Tool For Construction Research Articles

Proposing the Use of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) as Risk Assessment Tool in Construction

The aim of this research was to improve the analysis of risks in construction projects in Egypt through proposing the implementation of FMEA as a risk assessment tool. First, an extensive literature review was conducted to identify the relevant risks in the Egyptian construction industry. Second, a questionnaire survey was carried out to determine the impact, probability, and detection of the identified risk factors according to experts working in the construction sector in Egypt. Third, an analysis of these risks was carried out using traditional PMI’s risk assessment, FMEA, and the integration of fuzzy logic with FMEA fundamentals. The reached results demonstrated that FMEA and risk management are quite similar in different aspects, but FMEA has an additional dimension to PMI’s risk analysis, which is “detection”. Such dimension affects how risks are managed and plays a major role in developing better strategies for controlling and detecting risks. This added depth provides more insights about the project and enables construction parties to make better preparations and decisions in their projects. The findings indicated that FMEA has a significant potential in the construction industry if it is properly applied. Findings of this research are envisaged to promote the application of FMEA as an upgrade to the currently applied PMI’s risk management practice; thus, enhancing the efficiency, visualization, and eventually the decision making.

Application of Digital Technologies Tools for Social and Sustainable Construction in a Developing Economy

This study aims to evaluate the diverse application areas of digital technologies (DTs) within the Nigerian construction industry, with the intention of gaining insights into their potential benefits, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing efficiency, productivity, and overall performance. This will help us to understand how innovative technologies can improve the various stages of construction projects. To achieve the objectives of this study, a convenience sampling approach was employed to distribute closed-ended questionnaires among construction professionals located in Lagos State. Several statistical tools were used to analyze the obtained data, including percentages, frequencies, mean item scores, and exploratory factor analyses were performed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the dataset. The major findings from the study indicated that architectural design, cost planning, building system analysis, structural analysis, and contract documentation are areas in which DT is mostly applied in the construction industry. Further analysis using factor analysis revealed four clusters of application areas as the pre-contract stage, construction stage, post-contract stage, and modeling stage. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the effective utilization of DT in the construction industry, thereby contributing to informed decision-making and improved project management practices. The insights gained from this research can inform industry professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders in making informed decisions to drive positive changes and innovation within the sector.

The Impact of Lean Construction Tools on the Reduction of Contractor-Related Causes of Delay in Sri Lankan Construction Industry

Though lean construction is abundantly used in other countries, it is an underrated concept when it comes to Sri Lanka. Past research studies collectively demonstrate that construction industry in Sri Lankan is lagging in the effective implementation of lean in construction processes. Demonstrating the effectiveness of the lean construction tools to mitigate causes of delay will be a future research concern. Since, delays are still taking place within Sri Lanka, it is crucial to look at how lean construction tools can affect to reduce construction delays. This paper aims to identify the impact of Lean Construction Tools (5S, Last Planner System, Visual Management, First Run Studies) on reduction of Contractor related causes of delay. This was met by utilizing a mixed research methodology, which includes both the gathering of quantitative data through a questionnaire survey and the gathering of qualitative data by conducting semi-structured interviews with construction industry specialists. SPSS software was used to analyze data collected from the questionnaire survey, and content analysis was used to examine data obtained from the semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that implementation of Lean Construction Tools can lead to reduction of Contractor related causes of delay. Further, it was disclosed that 5S is the Lean Tool that has the highest impact on reduction of Contractor related delays. Findings have also revealed that lack of awareness about Lean Construction is the most critical challenge for successful implementation of Lean Construction Tools within Sri Lanka. The results depict that in order to overcome this barrier awareness on Lean Construction must be enhanced among construction industry professionals.

Metal-Organic Framework Membrane Constructor: A Tool for High-Throughput Construction of Metal-Organic Framework Membrane Models.

With the rapid development of metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes for separation applications, computational screening of their separation performance has attracted increasing interest in the design and fabrication of such materials. Although bulk crystal models in MOF databases are often used to represent MOF membrane structures, membrane models in slab geometries are still essential for researchers to simulate the separation performance, particularly to understand the effects of the surface/interface structure, pore sieving, and exposed lattice plane on guest permeability. However, to date, no database or method has been established to provide researchers with numerous membrane models, restricting the further development of related theoretical studies. Herein, we propose an algorithm and develop a tool called the "MOF-membrane constructor" to realize the high-throughput construction of membrane models based on the MOF crystal structures. Using this tool, membrane models can be generated with desired sizes, reasonable surface terminations, and assigned exposed crystal planes. The tool can also deduce the most prominent surface in the Bravais-Friedel-Donnay-Harker morphology or identify the pores in MOF crystals and automatically determine an exposed plane for each membrane model. Thus, an MOF-membrane database can be established rapidly according to user simulation requirements. This study can considerably improve the efficiency of building MOF membrane models and may be beneficial for the future development of simulation studies on MOF membranes.

Delimitation of the metropolitan areas of Warsaw and Lviv over the last 100 years. The Polish-Ukrainian experience

In the 21st century age of globalisation, a metropolis is considered the main unit of the settlement system, though its impact may well extend beyond the borders of a certain country. The principles of zoning for metropolitan areas are significant as a tool for the correct construction of the spatial structure of the state, facilitating the activation and use of human potential and economic development. In the aftermath of centralised planning under the Soviet era, the need to set out metropolitan areas was recognised later in Ukraine than in Poland. As a result of the ongoing war started by Russian aggression in 2022, attention was drawn to the need for such well-connected settlement complexes. Researchers have hypothesised that the settlement network of numerous small towns surrounding Kiev saved the city from total destruction and staved off the Russian invasion.The research presented in this paper concentrates on Polish-Ukrainian practices of shaping metropolitan areas. Ukraine still needs to develop holistic concepts for the creation and spatial development of metropolises in dynamic contemporary conditions. Ukraine evidently suffers from problems associated with the gradual degradation of many regional cities as scientific, cultural and industrial centres, as a result of war and destruction, as well as due to the continued use of outdated methodological tools for zoning and urban planning.This paper analyses the differences and similarities in terms of spatial organisation and the development and delimitation of metropolitan areas in Poland and in Ukraine over the last hundred years. The summary describes how the Polish experience can be applied to Ukrainian practice, particularly during the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Evaluation of compressive strength of Euphorbia tortilis cactus infused M25 concrete by using ABAQUS under static load

This research presents a novel approach for numerically analyzing concrete with Euphorbia Tortilis Cactus (ETC) to determine its compressive strength. Mesoscale finite element (FE) models were developed, incorporating the mechanical properties of different concrete components. Two sets of concrete specimens with varying ETC content were studied. ABAQUS's explicit dynamics solver was employed for the analysis, and the computed compressive strengths closely matched the experimental data, with deviations of 1.2% and 0.96% (affecting elasticity and strength) for the concrete sets with and without ETC, respectively. The study demonstrates the accuracy and effectiveness of this approach as a quality control tool for concrete constructions, affirming the applicability of ABAQUS for predicting concrete strength.

Review of construction and demolition waste management tools and frameworks with the classification, causes, and impacts of the waste

Review of construction and demolition waste management tools and frameworks with the classification, causes, and impacts of the waste

ANALYSIS OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH PAVING BLOCKS WITH THE ADDITION OF COCONUT FIBER AND SUPERPLASTICIZER LIQUID

This research was carried out to determine how strong the compressive strength of the Paving Block is to withstand the load above it, by adding coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid to reduce the impact of environmental pollution. But for Paving Blocks, the effects of adding coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid are not yet widely known. Further research needs to be done on adding coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid in making PavingBlocks. The purpose of this research is as a form of knowledge for developing construction materials technology. This research can be used to utilize the potential of existing waste. This research aims to reduce environmental pollution caused by coconut fiber waste, and to use this waste as additional construction material technology and to find out how much compressive strength the Paving Block has so that it can be used as a construction tool. Theaddition of coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid can improve the performance of Paving Blocks according to SNI 03-0691-1996 (compressive strength). The results from adding coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid are higher than Normal Paving (without mixed ingredients). Paving Block 1:5 with the addition of coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid from 5 samples produces an Average Stress fcr' of 305.42 Kg/cm and Paving Block 1:6 withthe addition of coconut fiber and superplasticizer liquid from 5 samples produces an Average Stress -Average fcr' is 237.45 Kg/cm2. Normal 1:5 Paving Block from 2 samples produces an Average Stress fcr' of 203.47 Kg/cm2and normal 1:6 Paving Block from 2 samples produces an Average Stress fcr' of 184.59 Kg/cm2 Keywords: Compressive Strength; Paving Block; Coconut Coir Fiber; Superplasticizer Liquid.

SLOW ADOPTION OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING: COMPARING VIEWPOINTS OF DESIGNERS AND CONTRACTORS

The slow adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology poses significant problems for the construction industry in the Middle East. The root causes of this issue are purported to include a lack of understanding of its benefits and the existence of barriers to its adoption. This study investigates the slow adoption of BIM technology in the Middle East to identify solutions to facilitate BIM adoption and approaches by which stakeholders can transform to utilizing BIM. The main objectives of this research are to: (1) examine the attitudes and readiness of construction stakeholders for BIM, (2) investigate the extent to which there is a lack of understanding of BIM benefits, (3) explore the barriers that hinder BIM adoption, and (4) identify the solutions recommended by the industry experts to promote BIM utilization. The study also compares the viewpoints of designers and contractors to identify potential differences. A questionnaire survey has been devised to gather data from stakeholder firms and experienced BIM professionals. The results revealed that the viewpoints of designers and contractors generally align, except when it comes to recognizing a few benefits such as the generation of accurate and consistent 2D drawings, achieving greater predictability in project time, enhancing communication among project stakeholders, minimizing change orders, and mitigating redesign issues. Similarly, there was a difference in recognizing a few barriers, namely, the lack of skilled personnel and the cost of training existing staff. Furthermore, the analysis led to the conclusion that the most notable advantage of BIM is improved conflict detection, and the most significant barrier is the lack of BIM training. The research culminated in offering recommendations for addressing the industry's BIM-related challenges. These suggestions encompassed raising awareness of BIM as a robust design and construction tool, supporting construction firms for adopting BIM techniques, and identifying methods to streamline the implementation process within these firms.

A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Ecological Product Value Realization in China Based on the DPSIR Model

Ecological Product Value Realization (EPVR) is regarded as an effective tool for ecological civilization construction in China and has received widespread attention. Based on the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model, this study constructs a multi-layered evaluation index system for the effectiveness of EPVR in China from a systemic perspective and determines the weights of the indicators through the entropy weight method. On this basis, an empirical analysis of the EPVR effectiveness in China from 2011 to 2021 is conducted using the TOPSIS method, the coupling coordination degree model, and the obstacle diagnosis model. The results show that the whole effectiveness of EPVR in China has been significantly improved during the study period, with the composite evaluation index increasing from 0.1481 to 0.7680, which can be categorized into a slow exploration period (2011 to 2016) and a rapid development period (2017 to 2021). The development effectiveness and the state of coupling coordination varies between subsystems, and the main obstacle factors are not fixed. The above results verify the scientific nature and applicability of the index system, which can provide a new assessment method to promote the efficient utilization of resources and sustainability. This study also makes recommendations in terms of ecological product supply, natural resource utilization, eco-industry, and coordinated development.

DOT funding supports research to test digital construction tools

DOT funding supports research to test digital construction tools

Critical Success Factors (CFSs) ImplementationCost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Into Building Information Modelling (BIM) Application Through Malaysian Government Healthcare Projects

The healthcare industry in Malaysia is proving to be one of the most competitive industries today. The sector is expected to grow to 127 billion ringgit (US$30 billion) by 2027, fuelled by increasing demand for healthcare services from an aging population, rising affluence, and increasing life expectancy. An advanced support system is required to ensure the deliverable and have a significant impact on national growth. One commonly used framework to support such crucial decisions in public projects and policies is Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). Integration of more support systems such as CBA and Building Information Modelling (BIM) will further enhance government construction project delivery. The objective of this research was to analyse critical success factors toward the integration of CBA and BIM implementation in Malaysian government healthcare facility projects. The outlined research objective aimed to enhance the integration of CBA within BIM implementation. A mixed-methods approach had been selected to collect the data and obtain the desired information. Via this mixed method, a questionnaire survey was conducted first, followed by the interview session. 90 numbers of respondents (populations) registered via the MYBIM Resources Network List (MyBIM CIDB), 74 numbers of respondents were set as a sampling set, and five (5) random respondents who participated in the early questionnaire survey were then selected to be further interviewed. The most CSFs quoted by the respondents are “peoples” via the interview and training and development via a questionnaire survey. This finding, comparatively, looks almost similar to what was found by previous research done in Hong Kong and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's construction industry. Since CBA and BIM are the most important tools in construction and its deliverables, it is expected that the government, via their technical agencies, will properly and strictly enforce their current policies, which will be followed by all the players in the construction industry. In addition, more training should be provided to equip our construction industry professionals with the latest technology regarding CBA and BIM.

Penerapan Elementor sebagai Perangkat Pengembangan Platform Pengawalan Rancangan Kerja PT. PVI

In the pursuit of optimizing information systems and website development for PT. PVI (Renstra), an extensive analysis was conducted on the use of CMS WordPress supplemented with the Elementor add-on as the primary tool for website construction. This analysis sought to assess the feasibility and capabilities of Elementor basic in meeting Renstra's requirements. Various critical aspects were evaluated, including account creation, login and logout systems, as well as form display and integration. Elementor basic, while providing the convenience of a user-friendly drag-and-drop design interface, falls short of fully satisfying Renstra's needs. A significant challenge encountered was Elementor basic's inability to create a seamless account creation system integrated with login and logout features. This posed a hindrance for website users seeking to input data, as they were unable to smoothly implement login functionalities within Elementor basic. To address these challenges, several recommendations are proposed. Firstly, Renstra should consider upgrading to Elementor Pro, which offers an array of comprehensive features, including streamlined form integration and efficient account creation. Secondly, designing an efficient login system within Elementor Pro to enable users to effortlessly create accounts, log in, and access their work progress is paramount. Thirdly, meticulous attention should be given to integrating form submission and the Progress Bar to enable users to submit data effortlessly and view their progress directly on the website, eliminating the need for manual Progress Bar adjustments. Fourthly, leveraging Elementor Pro's additional design features can significantly enhance the website's overall appearance, ensuring it aligns with user requirements. Finally, Renstra should explore the development of supplementary features to enrich the user experience, such as enhanced work progress management, progress notifications for registered users, or more restricted access for specific users. Implementing these recommendations will enable PT. PVI to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their information system and website. This, in turn, will enable them to provide superior services to their users, enhance transparency in progress reporting, and ultimately achieve their goal of optimizing their corporate information system.

An integrative methodology framework for assessing regional ecological risk by land degradation using the case of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Land degradation poses significant threats to the sustainability of ecosystem structures, functions, and services, leading to increasing ecological risks. However, integrative assessment of the ecological risk driven by land degradation remains a challenge. In this study, we established a methodological framework for assessing regional ecological risk by integrating degenerative land use transitions with multiple ecological indicators. Specifically, 11 degradation modes of land use transitions and 7 indicators on ecosystem structures, functions, and services are quantitatively integrated using remote sensing data from 2000 to 2020 in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. Results revealed that the comprehensive ecological risk of the plateau is higher in the southern and northern regions. Furthermore, we found that land development from forests towards cropland and degradation towards grasslands lead to higher ecological risks than grassland development and degradation. The ecological risk tends to show a significant distance decay pattern around the patches with land degradation. Our research framework provides an efficient, explicit, and transferable means of exploring spatiotemporal changes in ecological risk caused by degenerative land use transitions at the regional scale. It presents a constructive tool for facilitating regional-scale land use and ecosystem management planning and assessment.

Vote-Based Feature Selection Method for Stratigraphic Recognition in Tunnelling Process of Shield Machine

Shield machines are currently the main tool for underground tunnel construction. Due to the complexity and variability of the underground construction environment, it is necessary to accurately identify the ground in real-time during the tunnel construction process to match and adjust the tunnel parameters according to the geological conditions to ensure construction safety. Compared with the traditional method of stratum identification based on staged drilling sampling, the real-time stratum identification method based on construction data has the advantages of low cost and high precision. Due to the huge amount of sensor data of the ultra-large diameter mud-water balance shield machine, in order to balance the identification time and recognition accuracy of the formation, it is necessary to screen the multivariate data features collected by hundreds of sensors. In response to this problem, this paper proposes a voting-based feature extraction method (VFS), which integrates multiple feature extraction algorithms FSM, and the frequency of each feature in all feature extraction algorithms is the basis for voting. At the same time, in order to verify the wide applicability of the method, several commonly used classification models are used to train and test the obtained effective feature data, and the model accuracy and recognition time are used as evaluation indicators, and the classification with the best combination with VFS is obtained. The experimental results of shield machine data of 6 different geological structures show that the average accuracy of 13 features obtained by VFS combined with different classification algorithms is 91%; among them, the random forest model takes less time and has the highest recognition accuracy, reaching 93%, showing best compatibility with VFS. Therefore, the VFS algorithm proposed in this paper has high reliability and wide applicability for stratum identification in the process of tunnel construction, and can be matched with a variety of classifier algorithms. By combining 13 features selected from shield machine data features with random forest, the identification of the construction stratum environment of shield tunnels can be well realized, and further theoretical guidance for underground engineering construction can be provided.

Theoretical and numerical analysis of nonlinear Boussinesq equation under fractal fractional derivative

Abstract A nonlinear Boussinesq equation under fractal fractional Caputo’s derivative is studied. The general series solution is calculated using the double Laplace transform with decomposition. The convergence and stability analyses of the model are investigated under Caputo’s fractal fractional derivative. For the numerical illustrations of the obtained solution, specific examples along with suitable initial conditions are considered. The single solitary wave solutions under fractal fractional derivative are attained by considering small values of time ( t ) \left(t) . The wave propagation has a symmetrical form. The solitary wave’s amplitude diminishes over time, and its extended tail expands over a long distance. It is observed that the fractal fractional derivatives are an extremely constructive tool for studying nonlinear systems. An error analysis is also carried out for compactness.

Full-scale experiments and modeling of precast two-wall-in-one diaphragm wall components for oceanic artificial cities

An oceanic artificial city built by reclamation is an important solution for Hong Kong to solve the land supply conflicts. Traditional cast-in-situ enclosure structures face challenges for adapting to ocean geology, climate and environment. This study thus proposed a precast two-walls-in-one diaphragm wall (PTDW). This study first conducted a full-scale experiment for PTDW. Second, numerical studies of PTDW were performed. Third, a PTDW Bending-performance Assessment Model (PTDW-BAM) was developed. Finally, the parameter analysis and decision making were performed. The main conclusions are (1) PTDW using welded joints presented a resilient damage pattern. The joint damage was slighter and lagged behind the hollow section. (2) The PTDW components with welded joint constraint exhibited high adaptability to the oceanic artificial city project. The damage pattern exhibited joint closure and cracks without penetration. (3) Hollow section parameters are central for the bending performance of PTDW. PTDW-BAM comprehensively designed the hollow section parameters and obtained the optimal parameters. (4) PTDW-BAM has a designable and flexible parameter decision-making capability for oceanic artificial city projects. The results of PTDW-BAM in the case study presented resilience, weight reduction and tightness. This achievements provide green products and assessment tool for the oceanic artificial city construction in Hong Kong.

Dexterous manipulation of construction tools using anthropomorphic robotic hand

Emerging studies are utilizing reinforcement learning (RL) and imitation learning (IL) to control large-scale robots in heavy construction tasks. There is limited attention given to the automation of delicate tasks typically performed manually. This paper proposes the control of an anthropomorphic robotic hand with a high degree of freedom for the manipulation of construction tools in a learning-based approach. For controlling the robotic hand, a simulation-based policy learning framework based on pretraining policies through IL is presented, subsequently fine-tuning them for construction tool manipulation using RL. In experimental trials, six policies are trained for the robotic hand to grasp six different construction tools. The results indicate that each of the learned policies enables the robotic hand to manipulate the corresponding tool with an almost 100% success rate, demonstrating resilience when confronted with tools of different scales. Additionally, the paper showcases the potential for scaling up the fundamental policy for downstream applications.

Cumhuriyetin Yüzüncü Yılında Türkiye'nin İnsani Diplomasisinin Evrimi : Sosyal İnşacı Perspektif

Turkish foreign policy is well known with its special emphasis on humanitarian diplomacy as increasingly witnessed in recent years not only in formal discourses, but also in practice. Türkiye stands today among the leading humanitarian states in the world. The article aims, on the occasion of the centenary of the Turkish Republic, to provide an analysis of the evolution of this humanitarian diplomacy with emphasis on a social constructivist perspective. The constructivist approach, in its conventional form, does not provide an alternative, but a complementary explanation to world affairs where political realism is dominant, without rejecting the latter. This approach helps to better explain how states' foreign policies are constructed, and how states can perceive the external material world, where states are required to act rationally
 
 Methodologically, the article follows an interpretive and descriptive analysis of the policy outputs through constructivist tools, such as discourse analysis, historical and ideational studies. In the article several relevant data is analysed as shown in the tables and charts therein.
 
 Foreign policy is all about pursuing, attaining, preserving and improving the defined national interests of a state. The article argues in this context that Turkish humanitarian diplomacy based on the balance between conscience and power can be seen as a good example to test the role and importance of humanitarian approaches in pursuing such interests. Having started to deploy soft power elements more effectively by diversifying its foreign policy options, Türkiye has expanded the geography of its humanitarian assistance and developed a humanitarian diplomacy perspective that transcends the realist-idealist dichotomy in discourses. with its emphasis on the above-mentioned factors, social constructivism acts as a complementary tool to the realist ones for a better analysis of Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy to make it more comprehensive and holistic.

Development and validation of a modified LibQUAL scale in health sciences libraries: application of Structural Equation Modeling.

The application of structural equation modeling (SEM), a statistical modeling tool for scale construction and development, is becoming increasingly popular in the health sciences librarianship and information science research. This study explores the application of SEM to health science libraries by describing the development and validation of a modified LibQUAL scale within an Iranian health sciences library setting. A literature search was performed across several information sources to identify candidate items to be included in the primary questionnaire. After translation, linguistic validation, and a pilot study, two cross-sectional studies were performed. SEM modeling framework was used for the assessment of the reliability and validity of the modified LibQUAL scale. The internal consistency of the scale was evaluated by measuring Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used for the evaluation of the construct validity of the scale. Smart-PLS software was used for statistical modeling. Composite reliability and Cronbach's alpha coefficient for each scale ranged between 0.90 and 0.95, indicating adequate internal consistency with the LibQUAL scale. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor model of the LibQUAL scale. The convergent validity of the scale was supported, as the average variances extracted for all proposed factors were above 0.50. The discriminant validity was also confirmed using Fornel and Larcker and Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT) methods. Evaluation of psychometric properties of the translated and locally modified LibQUAL in the Persian language indicated adequate reliability, factorial validity, and stability of this instrument for Iranian health sciences libraries.