Implementation In Construction Industry Research Articles

Industry 4.0 technologies: an examination of benefits, challenges and critical success factors for implementation in the Saudi construction industry

Purpose The construction industry is witnessing a paradigm shift as a consequence of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0). The implementation of IR4.0 technologies is, however, elementary in emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to carry out an examination of benefits, challenges and critical success factors for IR4.0 implementation in the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach The methodology entailed a thorough review of the extant literature and consultation with experienced construction professionals in Saudi Arabia through questionnaire surveys. The data collected was further analyzed using the relative importance index approach and the confirmatory factor analysis. Findings The most important benefits, challenges and critical success factors established by this study include “Improved Communication and Coordination,” “Cost of implementation (initial investment and maintenance)” and “Clear goals and objectives,” respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis established a theoretical model to serve as a foundation for IR4.0 adoption in the Saudi construction industry. Research limitations/implications The limitations may be perceived in terms of the local context of the research, as well as the sample size. This prevents the potential for generalization of the study’s results. Practical implications It is of practical value to the Saudi construction industry in facilitating the successful implementation of technology through policies, frameworks and best practice guidance. Originality/value The study advances the theoretical knowledge of technology implementation in the construction industry. Emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia seeking to leverage the capabilities of digital technologies will find the results of this to be of crucial value.

Artificial intelligence acceptance and implementation in construction industry: factors, current trends, and challenges

Artificial intelligence acceptance and implementation in construction industry: factors, current trends, and challenges

Investigation of barriers and mitigation strategies to blockchain technology implementation in construction industry: an interpretive structural modeling approach.

Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and security in various industries, including construction. However, implementing blockchain in the construction industry faces several barriers that hinder its widespread adoption. To fill this gap, this study is aimed at identifying and discussing the key barriers to implementing blockchain in the construction industry. The study employs a four-phase methodology. In the first phase, barriers are identified through a comprehensive literature review and supplemented with semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders, identifying critical barriers. The second phase involves data collection from ten construction experts, while the third phase utilizes the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique for data analysis. In the fourth phase, ten effective strategies are formulated to tackle the identified barriers and their interdependencies. The results reveal the overall structure of barriers and classify them into four groups based on driving and dependence power using the cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to the classification (MICMAC) technique. The identified barriers include a lack of collaboration in consortium formation, insufficient capacity and performance, and regulatory uncertainty, which hinders blockchain implementation in the construction industry. The research findings provide valuable information for policymakers on the overall structure with barriers and implementation in India and other countries with similar situations. Additionally, the management implications of the results were analyzed to facilitate the effective implementation of measures to overcome the obstacles and increase the level of blockchain adoption in the construction industry.

Readiness and Challenges of the Construction Industry in Implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is one of the innovative approaches that has been developed and widely accepted in the construction industry. In Malaysia, BIM usage is still low and not many firms have taken full advantage of its potential despite theinvestment in BIM being proven to be well worth the cost of implementation to organizations. Therefore, this study has been conducted to identify the current status of BIM implementation in Malaysia. This study uses a qualitative approach with an explanatory research design to explore the phenomenon of BIM implementation in the construction industry. This study was aimed to identify the readiness and challenges in BIM implementation from twelve (12) participantsfrom consultants and contractors in Malaysiawho have already implemented and not have implemented BIM where the researcher used purposive sampling technique with snowballing sampling. In obtaining the data from participants, the researcher has conducted a semi-structured interview data collection technique. The data were then analyzedusing thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes among the research questions in two categories of participants. This study finds that the rate of BIM implementation in construction industry is very low and the most factors influence companies’ readiness in BIM implementation from both categories of participants are client, enforcement from authority and lack of project that needs BIM. This study also found that the most challenges faced in BIM implementation areBIM exposure, cost implementation and others. In addition to that, this study proposing effective strategies for enhancing the BIM implementation in Malaysia such as introducing of BIM in university curriculum, BIM enforcement from the authority and others.

Identifying and assessing critical success factors of value management implementation in Saudi Arabia building construction industry

The building construction industry in Saudi Arabia is plagued by poor performance that drastically reduced future sustainable practices. This long-term risk should be rectified using inclusive construction methods, without posing a threat to the environment, society, and economy. Value management (VM) is a valuable tool for resolving difficulties, such as restricted assets, tight schedules, cost, and sustainable alternatives in the building construction industry. VM adoption in the building construction sector had proved to be beneficial in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, this paper aimed to examine and provide insight into critical success factors (CSFs) that enable VM adaptation in Saudi Arabia. A mixed method approach of both quantitative and qualitative was applied using interviews from ten (10) experts with considerable experience in the construction field. Five hundred and fifty (5 5 0) questionnaires were designed for construction professionals. Construction experts suggested ways to enhance VM adoption by defining 25 CSFs that affect VM implementation in the construction industry. The findings further showed that building professionals have significant expertise in VM activities. However, the level of application remained unchanged and hoovers on the average spectrum. This study has contributed to a better understanding of VM implementation in the construction industry. It also facilitates SCFs monitoring, improve the efficiency of VM practice and development of future VM policies.

Identification of the Challenges of Life Cycle Costing in Green Construction Projects in Malaysia

Concerns on the effect of construction industry to the environment has driven an increase in sustainable construction activities as well as green initiatives. Life cycle costing (LCC) which is a method of assessing the total cost of ownership of an asset or project has been commonly associated with sustainable-related studies and are used around the world for the last few decades. Even though many benefits have been associated with LCC, its implementation in construction industry is still limited, particularly in green construction projects. This paper aimed to identify the main challenges in implementing LCC in Malaysia’s green construction projects. A quantitative approach via questionnaires survey was conducted on 200 respondents from various backgrounds, namely architects, quantity surveyors, engineers and other professionals typically would be involved in LCC preparation for green construction projects in Malaysia. The questionnaires were distributed to the respondents via traditional mail followed by e-mail as well as online platforms in order to increase the response rate. A total of fifty (50) completed and usable questionnaires were collected and analysed based on mean scores and ranking method. It was discovered that the main challenges of LCC in green construction projects were insufficient project or context specific data and difficulties in carrying out LCC calculations due to absent of proper LCC guidelines or framework. The findings serve as a valid point of reference for industry participants concerned with green developments to improve the LCC process and its adoption in Malaysia’s green construction projects. Efforts must be taken to minimize or ease these challenges perhaps by formulating a framework or guideline specifically designed to address the challenges, thus improving the LCC process and encouraging its adoption in Malaysia which will ultimately contribute towards achieving the world’s green construction agenda.

An Analysis on Promoting Prefabrication Implementation in Construction Industry towards Sustainability

As a game-changing technology with significant environmental, economic, and social benefits, prefabricated technology has attracted attention and has been increasingly adopted in the construction industry. Although multitudinous studies have investigated various aspects of prefabrication in construction, a thorough review of its current development state that synthesized environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions remains overdue. Therefore, this study aims to fill this research gap by constructing a systematic framework, analyzing the research status quos, and providing recommendations for future research. This study first conducted a holistic review of 768 references with NVivo. A research foci framework that represented the body of knowledge in prefabrication in construction was developed with five levels, which were advantages, hindrances, stakeholders, promotion policies, and strategy spectrum. Following the framework, the in-depth analyses from the perspectives of environmental, economic, social sustainability, technologies development, and promotion strategies were performed. The current research domains were further linked with potential research directions for promoting prefabricated construction towards sustainability. The study is of value in both offering references for policy formulation and stakeholder practice and providing recommendations for future research.

Total quality management (TQM) implementation in the Nigerian construction industry

PurposeLack of strict compliance to the principles of total quality management (TQM) by construction organizations has brought about poor quality of the finished building projects. This has been blamed for the incessant structural failure reported in Nigeria. This study appraised TQM implementation in the Nigerian construction industry, with a view to mitigating structural failure rate of construction projects. To achieve this aim, the study aims to assess the practice level of TQM and the factors hindering TQM implementation on construction projects.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized a well-structured questionnaire and convenient sampling method in the gathering and sampling of data among construction professionals in Imo state, Nigeria. Data analyses were done using, frequency, percentage, mean analytics and Pareto analysis.FindingsThe study revealed that major practice of TQM principles with respect to structural failure rate are purchasing: ensuring the procurement of materials of the specified quality standard, ensuring the use of a quality improvement construction process of the organization, site management responsibility: this entails ensuring quality supervision by the project management leadership and monitoring and control of quality during the construction to guarantee firm observance quality standards. Also, the major factors hindering TQM implementation on construction projects are: inadequacy of the necessary machineries, equipment, tools and facilities for the effective execution of work on construction site; breakdown in communication and information exchange between the management and supervisory teams on site; poor attitudes and strategies toward maintenance of equipment, tools and machines; and absence of prompt salary and incentive payment. It was recommended that construction firms must require the suppliers of construction materials to strictly comply with quality specification evidence in quality certification of delivered materials to mitigate structural failure.Research limitations/implicationsThis study appraised TQM implementation in the construction industry of Nigeria, with emphasis on Imo state. The study underscores the practice level of TQM and the key factors hindering TQM implementation on construction projects. Following the localized geographical limitation of the study area, a similar research in other part/states of Nigeria or even in other developing countries of African is necessary.Practical implicationsThe practices level of TQM and the factors hindering TQM implementation were identified. This will be useful in guiding construction firms, other industry's key stakeholders and regulatory agencies in bringing about a sustainable quality management system for improve profit and value maximization and avoiding incessant structural failure.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies that have assessed the practice level of TQM and the factors hindering TQM implementation on construction projects in Nigeria. This study took place in Imo state with records of periodic structural failure and building collapse.

Prospects for the use of solar energy to accelerate the hardening of concrete in the construction of monolithic structures in Russia

This article addresses the issue of solving the problem of using the solar energy, that allows decreasing of the unit costs, or even avoiding using of the traditional energy resources for performance of the concrete in the southern regions of Russian. Researches that were carried out allow developing more contemporary methods of monolithic construction’s concrete curing. Various types of methods of solar energy using in case to produce precast concrete or reinforced concrete items found vast distribution and implementation in construction industry.

Critical factors for total quality management implementation in the Brazilian construction industry

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) that affect the implementation of total quality management (TQM) and to investigate, from the perspective of Brazil, the latent factors for TQM implementation in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology consists of two methods. First, a literature review was conducted to identify CSFs for TQM implementation. Then, empirical research was conducted from a survey questionnaire applied to 130 professionals who have experience in the Brazilian construction industry. SPSS version-25 was used for data analysis, using descriptive statistics, and, finally, principal component analysis for identifying the latent factors.FindingsThe study findings portray convergences regarding the practitioners' perception in the light of the 20 critical factors identified in the literature, which can serve to make construction professionals aware of the key factors to TQM implementation. In addition, two latent factors, quality practices and human factor were identified, and they can assist the leaders and decision-makers for the implementation of TQM in the construction industry of a developing country.Originality/valueIt fills the gap of practical studies that compare the academic and practitioners' perspectives regarding the CSFs for TQM implementation in construction industry.

Improving Contractors’Practices of Industrialized BuildingSystem (IBS) Implementation in Construction Industry

Improving Contractors’Practices of Industrialized BuildingSystem (IBS) Implementation in Construction Industry

Analyse the Barriers that Influencing Green Design Implementation among the Contractors in Construction Industry

This paper aims to find out the vital barriers that affecting the implementation of Green Design practice, which is part of the Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) application in construction industry. First of all, the objectives of this study are to determine the barriers that preventing Green Design related activities among contractors and also analyse the critical barriers for Green Design application in construction industry. Quantitative research method with survey questionnaire is employed in this study. Around 450 sets of questionnaire are distributed with 21.8% response rate. The independent variables in this study are the barriers of Green Design implementation in construction industry while the dependent variable is the level of adoption of Green Design practice in construction industry. In short, four (4) barriers are identified, which are Government Supports, Company Resources, Knowledge and Information, and Financial issue barriers. Results of the study show that Government Supports and Company Resources barriers are significant for Green Design practice. Significance of this research is to provide a better understanding of green practices, such as GSCM, to deal with current environmental issues and to realise the recent problems and obstacles faced by all construction players, so that further actions are required for a successful GSCM implementation in order to move towards a sustainable environment in the future.

Developing a Research Methodology for Life Cycle Costing Framework for Application in Green Projects

Life cycle costing (LCC) is a method of accessing the total cost of ownership and has been used around the world for the last few decades. Even though many benefits have been associated with LCC, one of them being an effective tool for decision making, its implementation in construction industry is still limited, particularly in green projects. Among the main factors suggested to have hindered application of LCC are lack of knowledge and understanding on LCC, as well as absence of a standard guideline. This paper presents a research methodology adopted for a research aimed to develop a life cycle costing framework for its’ application in green projects. The objectives are to investigate the current practice for LCC application in Green projects, and to determine the relationship between LCC principles with factors influencing effective decision making for LCC best practice in Green project. The methodology of the research involves qualitative and quantitative method, and will be validated by an expert panel interview. The paper provides an overview on the research area, particularly to highlight the issue on the application of LCC and its importance to assist decision makers.

Studying the Interrelationship amongst Various Metrics to Quantify the Merits of BIM Implementation in Construction Industry of Developing Countries

Studying the Interrelationship amongst Various Metrics to Quantify the Merits of BIM Implementation in Construction Industry of Developing Countries

Factors for succeeding in ISO 14001 implementation in Italian construction industry

AbstractThe main aim of this research is to find the most relevant factors for a successful ISO 14001 implementation in the construction industry. Thousands of companies, including those in the construction industry, are interested in an ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS). Italy holds one of the largest databases of ISO 14001 certified organisations; in this database, the construction industry represents the second largest sector. Using a questionnaire, the research tested six potential factors that affect the success of an ISO 14001 EMS implementation. Moreover, the quantitative results were discussed together with qualitative notes left by respondents.The results showed that only three out of the six factors really affect ISO 14001 EMS implementation in the construction industry: involvement of employees, top management commitment, and development of environmental technical skills. It seems that the respondents perceived that economic and financial results, identification of environmental aspects and impacts, and the involvement of stakeholders have a limited or null effect on ISO 14001 implementation. Particular issues concerning developing workers' awareness, evaluating all the environmental impacts, and obtaining real economic advantages were raised in the respondents' comments. Conclusions highlight specific contributions for practitioners and other stakeholders involved in EMS.

FROST RESISTANCE OF COMPOSITE GAS CONCRETE

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to compare the frost resistance of composite and conventional gas concretes. The comparative analysis includes a theoretical substantiation of the ice formation and the frost resistance of composite and conventional gas concretes in freeze-thaw conditions. Methodology/materials: Cellular and polymer-hydrophobizated concretes are used in the experiment which includes frost-resistance tests of cellular concrete and studies of its structure modification. The obtained results on the abovementioned concretes are compared with those of traditional concretes. It is shown that the ice formation and movement observed in pores and capillaries of polymer-hydrophobizated concretes occur in absolutely different ways. Research findings: Since the frost resistance is one of key factors of the durability of constructional materials, the use of water soluble polymers allows creating a composite structure of cell walls in gas concrete which manifests a high dynamic strength. The flexibility of cell walls increases the strength properties of concrete, its frost resistance and flexure strength. Hydrophobic properties of polymer-hydrophobizated concretes lower the water absorption. Practical implications: The proposed composition of composite gas concrete can be recommended for large-scale implementation in construction industry. Value: Water soluble polymers have a positive effect on the hydration process of the cement binder, namely it retains water in the concrete structure, thereby hardening the material and exerting a synergism effect.

Risk management workshop application: a case study of Ahwaz Urban Railway project

ABSTRACTEffective risk management is a vital part of project management. The previous workshops in the construction industry have shown to suffer from the lack of a comprehensive risk management techniques. This paper aims to investigate the capacity of a workshop as a risk management approach through the analysis of risk management for Ahwaz Urban Railway project. The analysed workshop uses brainstorming, the combination of fuzzy and failure mode and effect analysis and multiple-choice questions to identify, evaluate and determine the best responses to risks, respectively. The workshop examination shows that a workshop gives the organization an opportunity to identify critical risks. Furthermore, it helps the organization staff to have a better understanding of the project's environment and provides chances to improve teamwork. Despite the strengths of the workshop, it has several limitations of its own. The participants should be the project's major stakeholders and the workshop requires time and money. Two of the major limitations of the analysed workshop are time limitation, and lack of risk monitoring and controlling experience. In addition, this study does not investigate the relationship between risks. However, more attempts are needed to address challenges and barriers of risk management implementation in construction industry.

Six Sigma in construction industry: a review

Six Sigma (SS) is a business strategy which aims at zero defects and eliminating variations in business processes to achieve breakthrough business results. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of SS implementation in construction industry. This study has systematically reviewed published literature on the topic of SS during 2003-2016 based on semantic search techniques. A total of 39 relevant articles from leading journals and proceedings were selected for this study. The findings of this study revealed that more case studies have been conducted as compared to empirical and conceptual studies. Though the empirical studies started later, it is now gaining more momentum in tandem with case studies. The paper also highlights the SS application areas in construction industry. The quality tools like cause and effect diagram is used in most of the areas followed by Pareto chart, control and run chart, failure mode effects analysis (FMEA), histogram, value stream mapping for SS implementation in construction projects. The paper draws conclusion and future research directions for effective implementation of SS in construction industry.

IDENTIFICATION OF A SET OF APPROPRIATE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSFS) FOR SUCCESSFUL TQM IMPLEMENTATION IN CONSTRUCTION, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES.

Total quality management (TQM) is a management philosophy that emphasizes on non-stop quality improvement within all aspects of the organizations. Its main aims are to satisfy customers and survive in the market. Thus, it is very vital to specify the factors that cause implementing TQM successfully. Specially, the identification of the TQM critical success factors (CSFs) is more important in the construction firms than other industries, because the majority of construction organizations are confusing related to TQM CSFs, and often they do not develop a proper framework with right and essential factors for TQM implementation. Numerous studies showed construction companies usually fail to implement TQM and achieve performance excellence at project and enterprise levels. The main purpose of this study is to determine these factors as critical success factors of TQM implementation in construction industry. For this aim, the study carried out an extensive literature review to specify the most frequently used CSFs from TQM frameworks of 37 empirical studies in different industries, in order to propose a set of appropriate TQM CSFs. So, Pareto analysis was employed to analyze comprehensively the 37 TQM frameworks. Finally, the findings of this study revealed the seven CSFs, which are as most vital elements in developing an effective model for successful TQM implementation in construction industry.

BIM in Malaysian Construction Industry: Status, Advantages, Barriers and Strategies to Enhance the Implementation Level

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a new approach of construction design. It does not only facilitate the digital representation for designs but also provides all the necessary information for any project before it is constructed. Despite this advantage, the adoption of BIM in Malaysian construction is very low. Motivated by this, current study has focused on assessing current status of BIM implementation in Malaysian construction industry. It has also investigated advantages and disadvantages together with barriers to implementations of BIM and proposing effective strategies for enhancing the BIM implementation in construction industry. Investigation was done through survey where 150 questionnaire forms were distributed and 95 completed forms received back were analyzed with Average Index (AI) and Relative Importance Index (RII) method. Findings of the study revealed that the rate of BIM implementation in construction industry is very low. Major advantages of BIM are improved scheduling, improved drawing coordinated, controlling time and cost and singe detailed model. Enhanced collaboration, requires coordinated drawing, interoperability are the major disadvantages and limitations of BIM. Major barriers to low level of BIM implementation are lack of competent staff to operate the software, unawareness of the technology and non availability of parametric library. Provision of trial software, training of construction staff and introducing of BIM in university curriculum are very effective strategies in enhancing the implementation of BIM.