Residential Building Projects Research Articles

Barriers to the Effective Selection of Sustainable Materials for Residential Building Projects: A Qualitative Study

Although sustainability in Tanzania’s construction sector has been explored in areas such as energy efficiency and green building practices, little attention has been given to understanding the specific barriers to the selection of SBMs in residential projects. This study fills that gap by identifying and analyzing the critical barriers hindering the effective selection of SBMs in Tanzania’s residential construction sector. Through qualitative interviews with experts from regulatory bodies, public developers, and academic researchers, this research provides a comprehensive examination of these barriers. Using Atlas.ti 23 software for a qualitative data analysis, six key categories of barriers were identified: (1) Regulatory and Policy Barriers, (2) Financial Barriers, (3) Knowledge and Awareness Barriers, (4) Technical Barriers, (5) Market and Supply Chain Issues, and (6) Cultural and Social Barriers. Among these, lack of awareness and limited knowledge emerged as particularly significant, alongside regulatory and policy barriers, in hindering the effective selection of SBMs. This study’s novelty lies in its focus on the Tanzanian context, depth of the analysis of the unique challenges, and categorization of the barriers. The findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions, particularly in raising awareness, offering financial incentives, and establishing comprehensive regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, this study presents a graphical representation to illustrate the categories and constructs of these barriers, adding a visual dimension to the understanding of the issues. Future research should expand the scope to include private developers and material suppliers, whose roles are critical in enhancing the availability and adoption of SBMs in Tanzania’s construction industry.

Development of Functionalist Principles in Architectural Heritage of Le Corbusier. Villa Savoy in Poissy

The article is devoted to one of the most famous residential building projects executed by the French architect Ch.-E. Jeanneret-Gree (Le Corbusier) in the traditions of functionalism. Villa Savoy in Poissy (1928–931) is milestone work in his activity. Upon its completion, Jeanneret-Gree joined the group of outstanding architects, who had the opportunity to freely experiment with the variety of architectural styles (modernism, brutalism, etc.). The paper presents the analysis of the main architectural and design concepts of Jeanneret-Gree, embedded in the general and floor plans, facades, and interiors of this unusual villa.

Influence of BIM and Lean on mitigating delay factors in building projects

Building projects are affected by various phenomena that can affect their success and continuity and, in the worst cases, can lead to project abandonment. The delay has been identified as one of the phenomena with the most significant impact and recurrence; therefore, mitigation actions are required. BIM and Lean Construction are two approaches with great potential to mitigate delay-generating factors. However, more studies need to be conducted to analyze their influence on mitigating schedule delays. Considering this gap, this paper focuses on analyzing the influence of Lean Construction tools, and BIM uses that favor mitigating the main factors that generate variations in the construction schedules of residential buildings. The research method was divided into five main stages: (1) delay factors identification; (2) BIM uses identification; (3) Lean tools identification; (4) questionnaire design, validation, and application; and (5) influence quantitative analysis. A total of 20 delay factors, eight BIM uses, and eight Lean tools were selected. Next, a consultation was conducted with 50 building project managers and two residential building projects were analyzed. The findings show that implementing BIM and Lean tools greatly influences mitigating delay factors such as errors and deficiencies in design documents, inefficient project planning and scheduling, and poor communication and coordination with designers. BIM uses that have a strong influence on reducing delays include 4D construction planning and 4D construction analysis and optimization. In the Lean domain, the Last Planner System (LPS) and collaborative meetings have a high influence on mitigating delays. This study provides valuable insights for construction project managers to improve overall project efficiency by optimizing the implementation of BIM uses and Lean tools.

Features of the Design of Residential Buildings

The article discusses each type of residential and public buildings has its own spatial planning solution, the design of which reflects a rather complex workflow. When designing multi-family residential buildings, economic factors are primarily taken into account. In particular, the construction of residential buildings in Uzbekistan has its own historical tradition. The houses were built in two versions -national and European. These houses mainly consist of houses with separate courtyards. This study employs a qualitative research approach, drawing insights from architectural literature and historical records to examine the design features of residential buildings in Uzbekistan. Data collection involves literature review, analysis of architectural plans, and examination of historical documents. The analysis reveals that the design of multi-family residential buildings is influenced by various factors, including economic considerations, cultural heritage, and historical traditions. In Uzbekistan, the architectural landscape reflects a blend of national and European styles, each with its own spatial planning solutions and design elements. Traditional houses with separate courtyards not only provide privacy and security but also contribute to the overall aesthetics of residential neighborhoods. Additionally, economic factors play a significant role in shaping the design process, with cost-effective construction methods and materials being prioritized in residential building projects.

Automation in architectural design: optimization and decision-making in interference design

The design of architectural projects encompasses a complex array of types, constraints, and contradictions, necessitating a high reliance on the personal experience of architects. Automated generative design aids in exploring various design alternatives, but current research grapples with challenges such as limited user customization, inadequate integration with site environments, and insufficient amalgamation of architectural form and performance optimization. This paper develops an algorithm for early-stage architectural generation, which employs a multi- interference item strategy, serving as a highly customizable design tool. In conjunction with performance optimization based on the NSGA-II algorithm, it introduces a versatile workflow. This paper applied this workflow in a residential building project, whilst incorporating indices such as structural performance, material usage, and site plot ratio as optimization objectives and constraints. The resulting design solutions enhance structural performance while meeting the constraints. The generative design workflow of this study boasts advantages in efficiency, performance, and customization levels. It enables designers to explore the design space in a customized manner, yielding effective solutions within a reasonable timeframe.

Duration and Labor Resource Optimization for Construction Projects—A Conditional-Value-at-Risk-Based Analysis

The complexity and uncertainty of construction projects contribute to low efficiency in the construction industry. This research applied the Takt-time planning method to optimize the construction working process, and proposed a risk control framework based on Value at Risk (VaR) and Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) approaches to explore and predict a project schedule and cost performance under different scenarios. This research selected a high-rise residential building project for a case study and collected 1672 productivity data samples. Arena Simulation models were established based on 90 combinations of labor assignments to assess Takt-time planning strategies’ impact on project performance in four scenarios. The VaR and CVaR evaluations at 75% and 90% confidence levels were compared to balance project benefits and risks. Without any overtime or additional workers, this research found a Takt-time planning method that can reduce the project duration by 20.2% and labor costs by 2.1% at the same time, using a labor assignment of 12 bar placers, 12 carpenters, and 5 pipefitters. The findings can assist construction managers to achieve a shorter duration, reduced cost, and safer work environment, which will be very effective and beneficial to improve project overall performance.

A data-driven customer complaint management model for residential building companies

ABSTRACT Many companies in charge of the development and construction of residential building projects do not appropriately manage customer complaint records, especially regarding providing feedback about quality. Data collection and procedures for data analysis are often ineffective, which limits the generation of knowledge. Previous studies on customer complaints have been mostly focused on the analysis of large databases but do not propose overall solutions for managing this type of information, including data collection and analysis. This investigation aims to devise a data-driven customer complaint management model for providing feedback to the design and production phases of residential building projects. This model has a set of protocols for: (i) data collection that can be used for developing digital applications; and (ii) analyzing defect cause–effect relationships, considering the experts’ perspective, by using Directed Acyclic Graph and Bayesian Network. This investigation was conducted in collaboration with a Brazilian residential building company, using Design Science Research as methodological approach. The main outcome of this investigation is a set of data collection and analysis protocols that support the migration from the traditional approach of simply providing repair services during the defect liability period to a data-driven customer complaint management approach that provides feedback to quality management systems. HIGHLIGHTS A customer complaint management model must consider several perspectives; Digital applications must be used to support the implementation of data collection on defects; A complaint management model must deal with the complexity of defect formation. Abbreviations: BN: Bayesian Network; CRM: Customer Relationship Management; DAG: Direct Acyclic Graph; DLP: Defect Liability Period; DSR: Design Science Research; MEP: Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Systems

Rework investigation in residential building projects: Cost, factors and effects

AbstractThis article aims at investigating rework cost, factors and effects in residential building projects in the West Bank – Palestine. Questionnaire survey is used to collect and rank the main factors and effects of rework from consultants' and constructors' point of view. Respondents show that more than 80% of the projects completed with rework cost of value greater than 5% of the total project cost. Overall, respondents' view concludes that the top rework factors include: mistakes in design, unskilled labors, unqualified subcontractors, non-conformance with required specifications, and bid awarding policy. Respondents indicate that the main effects of rework are cost overrun, project time extension, material waste excess and profit reduction. Spearman correlation test concludes a good correlation between contractors and consultants in ranking of rework factors and effects. Data collected from 47 residential projects reveal a high rework impact on cost overrun in construction projects. The results of this study would be helpful for researchers and professionals to guide their efforts to minimize rework in construction projects and to improve projects outcomes in term of cost, time and quality.

Critical Risk Factors of Stakeholder Collaboration Impacting BIM Implementation in High‐Rise Residential Building Projects Under the DBB System: A Delphi Survey

Although the design‐bid‐build (DBB) system has poor stakeholder collaboration due to the separation between architects, engineers, and contractors in its linear process, resulting in longer schedules and cost overruns, DBB remains the most widely used project delivery system due to its benefits, such as higher competition and the owner’s absolute control over the project. Researchers and practitioners expect building information modeling (BIM) implementation to improve stakeholder collaboration due to its potential to bridge the collaboration gap between these stakeholders, ensuring better coordination and motivating cost reduction. However, the fragmented nature of DBB still poses significant challenges to effective stakeholder collaboration, impacting BIM implementation negatively. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify and rank critical risk factors (CRFs) related to stakeholder collaboration impacting BIM implementation in the context of high‐rise residential building projects delivered by DBB. By adopting a Delphi procedure, this study identified such CRFs by triangulating the knowledge from the literature and the experience of an expert panel recruited from the construction industry. Seven CRFs were selected and ranked through three rounds of a Delphi survey. Analysis revealed that the rankings remained unchanged despite the increasing degree of consensus among experts. The highest‐ranking negative CRFs were “Inappropriate mindset of BIM collaboration process,” “Awareness of additional roles and responsibilities,” and “Disconnection in the information flow and BIM process.” A matrix of nine recommended solutions that can be applied across different CRFs was collected from the expert panel to improve the productivity of BIM collaboration under DBB. This study provides an in‐depth understanding of the CRFs of BIM‐based collaboration between stakeholders under a nonintegrated delivery system like DBB. The findings of this study can ensure successful project completion by creating awareness and allowing professionals and researchers to develop practical strategies for delivering BIM‐based DBB projects.

Impact of change orders on construction material waste in residential buildings projects

The current study attempts to address the relationship between material waste and change orders in residential building projects implemented in the West Bank in Palestine. The main objectives include: (1) identify the main factors affecting change orders in residential projects, (2) identify the main factors affecting martial waste eon construction sites, (3) address the relationship between change orders and construction material waste, (4) develop prediction model that shows the impact of change orders on material waste. To achieve this, two methods are used: (1) questionnaire survey is conducted to identify the main factors affecting change orders and the major factors of material waste on construction sites. Fourteen (14) factors believed to affect change orders and 15 factors that might affect material waste are investigated in this study. (2) Case study is conducted to address the impact of change orders on material waste. Data collected from 40 residential building projects implemented in the West Bank in Palestine. Regression analysis is used to establish the predictive model that relates the change orders and material waste. Results indicate that the top five factors affecting change orders include: change of project scope by owner, shortage in equipment and materials, change in materials, design mistakes, and change of plans by owner. It also shows that the top five factors affecting material waste are: rework, lack of labors skills, design errors, purchasing materials not complying with specifications, and frequent design changes. The results revealed a strong relationship between number of change orders and construction material waste on site.

Residential Building Duration Prediction Based on Mean Clustering and Neural Network

The duration of a residential building project will directly influence its successful implementation; hence, it is essential to estimate a reasonable timeframe. In this study, a genetic algorithm (GA) was employed to optimize and refine the weights and thresholds of a back propagation (BP) neural network, thereby creating a GA‐BP neural network model. A dataset comprising 111 instances of residential building durations was gathered, segmented into 90 training sets and 21 test sets. The model was validated and assessed through root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R), and average error rate, demonstrating that the GA‐BP neural network model is effective in predicting the duration of residential buildings. To enhance the predictive accuracy of the GA‐BP neural network model, this research utilized an artificial bee colony (ABC)‐improved K‐means clustering algorithm to categorize 111 experimental datasets and 33 new datasets. The results indicated that the ABC‐K‐means‐GA‐BP model exhibited robust generalization capabilities and high predictive accuracy, with the fitness function showing optimal performance after 10, 15, and 35 generations, and the best validation performances recorded as 0.0019156, 0.00035905, and 0.0036914. This validates that the proposed ABC‐K‐means‐GA‐BP neural network model significantly aids in forecasting the construction period of residential buildings, which holds substantial practical value for enhancing construction efficiency.

Development of a passive strategy for buildings’ sustainability using green roofs techniques in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

Buildings’ sustainability can strongly contribute towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals which set forth a challenge for humanity in existing and modern Saudi societies. Recently, large numbers of initiatives and strategies have been recently developed and adopted with a focus on the green architecture which relates the real estate and clean energy industries in Saudi Arabia. This is considered as an important step to the diversity in the Saudi economy, which is not built on oil revenues and towards the achievement of Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030. Consequently, the application of different passive sustainability strategies in residential building projects, e.g., green roofs technology, can boost sustainable building ratings. In the present paper, the feasibility and probable health and environmental benefits associated with green roofs technology in Saudi residential buildings have been described. Moreover, different perspectives have been presented related to the green roofs industry, such as: types, recent technology, and the current challenges. In addition, the contributions of green roofs to the sustainable building’s certification via Saudi rating system, MOSTADAM, has been explored. The method adopted in the present research is based on relating the characteristics of the green roof technology and its environmental effects to the different categories of the “Mostadam” rating system. It is found that the green roofs technology can boost the sustainable building ratings through contribution to the major categories of MOSTADAM rating system a potential of 32% credits total. This encourages stakeholders to apply green roofs in Saudi residential buildings supporting the sustainable development goals of the Saudi government’s ongoing initiatives that advocates for more sustainable and resilient cities considering vision 2030. Moreover, the present study would assist the “Mostadam” responsible in evaluating the sustainable buildings projects and making the right decisions on such projects.

Three Neoclassical Residential Building Projects in Russian Cities

In this article we share our experience in the design and construction of residential buildings in the historical centers of the Russian cities of Kaluga and Saint Petersburg. Through three projects, two of which are intended for implementation, we will consider principles and approaches that, on the one hand, favor traditional architecture in residential building, and on the other, allow new buildings to become an organic part of the urban environment.

A multi-criteria evaluation and stationary analysis of value management implementation barriers for sustainable residential building projects

Over the past 20 years, value management (VM) has become a well-established technique, while in underdeveloped countries; informal methods are used for VM-related activities. This study aims to examine the barriers to VM deployment. These barriers are categorized into environment and culture, workshop dynamics, knowledge and stakeholders and standardization. A review of prior research is conducted to identify these barriers, which are further categorized through a semi-structured interview. The significance of these barriers is determined through 335 structured surveys with building specialists. The four categories of barriers are then assessed using fuzzy synthetic evaluation and weighted aggregated sum product assessment—technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution methods. In addition, a stationary method is used to evaluate the incorporation of VM barriers into residential projects. According to the findings, the most significant category of barriers that hinder the widespread use of VM is knowledge and stakeholders. Among these categories, the most influential barriers that constrain the VM implementation are workshop decision-maker participation issues. This research provides a roadmap for effective VM adoption in developing countries by helping stakeholders in the residential building industry understand VM barriers and leverage them to enhance the value of their projects.

Research and Application of Prefabricated Steel Structure Inner Partition Connection Technology

Based on an example of a steel structure residential building project in Yinzhou District, Ningbo, this paper focuses on innovative methods for new connection nodes between steel beams, columns, and ALC internal partitions in steel structure buildings, standardized new installation process steps and key points for attention, and analyzes the technical points of key node connections.

Construction Technology of Steel Structure Prefabricated Panel Wall

Prefabricated steel structure buildings and prefabricated partition walls generally have many joints and pores. Therefore, prefabricated steel structure prefabricated panel walls and steel structures can achieve high air tightness requirements, which can be solved by deepening the connection between prefabricated panel walls and steel columns, steel beams, and gaps, and conducting air tightness treatment. Based on an example of a steel structure residential building project in Yinzhou District, Ningbo, this article focuses on introducing the connection details and gap treatment of prefabricated panel walls, steel columns, and steel beams, and analyzing key technical control points.

3D Modelling and Simulation Methods in RCC Building using Bim Software

The building can be designed by using Autodesk Revit Software. Autodesk Revit is Building Information Modelling (BIM) software for, landscape architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers and contractors. The software allows users to design a building and its components in 3D annotate the model with 2D drafting elements and access building information from the building model’s database. Our structure are G+14 Residential building and LIC Ludhiana projects. G+14 is the residential project in which there are 10 blocks with 2 basement, shops on ground and 1st floor, and typical floors from 3rd to 13th floor level which also consist of two refuges floor, the project has different AutoCAD plan of architectural and structural layout having sizes of Beam, column, slabs designed according to IS456:2000 and IS800:2007 LSM. In LIC Ludhiana project the work consist of Rebaring of slabs which includes the top and bottom rebar’s of slab having different diameter or sizes of rebar’s like 8mm, 10mm, 12mm etc. The schedule can be easily extract from this Revit models which will calculate the quantity of material required for the construction purposes. The extensions or plugins like Diroots, Dynamo run in Revit reduces the time of project and give more accuracy to provide id’s to the elements.

Good practices in COVID-19 risk reduction adopted by Australian construction enterprises

PurposeThis research investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on construction enterprises and good practices adopted by the enterprises in reducing COVID-19 risks. The Sendai Framework (TSF) is widely accepted as a strategic roadmap to reduce disaster risks throughout the life cycle of a disaster. As such, with the aim of enhancing the resilience of Australian construction enterprises, the identified good practices were mapped with TSF priorities to consolidate COVID-19 risk reduction practices that can be adopted by Australian construction enterprises.Design/methodology/approachCase study research approach was used, and three case studies were conducted with small, medium and large construction enterprises. Small, medium and large enterprises were selected based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics classification of the business size. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with three executive members from the three enterprises. Data were analysed using content analysis.FindingsThe study found that construction enterprises faced demand and supply side impacts. Infrastructure projects, funded by public sector clients and larger enterprises were least affected. Investments and demand for residential and other building projects were reduced by private sector clients, affecting small and medium enterprises. Findings also show that the construction enterprises adopted good practices in identifying, managing, investing on resilience and recovery that align with TSF priorities. All three enterprises agreed on some common good practices on risk identification, risk management and effective recovery. Different views were shared on investments related to disaster resilience.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to mitigate the COVID-19 impacts on construction enterprises and subsequent economic and social impacts.Originality/valueThis research found how Australian construction enterprises survived during COVID-19. The study adopted TSF to construction and COVID-19 context while consolidating COVID-19 risk reduction practices.

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Building Construction: A Case Study in China

Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) has been increasingly implemented in a wide spectrum of products. Considering the vital importance of buildings to human lives, it is surprising that there have been few LCSA case studies of buildings from mainland China, which boasts the largest developing economy in the world. This study aims to implement LCSA in a typical residential building project in China. The three areas of protections (AoPs) are integrated into an overarching LCSA framework by applying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. It is found that the building project has less impacts of climate change, acidification and human toxicity, but greater impacts of ozone depletion and freshwater eutrophication, as compared to benchmarks of buildings. The sustainability single score is estimated to be 71.5/100, with 40.86% caused by the environmental impact, 29.68% by the economic impact and 29.46% by the social impact. The sustainability results of the studied case are further compared with an existing study in Hong Kong. The results would contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the sustainability performance of buildings in China. The methodology presented in this study can contribute to further improvements in LCSA evaluation, both regionally and globally.

The residential application of chain recooling energy recovery ventilator system in a hot and humid climate

The Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is proven efficient for residential ventilation applications. Yet, certain drawbacks, including a more confined space due to descended ceiling, a lengthy accompanying duct system, and over-ventilation issues that result in extensive energy consumption, need to be addressed. In this study, a novel Chain Recooling Energy Recovery Ventilator (CR-ERV) system is proposed to replace the typical ERV system design to solve the shortcomings above. By conducting an experiment on a three-bedroom condo in a hot and humid climate, it was found that compared to the natural ventilation strategy, the proposed system can help reduce the mean indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration from 976 to 677 ppm and PM2.5 concentration from 6.4 to 4.1 μg/m3, representing a 29% and 34% reduction, respectively. From the regulatory perspective, only 64.4% of the natural-ventilated hours have a CO2 concentration below the 1000 ppm limit per the local air quality Act. This fraction can be improved to 99% after adopting the proposed ventilation system. All these benefits come at the cost of a slight 2.3% increase in electricity consumption. In summary, the proposed system is proven efficient, and its implementation is fairly straightforward and economical; thus might be worth integrating into future residential building projects.