Reduce Project Costs Research Articles

Ways to increase production efficiency using modern technologies in construction

The article discusses ways to increase production efficiency using new technologies and materials in construction. Examples are given of how modern approaches are changing the industry: speeding up production processes, improving the quality of finished objects, reducing project costs. The author expresses his point of view on the topic of practical application of the results of research and development work.

Research on the Harmless Treatment of Weak Muddy Intercalation in Red-Bedded Soft Rock via Microwave Energy

The WMI (weak muddy intercalation) is a typical weak structural surface in the red-bedded rock mass; ensuring slope stability by increasing the strength of the WMIs helps reduce project costs and carbon emissions. With the advantages of energy saving, high efficiency, and green, microwave technology has attracted scholars’ attention to geotechnical material property improvement. However, the mineral composition of the WMIs is complex and variable, and the applicability of microwave technology needs further evaluation. In this paper, the effects of microwave temperature and clay mineral types and content on the physical and mechanical properties of the WMIs were evaluated. The results show that microwave heating can substantially improve the uniaxial compressive strength of the WMIs, regardless of the types and content of clay minerals. Dehydration, dehydroxylation of clay minerals, and local melting of albite occurring in the specimens under microwave heating enhanced the strength of the soil particles and the interparticle joints. The strength increase ratios of the WMI specimens increased with the temperature increase. With the increase in clay mineral content, the strength increase ratio of kaolinite WMIs and illite WMIs decreased, while the strength increase ratios of montmorillonite WMIs increased. The present multiple regression analysis methods are used to establish the strength prediction models of the WMI microwave-reinforced specimens, which can guide the engineering application.

Sustainable Power Generation Expansion in Island Systems with Extensive RES and Energy Storage

Insular networks constitute ideal fields for investment in renewables and storage due to their excellent wind and solar potential, as well the high generation cost of thermal generators in such networks. Nevertheless, in order to ensure the stability of insular networks, network operators impose strict restrictions on the expansion of renewables. Storage systems render ideal solutions for overcoming the aforementioned restrictions, unlocking additional renewable capacity. Among storage technologies, hybrid battery-hydrogen demonstrates beneficial characteristics thanks to the complementary features that battery and hydrogen exhibit regarding efficiency, self-discharge, cost, etc. This paper investigates the economic feasibility of a private investment in renewables and hybrid hydrogen-battery storage, realized on the interconnected island of Crete, Greece. Specifically, an optimization formulation is proposed to optimize the capacity of renewables and hybrid battery-hydrogen storage in order to maximize the profit of investment, while simultaneously reaching a minimum renewable penetration of 80%, in accordance with Greek decarbonization goals. The numerical results presented in this study demonstrate that hybrid hydrogen-battery storage can significantly reduce electricity production costs in Crete, potentially reaching as low as 64 EUR/MWh. From an investor’s perspective, even with moderate compensation tariffs, the energy transition remains profitable due to Crete’s abundant wind and solar resources. For instance, with a 40% subsidy and an 80 EUR/MWh compensation tariff, the net present value can reach EUR 400 million. Furthermore, the projected cost reductions for electrolyzers and fuel cells by 2030 are expected to enhance the profitability of hybrid renewable-battery-hydrogen projects. In summary, this research underscores the sustainable and economically favorable prospects of hybrid hydrogen-battery storage systems in facilitating Crete’s energy transition, with promising implications for investors and the wider renewable energy sector.

Non‐invasive mark–resight surveys for brown bears: Incorporating spatial information to improve landscape‐scale monitoring of density and distribution

Abstract Effective wildlife monitoring and management are reliant on unbiased estimators of population parameters. Most standard survey approaches ignore spatial pattern in the data although spatial relationships can be leveraged to produce more efficient designs for future surveys, thereby reducing project cost. Landscape‐scale surveys for brown bears are notoriously expensive and difficult to complete, leading to the development of a non‐invasive mark–resight aerial survey approach as a practical alternative to more commonly employed approaches for estimating brown bear density across large areas. Here we extend that model to accommodate spatial covariate information and explicitly model residual spatial autocorrelation. Using brown bear survey data from northwestern Alaska, USA from 2015 to 2021, we demonstrate how our extension can be useful in exploring ecological factors related to spatial variation in bear density and detection probability. We found that detection probability was higher in more rugged terrain, and occurrence probability was higher at mid‐elevations where denning habitat was more prevalent and in areas with more salmon streams. The descriptive model of residual autocorrelation confirmed that additional unmeasured factors were associated with bear distribution. While these findings were not unexpected, they are very useful when considering future survey effort. Using this information, we explored a hypothetical redesign of the 2021 brown bear survey that removed 50% of the survey subunits with elevation values below the mean, where bears were least likely to occur. We demonstrated that the resulting estimates were unbiased, suggesting that adopting the spatial approach to analysis could reduce overall project costs by ~20%–30% going forward. Overall, our work indicates that directly accounting for spatial pattern within the non‐invasive mark–resight framework has substantive advantages over the original non‐spatial approach and may be useful in increasing the amount of information available for brown bear populations.

Application of Modified Asphalt in Municipal Roads

The article expounds modified asphalt technology by introducing commonly used modifiers and fillers and analyzing the construction technology of modified asphalt. The use of modified asphalt in municipal roads provides new alternatives for asphalt pavement materials, but also solves the existing construction problems and reduces project costs. Therefore, the research and application of modified asphalt using new materials and new processes is a crucial aspect in road construction.

EVALUASI KINERJA STRUKTUR BANGUNGAN BERTINGKAT 4 LANTAI KAMPUS AKADEMI KOMUNITAS NEGERI (AKN) PUTRA SANG FAJAR BLITAR DENGAN METODE ANALISIS RESPON SPEKTRUM MENGGUNAKAN APLIKASI STAAD PRO

Campus Akademi Komunitas Negeri (AKN) Putra Sang Fajar Blitar located on sub-district Sananwetan, Blitar City, this integrated lecture building stands on the land of the former Mardiwaluyo Hospital. The campus building has a total of 4 floors that function as an educational building.
 The calculation method uses the STAAD Pro progam to determine the results of the analysis of the performance of the building’s structure starting from beams, columns, sloof to foundations.
 after the calculation results in a floor slab with a thickness of 12 cm using a 2-way plate system, with K-300 (Fc’) = 24,9 Mpa and steel quality (fy) = 400 Mpa. While the beam is 60 cm x 40 cm, 50 cm x 30 cm, 40 cm x 30 cm, 30 cm x 20 cm with quality concrete K-300 (Fc’) = 24,9. Column size 40 cm x 40 cm and sloof size 60 cm x 30 cm dan 50 cm x 25 cm with quality concrete K-300 (Fc’) = 24,9 lower structure using footplat foundation. From the dimensions above, it is estimated that this reanalysis calculation is more efficient and can reduce project costs.

Implications of Housing Corporations’ Capacity on Successful Delivery of Mass Housing Programmes

There has been several ambitious housing policies in Nigeria spanning across pre and post-independence aimed at addressing the growing housing deficit using the concept of Mass Housing Programmes (MHPs), including the recent MHPs in the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan- (NESP) (2021-2025). However, implementation of the policies has not addressed the housing deficit because records confirmed the low performances of MHPs whereby only a fraction of the units intended to be built are delivered. The strategy for implementing the MHP is that, implementation institutions are to utilise Estate Developers (EDs) such as Housing Corporations (HCs) to drive the successful execution of the projects and based on the scale of the MHP in the NESP, the capacity of EDs in general and HCs specifically will have implications on its success. As such, this study was designed to ascertain the implications of HCs capacity towards successful delivery of MHPs in Nigeria. A Case Study Research design was used to collect data from HCs of six North-West states in Nigeria using an interview. Data was analysed using a single case and crosscase technique. Results revealed that the experiences in the practices of HCs in MHPs has the potentials to: reduce project cost; reduce project time; increase clients’ satisfaction; and develop human resource. It was concluded that the HCs in North-West States possess capacity to successfully deliver MHPs such as the NESP and future National Housing Programmes (NHPs). Based on the findings of this research, the study recommends that the vulnerability of HCs should be studied to get a more encompassing picture of performance potentials in successfully delivering MHPs. Furthermore, a more comprehensive study should be undertaken to cover the HCs across Nigeria to get information that could enable their optimal integration into MHPs. The implication of the findings is that, since the HCs demonstrated some capacities to deliver MHPs, EDs can successfully delivered MHPs if other enabling factors that are key to delivery of MHPs such as finance, among others are put in place. The limitation of the study is that the study covers only six HCs, thus, generalisation of the findings could be limited.

Quality control of fine-grained embankments using penetration tests

The compaction control of earth works is an essential task in geotechnical engineering. In order to build more sustainably and to reduce project costs, fine-grained materials are more often used for embankment construction nowadays. The quality control of compacted soil layers is usually defined in terms of deformation moduli obtained from static and dynamic plate load tests or based on the degree of compaction, which is generally related to the Proctor density. Penetration tests, such as cone penetration tests (CPT), seismic flat dilatometer tests (SDMT) or dynamic probings (medium heavy dynamic probings (DPM)), show a potential for assessing the compaction along vertical profiles but no standardized quality criteria have been elaborated yet. The present work investigates the effects of different water contents and degrees of soil stabilization on results of CPT, SDMT, DPM, plate load tests and Proctor tests for an 8 m high trial embankment, characterized by a clayey to silty material. CPT and DMT results were found to strongly correlate with deformation moduli of static and dynamic plate load tests, enabling the definition of new quality criteria for compaction control.

A Non-Line-of-Sight Mitigation Method for Indoor Ultra-Wideband Localization With Multiple Walls

Ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging techniques can provide accurate distance measurement in line-of-sight (LOS) conditions. However, various walls and obstacles in indoor non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments, which obstruct the direct propagation of UWB signals, can generate significant ranging errors. Due to the complex through-wall UWB signal propagation, most conventional studies simplify the ranging error model by assuming that the incidence angle is zero or the relative permittivities for different walls are the same to improve the through-wall UWB localization performance. Considering walls are different in realistic settings, this paper presents a through-multiple-wall NLOS mitigation method for UWB indoor positioning. First, spatial geometric equilibrium equations of UWB through-wall propagation and a numerical method are developed for the precise modeling of UWB through-wall ranging errors. Then, calculated error maps are determined numerically without field measurements. Finally, the determined error maps are combined with a gray wolf optimization algorithm for localization. The proposed method is evaluated via field experiments with four rooms, three walls, and six penetration cases. The results demonstrate that the method can strongly mitigate the multi-wall NLOS effects on the performance of UWB positioning systems. This solution can reduce project costs and number of power supplies for UWB indoor positioning applications.

Scenario Planning in Selecting Contract Strategy Scheme to Achieve OTOBOSOROR (On Time, On Budget, On Specification, On Regulation, and On Return) Target in PT Kilang Pertamina International

Indonesia as developing countries, continues to implement various strategic action to increase economic activities through infrastructure development named National Strategic Project (PSN) that are deemed to be strategically important and must be completed quickly. To fulfill the PSN, PT KPI has ultimate goal namely OTOBOSOROR (On Time, On Budget, On Schedule, On Regulation, On Return) where there are still many project delays, cost overrun or under specification. Therefore, one of the main goals of the project is a fast-tracking strategy in developing projects to achieve earlier project completion with lower Capex and meet owner specification. However, in fast-track projects, starting an activity without comprehensive data and knowledge entails additional risks and uncertainties than in typical project. Therefore, the author will assess appropriate scenario planning for future contract strategy scheme to achieve OTOBOSOROR target by exploring the internal organization as well as the external environment using McKinsey’s 7S and PESTEL. Then, scenario planning analysis will be conducted where’s ten driving forces are identified and analyzed. Four scenarios are created from crucial uncertainties by combining the important variables of project scheduling and project cost. Implications and options are arranged for the respective scenario. At the end this study proposes Design Build Competition (DBC) contract strategy concept to complete the fast-tracking strategy, reduce project costs and maintain owner specification. However before initiating an activity, PT KPI should manage all risks and uncertainties in fast-track initiatives to avoid potential events that are not beneficial for future PT KPI projects.

A three-step approach for co-locating nature-based solutions within offshore wind farms

The extent of seabed licensed for offshore renewables is being expanded with the global requirement to reduce carbon emissions. The opportunity for Nature-based Solutions for restoration, conservation, mariculture, infrastructure protection, and carbon sequestration initiatives are being explored internationally. Co-location of marine renewable or structures with conservation initiatives offers the opportunity to support populations of threatened species and contribute to wider ecosystem services and benefits. Building on experience from a North Sea project, we explore the feasibility to co-locate bivalve species at offshore wind farms. We present a three-step approach to identify offshore wind farm sites with the potential to co-locate with compatible species within a marine licensed area, based on environmental and physical conditions and biological tolerances. These steps are, (1) information collection and data synthesis, (2) data analysis through site suitability and species compatibility assessments, and (3) numerical modelling approaches to test the feasibility of pilot studies and scale-up planned operations. This approach supports feasibility assessment by identification of sites where Nature-based Solution project success is more likely or certain, thereby reducing project costs and risk of failure. An example case study is provided using Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm (southeast England) and the restoration and conservation of the commercially valuable European Flat Oyster (Ostrea edulis).

Integrated Methods for Selecting Construction Foundation Type Based on Using a Value Engineering Principle

The cost of constructing foundations, on average, ranges from 10% to 15% of a project’s total cost. Therefore, selecting the appropriate type of foundation may result in a significant reduction in project costs. In this study, a value engineering (VE) approach was applied to select the best foundation type from seven alternatives that covered shallow and deep foundations. Selection was dependent on ten important criteria, which were classified into safety, buildability, flexibility of architectural design, and environmental impact. Foundation construction experts used the stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) method to determine the weights of these ten properties for six identified cases based on structure type and soil type. In addition, the weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method was used to determine the quality weight for each foundation option. The results show that adaptable architectural design requirements were more critical in selecting the foundation than the safety criteria for a bridge project. Additionally, the criteria for environmental impacts in the case of high-rise buildings have a more significant impact on foundation choice than low-rise buildings. The outcomes of this study may improve the adaptability of architectural design and the environmental impact of future structures and building codes in the construction industry.

Reducing Reinforced Concrete Materials Waste in Construction Projects Using Building Information Modeling in Egypt

Reduced Reinforced Concrete Material Waste (RRCMW) is recognized as a major issue that must be controlled in building projects. The primary goal of the study is to demonstrate the significance of BIM in construction and the importance of BIM in reducing reinforced concrete material waste. To achieve the study's goal, a questionnaire survey is undertaken to estimate the benefit of using BIM in Egyptian building projects. According to the survey results, about 41% of respondents are believed that BIM may reduce project costs by 16% to 20% when compared to the traditional method. In addition, the proportion of variations in reinforced concrete amount survey between traditional methods (AutoCAD) and (Revit) is discovered to be 44%, with a range of 11% to 15%. Approximately 46% of respondents are believed that BIM eliminates design errors, with a percentage ranging from 21% to 25%, and about 51% are believed that BIM helps in reducing rework, with a total percentage ranging from 21% to 25%. Then, case studies of building ("Residential projects") and infrastructure ("Bridges projects") projects are analyzed to determine the difference between waste minimization using traditional methods and waste minimization using BIM. Waste management is a critical issue since it is the only approach to optimize waste throughout the project phases. As a result, factors managing (RRCMW) are extracted, and BIM software should be used to manage these factors in order to optimize waste. The relevant BIM applications are used in this case study: site utilization planning, quantity take-off, 3D coordination, visualization, digital prefabrication, design validation, "design review and clash detection," and optimized workflow and communication structure. So, based on the preceding case studies, it is discovered that using BIM is far more successful and economical than using the traditional method, because it aids in the resolution of many issues before and during construction, such as clash detection, material storage, material ordering, and so on. As a result, while BIM is not widely used in Egypt, engineers should be familiar with it because it will be a vital tool to reduce waste in the future.

Can data sharing really provide added value? Practical data sharing recommendations for the wind energy sector

The digital era offers many opportunities to the wind energy industry and research community and digitalisation is one of the key drivers for reducing project costs and risks. The WeDoWind framework has been developed in order to address one of the main challenges to a successful exploitation of digitalisation in wind energy - data sharing and collaboration. The main innovation of this framework is the way it creates tangible incentives to motivate different types of people to actually share data and knowledge in practice. In this work, we carry out a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the WeDoWind framework based on a survey filled out by participants of two use case studies and observations from the WeDoWind development team. The results show that the framework successfully enhances collaboration and data sharing in the sector. The results allowed a set of practical data sharing recommendations for the wind energy sector to be developed, which are being continuously improved based on our experience with the WeDoWind framework. They can be applied by anyone wishing to share data effectively and efficiently.

Improved Surrounding Rock Classification Method for the Middle Rock Pillar of a Small Clear-Distance Tunnel

In tunnel design and construction, proper and accurate classification of rock surrounding tunnels is needed to ensure tunnel construction safety, guarantee construction quality, and reduce project costs. With rapid urbanization, numerous small clear-distance tunnels have been constructed in dense urban road networks. Compared with ordinarily separated tunnels, the construction scale and difficulty of small clear-distance tunnels are greater, and the requirements for the classification of rock surrounding tunnels are accordingly higher. A small clear-distance tunnel in an urban super large and complex underground interchange hub of the Xiamen Haicang Evacuation Channel was selected as the background, and the classification method of the middle rock pillar in a small clear-distance tunnel is presented based on the general classification standard of surrounding rocks. Based on the geometric, physical, and mechanical factors of the middle rock pillar, six indices affecting the stability and quality of the middle rock pillar were selected, and the classification index system of the middle rock pillar was established from the two dimensions of the basic and auxiliary indices. The basic and auxiliary indices were scored using the scoring method, and the different grades of the middle rock pillar were divided according to different scores. The middle rock pillar classification standard was applied to the quality assessment of the middle rock pillar, which provided a basis for the on-site assessment of the quality of the middle rock pillar and proved the accuracy and superiority of the improved classification standard. The newly established classification standard can provide a reference for selecting the correct construction method and supporting structure type for small clear-distance tunnels.

Effect of Chinese Currency Appreciation on Investments in Renewable Energy Projects in Countries along the Belt and Road

Foreign investment in renewable energy generation projects is a critical part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Under the background of the market economy, the electric energy will participate in power market competition among the countries along the line, and the sales revenue will be settled in the local currency. The exchange rate of the countries along the Belt and Road fluctuates frequently and widely, thereby posing significant risks to the investment income of the projects. To address this problem, this paper proposes the concept of Ek as the effective exchange rate expressed by the on-grid price, investment cost per kilowatt electricity generation equipment, and annual operating cost rate of unit power generation capacity. Moreover, this paper presents a model of power generation cost, income, and earning expressed by the real exchange rate. The flexibility formula of the fluctuation of power generation cost, income, profit, and internal rate of return relative(IRR) to Ek is derived, and the effect of exchange rate level and fluctuation on projects is analyzed. With the wind power projects invested by China in Pakistan taken as an example, the trend during the entire life cycle is calculated. The changes in net profit rate, IRR, and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) are calculated under Chinese currency appreciation of 10%, 20%, and 35% and 5% and 10% reduction of investment cost per unit. As the Chinese currency appreciates and the project IRR declines significantly, LCOE decreases slightly, but this decrease is not sufficient to compensate for the losses caused by the decline in IRR. The following effective measures are proposed to deal with the exchange rate fluctuation of foreign renewable energy generation projects: building energy Internet, reducing project cost, and using Chinese currency as the settlement currency. In this paper, a solution is provided for investments in renewable energy projects in regions where exchange rates fluctuate greatly.

Strength and stiffness prediction models of expansive clays blended with sawdust ash

Strength and stiffness characteristics are major concern for selecting any geomaterial. However, laboratory testing of these characteristics is time associated, laborious, and high cost. So, there is a need of intelligence tools to estimate the strength and stiffness of geomaterial. The impact of sawdust ash on the stiffness and strength properties of combined expanding clays is discussed in this research. The combined expansive clays underwent tests for California bearing ratio (CBR), unconfined compressive strength (UCS), optimal moisture content, maximum dry density, plasticity characteristics (liquid limit and plastic limit), and differential free swell (DFSI). According to test results, adding more sawdust to the blended clays improves their performance. This study also investigates the artificial neural network (ANN) model that considers six input variables to forecast the CBR and UCS of blended clays. The findings demonstrate that the ANN model performs more accurately for the CBR and UCS models. This clever method may help manage the under- or overestimation of additive dosage and reduce project costs.

Integrated framework for existing building alternatives by the building information modeling

Urban expansion is undergoing rapid growth, prompting several nations to create financial and administrative capitals outside congested urban areas, leaving the existing buildings unoccupied. To investigate the possibilities of changing the real estate’s usage, the owners of these existing buildings turned to feasibility study experts for assistance in making the optimum alternatives. An integrated framework between value engineering and building information modeling, especially appropriate for existing buildings, is required to aid decision-makers in selecting the best options for current building utilization. Previous studies only investigated the value engineering alternatives during the design phase, when they decided to reduce project costs using construction materials alternatives. Still, they overlooked existing building alternatives in terms of changing the kind of usage of such buildings. So, they need an integrated model between value engineering and building information modeling, especially applicable to an existing structure, to determine the optimum usage type for the existing building. Value engineering and building information modeling must be connected to profit from both outputs simultaneously. And used the multi-criteria decision-analysis method. Today’s analytic hierarchy process is the most widely used. This paper provides an integrated framework between value engineering and building information modeling that can be applied to existing buildings to assist in determining the best alternative in terms of the type of usage for such existing structures by conducting BIM methodologies such as a feasibility study which includes present value, cash flow and the bank interest rate, and BIM software such as Revit and Primavera. The multi-criteria decision analysis method was used to focus on what is important, logical, consistent, and easy to use. MCDA which considered a process for evaluating options with conflicting criteria and choosing the best solution, similar to a cost–benefit analysis, but evaluates numerous criteria rather than just cost. The findings revealed that this integrated framework, which includes feasibility studies and comparison tables, may be implemented in the future while taking into account time and location constraints.

A database of installation monitoring and uplift load tests of round-shaft helical anchors in Brazil

Helical anchors have been widely used during the last 15 years to support electrical transmission line towers in Brazil; however, the prediction of the uplift capacity of these anchors is still a very difficult task. Typically, costly and time-consuming static load tests complemented with torque–capacity correlations are used for the determination of anchor capacity. One reason for the inability of the existing design methods is the degree of soil disturbance during installation, which is variable according to the soil type, number of helices, anchor configuration, and quality of installation. Therefore, an extensive database of field load tests and installation monitoring of helical foundations in different Brazilian sites would be valuable to guide the engineers for a better and optimum design, reducing project cost. The current paper presents a helical anchor database that includes data of soil characterization, anchor geometry, installation torque and load–displacement response of 107 anchor cases in 40 different sites in Brazil. Additionally, an analysis of the data presented here indicated that the torque-correlation method, used frequently for the quality control of helical anchors, needs to be improved by considering the influence of parameters such as relative embedment depth and soil type. Moreover, this database can contribute to a better understanding of helical anchor behaviour and be used for: (i) calibration of uplift capacity estimation methods and of resistance factors for ULS and SLS design, (ii) development of torque–capacity correlation models, (iii) correlations between ultimate helix bearing pressure and SPT blow count; (iv) characterization of the uncertainties of design methods; (v) improvement of numerical models; etc.

Towards smart and sustainable urban management: A novel value engineering decision-making model for sewer projects

One of the main components of smart and sustainable urban management is well-performed sewer networks. Therefore, maintaining and enhancing the functionality of sewer projects at an affordable cost are major challenges for decision-makers. However, the embracement of the Value Engineering (VE) concept to assess new sewer designs has not yet been fully embraced especially in developing countries. Thus, this study introduces a systematic VE approach for major sewer projects. A computer model based on six phases of VE methodology was developed, and named “Value Engineering Model” (VEM). To show its efficacy, it was applied to a real-life case study, leading to the following major contributions to the body of relevant knowledge: (1) unraveling the logical relations between the project functions, (2) a detailed life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), (3) a weighted evaluation matrix towards facilitating the decision-making procedure and (4) achieving an approximate 36% reduction in the sewer's project cost as compared to the common VE analysis technique. The developed model serves as a guide for design engineers and decision-makers in sewer projects. It will enable achieving the embracement of smart and sustainable drainage systems within cities at a greater pace. The results of this study will be a guide for decision-makers to reduce costs and improve sustainability by introducing VEs in the Egyptian sewer industry.