Construction Process Of Project Research Articles

Digital technologies and data-driven delay management process for construction projects

One of the main challenges of construction projects is managing delays; there is still a lot to overcome to reach near-zero delays (mitigation of delays) in all construction projects. Technology and different platforms are applied to support a high volume of data flow acquired from multiple resources during the construction project life cycle; how can these automated and digital progress tracking systems be considered for more effective construction delay management? The aim is to investigate the current state of real-time technologies and their applications and assess how specific attributes of these disruptive technologies can significantly alter delay management in construction industries. Therefore, this study presents a new process-based framework for using technologies with a data lifecycle viewpoint. This research uses a four-step systematic literature review involving identification, screening, extortion-eligibility check, and selection-inclusion. Furthermore, it is followed up by a thematic content analysis on using new technologies to mitigate delays in construction projects. Key trends, themes, areas of concern for research, and limitations identified in previous literature as research gaps and future needs were documented and structured. This work presents a novel process of comprehensive classification of real-time technologies that are being used in the construction industry to acquire data, screen/analyses data, and present information through an Industry 4.0 application: IoT technologies such as sensors, RFID etc., smartphones, planning/scheduling tools (Ms Project, Primavera), and Building Information Modelling (BIM). The developed process-based framework is served as a roadmap to 1) centralise real-time communication between technologies to collect, analysis and presentation data in construction phase, 2) prepare timely reports for project managers to take proper action against those problems delaying project.

Evaluating quality management of road construction projects: a Delphi study

PurposeThere are various methods to assess the failure of a road construction project that does not meet quality and performance standards. This study aims to evaluate the factors affecting the quality management of road construction projects in Indonesia by identifying the critical challenges in implementing quality management processes and examining the countermeasures to address these problems.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, the quality management processes in Indonesian road construction projects are evaluated using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. Quantitative data obtained from two rounds of Delphi questionnaire surveys as the primary data source, and focus group interviews as the qualitative data are used to achieve the aims of this study.FindingsIt is found that from as early as in the preconstruction stage of a project, the availability of quality standards and documentation is problematic when implementing quality management processes. The critical factor of the quality control activities of a project and the quality management roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders during road construction is the project team. This constraint deals with the interaction of the competency, commitment, and mutual cooperation among the main stakeholders to ensure that quality management processes are implemented. This implementation is a part of controlling the road pavement materials, supervising the project activities according to a specified standard, and reporting the project performance. The findings of this study add parameters relating to quality management and quality processes in a road construction project area.Originality/valueThis study is the first to evaluate the quality management processes in the construction of Indonesian road projects. The investigation identifies and evaluates the causes of the persistence of poor road quality. All revealed constraints are substantial factors that hinder the implementation of quality management processes when delivering quality road products. This study addresses the key influencing factors and scenarios related to quality management during road construction projects in Indonesia and other developing countries as practical examples and provides case-based insights for construction practitioners and civil engineering academics in developed countries.

Editorial: Special Issue on Smart and Green Infrastructures with Optimum Life Cycle Solutions

Editorial: Special Issue on Smart and Green Infrastructures with Optimum Life Cycle Solutions

Burden of proof beyond the triple bottom line: Mapping the benefits of circular construction

Circular construction is considered a sustainable construction technique and philosophy to decouple construction activities from the depletion of virgin materials and minimize the enormous environmental impact of the construction industry. Many construction clients and stakeholders have been seduced by the purported benefits of circular construction, often based on expectations and speculations. Unsubstantiated claims about expected benefits subvert the justification and benefits realization process in circular construction projects. Therefore, this study reviewed and mapped the benefits of circular construction. The review identified eighty-six (86) reported, claimed, and speculative benefits of circular construction. The study derived six broad taxonomies of the benefits, comprising environmental benefits, economic benefits, social benefits, business benefits, technological benefits and legislative benefits. Though the findings suggest that circular construction offers benefits beyond the traditional triple bottom line of sustainability, “environmental benefits”, “economic benefits”, and “social benefits” remained the top three cited taxonomies of circular construction benefits. A Pareto analysis revealed fifty-five (55) vital benefits of circular construction, comprising 15 environmental, 13 economic, 10 social, 7 business, 4 technological, and 6 legislative benefits. The study further documented the significant flaws and shortcomings of the existing literature, especially the quantitative benefit studies. Thus, the review findings provide an integrated understanding of the possible benefits of circular construction and documented strategies to reliably quantify and prove the benefits.

Assessing the Impact of Delay of Shop Drawing Process in Construction Projects

Assessing the Impact of Delay of Shop Drawing Process in Construction Projects

Construction Schedule Management System for Large-Scale Construction Projects Based on Multisensor Network.

As an important task of construction project management, construction schedule management is related to the realization of project period, cost, quality, and other objectives. However, in actual construction, problems such as difficulties in plan implementation and management are often encountered, and schedule delays often occur. Moreover, with the increase in the scale and complexity of modern buildings, the management of construction schedules has brought about larger issues and higher requirements have been put forward for the management level of the construction schedule. The traditional timetable management and scheduling is not highly relevant to the project entity. There is no entity change, the project information loss is serious, the tracking and control of the construction timetable is not in place, there is fine management, and the construction timetable management cannot meet the needs of modern construction. In order to ensure the smooth implementation of projects and objectives, it is urgent to explore new management ideas and methods to promote the smooth progress of construction process management. BIM technology has the advantages of visibility, simulation, adjustment, optimization, and advanced data integration, which helps to make up for the shortcomings of previous schedule management and improve the level of construction schedule management. Based on the research situation of large-scale construction project monitoring system and the analysis of information fusion technology, this paper proposes a large-scale construction project monitoring system scheme based on multisensor network information fusion. Through the investigation of the monitoring content, the composition of the multisensor network is determined. This paper is applicable to large-scale construction projects. Through the research and design of hardware modules, software modules, and fusion algorithms, the data acquisition, transmission, calculation, and display functions of the monitoring system based on multisensor network information fusion are realized, which can effectively monitor the entire process of large-scale construction projects.

The efficient generation of 4D BIM construction schedules: A case study of the Nanterre 2 CESI project in France

Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be defined as a set of tools, processes and technologies that are enabled by a digital multi-dimensional representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a built asset. The ‘fourth’ dimension (4D BIM) incorporates time-related project information in the 3D model to simulate and optimise the project construction process. To achieve this, the 3D objects within the aggregated design model must be linked with each activity in the construction schedule. However, the levels of maturity and expertise in using BIM amongst the project participants still varies considerably. This generates collaboration problems within the project and adds further obstacles to the ability to derive full benefits from BIM. Ideally, 4D BIM can be automatically generated, but in reality, because the 3D and 4D models are created separately and at different stages of the project, this is not currently possible, and the process requires considerable manual effort. The research reported in this paper was prompted by the construction of a new training and research building: the Nanterre 2 CESI building in France. It proposes an efficient approach that minimises the effort of creating 4D BIM construction schedules. The CESI four-phase process aims to help project participants to fully exploit the potential of 4D BIM and enables: 1) a clear expression of the 4D BIM objectives; 2) the identification of information requirements and relevant workflows to achieve these objectives; 3) the implementation of a project schedule; and 4) BIM model production to suit the 4D BIM use case. Although the CESI approach was developed in the context of the French contracting system, the observations and conclusions of this study are intended to be generally applicable.

Construction Technology of Concrete Structure in Civil Engineering Building

In civil engineering, concrete plays a vital role, but for the construction technology of concrete, it is necessary to have a perfect management and supervision system to ensure the quality and ensure the smooth progress of the project, so as to improve the implementation process of construction projects. At present, most of the construction projects in China are large-scale composite buildings using concrete materials. Therefore, the implementation of concrete structures and the quality of construction technology are directly related to the quality of the whole project. It can be seen that concrete engineering plays a vital role in the whole construction project. However, as far as the current building projects are concerned, there are still many problems in the construction of concrete projects. Cracks also occur in the high-rise buildings. Cracks also exist in the bottom of high-rise buildings and the bottom of some bridges, which makes the buildings have potential safety hazards. This has to worry people.

Exploring the Application of BIM Technology in the Whole Process of Construction Cost Management with Computational Intelligence.

The construction industry is a labor-intensive industry in China. In recent years, as people's living standards have risen, so have their requirements for the functionality, appearance, and comfort of buildings. The amount of information attached to construction projects is also increasing, especially for some modern large-scale construction projects. Due to the long construction period and a large amount of information in the construction process, the difficulty of project engineering management has also increased significantly. At the same time, with the gradual development and improvement of China's market economy system, the prices of labor and materials in the construction industry continue to rise, and the huge consumption of energy and resources no longer meets the strategic requirements of sustainable development. Therefore, construction project cost management is facing a huge impact, the actual effect of construction project cost management work is not good, and the phenomenon of uncontrolled construction project investment commonly occurs. The use of BIM software to build a building information model can integrate information from all stages of the project and facilitate the participation and cooperation of all project entities. Cost management is carried out before the actual construction of the project, thus realizing the whole process of cost management and effectively avoiding the occurrence of actual costs exceeding the budget after the project is completed. The study analyses the suitability of applying BIM technology to the whole process of construction project cost management with computational intelligence and explains the value and advantages of BIM in the whole process of construction project cost management. On this basis, this research provides a specific analysis of the application of BIM technology in the process of cost management at various stages of the whole process of construction projects and thus puts forward suggestions that can solve the obstacles that may be encountered in the whole process of cost management of construction projects in China.

An approach for monitoring prefabricated building construction based on feature extraction and point cloud segmentation

PurposeConstruction schedule delays and quality problems caused by construction errors are common in the field of prefabricated buildings. The effective monitoring of the construction project process is one of the key factors for the success of a project. How to effectively monitor the construction process of prefabricated building construction projects is an urgent problem to be solved. Aiming at the problems existing in the monitoring of the construction process of prefabricated buildings, this paper proposes a monitoring method based on the feature extraction of point cloud model.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses Trimble X7 3D laser scanner to complete field data collection experiments. The point cloud data are preprocessed, and the prefabricated component segmentation and geometric feature measurement are completed based on the PCL platform. Aiming at the problem of noisy points and large amount of data in the original point cloud data, the preprocessing is completed through the steps of constructing topological relations, thinning, and denoising. According to the spatial position relationship and geometric characteristics of prefabricated frame structure, the segmentation algorithm flow is designed in this paper. By processing the point cloud data of single column and beam members, the quality of precast column and beam members is measured. The as-built model and as-designed model are compared to realize the visual monitoring of construction progress.FindingsThe experimental results show that the dimensional measurement accuracy of beam and column proposed in this paper is more than 95%. This method can effectively detect the quality of prefabricated components. In the aspect of progress monitoring, the visualization of real-time progress monitoring is realized.Originality/valueThis paper proposed a new monitoring method based on feature extraction of the point cloud model, combined with three-dimensional laser scanning technology. This method allows for accurate monitoring of the construction process, rapid detection of construction information, and timely detection of construction quality errors and progress delays. The treatment process based on point cloud data has strong applicability, and the real-time point cloud data transfer treatment can guarantee the timeliness of monitoring.

Research on Life-Cycle Project Cost Management Based on Random Matrix Weight Algorithm

The traditional project management in the construction industry has the uniqueness of exclusive customization, the irreversibility of the project, the immobility of the project address, the long-term nature of the project, and the dynamic nature of the project. Based on these characteristics, the complexity and difficulty of project management in the construction industry are determined. Modern engineering is no longer satisfied with the traditional basic needs, but develops in a green, environmental friendly and efficient way. On the one hand, the project is required to meet good use requirements and meet the most basic functional requirements. On the other hand, the project construction process is required to meet the requirements of green environmental protection and ecological harmony. Therefore, the maintenance cost and operation cost corresponding to modern projects have become the key to the sustainable and healthy development of the engineering construction industry. Based on this, this paper will take the construction industry as an example to fully analyze the current situation and existing problems faced by the current project cost management. Through the research on the full life-cycle project cost management mode of the construction industry, the random matrix weight algorithm is creatively introduced, and the adaptive full life-cycle project cost management extended target tracking algorithm is proposed, which cuts the corresponding full life-cycle project cost management model into multiple submodels, and the corresponding management subobjectives are constructed from the submodel, and the expansion status of the corresponding subobjectives is described and analyzed in detail using the inverse distribution description, so as to accurately estimate the effect and target weight coefficient required by the management subobjectives, and finally realize the efficient, reasonable and scientific operation of the construction industry’s whole life-cycle project cost management, so as to maximize economic benefits. An experimental verification is carried out for a specific construction company. The verification results show that the full life-cycle project cost management scheme based on random matrix weight algorithm proposed in this paper has obvious advantages in management efficiency, cost control, process control, and other aspects compared with the traditional management scheme.

Transformational approach to subcontractor selection using blockchain-enabled smart contract as trust-enhancing technology

The unethical practices of bid shopping and peddling during the subcontractor procurement process can reduce trust between the general contractor (GC) and subcontractors (Subs) and lead to low-quality work, claims and disputes, schedule delays, and cost overruns. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by developing a framework based on a blockchain-enabled smart contract system to address these unethical practices, thus establishing the subcontracting process grounded on system-based trust. The proposed framework is demonstrated through a pilot test, and a survey with construction professionals is conducted to validate its feasibility and effectiveness. The validation results show that the framework can prevent the aforementioned unethical practices and enable Subs to fairly compete for bid awards with proper budgets. Moreover, the validation demonstrates that the framework can enhance trust between the GC and Subs. Future studies should explore the implementation of this framework in the procurement process of real-world construction projects.

Analysis of the impact of safety hazards in construction project management and defensive measures

A construction project has the characteristics of a long-period and complex process. Moreover, the construction industry is also a high-risk industry, and there are all kinds of safety hazards in the construction process of construction projects. Therefore, safety management is the top priority. The good or bad safety management in the construction process is related to the construction progress and construction quality of construction projects and closely related to the personal safety of construction personnel. If the construction enterprise cannot provide a reliable guarantee of the quality and safety of the construction project, it will cause a severe impact on the construction enterprise. Therefore, in the construction process of construction projects, it is necessary to uphold the construction safety management principle of "safety first," which emphasizes construction safety and lays the foundation for higher construction quality in construction projects under the premise of ensuring safety.

Forecasting Construction Project Performance with Momentum Using Singularity Functions in LPS

Construction planning and control are crucial for project success. The last planner system (LPS) presents a proactive approach to plan and control production, designed to increase reliability and enhance the make-ready process. Several metrics guide the planning process at the macro level (master and phase scheduling) and the micro level (lookahead and weekly work planning). However, LPS still lacks a mathematical model that can systematically and continuously analyze such metrics, especially to forecast project performance. Moreover, there are no studies on the effect of the fluctuations of lookahead-planning LPS metrics on the metrics at the weekly work plan level. This research, therefore, proposed a new mathematical model using singularity functions, which are types of range-based expressions that track the different paths that each task can follow, from lookahead planning to weekly work planning, and evaluate LPS metrics. To assess project performance, the concept of momentum was introduced as the rate of change in metrics from week to week. Momentum was applied to the Tasks Made Ready (TMR) metric to predict the Percent Plan Complete (PPC). Through machine learning models, results show that momentum can predict PPC with over 93% correlation between actual and predicted PPC values. Data from actual construction execution in the United States were used to validate the proposed model. The contribution of this research lies in (1) conceiving a mathematical model method for project control; and (2) introducing the concept of momentum, which takes the rate of change of any metric into account, incorporated into the LPS for more reliable planning. The methodology proposed in this study can help industry better plan its projects and leverage the concept of momentum to better predict PPC, which is essential for every planning and control process in construction projects.

Effects of primary curing conditions and subsequent crumbling on properties of compacted soils treated with paper sludge ash-based stabilizers

Soil stabilization using paper sludge ash-based stabilizers (PSASs) has been developed as a technique for using the sustainable materials generated from industrial processes in construction projects. PSASs can be produced by insolubilizing the heavy metals in original paper sludge (PS) ash particles, i.e., the waste generated by the incineration of the PS discharged from paper mills. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the primary curing conditions and subsequent crumbling on the physical, compaction, and strength characteristics of PSAS-treated soils, using two types of PSASs with different water absorption and retention performances. For comparison, the same investigation was conducted on soils treated with blast furnace cement type B (BFCB). The experimental results revealed that, after crumbling, the PSAS-treated samples produced sand and gravel-like granules, regardless of the sealed or air primary curing conditions. In addition, the lower the water content at crumbling, the smaller the particle size. This was also true for the BFCB-treated samples. Consequently, the compaction test results demonstrated that, for one of the two types of PSASs, the dry densities of the PSAS-treated samples with sealed primary curing were almost the same as those without primary curing. The same trend was observed for the BFCB-treated samples. However, for the other type of PSAS, the dry densities of the PSAS-treated samples with sealed primary curing were lower than those without primary curing. This could be due to the difference in the degrees of disturbance caused by crumbling, depending on the type of PSAS. The rapid formation of hydrates in one type of PSAS may have significantly disturbed the treated samples owing to crumbling, resulting in a decrease in dry density. Finally, after secondary curing in a soaked environment, cone index tests were conducted on the PSAS- and BFCB-treated samples. The results indicated that the cone indices of the PSAS-treated samples with primary curing were higher or lower than those of the samples without primary curing, depending on the primary curing environment, number of curing days, and type of PSAS. The different trends, depending on the conditions, were considered to be caused by the combined effects of the “strength reduction owing to crumbling,” and “strength increase owing to water content reduction at compaction.” These mechanisms suggest that, for PSAS-treated soils with early strength development, the strength reduction caused by crumbling must be considered. However, for PSAS-treated soils with slow strength development, adjusting the water content of the treated soils through primary curing before compaction is an effective approach. Moreover, it is suggested that the curing conditions used for the laboratory mixtures be designed and set to reflect the field conditions and to minimize any discrepancies between the field and laboratory observations for the PSAS treatment.

A Predictive Analytics Framework for Mobile Crane Configuration Selection in Heavy Industrial Construction Projects

Predictive analytics have been used to improve efficiency and productivity in the construction industry by leveraging the insights from historical data with a variety of applications in project management. In the planning process of heavy industrial construction projects, mobile crane selection plays a critical role in the project’s success, and poor choice of mobile crane configurations can lead to unnecessary cost-overrun and delayed schedules. In this research, the authors propose a predictive analytics framework for crane configuration selection using combined heuristic search and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches for heavy industrial construction projects. The heuristic search allows the practitioners to select the crane configurations based on engineering rules, while the ANN model utilizes the historical project data to help select crane configurations. The K-fold cross-validation is conducted to validate the designed ANN model and improve the accuracy of predictions. The results from the cross-validation test set have shown 70% accuracy.

Optimization Algorithm of Engineering Project Design Based on BIM Method

BIM is a type of information technology that aims to improve collaboration and productivity by providing data analysis for the entire life cycle of a building. This paper investigates the development of a BIM-based engineering management model and the implementation of BIM-based engineering project information integration management based on BIM information collaboration by analyzing BIM integrated information and combining collaboration theory, engineering project management, and computer network collaboration and interaction theory. The use of BIM technology can effectively improve the control level and implementation efficiency of enterprise projects, reduce the rate of rework, and promote the continuous improvement of the industry’s capability and technology. The entire project operation, design, and construction process can be optimized and managed by using BIM technology to create a digital model.

Metro Engineering Project Schedule Optimization Based on Wireless Network Communication and BIM Model Algorithm

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is to create models based on various related information in construction projects and use simulation virtual technology to model actual building information. It is not only the integration of digital information but also the application of digital information in engineering construction. Digital models can be used to plan and simulate the whole process of construction projects scientifically and accurately. In the process of project construction, wireless network communication technology can provide a good basis for collaboration, which is essential for the control of project progress, task scheduling, and systematic communication between all parties. This article introduces the LTE wireless network communication technology and network coverage plan, summarizes the cost and schedule control principles of construction projects, analyzes the factors that affect the construction schedule in subway construction, and introduces the application of BIM technology in subway construction schedule control. Taking the construction of Section XX of Line 1 of City A as an example, a simulation experiment was carried out, and the optimization effect was evaluated with SPI and CPI indicators. The final experimental results show that it is meaningful to use the BIM model algorithm to optimize the subway project. In the simulation experiment, the corresponding construction period saving rate after completion of the project is 6.94%.

BIM-Based Method for the Verification of Building Code Compliance

Urban planning is a valuable tool for growth control and city development, both to maintain the local urban identity and provide life quality for inhabitants. To regulate it, local governments have defined standards for a proper city’s growth through municipal and detailed urban plans. Such instruments identify a set of rules which constructions and buildings must fulfil for a careful and smooth integration within the urban areas. New projects are required to comply with such rules, and designers must adapt and guarantee that their projects fulfil all the local urban requirements. However, the verification process of construction projects is still a manual procedure and often a time-consuming process, with high possibilities for inaccurate measures. Thus, this paper aims to streamline the verification procedure of construction projects’ code compliance to enhance project design efficiency and save designers time. To do so, the Building Information Modelling (BIM) method will be used through the Dynamo programming software. By creating a Dynamo routine to check the building code and urban plan compliance from Brazilian municipalities, specific BIM models will be automatically analysed to detect and evaluate if it is according to local urban legislation. Results have provided a real-time decision support tool, where designers can assess if their buildings are complying with local urban codes at any time of the design stage, making it easy to innovate and integrate innovative design options, as well as to precisely communicate their buildings’ code compliance. Such a method can also support municipality authorities to verify project compliance, reducing assessment and calculation errors, as well as the required time and bureaucracy for project appraisal.

Identifying the selection criteria of design consultant for Iraqi construction projects

AbstractThe quality and cost of constructed buildings are heavily influenced by the performance of design/auditing consultants. Thus, selecting the right design consultant and design auditing consultants is of utmost importance and not an easy task for any construction client. so, the client should specify the efficiency criteria and assess the performance levels of the design and design auditing consultant firm. The study aims to identify the selection criteria of the design consultant in construction projects and also identify the selection criteria of the design auditing consultant for the construction projects by using the Delphi survey with applying the principal components analysis (PCA). The results of the present study showed that there are 13 key criteria for selecting the design consultant, where the criterion of “Efficiency and experience of the company/consultant in previous work” was of the highest importance. While there are Ten key criteria for selecting the design auditing consultant for the construction project, where the criterion of “Credibility and professional integrity (transparency, professional conduct, and ethics)” was of the highest importance in the decision-making process. Moreover, the results of applying PCA on the Delphi survey outcomes showed that all the resulting selection criteria are most valuable and suitable for the selection process in construction projects.