Engineering Construction Sector Research Articles

Influence of design parameters on engineering properties of angular shaped fly ash aggregates

Fly ash of thermal power plants substitute’s construction materials and can help to preserve non-renewable resources. In the construction industry, more particularly in concrete and road construction, a huge quantity of aggregate is being used. Fly ash aggregate is a unique alternative for the construction industry at present. However, the properties of fly ash aggregate are mostly controlled by the type and dosage of additive used besides the characteristics of ash and curing method adopted. In the present study, specimens from various combinations of fly ash with hydrated lime, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and cement were prepared at maximum dry unit weight with optimum moisture content and cured by hot water curing method. The cured specimens were crushed to prepared angular shaped fly ash aggregates. The influence of the binding additives on the unconfined compressive strength of mixes and aggregate impact value was studied. Measured engineering properties were also analyzed through a micro-level study. The addition of lime enhanced the unconfined compressive strength of mixes and impact value of aggregates, whereas, replacement of lime with the ground granulated blast furnace slag and cement reduced the strength of the mixes. Unconfined compressive strength value of mixes shows the inverse relationship with impact value of aggregate prepared from that mixes and a correlation between unconfined compressive strength and aggregate impact value has been proposed. Moreover, the effect of moisture content and pressing force on compressive strength and aggregate impact value was also investigated on optimum mixes. From these experimentations, the optimum combinations of fly ash-additive mixes, the optimum value for moisture content, and pressing force were chosen; and angular shaped fly ash aggregates were produced by hot water curing method. Furthermore, the various physical properties, mechanical properties and durability index of these fly ash aggregates are discussed and compared with the Indian standard specifications. The leaching behavior of these aggregates was also examined in this study. The addition of lime gives better results compared to cement and ground granulated blast furnace slag and use of lime seems to be more cost-effective. Thus, these cold bonded fly ash aggregates with significant strength may find prospective use in civil engineering construction sector.

Modularisation and offsite in engineering construction: an early decision-support tool

Modularisation and offsite manufacture are increasing in the engineering construction sector. Decision-support tools for determining a project’s suitability for offsite modular construction are currently limited or outdated, leading to decisions being based mainly around capital cost, experience or intuition. This paper reports on the development of a robust, empirically based decision-support tool for decision makers and clients. A mixed method methodology was conducted involving engineering construction clients, contractors, consultants and suppliers from all over Europe, after which the tool was developed, piloted and validated with practising engineers. It is the first globally applicable tool enabling informed and auditable decisions on using an offsite modular approach for project delivery.

Framework for Risk Management Software System for SMEs in the Engineering Construction Sector

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction sector are vulnerable and face exposure to risks whilst operating without risk management system in place. Evidence from market research and industry surveys confirm that SMEs underperform due to inability to manage operational risk challenges facing them. The objective of this study is to develop risk management software enabling SMEs in the construction sector to proactively identify, analyse and manage risks facing them to enhance business performance. Performance in the construction sector is assessed in terms of completion time, project execution cost and overall quality of delivery. Research framework based on balanced score card highlights risk indicators affecting performance. The risk software guides operator to avoid, minimise, mitigate or manage the relevant risks to enable successful performance outcome. The system will enable systematic risk management to achieve minimum cost and time overrun while optimising quality of delivery in a project management environment.

The Australian Engineering Construction Sector: shifting environmental values and practices

Whilst many studies have examined environmental attitudes and practices in the broader construction industry, few have done so specifically in the context of the Australian Engineering Construction Sector (AECS) including national infrastructure projects. This paper aims to extend the knowledge base on environmental culture in construction, specifically on non-building projects. It seeks to demonstrate how the sector is shifting in response to global environmental concern and how this is reflected in the value systems and work practices for non-building projects. The study presents a conceptual model to illustrate how organisations can achieve high standards of environmental performance supported by value systems and work practices. A representative organisation in the sector is assessed against key criteria regarding environmental values and practices. Finally, the paper identifies possibilities for further case study analysis to develop a strategic model for environmental performance in the AECS.

Exploring project management continuing professional development in engineering construction

Project management is a critical organizational capability in the engineering construction sector: the development of that capability through continuing professional development (CPD) is, therefore, of substantive interest to practitioners and researchers alike. The aim of this investigation was to explore current practice in CPD in engineering construction. This was achieved by undertaking a cross-case analysis of the experiences of project management CPD in 17 organizations. The analysis revealed a highly unsystematic approach to CPD and a very limited adaptation of CPD to the engineering construction context. The impact of introducing more structured and contextualized approaches to CPD on the effectiveness of project managers needs to be investigated further.

The quality of accident and health data in the construction industry: interviews with senior managers

Despite recent changes in legislation and advances towards an integrated project-wide approach, health and safety management in the construction industry is still a major problem, involving a substantial cost to business, society and individuals. A prerequisite to improving the situation and developing an effective management strategy is monitoring, providing a detailed understanding of the effectiveness of different approaches to intervention. This paper describes a feasibility study using in-depth interviews with senior managers to explore the quality of accident and health data of nine large, high profile companies from the engineering construction sector. The interview dialogue comprised a series of questions and issues to be explored on the organization's accident reporting systems (e.g. what is reported, analysis performed, computerization), unsafe act and near miss auditing (e.g. definition, validity), failure type indicators (e.g. auditing, quantification) and safety culture indicators (e.g. commitment, health). Although safety was a priority for companies, health (i.e. medicals and monitoring systems) had not been given the same consideration, especially with regard to subcontracted labour. This study shows that the validity of accident statistics as a measure of safety remains a limitation, and that there is a requirement for a consistent and integrated approach to the measurement of health and safety performance.