Stages Of Construction Project Research Articles

DESIGNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY: A SHOPPING MALL ANALYZING LIFE CYCLE IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL DESIGNS AND MATERIALS

The lifespan of construction projects entails significant consumption of resources, energy, and space. Due to sustainability awareness throughout all stages of construction projects, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the tools used for examining the impacts of a product or process at all stages of the product or process's life cycle, including conception, production, use, and disposal. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the choice of design and construction materials, a case study was conducted for a shopping mall. It included a comparison of the environmental impacts of utilizing the LCA approach throughout their lifespan for two structural engineering designs: concrete and steel. The life-cycle environmental impacts of the structures are evaluated throughout their life cycle using SimaPro software and the midpoint technique of the ReCiPe method. Based on the results, it was concluded that the concrete structure design had a greater negative environmental impact over the course of its life cycle than the steel structure design. As a result, the study emphasizes the significant environmental effects of building material choices as well as the value of life cycle assessment in selecting between various design options prior to the construction phase.

DESIGNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY: A SHOPPING MALL ANALYZING LIFE CYCLE IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL DESIGNS AND MATERIALS

The lifespan of construction projects entails significant consumption of resources, energy, and space. Due to sustainability awareness throughout all stages of construction projects, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the tools used for examining the impacts of a product or process at all stages of the product or process's life cycle, including conception, production, use, and disposal. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the choice of design and construction materials, a case study was conducted for a shopping mall. It included a comparison of the environmental impacts of utilizing the LCA approach throughout their lifespan for two structural engineering designs: concrete and steel. The life-cycle environmental impacts of the structures are evaluated throughout their life cycle using SimaPro software and the midpoint technique of the ReCiPe method. Based on the results, it was concluded that the concrete structure design had a greater negative environmental impact over the course of its life cycle than the steel structure design. As a result, the study emphasizes the significant environmental effects of building material choices as well as the value of life cycle assessment in selecting between various design options prior to the construction phase.

Application of Digital Technologies Tools for Social and Sustainable Construction in a Developing Economy

This study aims to evaluate the diverse application areas of digital technologies (DTs) within the Nigerian construction industry, with the intention of gaining insights into their potential benefits, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing efficiency, productivity, and overall performance. This will help us to understand how innovative technologies can improve the various stages of construction projects. To achieve the objectives of this study, a convenience sampling approach was employed to distribute closed-ended questionnaires among construction professionals located in Lagos State. Several statistical tools were used to analyze the obtained data, including percentages, frequencies, mean item scores, and exploratory factor analyses were performed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the dataset. The major findings from the study indicated that architectural design, cost planning, building system analysis, structural analysis, and contract documentation are areas in which DT is mostly applied in the construction industry. Further analysis using factor analysis revealed four clusters of application areas as the pre-contract stage, construction stage, post-contract stage, and modeling stage. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the effective utilization of DT in the construction industry, thereby contributing to informed decision-making and improved project management practices. The insights gained from this research can inform industry professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders in making informed decisions to drive positive changes and innovation within the sector.

Influence of blockchain adoption barriers and drivers on potential application areas in the construction lifecycle: partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach

PurposeThe construction industry faces public criticism for issues like wastefulness, inefficiency, slim profits, scheduling setbacks, budget overruns, quality concerns, trust deficits, transparency, coordination, communication and fraud. This paper aims to assess the nexus between barriers and drivers for adopting blockchain in construction and its impact on construction lifecycle.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research approach was used to collect data using a well-structured questionnaire survey. The survey, which used snowball sampling, included 155 Nigerian construction experts that included architects, builders, quantity surveyors and engineers in the built environment. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which allowed for a thorough evaluation of the proposed relationships as well as industry-specific insights.FindingsThe study's findings validate the conceptual framework established. The results indicate that implementing blockchain across all stages of construction projects has the potential to improve the construction process by 88.2% through its drivers. However, there were no significant relationships found between the barriers to adopting blockchain and the potential application areas in the construction lifecycle.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was carried out in the South-western which is one of the six geo-political zones/regions in Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey method. The study did not investigate the interdependence of the identified categories of drivers and barriers, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics and interactions influencing blockchain adoption in construction. The study is expected to stimulate further exploration and generate new insights on how blockchain technology (BT) can influence various stages of the construction lifecycle.Practical implicationsThe findings will be immensely beneficial to both professionals and practitioners in the Nigerian construction industry in learning about the potential of BT application in improving the construction lifecycle.Originality/valueThis paper developed and assessed a conceptual framework by investigating the interrelationships between the constructs. The findings have important implications for the construction industry, as they offer opportunities to improve the construction process and overall lifecycle. The findings are useful for researchers interested in the potential impact of BT on the construction lifecycle and its wider implications.

Application of BIM technology in the reinforcement and renovation of existing building inspection projects

PurposeDue to the characteristics of visualization, simulation, information integrity, and flexibility, Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology would be widely applied in every stage of construction projects. MethodThe existing building structure inspection methods used in this article included safety inspection of existing buildings, applicability inspection of existing buildings, and durability inspection of existing buildings. In visual collaborative design, a project information data model was established based on BIM, and the real-time information dynamics of the building information model were mastered through the sharing and updating of local files. The “reinforcement family” established in this article was mainly composed of beams, columns, walls, etc. In order to achieve widespread applicability of reinforcement families, it was necessary to select family templates based on lines or faces that were not limited by the host when creating reinforcement families. ResultThe implementation plan of the building renovation in this article had an annual power consumption of 1260476.5KW·h. ConclusionWhile reducing costs and risks, BIM technology brought higher efficiency, higher quality, and more sustainable development opportunities to the construction industry.

Barriers to Building Information Modeling from an Individual Perspective in the Chinese Construction Industry: An Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

Building information modeling (BIM) is a crucial information technology that promotes the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry. It has been widely used in various stages of construction projects, including design, construction, and operation. However, BIM technology still faces numerous obstacles in practice. From the perspective of construction practitioners, this study constructs a structural equation model to explore the obstacles encountered by construction practitioners in the process of applying BIM technology. Task–technology fit, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, user trust, and facilitating conditions can significantly improve practitioners’ behavioral intention, with task–technology fit having the most significant impact on behavioral intention. Facilitating conditions and behavioral intention significantly affect usage behavior, while perceived cost does not significantly affect behavioral intention. The multiple-group analysis found that in the path of performance expectancy on behavioral intention, males have a significant effect while females do not; in the path of facilitating conditions on behavioral intention, higher education levels have a significant effect while lower education levels do not; in the path of facilitating conditions on behavioral behavior, lower usage time has a significant effect while higher usage time does not. Suggestions for promoting the application of BIM technology are proposed in this article to improve its utilization rate. This study provides more perspectives and ideas for future research on BIM diffusion.

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.

Competencies Driving Waste Minimization during the Construction Phase of Buildings

It is thought that there is a low level of awareness of key competencies that drive material waste reduction at the construction stage of a project which has led to the low impact of waste minimization in the construction industry. This study, therefore, explores the key competencies for driving waste minimization at the construction stage of projects. Twenty-four (24) key factors that drive CW minimization at the construction stage of projects were derived from a thorough review of existing literature. The research adopted the quantitative approach whereby a questionnaire survey involving 53 construction professionals was conducted. Factor analysis was the statistical tool employed for the analysis of the data gathered. The findings of the study revealed four major competencies that drive CW minimization: Awareness Competency (AC), Managerial Competency (MC), Personnel Ability Competency (PAC), and Communication Competency (CC). The implementation of the key competencies from the findings of the study is highly recommended for the achievement of low waste in building projects. In view of this, it is recommended that government should enact legislative and fiscal measures to instill waste management habits in the construction industry. Several studies have investigated strategies or measures for CW minimization. However, this study focused on the knowledge and skills of construction stakeholders as the main component of waste minimization competencies.

Managerial and engineering solutions made to ensure the quality of construction and installation work at various stages of the life cycle of a construction facility

Introduction. Current regulations indicate the need to ensure the quality of work performed at various stages of construction projects. Pursuant to the Urban Planning Code, quality control functions are assigned to a technical coordinator, as well as organizations that perform the work themselves. A number of approved sets of rules describe basic principles to be complied with by the companies performing this work. Research literature also focuses on and describes in detail the main problems that arise during the implementation of capital construction projects, as well as methods and techniques used to prevent and eliminate any deviations thus identified. At the same time, very few research works address fundamentals of work performance procedures and quality assurance technologies applied in the course of engineering surveying, development of design documentation and project budgets, performance of construction and installation work, operation, demolition and disposal of construction waste. These works are fragmented and disparate elements of a consolidated quality assurance system, and they need more research.
 
 Materials and methods. The author analyzed current regulations that ensure principal aspects of quality assurance at various stages of the life cycle of a construction facility. Principles of the systems approach to construction procedures and technologies, needed to ensure the pre-set parameters, are proposed. Specific conditions of construction control at the stage of engineering surveys and implementation of construction and installation works (including reconstruction, restoration, major repairs) of various classes of reliability and durability are considered.
 
 Results. Current regulations, documentation and scientific research projects, used to perform construction control, inspection of buildings and structures, as well as various types of monitoring, do not allow for the uniformity of companies responsible for quality assurance.
 
 Conclusions. The proposed systems approach to the arrangement of quality assurance work at various stages of the life cycle of a construction facility will in the shortest possible time allow for the development of uniform principles underlying the operation of entities that guarantee quality, prevent and timely identify various deviations.

Effectiveness Study of Artificial Intelligent Facility System in Maintaining Building Fire Safety (Case Study: Typical Public Building Cases of Fire-Fighting Facilities Management in China)

Artificial intelligence plays a decisive role in the healthy and sustainable development of society. The rapid development of the economy and society has put forward higher standards and requirements for fire supervision. The development of science and technology has advanced the intelligence on fire protection. Through the application of intelligent fire control, the fire department can better supervise the fire control of various units and further improve the pertinence and effectiveness of fire control supervision. Artificial intelligence technology is widely used in all stages of construction projects, which brings many conveniences to the construction and use of projects. Based on the analysis of the current situation and existing problems of the basic maintenance of fire-fighting facilities, this project analyzes the effect of the application of artificial intelligence technology in the management of fire-fighting facilities. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to study the role and effectiveness of artificial intelligence technology in the management of fire-fighting facilities and further verify this conclusion with questionnaires and interviews.

Assessment of quantity surveyor’s perception on risk management practice in construction projects in Ebonyi state

The roles of Quantity Surveyors, who are the construction economists is to support cost effectiveness of construction projects planning through the pre-construction stage to post construction stage of projects. Despite being recognized as a professional discipline, Quantity Surveyors are not immune to the threats and risks in their operating environment. Consequence of which when poorly managed may be detrimental to Quantity Surveying practice and overall performance of construction project. Therefore, the study assesses the risk management techniques of the Quantity Surveyors in construction projects with a view of enhancing a better performance in project delivery. The construction industry is subject to more risk than any other industry. Risk management has become an integral process in managing construction projects. To complete most construction project on time, minimizing cost and wastages proper risk management techniques must be employed. Some authors of journals, conferences, text written by professional were consulted and datas were collected with the aid of well-structured questionnaires administered to forty six (46) respondents. The data generated were further analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as percentages, frequencies and mean index score (MIS). The research findings identified that most Quantity Surveyors understand and practice risks management in construction industry while very few practice it unknowingly (i.e they do not really understand it) financial, design and physical risk were discovered as some of the most sources of risk in construction projects. Also risk reduction is most popular among the professional Quantity Surveyors as methods and tools for managing and mitigating risks respectively in construction projects. The study concludes that the most sources of risk in construction project delivery often experienced by the Quantity surveyors are financial and design risks. The recommendations suggest that the client should consult competent and qualified professional Quantity Surveyors from the early stage through the completion stage of a construction project. The professional Quantity Surveyors should continue to acquire new skills through training and retraining to meet the changing nature of construction environment.

Research on Dynamic Cost Management During Construction of Real Estate Project Construction Stage

From the perspective of real estate enterprise construction units, this paper will analyze the cost management problems in the construction process, and propose corresponding measures and improvement methods. Through the analysis of the situation of the project, a dynamic cost control system that matches it is established. Through the establishment of a dynamic cost control system, the cost deviation in the construction process can be remedied in a timely manner to ensure that the actual construction cost does not deviate from the target cost. At the same time, the cost analysis of the engineering and technical solutions provided by the project should be carried out, and the basic labor, materials, machinery costs and measure costs in the construction cost should be controlled under the premise of ensuring construction quality and safety. This article focuses on achieving target costs, starting with project cost containment solutions and safeguards, respectively. The purpose of the research is to establish a dynamic cost control system that can establish real estate enterprises in the construction process, and when applied to the actual construction process, provide a relatively scientific and effective theoretical basis for real estate enterprises, so as to continuously accumulate mature cost control management experience.

Unmanned aerial vehicles usage on south african construction projects: perceived benefits

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being employed in various parts of the engineering industries for project development, project management, surveying, among others. UAVs can also be adopted in construction for pre-planning, proper surveying of the given area, checking or inspecting site safety and quality monitoring. Based on these envisaged uses, this study is set to assess the benefits of UAVs usage in the construction industry. This was achieved through a detailed literature review combined with empirical data analysis. Data was retrieved through questionnaire survey distributed to professionals randomly in the South African construction industry. The retrieved data was analysed using descriptive and inferential data analysis methods. Findings revealed that UAVs adoption in the construction industry will lead to reduction in worker’s injury as it will be implemented for monitoring of workers activities on site. It was also revealed that UAVs are useful in on-site asset tracking which allows stakeholders to have real-time information on the construction project from anywhere. The study concluded that the efficiency in the performance of the construction industry can be achieved through the adoption of UAVs in the different stages of construction projects.

Investigation on Supervision Quality Control Measures of Water Conservancy Project Construction Stage

Investigation on Supervision Quality Control Measures of Water Conservancy Project Construction Stage

Impacts of COVID-19 on construction project management: a life cycle perspective

PurposeThe impacts of COVID-19 on construction projects have attracted much attention in the construction management research community. Nevertheless, a systematic review of these studies is still lacking. The purpose of this paper is to systematically analyze the impacts of COVID-19 on the different stages of a project life-cycle, and comprehensively sort out the epidemic response measures adopted by project participants. In addition, the study also attempts to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by project management practitioners under the context of COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachThis study comprehensively demonstrates the systematic review process of COVID-19 related research in the construction industry, systematically summarizes the research status of the impact of COVID-19 on construction projects, and defines the strategies to deal with COVID-19 in project management; and through the visualization research, determines the current key research topics and future research trends.FindingsThis study identifies 11 construction activities in the project management life cycle that are affected by COVID-19 and finds that the COVID-19 epidemic has the greatest impact on construction workers, construction standards, construction contracts and construction performance. The study further summarizes the six main epidemic countermeasures and mitigation measures taken within the construction industry following the arrival of the epidemic. In addition, the results of this study identify opportunities and future trends in intelligent construction technology, rapid manufacturing engineering and project management in the construction industry in the post-epidemic era through literature results, which also provide ideas for related research.Practical implicationsCOVID-19 has brought severe challenges to society. It is of great significance for the future sustainable development of the construction industry to identify the impact of COVID-19 on all phases of the project and to promote the development of coping strategies by project stakeholders.Originality/valueFirst of all, there is little study comprehensively reviewing the impacts of COVID-19 on the different stages of construction projects and the strategies to deal with the negative impacts. In addition, from a life cycle perspective, the used articles in this study were grouped into different categories based on project stages. This promotes an integrated and comprehensive understanding of historical studies. Moreover, on the basis of a comprehensive review, this paper puts forward future research directions to promote the sustainable development of the construction sector.

The new-normal challenges and IPD solutions: a Canadian case study

PurposeAccording to the construction literature, the number of projects applying integrated project delivery (IPD) principles is expected to increase in the new-normal era. However, given that the pandemic is not yet fully over, accurate and measurable data are not yet available. Also, there is a lack of empirical studies that could provide guidelines as to the application of IPD principles at the various stages of construction projects. Thus, the goal of this paper is to address this knowledge gap through case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis paper follows a multi-step research methodology, namely, a literature review, case study and focus group discussions in the context of Canadian construction projects.FindingsBased on the conducted literature review and focus group discussions, the authors identified: (1) new challenges in the various stages of the construction projects' life cycle, (2) their related proximity aspects (technological, organizational, geographical and cognitive) and (3) IPD principles that can address the identified challenges within their associated proximities. The results show that IPD relational principles can improve a project's organizational and cognitive proximities, while IPD digital integrative principles can enhance a project's geographical and technological proximities.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the theoretical checklists of challenges that the construction industry has experienced since the beginning of the pandemic, and to the practical guidelines of implementation of IPD principles to meet these challenges. The conducted case studies are timely and relevant, and their results provide new insights for key project stakeholders into the application of IPD to tackle new-normal challenges based on their proximity perspectives.

Noise Exposure Assessment in Construction Equipment Operators in Tehran, Iran.

Occupational hearing loss is a common complication among construction workers, especially those working with heavy machinery and construction equipment. This research measured the noise that construction operators are exposed to, and proves that most of the construction equipment operators that we studied have a potential risk of hearing impairment. We examined 22 types of construction machinery that are commonly used in various stages of construction projects in Tehran (demolition, excavation, and execution). The noise that construction operators were exposed to was measured with a dosimeter during 8 working hours, and the Time-Weighted Average (TWA) was calculated for each operator according to OSHA standards. Finally, a suitable hearing protection device (HPD) was suggested. The results indicated that the operators of D8N (opened-cab) and CAT D8L SA (closed-cab) bulldozers were exposed to more noise than other operators in this study. Hand-saw, Caterpillar 943, and Komatsu 470 loader operators were also exposed to significant noise levels. Other operators, such as drivers of older Benz and Volvo trucks, the Backhoe HLB95, the Soosan mobile crane, and the Bobcat were also exposed to heavy noise that put them at risk of occupational hearing loss.

Safety Risk Evaluation of Construction Site Based on Unascertained Measure and Analytic Hierarchy Process

Due to the high risk of construction sites, it is necessary to make safety risk evaluation. With the synthetic consideration of the complexity and uncertainty of construction sites, a comprehensive evaluation index system with two levels has been based on the emphases and difficulties of the current safety work in construction industry; the index system includes civilized construction site, management of machinery, equipment, materials, occupation health protection, and the subpackage management, such as 6 one-level evaluation indexes, inspection system of safety risk, safety awareness education, and prevention and control of occupation disease, such as 33 two-level evaluation indexes. The research takes “No. A residential building and other 8 projects” as the empirical analysis object, with the weights of the first indexes and second indexes being calculated by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the information entropy, and applies the unascertained measure to comprehensively evaluate the safety risk of the construction project. The overall score of the project is 6.4475, the evaluation result is good, which is consistent with the actual situation, and the feasibility and effectiveness of the evaluation index system and evaluation model are verified, which provides a reference for safety risk management in the construction stage of construction projects.

DEVELOPMENT OF A WORKMANSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

One of the most important aspect of quality in a project is workmanship. Most contractors have failed in meeting stakeholders’ needs in the area of workmanship as it relates to the objectives of cost, quality and time. The lack of a workmanship management system in the construction process is one of the major problems facing the construction industry. In this regard, this study is aimed at developing an integrated benchmarking framework to measure workmanship performance of construction projects at any stage with focus on ensuring quality. To do so, the study undertakes a critical survey of literature and building professionals using mixed survey methods. It then uses the information gathered to develop an integrated workmanship benchmarking framework by integrating three major existing quality management techniques that include TQM, Six Sigma and SMS. This study successfully developed an integrated benchmarking framework with capability to measure the workmanship performance at both organization and project levels in any stage of construction projects. Also, the study identified a set of critical success factors for workmanship assessment and is expected to assist with and guide in the development of a workmanship performance assessment tool for the construction industry in developing counties including Trinidad and Tobago.

Measures and Methods of Cost Control in Bidding Stage of Construction Project

Measures and Methods of Cost Control in Bidding Stage of Construction Project