Turkish Construction Industry Research Articles

IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES AFFECTING SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The challenges posed by rapid population growth and urbanization, coupled with advancements in technology and industry, have led to increased energy consumption, posing potential threats to the future well-being of all living organisms. In the contemporary discourse on sustainability, the efficient utilization of limited resources, including energy, water, and materials, has become pivotal in the construction sector. Developed nations have responded to these concerns by incorporating various regulations into their legal frameworks to promote sustainable construction projects. Consequently, adopting innovative practices in construction processes is essential for designing and implementing sustainable projects. Meeting these demands necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the challenges inherent in the sustainable construction process. Therefore, this study identifies and ranks the obstacles encountered in the Turkish construction industry concerning sustainable construction. Employing a “Systematic Literature Review,” 49 challenges were identified. A survey was organized using these challenges and conducted among architects, civil engineers, and construction contractors, and 209 participants fully completed the questionnaire. Quantitative methods were used to analyze the collected survey data. The study's results reveal that all identified criteria significantly and moderately influence the sustainable construction process within the Turkish construction industry. Furthermore, the research underscores that the most critical impediments are linked to the transition process toward adopting sustainable building practices.

IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES AFFECTING SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The challenges posed by rapid population growth and urbanization, coupled with advancements in technology and industry, have led to increased energy consumption, posing potential threats to the future well-being of all living organisms. In the contemporary discourse on sustainability, the efficient utilization of limited resources, including energy, water, and materials, has become pivotal in the construction sector. Developed nations have responded to these concerns by incorporating various regulations into their legal frameworks to promote sustainable construction projects. Consequently, adopting innovative practices in construction processes is essential for designing and implementing sustainable projects. Meeting these demands necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the challenges inherent in the sustainable construction process. Therefore, this study identifies and ranks the obstacles encountered in the Turkish construction industry concerning sustainable construction. Employing a “Systematic Literature Review,” 49 challenges were identified. A survey was organized using these challenges and conducted among architects, civil engineers, and construction contractors, and 209 participants fully completed the questionnaire. Quantitative methods were used to analyze the collected survey data. The study's results reveal that all identified criteria significantly and moderately influence the sustainable construction process within the Turkish construction industry. Furthermore, the research underscores that the most critical impediments are linked to the transition process toward adopting sustainable building practices.

UNDERLYING AND RANKING FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CONSTRUCTION WASTE GENERATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

In recent decades, there has been a notable upswing in the production of construction and waste, posing significant challenges to the construction industry and jeopardizing environmental sustainability. The successful implementation of construction and demolition waste management (CDWM) strategies is hindered by various barriers within the construction industry. Addressing this issue requires identifying and prioritizing key factors contributing to waste generation. Consequently, this study seeks to pinpoint and assess the factors influencing construction waste generation in the Turkish construction sector. Initially, a systematic literature review was conducted, resulting in the identification of 54 factors. Subsequently, a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to project architects, project engineers, site supervisors, and contractors within the Turkish construction industry, with 162 respondents. The collected data underwent reliability analyses using SPSS 22 software. Following this, index of relative importance (IRI) analyses was employed to rank the identified factors. Ultimately, this study establishes the most significant factors responsible for construction waste generation in the Turkish construction industry.

Application of Construction 4.0 Technologies: Empirical Findings from the Turkish Construction Industry

The construction industry is a leading sector in terms of labor force development and economic involvement on a global scale. It is widely recognized that this industry faces numerous obstacles. The digital revolution has penetrated all aspects of every organization. It could offer potential solutions to the challenges faced in the construction industry, which has been generally resistant to adopting the efficiency provided by information technologies. Multiple studies are dedicated to examining the difficulties encountered by the construction industry, as well as the advancement of technologies in this field. However, further research is required to examine the extent to which construction professionals are aware of and acknowledge new technologies, as well as their expectations regarding the problem-solving capabilities of Construction 4.0 technologies. This study investigates the degree of awareness of Construction 4.0 technologies, the significance of the primary challenges frequently encountered in construction projects, the advantages expected from these technologies, and the level of consensus among various groups of construction professionals on these matters. Based on an extensive examination of existing literature, 13 specific technologies related to Construction 4.0, 11 primary challenges and 17 anticipated advantages were identified. A survey was devised and administered to Turkish construction experts, resulting in the collection of 188 valid responses. The gathered data was subsequently subjected to statistical analyses. The investigated data led to the conclusion that there was a substantial agreement among the respondents regarding the level of recognition of Construction 4.0 technologies, the primary challenges in construction projects, and the anticipated advantages of these technologies. The results of this study can guide professionals and academics in determining which innovations to endorse, considering practical needs.

An Investigation Related to Practice of Stakeholder Management in Turkish Construction industry

An Investigation Related to Practice of Stakeholder Management in Turkish Construction industry

Identification of the Precautions to Minimize the Occurrence of Disputes Leading to Litigation: Evidence from Turkish Construction Industry

Identification of the Precautions to Minimize the Occurrence of Disputes Leading to Litigation: Evidence from Turkish Construction Industry

Assessment of Barriers to the Implementation of Smart Contracts in Construction Projects—Evidence from Turkey

Despite their promising potential, the level of implementation of smart contracts is not at the desired level. To expedite the acceptance and deployment of smart contracts, the barriers to the implementation of smart contracts should be revealed. Past studies, however, do not provide a comprehensive theoretical basis due to several methodological drawbacks. Thus, this study aims to identify and assess the barriers to the implementation of smart contracts by considering the inherent characteristics of the construction industry. An in-depth literature review was initially conducted to extract all barriers proposed in the literature. Then, focus group discussion (FGD) sessions were conducted with the participation of the construction practitioners. In the FGD session, the results of the literature review were validated, and nine additional barriers were proposed. Finally, a total of 20 barriers under five categories was proposed for the smart contract adoption in the construction industry. Then, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the participation of 15 construction practitioners. Lastly, fuzzy VIKOR analysis was performed to assess the criticality of the implementation barriers. This study indicates that the construction companies should overcome not only technical barriers but also managerial barriers. Changes in the processes arisen due to smart contract implementation prevent the construction from implementing a smart contract, since the employees show resistance to these changes. Furthermore, the companies believe that they can lose their bargaining power with smart contracts, and they do not want to lose their power. Bottlenecks are considered the most critical barrier from a technological perspective, and companies are concerned about the problems resulting from them. Although this study provides insights into the barriers to smart contracts in the construction industry, all the respondents are from Turkey. Therefore, some of the findings of this study can be specific to the Turkish construction industry.

The effect of communication on construction project management processes during the covid-19 pandemic period: a case study in Türkiye

The construction industry has had to struggle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in all sectors. In this process, effective communication has become more significant. This study is aimed to evaluate the significance of effective communication in the COVID-19 process in the Turkish construction industry. Moreover, the causes of communication problems during the project management process and the communication problems among the project stakeholders were investigated. A survey study was applied and the data suitability to the normal distribution was examined using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The significance relations between the seven different demographic characteristics of the sample and the answers were determined using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. The relative importance index (RII) method was used to determine the participants' perceptions regarding relative importance. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the views of architects and engineers on the significance of communication in the construction industry as well as investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic period. This study provides a basis for construction practitioners and scientists who aim to examine the significance of effective communication in the construction industry and the communication problems experienced under the impact of the pandemic. Moreover, it will contribute to the elimination or minimization of communication-related issues. It will help managers and stakeholders in the construction industry develop strategies to avoid what may occur in ensuring effective communication due to any pandemic such as COVID-19.

Verticalities in comparison: Debates on high-rise construction in Izmir and Istanbul

Large-scale high-rise architecture projects have been central to the rise of the construction industry in Turkey in recent years. This vertical escalation, however, has not been received without dissidence. Scholars, activists, journalists and officials with different viewpoints have participated in media debates regarding the reasons and consequences of this transformation. In these discussions, stakeholders have raised various environmental, cultural and ethical concerns that the vertical organisation of cities generate. Focussing on juxtapositions of Izmir and Istanbul in debates on urban verticality in the city of Izmir, Turkey’s third most populated city, the paper examines how such comparisons with Istanbul, where the recent urban neoliberal transformation is experienced most intensely, have been mobilised to oppose vertical expansion. The paper argues that as a result of the recent centralisation of the Turkish economy around construction, the hyper-visibility of skyscrapers and the concentration of the urban transformation generated by the Turkish construction industry in Istanbul, skyscrapers have become materialised symbols of Istanbul’s integration into global capitalism, neoliberal urbanisation, and the difference between Istanbul and other urban centres in Turkey. This example establishes urban verticality as a discursive axis at which urban centres outside of the Global North establish their difference from each other.

A Systematic Approach To Investigate BIM Implementation in Turkish Construction Industry

Architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is currently in a transition process that deeply affects the long-established way of collaboration and building information modelling (BIM) is at the centre of this transition. Achieving the smooth integration of BIM in construction projects requires companies to spend great effort and resources. In that sense, it is crucial to generate a comprehensive list of critical success factors (CSFs) of BIM adoption. This study aims to systematically identify the CSFs of BIM implementation in the construction phase and evaluate their effectiveness on real projects for Turkish construction industry. Within this context, an extensive literature review was conducted and CSFs were identified. The number of times each factor had been cited in the literature was recorded as the frequency. A comprehensive framework with 6 components was utilized including drivers, inputs, enablers, barriers, benefits and impacts. The identified CSFs were assigned to relevant components based on their contents. In an attempt to distinguish the responsibilities of the industry, firms, and project teams; each factor was categorized into three levels of influences (industry-, firm-, and project-level). A case study was employed to examine the effectiveness of each factor in practice through conducting interviews with the practitioners of 18 different construction projects. The interviewees were asked to specify the effectiveness of each factor in a 1-5 Likert Scale based on their experience in that particular project. This study is expected to promote BIM implementation in the construction industry and inform the industry professionals about the most significant factors to focus on. Further research may utilize the framework to conduct similar studies in different countries.

Online Heavy Equipment Booking

Abstract: Heavy Equipment is an essential infrastructure industries. Traditional Equipment booking system such as phone, email and calls are time consuming, often leading to missed opportunities for both the customer and equipment rental companies. Online heavy equipment booking platforms have emerged as an alternative method that provides quick and easy access to rental equipment for construction and infrastructure projects. In a selected residential building construction project, Monte Equip mental simulation was applied for estimating the productivity on a construction site with selected parameters. The results reveal that scheduling heavy equipment and productivity are not given much consideration by Turkish construction enterprises, and their data on productivity only makes use of straightforward extrapolation for planned construction activities and daily papers from a machinery department. This paper briefly describes the features of the Turkish construction industry with reference to equipment scheduling and productivity evaluations in order to achieve significant cost reductions during construction projects. It also recommends simulation methods like Monte Equipment for estimating costs and productivity.

Barriers to Undertaking Green Building Projects in Developing Countries: A Turkish Perspective

Green buildings (GBs) play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals. However, the implementation of green technologies in building projects has not reached the desired level in developing countries such as Turkey because of barriers stemming from country-related factors as well as factors related to design and construction. The objective of this study was to explore the barriers to undertaking GB projects in Turkey. A questionnaire survey was administered to 116 construction practitioners to analyze the criticality of barriers to GB design and construction in the Turkish construction industry. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted to evaluate the data obtained from the questionnaire survey. The findings suggest that the major barriers that hinder the adoption of GBs in Turkey are higher construction cost, lack of knowledge about GBs, lack of an authorized GB rating system, unavailability of GB materials, and inadequate market demand, whereas longer design time is the least critical barrier. The results of factor analysis indicate that the barriers to undertaking GB projects can be grouped under five “factors”, i.e., cost- and demand-related barriers, market-related barriers, people-related barriers, government-related barriers, and time-related barriers. In light of the results, policy makers and construction practitioners can devise strategies to promote GBs in Turkey, which can also be valid in other developing countries with similar socio-economic conditions.

A Study of the Relationship between Safety Perceptions and Mindfulness

It is well known that the construction industry has a high rate of workplace accidents, resulting in complex legal situations and legal cases. Researchers are debating whether the majority of workplace accidents and injuries are the result of employees' unsafe work practices or unsafe working conditions. In this context, it has been determined that we must comprehend the trait predictors of safety behaviors, which influence workplace accidents and injuries. This study's primary objective is to identify the factors that influence safety behavior in construction workplaces. In previous studies, the effects of employee perceptions of safety culture on safety behavior performance were typically measured with the aid of various mediators. This study, unlike previous ones, focuses on revealing the mediating effect of employee mindfulness perceptions in the relationship between safety culture and safety behavior. Using a sample of 387 employees from the Turkish construction industry, a 58-item survey was conducted to determine the impact of safety culture perception and mindfulness on self-reported safety behavior. A structural equation model was used to analyze and explain the relationships between the proposed framework's constructs. The results of the study indicate that safety culture is associated with safety behavior, and that mindfulness mediates this relationship. There are significant relationships between employees' perceptions of safety culture, mindfulness, and safety behavior, according to the findings. Safety culture and mindfulness are significant predictors of safety behaviors, and mindfulness is an essential personal resource for a successful safety-focused organization.

Barriers to the digital transformation process in the Turkish construction industry

Barriers to the digital transformation process in the Turkish construction industry

Determination of urban regeneration project conflict causes for the Turkish construction industry

Determination of urban regeneration project conflict causes for the Turkish construction industry

An Institutional System Proposal for Advanced Occupational Safety and Labor Standards in the Turkish Construction Industry.

The Turkish construction industry is problematic with its inferior occupational safety practices and labor standards. This paper explores the current institutional system's problems and designs a national institutional system to improve labor conditions in the Turkish construction industry. The study applies cause-and-effect analysis, stakeholder analysis, and information flow analysis based on the thematic literature and regulation reviews and the data collected from expert interviews. Findings revealed that the industry represents a drastically problematic context with high rates of occupational accidents, job insecurity, and excessive working time, and the inspection and enforcement system is still immature, calling for additional institutional arrangements to establish a collaborative and sustainable environment. There is a need for a holistic, multi-dimensional, and systematic perspective to develop coordination and inspection mechanisms in the sector. The paper proposes an institution and scorecard design by applying a quality function deployment framework matching needs and systemic functions that can overcome the existing deficiency in labor conditions. The paper contributes to filling the gap in the literature on the multi-dimensional, systematic institutional perspective to develop coordination and inspection mechanisms in the construction industry and proposes an institutional system example that could be adapted to other national contexts.

A RESEARCH ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION EXECUTIONS IN TURKISH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Endüstri 4.0 ve dijitalleşme bütün sektörleri etkisi altına aldığı gibi Türkiye ekonomisinde önemli bir yer tutan inşaat sektörünü de etkilemiştir. Ancak, inşaat sektörünün diğer sektörlere göre teknolojiyi kullanma ve dijital dönüşüme ayak uydurma noktasında, diğer sektörlere oranla geride kaldığı yönünde eleştiriler yapılmaktadır. Bu noktada, Türk inşaat sektöründe yer alan firmaların dijital dönüşüm uygulamalarına adaptasyonlarını etkileyen unsurların bulunması bu çalışmanın amacını oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada sırasıyla inşaat sektöründe dijital dönüşüm kapsamında karşılaşılan kavramlar, Türk inşaat firmalarını dijital dönüşüme iten unsurlar, Türk inşaat firmalarının dijital dönüşümünü engelleyen unsurlar ile dijital dönüşümün başarı faktörleri ortaya konulmuştur. Belirlenen faktörler özelinde Türk inşaat firmalarında görev alan toplam 50 adet katılımcıya anket yapılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler “Göreceli Önem İndeksi” yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Türk inşaat sektöründe Yapı Bilgi Modellemesi sıklıkla kullanılmaktayken; zenginleştirilmiş gerçeklik, blokzincir ve akıllı sözleşme gibi uygulamalar henüz sıklıkla kullanılmamaktadır. Türk inşaat firmalarının dijital dönüşüme uyum sağlama yönündeki itici unsurları etkin kalite, doküman ve iletişim yönetimi iken; sektörünün dijital dönüşümü önündeki en büyük engeller yeterli yetkin personel olmaması ve tüm paydaşlar için entegrasyon sağlanamamasıdır. Dijitalleşme etkisinin diğer sektörlere kıyasla çok düşük seviyelerde kaldığı inşaat sektörü için dijital adaptasyonun arttırılması önündeki engelleri, bu adaptasyonu hızlandıracak itici güçleri ve dijital adaptasyon için sahip olunması gereken başarı faktörlerini ortaya koyan çalışmaların sayısı oldukça azdır. Özellikle Türk inşaat sektörü özelinde belirtilen bu faktörlerin kapsamlı bir şekilde analiz edilmesi çalışmanın önemli bir özgün yönünü oluşturmaktadır.

Factors affecting the performance of construction industry during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study in Turkey

PurposeThe construction industry is a crucial industry for national development worldwide. Because the construction industry is tied to national and international economic activities, the COVID-19 outbreak has limited construction projects. Therefore, this study investigates the most influential factors regarding COVID-19 and their effects on the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe potential impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry were identified through a realistic literature review and interviews with professionals. A questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to architects, civil engineers and contractors who play vital roles during the construction processes. The data were analysed using SPSS 22 and LISREL 8.7 software to quantify the most influential pandemic-related factors faced by the construction industry.FindingsTen influential pandemic factors affecting the construction industry in Turkey were identified. Among them, “increased costs and price escalations due to shortage of raw materials and supply chain disruption” and “challenges with payment and cash flows” were determined as the most influential pandemic factors.Research limitations/implicationsThis research aims to advance comprehension of pandemic impacts and contributes an incipient assessment framework based on 10 determined pandemic factors. Therefore, contractors, architects and civil engineers may analyse their weaknesses and organise precise priorities so that their firms may remain competitive, thus minimising the adverse impact of COVID-19 and possible forthcoming waves.Originality/valueFew studies have identified the effect of pandemics on the construction industry qualitatively, forcing management to make projections to the current situation. Moreover, no study has provided insights into the influential factors of pandemics using quantitative methods. Therefore, this study comprehensively and quantitatively determines the relevant COVID-19 pandemic factors using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and utilises confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling to present a structural model of how pandemic factors affect the Turkish construction industry.

The impact of COVID-19 on construction labor productivity: the case of Turkey

PurposeThe aim of this study is to measure the impact of the factors affecting construction labor productivity by focusing on different types of construction works during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, as well as discuss solutions and immediate actions.Design/methodology/approachThis research was conducted in two steps. First, a quantitative survey was carried out to determine the dimension of factors negatively affecting construction labor productivity and the loss rate of different construction works from the employee perspective. The factors were identified through a literature review. The crucial relationships were highlighted as a result of a statistical analysis. Second, a survey was performed to determine the loss rate through a comparison of man-hour values before and after the beginning of the pandemic from the employer perspective. After an analysis and comparison of the results, semi-structured interviews were performed to discuss all findings and discover ways to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on construction labor productivity.FindingsThe results of the study clearly show that construction labor productivity was deeply affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Legal obligations, such as social distancing, wearing masks, and limitations on the number of workers, have been major drivers for lower labor productivity. Such obligations have a profound impact on interior construction works, especially based on teamwork. Concerning employer and labor-related factors, problems with getting payments on time, loss of income, and financial hardships are the leading factors resulting in decreased worker performance. Excavation, insulation, and plastering works were determined as the most affected construction works under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe quantitative portion of this study is limited to a sample of respondents in the Turkish construction industry. Further research is necessary to provide an in-depth review into construction labor productivity in other countries with a larger respondent sample. Another limitation is sourced by the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may turn out that some findings are outdated. Despite these limitations, the insights from this study may enable employers to understand the major drivers and deep impacts of labor productivity loss by uncovering the main vulnerabilities during the pandemic. Recommended measures may also help policy-makers and stakeholders in the construction industry take necessary and immediate actions to ensure better construction labor productivity.Originality/valueThe study may contribute to a better understanding of a pandemic's impact on labor productivity by focusing on both employee and employer perspectives, especially in developing countries. The paper may help employers decide which priority measures are required for each construction work separately. The study is crucial not only for minimizing the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on labor productivity but also for preparing for the post-pandemic era.

Modeling the Critical Success Factors for BIM Implementation in Developing Countries: Sampling the Turkish AEC Industry

One of the latest advancements transforming the global architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is building information modeling (BIM). Although BIM implementation is at high level in developed countries, it is at a lower level in developing countries. BIM is new to the construction industry in Turkey, with only minor construction firms having implemented it. When making projections based on the current state of the Turkish AEC industry, it is foreseen that it will become mandatory in the near future. Considering this projection, it is doubtful that many construction companies will be caught unprepared for this situation and will not know how to implement BIM. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and model the critical success factors for BIM implementation and their impact size in order to gain insight for the fast and efficient implementation of BIM among construction firms in the Turkish AEC industry, which can be generalized for most developing countries. To reach these aims, a questionnaire was designed with 41 identified success criteria (SC) that were derived through a systematic literature review (SLR). The survey was conducted on construction professionals who actively implement BIM technology at their occupied firms in Turkey and they were asked to rank the importance of 41 SC on a five-point Likert scale. The sampling frame consisted of architects and civil engineers, and in total, 243 responses were received. The differentiation between SC and critical success criteria (CSC) was obtained by using a normalized mean cutoff value. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify the critical success factors (CSFs), and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the underlying size effects of each CSF on BIM implementation in the Turkish AEC industry. The results of this study reveal 20 CSC for successful BIM implementation, and EFA exhibited three CSFs from 20 CSC. Three critical success factors for BIM implementation in the Turkish construction industry were determined and grouped into two categories. “Awareness of technological benefits” and “organizational readiness and competitive advantages” formed one group and are the most influential critical success factors for BIM implementation. “Motivation of management regarding BIM” formed the second group of critical success factors that have a significant effect.