Industry: Sustainability Consciousness of Building Technology Education Would-Be Professionals

Greening the Building Construction Industry: Sustainability Consciousness of Building Technology Education Would-Be Professionals

Circular Material Usage Strategies and Principles in Buildings: A Review

Building construction accounts for a significant proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions, raw material extraction, and waste production. Applying circular economy (CE) principles in the building construction industry would considerably reduce these values. However, uptake by the industry is relatively slow, which is largely attributed to sectoral barriers, including limitations in knowledge and experience. This review paper aims to assess and contribute to diminishing these obstacles by offering a comprehensive review of circular material usage principles and strategies within the construction sector. Opportunities and facilitators of change are also presented, including innovations and emerging technologies in recycling, digitization, robotic systems, novel materials, and processing. Finally, four case studies demonstrate the application of circular theory via a novel block system, recycled aggregate, modular kitchen reuse, and an energy efficiency retrofit. The conclusions show that future efforts should prioritize the development of strong regulatory frameworks, awareness initiatives, and international cooperation. In this regard, the integration of technological advancements, such as AI, robotics, and blockchain, is essential for optimizing waste management efficiency. Furthermore, education on circular practices plays a critical role. Through global collaboration, standardizing circular construction approaches can promote a more sustainable and resilient building construction industry.

Developing an integrative framework for digital twin applications in the building construction industry: A systematic literature review

In response to the global advocacy for digitalization, numerous industrial sectors are actively advancing the implementation of digital twins (DTs). However, the construction industry has been slow to adopt DT, lagging behind sectors such as manufacturing and medicine, where digitalization has made significant strides. Given the demonstrated benefits and potential of DT, it is crucial to increase research efforts for enhancing its application in the construction industry. To accurately identify prospective areas for future research, a comprehensive review and analysis of the status quo of relevant research is urgently needed. This study undertook a systematic literature review to understand how DT can enhance operational intelligence in the building construction industry. The findings, based on a review of pertinent literature, revealed that existing studies predominantly focused on the application of DT during the construction phase and the operation and maintenance phase. However, its potential use during the planning and design phase and the demolition and recovery phase was largely overlooked. Three main categories of key digital facilitating technologies for DT in the building construction industry have been identified: (1) data-related technologies; (2) high-fidelity modeling technologies; and (3) model-based simulation technologies. These technologies have finally culminated into an integrative framework. Furthermore, three significant research gaps in the application of DT in the building construction industry have been identified, suggesting future studies explore how to (1) centralize diverse stakeholders from a lifecycle perspective; (2) address various existing technological defects; and (3) establish a universal industry standard. This paper provides a valuable roadmap for relevant stakeholders to understand the status quo of DT application and the existing deficiencies in its full implementation, which should facilitate the efficient digitalization of the construction industry.

Assessment of Dispute Resolution Methods in Building Construction Industry in Ogun State.

Construction is a vital sector fostering economic expansion and development in Ogun State, Nigeria. However, conflicts and disagreements are a natural part of the intricate dynamics of construction projects, and the success of dispute resolution techniques has a big impact on project outcomes. This study investigates the frequency and characteristics of construction conflicts in Ogun State through a combination of literature review and stakeholder focus group discussions. The underlying causes of disagreements, covering problems with contracts, designs, delays, disagreements over payments, and issues with quality was dealt with. The study also looks at how accessible, understandable, and well-known various dispute resolution techniques are among those involved in the construction business, such as owners, consultants, and contractors. The study’s findings provide important new information about the dispute-resolution practices in Ogun State’s building construction sector. This research helps to establish methods for enhancing conflict resolution procedures by identifying obstacles and best practices, creating a more favourable climate for successful and long-lasting construction projects. This information is crucial for stakeholders, decision-makers, and practitioners because it can improve project delivery, lower project risks, and foster peaceful relationships within the construction industry.

A Systematic Review of the Digital Transformation of the Building Construction Industry

A Systematic Review of the Digital Transformation of the Building Construction Industry

Constraints in Implementation of Green Building Projects in Malaysia: A Short Review

Green building (GB) is the foundation of sustainable construction and a part of promoting environmental conservation. Bringing change to the building construction industry requires multiple efforts from various angles especially to overcome any resistances in the form of technology, human aspects, financial and resources. The transition from conventional to sustainable approach consumes time as it requires changes from different facets in the industry ranging from individual, organizational to industry level. In Malaysia, there are various efforts to bring green into the industry but the progress is low moderate. The current review identified the major constraints that hinder a faster progress for green buildings development in Malaysia which include high initial cost, lack of knowledge and awareness among public and industry players, challenges in technology and expertise as well as lack of government enforcement and incentives. The outcomes of this paper will assist in enhancing and improving the sustainable practice in Malaysian’s construction industry for the betterment of life for sustainable communities.

Exploring the Role of Quantity Surveyors in Mechanical and Electrical Services Cost Estimation – Challenges, and Client Implication

Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) services costs constitute a substantial proportion of the total cost of a building. Realistic cost estimates for this element are a desirable option by industry stakeholders because the total building cost can potentially be reduced if the cost of M&E services can effectively be managed throughout the life of the project. In the building construction industry, quantity surveyors are engaged to prepare cost estimates on all aspects of the building and provide cost advice services at every stage of the building construction projects. However, M&E services are one aspect of a building that quantity surveyors find very difficult to prepare cost estimates for. This study explored the role of quantity surveyors and, the challenges involved in the delivery of M&E services cost estimation.

The Efficiency of Using Machine Learning Techniques in Fiber-Reinforced-Polymer Applications in Structural Engineering

Sustainable solutions in the building construction industry have emerged as a new method for retrofitting applications in the last two decades. Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have garnered much attention among researchers for improving reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The existing design guidelines for FRP-strengthened RC members were developed using empirical methods that are based on specific databases, limiting the accuracy of the predicted results. Therefore, the use of innovative and efficient prediction tools to predict the behavior of FRP-strengthened RC members has become essential. During the last few years, efforts have been progressively focused on the use of machine learning (ML) as a feasible and effective technique for solving various structural engineering problems. Its capability to predict the behavior of complex nonlinear structural systems while considering a wide range of parameters offers a distinctive opportunity to make the behavior of RC members more predictable and accurate. This paper aims to evaluate the current state of using various ML algorithms in RC members strengthened with FRP to enable researchers to determine the capabilities of current solutions as well as to find research gaps to carry out more research to bridge revealed knowledge and practice gaps. Scopus databases were searched using predefined standards. The search revealed ninety-six articles published between 2016 and 2023. Consequently, these articles were analyzed for ML applications in the field of FRP retrofitting, including flexural and shear strengthening of RC beams, flexural strengthening of slabs, confinement and compressive strength of columns, and FRP bond strength. The results reveal that 32% of the reviewed studies focused on the application of ML techniques to the flexural and shear strengthening of RC beams, 32% on the confinement and compressive strength of columns, 6.5% on the flexural strengthening of slabs, 22% on FRP bond strength, 6.5% on materials, and 1% on beam–column joints. This research also revealed that the application of various ML algorithms has shown a significant improvement in resistance prediction accuracy as compared with the existing empirical solutions. Supervised learning techniques were the most favorable learning method due to their good generalization, interpretability, adaptability, and predictive efficiency. In addition, the selection of suitable ML algorithms and optimization techniques is found to be mainly dictated by the nature of the problem and the characteristics of the dataset. Nonetheless, selecting the most appropriate ML model and optimization algorithm for each specific application remains a challenge, given that each algorithm is developed with different principles and methodologies.

Exploring pathways to project success through project delivery team integration: a qualitative comparative analysis

Integration within project delivery teams can improve project outcomes in the building construction industry. However, integration across multiple firms and disciplines can be more challenging to manage, when compared to functionally organized, or siloed, teams. Given that resources to manage integration are limited and that most teams are only partially integrated in practice, this research seeks to explore pathways for their success. Using data collected from ten completed projects in the U.S., a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was performed to identify which combinations of six dimensions of integration were sufficient for improved project performance. The analysis revealed six distinct and highly consistent pathways to success, as evaluated by the criteria of being on-budget, on-time, or achieving the planned sustainable certification. Across all pathways, having a single team focus and equitable team relationships were the only dimensions consistently found in pathways leading to desirable project outcomes. Other dimensions, such as co-location, seamless operation across organizational boundaries, and a no-blame culture were found in pathways to both desirable and undesirable project outcomes, depending on their combination with other dimensions. These results contribute to theories on implementing team integration, suggesting that fully integrated teams are not always necessary for success. Instead, integrated teams that can work collaboratively, while still maintaining organizational separation or autonomy, can be as effective. While the study does not enable the identification of all possible pathways to success, it provides guidance to practitioners by highlighting a small subset of pathways, giving greater flexibility in managing integration within their teams.

Energy Consumption and Intensity at Building Construction Industry

Based on the research at developing country, 30 to 40% of natural resources were exploited by construction industry which are 50% of energy be used for heating and cooling the building. If energy demand can be reduced or industry delayed, energy usage will be reduced. As a result, that energy consumption guideline must be established to control the usage of energy. The objective of this research is to know the energy consumption and intensity at construction industry. For this research, it will focus on the specification of the project site based on contract sum, location, and environment before know on how to reduce energy. The case study for this research covers several high-rise building construction industries. Selected data have been taken from the case study which are manpower, energy used, plant machinery and master work program. All the data given have been analyst and come out with their total floor area result have been tabulated. Technically, construction can be divided into six stages which are initial construction, coordination, implementation, critical, testing and commissioning and handover stage. At the end of the research, a new method to measure Energy Consumption Guideline for Building Construction Industry have been established.

Finding the Exact Radiative Field of Triangular Sources: Application for More Effective Shading Devices and Windows

Triangles are an ever-present feature in nature, which the building construction industry duly echoes. However, an exact expression intended to supply the radiant field of any triangle in an upright or inclined position has not been identified by previous research. In this case, the author has been able to solve, via direct integration, the canonical expression of radiative transfer. This result alone confers a myriad of possibilities, that had been inconceivable before, for studying in detail the three-dimensional heat-transfer behavior of volumes and figures in which triangles manifest, such as fins, windows, roof-gables and louvers of various kinds. Typically, shading devices, when tilted, give rise in their extremes to rhomboidal shapes which were difficult to take into account or had to be subject to discretization and subsequent Monte Carlo methods in order to perform an approximate calculation of their emissions. This implied a lengthy and inexact procedure that induced many errors and consumed computing time. We can now avoid all these former downsides due to the advances hereby presented. As this novel expression can be converted into an algorithm, it will be advantageously employed for simulation. This significant finding dovetails into the intricate puzzle of radiated heat and we believe that its consequences will greatly affect the conception and design of HVAC devices, aircraft manufacturing and specifically the building or lighting industries, among others.

Carbon Substitution Effect Through the Utilization of Wood Products in Major Carbon-intensive Industries: Focusing on the Construction Industry in Korea

This study aims to examine the carbon substitution effect in Korea's major carbon-intensive industry, the construction industry. To accomplish this, we estimate the factor demand functions for the building construction and maintenance industry as well as the civil construction industry using the SUR model. Subsequently, we conduct a simulation analysis to assess the carbon substitution effect resulting from the replacement of wood with other factor inputs in each industry. The data utilized in this study are gathered from the Bank of Korea's Input-Output table and the Bank of Korea's producer price index. The estimated results of the factor demand functions reveal a substitutive relationship between wood and wood products with processed metal products within the construction industry. The simulation analysis indicates that an 8.75% increase in demand for wood and wood products within the construction industry can lead to the most significant reduction in total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the industry, amounting to 277.52 thousand tons. This study is the first to quantify carbon substitution effects from an economic perspective, thereby contributing to providing insights for governments in formulating policies related to carbon neutrality.

Sustainable Development through Green Building: A Holistic Exploration

Adoption of Green building is necessary for environment protection in the long run. Besides others, one of the most crucial objectives of this concept is to control the emissions of greenhouse gases, which plays a mighty role in global warming. This paper intends to demonstrate research on the status of ‘Green building’ and map out the future path and prospects for the global building construction industry as countless companies have either already adopted or are in the process of adopting this concept. After studying and analyzing this paper one will gain sufficient insights on the benefits, challenges, various dimensions, application as well as future scope of Green/Sustainable Building and its necessity in today’s environment-conscious world.

Promoting Climate Resilience in Building Construction Industry in Ghana

This study reports the perspectives of building construction stakeholders on how they are promoting climate resilience. Using descriptive research design with a purposive sampling through online questionnaire and adapted version of Relative Importance Index (RII) on selected environmental benchmarks, the major findings are: a) there is more to be done to promote green construction; b) many stakeholders still hold on to carbon-intensive approach; c) underlying cause for this lack of migration to less carbon use appears to be attitudinal than complete lack of knowledge of climate mitigation; d) many construction firms lack internal management system to monitor climate mitigation benchmarks indices. Based on these findings, recommendation being made is that construction managers may need to link up with international conferences to enhance professional competencies in advanced technologies for mitigating building-related carbon emission, while Government offers subsidies and green construction certification to promote contractors’ awareness of climate resilience in building construction.