bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indoor environmental factors affecting the productivity of workers in office buildings
Authors: Liu Fengxuan , Chang-Richards Alice , Wang Kevin I-Kai , Dirks Kim Natasha
Published: December 2022

Poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has been found to contribute significantly to productivity losses, with the extent of the contribution differing according to the type of office work in which workers are engaged. However, few studies focus specifically on the occupants of university office buildings where the work being undertaken involves a significant amount of academic research that is expected to require high levels of concentration, insight, creativity, and consistency than is needed in many other types of work. To develop a preliminary understanding of the IEQ factors affecting the productivity of people working in university office buildings, a pilot questionnaire was administered to postgraduate students to validate the IEQ factors that have been found to impact on productivity. To date, twelve postgraduate students from three different office buildings in The University of Auckland completed the questionnaire. The results showed that noise, temperature, air quality, and lighting were the factors most reported on with respect to effects on work productivity. The adopted IEQ factors in this questionnaire instrument is reliable. The findings from this study will help advance understanding of the IEQ factors affecting the productivity of workers in university office buildings, and provide insights for architects, building owners, office managers, and office users to help prevent or mitigate negative impacts on productivity by managing the IEQ conditions in workplaces. Future research will involve the analysis of data from staff as well as students to identify any possible differences that might exist between the two groups of workers engaged in academic research.
Resilience of Canadian residential brick veneer wall construction to climate change
Authors: Defo M , Lacasse M
Published: December 2022

Canada employs a prescriptive-based code for residential buildings. The minimum requirements as prescribed in the 2015 National Building Code were developed based on historical climate which was assumed static. It is now evident that the climate is changing and it is anticipated that wind-driven rain events will be more frequent, of longer duration and of increased intensity. These changes may affect the durability of wall assemblies designed following the minimum requirements set in the building code. In this study, the moisture performance of residential wood-framed walls using brick veneer as cladding and meeting the minimum requirements of the National Building Code were evaluated for different climatic regions of Canada. Various types of brick veneer were evaluated using hygrothermal simulations and projected future climate loads. The mold growth index on the sheathing panel was used as performance indicator. Results showed that the future moisture performance of brick veneer walls depends on the brick properties and varies with climatic region. In particular, for brick veneer having relatively high water absorption coefficient and lower vapor permeability, there may be a heightened risk to mold growth in the future if used in locations on the east and west coasts of Canada. As consequence, the minimum requirements for brick veneer walls may need to be reviewed in these locations to ensure their long-term performance.
Digitalization of climate adaptation planning: the potential of simulation software tools for landscape design
Authors: Keibach E , Shayesteh H
Published: December 2022

Climate change plays a significant role in the landscape architecture discipline seeking to solve the problems related to floods and heatwaves. Climate adaptation planning deals with a high level of uncertainty while precipitating future climate events to prepare adaptable landscape designs. However, digital technologies are rarely implemented into landscape design projects with deep environmental concerns. Meanwhile, digital tools have the potential to improve climate adaptation planning while calculating and simulating the adaptive capacity of design. Therefore, this research investigates the capabilities and limitations of software tools suitable for climate adaptation projects. The software tools are evaluated using the ISO 25010 framework comparing their capabilities. The main method used for this research is based on objective experiments while implementing different software tools to conceptual landscape design on a case study project. The experiment revealed that the implementation process deals with many limitations including interoperability and data loss. Moreover, this research conducted in-depth interviews with project stakeholders including planners and clients to identify their problems, needs and expectations regarding software tools. Finally, the roadmap on the software selection resulting from this research provides the guidelines on how to select the most suitable tool for various climate adaptation projects.
Resilience of Industrial Buildings to Wildland-Urban Interface Fires
Authors: Lopes Rúben F R , Rodrigues João Paulo C , Camargo Aline Lopes , Tadeu António José B
Published: December 2022

Forest fires have affected the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) in the last years with greater violence, causing damage to houses, industrial and commercial buildings. Businesses face the same fire hazard as houses but with a much greater potential due to labour interruption, job losses, and tax revenue impacts. In Canada, forest fires affected oilsand camps in 2011 and 2016, disrupting oil and gas production and damages of billions of Canadian Dollars. Camp Fire in 2018, the most destructive forest fire to date in the United States, destroyed houses, commercial buildings and other structures. In Portugal, the 2017 Large Forest Fires caused damages to almost 600 industrial buildings in the WUI and million euros losses. Assessing post-fire damage provides valuable information for future planning, fire risk mitigation, and improving fire resilience in the built environment. Considering WUI fires’ economic and social impact in industrial areas is essential to better understand this particular situation. In this sense, following the forest fires of 2017 in Portugal, a field research was conducted to assess the type of industrial building damages endured and know which construction systems were employed in their repair. The assessment considered the type of structure, materials used in facades and roofs, type of openings, ground waterproofing of uncovered areas, and material storage usage. There was also a verification of the materials used after the rehabilitation. This last stage concludes that building fire regulation needs to change for mitigating the risk of industrial buildings getting destroyed by Forest Fires in the WUI.
Flood risk management in New Zealand: A case study of the Northland urban community
Authors: Auliagisni Widi , Wilkinson Suzanne , Elkharboutly Mohamed
Published: December 2022

The Northland river is characterised by having a short stream and large catchments. Heavy rains in the region trigger the rapid rise of the water levels and causes flooding, affecting the urban community in the flood plain with flash floods and river overflow as double threats. The government-initiated programs to protect urban communities such as ‘predict and mitigate’ but primarily focuses on physical infrastructure protection. While providing infrastructure is beneficial, developing a resilient community comprises more holistic strategies. There is a need for improving the local capacity to enhance resilience. A resilient, human-focused mitigation strategy which includes the affected communities, as well as the existing infrastructure, can reduce flood risks more efficiently. This paper explores the ways the Northland communities follow to mitigate existing flood risks, including their perceptions of the current flood protection strategies. This study investigates also the social and cultural elements that influence responses to flood risks. The main recommendation, of the study advocates a community-based risk management plan to complement the government’s strategy to efficiently mitigate flood risk in the urban Northland.
Prototyping an immersive virtual reality training system for urban-scale evacuation using 360-degree panoramas
Authors: Feng Z , Liu C , González V A , Lovreglio R , Nilsson D
Published: December 2022

Urban-scale evacuation may take place because of disasters or emergencies. Efforts have been made to enhance the preparedness of communities for urban-scale evacuation. For instance, wayfinding systems are installed and implemented in tsunami-prone regions, indicating the evacuation routes to high ground or inland. However, communities tend not to familiarise themselves with wayfinding systems and the best evacuation routes because tsunami evacuation drills are not normally carried out given the challenges to plan and run them. This study proposes a rapid development approach for immersive virtual reality (IVR) training systems suited to urban-scale evacuation. This approach utilises 360-degree panoramas to represent an urban environment in IVR, getting rid of the process of 3D modelling or reality capture to reconstruct a virtual urban environment. The 360-degree panoramas used in this study were directly acquired via a 360-degree camera. Immediate feedback is applied as a pedagogical approach to inform users. The training objective is to make users capable of identifying evacuation signs and the best evacuation route. This paper outlines a development framework to demonstrate the prototyping workflow of a 360-degree panoramic IVR training system suited to urban-scale evacuation. 360-degree panoramic IVR requires low levels of development efforts and computational resources. Therefore, urban-scale evacuation drills become possible to be rolled out easily and quickly to a wider population using 360-degree panoramic IVR.
Code Checking using BIM for Digital Building Permit: a case study in a Brazilian municipality
Authors: Brito D M , Costa D B , Ferreira E A M
Published: December 2022

There is a growing interest from municipalities around the world in digitizing the building permit process using building information modeling (BIM) and geographic information system (GIS) for automated code checking. However, technical, political, and commercial barriers still prevent digitization from becoming a reality and being widely implemented and locally adapted. The main objective of this research is to analyse best practices and lessons learned by a Brazilian municipality for BIM-based electronic system implementation. The adopted methodology included a comprehensive literature review of existing international initiatives in America, Europe, and Asia. Data collection occurred in a case study in a Brazilian municipality implementing BIM to digitize the different types of existing permits. The results indicate the leading practices and lessons learned by the municipality in their internal stage for developing the automated code checking system and promoting changes in processes, policies, and organizational culture. The findings also highlight best practices and promising international experiences, a comparative analysis with the Brazilian municipal context. The main contribution of this study is to provide a greater understanding of the required practices and the BIM/GIS role in the digital building permit process. As a practical contribution, the experiences in the Brazilian context provide valuable inputs for the journey of smart cities.
Durability of high reflective materials designed for building envelopes
Authors: De Lima L N , Shirakawa M A , John V M
Published: December 2022

As an alternative to mitigate the urban heat island effect, materials known as “cool surfaces” are a suitable passive technology for reducing heat transmittance into buildings and diminishing the electricity demand for cooling. However, due to ageing, the performance of cool surfaces becomes less effective, with decreasing solar reflectance generated by dust accumulation and microbial growth. However, there is little literature on the subject and the data usually present a local perspective in durability which makes harder to compare with other cases. This research conducted a systematic review on works approaching natural ageing of highly reflective materials to identify the main factors that influence the albedo durability of cool surfaces. The main factors found were macroclimate, microclimate, the tilt of exposure, materials characteristics, and substrate. The data analyses conducted in this research highlight the importance of having a general perspective when studying reflectance durability, since agents that don’t seem relevant when evaluating a local case can be important when comparing the general figure. The inspection promoted by this study might help future research to better analyse their results and connect the diffuse knowledge in the current state of the art.
Health and Safety practices relative to nanomaterial usage in the South African construction industry
Authors: Neubert J , Smallwood JJ
Published: December 2022

Nanotechnology is a recent development within construction, however, exposure to nanomaterials entails exposure to emerging hazards and risk, which is exacerbated by the limited knowledge pertaining thereto. A quantitative survey was conducted among medium to large sized general contractors, and architects in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The salient findings include: architects and contractors specify and use nanomaterials during the construction process; architects follow ‘designing for safety’ practice to a limited extent; contractors conduct the necessary training, inform their employees of the potential hazards related to the use of nanomaterials, implement safe application techniques when working with nanomaterials, issue employees with the necessary PPE to carry out the work safely, and generally do not analyse the characteristics of materials to a major extent, but do analyse material safety data sheets (MSDSs). Conclusions include: there is a low level of awareness and knowledge with respect to nanomaterials; the responding architects are barely committed to construction H&S; responding contractors are committed to H&S, and there is a need for research to determine the healthiest and safest methods of using nanomaterials. It is recommended that designers and contractors should enhance their awareness of and knowledge pertaining to nanomaterials, including the hazards and risks.
Use of Artificial Intelligence to Improve Knowledge Management in Construction
Authors: Anumba C , Khallaf R
Published: December 2022

Considerable progress has been made in the development and deployment of knowledge management (KM) systems in the construction industry. These have included a variety of technology and non-technology-based solutions that have had varying levels of impact on organizational knowledge management. Very few of the technology-based solutions adopted any artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The current resurgence of AI and data analytics presents a tremendous opportunity to re-engineer knowledge management systems such that they are a much more powerful and critical component of an organization’s business infrastructure. This paper starts with a review of the evolution of knowledge management in construction sector organizations, and highlights the potential for AI-based KM. It also discusses the resurgence of AI and data analytics, and highlights the key technologies that could play a role in enhancing construction KM. Drawing on specific KM sub-processes, it describes the applicability of some AI techniques to organizational KM processes and systems. The benefits of the proposed AI-based KM are also presented.
How the construction industry can improve the health and well-being of their workers in a post COVID-19 era
Authors: Kaluarachchi Y , Nartallo P , Emuze F
Published: December 2022

UK Construction industry employs 2.7m employees and can lead the economic recovery by adapting to the current crisis. It accounts for a 6.02% share of the GDP and was hit strongly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has revealed that construction workers are at an increased risk of suffering from mental health conditions and data shows that male construction workers are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average male in the UK. Job insecurity, long hours, time away from families, lack of support from organisations and late payments are all known to contribute to this crisis. This paper explores how the construction industry can improve the mental health of its work force in the post pandemic era and what measures organisations can take to tackle the mental health crisis that the industry is facing, and which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The research methodology used is a qualitative systematic literature review of published material including research journal papers, government and industry reports and articles that explore mental health challenges faced by the construction industry before and after the pandemic. The paper identifies the indicators of mental health and the existing initiatives currently operational within the construction sector and examines how mental health issues can be mainstreamed and be incorporated into construction industry policies and programmes to result in a healthy and balanced workforce.
Beyond compliance in the construction sector: Mapping the modern slavery statements through content analysis
Authors: Suprun E , AlMeshari R , Liu T , Stewart R A , Duran S
Published: December 2022

Modern slavery is considered a widely recognized issue within labour-intensive markets of the construction industry. The recent introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) in Australia, has pragmatically pressured construction companies into publishing modern slavery statements that explore the methods in how they have managed to tackle and address the presence of modern slavery within their business and supply chains. This paper, as a part of an ongoing research project, conducts a content analysis to examine Australian modern slavery statements to identify common practices among Australian construction firms. For this purpose, we collected 62 modern slavery statements from construction companies that had issued such statements after the introduction of the regulatory requirement in Australia. The analysis uncovers diverse reporting practices in relation to the corporate commitment and governance, traceability and risk assessment, recruitment, purchasing practices, worker voice, remediation, and monitoring. The paper provides a baseline of understanding about the content and substance of modern slavery statements as a foundation for future research into developing an integrated framework for evaluating the performance on addressing modern slavery.
A conceptual framework for integrated Designers Risk Assessments - a case study of an Insulated Concrete Formwork framed project
Authors: Oloke David
Published: December 2022

Designers’ Risk Assessments (DRA)s are essential to the successful implementation of projects and contractor’s work methods. The Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2015 in the UK demands that all parties who specify or recommend a component or elements on a building project are responsible for their designs and specifications. As more buildings are moving from traditional forms of construction to various forms of hybrid construction, designers contributing to the project will need to provide DRAs that are associated with their designs and specifications. Traditionally, the input of the architect, structural and services engineers would suffice for this process. However, as projects are incorporating more off-site production and on-site assembly, design responsibilities are getting more fragmented and designers will need to will need to propose risk assessments that manage the safe implementation of their designs at the points of production (off or on-site). Furthermore, Principal Designers who have the duty to coordinate all DRAs will need incorporate these into a wholistic document that will ensure that all risks (off site, in transit and on-site) are properly assessed for elimination, reduction, information and control at the final point of project implementation on site. An illustrative case study approach based on a project being delivered as a hybrid of insulated concrete formwork, beam and block suspended ground flooring, precast concrete first and second floors/ staircases and timber truss roofing was used to study and propose a conceptual framework that seeks to inform research/practice and engender wider debate relevant to integrated DRA formulation.
Visualization of blockchain-based smart contracts for delivery, acceptance, and payment process using BIM
Authors: Ye X , Zeng N , König M
Published: December 2022

Building Information Modeling (BIM) provides an excellent opportunity to digitally document and visually display construction projects’ information throughout their whole lifecycle. Another recent technology that fosters the digital transformation of the construction sector is blockchain-based smart contract. In combination with BIM models, such smart contract can be used for delivery, acceptance, and payment (DAP) process automation in the construction industry. The DAP process can be modelled by using smart contracts and securely stored via a blockchain. Since smart contracts are programming codes, for stakeholders it is difficult to understand what is exactly written in them. Therefore, it is necessary to visualize the state and executed transactions of the deployed smart contracts. In this paper, a framework is highlighted to record and visualize the status of the DAP processes by combining BIM with smart contracts using the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) to develop a smart contract system. With the help of suitable visualization concepts, the individual transactions of the blockchain can be displayed in a comprehensible way. The feasibility of the framework is presented through an illustrative implementation of the smart contract system. The proposed framework can help project participants better understand the current state of a smart contract.
The Influence of Organisational Safety Climate Factors on Offsite Manufacturing Safety Performance
Authors: Vithanage S C , Sing M C P , Davis P , Newaz T
Published: December 2022

The construction industry consistently reports higher fatality and injury rates due to its inherent dynamic nature. As an alternative to traditional construction, offsite manufacturing (OSM) has become a construction method that presents many benefits including optimised schedule, quality control, waste reduction and improved site safety. Contrastingly, recent statistics on OSM indicated that in the USA for instance, the number of safety incidents were higher compared to traditional construction. There is a suggestion that organisations simply shift site-based construction activities to a factory. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of organisational safety climate on OSM safety performance. Initially, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify organisational safety climate factors. Following this, 131 questionnaires were collected from Australian OSM practitioners. Finally, a Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the influence of organisational safety climate on OSM safety performance. Findings asserted that safety communication has the greatest impact on safety performance. Contrary to traditional construction practice, greater influence from managers was identified over supervisors towards safety performance. The novelty of this research lies in its attempt to comprehend the association between organisational safety climate and safety performance, which may make contribution to OSM safety knowledge and practice.
A BIM-enabled Decision Support System to support large-scale energy retrofitting processes and off-site solutions for envelope insulation
Authors: Cucuzza M , Di Stefano A G , Iannaccone G , Masera G
Published: December 2022

The urgency of renewing the Architecture, Engineering and Construction related processes to increase quality standards and performances while reducing costs and operations time is widely discussed in literature. In this scenario, increasing the energy renovation rate of the existing European building stock is a key priority to support the EU’s 2050 decarbonisation targets through innovative solutions. The introduction of prefabricated panels for building renovation – incorporating insulation, mechanical systems, and finishing – can provide the existing buildings with improved structural, thermal, acoustic, and architectural features. The higher quality and safety for the off-site activities, the faster on-site application and the reduction of waste are some advantages of this typology of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Several digital and informative tools have been introduced over the last years to customize and integrate the design of prefabricated panels on existing building envelopes (i.e. panelisation tools). However, the comparison of technological alternatives is left to the intuition of designers and managed through the use of several tools that are not interconnected and often downstream the design process. This paper presents a Panelisation Design Tool, which is a Decision Support System (DSS) to help decision-makers in the choice of technological solutions for retrofitting operations during the Early Design Stage. Thanks to BIM integration, some indicators related to different aspects (n Dimensions) are extracted from the model of the panelised building to compare different technologies in a systematic way. The Panelisation Design Tool is tested on a case study building located in the city of Monza, in Northern Italy, used as a pilot in the BIM4EEB European Project. The test aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of the chosen parameters to evaluate multiple technological solutions in an integrated BIM approach.
Classification of rework root causes in the design stage of projects for contract assessment
Authors: Asadi R , Rotimi J O B , Wilkinson S
Published: December 2022

Rework is one of the leading causes of cost and time overruns that primarily affect project performance. The performance of construction projects can be elevated with the implementation of rework moderation strategies. Identifying rework root causes is the first step of rework management followed by a mitigation approach, reducing or preventing strategy. As the contract is the core connection between clients and contractors, using a rework management approach in the contracting process allows participants to be aware of rework impacts before the project’s commencement. Selecting the best approach for rework mitigation depends on rework causes and their classified roots. Thus, the paper classifies rework root causes in the design stage of projects to provide a platform for contract documents assessment. The method used to classify the identified rework causes into five categories was designed on the literature. Results from collecting secondary data indicated all categories in the design stage, consisting of technical, human resources, process, material/equipment, and other general factors. The next step of the study is to assess contract documents through a questionnaire based on these classified factors in search of a connection between rework, contractual claims, and clauses of the contract. The paper recommends that assessing contract documents can be used as a new approach for rework management.
An Architectural Design Process for Housing in South Africa
Authors: Van Tonder F
Published: December 2022

The government has provided low-cost housing since 1994 in South Africa. The housing has been efficient in the number of units but has proven ineffective in addressing the housing problem. This paper’s premise is that this is partly due to the limited architectural design process employed for the unit design, resulting in low-cost housing that cannot address the housing problem. This paper presents an architectural design process for a low-cost housing unit. The proposed redesign criterion is listed under two categories, namely ‘existing design generators’ and ‘emerging design generators’. The research findings indicate possible alternatives to the ‘matchbox’ house and that these alternatives can be achieved while remaining within the cost and size of the units currently provided. Furthermore, the research findings indicate that a neighbourhood of these redesigned units could potentially host a higher population density and a greater diversity in use and social inclusion.
Building Information Modelling (BIM): insights from collaboration and legal perspectives
Authors: Wong P , Lai J
Published: December 2022

With the advent of the BIM technology, related guidelines have been formulated by project owners, governments and professional bodies. As an information sharing platform, BIM is applied to various kinds of construction projects for better management and collaboration. Yet, the existing off-the-shelf BIM application software does not fully consider the potential legal liabilities among the collaborating parties. In view of the above, we conducted a review of the relevant literature and legal cases to examine issues including ownership, liability and information reliance, and duty to warn from the perspectives of collaboration and laws. Common procurement initiatives were discussed in relation to BIM application. Drawn from the review and comparison, key legal issues of concern in BIM applications and the way forward for tackling the issues were identified. In conclusion, a collaborative approach under the BIM environment will work better under a project federated committee. Further research on the operation of this committee is recommended in order to make its authorities and liabilities clear.
A Review of Research on Strategies and Methods for the Revitalization of Urban Historic Districts
Authors: Wu Chenhui , Li Guopeng , Li Yutong , Pu Yuan , Zhang Yuzheng
Published: December 2022

China has many historic districts. However, with the advancement of large-scale urbanization, these historic districts have suffered of destruction. The government has attached great importance to protecting and revitalizing historic districts in recent years. However, the current protection and revitalization of urban historic districts mainly focus on districts’ morphological integrity and the buildings’ originality. Therefore, we need to examine the whole problem from a macroscopic and micro perspective for this proposition. From a macro point of view, there is a lack of planning and analysis of urban development planning on the revitalization direction and positioning of historic districts; From a micro perspective, there is a lack of analysis of the impact of human behavior activities on the vitality of historic districts. Therefore, this research proposes that the vitality revitalization of historic districts should start from three aspects: urban development planning, human behavior activities, and the primary conditions of the districts. Furthermore, it also puts forward the strategies and methods of vitality revitalization of historic districts by reviewing and sorting out representative research at home and abroad. The research provides strategies and methodological summaries for the vitality revitalization of historic districts and theoretical support for the revitalization design of historic districts.
Stakeholders’ Perception in Early Stages of a Social Housing Retrofit Living Lab
Authors: Soliman-Junior J , Awwal S , Ayo-Adejuyigbe M , Tzortzopoulos P , Kagioglou M
Published: December 2022

Living Labs (LLs) are social and dynamic environments that allow the development of innovative solutions through intense collaboration and co-creation. In social housing (SH), retrofit initiatives usually consist of top-down approaches, with residents often playing a secondary role in such projects. The use of LLs in SH projects can improve retrofit outcomes through the development of adequate and fit for purpose solutions, co-created with stakeholders. Whereas existing research on LLs reports successful developments in several areas, research findings are often fragmented. They lack an in-depth discussion on the benefits and limitations, as well as how different stakeholders engage in the LLs. This paper aims to discuss stakeholders’ perceptions in the early stages of a SH retrofit LL in the UK, focused on improving the energy efficiency of 8 dwellings. We conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in the LL (e.g. residents, retrofit coordinator, architects, among others). Findings highlight difficulties associated with the LL initiation, partially due to communication problems and lack of alignment, but also because of intrinsic behavioural, institutional, and technical issues related to construction projects. Results suggest that collaboration is needed in LLs not only to co-create solutions but also to develop the LL itself.
Bridging psychological distance of negotiation failure in construction dispute negotiation
Authors: Lin S , Cheung S O
Published: December 2022

Negotiators are not always rational. Prior studies have found that negotiators tend to be overconfident about their ability to win and underestimate the possibility of negotiation failure. This biased judgment may lead to irrational evaluation and miss the chance to settle. It is argued that negotiators handle a negotiation respective to their perception of the risk of failing. The perception of failure therefore has a pivotal influence on the negotiation outcome and warrant deeper conceptual treatments. In this regard, this study aims to conceptualize construction dispute negotiators’ perception of negotiation failure. Applying the construal-level theory (CLT) and the concept of psychological distance (PD), a psychological distance of negotiation failure (PDNF) framework was developed. With data collected from construction negotiators, the PDNF framework was statistically supported. Four types of psychological distance of negotiation failure were identified, which are uncertainty, temporal distance, social distance, and frequency. The empirical findings provide a psychological perspective of how negotiators perceive the potential failure. Management can adopt the PDNF framework to gauge negotiators’ perceptions of failure. Timely interventions, such as conducting internal reviews with detailed information, taking periodic negotiation training, as well as assistance by third-party neutrals, are suggested to offset negotiators’ biased judgment.
Using forensic reports to manage the probability of lawsuits being filed in relation to pitched roofs: the case of Madrid
Authors: Carretero-Ayuso Manuel J. , Antón Daniel , Fernández-Tapia Enrique , Pinheiro-Alves Mª Teresa
Published: December 2022

Roofs are among the construction units in buildings with the highest number of deficiencies and problems. Given their direct and constant exposure to weather (temperature, wind, rain, snow…), even minor issues can lead to important pathology processes if not addressed early on. This research examines unresolved issues of pitched roofs in the capital of Spain which eventually led to the filing of lawsuits. Different types of deficiencies were detected (humidities, condensations, fissures…) and classified according to their recurrence. The thousands of pages of forensic reports presented to the courts were consulted and analysed to determine the probability/risk of recurrence, based on a number of factors. Among them is the causal origin (according to the properties/characteristics of the materials or to the placement/application conditions) and the respective building typologies (single-family houses or multi-storey buildings). The results that were obtained were calculated through weighted risk matrices of the existing interrelations, before determining the levels of joint severity and the classification categories according to the final operational value.
Circular Economy Trends – Potential Role of Emerging Technologies
Authors: Kio Patricia N , Anumba Chimay J , Ali Ahmed K
Published: December 2022

The circular economy and digital transformation are two of the major trends over the last decade. Integrative methodological advances such as life cycle assessments, material flow analysis, and input-output tables are some of the current trends in circular economy case studies and scenarios. However, more efficient processes are required, and methods need to be adapted to the unique attributes of circular economy systems. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of current technological trends and topics in the circular economy. A scoping review and an automated content analysis were conducted in over 6000 abstracts available in Springer journals. Strategies such as applying data-driven design in the field of circular economy and using innovative information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer new possibilities for optimizing existing integration methods. New circular economy approaches, and systems could emerge based on taking advantage of technologies such as: artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Advanced Data Analytics, etc. Also, emerging topics in circular economy technologies focus on energy, policy, models, and global systems. The paper concludes with an outline of emerging technologies and identifies several future research directions.
Blockchain-based framework for improving waste management and circular economy in construction
Authors: Costa Milena Mota , Barreto Neto João Felix , Varela Alberte Elaine Pinto , Carneiro Alex Pires
Published: December 2022

There is a current lack of management tools that guarantee control and traceability of actions taken by the generator of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Furthermore, the reinsertion of recycled CDW into productive cycle is necessary to foster a circular economy in construction sector. To address these challenges, this study builds a novel blockchain-based information management framework for CDW management in construction, which extends the applications of blockchain for improving circular economy in the sector. Using design science research as a methodological research strategy, this study presents and analyses a blockchain framework and its development processes. The framework performance was evaluated through simulation and quantitative and qualitative indicators. Through a SaaS (Software as a Service) concept, the system allows strengthens the connection between stakeholders looking for sustainable solutions for CDW management. These solutions are independent of the size or segment of the company and allow the creation of business opportunities within the industry itself that provide expertise to foster the circular economy such as reverse logistics, servitization, and industrial symbiosis.
The impact of regulations on construction and demolition waste market creation and stimulation: Australian stakeholders’ perception
Authors: Shooshtarian S , Maqsood T , Caldera S , Ryley T
Published: December 2022

The use of recycled products largely depends on the existence of viable end markets. In Australia, state regulations have a pivotal role in creating and stimulating the market for recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste products. Hence, this study aims to identify regulatory barriers and enablers affecting C&D waste end markets. This study employed a qualitative research approach to understand the effectiveness of the current C&D waste regulations. The data collection concerned a series of interviews with C&D waste experts across five Australian states (i.e., Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia). Overall, 27 interviewees were recruited from various stakeholder groups (e.g., recycling, government, construction, consultation & manufacturing). The findings provide an insight into the primary factors affecting market development for recycled C&D waste materials. A series of reforms are proposed to improve the current regulatory framework. They aim to address issues around recycled C&D waste uptake in construction projects. The research contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of built environment and design by providing first-hand information about regulatory mechanisms involved in utilising recycled products. Policymakers and authorities can use the results to devise advanced regulations that provide a level playing field for all parties involved in C&D waste management in Australia and other countries with similar contextual conditions.
Conceptualizing the identification of critical success factors for heritage building maintenance management (HBMM)
Authors: Adegoriola M I , Lai J H , Yung E H , Chan E H
Published: December 2022

Heritage building maintenance management (HBMM), which has been recognized as a tool to enhance sustainability, enables the preservation of past legacies for future generations. HBMM is also known for reducing the intensity of climate change and preserving embodied energy through adaptive reuse and conservation. To this end, facility management (FM) – a multidisciplinary approach toward achieving the functionality of the built environment – has been increasingly applied. However, the absence of clearly identified critical success factors (CSFs) and a systematic framework for identifying the CSFs for effective performance measurement of HBMM remains a salient problem. Intended to bridge this gap, this study aims at developing a framework for identifying the CSFs for HBMM. Conducted at the beginning of the study was a review of relevant literature in the domains of HBMM and FM. Afterward, a conceptual framework was developed by integrating different levels (strategic, tactical, and operational) of FM concepts and useful building performance measurement tools, thus resulting in a guide for identifying CSFs to meet the objectives of HBMM stakeholders. This study’s outcome helps practitioners identify relevant CSFs for achieving organizational maintenance goals and contributes to the existing knowledge about the management of heritage buildings. It can also serve as a basis for future studies that assess the significance of the identified CSFs in HBMM.
Comparison of Green Building Rating Systems from LCA Perspective
Authors: Abdelaal Fatma , Guo Brian H.W. , Dowdell David
Published: December 2022

Buildings account for a considerable proportion of carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle. Therefore, Green Building Rating Systems (GBRSs) have been developed globally to evaluate building environmental performance and mitigate their impacts on climate change. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a science-based method has been recognised in the GBRSs to enhance the building environmental assessment. Regardless of the wide implementation of GBRSs, buildings carbon emissions have continued to rise by nearly 1% per year since 2010. Furthermore, no academic research has been conducted to compare GBRSs assessment criteria from the LCA perspective in respect of the recognition and weighting of (1) whole building LCA, (2) embodied carbon emissions and (3) operational carbon emissions. To this end, this research aims to evaluate the efficiency, validity and reliability of five international GBRSs (i.e., LEED, BREEAM, BEAM Plus, Green Star and Homestar) in terms of assessing and auditing the building total carbon emissions; embodied and operational emissions. Results show that conducting whole building LCA is an optional assessment criterion with negligible weighting. Moreover, the assessment of the operational carbon emissions make up the major portion of the total weighting in the existing GBRSs. By contrast, the assessment of building embodied carbon emissions is overlooked. Based on the results, shifting focus from operational carbon towards a full life cycle perspective is urgently needed to achieve the emissions reduction targets and so decarbonising the built environment.
Smart Governance of Urban Ecological Environment Driven by Digital Twin Technology: A Case Study on the Ecological Restoration and Management in S island of Chongqing
Authors: Yue A , Mao C , Zhao S
Published: December 2022

China is undergoing rapid urbanization, which has caused undesirable urban sprawl and ecological deterioration. Combining information technology for ecological environment governance is an effective measure to improve governance efficiency. In this paper, based on the analysis of the ecological restoration and governance case of S Island in Chongqing, an ecological intelligent governance system architecture based on the integration of multiple information technologies such as digital twin is extracted. The research shows that the S Island is based on the technical concept of the digital twin, and integrates a variety of information technology integration, collects and processes a large amount of data generated in the whole process of S Island repair and operation, and builds it based on the digital twin concept and accurately maps the physical space. This system model can be stored and processed based on the integrated data, realize knowledge graph visualization, algorithm optimization, and iterative integration for different objects and application scenarios, and finally serve different functional modules in ecological governance, which can be used to support Smart governance of cities.
Automated activity recognition of construction workers using single in-pocket smartphone and machine learning methods
Authors: Wang Guohao , Yu Yantao , Li Heng
Published: December 2022

Automatic recognition of construction workers’ activities contributes to improving productivity and reducing the potential risk of injury. Kinematics sensors have been proved feasible and efficient to recognize construction activities. However, most of the sensors need to be tightly tied to workers’ bodies, which might result in uncomfortableness and workers’ reluctance to wear the sensors. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a less physically intrusive construction activities recognition method with a single in-pocket smartphone. The smartphone was placed in the pocket in a natural and non-fixed manner, with its built-in accelerometer and gyroscope collecting motion data. Machine learning-based classifiers were trained to recognize construction activities. An experiment simulating rebar activities was designed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experiment results showed that the proposed method could identify rebar activities (with an accuracy over 94%) in a non-intrusive manner.
An indicator framework for assessing the readiness of hospital in the smart healthcare transformation
Authors: Zhao X , Ge B
Published: December 2022

The technical and management issues that existed in traditional healthcare institutions, such as relatively lagging technologies, untimely information, have received increasing attention. In recent decades, the reconstruction or transformation of smart healthcare system has emerged as a new research trend. Especially with the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the smart healthcare system realizes the timely allocation of medical resources and sharing of information. Therefore, this paper aims to develop an indicator framework for assessing the hospital’s readiness in transforming towards smart healthcare. First, based on the literature review, an indicator framework of readiness of smart healthcare transformation is developed for smart healthcare transformation, which includes three hierarchies of “ smart facility management (smart FM)”, “medical system (MS)” and “organizational management (OM)”. Secondly, an online questionnaire survey is conducted to test the validity of the indicator framework. Based on factor analysis, the indicator framework is proved to be effective as a whole, and all the 26 indicators are significant. Finally, the readiness of case hospital “A” in the smart healthcare transformation is examined by fuzzy synthetic evaluation method. The findings of this paper provide an assessment tool for medical institutions to self-evaluate their status in the information construction process.