bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers for implementing dispute review board (DRB) method to Sri Lankan construction industry
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Liyanawatta T.N. , Abeynayake M.D.T.E. , Sumanarathna P.M.S.U.
Published: August 2023

In Sri Lanka, dispute resolution methods in construction contracts are Negotiation, Mediation, Adjudication, and Arbitration. Although the Dispute Review Board (DRB) method has been successfully used internationally for more than 30 years, it has rarely been applied in domestic contractual disputes. Thus, this research was conducted to identify the barriers hindering the implementation of the Dispute Resolution Board (DRB) mechanism in the Sri Lankan construction industry and to provide recommendations to overcome these barriers. This research was deemed necessary because the current dispute resolution methods could not effectively resolve contractual conflicts. Despite introducing DRB through Dispute Adjudication Boards (DAB), its potential benefits have not been fully realised in Sri Lanka. To achieve the purpose of the study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted first, and then a preliminary survey to identify the barriers to the implementation of DRB in the Sri Lankan construction industry. Subsequently, a questionnaire was administered to 44 professionals engaged in client and contracting organisations. The research findings revealed that the main barriers to the implementation of the DRB mechanism are unawareness of the concept of DRB, clients considering DRB as a burden and hassle for them, additional costs to be incurred, and lack of experience. Accordingly, the study recommends increasing the awareness of the DRB at the national level with the support of authorities to utilise it as a valuable alternative for resolving disputes in the Sri Lankan construction industry.
Construction waste estimation methods: a systematic literature review
Authors:   School of Built Environment, Massey University, New Zealand, Tong N. , Domingo N. , Le A.T.H
Published: August 2023

To date, researchers and governments have paid increasing attention to the zero-waste goal as an effective solution to alleviate the environmental impacts of construction projects towards sustainability. Accurate estimation of construction waste is a prerequisite for an effective waste management plan to achieve zero-waste construction sites. In literature, various methods have been adopted to estimate construction waste generation at the project level. However, there is a lack of an evaluation of existing construction waste estimation methods at the project level in terms of the information that the methods can provide to facilitate construction waste minimisation in a construction project. Hence, a systematic literature review was conducted in this study to bridge the research gap. Twenty-eight papers were selected based on the PRISMA approach and categorised into five estimation methods: area-based waste generation rate, variables modelling method, bill of quantity-based classification system accumulation method, BIM-based classification system accumulation method, and other particular methods. The applicability of those methods to aid practitioners towards construction waste minimisation was analysed based on four aspects: design information requirements, the ability to use in the early design stage, project characteristics, and the ability of waste tracking by material type and construction element.
Data science applications for carbon footprint management in buildings: a systematic literature review
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Sandaruwan I.P. T. , Janardana J.A.B. ,   Department of Quantity Surveying, International College of Business and Technology, Sri Lanka, Waidyasekara K.G.A.S. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

Buildings have a significant impact on climate change. The building industry is the world’s biggest energy consumer and the building's operation accounts for 80–90% of its total energy consumption over its lifetime. Data-driven solutions for the management of carbon footprint in buildings have great potential due to the data science field's rapid growth and the expansion of operational building data availability. Therefore, this study's aim is set as to investigate the potential applications of data science for the management of carbon footprint in buildings. The study adopted a systematic literature review as a research methodology. Accordingly, 31 publications were reviewed using the content analysis technique. The study revealed that facilitating pre-process of the operational data of buildings, fault detection and diagnosis, implementing waste management in buildings, conducting the building energy performance modelling, conducting the parametric analysis at the design phase, evaluating the energy efficiency of building designs, benchmarking evaluation, control optimisation and retrofitting analysis are the major applications of data science to the management of carbon footprint in buildings. Moreover, the study suggested carrying more studies should be done on automating and building operational data pre-processing tasks, gathering sufficient labelled data for all possible faulty operations and applying modern big data management tools and advanced analytics techniques lead to improve the applications of data science in the built environment. The results from this study provide better guidance to building sector stakeholders, information technology sector stakeholders, academic persons, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other relevant authorities to address the carbon footprint in buildings using data science applications.
Digital technology enabled circularity in the construction industry: a bibliometric study
Authors:   School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia, Jayakodi S. , Senaratne S. ,   School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia, Perera S. ,   School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia, Bamdad K. ,   School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia
Published: August 2023

The construction industry has a crucial role in a country’s development process, nevertheless, it has a significant impact as it contributes to the emission of harmful gases, waste generation, and energy and resource consumption, making it one of the major contributors to environmental issues. By adopting Circular Economy (CE) principles, the construction industry can reduce costs, mitigate negative environmental impacts, address inherent complexities, and increase the resilience of urban areas to create more liveable, productive, and convenient cities. Utilising Digital Technologies (DT) is crucial in achieving circularity in construction. By identifying a knowledge gap in DT-enabled circularity, this research is aimed at exploring current research on DT-enabled circularity in the construction industry. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to address this aim and identify prominent authors, countries, and key research studies (co-occurrences of keywords). Around 66 documents published in Scopus were collected and analysed using “VOSviewer” software. The analysis revealed that a limited number of studies have been carried out in the selected research area. The results reported in the paper not only serve as a useful reference for both researchers and practitioners, but also signpost further works to be undertaken.
Economic models of climate change: systematic review of benefits, limitations, and future directions
Authors:   Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Nadeetharu B.K.M. , Kulatunga U. ,   Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Ingirige M.J.B. ,   Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, UK
Published: August 2023

Climate change substantially impacts the community's livelihood, affecting their socioeconomic status. Considering the severity of impacts in the developing country context, economic models have been identified as a feasible application to determine the socioeconomic impacts of climate change. Consequently, this study provides benefits, limitations and future directions of economic models, which can be used as guidance to apply the economic models to determine the community impacts of climate change and thereby contribute to sustainable development. A systematic literature review has been adapted as a methodology to identify 18 benefits and 14 limitations of economic models of climate change. In addition, 18 future directions for applying and improving economic models of climate change have been derived. Benefits are mainly associated with the financial and decision-making aspects, while the limitations highly encounter due to possibility of producing misleading results and uncertainty. Future directions of economic modelling of climate change mainly concentrate on modelling for uncertainty and integrating multiple climatic conditions, livelihood status, models, technologies, and stakeholders in economic modelling. The findings are helpful for policymakers to successfully apply the economic models to address the climate change issues in the community. Further, the community will ultimately benefit from the set of policies and management strategies that occurred with the guidance of these findings. Further research can be conducted on addressing the identified limitations of the economic models and developing them.
Internet of things (iot)-enabled industrial symbiosis model for construction material sharing: bibliometric analysis
Authors:   Department of Facilities Management, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Mallawaarachchi B.H. , Jayakodi S. ,   School of Engineering, Design, and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia
Published: August 2023

Under the umbrella of Circular Economy (CE), the concept of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) offers a heuristic solution for enhancing resource efficiency through reusing and exchanging of resources. Indeed, IS integrates the complexity of industries encouraging the use of materials and by-products as feedstock sources instead of being wasted. Digital technologies in CE transition have obtained significant attentiveness in academic research in last decade. However, while studies on the concepts of IoT, CE and IS have increased, there is a deficiency in research that systematises the literature for refining the importance of the intersection of IoT and IS in building construction. Thus, the purpose of this research is to conceptualise a IoT-enabled IS model for construction material sharing through Scopus-based systematic review of key literature. The journal articles published in Scopus database related to the fields of CE, IoT and IS were reviewed to understand their intersection towards construction material sharing. Systematic review outcomes were analysed using bibliometric analysis technique. The evolution of the publications, leading journals and authors who published the most papers on the intersection of CE, IoT and IS were mainly reviewed and a IoT-enabled IS model for construction material sharing in construction industry was conceptualised as the key implication of this research. The next stage of the research is to develop a generic symbiotic prototype for IoT-enabled construction material sharing between building construction projects, which can be applied in any context subjected to context specific enhancements.
Investigating the motivation for implementing unsolicited proposals in the Sri Lankan construction industry
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Thennakoon T.M.P.N. , Jayasena H.S. , Weerapperuma U.S.
Published: August 2023

Infrastructure development can be identified as a key driver of economic growth. Most developing countries have prioritised implementing new procurement arrangements to execute public infrastructure projects throughout their life cycle efficiently. Private Public Partnership (PPP) procurement arrangement is one of the popular procurement arrangements, which can be classified as solicited proposals (SPs) and unsolicited proposals (USPs). Most countries have adopted USP for infrastructure projects among those two arrangements. Nevertheless, USPs have several drawbacks than SPs, such as corruption, low social and economic benefits, low value for money, and lack of transparency. However, governments are still developing their infrastructure projects as USPs due to the government's motivational aspects towards them. Therefore, it is controversial how those motivations have a huge impact than drawbacks in implementing USPs. Thus, this study aims to investigate the motivation for implementing USPs specific to the Sri Lankan context. Accordingly, a qualitatively based extensive literature synthesis has been conducted concerning the practices of USPs. Following the qualitative approach, data were collected through twelve (12) semi-structured interviews with industry professionals familiar with USPs implementation. The findings revealed that governments often choose USPs due to limitations in their capacity to identify and evaluate large-scale projects. These limitations can be financial and technical, including a lack of expertise. While speculation exists about corrupt practices associated with unsolicited PPPs, it is difficult to validate such claims. However, it is acknowledged that unsolicited PPPs, in their current state, offer higher opportunities for corruption. Nonetheless, accessing private financing quickly and efficiently for PPPs is also a positive motivation for choosing the unsolicited approach.
Key attributes of construction maturity models: a systematic review
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Jayanetti J.K.D.D.T. , Perera B.A.K.S. , Waidyasekara K.G.A.S.
Published: August 2023

Maturity Models assist organisations to evaluate their existing capabilities. A key component of a maturity model is its attributes which govern the assessing criteria of the model. Several construction maturity models exist in various platforms, however, there seems a noticeable gap in the literature on existing maturity model attributes and a model template for construction sector. Therefore, to fill that gap, this study aimed at reviewing the existing construction maturity model attributes. PRISMA literature review technique was adopted to systematically review the existing, construction related maturity model attributes. The identified attributes were analysed using thematic analysis method. The study used twenty prominent construction maturity models to identify their key attributes. These attributes were analysed, and 13 key themes were derived that described model attributes. This study summarised all the literature findings on significant existing model attributes and established the foundation on how to derive attributes relevant to construction maturity models. Further, this study adds to the body of knowledge on construction maturity model attributes and opens up avenues to develop more robust maturity models. This study contributes to the practice by encouraging the use of maturity models and attributes to enhance the existing maturity of construction firms. The results of this study can be directly used by industry practitioners to establish best practices within the construction projects. Further research is encouraged on identifying additional components of models and testing the effectiveness of the findings with empirical data in future studies.
Lean iceberg model to minimise barriers for digital twin implementation: Sri Lankan construction industry perspective
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Bandara D.W.J.W. , Ranadewa K.A.T.O. , Parameswaran A. , Eranga B.A.I. , Nawarathna A. ,   Architecture and the Built Environment, University of the West of England, UK
Published: August 2023

Digital twin technology holds immense potential for the construction industry in developing countries, while providing numerous benefits. Yet, financial, cultural, infrastructural and technological barriers hinder the implementation of digital twin. Researchers have emphasised the importance of considering both visible and invisible barriers of digital twin implementation. ‘Lean Iceberg Model’ (LIM) emphasises that most of the underlying barriers and problems in a project are invisible and unaddressed, and it is critical to solve these underlying issues to achieve effective implementation. The study aims to develop a LIM to minimise barriers for successful digital twin implementation in the Sri Lankan construction industry. This study adopts an interpretivism stance and employs a qualitative research approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts chosen through purposive sampling. VBA script was employed to analyse the data. LIM highlights the unseen aspects such as leadership, commitment, employee engagement, and organisational strategy as crucial to the successful digital twin implementation. Thus, a comprehensive approach is required to contemplates the technical aspects with the organisation's overall strategy, employee engagement, and leadership commitment. Moreover, cultural values, norms, leadership, and social networks are also examined to determine their impact on digital twin implementation. A framework for minimising the barriers to the implementation of digital twins in the Sri Lankan construction industry using the LIM has been developed incorporating the findings, which will offer valuable insights for construction industry professionals and policymakers interested in implementing digital twin to improve construction project management.
Maintenance inventory management in the healthcare facilities in Sri Lanka: a study on current issues and possible improvements
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Edirisingha A.S. , Nazeer F.S. ,   Department of Facilities Management, University of Moratuwa,Sri Lanka, De Alwis A.M.L. ,   Department of Facilities Management, University of Moratuwa,Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

Effective inventory management in any organisation is essential as it aids in keeping organisational resources under control while managing time and expenses to enable efficient operations of facilities. Inventory management in maintenance management is crucial as this service is found to be essential to streamline maintenance management activities effectively. However, maintenance management in healthcare facilities is considered a top critical function as it has to maintain and ensure patients' quality of life and life safety. Hence, to have smooth maintenance management, well-performing maintenance inventory management is required. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate current maintenance inventory management practices in healthcare facilities in Sri Lanka to uplift the practices by identifying the current context. A qualitative research approach was adopted. The three case studies were conducted with semi-structured interviews with three professionals in healthcare facilities. The findings of case studies present existing issues in maintenance inventory management such as unpredictable demand, high administrative expenses, lack of awareness of inventory handling, lack of support from management, hiding slow-moving items, and quality issues. The study will emphasise the possible improvements that can be implemented to overcome those identified issues, particularly for healthcare facilities.
Adaptability of lean concept to reduce plumbing waste in high-rise building construction in Sri Lanka
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Senanayake S.M.A.H. , Seneviratne L.D.I.P. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Ranadewa K.A.T.O. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

The waste generation due to the plumbing work substantially influences the total waste. Waste management is one of the most critical processes to achieve effective and productive construction projects successfully. Lean is a philosophy that is adopted in several sectors to mitigate waste. Thus, this paper intends to identify the adaptability of lean concepts to reduce plumbing waste in high-rise building construction in Sri Lanka. Data collection was done through two Delphi round interviews. The collected data were analysed using manual content analysis. As a result, comprising a total of twenty-seven barriers were identified under five sets of barrier groups for implementing lean concept to reduce plumbing waste in high-rise building construction in Sri Lanka. The strategies to successfully overcome each challenge and barrier were identified. Conducting CPD programmes, training programmes, showing the benefits of lean implementation and providing knowledge about lean through universities and other higher education institutes are the most common strategies to overcome the barriers to lean application. This study paves the path to lean professionals to align their strategy with lean practices by understanding and identifying the major obstacles.
Management of carbon footprint in apparel industry: a systematic literature review
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Sandaruwan I.P.T. , Waidyasekara K.G.A.S. , Zainudeen N.
Published: August 2023

Climate change is a significant challenge confronting humanity today. Public and private experts in developed and developing countries along with a few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worldwide are attempting to reconcile monetary expansion with its adverse effects on climate change. The apparel sector is now the second-largest industrial polluter, contributing 10% of the world's carbon emissions. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate potential strategies to minimise carbon footprint (CFP) in the apparel sector. The study selected a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method methodology and content analysis was used as the analysis technique. The findings spotlight that energy, solid waste, wastewater, packing waste fabric and accessories and fuel are the primary sources in emitting the GHG emission in the apparel sector within various life cycle stages. Therefore, the study found various potential strategies to reduce CFP in the apparel sector, focusing on raw material-based GHG emissions, energy-based GHG emissions, solid waste-based GHG emissions, and waste water-based GHG emissions. Moreover, the study shows common strategies that will lead to reduce CFP in the apparel sector. The results from this study provide a handful of guidance to apparel sector stakeholders, other industry stakeholders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other relevant authorities to address the CFP in the manufacturing industry.
Management of social sustainability and quality aspects of rural road construction in Sri Lanka
Authors:   Quantity Surveyor cum Research Assistant, Sri Lanka, Nissanka L.A. , Gunasekara K.A. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

Though the rural roads are the final link of the transportation system, they provide the most critical connection between the city and the rural community. Further, the quality of rural roads is a significant factor to be maintained. On the other hand, maintaining quality has both positive and negative impact on social sustainability, which has been identified as one pillar of sustainability. Apart from these facts, there is a lack of research studies regarding the social sustainability and quality of rural roads at the construction stage. Although the term “social” was introduced into sustainability lately, quality is an intangible aspect. Therefore, this research was conducted to address the research gap in managing the effects of the quality of rural road construction on social sustainability. Data for the research was collected through a literature review, semi-structured interviews with conducting among fifteen selected relevant professionals of the project and an industrial document review from the documents maintained by the contractor. The research attempts to show what effects can be identified and the strategies that can be followed to overcome those effects. For that, ten social sustainability factors and fifteen quality aspects of the construction phase has taken. According to the geographical condition of the selected project area, the number of effects related to each social sustainability factor was different. Further, it was found that few quality aspects impact multiple social sustainability factors. The findings of this research prove that both accessibility and safety-related effects have been encountered critically while achieving the selected quality aspects of the rural roads during the construction stage.
Potential impacts of blockchain technology implementation on construction contract management in Sri Lanka
Authors:   Department of Quantity Surveying, Sri Lanka Institute of Information technology, Sri Lanka, Karunaratne B.C.T.M. , Abeynayake D.N. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

The construction contract is the mainstay for the ascendancy of the construction project requiring proper contract management. The Sri Lankan construction industry has many complications associated with contract management. Blockchain, as a decentralised transaction and data management technology, can potentially address the issues related to contract management amidst the impediments to effective implementation. However, blockchain technology adaptation in the Sri Lankan construction industry lacks evidence, even though other sectors, for example, banking and agriculture, are with the initial implementation. Hence, this research aimed to identify the potential impacts of implementing blockchain technology in construction contract management in Sri Lanka. A literature review was conducted to identify the concept of blockchain technology, its applications and its benefits. A qualitative survey strategy was adopted, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews in two phases; Phase I with ICT and finance industry experts and Phase II with construction contract experts. Samples were selected purposively through snowball sampling. The data analysis revealed that the awareness and use of blockchain technology in Sri Lanka are relatively low. However, Sri Lanka has the potential to adopt Blockchain in different fields, depending on their capabilities. Furthermore, the study found associated positive impacts of Blockchain, e.g., avoiding complex procedures, providing transparency, no ambiguities, no human errors and reducing political influence to mitigate contract management issues. Besides, Blockchain may negatively impact due to, e.g., high initial and maintenance costs, lack of knowledge and expertise, unavailability of rules and regulations, and reluctance to change those need mitigations.
Quantitative analysis of construction-related legal cases in New Zealand
Authors:   School of Built Environment, Massey University, New Zealand, Silva P.M , Domingo N. ,   School of Built Environment, Massey University, New Zealand, Ameer Ali N.A.N.
Published: August 2023

The construction industry in New Zealand (NZ) plays a significant role in the country's economy. Similar to many other countries around the world, the construction industry in NZ is also prone to many disputes, which sometimes end up in courts. To investigate comprehensively about the disputes in the construction industry, several researchers have analysed court cases internationally. There is only a limited number of studies in NZ construction industry that followed court case analysis. This study has been carried out in search of quantitative aspects of 35 construction industry-related court cases in NZ. Based on the studied 35 court cases in NZ, majority of them has fallen into the area of payment issues, quality of works and variation entitlements. Poor contract understanding and administration, contractor's quality of work and poor contract arrangement have been identified as the most recurring primary causes of disputes. Further, the majority of cases that were heard before NZ courts had followed lumpsum contracts and traditional procurement route. The findings of this study is beneficial to the construction industry practitioners to avoid disputes by early identification of common issues in the industry.
Review on the importance of capacity building for enhancing disaster resilience through the effective utilisation of resources
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Dharmadasa K.H.K. , Kulatunga U. , Thayaparan M. , Keraminiyage K.P. ,   School of Built Environment, University of Salford, UK
Published: August 2023

Considering the increase in catastrophic events, resilience is now a widely accepted concept. Building resilience among the physical structures, infrastructure, and communities has become a necessity to improve the capacity to face future disasters. Effective utilisation of resources is one of the possible ways of building capacity within communities with the perception of enhancing resilience to future disasters. Therefore, identifying the correlation between resilience, capacity building, and resource utilisation is highly important to face future calamities. The resources required for enhancing disaster resilience vary depending on the type of disaster and the area affected by the disaster. Hence, resource constraints have been acknowledged as a factor in the ongoing failure of numerous recovery efforts. As such, capacity must be developed by utilising the resources effectively to address the deficiencies in resilience levels. Thus, a narrative literature review was carried out to establish the resource requirement in terms of capacity building to form disaster resilience. As the outcome of this comprehensive review, a conceptual framework was developed to support future decision-making processes with regard to disaster resilience. As per the findings, resource requirements exist in different forms such as infrastructure, institutional, economic, social, and environmental, and addressing them collectively, one after the other will enhance the resilience to future disasters in a considerable manner.
Strategies to create an enabling environment for public private partnership (PPP) projects in Sri Lanka
Authors:   Dubai Holding Real Estate, UAE, Kodippili T. , Karunasena G.I. ,   School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Australia, Mallawarachchi B.H. ,   Department of Facilities Management, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Jayakodi S. ,   School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia
Published: August 2023

Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects have become a proven method of infrastructure procurement to achieve higher rate of economic growth in the most developing countries. However, researches carried out in similar fields have identified that lack of enabling environments hinder implementation of PPPs. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to propose strategies to create enabling environments for PPP projects in Sri Lanka. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted to ascertain viewpoints of experienced professionals in fields of strategic planning and PPPs. The collected data was analysed using content analysis techniques. It was revealed that creation of a national PPP policy, establishment of a national PPP unit, creation of a private sector infrastructure development fund and making necessary legislative amendments as key strategies to create an enabling environment for PPPs in any developing nation. This research gives a significant basis of long term and short-term strategies that have to be made in five fronts of policy, legal, institutional, financial and communication frameworks for enabling PPPs. The proposed strategic outline is probable to implement, however, it requires a detailed study and further validation prior implementation.
Suitability of smart car parking for shopping malls in Sri Lanka
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Karunarathna S. , Rathnayake U. ,   Department of Facilities Management, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

Smart parking is a technical advancement that makes use of sensors and information technology to assist users in finding available parking spaces. It is a management approach for parking lots in many facilities for users to find satisfactory parking places. Shopping malls are one of the facilities that face different parking management issues due to the large crowd. Smart car parking solution is one of the best solutions to mitigate the issues associated with parking management systems. Thus, this study aims to investigate the suitability of smart car parking as a solution to mitigate the current parking management issues faced by Sri Lankan shopping malls. A case study approach is employed using three shopping mall facilities located in Colombo metropolitan area to analyse the current parking management issues. Further, a questionnaire survey was carried out to identify the issues from the customers’ perspective. The data collected from structured interviews and the questionnaire survey was analysed using manual content analysis and statistical analysis, respectively. The findings revealed that the choice of shopping at the facility is strongly affected by the availability of parking, and this has a significant impact on the facility. Further, this paper highlights the major issues associated with shopping mall parking management systems and the suitability of smart car parking to mitigate those issues. The findings of this study are useful in developing smart car parking solutions for shopping malls in Sri Lanka.
Sustainability practices implemented in the Indian construction industry: a focus of construction phase
Authors:   Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India, Thounaojam N. , Devkar G. ,   Faculty of Technology, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India, Laishram B. ,   Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
Published: August 2023

The construction industry is crucial to the global economy, significantly contributing to local economies and their overall productivity. This is evident in India also, where the construction sector has substantially driven economic growth and development. However, as this industry grows, it poses a significant risk to environmental degradation. While sustainability in construction industry is often investigated from the perspective of design and planning phases, there is also growing recognition of the importance of addressing sustainability during construction phase. A quantitative approach was utilised to investigate the degree to which sustainable practices during construction phase (SPCPs) are implemented in India. Data was gathered from clients, contractors, and consultants, and 40 responses were obtained from 147 respondents contacted. The level of implementation of SPCPs was ranked, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to test the significant difference in perceptions among the three groups of respondents. The results indicated that five most frequently implemented SPCPs are: (i) health and safety inspection and auditing; (ii) health and safety training and education; (iii) preservation of archaeological sites, vegetation, and trees; (iv) construction equipment/machinery handling and utilisation strategy and (v) quality management systems. Some of the other fundamental sustainable practices that are under-implemented are: (i) construction noise/ vibration reduction measures; (ii) preassembly or off-site fabrication; (iii) sustainability assessment and recognition program and (iv) stormwater and greywater management plan. Findings of this study can provide guidance to construction industry practitioners in identifying areas that require enhancements, thereby fostering a collaborative approach towards advancing sustainable development goals
The Use of project governance modes to minimise contractors’ opportunistic behaviour
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Arsecularatne B.P.
Published: August 2023

The nature of the contractual relationship between the contractor and the client creates opportunities for opportunistic behaviour (OB) on the part of the contractor, which can result in project delays, cost overruns, and quality issues. Project governance (PG) is a set of processes, policies, and procedures that aim to ensure the effective management and control of projects. It was identified that PG helps to minimise different issues related to construction projects where different stakeholders are involved. The use of trust and formal control as PG modes in the global construction industry is well-established. However, there is a lack of research specifically focusing on the appropriate PG modes to minimise the effects of Contractors’ Opportunistic Behaviour (COB) in the Sri Lankan construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of PG modes to minimise COB. To address this research gap, a qualitative research approach was adopted in this study. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to gather knowledge and theories about PG modes and COB. Furthermore, case studies were conducted to investigate the synergy between the identified PG modes and COB management in the Sri Lankan context. These case studies involved real-world construction projects in Sri Lanka, where the researchers’ collected data through interviews. By analysing the findings of the literature review and case studies, this study aims to provide insights into the suitable PG modes that can be used to minimise the effects of COB in the Sri Lankan construction industry. The findings suggest that PG modes can be effective in COB. The use of a hybrid mode, for example, can create a partnership-like relationship between the client and the contractor, which promotes cooperation and trust while having some contractual obligations. Similarly, the use of a formal control mode, which involves the use of detailed contracts, can help to clarify the rights and obligations of the parties involved and reduce the likelihood of OB. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of PG in managing contractual relationships and minimising OB. It provides practical recommendations for clients and other stakeholders on how to select and implement appropriate PG modes to ensure successful project outcomes.
Use of building information modelling to mitigate cost overruns in design and build projects
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Chamikara K.L. , Perera B.A.K.S. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Kurukulasooriya I.N. ,   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Published: August 2023

Cost overrun in the design and build (D&B) procurement method is a significant obstacle in achieving the project goals. Therefore, it has become critical consideration over its numerous benefits when selecting this procurement method. However, applying new technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), can significantly minimise this issue. Thus, this study aims to investigate the use of BIM to manage the cost overrun issues in D&B projects. A qualitative approach based on two rounds of interviews was conducted to collect the data. The study findings revealed ten highly important causes of cost overrun in D&B projects. Continuous design and drawings changes due to incomplete initial drawings prepared with insufficient design data at tendering stage, errors or omissions revealed during construction, and inefficient planning and scheduling by the contractor were the top three causes. Further, BIM functions such as interoperability and exchange of information, clash detection, digitalised quantity take off, and cloud computing were identified as they can be used to manage highly important causes of cost overrun in D&B projects. This research assists professionals in identifying the most appropriate BIM functions to reduce the fear of price uncertainty when implementing the D&B procurement method in their projects. Further research on identifying the barriers and suitable strategies for implementing BIM in D&B projects to reduce cost overrun can be based on the present study.
Implementasi Transfer Pengetahuan Pertanahan Melalui Penyuluhan dan Klinik Pertanahan Desa
Authors: Junarto* Rohmat , Supadno Supadno
Published: August 2023

The presence of land and spatial issues in the Bejiharjo Urban Village presents a significant challenge in providing understanding and awareness to the community in its management. Transfer of knowledge to raise awareness among the people of Bejiharjo faces challenges such as strong institutional and political bureaucracy, geographical diversity of the region, and people's educational backgrounds. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study, the data for which was gathered through the focus group discussion (FGD) method and interviews with 20 residents. Discussions focused on conveying the diversity of potential areas worth developing, while interviews were used to address land and spatial issues. The findings show that counseling about the diversity of regional potentials and providing solutions to land problems can be used to foster community empowerment, improve the quality of land services, and meet the community's security needs for their land. However, the uniformity of land service requirements, the ease of bureaucracy in each institution, and the political will of the authorities to assist residents in the regions are the keys to achieving social welfare
Community-Based Kitchen Wastewater Management: Assessing Knowledge and Attitudes towards Simple Eco-Friendly Grease Trap (GASTDAR) Design - A Case Study along Bincau Irrigation Embankment
Authors: Zubaidah Tien , Hamzani Sulaiman , Arifin Arifin
Published: August 2023

Kitchen wastewater management near Bincau Irrigation Embankment is a major environmental issue. To address this concern, we held a community engagement program to teach wastewater management and install a floating, four-chamber Simple Grease Trap (GASTDAR). Fats, oils, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Chemical Oxygen Demand were measured before and after GASTDAR deployment to assess water quality. GASTDAR decreased lipids and oils 64.3%, TSS 53.7%, and COD 55.7%. Restaurant owners and employees' wastewater management knowledge and attitudes increased dramatically. Finally, GASTAR's unique design reduced the environmental impact of kitchen wastewater, improving the water ecosystem near the Bincau Irrigation Embankment.
Contemporary issues in applying AI applications: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Prasad Babu P. , Vasumathi A.
Published: August 2023

The broad acceptance and incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly influenced a country's economy and human life. AI is used in industries, government, and even academic institutions to make decisions that have a direct and potential impact on lives. The integration of AI technology is a necessary step in developing intelligent manufacturing and the future smart factory. Improve diagnostic accuracy and screening time savings on business challenges are possible with artificial intelligence. This research helps to identify the superior AI technologies used in various areas, comprehend AI technologies and how they are applied, and determine AI opportunities and challenges. The deployment of AI in different sectors affects both producers and consumers. To reduce resistance of employees due to fear of technology, employers must make them aware of the usage of AI applications. One of the data challenges is a lack of quality of input data. The sharing of data and lack of trust are ethical challenges. There are challenges to the adoption of artificial intelligence all over the globe. Artificial intelligence-based start-ups face challenges due to the need for more suitable infrastructure. The increasing use of artificial intelligence can potentially change many aspects of human existence.
La formación y práctica pedagógica en el siglo XXI
Authors: Díaz Villa Mario , Carrillo Hernández María Teresa de Jesús
Published: August 2023

En este artículo, se propone establecer una relación entre dos conceptos cruciales en el presente siglo: formación y práctica pedagógica. Actualmente, las prácticas formativas están articuladas a la generación de nuevas disposiciones en relación con el conocimiento y la vida social y cultural, que trascienden las instituciones de educación, las cuales, por lo general, operan sobre las bases de principios académicos y curriculares bastante conservadores.
Hacia una pedagogía del cuidado
Authors: Trujillo Rodríguez Alberto Vianney
Published: August 2023

La humanidad enfrentó una pandemia que impactó al mundo entero, pero que se convirtió en cruel pedagogía para visibilizar grandes problemáticas de la actualidad; sin embargo, la situación puede empeorar. En el informe de las Naciones Unidas (s.f.):se estima que un millón de especies de animales y plantas están en peligro de extinción y que la mayoría de atolones serán inhabitables a mediados del siglo XXI debido al efecto del cambio climático producto de las prácticas de la humanidad en los últimos tiempos. (s.p.)
Innovación y práctica pedagógica: una relación esencial en la transformación del quehacer docente
Authors: González González Jeison Alexander
Published: August 2023

La formación docente inicial es un campo que en las últimas décadas se ha ampliado, y crece el interés y la producción académica al respecto, por cuanto se reconoce su importancia para el mejoramiento y transformación de la educación en el ámbito local, regional, nacional e internacional. Solo es posible pensar en un aumento de la calidad educativa si se parte de la base del gremio docente, y esto conlleva directamente a las instituciones y los procesos que se ocupan de la formación profesional de los docentes; en el caso de Colombia, se da en las universidades a nivel de pregrado mediante las facultades de educación, dados los cambios consolidados con la promulgación de la Ley 30 de 1992 y la Ley 115 de 1994, Ley General de Educación y las directrices y lineamientos allí definidos para la educación superior. En este contexto, desde la experiencia ganada a través de los años como docente e investigador (durante los últimos cinco años 2016-2021).