Major Construction Research Articles

Exploring stationary and major modular construction challenges in developing countries: a case study of Egypt

Purpose This study aims to identify the most significant barriers and the stationary barrier to modular construction (MC) implementation and promote MC widespread use. By doing so, the construction industry can leverage the benefits of MC, such as faster construction times, improved quality control, reduced waste and increased sustainability. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a Gini’s mean analysis approach to identify the stationary barriers hindering the MC adoption in residential projects. The research focuses on the Egyptian context and uses a questionnaire survey to gather data from professionals in the construction industry. Findings According to the survey findings, the top five significant MC barriers are inability to modify the design; contractors asking for high bidding prices (higher initial cost); scepticism, conservation and resistance of clients to innovation and change; transportation restrictions; and lack of a one-size-fits-all tool for the design. In addition, Gini’s mean of dispersion demonstrated that the stationary barrier that faces MC adoption is the apprehension that architectural creativity will suffer because of MC. Practical implications The identified obstacles could be useful for decision makers in countries that have not yet adopted MC and may aid in the planning process to manage the risks associated with MC projects. The paper stresses the significance of devising techniques to overcome these barriers and proposes several methods to tackle these challenges. Originality/value This study fills the knowledge gap by identifying the stationary barrier and emphasising the potential risks associated with MC barriers. Furthermore, it suggests several strategies for overcoming and reducing these barriers in developing countries residential projects.

Investigating The Stakeholders' Attitudes Towards Prioritizing Agile Project Management Strategies as A Change Management Tool in Construction Projects

Construction projects face several problems in order to achieve their goals (time – cost – quality) especially since it has many inputs such as materials, labor and machinery. Measuring these goals in the money language is the key to their integration, so reducing costs is an important aspect of any project. One of the ways to reduce costs is to focus on how to avoid implementation problems and the financial implications of it. Several factors including irregular financial flows, poor management due to the lack of programs that support the administrative awareness of projects, financial and administrative instability, poor control and supervision, unskilled labor, insufficient machinery, inappropriate timing for the arrival of materials, changes in the construction conditions, lack of clarity of specifications, insufficient preparation during the pre-implementation stages, imposed regulations and laws, and other factors that contribute to problems in the implementation of major national projects. This study aimed to enhance the general understanding concerning the factors that affect the adoption of APM strategies in construction industry. The research relied on the inductive-analytical approach through conducting a questionnaire among stakeholders to analyze major development construction projects which can be benefited from applying the concept of agility to reduce project failure, then presenting and analyzing results of the survey questionnaire conducted with a sample of Egyptian design and construction firms to investigate their perception and application of prioritizing agile project management strategies as a change management tool in construction. The results of the thesis suggested that the Agile methodology is likely to yield significant benefits, primarily characterized by enhanced client engagement. The Agile approach significantly encourages increased customer engagement in the project as opposed to the current scenario. Additionally, it has the potential to reduce uncertainty and enhance risk management. The implementation of time management techniques and regular meetings is advantageous in monitoring the development and status of the project.

Toxic Leadership Driven by WB Donor Group (OHS): Implications for Managing a Dam Project in Pakistan

This is a research paper that is focused on assessing toxic leadership impacts of a WB Donor group (OHS) on a major Dam construction project in Pakistan. An interpretive methodology was utilised in order to assist in understanding the level, intensity and impact leadership on the project. The scope for this research was the on-site supervisory team. The targeted population of interest was made up of 16 lower-managers/engineers located at one on-site main office during the construction phase of a Dam project. The research outcomes comprised of four 4 main-themes and the corresponding 17 sub-themes, with 259 discussion targets. The research outcome raises substantial issues associated with the toxic leadership of a WB Donor group and addresses these implications that affect the project construction internal/external stakeholder management. The project appears to be run by the WB Donor group through “Munchausen syndrome by proxy” where unprofessional dogma is the focus of the management operations. This is also indicated by the leveraging the management of one project, to provide finance for another project, which is reinforced through toxic leadership.

Evaluation of the optimal concrete mix design with coconut shell ash as a partial cement replacement

Concrete is a major construction material with a significant environmental impact. Among other materials, coconut shell ash could be used as a partial replacement of cement to produce sustainable concrete. This study aimed to investigate the use of coconut shell ash as a partial cement replacement to reduce the environmental impact whilst achieving the predefined structural performance of concrete. The fresh, hardened and microstructural properties were investigated, and a life cycle assessment within the product stage was conducted in this study. When considering 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% replacement level concrete mixes, compressive strength was 27.31 MPa, 26.94 MPa, 25.60 MPa and 21.40 MPa at 28 days and environmental impact reduction in global warming potential were over 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% respectively. Based on the structural performance and environmental impact, 20% was the optimal replacement level. Therefore, cement can be replaced by coconut shell ash up to 20% to achieve the average target compressive strength as 25 MPa by reducing the environmental impact in global warming potential over 15%.

Analysis of Major Selection Under the Background of Enrollment in Large Category

By using questionnaire survey and Logit regression analysis, this paper explores the influencing factors of students' major choice under the background of enrollment in large category, and draws the following conclusions: personal professional endowment, family, teacher guidance and major construction level have significant influence on students' major choice, and there are great differences between comprehensive universities and local professional universities. Some suggestions are put forward in shaping personal qualities and environment, strengthening professional construction, and expanding the space for professional selection.

THE SUITABILITY OF EXISTING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS FORMS FOR BIM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Numerous major construction projects suffer from cost and schedule overruns. In addition, the potential for conflict between project participants, for example due to changes in performance, additional services or ambiguities in the contract, has increased substantially in recent years, while at the same time the ability to resolve conflicts quickly has declined significantly. In the context of digitization, Building Information Modeling (BIM) represents a way of implementing projects more efficiently and satisfactorily for all parties involved. With the method, "risks can be significantly minimized, construction times considerably shortened and costs noticeably reduced". In order to make the most of the advantages of the BIM method, the choice of a suitable form of construction contract is of decisive importance. Within the research conducted at the University of Wuppertal, characteristic features of conventional and alternative forms of construction contracts as well as management concepts were examined and the respective advantages and disadvantages were compared with regard to the criteria identified. In addition, the construction contract forms and management concepts were also examined and evaluated for compatibility with the BIM method. The result of this investigation shows a scoring model. It includes both the nationally established construction contract forms of individual award with unit price contract as well as alternative forms such as the Framework Alliance Contract-1 with the concept of value engineering. The result of the study should encourage clients to consider alternative forms of construction contracts in order to be able to design construction projects more efficiently.

Earthwork digital twin for teleoperation of an automated bulldozer in edge dumping

AbstractThe unstructured construction site with a complex and changeable environment brings challenges to human–machine interaction. In this study, the earthwork digital twin (DT) is proposed to realize accurate and real‐time perception, which can support the teleoperation of an automated bulldozer. The overall framework includes anterior‐time DT, real‐time DT, and posterior‐time DT, which integrates three‐dimensional modeling, edge detection, and blade trajectory algorithms. Multidimensional heterogeneous data in bulldozer teleoperation can be displayed in real‐time to ensure construction safety. Big data during teleoperation of the construction process can be collected, stored, and analyzed. The DT proposed in this study was successfully applied in a major construction project in China, and testing results show its universality, robustness, and advanced performance. The key technologies proposed in this study can be applied to solve the common problems in the construction industry, which is promising for future intelligent construction.

Carbon Emissions Due to Construction of Building Using Cement-Stabilized Compressed Earth Bricks and Comparison with Conventional Fired Earth Bricks

Carbon emission from human activities including civil engineering constructions has been a major global environmental issue. The emissions due to the use of conventional fired earth bricks (CFEB) in the construction industry are significantly larger, and a large number of researches have been devoted to developing viable alternatives to the uses of CFEB in the construction industry to achieve a low-carbon society. This research investigated carbon emissions due to the use of cement-stabilized compressed earth blocks (CSCEB) in place of CFEB in the construction of a community building in Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot, using the standard tools and methods by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines. Also, the Bilan Carbone tool was used. Then the emission results of the two cases (CSCEB and CFEB) were compared from different perspectives. Among the considered major emission sectors, the construction materials sector contributed the highest carbon emissions in both bricks. Results indicate that CSCEB requires lower quantities of cement, sand, and aggregates compared to CFEB. Major construction materials contribute significantly to carbon emissions, with CSCEB showing a 1.7 times lower impact than CFEB. The total carbon emissions for CSCEB and CFEB were 160.97 and 206.42 Tons of CO2 equivalents in this study. That is, the total carbon emission from CFEB construction was about 1.3 times of the CSCEB. Furthermore, the direct emissions in both cases were almost the same, while the 1.4 times larger emission in the case of CFEB was the sole contribution of indirect emissions. The results of this study once again demonstrated that CSCEB can be an alternative to CFEB in the construction industry to achieve the objective of a low-carbon society.

Introduction of business continuity plan for small and medium-sized local construction companies and restoration activities in Japan in the event of natural disasters

In recent years, Japan has suffered significant damage due to natural disasters such as major earthquakes and flood Construction companies are expected to play an important role during natural disasters and respond quickly and restore infrastructure. The first author runs a small local construction company in Okayama, Japan. During a flood in 2011 at Okayama, the embankment restoring site turned extremely dangerous for workers. At this juncture, the first author, in the capacity of a company manager, identified the safety and administrative issues, and in 2013, the company began to implement BCP. When there was heavy flooding in Okayama in 2017, they supported the administration in recovery operations based on their BCP. The impact of BCP is to be acknowledged as the emergency operations were safer and timelier. BCP of the company has been continuously improved, and they were invited to join infrastructure recovery activities in the disaster area of Great East Japan Earthquake in 2019. The area is not the usual business region of the company, but 1,000 km away. There is a high requirement for human resources and equipment for emergency and recovery activities immediately after a disaster. Most of the construction companies are small and locally based in Japan, and several resources available at the construction site itself for initial recovery activities. It is desirable to prepare a plan so that the affected companies themselves can respond. The main tasks are the training of personnel to provide guidance and support for BCP, and the development of systems and laws that can actively support activities. By capturing accurate information on resources of local construction companies, their capability and response speed during an emergency can be improved. It is also necessary to create a system to receive support from other companies or organizations in case self-help is difficult or insufficient.

Justification of vaulted structures of the Kyiv underground station as design in terms of shallow foundation

Purpose. Analysis of the effectiveness and competitiveness of single-span vaulted structures for shallow-depth underground stations. The following objectives were set to achieve the aim: 1. Technical and economic comparison of the proposed designs for shallow-depth underground stations. 2. Calculation of the load-bearing capacity of the structure. The methods. The following methods were employed to address the stated objectives: Calculation of volumes and costs of major construction works for station construction using different designs (at a depth of 0.75 meters). Determination of normal forces and bending moments at the joints of the structure. Findings. During the research, the stress state of the vault blocks was determined by solving a system of 11 linear equations, taking into account vertical and horizontal loads, as well as stress at the rock interface at the joint level. A technical and economic analysis was also conducted using aggregated indicators, indicating the competitive advantages of the proposed designs among single-span structures for shallow-depth underground stations. The originality. Correlations found lies in substantiating the effectiveness of the designs and implementing various configurations of single-span vaulted stations for shallow-depth metro construction. Practical implementation. Based on the technical and economic analysis of the options presented in Tables 2 and 3, it can be observed that compared to the first variant, the third variant incurs reduced costs of monolithic concrete. Additionally, there is no need to deviate from the planned track route during the construction of support tunnels and, consequently, manipulate the rings of the structure. Furthermore, the structural features of the third variant allow for the passage of a larger-sized mechanized tunneling complex compared to the first and second variants. The obtained results from the calculations, in combination with the conducted technical and economic comparison and justification of the proposed designs, indicate that the proposed single-span vaulted station designs with an island platform type fully satisfy the engineering and geological conditions, possess sufficient load-bearing capacity, and are competitive among single-span structures for shallow-depth underground stations.

Navigating toward net zero by 2050: Drivers, barriers, and strategies for net zero carbon buildings in an emerging market

Net zero carbon buildings (NZCBs) are a promising solution for decarbonizing the built environment, addressing climate change, and enhancing the quality of life for building occupants. However, the uptake of NZCBs has been slow, and the feasibility remains unclear, especially in emerging markets. This paper seeks to examine the feasibility of NZCBs by analyzing the drivers, barriers, and strategies in Ghana, a typical emerging market. First, a thorough literature review was conducted. Then, comprehensive opinions on the feasibility of NZCBs were gathered through a survey and an in-depth panel discussion with major construction industry stakeholders. The study systematically identified key drivers and barriers, covering economic, legislative, skills and knowledge, industry, market, and cultural factors. Economic drivers were perceived as the most significant for promoting NZCBs, followed by the legislative drivers. Moreover, financial barriers were identified as critical factors hindering the adoption of NZCBs, followed by skill and knowledge barriers. Interestingly, this study identified that skill and knowledge barriers are more critical than legislative ones, which have been prioritized in many previous studies. Enhancing industry and public awareness, adequate building regulations and policies, and capacity building were identified as essential strategies to stimulate the adoption of NZCBs. A comprehensive framework of strategies for promoting NZCBs development was proposed. The study's findings could aid policymakers and stakeholders in better understanding the NZCB concept in order to formulate adequate decarbonization action plans for the built environment. Moreover, the study offers valuable guidance for further research to explore the net zero built environment field.

A systems approach to biosecurity pays off: a case study investigating introduction pathways and interceptions of non-indigenous species at a biosecurity border

Introduction pathway studies generally describe the diverse routes by which non-indigenous species (NIS) can be introduced but rarely consider multiple introduction pathways occurring simultaneously. In this study, multiple pathways of NIS introduction were investigated during an industrial development on a remote island off the Australian coast. Fifteen introduction pathways were categorized in association with importing locality and the type of cargo they transported. The number and types of detection events for each introduction pathway were recorded during biosecurity inspections, cargo clearances, and surveillance conducted between 2009 and 2015. In total, more than 600,000 biosecurity inspections were completed, with 5,328 border detection events recorded constituting less than 1% of the biosecurity inspections. The border inspection events were classified as animals, plant material, soil, and organic matter, with 60% identified as dead or non-viable and 40% as alive. Of those detections, 2153 were classified as NIS, consisting of 659 identified species. Live NIS detected at the border constituted only 2% of the detections. Cargo vessel and inward-bound passenger numbers peaked during the major construction period and were associated with an increase in the number of live NIS detections. All introduction pathways have complexities, unique structural aspects, and niche areas that supported NIS in surviving the effects of treatment and evading detection during the mandatory compliance inspection. This study highlights that biosecurity incursions can be minimized if a systems approach is adopted to complement traditional and other biosecurity surveillance measures.

Forecasting Sea Level Rise-driven Inundation in Diked and Tidally Restricted Coastal Lowlands

Diked and drained coastal lowlands rely on hydraulic and protective infrastructure that may not function as designed in areas with relative sea-level rise. The slow and incremental loss of the hydraulic conditions required for a well-drained system make it difficult to identify if and when the flow structures no longer discharge enough water, especially in tidal settings where two-way flows occur through the dike. We developed and applied a hydraulic mass-balance model to quantify how water levels in the diked and tidally restricted coastal wetlands and water bodies dynamically respond to sea-level rise, specifically applied to the Herring River Estuary in MA, USA, from 2020 to 2100. Sensitivity testing of the model parameters indicated that primary outcomes were not sensitive to many of the chosen input values, though the terrestrial water input rate to the estuary and the flow coefficient for the hydraulic infrastructure were important. The relative importance of parameters, however, is expected to be site specific. We introduced a drainability metric that quantifies the net water volume drained over every tidal cycle to monitor and forecast how rising water levels on either side of the dike affected the net draining or impounding conditions of the system. Ensembles of model results across parameter and sea-level scenario uncertainties indicated that substantial impoundment of the Herring River Estuary was expected within ~ 20 years with the existing flow structures, a sluice and two flap gates. Simulations with up to three additional gates did not dampen this trend toward impoundment, suggesting that rising impounded water levels are likely even with major construction upgrades. Increasingly impounded diked coastal waterbodies present a hydrologic challenge with socioecological implications due to projected flooding and ecosystem impacts. Solutions to this challenge may be to allow coastal wetland restoration pathways or require substantial and recurring infrastructure improvement projects.

Structural properties and temperature effect of sintered fly ash pellets concrete

In order to create a sustainable environment, it is essential to use industrial waste as a building construction material. For a growing nation like India, Fly Ash (FA) as a waste produced abundantly from the thermal power plants is always a significant problem. Sintered fly ash pellets produced form fly ash can be utilized as coarse aggregate in concrete, which will be considered beneficial towards sustainability of the natural resources. This current research attempts to examine the temperature effects on the structural behaviour of the concrete made from sintered fly pellets as a replacement of coarse aggregate. As sintered fly ash pellets make the concrete lighter in comparison to natural coarse aggregate concrete, the structural properties such as load deflection behaviour of beam and mechanical properties need to be investigated. In addition to structural properties, it is also essential to explore durability aspect of the same. Experimental investigation revealed that formation of shear crack is generated earlier in FA sintered pellet concrete beam in comparison to natural coarse aggregate concrete beam. However, FA pellet concrete performs better in compressive strength, split tensile strength, whereas flexural strength shows inferior strengths. Durability test that involved exposure to higher temperatures (90 °C, 180 °C & 250 °C) provides good compressive strength in case of fly ash pallet concrete. But one outstanding achievement is that the rate of gaining of strength increases from 7 days to 28 days is faster than control mix. The experimental observation recommended that FA sintered pellet concrete should be utilized in case of lighter weight concrete wherever required rather than in major structural element construction.

Village Lunatics

Village Lunatics

Safety Measures Implemented at Site during COVID-19: A Case from Nepal

Purpose: The situation has been unexpectedly bad with the rise of the global pandemic Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Construction industry has been struck with the challenges like human fatalities, decrease in labor productivity, disrupted material supply, and an unsafe working environment due to COVID. However, some of the major construction projects in the Koshi Province of Nepal were in operation even during COVID. The research aims to compare the safety measures implemented at the site during COVID-19 of Birat chowk- Ghinaghat and Kisan Chowk – Tandi – Ramite khola Road Upgrading Project. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data related to Safety Management Practices of construction projects at pre-COVID and COVID phases were collected by questionnaire survey. Data related to safety practices was collected through a checklist during field observation, questionnaire survey as well as key informant interview. The obtained data were analyzed using statistical tools such as correlation analysis and also general descriptive statistical tools and content analysis were performed. Findings/Result: The safety practices adopted during COVID, both the construction projects were found to have adopted similar measures of precautions to maintain workplace safety. On the other hand, Kisanchowk- Tandi- Ramite Road Upgrading Project seems to be less affected by the pandemic as several indicators remained neutral as compared to earlier conditions. The basic approaches such as masks, face shields, social distancing, hand washing, and sanitization were found to be practiced whereas higher preventions like vaccination for workers, and provision of COVID insurance was not practiced. This indicated that the contractor primarily focused on work completion disregarding the safety of workers at the workplace. On the other hand general safety provisions were found different on comparing the two projects as on seven studied parameters, different parameters were found to be highly differing in rank. Originality/Value: A Comparative assessment of safety during COVID-19 highlights the preparedness needed in a similar pandemic. Paper Type: Research paper

Exploration and Practice of the "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" Innovative Talents Training Mode in Forensic Medicine.

Talent is one of the basic and strategic supports for building a modern socialist country in all aspects. Since the 1980s, the establishment of forensic medicine major and the cultivation of innovative talents in forensic medicine have become hot topics in higher education in forensic medicine. Over the past 43 years, the forensic medicine team of Shanxi Medical University has adhered to the joint education of public security and colleges, and made collaborative innovation, forming a training mode of "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" for innovative talents in forensic medicine. It has carried out "5+3/X" integrated reform, and formed a relatively complete talent training innovation mode and management system in teaching, scientific research, identification, major, discipline, team, platform and cultural construction. It has made a historic contribution to China's higher forensic education, accumulated valuable experience for the construction of first-class major and first-class discipline of forensic medicine, and provided strong support for the construction of the national new forensic talent training system. The popularization of this training mode is conducive to the rapid and sustainable development of forensic science, and provides more excellent forensic talents for national building, regional social development and the discipline construction of forensic science.

A review of environmental emissions from asphalt plants and paving

Asphalt is a black, thermoplastic, hydrocarbon material extracted from crude oil and widely used in road construction all over the world. In order to meet the requirements of construction technology, asphalt always needs to be heated to flow state in the process of mixing and paving, during which a large amount of asphalt fume is released. Asphalt fume is a complex mixture of inorganic compound gases, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, which poses a serious threat to the natural environment and the health of practitioners. This review presents HMA and WMA constituents and the potential health effects of criteria and Hazardous pollutants generated from asphalt pavement construction. Hot mix asphalt (HMA) and warm mix asphalt (WMA)are a major construction materials used for highway roads, building roads, airport runways, parking, and other pavement repairs in the worldwide. During HMA construction, a considerable number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are generated during asphalt pavement construction, and present negative effects on workers health. Accurate identification, quantification and measurement of emissions during HMA and WMA paving operations were used to identify and quantify VOCs, SVOCs, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in asphalt fumes during production and paving activities.

An Exploration of How to Carry out Introductory Course Civics on Artificial Intelligence in the Construction of National First-class Major

This paper explores the integration of ideological and political education in the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course within the context of first-class major construction. It discusses innovative teaching methods, such as case studies, teamwork, and classroom discussions, aimed at fostering students' ideological and political qualities. By analyzing teaching practices and research, the study demonstrates the unique and feasible nature of civic education innovation in applied undergraduate institutions. The findings offer valuable insights for the reform and innovation of AI introductory courses in thinking and politics education, ultimately enhancing students' comprehensive quality and meeting the demands of educational reform.

Effect on mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete by addition of polypropylene fibers

Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) is an innovative solution in construction industry which is manufactured to replace ordinary concrete. Ordinary concrete is considered as a major construction material around the globe, but cement involved in its production contributes about 5% of world’s total carbon dioxide emissions. GPC uses alternative materials such as Fly Ash (FLA), GGBS as a replacement for cement. These materials are waste by-products of thermal and coal industries and using those materials results in reduction of overall carbon footprint. However, research shows that overall embodied energy generated by GPC is greater than traditional concrete due to extensive use of elevated curing methodology. Alkaline Binder Solutions are used as a major binder material in the process. The research incorporated addition of Polypropylene Fibers (PF) into GPC because of its high tensile capacity and crack resistance ability. Further, the research investigated mechanical properties of GPC such as Compressive Strength (CS) and Flexural Strength (FS) through varying proportions of PF from 0 to 5%, by weight respectively. Simultaneously, the research also focused on physical properties of GPC like density. CS and FS were tested conforming to the requirements of IS: 516. Moreover, a Compression Testing Machine and an Automatic Flexural Testing Machine having respective capacities of 3000kN and 300kN were used for testing CS and FS. The research findings show the addition of fibers increases FS by 49% in M6 mix which contained 5% of polypropylene fibers. However, the CS of GPC was affected negatively by the addition of PF for M6 mix, it reduced to 46% in comparison to Mix M1 with 0% fibers. Physical properties of concrete such as density also got negatively affected by the inclusion of PF. At the end of the research, Mix M3 which contained 2% PF was found more reliable than other mix proportions.