Construction Stakeholders Research Articles

“A global perspective on building material recovery incorporating the impact of regional factors”

Recovery of buildings through the extraction of building materials at the end of the building life can contribute to the reduction of construction material consumption and waste generation. The viability of recovering in-situ building materials when they reach the end of their lifespan depends on regional factors such as construction and demolition norms, labour costs, secondary material markets, and general perceptions and culture toward material recovery processes. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of regional factors on building end-of-life strategies. For this study, five different buildings with similar general characteristics from globally distributed locations are selected as case studies. To analyze the impact of regional factors, a previously developed decision-support optimization tool is used that intakes regionally dependent factor data and generates optimal end-of-life options for each building component that reflect market-based practices based on the regional factor data. The study takes a comparative approach to analyze the recovery potential of the chosen building case studies. The results of the study highlight the importance of social economic factors in the decision-making of building component end-of-life strategies alongside material recovery-related policies, incentives, and waste disposal regulations. Labour costs are found to be less impactful than regulations and cultural norms on materials recovery decisions. The findings of this study have important implications for the construction industry, policymakers, and researchers. Construction stakeholders can better assess the feasibility and potential benefits of recovering building components based on each region's specific conditions and consequently develop regionally focused policies and regulations that can more effectively reduce waste generation.

Spatiotemporal distribution of green-certified buildings and the influencing factors: A study of U.S.

Green building development is a global strategic plan aimed at addressing environmental burdens and reducing energy consumption in the building sector. Currently, research does not adequately reveal the spatiotemporal patterns of green-certified building development and the factors that influence it. To address this gap, this study investigates the dynamic distribution of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified projects in the U.S. by incorporating time effects into spatial regression models. The results reveal that (1) significant regional variations in the spatiotemporal distribution of green-certified buildings (global Moran's index for 2017, 2019 and 2021 are 0.0172, 0.0327 and 0.0622 respectively). (2) Demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, and policymaking factors explain the observed patterns (the mean values of the coefficients of population size, the Caucasian demographic proportion to the total population, income inequality, regional price parity, and average annual temperature were 8236.1383, −18.9113, −533.1024, 365.1813 and 227.1735 respectively). (3) Expedited permitting, reduced fees, and property tax credit or exemption (p-values less than 0.01) are significant policy instruments that promote the implementation of LEED certified projects. The findings offer pivotal insights that enable targeted interventions, informed decisions, and effective resource allocation. Furthermore, it furnishes a reference for strategically siting green building initiatives in the next phase, encompassing zero-energy buildings, green technologies, and low-carbon solutions. Enhancing understanding of complexities in U.S. green-certified building practices, this research acts as an evidence-based cornerstone across sectors. Urban planners can leverage these insights to allocate resources efficiently and steer green-certified projects, for impactful environmental sustainability and community progress. Policymakers can customize incentives based on drivers of adoption, promoting equitable distribution. Meanwhile, construction stakeholders can optimize strategies through decoding temporal and spatial adoption patterns, leading to prudent resource use and project success.

Risk-Informed, Reliability-Driven Decision Support for Building Basement Systems

A lack of consideration for maintainability at the planning/design stage of a construction project often results in inadequate decision-making and selection of design alternatives, which will likely lead to unproductive operational regimes riddled with frequent defects. This paper attempts to anchor the quantitative risk analysis technique, Bayesian networks, as apt in predicting future operational defects based on the initial design alternatives by looking at specific case studies in building basement systems. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a comprehensive risk-informed, reliability-driven decision-making system. Central to this process is the implementation of a setup wherein a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) operates as a powerful reliability engine. Concurrently, a risk matrix serves as a vital tool for facilitating risk-informed decision-making. This approach empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding design choices while keeping maintainability at the forefront. It allows for maintainability to be practically used as an effective tool in buildings to lower the lifecycle cost. Furthermore, it is envisaged that this approach can be adopted in the construction industry globally for the prediction and diagnosis of defects, thereby facilitating risk-informed decision support. This study provides significant contributions to the building industry by providing a novel approach to a basement defect analysis, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration among construction stakeholders, and assisting facility engineers and managers in properly determining maintenance requirements.

ANALISIS PENERAPAN K3 PADA PROYEK KONSTRUKSI DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread throughout the world has had a significant impact on the construction sector. For this reason, serious efforts are needed from all construction stakeholders so that occupational safety and health (K3) is implemented in all construction projects. In connection with the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal strategy for increasing the application of K3. The type of research used is combination research is a research method that combines quantitative methods and qualitative methods. Data analysis was carried out with SWOT analysis to help formulate the right strategy to improve construction implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the SWOT matrix analysis of internal factors and external factors that affect the implementation of K3L during the COVID-19 pandemic obtained a Strength score of 2.95, Opportunity Score of 2.40, Weakness Score of 1.24, and Threat Score of 1.60. So based on the calculation of internal factors and external factors, as well as a Cartesian diagram the company's condition is in quadrant I, namely S-O (Strength-Opportunities) where this situation is a situation where the company uses strength to take advantage of existing opportunities. Meanwhile, the optimal strategy to increase the application of K3 during the COVID-19 pandemic is the Aggressive Strategy.

How Responsible Leadership Improves Stakeholder Collective Performance in Construction Projects: The Empirical Research from China

Increasing attention to stakeholders is becoming an important trend in construction project management. This study extends construction project goals beyond traditional iron triangle goals to stakeholder collective performance, responding to the demand of promoting stakeholder management. Researchers collected 231 questionnaires from sources within the Chinese construction industry and conducted empirical analysis. The research uncovers the internal mechanisms of how project managers’ responsible leadership enhances stakeholder performance, complements the mediating mechanism on team members’ psychological cognition, and reveals the important contribution of caring ethical climate in achieving stakeholder collective performance. The findings also provide practical suggestions for enhancing construction stakeholder management from various perspectives.

Research on the tripartite evolutionary game promoting the transformation of traditional buildings to prefabricated buildings.

The practices of prefabricated buildings illustrate the incentives in prefabricated markets as well as the decision-making behavior of stakeholders, which can influence the transformation, upgrading, and sustainability of the buildings sector. The game between the stakeholders in the prefabricated buildings market becomes complicated by the fact that they dynamically adjust their strategies in response to changing market conditions. With the aim of quantitatively studying the implications of the dynamic decision behavior of prefabricated construction stakeholders on the prefabricated construction market, this study introduces component suppliers as participating agents and government subsidies and penalties as the main measures. And a three-way model of the evolutionary game involving government subsidies and punitive schemes is constructed by this study. The essay examines the evolutionary equilibrium strategies of each game subject as well as the effect of original strategies and different parameter choices on the decision-making of each subject using MATLAB. The findings reveal that (1) decision-making behaviors among the government, component suppliers, and developers are both interrelated and constrained, but governments are the dominant agents in the evolution of prefabricated buildings. (2) Parameters such as subsidies, penalties, costs, and benefits affect the stability of the tripartite evolutionary model, which remains consistent with the previous research. (3) Component suppliers have an equally important position in the development of prefabricated buildings as recognized entities such as developers and contractors. (4) When subsidies are kept at 40% of the incremental cost and penalties at 80% of the incremental cost, the model combines a fast evolutionary rate with stable model evolution. In conclusion, the article's research findings not only validate the rationality and feasibility of component suppliers as research subjects and confirm the importance of component suppliers but also propose a more reasonable boundary value for penalties and subsidies, which provides a reference for the government to improve the incentive and punishment measures as well as the dynamic adjustment strategy of stakeholders and also provides a new perspective to achieve the goal of sustainable development of construction.

Task planning and control in construction: revealing workers as early and late planners

Production planning and control are critical to project success. They are conventionally understood as linking planning and production by coordinating tasks prior to installation work. However, research has highlighted workers as autonomous and decentralized planners of installation work, which challenges conventional management perspectives. Performing task-level planning and control requires resources and effort, reducing the time spent on installation work. This study explores workers’ planning practices by examining the use of higher-level plans and other information sources and by analyzing workers’ information needs and the factors determining them. A survey of Finnish construction workers was conducted. The results show that some workers prefer planning tasks before arriving at the construction site, while others prefer planning tasks during on-site work preparation. Trade- and crew-specific factors influence planning earlier or later and determine the extent to which centralized and decentralized sources and practices are used. Decentralized sources and practices are most often used to meet workers’ information needs, although centralized sources and practices are also used. These findings may help construction stakeholders better understand the information sources and practices used by workers. Thus, task planning and control activities can better meet workers’ information needs, allowing for more time for installation work.

Examining the mediating roles of social malaise and religious manipulations in corruption manifestations: the case of the construction sector

PurposeAs the foundation for understanding the dynamics of the construction sector's corruption, this study examines building contractors' experiences of the stifling of moral, communal and cultural values in the name of modern social and religious principles.Design/methodology/approachThis study's objective was accomplished in two phases. First, a theoretical model was constructed. The theory is then tested using structural equation modeling in the second section. The theory suggests that, based on social norm and institutional theories, social disquietude and religious manipulation influence the interaction and types of corruption in the Nigerian construction sector. From this theory, it was deduced that social malaise (hypothesis 1) and religious manipulations (hypothesis 2) mediate the processes and forms of corruption in the construction sector. To validate the hypotheses, a structural equation model (SEM) was developed and tested.FindingsNative intelligence, new values, social quests and poverty are the social malaises that are profoundly responsible for corruption manifestations in the construction industry. The findings confirmed that construction stakeholders are heavily influenced financially and spiritually by religious organizations. Construction stakeholders engage in corrupt activities as a result of the ravenousness and self-interest bestowed on them by religious manipulation and the significant contribution of social malaise. The study admits that social engineering is required to integrate local wisdom and values into Nigerian society in order to mitigate the negative consequences of social unrest and religious manipulations.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has contributed to a branch of the literature on corruption in the construction industry that aims to identify the hidden factors that drive the sector's corruption dynamics. It has shown how many different problems in society and religious beliefs can make building contractors more likely to be dishonest. In order to improve project delivery, this study emphasized the importance of investigating the relationship between religious affiliations, religious doctrines and domination and religious competition on corruption in the construction industry.Social implicationsFollowing the findings of this study, the majority of construction stakeholders place their trust in unmerited favor, “spirit money,” prosperity gospels and the payment of offerings and “seed money” to win contracts. This implies that construction stakeholders will most likely be deceptive in their dealings, increasing the quantity of certified work, increasing variation claims and engaging in collusion. This is because their faith in inconceivable favors and the exchange of offerings for blessings would lead them to perceive fraudulent practices as a favor.Originality/valueThis study is unique in that it sought to determine whether construction stakeholders' corrupt tendencies stem from religious manipulations and complex social systems.

Evaluation of newly designed flushing techniques for on-site remediation of arsenic-contaminated excavated debris.

Excavated debris (soil and rock) contaminated with geogenic arsenic (As) is an increasing concern for regulatory organizations and construction stakeholders. Chelator-assisted soil flushing is a promising method for practical on-site remediation of As-contaminated soil, offering technical, economic, and environmental benefits. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is the most prevalent chelator used for remediating As-contaminated soil. However, the extensive environmental persistence and potential toxicity of EDTA necessitate the exploration of eco-compliant alternatives. In this study, the feasibility of the conventional flushing method pump-and-treat and two newly designed immersion and sprinkling techniques were evaluated at the laboratory scale (small-scale laboratory experiments) for the on-site treatment of As-contaminated excavated debris. Two biodegradable chelators, L-glutamic acid-N,N'-diacetic acid (GLDA) and 3-hydroxy-2,2'-iminodisuccinic acid (HIDS), were examined as eco-friendly substitutes for EDTA. Additionally, this study highlights a useful post-treatment measure to ensure minimal mobility of residual As in the chelator-treated debris residues. The pump-and-treat method displayed rapid As-remediation (t, 3h), but it required a substantial volume of washing solution (100mLg-1). Conversely, the immersion technique demonstrated an excellent As-extraction rate using a relatively smaller washing solution (0.33mLg-1) and shorter immersion time (t, 3h). In contrast, the sprinkling technique showed an increased As-extraction rate over an extended period (t, 48h). Among the chelators employed, the biodegradable chelator HIDS (10mmol L-1; pH, 3) exhibited the highest As-extraction efficiency. Furthermore, the post-treatment of chelator-treated debris with FeCl3 and CaO successfully reduced the leachable As content below the permissible limit.

Extrinsic workforce diversity factors: An impact of employee characteristics on productivity

As the global population raises, developing countries seem to have issues with the productivity of the construction projects due to high demand. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the effect of extrinsic diversity aspects impacting the construction worker efficiency. The data collection was made by a questionnaire sent to construction stakeholders working in the Punjab region of Pakistan. A comparison was drawn based on varied employee characteristics i.e., experiences and ages. It was found that old workers were negatively impacted by the distant location of the construction site. The young employees were most inclined towards holidays when working away from home. The access to basic amenities during a construction project was regarded as a major setback for the workers' productivity. Experienced workers preferred working within the vicinity and easy access to their houses. Based on the ethnicity factor while selecting the workforce, newcomers faced hurdles while entering the construction sector.

Promoting Climate Resilience in Building Construction Industry in Ghana

This study reports the perspectives of building construction stakeholders on how they are promoting climate resilience. Using descriptive research design with a purposive sampling through online questionnaire and adapted version of Relative Importance Index (RII) on selected environmental benchmarks, the major findings are: a) there is more to be done to promote green construction; b) many stakeholders still hold on to carbon-intensive approach; c) underlying cause for this lack of migration to less carbon use appears to be attitudinal than complete lack of knowledge of climate mitigation; d) many construction firms lack internal management system to monitor climate mitigation benchmarks indices. Based on these findings, recommendation being made is that construction managers may need to link up with international conferences to enhance professional competencies in advanced technologies for mitigating building-related carbon emission, while Government offers subsidies and green construction certification to promote contractors’ awareness of climate resilience in building construction.

Enabling technologies of health and safety practices in the fourth industrial revolution: Nigerian construction industry perspective

Globally, different approaches have been applied to improve workplace safety practices due to the complexities of construction activities that pose different dangers to workers’ safety and wellbeing. This study uses Lagos, Nigeria, as a case study and investigates awareness of 4IR technologies in H&S practices among construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. A quantitative research approach was developed to retrieve a structured survey questionnaire from construction stakeholders in the study area. Retrieved data was analysed in three stages: data reliability and validity, descriptive statistics, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The descriptive analysis findings and the Kruskal–Wallis H test revealed no significant difference in professionals’ awareness of 4IR technologies in H&S practices in the construction project delivery in Lagos, Nigeria. The findings of the EFA returned four-factor components of H&S practices enabling technologies in the Era of 4IR as data and robotic technologies, process-based automation, output communication technologies, and wearable hazard detectives’ technologies. This study recommends innovative strategies from the professional bodies through academic and professional development (workshops, training, conferences, and seminars) to improve knowledge of 4IR technologies in H&S practices among professionals.

Stakeholder views of prevalent unethical practices in the Ghanaian construction industry

PurposeThis study aims to investigate stakeholders' perception of the most prevalent unethical practices in the Ghanaian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachData used for this study came from a cross-sectional survey (questionnaire), which was administered to 273 stakeholders in the construction industry using convenience sampling technique. The data were analyzed using statistical software package SPSSv17 to determine the most prevalent unethical practices. The ranking factor was calculated based on relative importance index (RII) value.FindingsThe results of this study reveal that corruption was perceived by major stakeholders as the most prevalent unethical behavior (RII = 0.82) followed by bribery (RII = 0.79). Political interference and kickback came third (RII = 0.77) and fourth (RII = 0.74), respectively. However, the least prevalent unethical behaviors were extortion (RII = 0.56), workplace violence (RII = 0.57), alcohol abuse (RII = 0.59) and harassment (RII = 0.59). The findings suggest that when the various groupings were taken into consideration separately, the differences in their perceptions were obvious.Research limitations/implicationsData for this study were collected from construction stakeholders in Ghana who were conveniently sampled. As a result, in reference to the sampling framework which focused on major stakeholders in only two regions of Ghana does not sufficiently ensure full generalization of the results.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study provide significant information for construction organizations and practitioners regarding unethical practices, which are most prevalent in the Ghanaian construction industry. Construction organizations and practitioners seeking to mitigate the negative effect of unethical practices on their performance should focus on educating construction workers on how to avoid corrupt practices and report same to the authorities. Also, ethics training programs must be instituted for staff coupled with constant and random inspection and checking of ethical compliance, verbal promotion and praise for ethical conduct and in some cases increase in employees pay.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to have accessed the views of broader stakeholders, i.e. consultants, contractors, professionals, suppliers, regulators, clients and construction workers in the construction industry regarding the most prevalent unethical practices in the Ghanaian construction industry in one study. This study, therefore, enriches the current literature by providing additional dimension to the understanding of unethical practices in the Ghanaian construction industry.

Addressing the Implication of the Construction 4.0 Policy in Malaysia

The rise of digitalization is prompting governments to reconsider their strategies due to challenges faced by industries during this transition. Governments have prioritized Industry 4.0, implementing large-scale policies to enhance productivity, competitiveness, and workforce skills. However, understanding the complex process of policy change poses difficulties in driving necessary transformations. This research introduces the Kaleidoscope Model, which offers a roadmap for policymakers to perform effective changes with the moderating effect – challenges faced. The study employs document analysis and semi-structured interviews for qualitative data through content analysis. Results highlight that Policy Adoption and Policy Implementation notably influence the evaluation of the Construction 4.0 policy's effectiveness. Interestingly, the final model doesn't show a clear link between the Kaleidoscope Model and policy evaluation due to moderating effects. This research expands political science by aiding the implementation of the Construction 4.0 policy, providing guidelines for policymakers and construction stakeholders. By embracing advanced technologies, the construction industry's dynamics are transformed to align with the goals of the policy. Keywords: Construction 4.0 Policy; Construction Industry; Implication; Malaysia; Policy Change

Advanced Timber Construction Industry: A Quantitative Review of 646 Global Design and Construction Stakeholders

There has been a multi-storey timber construction boom since the start of the millennium. While there is now a body of research on trends, benefits, and disadvantages of timber construction, there is not yet literature on the wider market or the impact of stakeholders on it. This research investigates the (i) architects, (ii) engineers, and (iii) manufacturers involved in the realization of 300 contemporary multi-storey timber buildings from an existing survey. The analysis is based on data sourced from stakeholder websites and the building survey. It evaluates the perceived level of timber expertise of stakeholders based on service categorization and stakeholder type and relates them to the buildings they worked on. The research uses quantitative methods to answer qualitative questions on the connection between architectural variety in timber construction and the stakeholders involved. Interconnectivity between stakeholders and projects is visualized in an interactive network graph. The study shows a segmented mass timber market with relatively few impactful design and construction stakeholders, mostly located in central and northern Europe. It also identifies fabricators as the largest group of innovators advancing the industry and enabling the construction of more complex projects. It reveals the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing for the industry’s growth.

The Adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Technology in the Construction Industry: Construction Stakeholders’ Perception

In parallel to the Industry Revolution 4.0, the introduction of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in construction is expected to improve the construction project management efficiency. Although much research works has been done by the academics in uncovering the advantageous potentials of using UAV in construction, the barriers and drivers that influence the construction companies towards adopting UAV have received scant or very limited attention from the academics. Even though the UAV technology infrastructure has progressively been developed and improved by the government and the UAV manufacturers with some construction companies successfully got on board the platform to tap the potentials for gains, however there are construction companies have yet to act on it. This paper aims to identify the main drivers of the construction companies in adopting and integrating the UAV into their construction activities or business. The semi-structured interviews were designed using theory of interpersonal communication in achieving an honest exchange of information on the perception of the participants, their encounters, experiences, views and expectation with respect to the use of UAV in their business activities. This study was conducted with eight respondents from Johor Bharu and Kuala Lumpur of diverse background and experience in the construction and UAV. The findings show that relative advantage, education, knowledge of technology, positive attitude of the decision makers, compatibility of technology, simplicity of technology, and observability are the six drivers to the adoption of UAV in the construction industry. Therefore, this study may serve as a conceptual framework for the future research works on the adoption of UAV in the Malaysian construction industry as the industry is increasingly digitally driven with the emergence of new technology such as the UAV application technology.

A Critical Ranking of the Various Leadership Skills use as Motivational Strategies for Construction Managers in Anambra State.

Good leadership in construction is a result of the effective use and implementation of important skills such as: Understanding the needs and characteristics of the post, knowing and using the resources of the group effectively, effective communication and planning, and controlling team performance. The study aim to carry out a critical ranking of the various leadership skills use as motivational strategies for Construction Managers in Anambra State. To achieve this, the study examine leadership Skills as Motivational Strategies for Enhancing Construction Managers Performance. The study adopted descriptive survey design by distributing 60 well-structured questionnaires. The 40 retrieved and analyzed responses shows that there are five (5) non-negotiable leadership skills that every construction organisation in Nnewi, Awka, and Onitsha must take into consideration. These five (5) skills are top motivators for improved project delivery and performance in Anambra State. For the organisation to maximize their construction manager productivity, then first of importance is their ability to communicate effectively, plan for the required result, be flexible in operations, be able to take a risk, and while executing any project, focus on the process, not just the goal. The examined leadership skills metrics to be used by construction stakeholders as a motivational tool for construction managers in Anambra State for increased productivity and retention of construction employees.

Profound barriers to value management adoption on construction projects in a developing nation

Purpose The adoption of value management (VM) has been on the rise in the construction industry, especially in the past decade. Identifying the main barriers to VM application for ameliorating poor project outcomes in the construction industry is a critical step to overcoming its implementation. Therefore, this study aims to examine the barriers to the adoption of VM in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI) and identify the critical ones for action by construction stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach This study used two rounds of Delphi surveys with 15 VM experts to identify the challenges to VM adoption. The Delphi team’s data from the two surveys were analysed using descriptive statistics. The mean-mode approach was used to identify ten major barriers to VM adoption based on the consensus reached during the second round of the Delphi poll. Following that, an interrater agreement analysis and a significant level analysis were performed. Findings Of the 17 identified barriers hindering VM adoption on construction projects in the NCI, 10 were found to be profound after statistical analyses of the data. The significant barriers include communication gap between the client and other consultants; delay in design preparation because of VM services; the pretext that VM is being practiced in the construction industry; and the wrong perception of VM by construction professionals, among others. The findings of the analysis suggested that the lack of VM adoption in the NCI was because of inadequate knowledge of VM techniques among construction professionals. Therefore, it is advised that VM training be provided for concerned stakeholders to address the lack of VM expertise among Nigerian construction professionals. Practical implications This study investigated the barriers to VM adoption on construction projects in the NCI with the opinions of a few construction professionals who can be regarded as VM experts. As against obtaining large survey responses from construction professionals who may not be knowledgeable in the VM process, the limited VM experts’ responses provide a valid basis for drawing inferences and making recommendations to address the paucity of VM applications in the NCI. Originality/value Through a Delphi survey, the critical barriers to the adoption of VM were identified, along with recommendations to help construction stakeholders overcome the challenges and enjoy the benefits of VM.

Barriers to Adopting Lean Methodology in the Portuguese Construction Industry

The Lean methodology allows for the streamlining of management and production systems to reduce costs. In the case of the construction sector, the goal is to optimize processes, reduce waste, increase product quality, and increase client satisfaction. These have been areas where construction, as a sector, is struggling to deliver substantial results. Despite the potential benefits associated with Lean approaches, there has been significant resistance from the construction industry. The main objective of this research is to identify the barriers to applying Lean methodology in the Portuguese construction sector. This will contribute to understanding why Lean is not gaining traction among construction stakeholders and help to identify improvement areas replicable in similar markets. Initially, the barriers were identified based on a comprehensive literature review, and those barriers were evaluated based on their importance using a survey responded to by construction sector professionals. Based on the survey’s results, 15 barriers were considered critical. Additionally, a combined ISM model and MICMAC analysis was developed to study the relations between these barriers and the driving and dependence power of each one of the critical barriers. The results obtained show that the main barriers are the lack of support and commitment from top management, a lack of organizational communication, a lack of communication and transparency between stakeholders, unsuitable organizational structures, a lack of adequate Lean awareness and understanding, management resistance to change, and employees’ aversion to change and fear of new procedures.

Exploring Economic Impacts of Sustainable Construction Projects on Stakeholders: The Role of Integrated Project Delivery

Climate urgency has driven sustainability and the circular economy into the agenda of the construction industry. Despite growing efforts to promote sustainability, there is still a lack of a widespread implementation of sustainability in construction projects. Cost is often viewed as a main barrier to increasing the adoption of sustainable development in construction projects. Seeking cost efficiency appears as one of the central concerns of construction stakeholders in their sustainability moves. This paper presents an assessment of economic impacts of developing sustainability in construction projects. A questionnaire survey was adopted in the study to collect views of professionals on the economic implications of sustainable construction projects. The results reveal that energy cost saving and green subsidies are the main economic benefits derived from sustainable construction projects. Economic risks such as cost overrun and risks of not meeting the expected rate of return are primary factors hindering the development of sustainable construction practice. The study, however, found that, in general, construction stakeholders perceived sustainable construction to bring more positive economic impacts than negative economic impacts for most construction stakeholders. The economic value of a sustainable construction project can benefit the construction industry value chain from clients to suppliers and end users, following an increasing demand for sustainability in the construction sector. This paper offers insights into understanding the economic implications of sustainable construction projects. Thinking around economic impacts that span the entire building life cycle is essential to reveal the true economic value of sustainable construction projects. The authors indicate how construction stakeholders, by taking an integrated project delivery (IPD) perspective, can develop a more holistic view that allows them to gauge the underlying economic value of sustainable construction projects by incorporating long-term cost efficiency in the decision-making.