Conventional Construction Projects Research Articles

Decommissioning and restoration: early planning is critical to an efficient and risk-minimised process

Over the next 7 years, according to Wood Mackenzie, it is estimated that as many as 380 fields oil and gas facilities will be decommissioned across Asia–Pacific (Wood Mackenzie 2018). Many companies leave Decommissioning and Restoration (D&R) up to the respective project groups using their normal project management and control systems. However, managing D&R requires a different approach and mindset, as the value drivers and risk profiles for D&R projects are different compared to conventional construction projects. For D&R to be efficient – from operational, sustainability, regulatory compliance, environmental and financial perspectives – delivery must not be limited to an isolated project group. Rather, it must leverage corporate and operational knowledge, lessons learned from other decommissioning projects and industry best-practice to support the identification and management of the decommissioning risk profile and successful delivery thereof. Planning for D&R is essential at every stage of the life of an asset and should start as early as possible. Ideally, facilities are designed with D&R in mind at the project conception stage as the scope of D&R is often broader and more complex than operators realise, contributing to D&R projects often exceeding original cost estimates and timelines. Decommissioning and restoration opportunities may be missed or associated risks increased without timely recognition and management. In this paper, dss+ will provide companies with pragmatic guidance on how to plan and implement a D&R process that is managed well from an operational, risk, financial, contractor management and importantly, a stakeholder management point of view.

The effects of green management practice on organizational performance success: An empirical study in HK building industry

Building development has been causing adverse environmental effects with emissions of greenhouse gas in the range of about 40% and consumed energy of about 35% in 2018 in developing countries. Expediting green management practices in an environmental, economic, and social manner becomes crucial in the building industry. Guiding from the systematic literature review, a whole building life cycle engagement of Green Marketing Strategy (GMS) and Green Technology Development (GTD) as green management practices to achieve organizational performance success in terms of Green Performance Success (GPS) & Finance Performance Success (FPS) lacks scholars’ studies. From a theoretical point of view, the pre- and post-building phases’ critical factors should be further explored and investigated. Few research studies can be identified for the conventional construction projects in selecting critical organizational performance success factors in their pre- and post-project stages. This research aims to provide an understanding into the effects of the green management practices on organizational performance success through a questionnaire survey follows by post-survey interviews, case studies, and green expert interviews so as to incentivize the promotion of the green management practices to combat global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. The results of a moderated hierarchical regression analysis revealed that green management practices in terms of green marketing strategy and green technologies development have a significant impact on firm performance in terms of green performance success and financial performance success. Further investigations of how the supplier cooperation and green building uncertainty moderate green management practices on organizational performance are studied. The experts’ interviews directed that the government take a leading role in asserting green management practices implementation, particularly in making green building development mandatory. Advanced construction information technology (e.g., building information modeling) should be used to inspire the building process to generate and manage building data to improve the green building technological design incorporation to recycle the building elements with waste reduction. Above all, the instituting of a robust and operational market platform for the green materials and products with a performance index would enhance the vision and mission of green marketing strategy to reduce the materials costs progressively. Commitment and cooperation of suppliers to deliver suitable green performance materials and products is also beneficial to the building industry. As the study indicated, the higher level of technological and logistical integration with the suppliers’ base will lead to higher levels of environmental collaboration and building firms’ performance.

Research on Construction Project Cost Prediction Model Based on Recurrent Neural Network

At present, the conventional construction project cost prediction method mainly constructs the cost prediction model by quantifying the engineering information, which leads to poor prediction effect due to the lack of construction of cost prediction index system. In this regard, the research of construction cost prediction model based on recurrent neural network is proposed. By classifying and integrating the construction project cost concepts, constructing the prediction index system, combining with the recurrent neural network algorithm, constructing the excitation function and calculating the initialization threshold, and finally constructing the prediction model. In the experiment, the proposed method is verified for the prediction accuracy. After the experiments, it can be proved that when the proposed model is used to predict the engineering cost, the root mean square error of the model output is small and has a more ideal prediction accuracy.

Mechanism for Increasing Rating of ESG-Factors of Construction Investment Life Cycle

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are a key factor in investment decisions due to their rise in the public and corporate area. It is well known that integration of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) makes companies in the construction industry less vulnerable to economic, technological, political and regulatory risks, which results in diminishing cash flow volatility and enhances profitability at all phases of construction investment life cycle. Currently, there are a number of ways to include ESG factors in construction investment life cycle. One of the fundamental ways is "green" construction. Russian and foreign researchers consider green building to be an integral part of the global ecosystem, which is characterized by being environmentally-friendly, energy and resource efficient. Analysis of modern scientific literature reveal certain issues of "green" construction, most of which arise due to enhanced investment costs compared to conventional construction projects. Based on this, it is relevant to look into the market of modern green construction in Russia, outline directions of its development and overview modern technologies used in green construction. The authors propose ways to assess efficiency of green construction and estimate pace of development of the ESG factors of construction investment life cycle.

The Improvement Factors of Leadership Skills among Project Managers in Pre-Construction Phase of Sustainable Construction Projects

Leadership skills are required in any area, including the construction industry. Compared to conventional construction projects, the obstacles of practising leadership skills are more significant in sustainable construction projects. In the context of managing a project, a project manager is accountable for overseeing the project from the pre-construction phase to the post-construction phase. Nevertheless, project managers often encountered utmost difficulties in sustainable construction projects during the pre-construction phase. Despite that, improving leadership skills would emerge to boost project manager performance in managing sustainable construction projects. Thus, this paper aims to determine the improvement factors of leadership skills among project managers in the pre-construction phase of sustainable construction projects. A questionnaire survey was developed with 44 improvement factors of leadership skills among project managers in the pre-construction phase of sustainable construction projects, in which 153 experienced project managers in sustainable construction projects in Malaysia responded. Data were analysed using normality test, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis via IBM SPSS version 24 software. The finding reveals that all improvement factors were significant to improve leadership skills among project managers in the pre-construction phase of sustainable construction projects. Hence, this paper's findings would assist project managers in grasping the improvement factors that can improve their leadership skills, particularly in sustainable construction projects.

Soft cost elements: Exploring management components of project costs in green building projects

This paper reveals the non-technical elements that affect construction project costs, known as soft cost elements (SCEs). These elusive elements have received little attention although they are significant in influencing management decisions of a project. There is much interest in the mitigation of cost for green projects, but the focus is generally leaning towards hard cost aspects. Information about SCEs remains obscure. Qualitative approach is adopted in this research using face-to-face unstructured interviews with 12 respondents consisting of green building project experts who have been involved in many projects certified by the Malaysia Green Building Index (GBI). A total of 4 project cost datasheets were also analysed to confirm the SCEs in the project budget and to enable a clear definition of the SCEs term. The results show that SCEs are tangible and not hidden in nature. Although they constitute smaller percentage in the project cost, the implications of SCEs are far-reaching and can influence critical management decisions. There are 8 SCEs identified which are divided into 3 main categories: 1) Design Influence (project brief preparation, consultant fees and green certification); 2) Authority Requirement (pre-development charges and contribution charges); and 3) Development Provision (marketing, project overheads and security of funding). This study is practical and relevant for both green and conventional construction project, with an additional of ‘green certification’ element for green projects. The paper provides new insight into the understated elements that drive project cost from a managerial perspective and indicates key areas for future studies on project cost.

Productivity Improvement Strategies in Green Construction Project: Formulation of a Theoretical Framework

Productivity is regarded as one of critical importance aspects of construction projects success and persistently deliberated in research topics in the construction industry. Previous researchers have determined different factors that influence construction productivity in conventional construction project, but there is limited research on productivity particularly in green construction projects. To response to the issue, this paper aims to explore a comprehensive literature review to examine the existing knowledge of construction productivity, particularly in green construction projects. Content analysis is used to identify related matters concerning issues and key factors affecting construction productivity, henceforth, a dynamic strategies of productivity improvement are established. Findings from literature are summarized and a theoretical framework of construction productivity improvement strategies is constructed and proposed. The framework highlights the identified factors affecting productivity in green construction projects, as well as determines the improvement strategies to enhance the construction productivity. The framework will be the instrument for the future development and will assist the construction practitioners to plan efficient approaches for achieving productivity growth in green construction projects. An improved understanding on the key factors of the productivity performance would help policy makers and industry to prioritize their policies and actions, whilst keeping of the eminence in Malaysian construction productivity

Job Satisfaction of Project Managers in Green Construction Projects: Constituents, Barriers, and Improvement Strategies

Studies proved that project managers’ performance is greatly affected by their job satisfaction. Little attention has been paid to the job satisfaction of project managers in green construction projects. This study aims to assess the job satisfaction of project managers in charge of green construction projects, with comparisons against conventional construction projects. It also investigates the key barriers that influence project managers’ job satisfaction and proposes feasible strategies to improve their job satisfaction in green construction projects. A literature review was conducted to understand the mechanism of job satisfaction and the potential barriers and strategies in green construction projects, followed by a questionnaire survey that collected the data from 105 project managers. Interviews with five industry experts were also conducted to substantiate survey results. The results show that ‘job content’ and ‘personality and competence of jobholders’ were perceived differently between green and conventional construction projects. ‘Technical requirement’ and ‘split incentive condition’, ‘project managers’ expertise and awareness’ and ‘demand and support from stakeholders’ were identified as key barriers of project managers’ job satisfaction in green construction projects. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on the features of job satisfaction for green construction project managers, assist companies in formulating strategies to enhance the performance of project managers.

Experimental investigation of zeolite and limestone powder on self-compacting concrete strength after early loading

PurposeModern construction methods have been developed with the goal of reducing construction time as much as possible, which results in some situations during construction and within the first few days after it, when concrete is subjected to exceptionally high loads. The precast concrete, which is the concrete in very early ages, may result in severe cracks or damages. In conventional construction projects, sometimes working with concrete, which had not reached its ultimate strength, is an unavoidable matter of fact. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachResearchers in the field of construction materials have done their best to make some changes in the different parts of the concrete in order to bring about reforms, based on the existing needs, and achieve new quality and primacy from concrete. One kind of concrete, the emergence of which dates back to many years ago, is self-compacting concrete. Thanks to its high efficiency for the parts with complex forms of high-density steel, this kind of concrete suggests new prospects.FindingsThis study aims at evaluating the effect of early loads on the 28-day compressive strength of concretes with zeolite and limestone powder under different curing conditions (wet or dry). In this regard, two self-compacting concrete mix designs with the same ratio of water to cementations materials and 0.4 percent and 10 percent zeolite have been considered; therefore, concrete cube samples with zeolite and limestone powder in different curing conditions at ages of three, one and seven days under preloading with 80–90 percent of compressive strength are damaged, and after curing in different conditions, their 28-day compressive strength is measured. According to the results, the recovery of the 28-day compressive strength of damaged samples, compared to that of intact samples, is possible in all curing conditions. The experiments that have been performed on concrete samples under dry and wet curing conditions show that the full recovery of compressive strength of damaged samples compared to that of intact ones happened only in preloaded samples at the age of one days, and in other ages (three and seven days) the 28-day strength reduction has occurred in damaged samples compared to the that in intact samples. The results of concrete samples with zeolite and without limestone powder at the age of one day indicate the greatest impact on other samples on the 28-day compressive strength of damaged samples compared to that of intact ones, occurring under dry condition.Originality/valueThis research analyzed and studied the influence under wet and dry curing conditions and the presence of limestone powder and zeolite fillers in recovering of the 28-day compressive strength of preloaded concrete samples at early stages (one, three and seven days) after the construction of the concrete.

DESIGN OF CERTIFIED GREEN BUILDINGS USING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING

Design of green buildings involves specific processes compared to conventional construction projects that require participation of several disciplines. Having particular activities, functions, and physical aspects, green buildings impose their own difficulties during design. Building Information Modelling systems (BIM) use different software for virtual simulation of characteristics of projects, which promotes early detection of potential problems even before production of the intended design details. Implementing BIM technology in design stage, not only helps to minimize design problems, but also to shorten the stage itself. With this effect of BIM combined with sustainable practices and energy efficient technologies, design stage alone can be considered as a sustainable application of construction activities. Therefore, principles and requirements of green building certification systems can easily be performed for projects with capabilities of BIM technologies and tools. In this study, redesign of Yildiz Technical University, Faculty of Civil Engineering Building based on LEED certification system using BIM tools is presented. The project is prepared as part of a capstone project by senior civil engineering students. Design stages are planned to promote sustainability and qualify the requirements of LEED v3 BD+C (Schools). The main objective is to introduce the students to two major trends in construction industry (green buildings and BIM applications) and to create awareness of sustainable construction, green building certification systems and emerging technologies.

Small-Scale Public Rental Housing Development Using Modular Construction—Lessons learned from Case Studies in Seoul, Korea

Modular construction, which involves factory-based modular unit manufacturing followed by installation at a construction site, has been recognized as one of the sustainable construction methods. Its advantages are known to be implemented through (1) standardized design, (2) standardized production method, and (3) large-scale development (mass production system). These three conditions are basic requirements for modular construction market expansion, but it is difficult to define that these conditions are a prerequisite for judging whether modular construction applied or not. Nevertheless, public development companies in regions or countries where modular construction has just begun thought that modular construction should meet all three conditions that are suitable for applying public construction projects. This is because it is difficult to compare conventional construction projects with similar conditions to modular construction projects. This paper analyzes the cost and duration data of three small-scale public construction rental housing (PCRH) projects involving modular construction in Korea. These cases presented herein include a public college student dormitory, public low-rise rental housing, and public mid-rise rental housing in small-scale development projects. Those were applied not standardized design (common design and regulation), but were reflected in each project’s demands (different design and regulation). To compare it, this paper analyzed 91 public housing provision projects’ construction data from 2011 to 2017 from one of the public rental housing provision companies in Korea. Among them, 19 small-scale public rental housing data were extracted for comparing with modular construction project data. The results show that, even if not standardized, the design and production process, and modular construction durations, were more effective—but costs were similar or expensive. Based on the conclusion drawn from three cases, this paper presents important considerations for the application of modular construction in other small-scale public construction rental housing projects from the perspective of public development companies.

A simulation-based framework for concurrent safety and productivity improvement in construction projects

PurposeSafety and productivity are key concerns in the construction projects. While safety looks to the construction workers need to work in a safe environment, productivity affects the project’s profitability and is of a paramount importance from the project owner’s view. The different perspective to the safety and productivity from these two major players in construction projects poses a potential for the conflict between the two. This problem can be fundamentally addressed by methods concurrently improving project safety and productivity. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachTo this aim, a discrete event simulation (DES) based framework applicable was proposed for complex and hazardous operations. The utility of the framework was tested using a case study of an eight-story residential building in the north-east part of Tehran, Iran. The excavation and stabilization operation was identified as the most hazardous and critical operation in this case. The framework could improve safety and productivity of this operation by 38 and 4 percent, respectively.FindingsThis framework is a complement to the conventional construction project safety and productivity planning methods. Its main application is in complex and hazardous construction operations.Originality/valueFor the first time, a comprehensive framework for concurrently improving safety and productivity of an entire project was proposed in this research. DES was used as the main modeling tool in the framework to provide anex-anteevaluation foundation applicable to a wide range of construction projects.

Regional Comparisons of Contemporary Construction Industry Sustainable Concepts in the Chinese Context

Emerging construction practices such as building information modelling (BIM), prefabrication construction, green building, and integrated project delivery methods are gaining momentum in China, with great potential due to the size of its construction market. Through this, the sustainability level of China’s construction industry is expected to be enhanced from the economic, social and environmental perspectives. So far, there has been limited understanding of how BIM, as a digital technology, would affect other contemporary sustainable construction practices from the industry professionals’ point of view. Limited studies have been carried out to study the regional differences of these contemporary sustainable practices in China. This study adopted a questionnaire-based approach targeting industry professionals from three different metropolitan cities (Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Wenzhou).The follow-up comprehensive statistical analysis revealed that with regards to these contemporary sustainable construction practices, survey participants held much varied views on the growth of renovation projects, traditional Design–Bid–Build delivery, and conventional on-site construction methods. These three types were also generally perceived to have weak correlation with BIM application. Regional comparison further conveyed information on differences in perceptions among survey respondents from these three cities. For example, respondents from Wenzhou perceived more positive effects of BIM use in conventional construction projects. This research addressed the inter-correlation among these emerging sustainable construction practices, as well as the regional differences in China’s construction market. The findings provide insights and the big picture for both governmental authorities and industry practitioners on the latest sustainable practices of China’s construction industry. Recommendations are also offered towards improved economic, social and environmental sustainability performance for construction projects in the country.

Holistic approach for treatment of accidental hazards during conceptual design of bridges – A case study in Sweden

The control of risks in engineering design is, for most conventional construction projects, achieved through the use of design codes. However, relying on design based on code-compliance can lead to situations where risks are overlooked or inadequately treated; a complementary approach is needed. In this paper, a holistic risk-informed approach for the treatment of accidental hazards during the conceptual design of bridges is considered and a framework for such an approach is provided. The treatment of these design situations is incompatible with current codified approaches. Although risk assessments are commonly used in the design of large scale infrastructure projects, such approaches are rarely used for more common bridge designs. The assessment procedure, applicable for more conventional bridge projects, is described and some background information is provided that is useful for applying the proposed approach in practice. To illustrate the application of the proposed approach in practice, a case study of a bridge construction project in the west of Sweden is considered in which the approach is applied.

Comparative study of greenhouse gas emissions between off-site prefabrication and conventional construction methods: Two case studies of residential projects

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the construction stage will be more relatively significant over time. Different construction methods influence GHG emissions in the construction phase. This study investigates the differences of GHG emissions between prefabrication and conventional construction methods. This study sets a calculation boundary and five emission sources for the semi-prefabricated construction process: embodied emissions of building materials, transportation of building materials, transportation of construction waste and soil, transportation of prefabricated components, operation of equipment, and construction techniques. A quantitative model is then established using a process-based method. A semi-prefabrication project and a conventional construction project in China are employed for preliminary examination of the differences in GHG emissions. Results show that the semi-prefabrication method produces less GHG emissions per square meter compared with the conventional construction, with the former producing 336kg/m2 and the latter generating 368kg/m2. The largest proportion of total GHG emissions comes from the embodied emissions of building materials, accounting for approximately 85%. Four elements that positively contribute to reduced emissions are the embodied GHG emissions of building materials, transportation of building materials, resource consumption of equipment and techniques, and transportation of waste and soil, accounting for 86.5%, 18.3%, 10.3%, and 0.2%, respectively, of reduced emissions; one a negative effect on reduced emissions is the transportation of prefabricated components, which offsets 15.3% of the total emissions reduction. Thus, adopting prefabricated construction methods contribute to significant environmental benefits on GHG emissions in this initial study.

Collaborative Process to Facilitate BIM-based Clash Detection Tasks for Enhancing Constructability

One of reasons for introducing Building Information Modeling (BIM) is to support clash detection tasks by means of a 3D product model. In the conventional construction project process, clashes have been found during construction phase. However, it can cause cost overrun and time delay. In order to investigate and correct clash detections at design phase, relevant business process and guide for this task should be provided. This study aims to identify hindrances in clash detection tasks at the design phase and analyze its current process using IDEF0 model. Despite the convenience of IDEF0 as a systems analysis tool, professional participants might have difficulties to understand their own tasks according to business process. For this reason, in this research, Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is introduced to provide ideal process and required decision making governance. The provide BPMN model will provide insights for a BIM-based collaborative environment to enhance the constructability through the construction project.

Study on Management Control Auditing on Construction Project

Management and auditing of construction project, which is a certain trend of management development of modern construction project, is a new theory in audit practicing of construction project and an effective way to work out at the highest degree the returns on construction project investment, improve construction project management performance levels, avoid at the highest degree redundancy of construction projects and eliminate waste of resources. This essay points out the importance of the use of management auditing in construction projects based on the analysis of disadvantages in conventional construction projects management. And it builds up frame for management auditing of construction projects, puts forward performance evaluation methods of management control auditing.

Improving Cost Estimates of Construction Projects Using Phased Cost Factors

Central to cost-based competition is the capability to accurately predict the cost of delivering a project. Most literature on cost estimation focuses on specific estimation methods as generic techniques and little attention has been paid to the unique requirements at each project stage. This note attempts to identify the critical factors for effective estimation at various stages of typical construction projects. Drawing from organization control theory and cost estimating literature, this note develops a theoretical framework that identifies the critical factors for effective cost estimation during each project phase of a conventional construction project. The underlying logic is that as a cost estimating effort progresses, both task programmability and output measurability improve. As a result, control effort will shift from input-oriented control to a combination of output and behavior control.

Owner-Contractor Relationships on Contaminated Site Remediation Projects

Contaminated site remediation projects have characteristics that distinguish them from conventional construction projects, including substantial regulatory oversight and significant uncertainty about subsurface conditions and the effectiveness of the remedial technology chosen. the unusual features of remediation projects suggests that nontraditional or innovative contracting mechanisms may be beneficial. Sixty completed remediation projects were studied to identify and document the effects of different project management structures and contracting strategies on project outcomes. Survey results indicated that changes in scope, budget overruns, delays, disputes, and change orders are common on remediation projects. Flexible project management strategies, such as turnkey and partnering arrangements, and flexible contracting schemes, such as cost plus fee, were found to be better suited to accommodate such changes. Turnkey and design/construct project structures had the best performance overall of the management structures reported. Mechanisms to promote partnering and team building contributed significantly to project success as defined by budget and schedule.