Construction Projects In Iraq Research Articles

Measurement of radioactivity and hazard index of Gonadal dose in selected Cement samples in Iraq.

Given the importance of cement as a basic material in construction, this study was undertaken to evaluate the level of radioactivity in a selected group of cement samples most used in construction to determine whether they are safe for human health. In this investigative study, nine samples of cement, both domestic and imported, that are often used in construction projects in Iraq were gathered. A NaI (Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer (3"x3") was used to measure the radioactivity in the samples. The average specific activity levels in the tested cement samples were 11.373±0.522, 5.795 ± 0.230, and 179.123±2.207 Bq/Kg, respectively. Also calculated was the average of the radium, which was equivalent to 33.449±1.022 Bq/kg. As for the risk indicators, the internal risk coefficient was 0.121±0.004 and external risk coefficient was 0.090 ±0.002. While studying the radiation doses, the values of effective annual internal dose was 0.080 mSv/y, external dose rates were 0.020 mSv/y, absorbed dose ratio was 16.321±0.476 nGy/h, and gamma index was 0.253±0.007. In the end, and depending on what was studied from various variables, with an average of 115.59 Sv/y, the annual gonadal equivalent dose risk (AGED) was calculated. The world average values were used to compare all the results. Finally, it was discovered that the radiation parameter levels of none of the samples had a detrimental effect on human health.

Investigating and evaluating the impact of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 response measures on construction projects in Iraq

Abstract. At the end of 2019, the whole world was exposed to a major health crisis, which the Coronavirus, which went out of the control of all countries, including Iraq, The negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to this day on the construction industry sector in Iraq. This research aims to study and find the most common risk factors for the Coronavirus crisis and analyze them using the descriptive analysis method (HEAT MAP), in addition to identifying, analyzing and evaluating response procedures after Covid-19 by finding the relative importance index (RII). The factors of the Covid-19 crisis were extracted and the most common different response procedures were found from the archives of (24) completed construction projects in the projects of the University of Kufa, Karbala and Babylon. The current practice and the possibility of occurrence of risk factors, their severity and the possibility of their occurrence were diagnosed by conducting interviews accompanied by an open questionnaire with (15) Iraqi experts concerned with construction project management and then directing a detailed closed questionnaire to (140) others. All the results obtained were subjected to statistical tests to verify their validity, and the results showed the presence of (37) factors related to the Coronavirus, with the identification of their characteristics and the most affected project objectives, as well as the most affected contracting parties. When using the (HEAT MAP) method, it was found that the group of political risk factors is dominant and that the most harmful factors are the curfew and changes in the current government policies followed to combat the epidemic, curfew decisions and changes in the current government policies followed to combat the epidemic, political division, conflicting decisions, and the absence of plans and preparation for such crises. The delay in state funding for funded projects in the Middle Euphrates due to strict measures in the Middle Euphrates by the government that has existing projects was the most harmful. When applying (RII) to find the most important response measures, it was holding regular working sessions to discuss COVID-19 policies and response mechanisms, imposing a state of emergency due to the Corona virus as a force majeure, and finally cooperating with regulatory bodies to facilitate policy changes as well as enhancing scientific advice. Through this study, the project reached many conclusions and recommendations that would reduce or mitigate the impact of the Corona pandemic or any future events on the objectives of any construction project.

Diagnosis of risk factors that lead to serious casualties in the road construction projects in Iraq

Diagnosis of risk factors that lead to serious casualties in the road construction projects in Iraq

In-depth analysis of critical factors affecting Iraqi construction projects performance

Abstract Construction projects in Iraq suffer from many complex problems. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the most critical factors affecting the performance of Iraqi construction projects, delving into their identification, analysis, and understanding. A comprehensive list of 32 influential factors was compiled through site surveys, interviews with engineers and experts, and a review of previous research. These factors were categorized into eight groups: planning and management, design and engineering, procurement and supply chain, workforce and labor, technology and innovation, environmental and regulatory aspects, site conditions and infrastructure, and external factors. One hundred and ten questionnaires were distributed to project stakeholders, including owners, consultants, and contractors. The results found that the five most important factors affecting performance ranked using the relative importance Index are poor planning, failure to allocate resources properly, unavailability of skilled labor, poor labor productivity, and volatile economic conditions. Based on these results, for solutions to be effective, they must be adapted to the local environment. Project participants must be interested in planning as it is essential to address the same. The skills of project workers must be developed through training programs. Communication with project stakeholders must be coordinated to contribute to the decision-making process.

Analyzing Cost Deviation Factors in Iraqi Construction Projects: A Comprehensive Examination of Influencing Variables

Analyzing Cost Deviation Factors in Iraqi Construction Projects: A Comprehensive Examination of Influencing Variables

Evaluating the impact of internet communication quality in human resource management on the productivity of construction projects

This research endeavors to examine the intricate relationship between human resource management and communication management in Iraqi construction projects, exploring their impact on project productivity. Beyond its primary objectives, the study aims to identify key challenges and limitations in implementing effective communication and human resource management practices in the Iraqi construction sector. Understanding these challenges provides valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers, informing strategies to overcome obstacles and enhance project productivity. The research methodology involves an initial survey using a main questionnaire, focusing on three key areas: internet communication in human resource management, the influence of internet quality on construction project management, and factors affecting work productivity. The sample size, determined using Morgan's Table, requires a minimum of 248 participants. The questionnaire is distributed to engineers, managers, and technicians, with the number of respondents meeting the required sample size. Data analysis utilizes the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), conducting Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for each variable to identify underlying factors. A first-order confirmatory factor analysis is performed using the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) program, creating a structural model incorporating three variables and their associated factors. Out of the initial 64 factors, 21 are included in the final model, refined based on modification indices (M.I) output to improve fit. Results indicate a significant positive effect (0.92) of internet communication quality on labor productivity, while the impact of labor resource management is relatively negligible (−0.07). The size effect of variables on human resource management is 0.05, suggesting a small but non-zero effect. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of internet communication quality in enhancing labor productivity in construction projects and emphasize the need for effective human resource management practices in the industry. This study contributes valuable insights for project managers and practitioners in construction sector.

BIM-based approach to manage Basra Oil Company projects

PurposeThe oil and gas industry form the main resource of economy in Iraq and constructing any project in such sectors requires a huge amount of expenses due to the unique requirements that oil and gas facilities required in such projects. Therefore, adopting an appropriate technological approach such as building information modeling (BIM) which is unfortunately not adopted yet in Iraq is essential to successfully deliver these projects. Thus, this paper aimed to introduce BIM to Iraq through Basra Oil Company (BOC) which is one of the biggest public oil and gas companies in Iraq.Design/methodology/approachThe related literature of journals articles, conference proceedings and published reports have been reviewed. As a result, firstly: a hypothesis has been derived that is “If Basra Oil Company (BOC) adopts and applies BIM approach instead of the 2D approach currently used to manage its projects, the company can overcome several constraints in managing its projects that associated with such 2D traditional approach”; secondly: homogenous, consistence and reliable web-based questionnaire has been designed as its Cronbach’s alpha equal to 0.897 and 0.711 for BIM benefits and barriers, respectively. This questionnaire distributed to the BOC related professionals to test such hypothesis by investigating their readiness and accepting of BIM approach and to rank BIM barriers based on five-point Likert scale.FindingsBased on the analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 of 115 responses, almost 50% of the respondents had experience 11–15 years, while 22.6% had experience more than 15 years in oil and gas industry construction projects. Those participants were from diverse engineering majors that are: 4.3% Architectural Engineers, 31.3% Civil Engineers, 20% Mechanical Engineers, 22.6% Electrical Engineers and 21.7% from other engineering majors. The respondents’ departments demography was 16.5% of design department, 12.2% of construction department, 20.9% of Project Management Department, 12.2% of Maintenance department, 4.3% of HSE Department, 13% of Production Department and 20.9% of “Other Department.” The study resulted in 1: accepting BIM approach to be an alternative of current 2D-traditional approach used by the company to manage and construct its projects, since mean of collected data is (4.4332), Kruskal–Wallis H test significance values were 0.398 and 0.372; and ANOVA test significance values were 0.433 and 0.599 among Engineering Majors groups and Company’s Department groups, respectively. 2: Disclosed and sequenced BIM barriers in the company based on their criticality. 3: verifying reliably how BIM attributes are important to oil and gas construction projects in Iraq, 4: the company top management and company policies are the most critical potential factors to hinder or adopt and implement BIM in the company, 5: while cost is not seen a critical barrier to implement BIM in the oil and gas sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study is the excluding of decision makers of BOC, thus more profound future studies need to be conducted where top management and decision makers are involved, particularly the present study demonstrated that support of company top management is the most critical factor which can help the company to adopt (BIM).Originality/valueThe study concludes that BIM approach is valuable for managing projects in oil and gas sector in Iraq and identify the originality in output by using the research method. This noble study provides a leverage for enhanced research to adopt and implement building information modeling (BIM) in Iraq as the study originally demonstrates benefits and identifies the critical barriers in BIM implementation to push the boundaries toward adopt Digitalization and reduce CO2 emission in Iraqi oil and gas sector. The study can be used as evidence and platform to encourage professionals and practitioners to present more sophisticated tools of BIM in the oil and gas industry, especially for facility and operation management. These findings achieved via oil and gas experts, and it is first time to achieve such findings from a case study in Iraqi oil and gas sector.

Public Procurement Crisis of Iraq and its Impact on Construction Projects

The public procurement crisis in Iraq plays a fundamental role in the delay in the implementation of construction projects at different stages of project bidding (pre, during, and after). The procurement system of any country plays an important role in economic growth and revival. The paper aims to use the fuzzy logic inference model to predict the impact of the public procurement crisis (relative importance index and Likert scale) was carried out at the beginning to determine the most important parameters that affect construction projects, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) to set up, and finally, the fuzzy decision maker's (FDM) verification of the parameter for comparison with reality. Sixty-five construction projects in Iraq have been selected, and the most crucial crisis variables were used for calculating the weights and their importance, using the fuzzy logic inference model to verify the crisis parameters and the extent of their impact in preparation for predicting the mathematical model of public procurement parameters. After the algorithm had been completed, it was noted that the fast, messy genetic algorithm produced a little difference between training and testing (0.012% and 0.0057%), which is more reliable for predicting mean results from models. The paper’s major conclusion is that 18 crisis factors in public procurement through different stages affect construction projects in Iraq.

Improving Building Information Modeling (BIM) Implementation throughout the Construction Industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is extensively used in the construction industry due to its benefits throughout the Project Life Cycle (PLC). BIM can simulate buildings throughout PLC, detect and resolve problems, and improve building visualization that contributes to the representation of actual project details in the construction stage. BIM contributes to project management promotion by detecting problems that lead to conflicts, cost overruns, and time delays. This work aims to implement an effective BIM for the Iraqi construction projects’ life cycle. The methodology used is a literature review to collect the most important factors contributing to the success of BIM implementation, interview the team of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) building, and strive to improve the BEP of the CBI building. However, previous studies indicate collaborative work and communications enhance effective BIM implementation, which can improve BIM use by applying a BEP and an AEC (UK) BIM protocol that leads to positive BIM impact. BEP comprises important information and goals related to the intended project, including the BIM collaborative process (process map), information exchange requirements, BIM data management, BIM model management, and quality control, which are considered essential for enhancing BIM collaboration during PLC. This paper concludes that implementing BIM effectively requires overcoming obstacles faced by Iraqi construction projects. Effective BIM implementation requires improving collaboration and communication throughout the construction process, which could be achieved by depending on the BIM Execution Planning Guide(BEP Guide) and the AEC (UK) BIM Protocol 2012 V2.0

The Feasibility Study Report as an Effective Tool to Evaluate Investment Projects: A Solid Waste Treatment Project as a Case Study

Hundreds of infrastructure investment projects are inserted into the Iraqi government budget annually. Many of these projects suffer from suspension, delay in completion, corruption, or other negative issues known in Iraqi construction projects. This may harm the country's economic recovery due to allocating funds to useless projects from one or more feasibility studies' components. Therefore, the best solution is to pay attention to the feasibility study reports. This study highlights the importance of feasibility studies reports for investment projects and their effective role in evaluating project ideas to ensure an equitable distribution of a country's financial resources to the most feasible investment projects. This importance was highlighted through a practical case study for a solid waste treatment project. The results of the case study showed that feasibility studies provide very important information on which investors and governments can rely to make the appropriate decisions for investment projects. The study also addressed the risks that investors can be exposed to in Iraq and how to include them in the economic analysis of feasibility studies.

Significant Safety Factors Affecting the Safety Performance in Iraqi Construction Projects

Despite recent attempts to improve safety in the construction sector, this sector is considered dangerous and unsafe. Iraq is one of the emerging nations that suffers from a lack of construction safety management. In 2018, the construction sector in Iraq was responsible for 38% of all industrial accidents. Creating a safety program minimizes this problem by making safety an intrinsic part of construction projects. As a result, this article aims to identify the crucial safety factors that affect the safety performance in Iraqi construction projects. After conducting a critical literature review of the related literature, a list of 35 sub-factors classified into nine categories of main factors was chosen to rank each factor according to significance. A total of 100 sets of questionnaires were delivered to respondents in various construction projects. It was discovered that the "Management Practices" factor was considered the most key safety performance factor among all the main factors. The results also showed that among all the sub-factors, "Personal protective equipment," "First aid and medical care," and "Contractor's site safety program" were considered the most influential sub-factors. Furthermore, "drug and alcohol tests for workers" are the least important safety sub-factors. On the other hand, five sub-factors were excluded as being unimportant and not affecting safety performance.

The factors that affect constructability in Iraq

Abstract Applying the constructability concept in the construction industry has proven many benefits in different projects; however, this concept still lacks usage in Iraq. Therefore, it is important to encourage usage of the constructability concept in the construction industry in Iraq. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect constructability in Iraq and then classify them according to their importance. A total of 37 factors were collected from an intensive literature review, and they were classified under the sub and main categories. A survey was undertaken in two sessions with open questionnaire and close questionnaire. The results were analysed and the mean, standard deviation and Cronbach’s Alpha were obtained. Also, the developed weight was calculated for each alternative factor. The goal of this paper is to define the main factors that have an effect on Iraqi’s constructability project in order to avoid issues in future Iraqi projects. The outcome showed that 34 factors had a major effect on increasing the constructability percentage in construction projects in Iraq. The top-ranking factors were structural frame types, high-strength concrete usage, adjacent infrastructures and adjacent site.

Forecasting Final Cost and Time Rates of Highway Construction Projects in Iraq Using Regression Analysis

The construction process is fraught with risks and uncertainties, which grow in proportion to the size and complexity of the project. The project is considered successful if it is completed within the specified time and cost and with the required quality standards. The time and cost overrun of building projects and highways is a critical issue because of the great risks that result from it, which affect the project completion process and sometimes put it to a halt. In this paper, an attempt was made to predict the final cost rate and final time rate of such projects before starting work, using the technique of reverse elimination regression analysis. The study covers a group of highway projects in Diyala Governorate, where the records of (25) projects that were completed during (2012-2021) were used to develop and validate the regression model. Based on the experts' convictions, there are nine factors that are considered the most influential on the final cost and final time. Hence they are used as input parameters for the form. These factors are; bid cost, bid duration, change order cost, change order duration, final cost, and final duration, no. of change order, start time and final time. It was found that the developed regression model has the ability to predict the final cost rate (FCR) and final duration rate (FDR) for highway projects as outputs with very high goodness of fit and coefficient determination ( ) of (98%) and (96%) for FCR and FDR respective.

Empirical Study for Capturing and Allocating Significant Risk Factors in School Construction Projects in Iraq

In Iraq, more than 1031 school projects have been halted due to disputes and claims resulting from financial, contractual, or other issues. This research aims to identify, prioritize, and allocate the most critical risk factors that threaten these projects’ success for the duration (2017-2022). Based on a multi-step methodology developed through systematic literature reviews, realistic case studies, and semi-structured interviews, 47 risk factors were identified. Based on 153 verified responses, the survey reveals that the top-ranked risk factors are corruption and bribery, delaying the payments of the financial dues to the contractors or sub-contractors, absence of risk management strategy, multiple change orders due to changing designs and specifications during construction; inaccuracy in time and budget estimation; construction material price; financial and economic crisis/financial instability; selecting the contractor only based on the lowest bid, regardless of technical competence; instability within the political system of the government/instability of the government as a client; foreign exchange rates fluctuate against the Iraqi dinar. The study also showed that the respondents recommended allocating four risks to the owner, eight risk factors to the contractor, one risk to the consultant, and 32 factors allocated as shared. The study concluded that the results could help identify the most critical risks facing this type of project and the contracting party that can bear the risks and manage them efficiently.

Determine the Most Important Construction Risks and Know the Degree of Their Impact on Construction Projects in Iraq

Determine the Most Important Construction Risks and Know the Degree of Their Impact on Construction Projects in Iraq

Main Delay Factors of Implementation EPC Construction Projects in Iraq

This essay aims to highlight the most important issues and difficulties facing implementing large projects that follow the turn-key method, considered one of the types of contractual methods in Iraq, especially for large and complex projects requiring speedy completion. The projects implemented in this way face delays and delays in completion, which led to the lack of benefit from the projects for which they were implemented, especially those affecting the lives of citizens within the health sector. The case study dealt with the construction of hospitals with multi-bed capacities within multiple governorates in Iraq, With large financial allocations within the federal budget of the Government of Iraq over several years. After conducting a descriptive statistical analysis of the data obtained through a field survey and interviews with individuals working in the construction sector with experience in their field. The most important 10 factors were identified from a list of 51 delay factors (distributed according to the questionnaire forms) with a high RII. These factors were related to the delay in the payment of the contractor's dues, the delay in processing materials, the issuance of new instructions and regulations, the delay in obtaining official approvals from the relevant authorities, Errors in designs or contracting documents, lack of cooperation between the contracting parties, and multiple spare orders for reasons belonging to the employer. The article also included the most important suggestions that contribute to reducing the delay in completing projects.

Development of a hybrid artificial neural network method for evaluation of the sustainable construction projects

Planned methods may be developed to improve the efficiency of building construction. The construction business is profoundly impacted by the prevalence of inaccurate cost and schedule prediction. The main strategy to improve the project performance is to evaluate the hybrid sustainable materials using the artificial neural network (ANN) method based on the effective factors in construction projects in Iraq. This strategy needs an effective method to classify the project input representation and specify the accurate activity of each factor. This paper uses a hybrid artificial neural network to correlate and classify the sustainable hybrid of construction projects to evaluate their performance. The contribution of this method is the selection of the Multi-Criteria Decision-Maker method (MCDM) based on time and cost-effective factors correlated with the artificial neural network method. A dynamic selection procedure for project materials may be created using the existing technique as an evolutionary model for successful project completion. The MCDM observed that the appropriate sustainable material was considered as the main factor with a rank of 0.823 for cost effect and 0.735 for time effect and the main influence factor in Iraqi projects was the building height. The results present superior functional cost evaluation results correlated with the selection of hybrid sustainable materials.

Developing a Fuzzy Inference Model for Construction Project Risk Management in Iraq

The construction industry is considered a high-risk business. Risk management is one of the most influential methods used in construction project management to increase the chances of delivering the project successfully, Risk Assessment (RA) is necessary to help organizations identify and mitigate risks; therefore, this paper suggests a framework for developing an intelligent RA. There are many Risk Factors (RF) that affect construction projects, and they vary from one country to another. In this paper, a questionnaire of forty-one questions about RF was performed; its evaluation criteria are risk probability and its impact on cost, time, and quality, this questionnaire relied on several experts’ opinions to identify the most common RF affecting Iraqi construction projects. The collected linguistic data were converted into a triangular fuzzy number. Qualitative Risk Analysis was performed to assess the priority of the identified risks; while the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was proposed as the intelligent model. The training outcome produced three Fuzzy Inference Systems (FISs) models evaluated using the fuzzy designer application and tested using the fuzzy designer app and MATLAB Simulink to evaluate their accuracy and reliability. Finally, a set of corrective actions were suggested to facilitate the task for users.

A new model for cost estimation construction project using Hybrid importance regression ensemble method

Cost estimating entails gathering and evaluating historical data, as well as using quantitative models, methodologies, tools, and databases to forecast the cost of a program in the future. At the early stages of the building design process, the cost is considered one of the most important elements in making decisions. During the design phase of a project, cost estimating is quite essential. To compelet a construction project successfully, it is critical to design a usable model and method for cost estimation in construction projects. For the above reason, this study has developed a hybrid method to conduct an accurate cost estimation in construction projects in Iraq. This study also conducted a rigorous survey to find five main influential factors with thirty-six sub-factors in the Iraqi market. It was evaluated through previous studies, questionnaires, and surveys of twenty projects to build a matrix factors database for construction projects. This work gathered the construction cost factors from relevant research and expert views. In the second step, the researcher ranked the factors within the Importance Regression Ensemble Method then the K-Nearest Neighbor Method was applied to specify the effect of the near-effective factors on the cost. The outcome of this study will be helpful to construction professionals in estimating a construction project effectively.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF USING BIM COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL METHODS IN IRAQ'S PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

The construction procurement process generates significant cost-related issues, such as project delivery delays, budget overruns, and poor quality. Public projects were suffering from bureaucracy and separation in work activities. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has demonstrated the potential for solving these issues. The study aims to investigate and analyze the cost-benefit analysis of using BIM compared to traditional methods in public construction projects in Iraq. Therefore, the study evaluated Multiple case studies of two projects quantitatively and conducted several interviews with 15 experts to determine the cost-benefit of adopting BIM compared to conventional methods. The study investigated the benefits of BIM in construction projects due to the remarkable difference between the two methods. The quantitative data of study findings revealed a significant cost improvement using BIM rather than the traditional method in public projects. To conclude, multi-cultural studies need to assess the projects' performance of large and small entities. Furthermore, this research suggested incorporating BIM adoption in government organizations in a wide range.