Real Construction Project Research Articles

Time-cost optimization using harmony search algorithm in construction projects

In construction projects, the relationship between project cost and duration, which is one of the main factors of the project, are considered the parameters decision-makers. When a construction schedule is planned by the planners, additional resources are allocated to shorten the project duration considering the completion time and cost of the activities so that the most suitable construction schedule is prepared by providing a trade-off between project duration and total cost. In the case of time-cost trade-off problems, the total cost of the project is determined by summing each activities’ cost by adding indirect costs. Moreover, total project duration is determined by obtaining total project duration after CPM (Critical Path Method) calculations. Obtaining optimum duration and costs is such a problematic issue with using conventional methods and common software packages. These techniques consider deterministic project values and include CPM calculations for fitness value calculation. Moreover, current studies defined alternatives as non-variable discrete values. However, construction projects are dynamic processes, and quantities are prone to be changed related to project size. In this study, time-cost trade-off optimization is performed by using harmony search method with introducing different implementation that can be more easily used for different projects. The model is implemented in a real construction project, and the conclusions are interpreted.

Impact analysis of geotechnical occurrences in ECP projects cost control

DOI: 10.7764/RDLC.18.3.418 Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts are the most widespread way to carry out the execution of complex projects. Under an EPC contract modality, the contractor must must complete the installation at a guaranteed price and by a specific date, while reaching the agreed level of quality and performance for the installation. Failure to comply with any of the above requirements usually results in the application of economic penalties. Therefore, the main problem of a fixed price EPC contract is that any unexpected problem will be reflected in the final economic result of the contract. There are three main problems that can endanger the final result: a) Unexpected failure that does not represent a time delay but involves the rehabilitation costs; b) Unexpected failure that endangers the facility delivery date and therefore involves a penalty fee; c) Erroneous selection of the involved regulations in the design of the project. Since the exposed problems are quite common, the aim of this paper is to give an approach, in economic terms, of the unexpected costs related to geotechnical issues. This analysis will be carried out using three real EPC construction projects. The selected examples will cover different perspectives: Case 1; the main cost is the execution of the rehabilitation. Case 2; the main cost is the penalty fee due to start up delay. Case 3; the cost depends on the applicable regulations.

Negotiation throughout flexible and interactive tradeoffs applied to construction procurement

Abstract A model for e-negotiation in a typical procurement process in the construction industry is presented. The greatest contribution of this paper is a novel model for e-negotiation using an adaptation of the FITradeoff method for group decision and negotiation with an unbiased mediator agent so as to reduce the number of interactions needed to reach an agreement. The elicitation process included within the negotiation model sees to it that the cognitive effort that the negotiators need to make is reduced because partial information and strict preference statements can be used. The mediator agent facilitates the negotiation phase, thereby allowing a general contractor to compare subcontractors and to decide if there should be a 1–1 or 1-N negotiation process. Moreover, this agent conducts the negotiation process and presents the best and suboptimal agreements to the negotiators. A prototype was built to test the model using data from a real construction project.

Investigation on the contaminant distribution with improved ventilation system in hospital isolation rooms: Effect of supply and exhaust air diffuser configurations

This study, that is practice-based learning in a real hospital construction project, has evaluated the ventilation performance of three strategies in the protection of health care workers and HVAC control for airborne infectious diseases induced by contaminated exhaled air from patients in a negative pressure isolation room. This paper examines air flow path and airborne pollutant distribution by computational fluid dynamics modeling and field measurement. In hospitals, the risk of virus diffusion mainly depends on air flow behavior and changes in direction caused by supply air and exhaust air locations. An improved isolation room ventilation strategy has been suggested, and is found to be the most efficient in removing contaminants based on the observations and simulation results from three ventilation systems. The results show that ventilation systems utilizing the “low-level extraction” technique are very effective at removing pollutants in the human breathing zone. A new clean isolation room ventilation strategy has been developed that employs two exhaust air grilles on the wall behind the bed at low floor level, coupled with a fan filter unit, and is found to have the highest pollutant removal efficiency.

Continuous real-time monitoring of flexible pavement layer density and thickness using ground penetrating radar

Static or discrete time prediction of flexible pavement asphalt concrete (AC) layer density and thickness utilizing the ground penetrating radar (GPR) has proved to be relatively accurate compared to other in-situ methods. However, the accuracy during continuous monitoring of construction has not been validated by real construction projects. This study investigated the continuous estimation of AC layer density and thickness using GPR at a construction site in Macomb, Illinois. The first test compared AC layer density and thickness for pavement segments built in two consecutive days. The second test evaluated the construction quality of pavement segments built utilizing two types of material transfer vehicles (MTV). The GPRan software and the proposed truncation algorithm were used to calculate AC layer thickness continuously. The AC layer density and thickness estimation results were compared to core data using the ALL model. The GPR estimation values were found to be reliable. Errors of thickness results between continuous GPR data and core data from two tests are approximate 3% and 6%, respectively. The density of the new pavement segments was larger than the old ones while the thickness was almost the same. The average error between continuous density predictions and core density was 3%. The two MTVs performed similarly based on layer thickness and density results.

Validation of Impacts of Widely Acknowledged Human Factors in Risk Management of Residential Construction Projects

In the countries like India where one has to still handle a unique blend of operational diversities like human operated traditional construction practices and modern construction technologies, in all construction projects that are highly vulnerable to socio-economic, political, technical and business risks. The involvement of the people with diverse educational, technical, economical and experience backgrounds is an unavoidable fact of the construction industry in India and hence the human factors are going to play a key role in the project to be more prone to risks as well as to mitigate the likely projects risks. Due to lack of robust risk management system, many prestigious construction projects in India have suffered failures and have impacted the country’s GDP and growth because of the gigantic share of the construction industry in the country’s economy. Hence, the risk management in the construction industry has become the subject of concern for the industry practitioners and so the analysis of operational difficulties for the identification and management of construction related risks to minimize the cost overruns, quality deviations and uncertain delays, is remained to be the main objective of the research by the domain experts and engineers for so long. In this paper, an attempt has been made to review all such papers with a specific aim to identify and analyze the human factors that, are highly acknowledged by experts in their works and, can influence / impact the project parameters namely cost, time and quality and validate the results by tracking a real time construction project to draw conclusions.

Geotechnical opportunity management ‐ subsoil conditions as an opportunity and a risk

AbstractThe characteristics of different subsoil layers and groundwater conditions are the most significant factors when estimating the response of the ground under changing stress conditions. The interaction between the ground properties of the various homogeneous areas determine the portfolio of geotechnical solutions for achieving technical project requirements. Consequently the determination of realistic parameters has a decisive influence on the selection of potential geotechnical methods both during design and execution. This opportunity for achieving an optimal design and construction method can quickly become a risk to everyone when the soil at the site has not been investigated adequately, and subsequently structural damages occur together with all the related consequences. Using a case study from real construction projects, it will be shown how site investigations can lead to additional opportunities to meet the project goals for everyone involved in the construction task.

Risk assessment of prospective investment projects for the construction of nuclear power plants abroad

The article deals with the development of nuclear energy, classification of risks, approaches to risk assessment of investment projects of NPP construction abroad. Presented integrated methodology for assessing the risks of nuclear investment projects is based on the recommendations of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the sectoral methodological recommendations of the State corporation Rosatom. A way of accounting for risks in the calculation of economic efficiency is proposed. Calculations have been made for several real NPP construction projects (Rooppur NPP in Bangladesh, Astravets NPP in Belarus, Hanhikivi NPP in Finland). Analysis of the results of these projects shows that, taking into account all types of risks, its investment attractiveness has significantly decreased.

An Optimization Framework for Risk Response Actions Selection Using Hybrid ACO and FTOPSIS

This paper presents a framework for solving risk response action selection problem by considering: (1) the impact of risk events on the project objectives, (2) the interactions between risk events and (3) management criteria and preferences. For these purposes, a framework is developed by combining an optimization-based model and a Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach. First, in the optimization-based model, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is used to find the best combination of response actions which have more effects on time, cost and quality. Also, in this model, to overcome the imprecision situation resulting from lack of knowledge or insufficient data, risk parameters are determined using the fuzzy set theory. Moreover, the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) is used to capture the effect of interactions between risk events. Second, theFuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) method is used to analyze the obtained solutions by ACO, based on the other management criteria. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed framework is examined by its implementation in a real building construction project. Discussions through the case study show that using the proposed framework decision makers can evaluate more aspects of response actions.

The Multimode Resource‐Constrained Project Scheduling Problem for Repetitive Activities in Construction Projects

AbstractIn construction projects, resource availability might limit the implementation of ideal schedules. Especially, when repetitive activities are involved, traditional resource‐constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) models fail to allocate the resource consumption in an efficient manner. Besides, actual models only provide local optimal solutions and do not incorporate activity acceleration routines. To fulfill this gap, partially, a mathematical optimization model, the multimode RCPSP for repetitive activities in construction projects, is proposed and solved to optimality; it takes into account acceleration routines under real construction scenarios using spreadsheets. The article shows a complete computational experimentation over a real construction project, considering several scenarios of resource availabilities and continuity conditions. The model allows analyzing the resources efficiency indexes comparing them to resource consumptions, continuity of activities, and objective functions that reveal that fragmented activities do not provide better resource efficiency outcomes.

Improvement for Construction of Concrete‐Wall with Resistance to Gas‐Explosion

The research was initiated to investigate the performance of fiber‐reinforced concrete for protecting people or assets in the building against the explosion or debris missiles. The fiber‐reinforced concrete has the difficulty with being applied in the actual construction conditions with the normal ready‐mixed concrete system. The fibers for the protection performance require high toughness to endure the huge energy from an explosion, but the large amount of the fiber is required. The required amount of fibers can result in decreased workability and insufficient dispersion of fibers. It has been difficult to apply fiber‐reinforced concrete on field placing with the ready‐mixed concrete system of plant mixing, delivering, and placing. This research carried out the investigation of properties of combined fiber of steel and polymeric fiber to improve workability and agitating in the mixer. Based on the preliminary experimental test results in a laboratory, combined fiber‐reinforced concrete was applied on the actual field construction of chemical plant. According to the results from the laboratory tests and application in the real construction project, it is expected to introduce the combined fiber for desirable mechanical performance with less adverse effect on workability of the mixture.

A model to control environmental performance of project execution process based on greenhouse gas emissions using earned value management

In response to recent climate change, which is believed to be attributed to the release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, many countries are placing CO2 abatement programs such as carbon tax and cap-and-trade. Projects do have a significant share in GHGs and therefore their environmental performance, like their schedule and cost performance, should be monitored and controlled. Although many large projects would pass an environmental assessment in the project evaluation phase, the issue of environmental performance monitoring during the project execution phase has not been addressed in project management methodologies. The objective of this paper is to develop a model to estimate project GHG emissions, and to measure project GHG performance using the developed metrics, which can be used at any point in time over the life of a project. A comprehensive study is conducted to collect information on GHG emission factors of various project activity data (such as material use, energy and fuel consumption, transportation, etc.), and a user form interface is developed to calculate the total GHG of an activity. Also, a breakdown structure is proposed which supports managing all the project GHG accounts. The monitoring and control model is formulated based on the logic used in earned value management (EVM) methodology. The proposed model is then implemented to a work package of a real construction project. The results present the project initial GHG plan and show that the model is able to calculate project GHG variance by the reporting date and predict project final GHG based on a project GHG performance index. The method presented in this paper is general and can be applied to any type of projects in an organization that aims to reduce its carbon footprint. The same structure can be applied to monitor and control any other environmental impact associated with project execution process.

A tool-supported framework for work planning on construction sites based on constraint programming

Abstract This paper presents a framework taking advantage of the capabilities of current constraint solvers to plan the work on construction sites. It combines different constraints under a common framework to facilitate the definition of temporal relations between different tasks and provides a user-friendly web interface, which facilitates the planning of construction sites. Even though the framework uses complex mathematical models, the users do not need to know the underlying theoretical framework. Another important feature of the framework is, in contrast to usual static planning, that solutions can be dynamically adapted to take into account delays happening during the actual construction process. In order to show the applicability of the methodology, the paperspaper shows how a real construction project can be planned by using the framework.

Review of Various Delay Causing Factors and Their Resolution by Application of Lean Principles in India

Abstract Practically speaking, not all real estate construction projects are accomplished in the defined span and within budget. Various factors responsible for occurrence of delays are one of the long-standing issues in the field of real estate. Delays make contractors endure productivity loss, cause high disturbance expenses, and prolongation costs. The aim of the research is to summarize several delay causing factors, which are observed in the execution of previous real estate construction projects. It then proposes implementation of standard prevention procedures to minimize delays. Time effect examination is the approach to evaluating and allotting the upshots of delays or changing a venture schedule. This review sets execution framework of the two sub-principles of the Toyota Way attributes known as philosophy sub-principles and process subprinciples to guide real estate construction businesses in their lean change to delay free real estate construction work. These are implemented after investigating the critical factors responsible for delays in the delayed projects by comparing their as-planned schedules with the adjusted schedules. Methods used in the research include structured surveys and content analysis, which is performed after collection of quantitative data from the respondents. The lean construction principles will be designed and provided to clients to be productive in performing work packages on their scheduled time with minimum possibility of time overrun.

Cost Based Value Stream Mapping as a Sustainable Construction Tool for Underground Pipeline Construction Projects

This paper deals with application of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) as a sustainable construction tool on a real construction project of installation of underground pipelines. VSM was adapted to reduce the high percentage of non-value-added activities and time wastes during each construction stage and the paper searched for an effective way to consider the cost for studied construction of underground pipeline. This paper is unique in its way that it adopts cost implementation of VSM to improve the productivity in underground pipeline projects. The data was observed and collected from site during construction, indicating the cycle time, value added and non-value added of each construction stage. The current state was built based on these details. This was an eye-opening exercise and a process management tool as a trigger for improvement. After the current state assessment, a future state is attempted by Value Stream Mapping tool balancing the resources using a Line of Balance (LOB) technique. Moreover, a sustainable cost estimation model was developed during current state and future state to calculate the cost of underground pipeline construction. The result shows a cost reduction of 20.8% between current and future states. This reflects the importance of the cost based Value Stream Mapping in construction as a sustainable measurement tool. This new tool could be utilized in construction industry to add the sustainability and effective cost management.

Framework for modeling operational uncertainty to optimize offsite production scheduling of precast components

Abstract Current precast production scheduling methodologies have limited applicability in practice due to the neglect of real-world production circumstances. To improve, a two-hierarchy simulation-GA hybrid model for precast production (TSGH_PP) is developed to (1) specialize the operations of precast production according to their characteristics, (2) incorporate the uncertainty in processing time in practice, and (3) model the process-waiting time on the flow of work based on the genetic algorithm and discrete event simulation. In the proposed model, the trade-off can be achieved between the conflicting goals of the on-time delivery of precast components and minimum production cost, and the production resources configuration is optimized to cut down resource waste. Finally, a real case study is conducted to test the validity of TSGH_PP approach. The developed model fills the gap in simulation system design and methodology for precast production, and increases the applicability of precast production scheduling methods in real construction projects.

Benefit Evaluation of Implementing BIM in Construction Projects

Since 2014, public construction projects in Taiwan have progressively undertaken steps to promote the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, the use of BIM has therefore become a necessity for contractors. However, issues such as the high upfront costs relating to software and hardware setup and BIM user training, combined with the difficulties of incorporating BIM into existing workflow operations and management systems, remain a challenge to contractors. Consequently, the benefits stemming from the BIM implementation in turn will affect the activeness and enthusiasm of contractors to implement BIM. While there have been previous studies abroad where the benefits relating to BIM implementation had been calculated and quantified numerically, a benefit evaluation index would require considerations for regional industry practices and characteristics. This study established a benefit evaluation index and method for the implementation of BIM suitable for contractors in Taiwan. The three main principal indexes are: (1) RCR means the effects of reducing costs associated with rework; (2) SDR & DPR mean the effects of mitigating delays that occur due to construction interface coordination or rework, as well as the effects of reducing the penalty costs associated with overdue delivery; (3) AQE means the effects of improving the ability to estimate the amounts of building materials and resources. This study also performed a benefit evaluation calculation of a real world case study construction project using the first two established indexes. The results showed a 0.16% reduction in rework costs, a 6.49% reduction in delays that occur from construction interface coordination or rework, and a 5.0% reduction in penalty costs associated with overdue deliveries. The results demonstrated the applicability of the benefit evaluation index established in this study for real world construction projects.

Investigating the major causes of scope creep in real estate construction projects in Ghana

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes of scope creep on project completion in the real estate development industry in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachBoth simple random sampling and convenience sampling techniques were used in selecting the respondents for the study. The respondents were experts working in the real estate development industry in Ghana.FindingsResults from the study showed that the most critical factors that cause scope creep in the Ghanaian real estate development industry are client changes, unforeseen risks and unclear scope. Mitigating measures for addressing these factors were proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to causes of scope creep in the real estate development industry in Ghana based on data collected from only real estate development firms in Accra. Due to geographic constraints, the researcher was unable to sample real estate development companies across the entire country. The finding of this study may not be generalised since causes of scope creep can be unique to individual country contexts.Practical implicationThis paper has documented the critical causes of scope creep and its major impacts on project completion in the real estate development industry in Ghana. The results will help project managers in the industry to appreciate the causes of scope creep and its effect on project completion as well as increase the quality of economics on real estate management and reduce the costs and risks of housing of delivery in the country.Originality/valueThe paper examined the causes and mitigation of project scope creep in the Ghanaian context.

Coordinating multi-site construction projects using federated clouds

The requirements imposed by AEC (Architecture/Engineering/Construction) projects with regard to data storage and execution, on-demand data sharing and complexity on building simulations have led to utilising novel computing techniques. In detail, these requirements refer to storing the large amounts of data that the AEC industry generates — from building schematics to associated data derived from different contractors that are involved at various stages of the building lifecycle; or running simulations on building models (such as energy efficiency, environmental impact & occupancy simulations). Creating such a computing infrastructure to support operations deriving from various AEC projects can be challenging due to the complexity of workflows, distributed nature of the data and diversity of roles, profiles and location of the users. Federated clouds have provided the means to create a distributed environment that can support multiple individuals and organisations to work collaboratively. In this study we present how multi-site construction projects can be coordinated by the use of federated clouds where the interacting parties are represented by AEC industry organisations. We show how coordination can support (a) data sharing and interoperability using a multi-vendor Cloud environment and (b) process interoperability based on various stakeholders involved in the AEC project lifecycle. We develop a framework that facilitates project coordination with associated “issue status” implications and validate our outcome in a real construction project.

PRESERVING TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS AS AN ANSWER TO FUTURE ENERGY-FUEL CRISIS

Once a highly skilled and experienced professor told us: the future of architecture is in its handcraft past. We were not able to completely understand him at that time. Looking forward to the future where architecture and engineering professionals will perform facing energy fuel crisis and global warming, an endogenous approach, working with what is available, may be a subsistence tool. Preserving and further development of traditional construction materials, methods and techniques now has become a must, not form the cultural heritage stand point but as a survival instrument. In this paper we will analyze three different roofing systems, two of them ancestral techniques; toquilla leaf roof and straw thatch roofs, using them in real contemporary construction circumstances by incorporating them into the professional life through real construction projects and the educational system through Con lo que hay, a design-build class room in architectural school in Ecuador, facing them with conventional zinc metal roofing. This study will show the impact of recovering these techniques and materials within the academic, the professional, scientific development and on the local economies.