Construction Projects In Egypt Research Articles

A strategy for reducing construction waste generated during the design process in architectural design firms in Egypt

Purpose This paper aims to develop and validate a strategy for reducing construction waste (CW) generated during the design process (DP) in architectural design firms (ADFs) in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative and quantitative research methodology was designed to accomplish four objectives. The literature review investigated DP, CW, waste management (WM) and WM strategies (WMS). Three case studies were analysed to investigate the role of WMS towards reducing CW during DP. A survey questionnaire was conducted with a representative sample of ADFs in Egypt to assess their perception and application of WMS during DP. Lastly, a strategy was developed and validated to reduce CW generated during DP. Findings Through literature review, the research identified the highest 40 causes of CW during the DP and classified them into 13 categories. Despite early promotion of WMS to reduce CW at its source, Egypt and other countries with similar construction market characteristics lack laws and regulations to address CW during the DP, with current codes primarily focusing on post-occurrence issues. In addition, analysis of three case studies showed that CW was reduced by adopting WMS during the DP. Findings of data analysis revealed that ADFs have an average knowledge of WMS and a low awareness of Egyptian laws and WMS during DP. “Prefabrication” was the highest-ranked strategy for CW reduction during DP. Several challenges hamper the implementation of WMS. The “preparation and briefing” was ranked the most common design stage where CW causes occur, while “waiting” was ranked the most common form of CW. These findings informed the research outcome and helped in the development of the proposed strategy. Research limitations/implications The proposed strategy was developed taking into account the results of the survey questionnaire which was conducted in ADFs in Egypt where the authors reside, and such a strategy is needed. However, it could be applied in other countries that share the same characteristics of the architectural DP as well as the causes of CW and WMS implementation challenges. Practical implications This research presents a practical strategy to reduce CW generated during the DP. It was based on the findings of literature review, case studies and survey questionnaire. The strategy was explained in a workable way to include the required activities; tools and techniques; involved personnel and needed resources. The strategy was validated by a representative sample of ADFs in Egypt to ensure its practicability and viability for implementation towards developing a sustainable built environment. The practical application of the strategy will have long-term and short-term benefits. The long-term benefits include improving the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability during the design and construction phases in Egypt. In the short term, application of the strategy will improve the cooperation between design and construction teams, reduce the negative impact of CW production and enhance the quality of construction projects in Egypt. Originality/value Despite the need to reduce CW during DP, a practical strategy is lacking in Egypt, where laws are focused on dealing with CW after its existence. This research studied a topic that received scant attention in construction literature. It developed and validated a strategy to reduce CW during DP, which represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value in a manner that has not been previously explored.

Analyzing the application of the analytical hierarchy process in developing a robust risk management framework for construction projects in Egypt

Analyzing the application of the analytical hierarchy process in developing a robust risk management framework for construction projects in Egypt

Investigating the Causes of Variation Orders in Egypt Perspective of Medium and Small-Sized Companies

Introduction: Variation order became one of the major issues that is presented in construction projects. The nature of work in the construction industry is complex and difficult. Thus, variation order is expected to occur in every project due to its nature. The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes of variation order in construction projects in Egypt according to the perspective of professional parties working for medium and small sized construction companies. The main method used for data collection was a questionnaire survey with experts working in the Egyptian construction industry. 62 participants from 18 construction companies were invited to take part of the study, 51 of them accepted the invitation. The findings showed the top ranked causes of variation order according to small and medium sized construction companies were poor communication, omissions in the design, financial limitations of the owner, additional work requested by the client, and contractor’s desire to gain more profits. Thus, the proper understanding of the causes of the problem can be helpful towards establishing a suitable criterion for reducing variation orders in construction projects in Egypt. The contribution of this study lies in the fact that only a very limited number of research explored the perspective of medium and small sized construction companies in Egypt. The study can be useful for other countries with similar working conditions and still suffering from the adverse impact of variation order.

Evaluating the quality of construction projects in Egypt and identifying the factors that influence deviation

ABSTRACT The research aims to assess the quality of construction and construction projects in Egypt (Damanhour City) to monitor and follow up on the reality of the implementation of engineering projects and determine their percentage compared to the methods and international standards adopted for that and then identify the reasons and factors affecting the quality of project implementation. To achieve this, we evaluated the quality and identified the problems related to it in a sample of construction projects implemented in the year 2021, and this was done by measuring the percentage of conformity to quality requirements using checklists according to the standards of the quality management program BIM 360 field, and the conformity rate was 88% and indicates the existence of a real problem according to international standards, so problems and deviations related to quality were identified and the reasons leading to the occurrence of these problems were identified, which were classified into three factors, namely laws, regulations and compliance It has technical factors and administrative factors, which constitute the basis that must be based on it and try to improve the quality of projects, and summarized the research to the need to work by the concerned authorities to reformulate laws related to engineering work and develop them with the identification of systems and procedures to improve technical and administrative factors in engineering projects.

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.

Multi-criteria decision support system for bridge construction system selection utilizing value engineering and TOPSIS

When selecting the appropriate bridge deck construction system, it is essential to consider many criteria such as the span length, geographical location, construction speed, cost, site conditions, resource availability, technology, ease of construction, and service life. The objective of this study is to optimize the decision-making process for selecting a bridge deck construction system in the preliminary design and planning stage. The proposed model allows designers or decision-makers to make an informed choice of an appropriate construction system according to project criteria through a decision support system. The model employs value engineering methodology and a multi-criteria decision-making method and utilizes the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a multi-criteria decision-making method. To gather modeling data from a focus group consisting of professional bridge engineers, a semi-structured interview and two questionnaires are conducted. When applying the proposed model to two active bridge construction projects in Egypt, it reveals that "Span by Span using launching girder" and "precast post tension girder" are better suited to cases one and two, respectively. The study makes a contribution by presenting a decision support system that combines value engineering methodology and a multi-criteria decision-making method (TOPSIS). This system empowers designers and decision-makers to make project decisions considering specific criteria and constraints.

Safety performance evaluation of construction projects in Egypt

In Egypt, the construction industry employs about 20% of the total work force in the local market. The health and safety (H&S) performance evaluation is adopted mainly to control H&S risks in construction sites. As such, there is a need to measure the safety performance in construction sites in a way that is proactive rather than just relying on interactive procedures. The main goal of this study is to develop an indicator to evaluate safety performance on construction sites. This is achieved through two basic steps. First, factors that affect safety performance in construction projects are determined by reviewing literature and conducting personal interviews. A total of 47 factors were collected. Then, a questionnaire was conducted to determine the most important factors that affect the H&S of construction projects in Egypt. The incentives and safety training were among the most important factors. Second, an index to evaluate safety performance has been developed. The purpose of this evaluation is to create a determinate through which construction sites safety could be assessed. The proposed model will be a useful tool to assist project managers and safety inspectors to assess safety performance in construction sites and thus help build safety regulations.

Risk Identification of Building Construction Projects in Egypt

Risk identification is integral to construction management. The severe consequences of identified risk factors on time and cost performance can be addressed by improved risk management. The identification and preparation of responses to risk factors affects the risk management process directly and indirectly. Recent changes in the valuation of the Egyptian currency against foreign currencies during the last year and measures to cut down on the importation of engineering materials and equipment have had significant effects on the existing and recognized regulations concerning construction in Egypt. A pilot survey with expert engineers is a crucial step in completing research. In this research study, 15 experts were asked to discuss the collected risk factors from previous studies to verify the workability of these factors in Egypt. Thirty-five risk factors were selected during the pilot survey, which was distributed to 95 participants. To facilitate the analysis process, the collection was based on a five-point Likert scale. Therefore, redefining and arranging the risks according to the current circumstances is the main objective of this study. The proposed model identified different high-risk factors that could cumulatively affect overall performance, such as funding problems from contractors, material price fluctuations, unrealistic estimates of the duration of project activities, and shortages of construction materials in the market. Thus, to help stakeholders achieve project success, these high-risk factor components should be identified and controlled duly.

Identifying the Causes of Delay in the Building Sector in Egypt: A Case Study of Small and Medium-Sized Companies

Delay in the construction industry is known to be a significant issue as indicated by many studies in the past few years. The construction sector in Egypt is not an exception as a wide range of projects are suffering from time overrun. the presence of time overrun in the project is the root of other problems such as cost overrun and poor quality. Hence, one of the simplest ways of dealing with delays is by identifying the causes and sources of delays in construction projects in Egypt. Therefore, this paper discussed the causes of delay in the building sector in Egypt according to the perspective of professional parties working in different small and medium-sized companies. The main method of data collection was a questionnaire survey with small and medium-sized companies in Egypt. The participants had more than 5 years of experience in the Egyptian construction sector. The financial problems faced by owners were considered significant by two different companies which indicates that this factor is usually the reason for delays in projects in Egypt. Ineffective planning and scheduling have also proven to be important in the procedure of preventing delays as it was mentioned by all experts involved in the data collection. This study has shown that the perspective of experts working in different companies may not be the same regarding the causes of delays in the construction sector. The adequate understanding of the causes aids in proposing effective strategies that can reduce the occurrence and impact of delays.

Exploring the Critical Success Factors of Value Management Implementation for Sustainable Residential Building Project: A Stationary Analysis Approach

During the past two decades, value management (VM), has developed into a recognized construction practice. However, the methods and activities associated with VM adopt informal approaches in developing countries. This study aims to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) of VM implementation. Consequently, VM CSFs were investigated from the previous literature and further categorized over a semi-structured interview. The importance of these CSFs investigated by 335 structured questionnaires completed by residential building professionals. Subsequently, the exploratory study using the exploratory Pearson correlation of the VM CSFs was employed to validate the categorization resulting from a semi-structured interview and pilot study phases. Based on the validation results, the VM CSFs may be divided into four dimensions: culture and environment, workshop dynamics, stakeholder and knowledge, and standardization. Through important relative index (RII) analysis, the essential CSFs creates a VM team from a variety of disciplines, VM knowledge, experience of participants, and professional experience of the different participants’ diverse disciplines. In addition, this research used a stationary analytic strategy to evaluate the degree to which VM critical success factors (CSFs) have been incorporated into residential construction projects in Egypt. The results revealed that “establishing the roles and purposes of various professions” was the stationary success factor for adopting VM. This research establishes a road map for successful VM implementation via VM CSFs in Egypt and other underdeveloped nations. Stakeholders in the residential construction sector would benefit from this study by learning more about VM CSFs and how they may be used to increase the value of their projects.

The major problems between main contractors and subcontractors in construction projects in Egypt

Projects usually need continuous coordination among the participants in terms of scope of work, quickness, and timing during the execution phase to be completed without delay. Sub-contracting is a common practice in civil engineering projects. Subcontractors carry out a large part of the work done in construction projects. Thus, selecting the right subcontractor basically contributes to the project’s success. In this study, it was targeted to explore the causes of the mainconflicts between the contractor and subcontractors and the responsibility distribution of these causes. The basic columns of any project are main contractor and subcontractor, so the relationship between them must be good and effective in achieving the project's goals on time. A questionnaire was surveyed among the projects' parties (including the owner, the main contractor, the sub-contractor, and the consultant). The survey covered how to determine the party responsible for factors leading to dispute, and factors contributing to effective interface between main contractors and sub-contractors. Statistical analysis was carried out on the observations of the respondents of the survey using SPSS software. The mean score of each factor, degree of importance, and ranking was determined and the p-value was deduced using the Kruskal-wallis test to compare between the projects' parties. Also, the significance of each factor used in the questionnaire was determined. The conclusions of the study revealed factors that enhance the relationships, such as contract progress payment done on time, the problems related to the main contractor such as delay in contract progress payment, the problems related to subcontractor such as work delay and the problems related to other sources such as price escalation of material and labor. The results showed good acceptable limits of homogeneity and reliability including communications, financial, workper formance, contract, and other sources. The study recommended a framework that can be implemented to improve such relationships such as compliance with the terms of the contract and choosing contractors specialized in the required works. The main contribution of the study is improving the relationship between main contractor and sub contractor, state the problems facing the relationship to set the methods that can be used to processed with and that helps to success in the projects and development the construction sector in Egypt. This study opens the way for continued development of model parameters that will aid in effectively treating this subject area.

Challenges affecting efficient management of virtual teams in construction in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Team development is critical to the success of any organization, especially in construction projecta. If the team includes members from diverse locations, it brings diversity to the team. In recent times, a new breed of virtual teams has evolved in various construction organizations. However, coordinating such virtual teams on building projects remains a difficult challenge. Therefore, this research aims to identify the factors affecting efficient virtual teams to manage and tackle the challenges of virtual teams in construction projects in Egypt. To achieve the research aim, a combination of comprehensive research methods is adopted, in addition to the applied study that includes the distribution of the questionnaire survey among 55 members working in virtual teams in the field of the construction industry. The findings of this research contribute to identifying the challenges of virtual team management during the project lifecycle and studying the strategies and technological tools to deal with these challenges.

Risk Assessment for Off-Shore Petroleum and Gas Construction Projects in Egypt

Risk Assessment for Off-Shore Petroleum and Gas Construction Projects in Egypt

Human Resources Management influence on projects performance: A Study of Contractors Professionals Working on Construction Projects in Egypt

The Research is about the human resources management influence on Project Performance, A study related to contractors professionals that are working on construction projects in Egypt. Ten major HRM Factors (objectives and goals, job description, staffing and recruitment, training, communication, leadership, team relationship, retaining people, trust and values and finally appraisal and motivation) were assessed for their relation and influence on both cost and Time project performance, A sample of 105 respondents replied with how HRM factors were implemented and how were their team effectiveness on their Egyptian construction projects, also giving their actual project measuring of performance, analysis had been done including all collected data, descriptive analysis and also correlation tests were implemented in this study, mainly 8 HR factors out of 10 were significantly correlated with cost performance, also 4 out of 10 HR factors were significantly correlated with time performance. Results indicating that HRM Factors have an impact and relation to project performance, but not a governing factor.

Challenges for Implementing Environmental Impact Assessment method for construction projects in Egypt

Assessing the environmental impact of buildings is a prime concern for many countries to abide by international agreements. Various studies have shown that the construction industry has significant implications for the consumption of energy, raw material utilization, and carbon dioxide emissions. Recent Law 9/2009 in Egypt necessitates performing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for major construction projects. There is a rising number of projects doing the EIA every year. Nevertheless, this cannot be considered a common practice till the present time and many projects are still struggling to perform the EIA studies. Hence, this study investigates the common challenges for implementing EIA for major construction projects in Egypt through a comprehensive literature review and survey among local practitioners. The results showed that the dilemma lies in the segregation of the EIA process along with the project’s phases. It also indicates problems associated with the limited availability of data and insufficient practitioners’ competencies and skills to perform the required assessment for certain impact categories.

Project Manager Skills affecting Construction Projects in Egypt

The research was to explore the relationships between Construction Project manager skills and the performance of projects in Egypt. Specifically, this study investigated the relationship between the project manager skills (Technical Skills, Human skills, Conceptual Skills, Political and Social Skills) and the dimensions of project performance (Project Cost and Project Time). Hard skills include technological abilities, background, industry knowledge, and project experience. That define the tangible portion of a project manager’s resume as the 21st century recognition of project management. Data has been collected from 104 expert engineers who have a good realistic background in the field of construction industry; questionnaire survey is the used method. The results of analysis propose that risk management abilities have a significant association with project cost and time performance. The Egyptian construction sector may use the findings as a guideline to choosing project managers with the ‘suitable’ skills profile or focusing training and development programs on skills crucial for successful projects.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk factors in residential projects

ABSTRACT The global economy was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper estimates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall risk of construction projects in Egypt and identifies risk factors affected by the pandemic. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data. One hundred thirty-two cases before the COVID-19 pandemic and 68 cases after the pandemic were managed. The outliers were excluded using Mahalanobis distance. The distribution of the samples before and after the COVID-19 pandemic was studied using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the difference in medians using the Mann-Whitney U test. The delay in payment and the fluctuation in material prices are the most critical risk factors after the epidemic spread in residential projects in Egypt. Suspension of projects has been the most significant consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic increased the overall risk by 17%. This research helps to identify the main risk factors after the pandemic, and then the project manager can prepare an appropriate risk response plan.

The Effective Strategies for Mitigation the Impact of Co ategies for Mitigation the Impact of Covid-19 on vid-19 on Construction Projects in Egypt

From the time when the first narrated infections in Wuhan China, in late 2019, COVID-19 has had a substantial peal on human life and health. By the early of 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the eruption of COVID-19, a public health crisis of international concern. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced COVID-19 a pandemic. The first case was infected in Egypt of covid-19 on Feb 14, 2020 (Gilbert et al., 2020). On 16 March 2020, the Egyptian Government began issuing decisions as preventative courses as part of the country's inclusive plan to cope with any potential Coronavirus ramifications (Essa et al., 2022). The prevalence of the covid-19 pandemic and precautionary measures taken by the countries from the ban and closure had had an impact on the different business sectors (Rothan & Byvydy, 2020). Therefore, the study aimed at evaluating the influence of COVID-19 on the construction performance in Egyptian projects. Besides, assessment of the work option strategies under COVID-19 outbreak.

The role of stakeholder management in reducing the risks associated with value management in construction projects in Egypt

The role of stakeholder management in reducing the risks associated with value management in construction projects in Egypt

Assessment of Construction Project Complexity

Objective:Project complexity is a crucial factor in project management that presents auxiliary obstacles to reaching project objectives (cost, time, safety, and quality). This study aims at understanding project complexity and factors affecting project complexity. The overall objective of the study is to determine the nature of complexity and characteristics, identify the important complex factors that influence the complexity of the project, factor weight of the complex factors, and develop a proposed construction complexity index (CCI).Methods:According to the literature review, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used to measure the affecting factors of project complexity.Results:This paper developed an index to measure complexity based on factor weights called construction complexity index (CCI). The validity of this index was verified by studying 3 cases. The construction complexity index (CCI) proposed here allows measuring the complexity of the projects in Egypt. The results of this paper provide guidelines on how to successfully manage the complexity of the project.Conclusion:Project complexity management relates to the challenge of dealing with technical competence, professional diversity, uncertainties, and unforeseen events in project implementation. Project managers, who are critical to effectiveness or failure, need skills such as adaptation, creativity, and flexibility to meet this challenge. Therefore, this study provides guidelines to help practitioners to develop their capabilities in managing complex projects. Moreover, this paper enables participants to identify factors affecting the complexity of projects and how to calculate this complexity through the complex index. The outcomes of this study can be used by practitioners to develop a complexity assessment and management tool, which would enable industry practitioners to allocate resources effectively on complex construction projects. This research aimed to develop a measure by which the complexity of construction projects in Egypt can be evaluated and establish guidelines on avoiding complexity in projects.