Housing Construction Projects Research Articles

Exploring the Use of Lean, Offsite and Simulation in Housing Delivery: Evidence from the UK

The subpar performance of housing construction projects has been attributed to their reliance on traditional construction methods. In response to this issue, numerous innovative approaches, including modern methods of construction (MMC), have been employed to facilitate the execution of housing projects. The present study explores the use of MMC, specifically lean, offsite, and simulation (LOS) techniques, in delivering housing construction projects within the United Kingdom. Employing a qualitative research approach, eighteen relevant stakeholders from England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland were interviewed to fulfil the study’s purpose. The findings demonstrate that the integration of LOS techniques is advantageous in the delivery of housing construction projects. Moreover, governmental support, collaboration, leadership, training, stakeholder engagement, and environmental consideration were identified as critical factors facilitating the implementation of LOS in housing project delivery. This study provides valuable insights into the key factors that support the adoption of LOS techniques within the UK context and can serve as a guide for stakeholders in the future use of LOS in the UK housing sector. Furthermore, the empirical and qualitative evidence presented on the application of lean, offsite, and simulation (LOS) in housing delivery in the UK can contribute to efforts to address the country’s housing shortage.

The Phenomenon of Informal Workers in Housing Projects During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced alterations in the real estate market. Since the pandemic, housing development in Indonesia has been negatively impacted, especially labor, which was crucial to the success of housing development. In addition, most workers in housing developments are informal workers who behave differently than formal or permanent workers. This study aimed to examine the phenomena of informal workers in housing developments during the COVID-19 pandemic using qualitative phenomenological approaches. Ten informal worker informants, five project supervisor in-formants, and two housing developer informants were chosen for in-depth interviews based on a preset criteria. In housing construction projects, implementing the health protocol and compliance with Occupational Health and Safety rules increased the awareness of informal workers. The fact that informal laborers prioritize health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak is encouraging for building developers. Thus, the risk of housing construction projects decreases, and it is hoped that the government’s program to build one million homes will be successful. In addition, the government can create incentive-related policies for informal employees who implemented the health protocol during the COVID-19 outbreak.
 Keywords: COVID-19, health and safety, housing project, informal workers

Implementasi terkait Keberhasilan Pembangunan Apartemen Graha Aparna

Land limitations, especially in big cities like DKI Jakarta and Surabaya, have caused land prices to skyrocket in all areas. This has made apartments and condominiums a popular choice for consumers. Additionally, the strategic location of apartments makes them a more affordable option compared to very expensive condominiums in big cities. However, the increase in apartment sales has also led to an increase in fraudulent practices by real estate developers, causing consumers to suffer significant losses as a result of this phenomenon. The specific issue is the commercialization of housing construction projects that have not been implemented but have been publicly marketed. This research is conducted and addressed to the development of Graha Aparna Apartments with the aim of examining the community's perspective on the environmental and social conditions in the development area of Graha Aparna Apartments. The research method used is descriptive qualitative research and literature study of journals or books referenced in the process of examining these issues.

Revealing Risk Factors and Risk Levels in Housing Construction Projects in Sukoharjo Regency, Indonesia

Business in the housing sector attracts many business actors to invest, because of the large market opportunities and high-profit prospects. However, numerous danger factors that occur because of the house-building process are present after this situation. Project goals are frequently not met by developers who lack the necessary project risk management skills. This study tries to identify risk variables and establish which factors in a housing development project have the highest risk level. An organized survey questionnaire was used for the investigation. Critical risk factors were identified by data analysis using SPSS version 26.0 software and the statistical method of the mean score. According to the viewpoint of the respondents who took part in the survey, the level of risk is established based on the frequency of risk occurrence and the severity of the danger. According to the findings, Sukoharjo Regency housing construction projects were at risk for 31 major reasons. Three risk factors are categorized as high risk, namely errors in estimating costs, not considering unexpected costs, and limited project funds, and 9 risk factors are categorized as moderate risk. Knowing the risk level of each factor will make it easier to manage project risk.

Thermal efficiency of the enclosing structures of an individual residential house in conditions of interconstant thermal energy generation

The involvement of recycled wood resources and low-quality wood in the processing provides an active source of raw materials for the construction industry. Environmentally friendly building materials in the form of wood-mineral composites (WMC) help recycle this waste and help conserve natural resources. The study examined the thermal performance of enclosing structures in the form of a frame wall filled with mineral wool, walls made of aerated concrete blocks and stands made of WMC. The purpose of the work was to determine the thermal regime of enclosing structures under stationary and non-stationary thermal conditions. The unsteady mode was created by simulating the generation of thermal energy for 10 hours a day. The mode corresponds as closely as possible to the actual operating conditions of an individual housing construction project, provided that it is heated by a solid fuel boiler or stove with periodic generation of thermal energy. The total simulation time is 5 days. It has been established that in a stationary thermal mode, all considered structures comply with sanitary and hygienic requirements and heat conservation standards.

Organizational and technological features of geodetic observations of earth surface deformations

The article examines a complex of organizational, technological and economic measures to ensure observations of deformations of the earth's surface. The authors provide an overview of issues of improving the safety of buildings located in seismically active and landslide zones of the Russian Federation, and offer recommendations for improving monitoring methods. The need for careful consideration of the geodynamic factor during the construction and operation of not only especially critical unique objects, but also mass housing construction projects is substantiated. To study geodynamic processes occurring in the territories of populated areas or in the territories of large industrial enterprises and engineering structures, it is proposed to create specialized observation systems - geodynamic polygons. The authors propose an organizational and technological scheme for observations at the geodynamic site. Research methods for making organizational and technological decisions are discussed. Effective organization of work will allow us to study abnormal vertical and horizontal movements and prevent possible damage to infrastructure. The authors of the article also discuss and justify recommendations for performing and processing geodetic observations of deformations of the earth's surface.

Legal Response to the Problem of Rotten Commercial Housing Construction Projects

Legal Response to the Problem of Rotten Commercial Housing Construction Projects

Study of electric consumption of individual housing construction facilities of different stories and area

In the Russian Federation, the construction of individual housing construction projects is being carried out at an increasing pace, for the construction of electrical networks for which there are no regulatory documents with an adequate methodology for calculating electrical loads. This situation led to low load on power grid equipment, and accordingly, investments became non-refundable. Sustainable development of private and industrial construction of individual housing projects is possible only with the development of regulatory technical documents that meet modern trends. To accomplish this task, research work was carried out to develop regulatory documents used in the design of electrical networks in cottage villages, taking into account the different number of floors and area of individual housing construction projects. Using the example of two cottage villages in Kazan, based on the parameter of daily and monthly electricity consumption, it was possible to obtain a sample whose data obeys the law of normal distribution. The analysis of sample sets of cottages in the villages shows that according to the power consumption parameter they can be grouped depending on the number of floors and area of the houses. The results obtained make it possible to formulate a future methodology for calculating electrical loads with amendments to the Federal Code of Rules.

Vulnerability Assessment of Prefabricated Component Suppliers in Prefabricated Buildings Based on the Controlled Interval and Memory Method Extended under the Probability Language Terminology Set

Accurately evaluating the vulnerability of prefabricated components in prefabricated buildings is the basis of scientific management of its supply chain. Thus, a novel vulnerability evaluation method for the suppliers of prefabricated components in the context of prefabricated buildings was proposed in this study. First, a vulnerability evaluation index system was identified and constructed by the pressure–state–response (PSR) model. With the clear logic and strong applicability of PSR, this system, including 18 indexes, was easy to understand and exhibited strong practicability. The weights were then determined via the multiplicative analytic hierarchy process with the expansion of a probabilistic language terminology set (PLTS). PLTS could describe decision information more comprehensively, so the evaluation result is more scientific. Subsequently, the probability of the vulnerability level was superimposed in a parallel bottom-to-top method via the controlled interval and memory (CIM) models, and these were extended by the PLTS. This set handled the uncertain information in the decision-making process more efficiently and accurately, and finally determined the vulnerability distribution. Ultimately, the probability of each vulnerability level was determined by combining the weight information. The reconstruction and resettlement housing construction project of urban shanty towns in the Taohua South Road Community in Xihu District, Nanchang City, was selected as a case study. The case study proves the effectiveness of this method, which has higher resolution and is more convenient for managers to make decisions.

Evaluating the price effects of multifamily and single-family housing construction on surrounding single-family homes in Stockholm: a difference-in-difference analysis

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of housing construction on single-family housing values and the implications for urban development.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this objective, the author used the difference-in-difference methodology to examine the effect of multifamily and single-family housing construction on surrounding single-family homes in Stockholm, Sweden. The author analysed data from approximately 480 housing construction projects between 2009 and 2014 and 17,000 single-family detached house transactions between 2005 and 2018.FindingsThe research found that multifamily construction projects did not affect the value of surrounding single-family homes, while single-family home construction had a negative impact. The author attributes this result to single-family housing projects typically located in areas with initially positive externalities, while multifamily housing projects are often located on the edge of areas with negative externalities before construction.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited by its focus on a specific geographic area and time frame, and future research could expand the scope to include other cities and regions and different periods. Additionally, further research could examine the impact of housing construction on other economic factors beyond housing values.Practical implicationsThe research has practical implications for urban planners and policymakers. They should consider the potential negative impact of new single-family home construction on existing single-family housing areas while balancing the need for new housing in urban areas. By carefully evaluating construction locations, policymakers can create more sustainable, livable and equitable urban environments that benefit all members of society.Originality/valueThis research paper contributes to the field of housing economics by examining the impact of housing construction on single-family housing values in the context of urban development and climate change mitigation. Using a difference-in-difference methodology, the study provides evidence of the price effect of multifamily and single-family housing construction on surrounding single-family homes, which has important policy implications for urban planners and policymakers. By identifying the negative impact of single-family home construction on surrounding areas and highlighting the need for careful evaluation of construction locations, the research provides valuable insights for creating sustainable, livable and equitable urban environments that benefit all members of society.

Comparative Assessment of Quality Management System in Selected Housing Construction Projects in Lalitpur District

The objective of the study was to assess the quality management system applied in housing construction projects of Lalitpur district. General questionnaire survey on quality management system was done in ten housing developers. Detail assessment on quality management system was done only in two housing projects i.e. CE housing and Civil homes housing. This research was based on key informant interview with project manager and site engineers, questionnaires survey with clients, consultants and contractors who were involved in building construction projects. Statistical tools mean value and relative importance index were used for the ranking of different quality methods. The importance of the individual factor are calculated and ranked by their relative importance index (RII). Total Quality Management, Quality Management system and Quality control ranked highest respectively as a part of quality management process employed in the project. From the study, it was found that different stakeholders have different priorities and preferences. Clients give major priority to procurement of equipment and material. Consultants give main priority to recorded outcomes and achievement and contractors give management commitment and involvement as main priority. Training and education in quality, work improvement teams, customer expectations are found as important. The outcome of this thesis will document the quality management system and will also assist to improve the quality system of housing construction in Lalitpur districts. Proper documentation regarding quality control should be maintained at site. For ensuring optimum quality management in housing projects, timely ISO audits system should be set up.

Justification of the strategic priorities of raising investment attractiveness of housing construction (on the example of Moscow city case study)

Successful justification of strategic priorities in housing construction is vital for the comprehension of development of territorial zoning and urban infrastructure. Also, it satisfies a number of people’s needs which can be observed in renovation of the housing stock and creation of investment infrastructure for attracting external and internal capital. At the same time it is essential to understand that in the context of state and municipal administration the strategic priority for state and business interaction is meeting the needs of both parties. That is the reason why the strategy of development and improvement of the city is of vital importance from the viewpoint of the comfort of life and improvement of the quality of urban infrastructure. And in order to attract investors to the realization of construction projects in which the authorities are primarily interested it is necessary to create additional preferences. Due to the fact that profitability of mass housing construction projects is rather low but it forms the main demand among the population, taking into account the factors of comfort and integration into the urban environment, the authors decided to study and justify the existing trends in the development of large megacities with the consideration of the regional factors and justify strategic priorities for raising investment attractiveness of construction objects for investors.

Prevention And Control of Mass Concrete Cracks in Building Construction Engineering

As a kind of building material, mass concrete plays an important role in building construction. It is widely used in engineering projects and needs to be controlled in many aspects, otherwise cracks may appear and affect the safety and performance of the project. In this paper, the crack problems of mass concrete structures are studied and analyzed, such as cracks caused by mix ratio, temperature change, foundation deformation. Firstly, by understanding the internal and external causes of cracks in mass concrete, the key issues were suggested. Then, the method to prevent and control the crack of mass concrete is put forward from the selection of reasonable raw materials and mix ratio, pouring method, temperature control and other aspects. The research results can be used as reference to reduce the negative impact of cracks in building construction engineering. While improving the safety and service life of housing construction projects, it also improves the economic value and reduces the time cost of rework.

Green spaces in housing development – buyers’ preferences

Globally, extreme weather events are occurring more often, with increased intensity due to anthropogenic climate change. For example, in July 2022, monthly average temperature in Spain was 2.7 C above average, and UK has recorded temperatures above 40 degrees for the first time. It has been proven that implementation of green spaces in cities helps to address environmental, social, and even economic problems by providing ecological services, reducing temperature, and attenuating the heat island effect, providing aesthetic enjoyment, recreational opportunities and decreased stress levels. However, green infrastructure is rarely prioritised by developers. It has been argued that, due to space constraints, green infrastructures are an inefficient land use, costly to maintain, and that there is uncertainty if green infrastructures are valued by the market. This paper reports on results from a study examining the attractiveness and the effect of green spaces on housing market customer’ perceptions. To analyse the impact of green spaces, we worked with landscape architects and residential housing developers designing a multi apartment building with a courtyard. The courtyard area was designed accordance to The Green Area Factor resulting in five courtyard designs, each with a different level of greenery. All five designs were presented in dynamic virtual views and embedded in a survey questionnaire. Maintenance costs of all five green spaces were calculated. The findings shows that greenery does effect the perceived attractiveness of residential development. Maintenance costs for the courtyards, with lowest and highest level of greenery, differ by approximately 10 percent of the total maintenance costs. These findings are applicable in the context of new housing construction and renovation projects.

ESTIMATING HOUSE CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION TIME WITH PROBABILISTIC ACTIVITIES DURATION USING THE PROGRAM EVALUATION AND REVIEW TECHNIQUE (PERT) METHOD

Construction housing projects involve many risks and uncertainties that can affect their completion time. To ensure a construction housing project is completed on time, an accurate duration estimate is required for each activity. Deterministic duration methods, such as the Critical Path Method (CPM), are commonly used in project scheduling for construction projects. However, this method may not always produce a realistic schedule as it uses only a single duration estimation for each activity. As an alternative, this study uses the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) which utilizes three duration estimates namely optimistic duration, most likely duration, and pessimistic duration. A house construction project with 23 activities was analyzed using CPM to find the critical activities which produced 59 days of completion time. The critical path duration was then analyzed using PERT. PERT calculations found that there was only a 15% probability to complete the project in 59 days, and the project needed 66 days of completion time with a 95% level of confidence. The findings of this study indicate that PERT can assist project managers in creating a more realistic project schedule by considering the risks and uncertainties in estimating the duration of its activities.

Comparison of Structure Design Between Bored Pile Foundations and Pile Foundations (Case Study: Industrial Worker I Batang Flower House Construction Project)

Field surveys and laboratories found dense soil layers up to a depth of 14 m, so an alternative to drilled pile or pile foundations was used. This study aims to compare the pile and drilled pile foundation plans with the same soil data, loads, and dimensions. Analysis by calculating the pile foundation plan compared to the drilled pile foundation so that the planning results are obtained, soil bearing capacity, pile group efficiency, number of piles and drilled piles, RAB (budget plan), and drilled pile plans. Compared to 50cm square piles and 40×40cm square piles, the bearing capacity of a single pile (Qult) is 44.5 tons, and the bored pile foundation is 54.72 tons. The pile resistance (f) is 38.79 tons for piles with a diameter of 40 x 40 cm and 38.79 tons for drilled piles with a diameter of 50 cm. One pile's allowable pressure-bearing capacity (Pa) is 14.48 tons, and one drilled pile is 17.48 tons. The permissible tensile strength (Pta) for one pile is 11.64 tons, and for one drilled pile is 14.46 tons. The pile foundation requires 263 piles, and the bored pile foundation requires 258 piles.

Further introduction of information modelling technologies in the course of implementation of investment projects in the field of housing construction

Introduction. Modern housing construction requires (1) a single digital platform that has a common data environment, (2) workflow digitization, involving all stakeholders of an investment and construction project. The authors demonstrate that the implementation of this approach will ensure not only the monitoring and control of financial values of construction, including disbursement schedules and a single consolidated database for all documents on each construction project showing access rights to information, but it will also ensure the integrity and reliability of information required for the implementation of day-to-day urban planning activities, as well as quick and flexible integration with state information systems.
 
 Materials and methods. Optimization methods were used to find rational engineering and economic solutions for investment and residential housing construction projects. Multivariance was employed to substantiate the applicability of solutions in the process of introducing digital BIM technologies aimed at identifying the most effective project options.
 
 Results. The main result of the presented research is the application of the G. Taguchi loss function to devise a model for assessing the economic efficiency of options of an investment and construction project, that take into account the total loss of economic efficiency in the course of implementing various technologies of an investment and housing construction project.
 
 Conclusions. The results enable the co-authors to use the proposed model to evaluate the economic efficiency and to identify (1) options of an investment and housing construction project, (2) the range of acceptable options of project implementation that are economically feasible, as well as (3) ranges of unacceptable project implementation options that are “too bad for the consumer” and “too expensive for the producer”; (4) the best project option; (5) the way to improve the generalized algorithm of BIM technology application in practical housing construction.

Building Information Modelling Strategies in Sustainable Housing Construction Projects in Malaysia

Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a very significant role in the construction industry, especially in project management decision-making and data integration efforts during the preliminary planning and design stage. This is aligned with the National Construction Policy (NCP 2030) by the Ministry of Work Malaysia, highlighting that it is timely for the construction industry players to move towards sustainability. BIM must be implemented to ensure the smooth delivery of sustainable housing construction projects in Malaysia due to its critical role in assisting in construction cost optimisation, green building implementation, minimising environmental impact, and waste reduction. However, the BIM implementation rate in Malaysia is still minimal due to the challenges in its execution. Therefore, this paper is aimed to propose BIM’s critical strategies in the development of Malaysian sustainable housing construction projects as envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A thorough systematic literature review and questionnaire survey of fifty (50) BIM players in housing construction projects in Malaysia shows that from sixteen (16) BIM strategies, three (3) items are identified as critically important strategies, whereas another five (5) items are identified as important strategies. The outcome of the study shall benefit the construction industry players who are involved in the sustainable housing construction project and mainly drives the Public Work Department (PWD) BIM Strategic Plan 2021–2025, thus supporting the earlier mentioned NCP 2030 agenda by the Ministry of Work Malaysia.

Inhibitors to the Adoption of Building Information Modelling in Modular Construction: A Case Study of the Nigerian Construction Industry

Building information modelling (BIM) adoption transforms how construction projects are delivered. Modular construction (MC) is a modern construction method that drives continuous improvement and value addition globally. BIM and MC offer enormous benefits in enhancing project delivery and attaining sustainable construction. This is a major driving force causing the drift from traditional methods to a more digitised approach anchored on technology. Despite these benefits, the level of sophistication in project delivery and the application of these innovative methodologies are low and housing construction projects are delivered with poor performance outcomes in developing countries like Nigeria. This study assessed the inhibitors to the use of BIM in driving MC and the measures for improving the adoption of BIM in MC project deliveries in Nigeria. A well-structured quantitative questionnaire was administered to construction experts using Snowball sampling techniques via electronic means to collect data. With a response rate of 70% and a reliability index of above 0.80, the collected data were analysed using frequencies, percentages and mean item scores. It was found that the level of BIM and MC was high, but BIM adoption in MC was low. The inhibitors to this low adoption level are the high cost of investment in hardware and software, the comfort with the existing methods and resistance to change, the lack of management support, the complexity of BIM software, the lack of interest in sharing information among stakeholders, the problems with collaboration and the legal issues with multiple designs and fabrication. It is recommended that collaboration between construction and technology firms be encouraged to improve BIM application in MC for better productivity and project outcomes. The government should support the use of modern methodologies in the delivery of projects to help improve infrastructure provision, value addition and citizens’ well-being.

Service trends and the forest-based sector – an analysis of wood construction, the bioeconomy and evolving product service systems

This thesis examines service trends in the operating environment of the forest-based sector on the level of companies and the evolving industrial production systems. The analytical framework is based on sociotechnical transitions research and service research knowledge bases on services and ongoing organizational changes in production and the markets. Three empirical studies have been conducted to detect service trends by investigating: 1) role of services in the European RDI roadmaps of the forest-based sector and parallel industries, 2) distribution of value and business model changes in the supply networks of industrial wood construction, and 3) market offerings and service innovation in sustainable housing construction projects in Finland. The empirical studies demonstrate evolving product service systems (PSS) in the further downstream customers of the forest-based sector, exemplified here by the construction sector. A game changing question for the forest-based sector is whether its industries and organizations focus on serving the PSS of today or whether they will seek to contribute to the next generation of PSS solutions, exemplified here by the potential for system change in construction regime. None of today’s PSS models alone capture the future PSS, but alternative scenarios are needed and assessment of their implications for the forest-based sector and future bioeconomy.