Construction Industry Participants Research Articles

Study of Real Options with Exogenous Competitive Entry to Analyze Dispute Resolution Ladder Investments in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Projects

Architecture, engineering, and construction industry participants often find it pragmatic to implement a project-specific dispute resolution ladder (DRL) as a managerial tool to assist in the prompt resolution of claims and change orders (CCOs) that might arise during the project construction phase. This project-specific DRL consists of a single or multiple alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques that require capital expenditures to cover the expenses incurred by the owner’s/contractor’s employees and third-party neutrals. If a project-specific DRL is properly chosen, then the capital expenditures are outweighed by the expected benefits from the DRL implementation; namely, prompt resolution of the CCOs without incurring excessive cost overruns on an already financially stressed project budget, as well as avoiding the escalation of the claims to a dispute that requires long protracted litigation for final settlement. Typically, the decision as to which ADR techniques to include in the project-speci...

Manageability of stress among construction project participants

PurposeThe purpose is to report the results of research on ascertaining whether the various stakeholders in construction projects can adequately cope with the stresses they are confronting.Design/methodology/approachThirty‐three stressors covering various aspects of project implementation, such as organisation policies, working relationships, communication and personal factors, are identified and the manageability of the common stressors faced by management of construction projects in Hong Kong is assessed by means of a questionnaire survey. The relationships among individual stressors are similarly examined. The extent to which stress effects combine and accumulate when related stressors coexist is also considered.FindingsIt is shown that the most difficult stressors to manage are “bureaucracy”, “lack of opportunity to learn new skills”, “work‐family conflicts” and “different view from superiors”. The results also revealed that the patterns of stress manageability differ between clients, consultants and contractors. The relationships among individual stressors are similarly examined. The extent to which stress effects combine and accumulate when related stressors coexist is also considered.Originality/valueThe research reported constitutes a significant step towards the understanding and management of potentially stressful situations and their influence on the efficiency and effectiveness of construction industry participants.

The effect of first aid training on Australian construction workers' occupational health and safety knowledge and motivation to avoid work-related injury or illness

A 24 week experiment was conducted to assess the effect of first aid training on small business construction industry participants' understanding of occupational health and safety (OHS) risks and risk controls and their motivation to avoid occupational injuries and illnesses. Participants' subjective understandings of OHS risks, options for risk control and motivation to control OHS risks were explored during in-depth interviews before and after receipt of first aid training. Interview data revealed that, other than raising awareness of the risk of infectious diseases, the first aid training did not increase participants' understandings of the nature or severity of specific OHS risks relevant to their work. First aid training appeared to reduce participants' ‘self-other’ bias, making them more aware that their experience of OHS risks was not beyond their control but that their own behaviour was also an important factor in the avoidance of occupational injury and illness. First aid training also appeared to reduce participants' willingness to accept prevailing levels of OHS risk. Participants' understandings of methods by which OHS risks can be controlled were unchanged by the first aid training and are limited to individual controls. First aid training did appear to increase participants' perception of the probability that they would suffer a work related injury or illness and they also expressed greater concern about taking risks at work after receiving first aid training. It therefore appears that first aid training enhanced participants' motivation to avoid occupational injuries and illnesses.

The effect of first aid training on objective safety behaviour in Australian small business construction firms

A 24 week experiment was conducted to determine the effect of first aid training on the occupational health and safety behaviour of participants in small business construction firms in Australia. A purposeful sample of 22 small business construction industry participants was identified. A simplified multiple baseline across workplace settings experimental design was used to introduce first aid training to workplace settings on a staggered basis. Objective measurement of occupational health and safety behaviour was conducted, by a researcher directly observing the workplace, before and after participants received first aid training. Individual performance was measured using a 14-item ‘individual safety measure’ (ISM) and global safety performance was measured using a 21-item ‘global site safety measure’ (GSSM). Pre-training and post-training performance scores for each category of safety performance were analysed using paired samples t-tests. The results were mixed. Performance improved in three of the four categories of safety performance measured by both the GSSM and ISM. The statistical significance of these improvements varied between performance categories. The results suggest that first aid training has a positive effect on occupational health and safety behaviour in Australian construction industry small businesses in the categories of personal protective equipment and housekeeping.

A study of the factors affecting construction durations in Hong Kong

This is the second phase of an investigation into the significant factors influencing construction duration of projects in Hong Kong. The results of the first phase led to the conclusion that larger samples were justified to investigate further the discerned relationships. Expanded samples were obtained in this second phase by adding some reported data from Hong Kong projects to the original surveyed sample. The second phase of this study also further investigates the relationships between different project characteristic variables such as the construction duration, construction cost, total gross floor area and the number of storeys in the case of buildings. Moreover, a case study on plant utilization level and site labour productivity was carried out on a building site to explore the ‘micro-factors’ that affect construction durations. The findings are of importance to all construction industry participants as the derived models help to estimate the construction duration of a project on the basis of significant macro project parameters. Additionally, the results of the case study indicate the contribution of significantly variable site productivity levels to overall construction duration and suggest an agenda for future investigations. A third phase of this study is planned incorporating more detailed data collection and analysis of significant factors, as well as international comparisons where possible.

Investigation into Construction Disputes

This paper reports the results of an investigation that was conducted to assess professional opinion regarding the course of construction disputes, the types of owners most often involved in disputes, the attorney’s role in dispute resolution and the keys for avoiding disputes. The information presented is the result of 30 structured interviews: Ten with contractors, ten with design professionals, and ten with attorneys. All interviews were conducted in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. The findings are as follows: Some construction industry participants are unwilling to accept risk. When unexpected poor results occur, a dispute often develops; and, since construction is an inherently risky business, there are many disputes. Private owners or owners with construction expertise are less likely to be involved in a dispute. Construction experience is a desirable qualification for an attorney who will be involved in construction dispute resolution. Construction disputes may be avoided by using good management techniques regarding people, policy, and communications.

DISCON: an expert system for the analysis of differing site conditions claims

The construction industry not only presents problems of engineering, but legal problems as well. Litigation and claims in construction are consuming an ever larger share of the energy and resources of construction industry participants. An artificially intelligent expert system called DISCON is presented, which is designed to give legal advice to design and construction engineers as well as contractors and owners concerning Different Site Conditions claims. DISCON development is discussed, and its features are outlined.