Construction Project Procurement Research Articles

Environmentally Sustainable Public Procurement of Construction Projects – Implementing Circularity Approach

Construction projects are frequently used to boost local economic development without consideration of the long-term sustainability impacts. Via implementing circularity approach in public procurement, the research sought to identify best practices for greening construction projects by conducting in-depth interviews with stakeholders to collect their views about green public procurement (GPP) criteria in an EU country. The paper demonstrates how circular public procurement can be implemented for construction projects and which phases of procurement are more promising in terms of minimizing environmental impacts. Our results show that the design and build phases should be procured separately in order to successfully reduce environmental impacts in circular construction projects. The planning phase should ideally be carried out by an interdisciplinary team that establishes the right green public procurement criteria for selecting the designer, the construction firm and developing technical specifications.

Critical review of the drivers and barriers for adopting net zero carbon procurement for construction projects

To meet the net zero 2050 target in construction, a net-zero carbon public procurement policy is needed. This paper adopts a systematic review approach to explore the drivers and barriers to adopting net-zero carbon procurement. The top three drivers include developing sustainable public procurement policies, increasing investment in low-carbon procurements, and high demand for green construction projects. The top three barriers include inadequate budget for net-zero procurement implementation, weak capacity in public and private institutions to implement net-zero policies, and low stakeholder involvement. The paper's findings provide insights for stakeholders to effectively adopt net-zero carbon procurement for construction projects.

Cooperative game theory approach towards capital equipment procurement in construction projects: a concrete batch plant case study

This study explores how contractors can benefit from joint resource procurement in construction projects, particularly in case with capital-intensive ones. Capital equipment is costly and has a long beneficial life compared to other resources; hence, minimizing its long-term costs is pivotal. Also, the lack of open dialogue under a legal structure in projects may deprive project participants from many beneficial partnering opportunities. Given this background, a comprehensive framework based on cooperative game theory is introduced to form a systematic partnership among contracting parties to share their capital equipment. Cooperative game theory is suggested as the basis for increase the gains to all parties and fair and efficient allocation of the incremental benefits of cooperation. The proposed flowchart is then applied to a real-world project and various coalitional cooperative game theory solutions for dividing gains equitably, from sharing a site-located concrete batch plant among three contractors are evaluated and the most stable cost allocation is identified. Results reveal that with the application of this cooperative procurement, the three contractors can achieve an average of twenty three percent considerable savings through practical alliance that deliver vast improvements in project productivity and performance.

Management of bid evaluation risks in procurement of construction projects of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria

Management of bid evaluation risks in procurement of construction projects of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria

Assessing the implementation and effectiveness of China’s social credit system of the construction industry: a case study of Nanjing

Construction contractor evaluation is the first step in ensuring the successful completion of a project. Nowadays, the Chinese government has developed a social credit system (SCS) and proposed contractors’ credit scores as an additional factor to facilitate bidding decisions. Using Nanjing as a case study, this article investigates the status quo of construction contractors’ credit scoring. It evaluates how credit scores have impacted the public procurement of construction projects. This article utilizes data-driven approaches and conducts different statistical analyses based on the bidding results of 15,094 public projects and the credit scores of over 6,000 registered construction companies from 2014 to 2021. The results show that (1) around half the companies had no credit-changing activities; (2) credit scores are important when companies are bidding for medium, large, and extra-large projects; (3) large companies are more likely to have better credit ratings; and (4) credit scores have a significant impact on revenue generation. This article provides a basis for understanding the status quo and effectiveness of the SCS implementation in the Chinese construction industry and evaluating its impact on the public procurement of construction projects, which are often concerns of researchers, policymakers, and industry practitioners.

A New Approach to Public Contracting of Sustainable Construction Using Innovation Partnership

Sustainable public procurement of construction projects is a key objective to fulfill the targets of the EU Green Deal, the new Regulation approved by the European Parliament, and the conditions required by the Facility of Recovery and Resilience approved by EU. However, most of the adopted procedures are based on traditional procedures, open competition, or restricted procedures, which are not appropriate for developing an innovative approach aiming for more ambitious sustainable objectives. Innovation partnership is a new procedure introduced by the EU Directives of Public Procurement of 2014 ( Article 31º of 2014/24/UE), and it has been discussed and applied to the development of new products but, unfortunately, its potential has not been studied as a tool to prepare and to award more innovative and sustainable contracts of public works. This is the objective of the research presented in this paper, and a set of guidelines is deduced and discussed to support public contracting authorities to make better use of innovation partnerships.

Digitalization and procurement in construction projects: An integrated BIM-based approach

Digitalization and procurement in construction projects: An integrated BIM-based approach

Preliminary Findings on Collaborative Approach Elements in Influencing Green Procurement Implementation for Construction Projects

Successfully implementing green procurement in construction projects is crucial for achieving green goals. This study investigates the collaborative approach elements influencing green procurement implementation within the construction industry. Key elements such as vision and relationship, structure, communication, authority, accountability, responsibilities, resources, and rewards are explored. Preliminary findings reveal that effective stakeholder collaboration significantly enhances the implementation process, addressing challenges and advancing towards a shared commitment to green goals. The study further validates the importance of these collaborative elements through empirical analysis, highlighting their practical relevance for construction stakeholders. The study employs a comprehensive methodology to achieve this objective, integrating an in-depth literature review with qualitative data and focus group discussion. Data analysis is conducted using thematic analysis to deliberate outputs from the discussion. It enables systematic exploration of preliminary findings on collaborative approach elements and their impact on green procurement outcomes. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of collaborative strategies, offering practical insights for enhancing green procurement practices in construction projects.

Toward Construction 4.0: A Hybrid Centralized-Decentralized UML Model for Enhancing Procurement and Inventory in Construction Projects

Toward Construction 4.0: A Hybrid Centralized-Decentralized UML Model for Enhancing Procurement and Inventory in Construction Projects

Understanding the complexity of materials procurement in construction projects to build a conceptual framework influencing supply chain management of MSMEs

Purchasing is a fundamental step of materials procurement in the construction sector, and since materials can represent up to 70% of the project’s construction costs, reducing wastage and improving productivity can have big benefits, both for the environment and the economy, especially for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs). This manuscript will focus on the process of purchasing materials from these companies’ perspective, seeking to investigate the impact of effective materials management on site. In light of the acknowledged absence of system thinking for MSMEs, this research aims to build a new conceptual framework that illustrates the complexity of the materials purchasing process in construction and embodies the risks linked to materials, relationships, information and cash flows. The conceptual framework aims to influence supply management in construction and is based on the recognition of five main levels, going from the specification of materials to data management and feedback. It is designed to illustrate the sequence, logical structure and complexities of the purchasing process. Data from the literature, followed by on-site observations, feeds into the framework.

Benefits of green procurement: perspectives from the Malaysian construction industry

Environmental degradation is an alarming threat to human security and green procurement has been regarded as one of the remedial measures to alleviate the environmental issues. Considering that the green procurement is a relatively new concept in the Malaysian construction industry, this study investigated the green procurement in construction projects by exploring its benefits towards the environment, economic and social aspects. Drawing on an empirical survey in Malaysia, the significant benefits of green procurement applications are prioritised. A total of 150 surveys were collected among developers, consultants, contractors and suppliers and analysed using SPSS version 23.0 statistical software. The findings suggested that the primary benefits of adopting green procurement practices are reduce pollution levels, improve community health and quality of life, conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gases and provide healthier working environment. This paper provides the basis for construction procurement delivery to be on a sustainable path.

Vital Importance of Risk Assessment in Construction Project Procurement Method Selection

At the outset of any project, every client’s primary goal is to attain value for their investment by securing a top-quality structure completed on schedule and within budget. Consequently, this study is devoted to the identification and prioritization of crucial risk factors that influence the choice of procurement methods in construction projects within the local government areas (LGA) of Nassarawa (NSR), Dala (DAL), and Kano Municipal (KMC) in Kano state. The methodology utilized entails surveying 146 participants, including both contractors and consultants. To assess the likelihood of these risks, the Relative Importance Index (RII) and the sign test were applied using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. The results unveiled that factor associated with the client, project timeline, and cost exert the most profound influence on the choice of procurement method in the three LGA’s in Kano state. The most influential factors among these include the client’s financial capability, competition in pricing, constraints on project time, and procurement policies. In conclusion, a significant recommendation is for clients and consultants to enhance their procurement method oversight by involving skilled procurement specialists. This measure is essential for making informed choices, facilitating the attainment of a favourable return on investment, and guaranteeing the achievement of quality, timely, and budget-compliant project results.

Integrating Facilities Management knowledge in municipal school building: Swedish case studies

Due to population growth and evolving demands for flexible premises, the design and construction of school facilities is currently a highly prioritized activity for many Swedish municipalities. However, previous research has found that facilities management (FM) knowledge is rarely integrated in the design of schools, resulting in construction deficiencies, high lifecycle costs and lower user functionality. The propensity to integrate FM knowledge in school projects varies greatly across Swedish municipalities, but the underlying factors shaping such organizational capabilities are less studied. In response, this study investigates how Swedish municipalities are currently organizing the integration of FM knowledge in the design phase of schools. The case study includes three municipalities of different sizes, where 18 interviews were performed with 22 representatives from users, operations and maintenance, construction project management, procurement and top management. To analyse the findings, a framework based on knowledge management was applied. The findings showed that FM knowledge is increasingly translated into codified processes and project planning standards and guidelines, but that personalized knowledge still plays an important role. Further, knowledge sharing in this field is complex and municipalities still face challenges despite improvement efforts. Thus, there is considerable potential to strengthen knowledge codification and sharing between municipalities and on the sector level. The study also points at the importance of studying knowledge governance at higher municipal levels, where many key organizational decisions are made.

BIM technologies in engineering network design

There are several definitions of BIM available from Wikipedia to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that more or less consistently describe BIM as follows: a process or method of managing information about objects and projects to coordinate inputs and outputs using shared digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of any built object, including buildings, bridges, roads, industrial facilities. Despite the common definition, we often observe that BIM has different meanings to different people. There is no single international standard or definition of the activities that must be performed within a project to be considered a BIM project. Very often we come across the idea that BIM is a software, a 3D model or a system. This inconsistency creates confusion and disagreement between government customers and private sector providers, creating barriers to successful implementation. Experience from the EUBIMTG suggests that a clear and specific definition of measures and characteristics, combined with a phased implementation of the strategy in a realistic time frame, has proven to be the most promising approach to the successful transformation of the construction sector. The following "EU Common Performance Level" characteristics describe the activities that must be consistently performed within a project to be considered an EU BIM project. They should be considered as minimum criteria for the procurement and implementation of construction projects consistently throughout Europe. The implementation of BIM design in the process of higher education in Ukraine is just beginning, especially in the area of designing engineering networks. If BIM design courses for future architects are the norm rather than the exception, it is difficult to find suitable specialists, let alone teachers, in the area of designing water supply networks.

Investigation Study of the Challenges in Green Procurement Implementation in Construction Projects in UAE

The global construction industry is responsible for significant environmental and societal effects. Some researchers claim that it accounts for 35% of global gas emissions. One of the solutions is to practice green supply chain management. Part of this is Green Procurement (GP) to conserve energy and money. However, challenges in implementing green procurement in the construction industry are rising. This research aims to identify the most significant challenges when implementing green procurement (GP) in construction projects in the UAE. A comprehensive article review was conducted to determine the critical obstacles highlighted by different researchers. These challenges were prioritized using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method, and then recommendations on best practices to overcome these challenges were proposed. The results show that the lack of top management commitment is the biggest challenge when implementing green procurement in the construction industry in the UAE, with a priority value of 0.331, followed by a lack of knowledge, with a value of 0.2748. In contrast, lack of awareness is the lowest-ranked factor, with a value of 0.103. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-04-06 Full Text: PDF

Barriers to sustainable procurement in higher learning institutions construction projects in the Dar es Salaam Region

The study aimed to identify the obstacles preventing higher learning institutions in the Dar es Salaam region from adopting sustainable procurement. In particular, the study sought to ascertain how the legal framework, supplier awareness, staff knowledge, and top management support affected sustainable procurement in the construction projects of higher learning institutions in the Dar es Salaam region. 156 employees who worked as estate officers and procurement specialists made up the study's sample, whereby the Yamane (1967) Formula was used to determine the study's sample size, which was 112 participants. However, only 101 questionnaires were collected, filled out, and returned for analysis. The data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire using the drop-and-pick method. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, where the mean and standard deviation were calculated. At the same time, inferential analysis was done by using multiple linear regression analysis after testing the reliability and validity of the data and the assumptions of multiple regression analysis, including normality, linearity, homoscedasticity, and multicollinearity. The research was carried out using IBM SPSS version 26. According to the study's findings, all four tested variables, supplier awareness, management support, legal framework, and staff knowledge, have a significant positive relationship with sustainable procurement. Management in higher learning institutions should consider these variables to ensure sustainable procurement within their organization.

Critical Success Factor in Applications of Sustainable Procurement to Improve Procurement Performance in Construction Projects

Construction projects do not only bring benefits but also have an impact on sustainability because the procurement process in construction projects does not consider sustainability as its impact. Sustainable procurement is needed in the procurement process in construction projects while sustainable procurement is new to the construction projects. This study aims to improve procurement performance in construction projects by identifying critical success factors (CSF) and their barriers to implementing sustainable procurement in construction projects in Indonesia. This study uses literature studies and expert judgment as a basis followed by a questionnaire survey of 30 respondents who were analyzed using Factor Analysis and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A total of four CSFs were identified and given a rating, namely Rules and Strategies, Organization, Capacity, and Financial. The CSF priority structure can provide an overview for construction practitioners in allocating the right resources and anticipating barriers to implementing sustainable procurement in construction projects.

Decisive factors for decision-making to achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects

PurposeThis study aimed at determining the decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire survey of principal stakeholders involved in construction project delivery within client, consulting and contracting organisations in Nigeria were conducted to assess stakeholders' perspectives on the decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects using importance weights. A total of 243 questionnaires were distributed and a response rate of 51% (123 questionnaires were adequately filled and returned) was achieved. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilised in analysing elicited data.FindingsThe results from data analysis showed that “satisfaction – including workforce satisfaction and user satisfaction”, “value for money” and “creating a healthy, nontoxic environment – including high indoor air quality” were the top most three decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects in Nigeria.Originality/valueAn understanding of these decisive factors can help principal stakeholders in the construction industry of developing countries to facilitate the development of methods required in supporting the adoption of sustainable procurement practice.

Buildability in the construction industry: a systematic review

PurposeConstruction management researchers have acknowledged that the use of buildability could improve outcomes of project. Efficient use of resources required for the procurement of construction projects is important for the economy. This study aims to aggregate the current knowledge on buildability within the construction management domain into an understandable whole using the systematic review approach.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretivist epistemological approach was used as a lens for the systematic review of published research on buildability. The selected articles cover the time period between 1987 and 2020. The articles published in 2021 and 2022 were excluded to ensure that the scope of the current study is distinct and clear. In this research, qualitative content analysis was used to scrutinise the selected journal papers.FindingsBased on the analysis of literature, the trends and gaps in the current knowledge on the topic of interest were identified. It was found that stakeholder’s knowledge and commitment play a huge role in the extent of adoption of buildability as a practice in the construction sector. Also, the study confirms that the use of buildability is beneficial to the project and its stakeholders.Originality/valueThe study maps the current state of knowledge on buildability and provides information on the gaps that could be explored in the future by researchers.

Government Intervention Through Collaborative Approach in Promoting The Adoption of Green Procurement for Construction Projects

Thegreen procurement (GP) for construction industry and its implementation requires government interventionparticularly through policies, initiatives, and incentives. GP is relatively a new concept especially in Malaysian construction industryand its implementation is stillambiguous even though GP is globally recognised. Hesitationin implementing GP among construction stakeholderisdue to lacking of familiarity, lack of available standard guidelinesand awareness among stakeholders. These are the challenges that hindered the adoption of GP among construction stakeholders in Malaysia. In construction industry, collaboration among construction stakeholder is fundamental towards construction projects’ success and also depending on the support from various stakeholders to meet the project objectives.Thus, this conceptual paper is intended to highlight the importance of collaborative approach and way forward with GP as a strategy to solve environmental problems. Specifically, it looksinto government’s intervention to promote, empower the understanding, creating awareness, and willingness of construction stakeholders to implement GP in construction projects. The preliminary framework is developed through literature review and questionnaire surveywereusedas the method to collect and analyze the findings. The paper concludesthat collaborative approach providesa better platform forall the parties,particularly the construction stakeholders to be better engaged, in terms of communication, well informed, more aware and willing to implement the GP throughout the construction process.