Engineering Construction Industry Research Articles

Bridging theory and practice: Stakeholder insights on circular economy in the building life cycle

The world strives for sustainable development to minimize environmental impact and resource consumption, where circular economy (CE) is emerging as a promising approach to address environmental, economic and social challenges associated with the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry. This study focuses on the implementation of circular economy principles in the End-of-Life (EoL) phase of existing buildings, aiming to identify gaps between theory and practice, specifically for reuse and recycle processes in AEC. The focal point are business models, processes and the regulatory framework in Austria. The research methodology employs semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders involved in activities within the EoL value chain, including architects, contractors, material suppliers, waste management organizations, demolition companies and regulatory authorities. Based on a literature review which addresses seminal issues for the implementation of CE in the building life cycle, this study compares findings from 12 interviews and the results from literature research, identifying gaps between theory and practice, with recommendations for a path forward.

Research on the evaluation method of whole process engineering consulting service modes based on uncertain multiple-attribute group decision-making

With the continuous development of the economy and society, the engineering construction industry has experienced rapid growth, and higher requirements have been put forward for engineering consulting services. Currently, most engineering consulting service enterprises in China only provide relevant consulting services for engineering construction at a certain stage, lacking overall planning and overall control over the entire lifecycle of engineering construction. In order to improve the scientific level of fixed assets investment decision-making and construction management, it is of great value to explore professional engineering consulting services covering the whole process of project construction in the project decision-making stage and implementation stage to achieve the optimization of project quality and economic benefits. The whole process engineering consulting service modes (ECSM) evaluation is a multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM). Recently, the TODIM technique and MACONT technique was created to put forward MAGDM. The interval neutrosophic sets (INSs) are created as a tool for managing fuzzy information during the whole process ECSM evaluation. In this work, the interval neutrosophic number TODIM-MACONT (INN-TODIM-MACONT) technique is created to put forward the MAGDM under INSs. Finally, a numerical analysis for whole process ECSM evaluation is given to validate the proposed technique. The main contributions are outlined: (1) the TODIM and MACONT technique was enhanced under INSs; (2) Information Entropy is created to conduct the weight information under INSs. (3) the INN-TODIM-MACONT technique is created to implement the MAGDM under INSs; (4) a numerical example for whole process ECSM evaluation and some comparative analysis is created to verify the INN-TODIM-MACONT technique.

Research Status and Development Trend of Mechanized Sand Production Process and Equipment Optimization

With the continuous development of engineering construction industry, the demand for sand used in construction is increasing, the traditional natural sand is increasingly in short supply, and the demand for mechanical sand is increasing. The vertical shaft impact sand machine is an important equipment machine in the production process of mechanical sand. The rotor in the vertical shaft impact sand machine is the core part of the normal work of the sand machine. Studying the rotor in the vertical shaft impact sand machine can improve the efficiency and stability of the sand machine in the sand making process. Compared with the research results at home and abroad, the type and research direction of rotor structure are summarized, and the development trend of vertical shaft impact sand making machine is proposed.

Research on the evolutionary control of unsafe behavior of construction personnel based on multi-field coupled-homogeneous analysis model.

Unsafe behavior among construction personnel poses significant risks in petroleum engineering construction projects. This study addresses this issue through the application of a multi-field coupled homogeneous analysis model. By conducting case analyses of petroleum engineering construction accidents and utilizing the WSR methodology, the influencing factors of unsafe behaviors among construction personnel are systematically categorized into organizational system factors, equipment management factors, and construction personnel factors. Subsequently, employing Risk coupling theory, the study delves into the analysis of these influencing factors, discussing their coupling mechanisms and classifications, and utilizing the N-K model to elucidate the coupling effect among them. Furthermore, a novel approach integrating coupling analysis and multi-agent modeling is employed to establish an evolutionary model of construction personnel's unsafe behavior. The findings reveal that a two-factor control method, concurrently reinforcing equipment and construction personnel management, significantly mitigates unsafe behavior. This study provides valuable insights into the evolution of unsafe behavior among construction personnel and offers a robust theoretical framework for targeted interventions. Significantly, it bears practical implications for guiding safety management practices within petroleum engineering construction enterprises. By effectively controlling unsafe behaviors and implementing targeted safety interventions, it contributes to fostering sustainable development within the petroleum engineering construction industry.

Application and research of artificial intelligence in civil engineering intelligent construction

When artificial intelligence (AI) begins to intervene, the production and lifestyles of various industries have also undergone great changes. The civil engineering construction industry has taken this opportunity to carry out the industry transformation, from traditional civil engineering construction to the intelligent construction of civil engineering with the participation of AI. Through the dynamic tracking and data analysis of construction sites and buildings through AI, the life safety of construction workers can be ensured by improving efficiency and ensuring quality. This paper analyzes the feature of intelligent construction, and discusses the current situation of intelligent construction and the application progress of intelligent construction in civil engineering construction, including Building information modeling (BIM) technology, Internet of Things and big data technology, AI technology, virtual reality technology, three-dimensional scanning technology, intelligent equipment and construction robots. At the same time, the problems and disadvantages of AI in the construction field are analyzed, and the application prospect of intelligent construction technology in future engineering construction is forecasted.

A Knowledge Graph-Based Approach to Recommending Low-Carbon Construction Schemes of Bridges

With the development of the engineering construction industry, knowledge became an important strategic resource for construction enterprises, and knowledge graphs are an effective method for knowledge management. In the context of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, low carbon emission became one of the important indicators for the selection of construction schemes, and knowledge management research related to low carbon construction must be performed. This study investigated a method of incorporating low-carbon construction knowledge into the bridge construction scheme knowledge graph construction process and proposed a bridge construction scheme recommendation method that considers carbon emission constraints based on the knowledge graph and similarity calculation. First, to solve the problem of the poor fitting effect of model parameters caused by less annotation of the corpus in the bridge construction field, an improved entity recognition model was proposed for low-resource conditions with limited data. A knowledge graph of low carbon construction schemes for bridges was constructed using a small sample dataset. Then, based on the construction of this knowledge graph, the entities and relationships related to construction schemes were obtained, and the comprehensive similarity of bridge construction schemes was calculated by combining the similarity calculation principle to realize the recommendation of bridge construction schemes under different constraints. Experiments on the constructed bridge low carbon construction scheme dataset showed that the proposed model achieved good accuracy with named entity recognition tasks. The comparative analysis with the construction scheme of the project verified the validity of the proposed construction scheme considering carbon emission constraints, which can provide support for the decision of the low-carbon construction scheme of bridges.

Data-Driven Multi-Scale Study of Historic Urban Environments by Accessing Earth Observation and Non-Destructive Testing Information via an HBIM-Supported Platform

ABSTRACT Digital analytical tools combined with 3D documentation are used incrementally in building rehabilitation in the conservation state analysis process. In the last decade, due to the current advancements in the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry, the application of BIM methods in heritage building conservation started becoming more attractive for specialists and practitioners. In light of the latest concepts in data management at city level, as a result of the discussion about smart city representations, the use of a shared digital environment that caters to technical studies related to conservation analysis, building provenance, structural changes, and urban context transformations can lead to reduced time, improved quality, and lowered cost of city management for all domain experts and city stakeholders. This paper explores the benefits of multi-scale and discipline digitization for the restoration of heritage buildings, highlighting the potential impact of innovative data integration, methods, and workflows on architectural renovation and energy upgrades. Specifically, it focuses on the integration of conservation information for heritage buildings and large-scale environmental analysis data for historic clusters in modern cities.

An Exploratory Investigation of Implementation of Building Information Modeling in Nepalese Architecture–Engineering–Construction Industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has gained a lot of traction in Nepal lately due to many AEC firms’ desire to improve their productivity. This research explores the current state and potential of Building Information Modeling in the Nepalese context. The main objective of this research was to gain a holistic view of the digital design and construction approach in the AEC sectors and identify the current state of practice, future trends and opportunities, and challenges for the wider adoption of BIM in the AEC sector. A systematic survey was conducted among various AEC stakeholders; based on their responses, the status of BIM maturity is presented in this paper. We found that the lack of standards and guidelines slows stakeholders’ efforts to unify BIM implementation in projects. However, the survey results show that AEC stakeholders are eager to learn, explore, and implement BIM in their workflows of design and construction practices. The wider implementation of BIM can improve the productivity of design and construction in developing countries such as Nepal. The contributions of this research are methodological and practical. It is demonstrated in this study that qualitative and quantitative data can be integrated in different ways to allow for different avenues of analysis. The logistic regression model deployed in this study identifies the determinants of BIM use and the intensity of their effects on the future use of BIM in the Nepalese AEC industry. The findings of this study can help to formulate BIM standards and training materials that are specific to the Nepalese AEC industry.

Modelling AI in Architectural Education

This work displays an outlook on major questions concerning the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Architectural education. Gradually, part of the domain knowledge and hard skills become either irrelevant or insufficient by the time the students graduate. This paper suggests that integrating AI in the architectural design curriculum is beneficial for raising designers’ awareness of all areas of architectural design, in the form of input, process, and output. The study views consecutive learning experiences in a continuum and explores the potentials of integrating AI applications and techniques in architectural education, and how architectural design practice may benefit from it. Consequently, it provides insights into how architectural design education may transform itself considering the future impact of AI on the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry.

Research on Life-Cycle Project Cost Management Based on Random Matrix Weight Algorithm

The traditional project management in the construction industry has the uniqueness of exclusive customization, the irreversibility of the project, the immobility of the project address, the long-term nature of the project, and the dynamic nature of the project. Based on these characteristics, the complexity and difficulty of project management in the construction industry are determined. Modern engineering is no longer satisfied with the traditional basic needs, but develops in a green, environmental friendly and efficient way. On the one hand, the project is required to meet good use requirements and meet the most basic functional requirements. On the other hand, the project construction process is required to meet the requirements of green environmental protection and ecological harmony. Therefore, the maintenance cost and operation cost corresponding to modern projects have become the key to the sustainable and healthy development of the engineering construction industry. Based on this, this paper will take the construction industry as an example to fully analyze the current situation and existing problems faced by the current project cost management. Through the research on the full life-cycle project cost management mode of the construction industry, the random matrix weight algorithm is creatively introduced, and the adaptive full life-cycle project cost management extended target tracking algorithm is proposed, which cuts the corresponding full life-cycle project cost management model into multiple submodels, and the corresponding management subobjectives are constructed from the submodel, and the expansion status of the corresponding subobjectives is described and analyzed in detail using the inverse distribution description, so as to accurately estimate the effect and target weight coefficient required by the management subobjectives, and finally realize the efficient, reasonable and scientific operation of the construction industry’s whole life-cycle project cost management, so as to maximize economic benefits. An experimental verification is carried out for a specific construction company. The verification results show that the full life-cycle project cost management scheme based on random matrix weight algorithm proposed in this paper has obvious advantages in management efficiency, cost control, process control, and other aspects compared with the traditional management scheme.

How greater data access will make civil engineering and construction more productive

Remote-working and other innovative technology developed during the Covid-19 pandemic is now helping the civil engineering and wider construction industry to save money and create new high-value, data-driven jobs. In the UK this is being driven forward by bodies such as the Construction Data Trust and Project Data Analytics Task Force. This paper explores how data has empowered the construction sector during Covid-19 and the role of the industry in harnessing this work for future collective benefit in a post-pandemic recovery.

일본의 근대 철도 건설에 참여한 조선인 노동자

In modern Japan, civil engineering construction projects played a leading role in achieving the political and military objectives, such as colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and securing economic benefits from the Chinese mainland. In particular, the construction of railroads played the most important role in building the modern nation state and expanding colonial territories. In short, the construction of railways was the process of building the ‘blood vessels of the empire’. The Japanese civil engineering construction industry, in the process of building Empire Japan, faced the challenge of labor shortage. In order to solve this urgent problem, foreign workers were introduced. Hiring Korean workers while building the Gyeongbu Line in Korea, Japan’s civil engineering construction industry experienced the first direct labor relationship with Korean workers. From this experience, Japanese civil engineering construction companies noticed that unskilled Korean workers were excellent labor force. In order to build Japanese modern railways, Korean workers were introduced to the construction sites by migrating them from Korea to Japan. Completing the construction of railways, the Japanese civil engineering construction companies built many railway monuments and memorials. Some of these monuments and memorials, built in the 1900s and 1910s, shows how Korean workers had moved into Japan. One is Tetsudoukouchoujunnanbyoubotsushatsuitoukinenhi(the Memorial Monument for Those Died of Diseases and Accidents during the Railway Construction), built by Hazamakumi in October 1908, and the other is Tetsudoukoujichuushokuheibyoubotsushashuukonhi(the Evocation Monument for the Deceased Workers during the Railway Construction), built by Tetsudoukougyougoushigaisha(the Unlimited Partnership Company of Railway Industry) in October 1911. The Korean workers’ names engraved on those railway memorial monuments have become historical records to prove the entry of Korean workers into Japan and henceforth changes in the Japanese labor market. Korean unskilled workers were an alternative labor force in the Japanese civil engineering construction industry facing labor shortages. Korean workers, migrated from Korea into Japan by the Japanese civil engineering construction industry, were the first bearers of the foreign workers’ issues in Japan.

일본의 근대 철도 건설에 참여한 조선인 노동자

In modern Japan, civil engineering construction projects played a leading role in achieving the political and military objectives, such as colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and securing economic benefits from the Chinese mainland. In particular, the construction of railroads played the most important role in building the modern nation state and expanding colonial territories. In short, the construction of railways was the process of building the ‘blood vessels of the empire’. The Japanese civil engineering construction industry, in the process of building Empire Japan, faced the challenge of labor shortage. In order to solve this urgent problem, foreign workers were introduced. Hiring Korean workers while building the Gyeongbu Line in Korea, Japan’s civil engineering construction industry experienced the first direct labor relationship with Korean workers. From this experience, Japanese civil engineering construction companies noticed that unskilled Korean workers were excellent labor force. In order to build Japanese modern railways, Korean workers were introduced to the construction sites by migrating them from Korea to Japan. Completing the construction of railways, the Japanese civil engineering construction companies built many railway monuments and memorials. Some of these monuments and memorials, built in the 1900s and 1910s, shows how Korean workers had moved into Japan. One is Tetsudoukouchoujunnanbyoubotsushatsuitoukinenhi(the Memorial Monument for Those Died of Diseases and Accidents during the Railway Construction), built by Hazamakumi in October 1908, and the other is Tetsudoukoujichuushokuheibyoubotsushashuukonhi(the Evocation Monument for the Deceased Workers during the Railway Construction), built by Tetsudoukougyougoushigaisha(the Unlimited Partnership Company of Railway Industry) in October 1911. The Korean workers’ names engraved on those railway memorial monuments have become historical records to prove the entry of Korean workers into Japan and henceforth changes in the Japanese labor market. Korean unskilled workers were an alternative labor force in the Japanese civil engineering construction industry facing labor shortages. Korean workers, migrated from Korea into Japan by the Japanese civil engineering construction industry, were the first bearers of the foreign workers’ issues in Japan.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Engineering-Construction Industry

Diversity and Inclusion in the Engineering-Construction Industry

Developing a conceptual framework for the application of digital twin technologies to revamp building operation and maintenance processes

Globally, the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry has seen a rise in the adoption of digital twin (DT) technologies due to their potential to enhance collaboration and information communication throughout the project lifecycle from the design to operation and maintenance (O&M) phase. However, empirical evidence on such adoption is fragmented, particularly for facility management (FM) activities during the O&M phase. Considering this gap, an illustrative case study approach is performed to analyze and compare the traditional practices of FM with DT-driven FM during the O&M phase using four geospatially representative cases. The findings show that DT technologies enable efficient and responsive planning and control of FM activities by providing real-time status of the building assets. However, barriers such as the misalignment of the data integration and data standards hamper their future implementation. To address this, a bottom-up conceptual framework is proposed to facilitate a wider implementation of DT technologies and support FM during the O&M phase of buildings. As such, this paper’s contribution is twofold: (1) it provides an aggregate landscape of DT application to manage facilities during the O&M phase, and (2) it develops an evidence-induced conceptual framework for stakeholders who are grappling with their FM decision-making processes.

Understanding the Determinants of Blockchain Adoption in the Engineering-Construction Industry: Multi-Stakeholders’ Analyses

Blockchain technology is promising toward transforming conventional construction practices to improve collaboration and integration management in engineering-construction projects. The factors affecting the adoption of blockchain technology from the different stakeholder perspectives, however, have not been thoroughly investigated. Following the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and regulatory focus theory (RFT), this study explores the formation mechanisms underlying blockchain technology adoption from a multi-stakeholder perspective. The model was tested through partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method using data collected from Chinese construction practitioners. PLS-SEM results indicate that institutional pressures, perceived functional benefits, and behavioral control can directly drive blockchain adoption. Although perceived symbolic benefits do not directly affect blockchain adoption, their indirect effects on adoption are fully mediated by adoption intention. The PLS multi-group analysis found multiple path differences among stakeholders. The fsQCA results show that no single factor or its negation is the necessary condition to trigger blockchain technology adoption. The configuration analysis results show four new configurations that trigger the adoption of blockchain technology by owners, contractors, and consultants. This study not only enriches the related research on TPB and blockchains but also helps technology promoters to use strategies tailored to different stakeholders in theory and practice to improve blockchain technology adoption.

Applicability of a digitalization model based on augmented reality for building construction education in architecture

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce a digitalization model (DM) for building construction courses in architectural education as a response to the recent emerging technologies in the era of digital transformations. This DM is developed and applied through augmented reality (AR) technologies to boost perception, understandings and ability to solve building construction details.Design/methodology/approachBased on a thorough review of recent technologies like AR, virtual reality (VR), building information modelling (BIM) and their applications in architectural education, the methodology involves the generation of a model, its application and evaluation. The model is based on the integration of BIM and AR which is applied into a third year “Building Construction Project” course. Each student has designed a residential building and accordingly prepared the construction drawings by adapting the DM. An online survey –based on Technology Acceptance Model – is conducted to evaluate the DM by quantitative data analysis from SPSS and Excel.FindingsThe key findings of the study include the following items: determination of the proper digital tools, the definition of the steps and workflow based on the building project phases to develop construction drawings and define precise details effectively. By the help of this, the DM is generated and applied. According to the survey and results, the DM which involves BIM-based AR is considered as beneficial, highly motivating and providing better perception on construction details.Originality/valueImplication of AR/VR technologies is frequently seen in design studios, whereas building construction courses state its traditional approach. However, there is a huge potential in the digitalization of building construction education by increasing the perception of students together with the increased level of communication. The study aims to close the gap of digitalization by proposing a DM, which brings a systematic approach considering each phase of building construction project as conceptual, schematic, design development and construction documents by using BIM integrated AR. Moreover, the novel model specifically brings a new approach by generation of QR codes for construction details to embed videos or simulations into the two-dimensional drawing sheets. Furthermore, the DM proposes a new approach to satisfy emerging needs and requirements of the Architecture Engineering Construction industry.

A retrospective investigation of new cases of pneumoconiosis from 1958 to 2018 in Guangzhou City

Objective: To describe the characteristics and the survival status of pneumoconiosis cases reported in Guangzhou City from 1958 to 2018, and to investigate the epidemiological trends of pneumoconiosis. This study is aiming to provide basic data for formulating the guidelines and policies for control of pneumoconiosis, and for evaluating the control effects of pneumoconiosis. Methods: From July 2019 to January 2020, based on the data collected in the pneumoconiosis case cards and database as well as the retrospective follow-up investigate of pneumoconiosis cases, we conducted a descriptive analysis for all the new cases of pneumoconiosis reported from 1958 to 2018 in Guangzhou City. The statistical indices included the number of new pneumoconiosis cases in each decade, types of pneumoconiosis, regional and industrial distributions, survival status, and the change tendency of the diagnosis age and the dust exposure time of pneumoconiosis cases. Results: From 1958 to 2018, a total of 1194 new cases of pneumoconiosis were reported in Guangzhou City, including 1147 males (96.1%) and 47 females (3.9%) . Silicosis (60.1%, 718/1194) and welder's pneumoconiosis (21.5%, 257/1194) were the main types of pneumoconiosis. The top three districts for reporting new cases were Huangpu District (29.0%, 346/1194) , Nansha District (12.6%, 151/1194) and Baiyun District (11.1%, 132/1194) , respectively. The top three industries for reporting new cases were civil engineering construction industry (25.0%, 298/1194) , railway ship aerospace and other transportation equipment manufacturing industry (16.1%, 192/1194) and non-metal mining industry (15.7%, 187/1194) . The diagnosis age for new cases was 47.8 (23.6-79.1) years old, and the dust exposure time was 12.3 (0.4-49.1) years. Both of these two statistical indicators rose first and fell later from 1958 to 2018. As of December 31, 2019, a total of 963 new cases of pneumoconiosis were followed up, of which 467 (48.5%) survived, mainly silicosis (41.3%, 193/467) and welder's pneumoconiosis (43.3%, 203/467) . 496 cases (51.5%) died, and the age of death was 69.9 (32.4-96.9) years old. Conclusion: According to the epidemiological characteristics of pneumoconiosis in Guangzhou, we should focus on key districts and industries in the prevention and control of pneumoconiosis. Besides, the staffs in the occupational disease diagnosis institutions should try the best to collect the complete dust exposure data of new cases of pneumoconiosis. Moreover, the health administrative departments should pay more attention to the management of pneumoconiosis death case reports.

Impacts of Covid-19 Outbreak on Civil Engineering Activities in The Malaysian Construction Industry: A Review

The Covid-19 is a worldwide pandemic that has changed and disrupted the world economic perspective. The construction industry, which has already been a major growth engine for the economy, has also been totally shut down. The pandemic is having a wide-ranging effect on construction and infrastructure projects globally. All developments and projects have been put on hold until further notice. Indeed, the current pandemic is a significant cause of project delays in Malaysia that influenced in all industries. The evolution of the disease and its impact on the construction industry is extremely uncertain. As a result, it is wise to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the construction industry at the beginning and end of the crisis in order to prepare for the potential risk and learn lessons for future planning. The aim of this research is to determine the impact of Covid-19 in civil engineering construction industry. In Malaysia, the entire construction and repair work progress that have been subjected to Movement Control Order (MCO) was suspended and thus causes project suspension, labor impact and work loss, time overrun, cost overrun, and financial consequences. In order to control the Covid-19 transmission, Malaysia implemented Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) during the restriction period of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). Besides, it is recommended to utilize the construction technologies in order to overcome the problem that occurred due to Covid-19. The usage of construction technologies could develop a sustainable country and those technologies can be beneficial in the post Covid-19 as a new norm in Malaysia.

A Method of Finding the Best Route and Shortest Route to a Ready Mixed Concrete Plant Through Real Time Tracking System by using GIS and GPS

The delay in transportation of ready mix concrete has become a common issue in civil engineering construction industry which wasted millions of rupees. This report is prepared as a part of the research conducted on developing a GIS based tracking system for truck mixers and a system to find the best route in transporting ready mixed concrete. Furthermore, it focuses on determining (VRP) feature in network analysis extension in ArcGIS. A shape files of road network in Colombo area was created using an open street map. The road network was mapped on the open street map shadflies using polylines. For this research, batching plant established in Colombo 14 and three construction sites in Kollupitiya and union place were considered. Relevant coordinates for both batching plant and the construction sites were imported to the map. Before caring out the final simulation, various constraints were assigned to ready mixed plants as well as for the routes such as one way restrictions etc. The traffic flow of the specific routes has been observed in two time frames such as normal peak hours (07:00 hrs. to 20:00hrs) and off peak hrs (20:00hrs to 7:00hrs). The main objective of this research is to developed an optimum delivery plan for truck mixers by using Arc GIS software and provide a guideline to develop this concept to be used in a much larger scale for beneficial of construction industry Keywords ArcGIS; ready mixed concrete; tracking system; Network planning