Project Contract Research Articles

Causes and Impacts of Conflicts in Construction Projects: A Viewpoint of Kenya Construction Industry

Construction projects are predisposed to conflicts. This is attributed to the multiplicity of personnel handling the various phases of the projects. Empirical evidence from previous studies shows that if not properly managed, conflicts affect among others, the project's productivity loss, inadequate time and cost performance levels, loss of profit, and damage in business relations. Identifying the significant causes and major potential impacts of conflicts is crucial to reducing the risk of conflict occurrence in projects. Hence, this study was focused on explaining the classification of conflicts, identifying and assessing their causes and impacts in construction projects in Kenya grounded on the perception of project consultants and contractors. To accomplish the study objectives, a questionnaire was designed to collect data on the experiences of construction professionals on the causes and impacts of conflicts during project implementation. A total of 122 consultants and contractors provided responses, which were analyzed. A total of 42 significant causes of conflicts in the Kenyan context were identified. Based on the survey results, delay in progress payments by the client was identified as the most significant cause of conflicts, followed by poor site management and supervision. The survey also revealed that conflicts can emerge from any of the stakeholders, with contractors contributing the most, accounting for 14 of the 42 conflict factors identified. The study ranked the impacts of these conflicts using the Relative Severity Index (RSI). The results indicated that the biggest impact of conflicts on construction projects is the loss of profitability and perhaps business viability, and delays in project delivery. Expert opinions regarding the best practices and strategies for improving project harmony through effective conflict management were reviewed and grouped into five classes namely; project documentation, stakeholder involvement, value-based procurement, and adoption of ICT. It is concluded that the project manager should develop his leadership role by the adoption of these strategies so that he can use his position to effect positive conflict management on his team members. Furthermore, during the life cycle of the construction project, special attention should be given to the identified cause factors to avoid or effectively manage conflicts. These results, taken together, support clear guidelines on the need for proactive financial obligation on the client-side, as well as the hiring of experienced project professionals. Implementing these suggestions would reduce the risk of conflicts arising during building projects.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Influential Factors on Public Roadway Project Contract Time

Contract time determination (CTD) is one of the most critical activities when developing a public roadway. There is no lack of policy documents, process manuals, and technical papers emphasizing its significance and impact on project performance and contractor behavior. However, little definitive information or systemic knowledge is available on the factors that affect a public roadway project’s contract time. Studies holistically examining CTD factors are scarce. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study first identified 42 factors from an extensive scan of the existing literature and CTD manuals and examined the factors using a two-stage nationwide survey. The survey results provide a comprehensive evaluation of CTD factors from multiple dimensions: frequency of occurrence, level of influence, proper timing of identification, and impact boundary (projectwide versus item-specific). This study also identified the top important CTD factors, such as traffic maintenance, production rates, environmental issues, project complexity, and utility issues. This research is significant because it is probably the first national study to assemble the scattered and incoherent information and knowledge across different regions and states on CTD factors and systematically organize and evaluate them. This study’s key results also carry high practical value for practitioners—another important group of readers of this journal.

Ambiguity factors in construction contracts entailing conflicts

PurposeConflicts, claims and disputes are inherent in most construction projects. Acceptable degree of commonality in the interpretation of contract provisions is critical in effective contract administration. This study aims to assess the effects of contract ambiguity factors on construction conflicts, highlighting the causes of divergent interpretations using fuzzy technique for order of preference by the similarity-to-ideal-solution (TOPSIS) method.Design/methodology/approachFuzzy TOPSIS framework with 27 ambiguity factors is constructed by conducting a comprehensive literature review, accompanied by a pilot study. Questionnaire survey is formed, and one-to-one interviews are arranged with 35 contract administration experts.FindingsThe findings indicate that (1) ambiguity due to excessive changes in the bill of quantity (BOQ) (including ambiguous provisions related to BOQ changes), (2) incomplete clauses that do not describe the scope of the intended work purely, (3) ambiguity due to excessive amendments in the scope of works (including ambiguous provisions related to scope changes), (4) ambiguous enforceability including excessive demands and (5) ambiguous goal and performance requirements are the top five ambiguity factors affecting construction conflicts.Research limitations/implicationsPresented framework is performed referring to ambiguity factors in all type of construction contracts in the general sense. However, the identified factors may vary depending on the project type, contract type, procurement method or use of standard contract forms (such as NEC, FIDIC).Originality/valueThe literature lacks the investigation of ambiguity factors in construction contracts, yet the assessment of the effects of contract ambiguity is essential to minimize conflicts.

Collaborative project identity formation process in complex projects

Currently, the increase in relational project contracts and integrated project deliveries indicates that companies should collaborate to facilitate more effective project delivery in industrial projects. Collaborative project identity is considered a core concept in the evaluation of processes involved in collaborations between industrial projects. The concept implies that a single identity, one in which collaborative values, collaborative working practices and cooperation are central, is beneficial to a project organisation’s self-image and can distinguish the organisation from other project organisations. Therefore, this research aims to examine the processes involved in the formation of collaborative project identity in an industrial project. This identity cultivates a sense of joint belonging and a culture of cooperation that contributes to the success of a project. In order to acquire an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon, two projects were qualitatively researched as a case study of the processes involved in the formation of collaborative project identity in the delivery of an industrial project. More specifically, organisational documents, project materials, workshop materials, project websites and interviews were used as data collection sources. The findings of this study revealed five steps in the formation of collaborative project identity: (1) establishing a collaborative sense of meaning and purpose; (2) establishing a sense of shared responsibility; (3) building mutual trust among all participants; (4) Establishing workforce diversity; and (5) designing appropriate collaborative project management information systems. These research results could be used to support the development and management of high-performing collaborative project teams. They could additionally assist collaborative project organisations in actualising the innovation potential of all participants collaborating in joint projects – in the best interest of the project.

Collaborative Behavior in Relational Contracting Projects in Hong Kong—A Contractor’s Perspective

The construction industry in Hong Kong has adopted relational contracting (RC) as a way forward to address frequent conflicts in construction projects and to promote sustainable development. Despite this effort, adversarial behavior of project team members is still prevalent, stemming from conflicting agendas, which hinders the successful implementation of RC. There is a need to improve collaborative attitudes and behavior among project team members in RC projects, but there is still a lack of understanding of factors that can promote this inter-organizational collaboration. Therefore, using the theory of planned behavior, this research investigates factors that form relational attitudes, collaborative intentions, and collaborative behavior, and their relationships in RC projects in Hong Kong. Quantitative data were collected from experienced practitioners in RC projects and were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that senior management commitment and relational norms are needed to nurture relational attitudes, which in turn influence the development of collaborative intentions. These intentions can eventually promote collaborative behavior, which is expressed by teamwork, affective trust, and extra-role behavior (striving beyond roles to maintain collaboration). The findings advance knowledge and contribute to practice by providing a structured process to nurture collaboration in RC projects for sustainable development.

How relational contract theory influence management strategies and project outcomes: a systematic literature review

Despite growing interest in Relational Contracting (RC), few studies have comprehensively investigated the qualities required for a successful RC project. Macneil’s ten norms are principles of behaviour in contracts based on the application of relational contract theory and play an essential role in the formation and agreement of parties and their commitment to means and objectives. In contributing a missing dimension to the RC approach in construction, the purpose of this research is to conduct a systematic review of studies of relational contracting to answer the question: In what ways can the influence of RC theory be observed in the management strategies and outcomes of relational projects? Macneil's norms are used to provide a link between strategies and outcomes as a way of understanding RC and its influence on collaboration between the project actors in determining project outcomes. The results provide new insights with a view of consolidating extant literature and contributing through mapping practice back to theory. Findings show that the norms are evident in projects but with varied application and realisation in practice. This paper offers managerial implications and future research directions to investigate and capture the part played by the norms as mechanisms in construction projects.

757 Associations Between Sleep Complaints, Suicidal Ideation and Depression Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Greece

Abstract Introduction Suicide risk begins to increase among adolescents and young adults representing the leading cause of death in this age group. The aim of this study was to assess associations between sleep complaints, suicidal ideation and depression in a large, representative sample of adolescents and young adults of the general population in Greece. Methods A structured telephone questionnaire was conducted in a representative sample of 2.741 young Greeks aged 15–24 years, including sociodemographic variables, life-style habits, and substance use. symptoms were assessed using the PhQ-9. Suicidal ideation and sleep complaints, i.e. insomnia/ hypersomnia symptoms, were assessed based on the relevant questions of the PhQ-9 questionnaire. We conducted a direct and indirect effect analysis between the modified PhQ-7 scale, sleep complaints and suicidality controlling for gender, family income, education and substance use. Results In our sample prevalence of suicidal ideation was 7.8%, while 47.9% reported sleep complaints. The mean PhQ-7 score was 6.15±4.11. The direct paths from depression to sleep, as well as from sleep to ideation were both statistically significant with p-values <0.001. Indirect mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of depression on ideation mediated by sleep complaints as indicated by the sobel test (z=3.59, p=0.0003). This is a partial mediation given that the direct effect of depression on ideation controlling for sleep (the mediator) remains significant (p<.001). The percentage of the effect of depression on ideation accounted for by the indirect effect through sleep is estimated at 16.5%. The mediation remains significant (p<.001) after controlling for income, gender, education, and substance use. Conclusion Our study supports that among youth there is direct associations between depression, sleep complaints and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, we found an indirect effect of depression on suicidal ideation mediated by sleep complaints. Our findings highlight the presence of complex interactions between subjective psychiatric symptoms and perceived sleep problems to account for suicidal ideation Therefore, treatment of sleep among youth with depression may significantly independently further reduce suicidal risk. Support (if any) EEA/Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009–2014, under Project Contract n° EEA Grants/ GR07- 3757

Impact of Risk Factors on Construction Projects’ Completion Cost in Nigeria

Construction projects are prone to a number of risks due to their complexity, dynamic nature, capital intensive nature and involvement of many stakeholders. These risks if left unmanaged will negatively influence the completion cost and other primary objectives of construction projects. Numerous studies have been conducted globally to determine the potential risks that negatively impacts construction projects; however, the risks aren’t alike across all the regions and the potential degree of impact may changes with time. This study assessed the impact of risk factors on completion cost of construction projects in Nigeria. Data was collected using structured questionnaires administered to 192 construction practitioners using convenience sampling technique. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to analyse the data. The study found ‘inadequate cost estimate’ (MS = 4.39), ‘risk incurred due to bribery and corruption’ (4.30), ‘increase in prices of materials’ (4.25), ‘increase in cost of labour’’ (4.11), ‘poor cash flow management’ (4.04) ‘mistakes/errors in design’ (4.04) and ‘mistakes during construction’ to be the topmost risk factors that impact on project completion cost. The study concludes that ‘economic’, ‘financial’ and ‘contract administration and project management’ related factors group are those with high impact on project completion cost.

Research on Reasoning concerning Emergency Measures for Industrial Project Scheduling Control

Industry is an important pillar of the national economy, and industrial projects are the most complex and difficult to manage and control in the construction industry; thus, the resource scheduling control of industrial projects is one of the core issues for industrial construction projects. The performance rate of the contract time periods of previous industrial construction projects has been very low. In scheduling control based on case-based reasoning (CBR), the goal is to implement preventive measures by referring to existing scheduling control cases and control the scheduling of resources through reasoning on emergency measures to prevent scheduling control deviations. In this paper, the rough set approach is used to represent the case feature information in a case reasoning model for industrial project scheduling control, attribute reduction is used to determine the weights of the feature attributes in the rough set representation, and the similarity between cases is calculated for case retrieval. The accuracy of the rough-set-based similarity calculation is verified through matrix similarity calculations and a visual analysis of the all closeness centrality and weighted all degree centrality of the corresponding complex network; thus, similar cases of industrial project scheduling control are identified. To verify the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed methodology, a typical coal chemical general contract project case is carried out. The rough set comprehensive similarity results were 0.733, 0.621, 0.536, 0.614, 0.559, 0.950, 0.708, 0.546, 0.733, 0.664, 0.526, and 0.743, and the matrix similarity results were 0.417, 0.583, 0.417, 0.417, 0.417, 0.833, 0.417, 0.500, 0.417, 0.500, 0.333, and 0.500. The results showed that the case retrieval accuracy of traditional matrix similarity is not as high as the rough set comprehensive similarity, so X 6 is the most similar case to the target case Y. Case retrieval results indicate that the proposed methodology can provide a good similar case selection strategy with project managers, and the final required preventive measures for the target case can be found. Based on the identified similar cases, preventive measures for scheduling control are formulated to effectively prevent scheduling deviations of industrial projects.

Effects of the General Contractor's Governance Capabilities and Project Goals on the Organizational Arrangement of Subcontracting

The organizational design of subcontracting in the construction industry has received limited attention. This article integrates transaction cost economics and resource-based view to investigate how the governance capabilities of the general contractor impact the organizational arrangement of subcontracting and how the goal orientation of project moderates these relationships. Regression analyses were conducted on information collected by a questionnaire survey administered to a sample of 279 respondents who were employed by Chinese general contractors and who were privy to strategy information in construction projects. The results showes that the general contractor with strong governance capabilities tends to increase the extent of the work to be subcontracted and the dispersion of subcontractors used in projects. Moreover, these relationships change when the goal orientation in projects differs. In projects that display an exploitative goal orientation, the positive impact of governance capabilities on the extent of subcontracting will be weakened while the impact on subcontractor dispersion will be strengthened. In contrast, the relationship between governance capabilities and the extent of subcontracting will be stronger, and the relationship between governance capabilities and the subcontractor dispersion will be weaker in projects that exhibit an explorative goal orientation. The findings contribute to the subcontracting literature by distinguishing between the extent of subcontracting and subcontractor dispersion and by highlighting the importance of the general contractor's governance capabilities and project goal orientation when setting up a subcontracting arrangement.

Geo-politics and the impact of China's outward investment on developing countries: evidence from the Great Recession

Using a novel dataset on Chinese large-scale overseas investment and project contracts by sector and mode of entry, we analyze whether Chinese outward activity (COA) before the Great Recession worsened or alleviated the contractionary phases in developing countries. We find that, on average, COA did not increase recessionary vulnerability. Both sectoral targeting and the size of pre-crisis engagement matter. While COA in financial market sectors implies an aggravation, substantial pre-crisis investment in energy, metals and transportation industries tends to attenuate the slump. Additionally, the mode of entry, i.e. through either greenfield investment or mergers and acquisitions, also matters.

Dynamics of Corporate Startup Collaboration: An Exploratory Study

Drawing on two datasets of companies, this paper investigates the underlying dynamics of corporate startup collaboration (CSC) in Brazil as well as the reasons why corporations engage with startup and vice versa. The authors have used several types of collaboration found in the literature and the reasons of collaboration, as the basis to support the research. It suggests that the search for a line of radical innovation and collaboration strategy and also be part of an ecosystem are associated with the significant increase in two years in number of companies, programs, and engagement, resembling international data on the subject. This search for innovation and collaboration strategy and be part of an ecosystem are likely to be driven by three industry sectors that most stand out. Matchmaking, Training & Mentoring and Pilot Project Contracting were the top three types of engagement. They are seen as partnership between corporation and startup, where both sides can learn and grow in this process, rather than an one-off transaction. The results offer insights into the emerging trend of corporate startup collaboration, especially companies and startups, that are not yet engaged with each other, can take results as a basis to start engaging and/or create a line of innovation and engagement strategy by understanding the nature of engagement and its programs. This study also shed lights on Brazilian startups and their collaboration with incumbents (local and international) as well as on industry sectors that most standout.

Safety Method for the Pre-conceptual Phase of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

Abstract The ESFR-SMART European project (Contract number: 754501) focuses on the development of innovative safety design options for future Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs). The goal of this paper is to show how the Objective Provision Tree (OPT) method, which is part of the Integrated Safety Analysis Methodology (ISAM) developed by Generation IV Forum (GIF), can help in defining safety guidelines for the definition and the study of ESFR-SMART innovative design options. The OPT method provides a view of the implementation of main safety functions in accordance with defence-in-depth principle and has been adapted to ESFR-SMART needs. Guidance for a consistent and homogeneous application has been developed. The method is applied to each safety function with a specific adaptation for the confinement function. Beyond the allocation of the main equipment ensuring the safety functions to the different levels of defence-in-depth, the adapted method proposes a systematic identification of the mechanisms likely to degrade them. Then, safety features to cope with these mechanisms are investigated as well as the potential common cause failures of main equipment belonging to different levels of defence-in-depth. This adapted method allows to study and then to improve the independence between the levels of defence-in-depth as required for future reactors in Europe by Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association (WENRA). The paper provides the outline of guidance for OPT method adaptation to ESFR-SMART project needs, examples of application and main outcomes of the use of the method.

The Practice of Conflict Management in Construction Projects in Kenya

Conflicts in construction projects seem an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in Kenya, perhaps because of the projects’ uncertainty, complexity, and diversity of participants. Management of these conflicts remains ineffective, an occurrence that creates a major obstacle to the success of project implementation, usually leading to an increase in project cost, delayed project completion, and in worst cases suspension of the project. A review of literature has revealed the negative role played by conflict on project success.This study sought to investigate the practice of conflict management in construction projects in Kenya to develop a schematic framework for managing conflicts, using project harmony potential as a measure of the availability of conflicts or their lack in construction projects. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. Construction projects registered with NCA in the last five years within Nairobi and having the embedded unit of analysis of project participants under this study were sampled using the cluster method. Questionnaires were administered to project developers, contractors, and consultants working in consultancy or contractor firms randomly sampled. The study used inferential analysis of bivariate Pearson’s correlation and Regression analysis to determine the significant factors affecting the project harmony potential as well as establish a predictive model. The study demonstrated that there was a positive and statistically significant linear relationship between project harmony potential and delay management, project team partnering orientation, direct provisions for conflict management in the Project Handbook, promptness of Monitoring and Evaluation work, CPM (Construction Project Manager) technical experience, and communication plan. These factors were considered to be critical factors for the project harmony potential for construction projects in Kenya. A model was established using these variables and was found to explain 69.1% of the project harmony potential. The developed model will be useful in predicting the harmony potential of a project during implementation.

Influence of soil non-homogeneity on shear band evolution investigated by the numerical manifold method combined with the assumed enhanced strain method

The assumed enhanced strain (AES) method has been successfully used to deal with the strain localization or shear band problems. With AES treating the localization deformation as strong discontinuity in displacement field, the structural phenomenon and the associated strength loss manifested in strain localization could be reflected in a way independent of mesh density and alignment. On the other hand, the numerical manifold method (NMM) excels at dealing with non-homogeneity and discontinuity problems because of the two sets of covers. By combining the NMM with the AES method, this paper could investigate the influence of soil non-homogeneity on shear band evolution naturally and mesh independently. The Gauss Seidel projection contraction (GSPC) method is invoked because it is simple and efficient in tackling the integration difficulties induced by cutting the tensile part of the Drucker Prager (DP) model. Finally, this paper studies the influences of erratic boulders and weak soil layer on the evolution of shear band in the slope.

Evaluation of the Passive Reactor Shutdown System Performance in European Sodium Fast Reactor

Abstract The ESFR-SMART European project (Contract number: 754501) focuses on the development of innovative safety design options for European Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (ESFR). The task of Work Package 1.3 is to assess the impact of the new safety measures on the reactor behaviour in the transients protected by either active or passive reactor shutdown systems. The aim of Task 4 in this Work Package is to evaluate the passive reactor shutdown system performance in the ESFR core. This paper deals with the results of this evaluation, which is based on the analysis of four transients passively protected by 12 Diversified Shutdown Device (DSD) rods. Simulations have been done with the SIM-SFR system code and demonstrated that DSD rods are capable to shutdown ESFR in a timely manner, in order to avoid the negative consequences of the analyzed transients. Although a total loss of heat sink transient is a practically eliminated event, it was included in the analysis to estimate the grace time before the core meltdown.

Risk Assessment of Bridge Construction Project through cost management phases

Risk assessment is an important factor in project cost management. This study addresses the risks associated with a 900 meter long bridge construction project. The risk of a bridge construction project is assessed to limit and quantify the impact on the project. The impact of various risks was investigated to express the impact on the total project contract value at the estimation stage. A project risk analysis is introduced to assess the percentage of risk attributed to the total cost. After assessing the impact of risks on cost using Expected Monetary Value (EMV), a new approach of including uncertainties on risk analyses, using description (C, Q, K), is discussed and its advantages and shortcomings are highlighted. Risk is then assessed at several stages of project execution during the budgeting phase, and risk-based project value (RPV) is used to assess the value of the project at each stage. RPV usually increases as the project progresses towards its goals. Due to this property, the RPV of the entire project can be categorized into the contribution value (CV) of each activity. The CV of an activity is defined as the increase in RPV after each activity completes successfully. The results highlight the positive impact of successfully completing the activities associated with the highest risk. In addition, practical solutions for risk assessment and analysis of bridge construction projects are provided for use by bridge construction contractors, project managers and project management engineers.

LADM-compliant field data collector for cadastral surveyors

Completeness in land registration and efficiency in land-information services have emerged as global prerequisites to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG) and ease of doing business (EoDB). Land registration is a national priority for Indonesia, which aims to complete the process for all unregistered land parcels in the country and validate the quality of previously registered and certified land parcels before 2025. Efforts on this front uncovered the need for adopting mobile technology, including various data collection tools for surveyors and project contractors. Unfortunately, these tools present data standardization and data usability challenges, hindering efficient first titling and forensic titling, or title validation for imposing quality improvements. Data collection could be executed quickly and efficiently by aligning to Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) standards. This paper presents the design for and the test results of an LADM-compliant field data collector to help surveyors support first-titling and forensic-titling survey scenarios. The mobile application utilizes Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) GeoPackage to access and locally store spatial and textual data retrieved from national cadastral databases. The mobile app allows surveyors to connect with external sensors including the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to accurately survey land. It employs a fingerprint reader for validating personal information via Bluetooth. Surveyors can map and edit data by applying drawing tools like snapping, splitting, and merging parcels. In addition to spatial data creation, this tool captures physical documents and records boundary validation digitally. This paper presents a field test for real field activities to validate old land titles.

Critical Review of EMC Standards for the Measurement of Radiated Electromagnetic Emissions from Transit Line and Rolling Stock

Accurate and comprehensive methods for the assessment of radiated electromagnetic emissions in modern electric transportation systems are a necessity. The characteristics and susceptibility of modern victim signaling and communication radio services, operating within and outside the right-of-way, require an update of the measurement methods integrating or replacing the swept frequency technique with time domain approaches. Applicable standards are the EN 50121 (equivalent to the IEC 62236) and Urban Mass Transport Association (UMTA) with additional specifications from project contracts. This work discusses the standardized methods and settings, and the representative operating conditions, highlighting areas where improvements are possible and opportune (statistical characterization of measurement results, identification and distinction of emissions and line resonances, and narrowband and broadband phenomena). In particular for the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) assessment with new Digital Communication Systems, the characterization of time distribution of spectral properties is discussed, e.g., by means of Amplitude Probability Distribution and including time distribution information. The problem of determination of site and setup uncertainty and repeatability is also discussed, observing on one hand the lack of clear indications in standards and, on the other hand, the non-ideality and intrinsic variability of measurement conditions (e.g., rolling stock operating conditions, synchronization issues, and electric arc intermittence).

Dynamic shear band evolution by the numerical manifold method and the Drucker Prager model

To simulate the dynamic evolution of shear band in soil, the numerical manifold method (NMM) and the Drucker Prager model (DP) are used. Considering that the soil does not bear tension, the tensile part of DP is cut off. Then the constitutive integration could be reduced to mix complementarity problem, which is solved by the Gauss Seidel projection contraction method (GSPC). The discretization sequence is altered to resolve the transfer issue of degrees of freedom when dealing with dynamic discontinuities evolving. Different with the traditional discretization approach, the discretization of temporal variable is set prior to that of spatial variable so that all the degrees of freedom are valid only in a current step without the necessity to be transferred to the next time step. In this way, the shear band tip could stop anywhere naturally, without being improperly forced to stay on the element edge. For simplicity, the shear band is treated as a strong discontinuity with zero width. The interface contact is described by the NMM contact approach where open-close iteration is involved. Finally, a soil dam is studied to check the capability of the proposed method to capture the dynamic evolution of shear band.