Egyptian Construction Industry Research Articles

Application of Ginni’s mean analysis for identifying the stationary driver enhancing modular construction adoption in the building industry

Modular construction (MC) is recognized as an environmentally friendly and sustainable building method, and it is mandatory for assessing project sustainability. In developed countries, MC is acknowledged as a crucial approach for sustainable development, leading to increased adoption in these nations. However, implementing and incorporating MC in developing nations is a multifaceted task due to infrastructure limitations, economic inequalities, and resource constraints, which limit its widespread adoption. This study aims to find the stationary driver that increase MC usage in developing nations, especially in residential projects. To achieve this objective, a total of 120 building professionals participated in the questionnaire. Following this, the Relative Importance Index and Gini’s Mean analyses were employed to assess the significance of the top 5 ranked drivers and to pinpoint the stationary driver. According to the study results, the five major MC drivers are as follows: Determining the correct weights and dimensions of modules by optimal design; Considering the detailed survey of fabricators’ MC experience and competency; Early screening tests during the selection of fabricators and factories; Early engagement of the heavy lift team in relevant research; and Avoiding suboptimal modular equipment sizes that might restrict transportation options. Additionally, the Gini’s Mean analysis revealed the stationary driver that promotes MC adoption is the need for expert advice for equipment specifications, scheduling, and sequence. The research findings pave the way for the Egyptian construction industry to adopt MC, which will improve the construction sector, particularly residential construction. Furthermore, the results address a knowledge gap about the drivers that enhance the adoption of MC in developing nations.

Quantitative Analyses Towards Prioritising the Challenges Facing Wider Utilisation of BIM Applications in the Construction Industry in Egypt

Quantitative Analyses Towards Prioritising the Challenges Facing Wider Utilisation of BIM Applications in the Construction Industry in Egypt

A Framework for Optimized BIM Adoption in the Construction Industry in Egypt: Application in the Pre-construction Phase According to Project Complexity

A Framework for Optimized BIM Adoption in the Construction Industry in Egypt: Application in the Pre-construction Phase According to Project Complexity

Proposing the Use of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) as Risk Assessment Tool in Construction

The aim of this research was to improve the analysis of risks in construction projects in Egypt through proposing the implementation of FMEA as a risk assessment tool. First, an extensive literature review was conducted to identify the relevant risks in the Egyptian construction industry. Second, a questionnaire survey was carried out to determine the impact, probability, and detection of the identified risk factors according to experts working in the construction sector in Egypt. Third, an analysis of these risks was carried out using traditional PMI’s risk assessment, FMEA, and the integration of fuzzy logic with FMEA fundamentals. The reached results demonstrated that FMEA and risk management are quite similar in different aspects, but FMEA has an additional dimension to PMI’s risk analysis, which is “detection”. Such dimension affects how risks are managed and plays a major role in developing better strategies for controlling and detecting risks. This added depth provides more insights about the project and enables construction parties to make better preparations and decisions in their projects. The findings indicated that FMEA has a significant potential in the construction industry if it is properly applied. Findings of this research are envisaged to promote the application of FMEA as an upgrade to the currently applied PMI’s risk management practice; thus, enhancing the efficiency, visualization, and eventually the decision making.

Classifying and evaluating enablers influencing modular construction utilization in the construction sector: A fuzzy synthetic evaluation

The use of modular construction (MC) is well-established in developed countries and is known to promote sustainability. However, MC is not widely utilised in developing countries. To address this issue, a study was conducted to identify enablers that can increase the adoption of MC in developing countries, specifically for residential projects. A survey was conducted to determine the relative value of 21 enablers that boost the adoption of MC. The data collected was analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), which classified the enablers into four main components: Optimization, Planning and Management, Preparation, and Promotion and Improvement. Then, Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation (FSE) was employed to rank these four components, where it was found that “Optimization” is the top performing component while “ Promotion and Improvement ” is the least performing component. The study's results provide a roadmap for the Egyptian construction industry to adopt MC, which can improve the construction sector, particularly in residential construction. Additionally, the findings of this research help fill a gap in knowledge about the enablers that can enhance the use of MC in developing countries.

Building Information Modelling Implementation Model for Sustainable Building Projects in Developing Countries: A PLS-SEM Approach

When building homes, sustainability principles should be followed throughout the process to achieve maximum advantages. Building information modeling (BIM) activities can aid in achieving sustainable goals. Third-world countries’ building industry implements informal approaches to information dissemination through email newsletters and websites. This research seeks to provide a model for the application of BIM and its relationship with overall sustainable success (OSS) in building projects. BIM activities were identified from the literature, and a survey form was distributed to 180 professionals in the Egyptian construction industry. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to establish the structure of BIM activities and assess their correlation with project success, revealing BIM accounts for 30% of sustainability. The study’s findings inform decision-making to improve project sustainability and reduce costs by introducing BIM to developing countries’ construction industries.

Impact assessment of implementing virtual reality in the Egyptian construction industry

Impact assessment of implementing virtual reality in the Egyptian construction industry

A comprehensive framework towards safe disposal of construction and demolition waste: The case of Egypt

Construction and demolition waste (CDW), produced at various stages of construction projects, is a major problem for the construction industry. This waste has led to an international issue that is widespread and enduring. This research used a quantitative method in two stages to suggest workable options to fix this significant problem. An online survey of Egyptian construction industry professionals was conducted during the first round to gauge how three key factors affected the safe disposal of CDW (SDCDW). Management of route, collection, and transportation (MRCT), determinationof illegal waste dumping sites (DIWDS), and construction waste tracking and scheduling (CWTS)are the three main factors. The development of a comprehensive framework for SDCDW, in support of Egypt's vision 2030, involved multivariate statistical analysis using the structural equation modelling (SEM) method in the second stage. The findings showed that these three factors had a favourable impact on SDCDW in Egypt. This was evidenced through mentioning the acceptable effect sizes of these three factors towards SDCDW; where MRCT showed moderate effect towards SDCDW with a value of 0.16, CWTS showed small effect towards SDCDW with a value of 0.137, and DIWDS showed small effect towards SDCDW with a value of 0.052.The study also discovered that MRCT is more effective in treating SDCDW with a model path coefficient of 0.383. However, DIWDS is the least effective when it comes to SDCDW with a model path coefficient of 0.191. In support of Egypt's Vision 2030, this paper makes concrete suggestions for the government and the construction sector regarding the safe disposal of CDW.

The Effect of FIDIC red book 2017 to avoid disputes in Egyptian construction field

Egypt incurred about 74 billion of Egyptian pounds in the last decade due to arbitration cases. This paper aims to find a solution for the Egyptian construction industry to avoid disputes among project parties, which convert the project from win-win situation to lose-lose situation and the project may not be completed. Methods/Analysis: This study uses the new approach of contracts administration of avoiding disputes from its inception represented in FIDIC 2017 and the approach of disputes settlement represented in FIDIC 1999 instead of the used ad-hoc construction contracts in Egypt. After analyzing the Egyptian construction field, it is found that each of badly written contract and poor contract administration are the main reasons for most of disputes among project parties. as a try to solve this issue, a case study been applied to use the standard contract of FIDIC 2017 to be the project’s contract instead of used regular ad-hoc contracts in Egyptian construction field, results confirmed that the new approach of disputes avoidance is in the line of the nature of Egyptian construction projects, in addition to FIDIC 2017 mentions more detailed conditions and scenarios which avoid almost all project disputes and deliver the project to the completion date with win–win situation for all project parties. Novelty/Improvement: the application of standard contract of FIDIC 2017 as the project contract in Egypt shall be a solution for the badly written contract and facilitate the contract administration for all project stages which shall be a great step to improve the Egyptian construction field and save billions of Egyptian pounds in arbitration courts.

Analysis of factors affecting construction and demolition waste safe disposal in Egypt

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is produced in conjunction with construction projects at various phases. In Egypt's situation, the disposal of CDW issue has grown to be a major problem, and there is an urgent need to discover a safe disposal method. Based on the exploration of the literature, three main factors that affect the safe disposal of CDW (SDCDW) were found as follows: (1) management of route, collection and transportation; (2) determination of illegal waste dumping sites; and (3) construction waste tracking and scheduling. In this paper, a wide sample of construction industry academics and practitioners were approached by an online survey questionnaire for (1) investigating the applicability and effectiveness of SDCDW factors in the Egyptian construction industry; and (2) examining the relationship between these factors and SDCDW. Different statistical methods were used such as Relative Importance Index (RII) to rank the framework items. In addition, Bi-variate correlation analysis was conducted to test the effectiveness of automation techniques included in the framework with respect to the level of agreement upon reaching safe disposal of CDW. The findings showed that (1) among the various factors, “selection of the shortest path transport route” has the highest applicability, while “detection of CDW illegal disposal sites” is the most effective factor; and (2) there exist positive statistical relationships between SDCDW and all of the various factors. The findings show that creating a conceptual framework for SDCDW in Egypt, which includes these various elements, is necessary as the next research initiative.

Modelling the relationship between modular construction adoption and critical success factors for residential projects in developing countries

Modular construction (MC) is considered a greener and more sustainable construction and is obligatory for measuring the project’s sustainability. MC is a building process in which modules are fabricated in a factory and then installed onsite. Although MC is popular in developed countries, its uses are still very limited in developing countries. This study aims to introduce a model to promote the adoption of MC by analysing the relationship between critical success factors (CSFs) and their enablers, as well as modular construction adoption (MCA), for housing projects in developing countries to reach the MC benefits. This aim is accomplished through three main phases. The first phase is the exploratory phase that used to determines MC's CSFs, enablers, and benefits through a comprehensive literature review. The second phase is the descriptive-explanatory phase, which used a questionnaire survey strategy to evaluate the significance of these CSFs and their enablers. The questionnaire survey was conducted with building specialists in the Egyptian construction industry. The third phase is the structural equation modelling (SEM) phase using partial least square (PLS) method that used to test the correlations between the CSFs and MCA using the measurement and structural models. The findings pointed out that the CSFs significantly impacted the MCA by 62.1%, which considered a moderate effect. The contribution of the study provides policymakers and other project stakeholders with a roadmap for implementing MC in developing countries, including Egypt and the support needed to focus on the benefits of MCA that could take place in their current or future projects.

An Exploratory Study on the Impact of the Construction Industry on Climate Change

In the last decade, the construction industry in Egypt has been booming, and many mega projects are under construction. The lack of awareness of the construction industry’s impact on climate change could be very harmful in terms of CO2 emission, water and soil pollution, etc. This paper aims to explore the critical factors in the Egyptian construction industry that contributes to climate change. Moreover, given the shared features between the construction industry in Egypt and those in other countries, this research could also shed light on the general impacts of the construction industry on the various aspects of climate change. So, to achieve this aim, an intensive literature review was carried out to identify various factors contributing to climate change within the construction industry. This is followed by conducting 11 interviews with construction experts to explore any further factors throughout the lifecycle of a construction project. The identified factors from the literature review and the interviews were used to design a questionnaire survey to collect construction professionals’ opinions on the impact of these factors on climate change in Egypt. 48 valid responses were received. The collected data were statistically analyzed to rank and determine the criticality level of these factors. The results revealed that the most significant factors influencing climate change are the impact of industrial construction on climate change, the use of primary renewable energy as raw materials during the construction and use phases, and the effect of heavy civil and highway construction on climate change. The results also show that managing these factors requires considerable awareness and proactive actions during the project life cycle and pre-construction stage. The findings could inform decision-makers and construction professionals to raise awareness and make informed decisions to handle these key factors and minimize their potential contribution to climate change. Therefore, it can be recommended that construction clients may involve a climate change management plan as a requirement of tender documents.

Relative Importance Index for the Key Performance Indicators for the construction industry in Egypt

Relative Importance Index for the Key Performance Indicators for the construction industry in Egypt

Towards automated construction for safe disposal of materials waste in the Egyptian construction industry

The solid waste management (SWM) represents one of the most important challenges worldwide in the current period. Also, it contributes to large negative effect on the three aspects of sustainability which are environmental, social and economic sustainability. Approximately 50% of total annual global generated solid waste (SW) is from construction and demolition waste (CDW). The case of CDW in Egypt has become a major challenge, and Egypt encounters many challenges that obstacle the way for development of efficient SWM especially towards ensuring safe disposal of CDW. This paper aims to investigate: (1) the rising problem related to SW in Egypt showing its main causes; (2) CDW percentages in greater Cairo; (3) the unsafe disposal of CDW waste in Egypt through reviewing most recent research papers; and (4) automation in construction techniques that were previously implemented for better CDW management (CDWM). Findings and recommendations of CDWM improvement in Egypt from this study are expected to encourage research on automated construction technique towards ensuring safe disposal of CDW in Egypt which would be of great effect towards improving sustainability levels in the Egyptian construction sector.

Value management implementation barriers for sustainable building: a bibliometric analysis and partial least square structural equation modeling

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between overcoming the value management (VM) implementation barriers and VM implementation in the Egyptian building sector.Design/methodology/approachA critical review of the literature on VM was used to through bibliometric analysis has been conducted to highlight the studies’ gap and establish the VM barriers. These obstacles were then contextually transformed via a semi-structured interview and a pilot study, and subsequently organized in the form of a theoretical model. The primary data was collected from 335 building stakeholders in Egypt through the administration of questionnaire surveys. Consequently, structural equation models of partial least squares were applied to statistically assess the final model of VM barriers.FindingsThe bibliometric analysis shows that there is an inadequate study on VM implementation barriers in the Egyptian construction industry and insufficient studies on implementing VM in developing countries. Results obtained from the proposed model showed that overcoming the VM barriers has a major connection with successful VM implementation. This is indicated with the value of ß = 0.743, which is necessary when the firm is overcoming 1 unit of VM barriers.Originality/valueThis study fills the knowledge gap by identifying and emphasizing the critical obstacles to VM implementation.

Study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry in Egypt

This paper attempts to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry under different investment and economic scenarios in Egypt. The survey was conducted to assess the cost impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry, considering essential aspects, such as manpower, plant and machinery, and material, and their net effect on overall construction cost. The recommendations covered in this paper address many such measures under short, medium, and long-term categories. These measures underline the need to improve systems and processes for adequately responding to the current changing environment and effectively confronting such disruptions in the future. In addition, the paper serves as a start to thinking about the study of procedures during a future pandemic to inhibit any impact on the project timeline or personnel health.

Analysing BIM implementation in the Egyptian construction industry

PurposeThis research is built up upon exploring the concepts of building information modeling (BIM) adoption and strategy formulation with the aim to develop a strategy for implementing BIM in the Egyptian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe development of the BIM implementation strategy was based on two pillars, namely the literature review and results of the survey questionnaire and interviews. First, the review of literature helped investigating the BIM challenges and international strategies developed to implement BIM worldwide.FindingsThe research presented recommendations to assist policymakers in Egypt to facilitate BIM implementation.Originality/valueAlthough multiple frameworks have been proposed to aid in BIM implementation, a practical strategy to implement BIM in Egypt is still lacking. Moreover, current market scale studies neglect nonsoftware aspects of BIM adoption, do not identify market gaps or reflect market-specific criteria. As such, it cannot be used by policymakers to facilitate BIM diffusion.

Comparative study for assessing the OSH relationship to the quality of construction projects in Egypt

Background: Construction and architectural projects(CAPs) play a significant role in the economic development of most countries. The construction industry in Egypt has significantly grown in recent years. Due to this growth, the number of occupational accidents in the country’s construction industry has also increased. Methods: This study aimed to assess the Occupational Safety and Health(OSH) field. Then, the assessment effects on the construction project quality are evaluated. The statistical analysis of the question naire surveys conducted on project safety, quality, and executive management at construction companies based on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS). Results: After comparing two sites, the research results indicated differences in completion times and overall costs between the two sites.70% of the respondents agreed that the completion times, costs, and project qualities vary between the two sites. About 92% of the sample completely agreed and were willing to follow the international laws, which stipulate the principles of OSH in construction sites. They also agreed that there should be an increased understand in gof the importance of OSH management in sites, which can help prevent clashes between the two departments. Conclusions: Companies should hire a social worker to take care of the workers, help them solve their problems, and ensure that safety standards are being met in the construction sites. In addition, regular medical examinations of all workers must be conducted to ensure that the yare free from any occupational, non-infectious, or infectious diseases, such as the coronavirus.

The impact of corporate social responsibility on corporate image in the construction industry: a case of SMEs in Egypt

ABSTRACT The current study explores Corporate Image (CI) for companies as one of the primary measures of competitive advantage. Hence CI has been considered the dependent variable to test whether Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices could affect CI in SMEs. This research focuses on the construction industry in Egypt due to the limited availability of studies investigating CSR and corporate image. The authors performed a regression analysis to assess CSR's effect on CI in Egyptian construction companies. The results revealed that Egyptian SMEs in the construction industry implemented most of the CSR practices included in ISO 26000, and those practices positively impact the companies’ corporate image. The results of the study are in line with the literature and theory of both CSR and CI.

Quantifying materials waste in the Egyptian construction industry: A critical analysis of rates and factors

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a critical challenge facing the construction industry. It leads to deterioration of the triple bottom line of sustainability. Unfortunately, the CDW management research in Egypt lacks studies investigating (1) the variations in CDW generation (CDWG) among different types of construction projects, and (2) the factors affecting CDW reduction (CDWR). Based on a benchmarking approach, this research (1) quantifies CDW in terms of generation rates and costs among different construction project types in Egypt, and (2) investigates the relationship between CDWG and different adopted CDWR factors. Using structured interviews, a comparative case study was conducted to investigate industrial, residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. Analysis of results demonstrated that CDWG rates and costs differ from one project type to another due to the project's nature, size, and complexity on the one hand, and the applied CDWR factors such as waste-efficient practices, awareness, culture & behaviour, and legislation on the other hand. On average among the four project types, it was found that “timber”, “sand”, and “bricks/blocks” are the most wasteful materials. It was also found that “practices” and “legislation” are the least applied CDWR factors on average among the four project types, which need to be better applied for better CDWR results.