Growth Of Construction Industry Research Articles

Environmental sustainability assessment of excavation, construction, and demolition waste conditions and practices across Greece and Cyprus

The construction industry led by the real estate sector plays a significant role in the environmental performance. Excavation, construction, and demolition waste are important waste generators in Europe. Many of the materials are recyclable or reusable, however rates of reuse and recycling vary greatly across Europe. The objective of this preliminary research is to analyse the excavation, construction, and demolition waste conditions that have prevailed in recent years throughout Europe, with a focus on Greece and Cyprus, considering the scarce coverage of this specific subject matter. The study outlines the excavation, construction, and demolition waste management principles and trends, as well as the methods for prevention, reduction, reuse, and recycling. Findings suggest a) an increase of the excavation, construction, and demolition waste, in connection with the construction industry growth, b) uncontrolled disposal is a common practice, which, however, severely pollutes the environment, and c) policymakers advocate for circular economy integration strategies. The current analysis argues that the answer to the efficient management of excavation, construction, and demolition waste involves prevention policies development, long-term strategic planning across all levels, as well as treatment, reuse, and recycling in waste management establishments using vertically integrated operations.

An Innovative Prototype of Insulated Lightweight Wall Panel

The construction industry's growth significantly affected the environment. Since global warming occurred, the drastic change in the weather has threatened the lives of living things. As a result, the effort to reduce the impact of global warming and construction work on the environment must be taken. This research introduced an innovative prototype proposed as an insulated lightweight wall panel. This research aims to produce an innovative product using sugarcane fibre as the insulation material. This research was conducted by assembling the prototype to test the prototype's performance. The result obtained by the experiment that was carried out meets the objective of this research. Finally, with the excellent performance shown by the product, this product has the potential to be introduced in the current market.

Influence of Colloidal Silica and Partial Replacement of Cement with Metakaolin in Concrete

High strength concrete is being required due to the construction industry's growth. Admixture and supplemental cementing materials (SCMs) are employed to attain this strength. According to earlier research, nanoparticles with a high surface area to volume ratio, such as colloidal nano-silica (CS), which contains an amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) core and a hydroxylated surface, have the potential for extremely high chemical reactivity. This study examined the results of adding metakaolin and colloidal silica to concrete in varying amounts. Tests in accordance with Indian standards have been conducted in order to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of concrete, such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength, while employing different percentage replacements of metakaolin and colloidal silica. According to Indian norms, 150mm cubes were cast for compressive strength tests and 150mm diameter by 300mm height cylinders were produced for split tensile strength tests. In the investigation, metakaolin was used in instead of 10 to 30 percent cement mass, and 0 to 6 percent colloidal silica was added. The results of the experiments indicate that the most optimal mixture, for which the most desirable strength was obtained, is 10% metakaolin and 2% colloidal silica.

Testing automation adoption influencers in construction using light deep learning

Technology adoption is pivotal for the productivity growth in construction industry. This research paper attempts to fill this gap by addressing the following research objectives. First, the predictor factors stimulating project managers' adoption of construction automation innovations are rigorously analyzed using a mixed approach combining a systematic literature review, a knowledgeable panel, and a survey questionnaire. Secondly, the study implements a light deep learning model to track the progress of reinforcing bar placements by verifying completed rebar ties. By linking the progress of the bar to a single binary condition, the number of classes needed to train the neural network drops to only two resulting in a light CNN with a recall rate of 89.2% and precision rate of 95.7%. This model can be implemented on a low power GPU, making it more cost efficient and simpler to adopt on site. A similar approach can be used on other critical activities in construction. This approach can aid inspections, quality control, in combination with drones or robotic systems. The proposed system integrates the most important factors of a successful adoption by providing a proof of concept with potential use cases in construction sites.

Comparison of Recycled Waste Amount for Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste between Two Apartment Projects

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste is increasing enormously due to rapid growth of construction industry in developing countries. A few irresponsible contractors dumped illegally the excessive C&D waste in the forest, mangrove swamp, oil palm plantations, roadside and in the sea or lake. However, there are some responsible contractors who carried out recycling practices in the construction project to cut the amount of waste sent to gazette landfills which are approved by local authorities or government. Therefore, this paper is aimed to investigate the total C&D waste amount recycled waste before sending it to designated landfills. This study only focused on four types of C&D waste namely timber, metal, concrete and packaging material. The method that is used for this study is ‘on-site quantification’ based on the volume and gathered ‘recorded recycling amount’ from the project manager and safety officer. This study is conducted at two construction apartments (site I and site II) in Johor Bahru. The data collection was taken weekly for 6 months’ period. The collected data were analyzed using cumulative amount of volume, weight in meters (m3) and percentages. As results, timber was the dominant waste produced at site I while metal waste was highly generated in Site II. About 47% (29.85m3) of total waste produced at site I was timber waste. About 49% (50.39m3) of metal waste generated at site II. There are 36.13m3 of C&D waste recycled at site I and 66.21m3 of C&D waste was recycled at site II. The study found that timber and metal were highly recycled waste materials at both apartments. Finally, a total of 473.86m3 waste recycled in both projects, and this amount save from to be dumped at landfills which is not a suitable hierarchy. This study will create awareness to all construction practitioners, about the needs of recycling practice to minimize the amount of C&D waste send to landfills.

Exploration of Factors Contributing to Construction Waste in India

The excessive wastage of materials, improper management on site and low awareness of the need for waste reduction are common in the local construction sites in India. Today, in most European countries, it is economically feasible to recycle up to 80–90% of the total amount of construction waste and most demolition and recycling technologies are generally easy to implement and control Considering enormous increase in amount of waste generation owing to the growth in construction industry can lead to wastage of materials which has its economic value.

Plastic as substituent material for fine aggregate in concrete

The Plastic is a part of our lives due to its daily usage. So, the consumption of plastic is increasing every year. The decomposition of plastic takes more than thousand years because of its non-biodegradable nature. The plastic harms the society and surrounding environment in all aspects. So, the best way to control the pollution posed by the plastic is recycling. The exponential growth in construction industry, the demand for natural aggregates increases but leads to depletion of natural resources. To overcome this issue plastic used as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete. The majority of the waste coming from the plastic bottles (Polyethylene Terephthalate) and food containers (Polypropylene). So, the recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polypropylene used as a fine aggregate in concrete with percentages of 5%,10%,15%. This paper objective is to assess the effect of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polypropylene on compressive strength and workability. The workability and compressive strength of PET and PP have given good results up to10%and 5%. It has been observed from the test results that 5% and 10% is optimum for Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)as fine aggregate in concrete respectively.

Enhancing the mechanical properties of pervious recycled aggregate concrete using silicafumes

The growth of construction industry in India is increasing enormously over the last few years. This demands a huge quantity of construction materials across the globe which indirectly has a serious impact on the environment that includes aggregate scarcity, inadequate ground water recharge due to impermeable paved surfaces, dust and noise pollution. The use of recycled concrete aggregate in construction industry will mitigate the impact to some extent and also the construction of permeable surface helps in ground water recharge. In this study, the effect of recycled concrete aggregate on mechanical properties of pervious concrete is studied. In addition, the strength of pervious concrete composed of recycled concrete aggregate is enhanced by the addition of silicafumes from 8% to 16% in increments of 2%. The effect of silica fume on permeability and flexural strength is also studied.

Foamcrete construction blocks using industrial wastes- A sustainable approach

There is a wide growth in construction industry in recent years, which is a very important area of concern for all the stakeholders. There is a wide-ranging diminution of natural resources, especially river sand. Also, the current statistics shows that for the production of one ton of cement, there is a discharge of one ton of carbon dioxide, which creates lot of environmental pollution. This has directed the investigators to find a more sustainable solution. Hence this study is oriented towards the development of a new building material in foamed concrete, in which natural river sand is completely substituted with manufactured sand, which is being substituted partially with quarry fine dust, which is an industrial by-product. The production of alternate building blocks using fly ash, GGBS and quarry dust can be very effectively used for the overwhelming construction processes. The consumption of industrial by-products in foamcrete, compensates the deficiency of natural resources, which solves the disposal of the above waste materials and safeguards the nature. With the use of this foamcrete blocks (density less than 1800 kg/m3) as infills, slender sections can be designed for the framed construction works. Correspondingly, the thermal insulation properties of foamcrete blocks make it more acceptable in the present construction scenario. This is an attempt to focus the attention to discuss the utilization of industrial wastes in construction blocks. It has been observed that the construction blocks, made with these industrial wastes, have similar strength and other characteristics as that of conventional bricks. The maximum attained compressive strength is 13.29 N/mm2.

An agent-based model approach for urban demolition waste quantification and a management framework for stakeholders

Along with the rapid growth in construction industry, quantity of construction and demolition (C&D) waste has increased significantly in recent decades. Demolition waste (DW) is identified as one significant stream of C&D waste and it is vital to obtain reliable information of the waste quantity. However, the data of C&D waste generation in China is still insufficient. In this study, an agent-based model is developed to estimate the total volume of DW and the amount of DW generated at each stage of waste disposal in Shenzhen, China. The findings present the greater capacity of deconstruction method in reduction of DW generation than conventional demolition method. In addition, the change from conventional demolition to deconstruction method could bring about a dramatic difference in the amount of construction material saving. However, the results present that change of attitude towards the demolition method is a slow process, which explains the unsatisfactory performance of demolition waste management (DWM) in Shenzhen. Relying on the attitude change of demolition companies is not enough to improve the performance of DWM. Related stakeholders should pay additional attention on DWM. Furthermore, an optimized management framework with involvement of related stakeholders is developed in this study.

Exploring the Relationship Between Work-Famly Conflict & Perceived Organizational Support on Project Commitment

This study aims to test the effects of work-family conflict and perceived organizational support on project commitment among project managers of construction industry. The recent growth in construction industry in Pakistan is booming, as many of the international market players have now come into the market. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 179 currently working project managers (middle managers and lead managers) with in the twin cities of Pakistan. Non-probability convinces sampling technique is used; data was collected by using questionnaires. This study is focused on the dimension of project commitment and variables effect on them; work-family conflict shows negative effect and to maintain the imbalance situation and other hand perceived organizational support show positive relationship. This support helps employees to work with enthusiasm. Role theory has been used to support our H1 and organizational support theory to support hypothesis H2. The overall result of this paper is accepted significantly and further explains the relationship between these variables. Also, it would be constructive to examine other variables mediating and moderating impact on these variables such as family and spouse support and burnout. Further, the outcome related variables can also be tested on project managers of other industries. Keywords: Work-family conflict, Perceived organizational support, Project commitment. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-28-05 Publication date: October 31 st 2020

Sustainable Construction as a Competitive Advantage

Nowadays, sustainable construction (SC) is considered as a measure to support a healthy economy. The SC concept ensures quality of life and helps minimize the negative impact on the environment, human health, and biodiversity. SC fits into the modern sustainable development (SD) concept due to the ability to improve the environment, energy efficiency, and care for future generations. Despite numerous studies dedicated to the SC concept and implementation, practical matters related to SC including the importance of macroeconomic environmental sustainability are still insufficiently explored. The objective of this research is to study the practical issues of SC in the example of developing countries. Moreover, this work is aimed at determining the importance of the sustainable macroeconomic environment in ensuring SC. With the help of correlation and regression analysis effected for the purposes of the study, the direct connection and strong correlation between the GDP growth in the country and the number of large sustainable infrastructure facilities constructed and put into operation in the Russian Federation and China (correlation coefficient comprised 0.9987) were revealed. Within the current study, the experience of developing countries in SC is also discussed. It has been outlined that for emerging countries, the development of the construction industry environment within the framework of SC is possible in a sustainable business environment. The competitive advantages for SC are considered in social, economic, and environmental systems. Moreover, the models of formation and ensuring competitive advantages of the SC enterprise are presented. This paper reveals that the stability of the macroeconomic environment is a key factor in construction industry growth within the SC for developing countries.

Blast furnace slag-based geopolymer mortars cured at different conditions: modeling and optimization of compressive strength

The sustainable growth in construction industry is moving towards exploration of alternative cements. The current research deals with preparation of geopolymer mortars based on granulated blast furnace slag as partial replacement of cement based on using central composite experimental design. The effect of the activated alkaline binder (geopolymer/cement ratio, 8.6–86.4 wt.%) and the alkaline liquid/solid proportion (0.38–0.45) on the compressive strength and density of geopolymer mortars of age 7 days were investigated. The geopolymer mortars were cured at different conditions (ambient temperature, water curing for 6 days followed by 1 day heat curing at 80 °C and heat curing for 1 day at 80 °C after 6 days air curing at ambient temperature). The compressive strength was modeled and optimized by analyzing the experimental data using response surface methodology. The results obtained confirmed that optimum compressive strength was achieved with geopolymer/cement ratio 8.6% and liquid activator/solid 0.52. The heat curing seemed to associate with the higher compressive strength and density. New geopolymer mortars cured by heating for 1 day could be prepared with an increase of 26.6% in compressive strength compared to conventional Portland cement mortars.

Training Needs Analysis on Indonesian Construction Workers Competency in Malaysia

The growth of construction industry in Malaysia is stimulated by various mega infrastructure projects. Due to this, the competent construction workers become the catalyst in realizing the goals. Using mixed method approach in explanatory research, this study aimed to analyze the training needs based on 300 Indonesian construction workers’ competency. Findings showed that there are significant differences between knowledge and skills possessed by the Indonesian workers, based on two types of training; theory and practical. However, the training on skills is considered critical as it is a need for the Indonesian workers to fulfil the job requirements in Malaysia.

Experimental Study on High Strength Concrete by Partial Replacement of Fine Aggregate by Ceramic Tile waste

Growth in construction industry is linked to the growth of infrastructure sector and the building industry. Construction industry has been growing @ 8-10% per annum and is likely to maintain the same in year to come. Concrete is widely used as a construction material due to inherent advantages. Booming economic growth led to indiscriminate and unregulated mining of river sand for construction which resulted in erosion of river bank and damage to bio-diversity. The demand for river sand is only expected to grow as the demand for housing and infrastructure is ever increasing. Hence, there is a pertinent need to look for alternate materials to river sand.This study explores use of ceramic tile waste as an optionto the replacement of river Sand in terms of suitability, acceptability, and viability. In this study the ceramic tile waste is being used to replace the conventional sand i.e. fine aggregate (FA). The ceramic fine aggregate (CFA) are used in concrete by replacing FA by 10%, 20%, 24%, 28%, 30% and 40%. In order to compare the results of conventional concrete (CC) with CFA concrete a concrete design mix of M50 is produced with various proportions of CFA material. Due to the good bonding nature of ceramic materials with cement it increases the strength of the concrete with respect to the increase of CFA material. The durability properties of concrete also seems to be performed well because, the CFA materials are consist of good chemical resistance nature. From the study it is found that the percentage of replacement for FA with CFA material is 20%, within which the performance of CFA concrete is better and all the results are attained within the design limit and it help to solve the disposal problem to the environment.

Analysis of Traditional Way of Construction of Projects in the Construction Industry of Afghanistan

We analyzed the body of knowledge on the topic of analysis of Traditional way of construction of Projects in the construction sector of Afghanistan. Although, there has been demand for infrastructure development and service delivery both developed and developing countries. The traditional way of construction of projects continue to be used in Afghanistan which results in cost and budget overruns, delays in delivering projects, abandoned projects for lack of finance, lack of quality and increase in the level of corruption among heads and leaders who see to the implementation of construction projects. The method that is used in the research study was more of qualitative approach and data are collected through interviews and documents to obtain enough findings for the study. There are a total of 16 respondents interviewed; data collected were based on the premise of implementation of traditional project management methods in the construction industry. The Traditional construction of projects did not create deliverables in an appropriate and fruitful way. There should be another alternative to construction of the project which could reduce the challenges to the barest minimum. Furthermore, it is believed that the research argues for a change in the standard way of construction of projects. Hence, effective project planning, controlling and monitoring should be established to enhance project performance in order to minimize or avoid lack of quality deliverables and delay of projects. These moves could help boost up the growth of construction industry of Afghanistan.

An investigation on fire hazard and smoke toxicity of epoxy FRP composites

PurposeThe purpose of this study is assessment of fire and smoke hazards of some fiber reinforced polymers (FRP). The use of FRP strengthening strips has been found rapid growth in construction industry of Iran and many other countries. However, the fire and smoke hazards of these materials in both construction and use phases need to be determined and the appropriated measures against fire should be taken.Design/methodology/approachThe fire hazards of two types of fibre-reinforced epoxy composites (graphite fibre-reinforced polymer and carbon fibre-reinforced polymer) were investigated in bench-scale using cone calorimeter test method. Time to ignition, heat release rate, total heat release, smoke release and carbon monoxide production were measured and analysed. Time to flashover of an assumed room lined with the tested FRP was analysed with Conetools software. Smoke production and toxicity of the considered composites were also analysed and discussed, using the fractional effective dose parameter.FindingsThe results showed that the tested FRP products had a high fire hazard and a potential high contribution to fire growth. The tests also proved that the used epoxy resin had a low glass transition temperature, around 50°C; therefore, the mechanical strength of the product could be drastically reduced at first stages of a probable fire incident. This also showed that a regular thermal barrier, typically used for protection of plastic foams against fire, could not be sufficient for the protection of strengthening FRP composites.Originality/valueThis research was carried out for the first time for the materials used in construction industry of Iran. The results and achievements were very useful for safe use and development of proper details of application of the system.

The implementation of the international experience of regulation of contruction risk insurance

The article is devoted to the study of the international experience of insurance risks’ administration in construction industry and the possibility of its use in Ukraine. It has been underlined in the article that the pace of growth of construction industry depends on socio-economic development of social production in general, which leads to the need to create favorable conditions for the construction business. In this regard, as it has been stated in the article and knowing about the critical importance of the construction industry in the national economy, it is necessary to develop and engage appropriate governmental mechanisms of regulation of construction risks insurance. It is important to study and to analyze the best European practices in this sphere. The essence and principles of insurance of construction risks in the USA (specific feature of the USA insurance market is the lack of a unified system of governmental insurance), the UK (special authority of insurance regulation in the Department of Trade and Industry has very extensive powers on organization and control as well as it influences greatly activities of insurance companies), Germany (insurance market is divided between the two systems – governmental insurance and private insurance companies), Japan (insurance is carried out by private insurance companies, governmental organizations and cooperatives), Poland (feature of the Polish insurance market is the powerful consolidation of its structure), the Russian Federation (insurance is comprehensive and is based on specific insurance rules that allow providing insurance protection on conditions «with responsibility from all risks») and other countries have been studied in the article. The analysis of the international experience of risk insurance administration in construction area has allowed making the conclusion that insurance risk, which is connected with construction activities, extends to complex and expensive production technologies. Creation and use of such technologies is associated with the risk of accidents that cause the significant damage to their owners in developed countries. Such insurance of construction risks is especially developed in the USA, the UK and several other European countries. Some types of insurance that have their own features have been pointed out, such as: construction and installation insurance, including liability insurance to third parties in the construction and installation works; cars insurance from accidents; electronic equipment insurance; insurance of mobile equipment, including drilling; security engineering structures insurance (piers, dams, etc.)In general, governmental regulation of insurance activity in construction area is implemented in such forms as: the formation of the legal framework, the implementation of insurance supervision and control, the registration and licensing of the insurance. The regulation of the insurance sector is diverse in its nature. Processes of the regulation of the insurance business have to consider a number of diverse interests of both insurers and insurance holders. The effectiveness of the regulation depends on the fullness of consideration of long-term market factors.

Green supply chain management for construction waste: case study for turkey

As the construction industry is growing rapidly, managing a project becomes more vital. The three major parameters to be optimised for a project are content, time and cost to reach a high level of quality. These parameters are also essential for a construction project to satisfy customers on time. Today, it is also critical to protect the environment either at a manufacturing or at a construction site. Environmental problems and the growth of construction industry cause a new topic to manage construction waste with the help of green supply chain management (GSCM). GSCM reduces energy usage and waste, so it prevents any problem that will occur in human health and environment. To decrease waste with the help of GSCM in construction site, waste management regulations must be set to force the producers and consumers for its application. The European Union Council published a waste management directive in 2008 that gives some goal numbers to manage construction waste to minimise the environmental effect. The goal is to reach a reduction of 70% of construction and demolition waste (CDW) that will be reused, recycled or recovered in 2020. The aim of this study is to explore the cost-benefit and socialbenefit reflections of GSCM practices in Turkey under the influence of recent government mandated regulations with an emphasis on green supply chain and reverse logistics in CDW compared to EU 2008 directive. As Turkey is a candidate EU member, this study is analysing how close it is to the directives mentioned above. A GSCM flow chart is established to understand the CDW management system clearly in Turkey. Based on the literature review and case study examples from Turkey a model is built and propositions regarding GSCM and reverse logistics are formulated.

Prefabrication in Ancient Period

The origin of any building material and its construction techniques is an interesting subject to study and explore, because it does not have a present and a future alone but also has a golden past. This past has many facts that explain us the growth of construction industry and also a civilization. Before the latest known advancement in construction technology, all the structures were built from natural as well as handmade and/or locally available materials. This paper is focused on prefabrication techniques used in history. Prefabrication is not a new construction methodology, which is used in present era but it has flourished during the prehistoric times. It is an innovative creation of ancient people which showed path of development for future generations. The cultural background and period of construction is easily recognized from the material used, construction techniques adopted and architectural style followed. The evolution of prefabricated construction is noticeable by strict observance of the original ancient models that continued over centuries together. Therefore, this theoretical investigation on ancient treatise brings out the techniques that have been adopted since ancient times for the construction of buildings the processes involved along with the skill.