Global Construction Industry Research Articles

Life cycle assessment of hemp-lime concrete wall constructions: The impact of wall finish type and renewal regimes

Using sustainable building materials is one of the key methods for minimising the negative environmental impacts of the global construction industry. Bio-based buildings building materials, such as hemp-lime concrete, are considered more sustainable, as they make use of a renewable raw material and can sequester CO2 from the atmosphere. Studies have shown that hemp-lime concrete can have a favourable global warming potential, though the life cycle of building materials affects a wide variety of negative environmental phenomena that should also be considered. Studies examining the life cycle of hemp-lime concrete have so far primarily focused on the material itself. Though the exterior surface of a hemp-lime concrete wall needs to be protected and have a finish applied to it, few studies have considered the environmental impacts of coated hemp-lime concrete wall constructions. Using life cycle assessment methodology, through a wide range of environmental impact categories, the study analysed the environmental impacts of applying lime putty and sand coatings to a hemp-lime concrete wall in pessimistic, average and optimistic scenarios, It also compared the environmental impacts of four types of appropriate wall finishes and the impacts of applying varying finish renewal regimes in the use phase. It was found that applying lime putty and sand finishes to the exterior and interior surface of a hemp lime concrete wall increased the total global warming potential by 19.054–30.793 kgCO2eq and had a noticeable effect on all other impact categories. It was found that while no one finish type could be considered globally superior to the others, in a majority of circumstances applying lime-based coatings resulted in lower embodied environmental impacts, than applying a ventilated façade with timber cladding.

A bibliometric review of zero waste in the built environment using VOSviewer: evolution, hotspots, and prospects

The global construction industry presents a significant challenge to environmental sustainability, sparking increasing concerns regarding its environmental impact. Zero Waste (ZW) has become a comprehensive waste management approach within the construction sector. However, there is a notable absence of systematic reviews in this field. Bibliometrics has played a pivotal role in advancing new methodologies for systematic reviews. To address this gap, our study employs VOSviewer to systematically review the research domain of ZW, exploring research trends, international collaborations, primary authors, research domains, and literature. Our findings reveal a pronounced upward trend in research dedicated to achieving zero waste goals in the built environment, aligning with escalating global environmental concerns. Research in this realm has thrived notably in China, Australia, and England, with these countries contributing significantly to relevant studies. Co-occurrence analysis highlights key themes, such as construction waste reduction, sustainable construction, circular design, prefabrication, and Building Information Modelling (BIM). Notably, system dynamics and BIM have emerged as crucial modelling techniques. Moreover, this study emphasises the adoption of circular economy principles, the efficacy of prefabrication, and the role of BIM in waste management. Future research directions encompass exploring global variations, investigating the impact of technology, engaging stakeholders, and considering regulatory frameworks. Despite its limitations, this study underscores the mounting global interest in ZW research, providing a foundation for future exploration and collaboration in sustainable construction and environmental management.

Physical and Psychosocial Correlates of Occupational Physical Injury in the Global Construction Industry: A Scoping Review.

The construction industry is a diverse sector with exposure to multiple psychosocial and environmental workplace hazards that increase the risk of injury. This scoping review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the physical and psychosocial determinants influencing the risk of occupational physical injuries among construction workers globally. A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension checklist guided. Literature searches were performed between June and October 2023 in electronic academic databases. A total of 77 studies were identified, encompassing various geographical regions, including North America (n = 29), Africa (n = 18), Europe (n = 12), Asia (n = 9), the Middle East (n = 5), and Oceania (n = 4). The review identified physical and psychosocial factors in 3 domains influencing occupational physical injuries: workplace physical environment (eg, exposure to physical hazards, availability and utilization of personal protective equipment, company size, and job type), workplace culture (eg, psychosocial stressors, gender-related barriers, migrant and ethnic disparities, educational background), and physical wellbeing, health and aging (eg, age, obesity, sleep quality, marital stats, and physical health status). Notably, workers from social minority groups (eg, women, ethnic and migrant workers) of young (<25 years old) or older ages (45-55 years old) employed in smaller construction companies are vulnerable to increased injury risk and exposure to physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace. The review emphasizes a global paucity of research examining the implications of physical and psychosocial factors on injury risk within the construction industry. Future research should prioritize investigating the impact of psychosocial hazards on younger and older workers to detect age-related differences in injury rate, treatment access, and work-related health outcomes.

A Comprehensive Investigation for the Production of Optimized Interlocking Compressed Earthen Bricks with Varying Proportions of Stabilizer, Water, and Fine Aggregate

The global construction industry is shifting toward eco‐friendly building materials to reduce environmental impact while ensuring affordability, energy efficiency, and resource conservation. Interlocking compressed earthen bricks (ICEBs) offer a sustainable alternative to traditional bricks. However, ICEB composition significantly impacts their performance. This study investigates the interplay of stabilizer, water, and fine aggregate content to optimize ICEBs. Soil properties were assessed through particle size gradation analysis, Atterberg limits, and the modified Proctor test. ICEBs were manufactured using cement as a stabilizer, with various combinations of stabilizer proportions, water‐to‐soil ratios, and inclusion of fine aggregates. Compressive strength tests were conducted for each mix. Results showed that increased cement content enhanced ICEB compressive strength by promoting the formation of calcium silicate hydrate gel. Water content increments from 12% to 21% improved strength up to 18% but declined thereafter. Higher sand percentages initially reduced compressive strength but improved it with higher cement proportions. The optimal mix ratio was selected for ICEB production, followed by tests including flexural strength assessment, forensic investigations, curing regimes impact, and comprehensive durability and structural performance evaluation. Findings highlight ICEBs’ potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional brick masonry.

Construction Project Management Issues and Development in Current for Future Construction Project: Challenges and Prospects in Sustainable Project Management

The global construction industry faces escalating pressure to embrace sustainable practices in response to increasing awareness of environmental and social issues. The construction sector, with its profound impact on the built environment, plays a pivotal role with far-reaching environmental, social, and economic implications. Stakeholders in the construction industry, driven by concerns related to climate change, resource depletion, and social equity, actively seek strategies to mitigate their environmental and societal impact. This has culminated in a heightened emphasis on sustainability in construction project management. The aim of this research is to investigate the challenges and propose proactive strategies among construction project stakeholders to effectively integrate sustainable practices into project management. This research systematically reviews existing literature to illuminate the challenges and prospects associated with integrating sustainability into construction project management, focusing on the future of construction projects. Challenges encountered by construction project managers include cost constraints, limited awareness and training, resistance to change, and the complexity of sustainability metrics. Understanding and addressing these challenges are imperative for the successful implementation of sustainable construction practices tailored to the unique context of construction firms. On the positive side, integrating sustainability into construction project management holds promising prospects. It is anticipated to result in reduced resource consumption, enhanced energy efficiency, lower operational costs, and an improved public image. Furthermore, aligning construction projects with sustainable development goals opens avenues for innovation and market differentiation. This research underscores the necessity of proactive strategies and collaborative efforts among project stakeholders to overcome challenges associated with sustainable construction. It highlights the potential for future construction projects to contribute significantly to a more sustainable built environment, emphasizing the growing importance of sustainability in construction projects. By addressing these challenges, the construction industry can progress towards a more sustainable future, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change and promote responsible resource management.

Research on the Early-Age Cracking of Concrete Added with Magnesium Oxide under a Temperature Stress Test Machine.

Concrete cracking is a significant issue in the global construction industry, and the restraint stress of concrete is a crucial contributing factor to early concrete cracking. The addition of magnesium oxide additive (MEA) to concrete is a method to enhance its crack resistance. In this paper, concrete specimens with four different contents of MEA were tested with a temperature stress testing machine. The deformation characteristics and mechanical properties of concrete with varying contents of MEA were investigated using both free deformation tests and fully constrained deformation tests. The prediction model for the early restrained stress of concrete was developed by integrating the stress relaxation phenomenon of concrete with models for autogenous shrinkage, temperature deformation, and elastic modulus. According to the results, (1) the thermal expansion coefficient exhibits a pattern of initially increasing and subsequently decreasing with the increasing ratio of MEA; (2) the addition of 3% and 8% MEA can offset 23% and 35.1% of the concrete's self-shrinkage, respectively. Nevertheless, when the added MEA content is 5%, the self-shrinkage of concrete increases by 6%; (3) the addition of 3-8% MEA can result in a 0.5-1.67 times increase in the maximum expansion stress of concrete, as well as a 0.5-0.95 times increase in cracking stress; (4) as the MEA content continues to increase, the stress relaxation level of concrete also increases. In comparison to concrete mixed without MEA, the maximum increase in the stress relaxation level of concrete is 65.5%, thereby enhancing the concrete's anti-cracking ability. However, when the MEA dosage reaches a certain threshold, the stress relaxation enhancement brought about by the addition of MEA will no longer be significant; (5) when compared to the experimental data, the established model of early-age constraint stress accurately predicts the tensile constraint stress of concrete.

Explore the Design Principles and Prospects of Green Buildings

The construction industry is an important symbol of the development of human civilization and an important part of human social and economic activities. However, with the influence of population growth, accelerated urbanization, and rising living standards, the construction industry is also facing great challenges. On the one hand, the demand and consumption of natural resources in the construction industry are huge, resulting in resource scarcity and waste. On the other hand, the development of the construction industry has caused serious pollution and damage to the environment, leading to problems such as the greenhouse effect, climate change, and biodiversity loss. According to statistics, the global construction industry occupies a lot of energy, water resources, raw materials, and wood, and produces a lot of solid waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and wastewater discharge. Therefore, it is important to investigate, observe, and study the existing literature on the current status of green buildings to derive the development of green buildings.

Developing and validating a positive mental health scale for the global south construction industry: the construction industry positive mental health inventory (CI-PMHI)

Purpose Promoting positive mental health is increasingly being encouraged as the focus of research and policies on the mental health of construction personnel. Most measures of mental health, however, typically use negative indicators such as depression and anxiety and are not specifically developed for the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background. These limitations have made it challenging to measure construction personnel’s positive mental health. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to develop a scale for measuring the positive mental health of construction personnel with a Global South background. Design/methodology/approach Guided by Keyes’ two-continua model of mental health, the study objectives were addressed through a mixed-methods study using the case of Ghana. Qualitative data collected from eight key stakeholder groups using 16 interviews and two rounds of focus group discussions were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were obtained through a survey of 425 construction personnel and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis. Findings Thematic analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of positive mental health, namely, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis of the results indicated good instrument validity and reliability. Originality/value Existing measures of positive mental health are based on a three-dimensional model, i.e. emotional, social and psychological well-being. By including spiritual well-being, this study proposes a four-dimensional measurement model as a more comprehensive and promising measure to use in surveys of positive mental health among the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background, and to develop suitable interventions for them.

Optimizing time, cost, and carbon in construction: grasshopper algorithm empowered with tournament selection and opposition-based learning

The global construction industry plays a pivotal role, yet its unique characteristics pose distinctive challenges. Each construction project, marked by its individuality, substantial value, intricate scale, and constrained adaptability, confronts crucial limitations concerning time and cost. Despite contributing significantly to environmental concerns throughout construction activities and infrastructure operations, environmental considerations remain insufficiently addressed by project managers. This research introduces an improved rendition of the muti-objective grasshopper optimization algorithm (MOGOA), termed eMOGOA, as a novel methodology to tackle time, cost, and carbon dioxide emission trade-off problems (TCCP) in construction project management. To gauge its efficacy, a case study involving 29 activities is employed. eMOGOA amalgamates MOGOA, tournament selection (TS), and opposition-based learning (OBL) techniques to enhance the performance of the original MOGOA. The outcomes demonstrate that eMOGOA surpasses other optimization algorithms, such as MODA, MOSMA, MOALO and MOGOA when applied to TCCP. These findings underscore the efficiency and relevance of the eMOGOA algorithm within the realm of construction project management.

Establishing the Economic Sustainability Criteria for Assessing Tenders in the Procurement of Building Works

As the global construction industry expands, it is imperative to prioritize economic sustainability due to the consequential effect on procurement practices. The procurement of building works, a pivotal phase in the realization of construction projects, requires a comprehensive framework to assess tenders that emphasise economic viability and align with sustainability principles. While traditional procurement processes primarily focus on cost considerations, the contemporary construction landscape necessitates a paradigm shift towards sustainable practices encompassing the economic dimension. Several studies have been conducted on public procurement and sustainability. Nevertheless, most of these studies focused on the environmental side of sustainability, leaving the social and economic dimensions unexplored. Hence, this study explores the sustainable economic criteria for assessing tenders in procuring building works. The study adopted the mixed research method; therefore, qualitative and quantitative data were employed in collecting the data for the study. The analysis deduced that the criteria for assessing the economic sustainability of tenders were categorized into management-related, technical, and commercial-related criteria, with the most significant variables being competitiveness, resource management skills, resource requirement assessment and profitability. The study’s findings can potentially influence the assessment tenders of construction firms for building works. Thus, it suggested that the management practices of the bidders must be thoroughly evaluated as it is a crucial factor in ensuring economic sustainability from the onset of the project processes. This study presents a novel to ascertain the criteria for assessing the sustainable economy of tenders in procuring building works in the Ghanaian Construction Industry. The results of this study can be a source of data to guide the evaluation of tenders in the construction industry in Ghana and other developing countries within the Sub-Saharan Region.

GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS

The adoption of green building materials has become paramount in the global construction industry to mitigate environmental impact and promote sustainable development. This research paper provides a comprehensive review of green building materials, their significance, and their impact on sustainable construction practices. It discusses the various categories of green building materials, their advantages, challenges, and the latest developments in this field.

Energy saving and Green building Certification: Case study of commercial buildings in Warsaw, Poland

Different certification systems are used in the construction market. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certification consists of many factors and criteria that have been developed by specialists from such as construction, architecture, ecology, energy, water, renewable energy management, and waste management. Both are criteria-based tools and are becoming increasingly popular in the global construction industry. The LEED provides building owners and managers with tools to identify and implement appropriate solutions for the ecological design, construction, and operation of buildings. BREEAM involves an assessment of the quality and direct impact of buildings on the natural environment. This paper presents a study of retail buildings: (i) Galeria Północna, (ii) Złote Tarasy, and (iii) Westfield Arkadia, located in Warsaw (Poland) certified using a multi-criteria rating system. All buildings were rated highly by the rating system. In this paper, the cases in terms of certification and issues related to the design and construction of these buildings are analyzed and discussed in detail. It was confirmed that the multi-criteria certification systems used made it possible to meet certification requirements while respecting the natural environment.

Key Factors Affecting the Implementation of Integrated Project Delivery for Lean Construction

The global construction industry suffers from increased costs, time delays, and low productivity rates. A solution to these issues is the increased application of Lean Construction (LC) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). LC is a way to design the production system to minimise waste and maximise the possible value generation. IPD is the practical application of LC. IPD is an approach that integrates people, systems, business structures, and practices into a process that collaboratively utilises the skills and opinions of all project participants to enhance project results. IPD aims to minimise waste in construction projects, improving health and safety, cost, schedule, and quality, and addressing the trust issues in the construction industry by attempting to promote a positive collaboration based on mutual respect. Though numerous literature is available on IPD, an in-depth analysis of the barriers to IPD has never been conducted. This study addresses this research gap and aims to present the barriers to IPD in detail. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using 4 databases: Scopus, Emerald, ScienceDirect and International Group for LC using keywords “integrated project delivery” and “challenges”. Additional searches using synonyms such as “barriers” and “obstacles” were conducted as well; the keywords yielding the highest number of results were selected and every paper was examined to identify either explicit or implicit mention of IPD barriers. The SLR identified 222 barriers to IPD globally. The barriers were grouped into themes and separated as primary codes. The themes include Legal and Contractual, Financial, Technological, Cultural/Organisational, Collaboration and Communication, and Governmental/Political. The barriers are displayed using VOSViewer to visualise the co-occurrence of factors. The implications of this research will aid researchers and industry practitioners in understanding existing barriers comprehensively and identifying the most frequent barriers to IPD for LC in the global context.

Study of Factors Influencing the Implementation Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Construction Project

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become a major trend in the global construction industry. In Indonesia, socialization on BIM has been carried out, but its implementation has not been fully implemented. Therefore, it is necessary to study the factors that influence the application of BIM in construction projects. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that influence the implementation of BIM in construction projects in the city of Padang, Indonesia. This research was conducted on construction service providers and used a descriptive research design with a quantitative approach. The research sample consisted of 28 companies with a total of 84 respondents using a purposive sampling technique. Primary data collection methods include questionnaires and interviews. The results of this study are Barrier factors and strategic factors in BIM implementation. The barrier factors in BIM implementation on construction projects according to ranking, namely (1) limited Human Resources (22%), (2) Lack of Standards and Guidelines (21%), (3) Lack of Support from Stakeholders (20%), (4) Cost (19%) and (5) Limited Infrastructure and Technology (18%). The strategic factors in BIM implementation on construction projects, according to ranking, are (1) Technical and Technology (21%), (2) Human Resources (20%), (3) Management (20%), (4) Stakeholders and Regulations (20%) and (5) Organization (19%). This study highlights the dominant factors influencing BIM implementation in the construction industry and provides valuable insights for stakeholders to enhance and accelerate BIM implementation in the region.

Sustainable Development through Green Building: A Holistic Exploration

Adoption of Green building is necessary for environment protection in the long run. Besides others, one of the most crucial objectives of this concept is to control the emissions of greenhouse gases, which plays a mighty role in global warming. This paper intends to demonstrate research on the status of ‘Green building’ and map out the future path and prospects for the global building construction industry as countless companies have either already adopted or are in the process of adopting this concept. After studying and analyzing this paper one will gain sufficient insights on the benefits, challenges, various dimensions, application as well as future scope of Green/Sustainable Building and its necessity in today’s environment-conscious world.

Financial Performance of Construction Companies during COVID-19 Pandemic

The global construction industries were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in substantial consequences for businesses in this sector. The operational activities of construction companies in the Philippines were significantly impacted by the imposed restrictions. The objective of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the profitability of three construction companies in the Philippines. Through the application of horizontal comparative analysis and ANOVA, the researchers have determined that there exists a statistically significant positive correlation between the profitability ratios of the three construction companies. Their Gross Profit Margin and Return on Assets (ROA) showed positive acceptable ratios during the pandemic.

The role of blockchain in enabling inter-organisational supply chain alignment for value co-creation in the construction industry

In the construction industry context, misalignments in the supply chain pose significant challenges, hindering successful project delivery. To address these issues, blockchain technology emerges as a promising IT-based solution for achieving supply chain alignment. A conceptual model is developed based on the service-dominant logic theory that explores the impact of blockchain on supply chain alignment and co-created value outcomes within the Business-to-Business (B2B) construction context. Through a questionnaire-based approach, data were collected from 324 respondents in the global construction industry, which was then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings demonstrate the positive impact of implementing blockchain technology on competency, behavioural, process, and expectations alignment among supply chain partners. These improvements in alignment collectively contribute to the realization of supply chain value outcomes. These results emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach combining technology with alignment efforts to realize blockchain-enabled value co-creation in construction supply chain management.

Innovating Bhutan's residential construction with mass timber for economic and environmental sustainability

The global construction industry lacks innovation and contributes substantially to world energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. This study posits emerging mass timber construction (MTC) as an innovative alternative to Bhutan's archetype mid-rise residential structure, focusing on voluminous assemblages of wall and structural systems. Using an analytical approach, we compared the existing concrete building's essential economic and environmental sustainability with its hypothetical MTC equivalent. The economics focused on the life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA), while the environment focused on the embodied energy and CO2 emissions, estimated using the process-based method in a cradle-to-gate boundary limit. The environmental assessment unsurprisingly showed superior performances for the mass timber buildings relative to the conventional concrete ones. In contrast, the LCCA showed that mass timber buildings had material and built-up costs greater than concrete buildings by 30 and 38%, respectively, which is driven primarily by the high cost of timber in Bhutan. However, the scenario analyses regarding the end-of-life benefits and timber price reduction possibilities presented irrefutable evidence that the construction costs of MTC are cheaper or competitive with the concrete option. Integrating economics and environmental assessment establishes mass timber building as a viable innovative alternative, providing essential information to building developers and policymakers.

Experimental method for modal parameter identification of civil engineering structures based on improved wavelet transform

With the continuous acceleration of the global construction industry, many structural infrastructure structures in China have been put into use for decades. They are very prone to damage due to fatigue. The modal parameter identification of civil engineering construction can evaluate the safety status of infrastructure structures. In view of this, an identification system of civil engineering structure modal parameters is proposed based on improved wavelet transform. In the process, the mode shape was chosen as the method of wavelet transform. The data was discretized by selecting the actual data of a high-speed railway station combined with sensors and wavelet transform. Finally, the correct identification of the modal parameters of civil engineering structures is realized. The data shows that under normal conditions where there is only white noise interference, the waveform of the structure is relatively stable, and the amplitude fluctuation is in the [-2,3] interval. At the same time, the average amplitude of the structure is in the [2.2, −1.5] interval under normal conditions. In addition, the positive and negative extreme points are 3.7 and −2.3, respectively. This indicates that the structure amplitude fluctuation is in a dynamic and stable state under normal circumstances. The optimized wavelet transform method identifies a total of four orders in the first six natural frequencies. The minimum error is 0.11%, the maximum error is 1.50%, and the average error of the first four natural frequencies is 0.578%. In addition, based on the comparison of theoretical and identification values of longitudinal vibration shapes, the proposed method can successfully detect abnormal values at the 10th and 18th nodes. From the above results, it shows that the wavelet transform method has high accuracy and small error in frequency identification. It meets the requirements of identifying the natural frequency parameters of the structure. From the calculation, the method proposed in the experiment can realize the real-time health detection of the structure, which is of great significance.

Prospects of Promoting MMC across the Public Construction Sector: A Systematic Review against the Diffusion of Innovation Theory

Despite the calls to transform construction and the potential of modern methods of construction (MMC) to address traditional construction concerns, the global construction industry is yet to embrace the benefits. The purpose of this review is to theoretically explain the low uptake of MMC in the public sector by exploring the relative pressure points that are contributing to clients’ indecision. The study argues the five functional constructs of the diffusion of innovation theory against MMC attributes. A systematic review of 67 articles through a preferred reporting item for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) led to key arguments that explain the lesser drive for MMC adoption. Results reveal that previous literature plurally discards the dynamics between supply and demand, decision-making, and supply's business models. An improved understanding of these dynamics would, therefore, support research efforts in disclosing the necessary considerations to promote clients’ favorable innovation decisions. This study echoes previous calls and acts as a departure point for future research to assess MMC beyond its technical attributes from a theoretical lens to better understand how construction innovations flow in the public construction sector.