bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unravelling the challenges for long-term planning post-disaster resettlement in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
Authors: Carrasco Sandra , Egbelakin Temitope
Published: December 2022

Typhoon Washi hit the southern Philippine city of Cagayan de Oro in December 2011, causing massive destruction and displacing 40 per cent of the city’s population, 85 per cent of whom were informal settlers of highly vulnerable areas on the riverbanks. Informal settlers considered by the government as the most vulnerable residents were forcibly resettled in relocation sites in the peri-urban areas. The new settlements and houses fulfilled minimum Philippine standards for emergency housing with limited understanding of local conditions and creating gaps in the residents’ needs. In the following years, residents proactively modified their houses to fill initial housing gaps. The impacts of the residents’ self-help initiatives related to construction safety and the creation of new risks associated with low construction quality, materials and increased density in the houses are major concerns for the government which is responsible for policies to guide the urban development of these sites. This paper aims to assess the impacts of policies in the urban development of the resettlement sites for low-income disaster-affected communities. To do so, this paper analyses interviews with local government officials, analysing residents’ self-help housing construction seven years after the disaster and how these were considered in the local planning policies. Furthermore, the country’s post-disaster recovery planning changes will be analysed. The findings will provide insights into government-related challenges to guarantee the technical performance of the houses and the advances and crucial remaining governance challenges for implementing urban development policies.
Explaining the Changes in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of New York City Buildings
Authors: Morshedi M , Bhattacharyya A , Hastak M
Published: December 2022

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are among the major causes of the rise in the global temperature and global warming. US commercial and residential New York City (NYC) buildings emit a high amount of GHG each year. Several past studies have introduced prediction models for the GHG emission of buildings. However, the factors that contribute to the changes in GHG emission patterns over time are less explored. In this paper, the New York Local Law 84 datasets for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020 are used to explore which changes in building attributes would increase/decrease GHG emission over time. A Random Forest prediction model in combination with a variable importance analysis is conducted to identify the most important factors contributing to the observed increasing or decreasing GHG emission patterns. The results show that Energy Star Score is a significant factor in explaining an increasing GHG emission pattern. Similarly, the reduction in the GHG emission levels can be explained by the success in maintaining the Energy Star Score and significant reduction in the electricity and gas consumption of the buildings. The findings of the study can be used to prioritize actions and design appropriate policies to reduce the GHG emission of buildings.
Defect digital twinning: A technical framework to integrate robotics, AI and BIM for facility management and renovation
Authors: Chen J , Lu W , Ghansah F A , Peng Z
Published: December 2022

Buildings and infrastructure are aging around the world, calling for proper management and renovation. Awareness of defects occurred to the facilities is a prerequisite to make informed decisions. Despite extensive research in defect detection, it remains unclear how to timely update the dynamically changing defect condition at scale and with ease. This study aims to develop a technical framework that integrates robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and building information modeling (BIM) to enable defect digital twinning. The framework establishes a mechanism to bridge defects in the physical world with their digital representations in the virtual world. It extends existing defect information modeling with a means to capture accurate and up-to-date as-damaged information in a timely manner. The proposed framework was evaluated with a 10-story residential building in Hong Kong. The case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the framework in twinning defects concerning their positions, geometry and dimensions. The research opens new possibilities to twin facility defects at street block or even city level to support urban renewal.
Prioritising urban green spaces using accessibility and quality as criteria
Authors: Rambhia M , Volk R , Rismanchi B , Winter S , Schultmann F
Published: December 2022

Urban green spaces are a critical component of cities, providing environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits. To support smart(er) decisions by city planners and managers, this study aims to investigate how open data sources could be integrated into urban green space management. Specifically, it proposes a novel GIS-based method to prioritise urban green space in a resource-constraint scenario so that social benefits are maximised. To quantify the social benefits, the methodology is based on the WHO indicator, which recommends access to at least 0.5-1 ha of green space within 300 metres’ linear distance to all the city residents. The approach assigns each urban green space an ‘accessibility score’ based on its significance in the city, and a ‘quality score’ based on its performance on different quality parameters (size, greenness, quietness, and safety). Urban green spaces are ranked with respect to these two scores, enabling to prioritise spaces under resource constraints such as water shortage, limited staff, or budget. This approach is demonstrated through a case study on a mid-size German city and is transferable to other cities worldwide with varying weightage factors.
The Intra-Covid Renaissance: Envisioning Resilient Urban Neighbour- ‘Wood’
Authors: Okundaye B , Aigbe U O , Ogbolu G , Tzortzopoulos P , Gao Y
Published: December 2022

The focus of this study is on the influence of urban ‘woods’ on people’s quality of life in disadvantaged neighbourhoods investigated via the lens of architecture in a Sub-Saharan metropolis. The new intra-Covid Urban Agenda acknowledges that current urban and state-wide resilience management plans, policies, and practices of neighbourhood are failing. While the architectural sector— tasked with enhancing people’s quality of life, must promote more environmentally sustainable approaches to human-made surroundings, its design, and its management. The increasing attention on people’s health and well-being in human-made surroundings, as the intra-covid renaissance of a new age unfolds, calls into question the role of society’s environmental relationships. The study explicates ecologic, epidemiologic, and psychologic engaging scenarios. A city’s environment redesigned as Eco-equitable Community Absorbent Spaces (ECaS) can foster neighbourhoods with economic, mental, and physical cohesion— that in part encourage habitat disaster risk reduction and the health of the citizenry, when inclusive of all stakeholders’ ambition.
Opportunities for using blockchain in distributed solar energy projects
Authors: Gunarathna M A C L , Yang R J , Jayasuriya S , Wang K , Samarasinghalage T , Zang Y
Published: December 2022

The involvement of many stakeholders from diverse sectors throughout the distributed solar energy (DSE) project lifecycle and their discrete commitments to the project have lessened the stakeholder understanding in each other’s contribution. Communication between the stakeholders is not continuous and systematic; thus, the project information is not well-communicated for accurate decision making. Therefore, DSE projects have not yet won the complete stakeholder trust and its adoption in the building industry is not yet fully accepted. This study aims at exploring the opportunities for using blockchain technology to reduce/eliminate the trust issues and communication gaps along the DSE lifecycle. The study conducts 50 semi-structured interviews with building and energy stakeholders to identify the issues/ limitations which (1) reduce the stakeholder trust on DSE technologies and applications and (2) generate communication gaps along the DSE project lifecycle. Findings reveal that most of the issues/ limitations occurred due to the unavailability of a common platform for communication and information sharing, unavailability of information, improper record keeping and limited information security. The unique features of blockchain technology such as (1) distributed ledger technology (DLT), (2) smart contracts, (3) token-based access control, and (4) automated consensus and forking can effectively eliminate the identified issues/ limitations by providing (1) information accuracy and reliability, (2) information security, (3) open access to project information, (4) systematic record keeping and (5) proper governance of the system. The outcome of this study provides a systematic approach to increase the quality of communication in DSE projects design and management.
A taxonomy of pedestrian evacuation infrastructure for urban areas; an assessment of resilience towards natural hazards
Authors: Fathianpour Azin , Jelodar Mostafa Babaeian , Wilkinson Suzanne , Evans Barry
Published: December 2022

Many people in the world live in hazardous environments and are susceptible to disasters. In the time of a destructive event, a resilient community must be prepared to mitigate the event and quickly respond. An effective mitigation plan can lead to fewer fatalities and damages. One of the most critical tasks for mitigation is the evacuation process. Wherein short notice time, overcrowding, bottlenecks in infrastructure and challenging terrain and topography may worsen the situation. Amongst other things, the evacuation process encompasses transportation infrastructures referred to as corridors, signs, pedestrian footpaths, and/or shelter infrastructures for keeping people safe. Evacuation infrastructure can also become damaged after the event; therefore, it’s imperative to have a robust assessment of different evacuation infrastructures. This study will investigate the characteristics of the available evacuation infrastructure and outline the general drawbacks. A systematic methodology for reviewing articles has been implemented to understand how vulnerable cities can be more prepared, especially for pedestrian evacuation. An evacuation scoring system for pedestrians will be developed to investigate evacuation infrastructure in terms of different resilience features, such as redundancy, safe to fail, readiness, capacity. The most practical evacuation system will be estimated, with a final output being to provide the features of a successful pedestrian evacuation system for future policy use.
ABEM-based Simulation of Building Egression Safety for the Elderly Under Different Circumstances: Enlightenments of Healthy Residential Buildings for the Elderly
Authors: Zhang Fan , Chan Albert P.C.
Published: December 2022

People generally spend 90% of their time indoors. Owing to the increasing proportion of the elderly, how to develop healthy residential buildings, especially for the elderly, has raised more concerns. Even though many researchers have studied the healthy performance within the home environment of the elderly, there is little research focusing on the safety of indoor public spaces in mid-rise or high-rise residential buildings that are quite common in high-density cities. Dissimilar to other ordinary residents, the elderly would take changing and greater dangers during the egression under normal and urgent circumstances. Therefore, this study aims to explore building egression safety for the elderly under diverse circumstances. The agent-based egression models (ABEMs) are developed to simulate the egression process, and absolute values and relative values of simulation results are proposed to explore the egression safety for the elderly. One ten-story residential building is adopted as the case of simulation. The findings reveal how building egression safety for the elderly changes with different circumstances. This study offers an effective tool to ensure building egression safety. In practice, the ABEM-based simulation and indicators of building egression safety would benefit several stakeholders, by helping the designers and developers to improve their design schemes for better egression safety in the design stage, assisting the developers and property managers in updating egression plans and facilities based on the new occupancy status in the operation stage, helping potential old home buyers to make decisions, and finally facilitating the development of healthy residential buildings.
‘People first’ responses to an externality
Authors: Lester Ellyn A , Lester Hugh
Published: December 2022

Professional service firms in the built environment are subject to externalities. Whether these forces are related to economic downturns, changes in the regulatory environment, natural disasters, trade wars, armed conflict, mass migration, hyperinflation, climate change, global pandemics, entropy, or even the never foreseen, firms must adapt, reposition, and rebound from negative events. The ability to adapt is best personified by the people that make up a firm. When one firm’s major commission was completely altered overnight due to the passing of major legislation that changed the mission and mandate of the agency that commissioned the work, the firm was nimble enough to pivot, make judgments about what scope could still be accomplished within the deadline, and determine who to assign the necessary tasks to get the job accomplished. The experience forced mentors to step up, mentees to step out of their comfort zones, the team to congeal under pressure, and resulted in an unmanageable deadline being met despite difficult odds and a myriad of factors beyond the firm’s control. Only mentorship, knowledge sharing, resilience, and dedication allowed a positive result for the firm, the client, the user agency, and those served by the institution. It also furthered the standing perception of the firm as the trusted advisor that finds a way. This case study in the mitigation of exogenous shocks through a ‘people first’ strategy will highlight potential A/E/C industry responses to similar events.
Management of infection prevention and control in the development of new hospital buildings – effective stakeholder engagement during design and construction
Authors: Roche F , Hare B , Curtis K , Price L
Published: December 2022

Specific elements of building services such as heating, ventilation or water supply systems can play a key role in infection prevention and control (IPC) within hospital buildings and links between the design of such systems and increased rates of healthcare associated infections (HAI) have been identified. These links are complex and multifactorial and several issues have a bearing on this relationship during the construction of a hospital buildings. One such issue is the nature and efficacy of the engagement of IPC specialists employed by the client end user during the development process. Good management of IPC issues not only supports effective IPC team engagement but depends upon it to achieve key aims. Research suggests, however, that the quality of IPC team engagement is not always optimal and there is a gap in knowledge around how this can be addressed.

This research focuses on a qualitative evaluation of the nature and efficacy of the engagement of IPC teams in the construction lifecycle development of new hospitals. Using in-depth interview data, the experiences of IPC team members will be explored and barriers and facilitators to high quality engagement identified. This data will be used to develop the foundational principles of an improvement strategy for the engagement of IPC teams within the construction lifecycle development of new hospitals in the UK. Post-pandemic, the role of the built environment in the spread of infection and the processes developed to manage this will be under increased scrutiny. This paper adds to this growing body of research.
Weather and Suicide of Construction Workers in Australia
Authors: Alashwal A , Moustafa A A
Published: December 2022

The suicide rate among construction workers is high in Australia and other developed countries. Suicide has many negative consequences on the families of the deceased, the construction sector, and the economy. This literature review paper discusses several factors underlying the suicide of construction workers, including relationship problems, untreated psychiatric conditions, job stress, workplace injury, job insecurity, and substance abuse. However, seasonality or weather has not been directly investigated as one of the triggering causes of the suicide of construction workers. The purpose of this paper is to shed more light on the role of weather in increasing the suicide rate. Construction workers, especially blue-collars, work on sites under severe weather conditions. As a result, workers are often exposed to different physical and psychological issues. Research in the psychology field has established the seasonality pattern of suicide among the general population. The review suggests that there is a potential for suicide among construction workers to follow a seasonality pattern with a correlation between the suicide rate and temperature, sunshine, and humidity. This notion is yet to be confirmed using an empirical study in the future.
Computer vision-based human-machine collision warning system on construction site
Authors: Gu Botao , Guo Hongling , Huang Yuecheng , Lim Huey Wen , Fang Dongping
Published: December 2022

With the increase of mechanization in the construction industry, more and more construction machines appear on construction sites. This improves construction efficiency but leads to the high risk of human-machine collision. At present, human-machine collision risks are usually monitored and warned manually. It is difficult to identify relevant risks in time due to the lack of sufficient safety supervisors. This paper proposes an efficient human-machine collision warning system based on computer vision and deep learning. The designed system and relevant devices are installed on construction machinery. It can quickly identify workers and measure the distance between workers and machinery in the complex and dynamic environment so as to quickly warn the risk of human-machine collision based on a threshold. Power supply restriction and harsh environment such as dust and vibration are also considered to ensure the stable and effective operation of the system. The system was tested on a construction site for 6 weeks. The result shows that the system has a significant positive effect on the early warning of human-machine collision risk, thus benefiting the improvement of safety performance of workers in human-machine collaboration scenes.
A Comparative Study of Occupational Safety and Health (OS&H) Regulations in United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and Oman
Authors: Umar Tariq , Umeokafor Nnedinma , Honnur Vali Mohamed Shaik , Zia Asad
Published: December 2022

This article identifies the gaps in OS&H regulations in Omani construction using a critical review and analysis of relevant literature. Four countries United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Australia (AUS), and South Africa (SA) were then compared to Oman in relation to selected regulations. The study reveals fall from a height is one of the main causes of accidents in different sectors in Oman however there are no specific regulations that cover this cause of accidents in detail. The only regulation which applies to the “fall from a height” is the regulation of OS&H, issued by the Ministry of Manpower. Overall, the whole regulations applicable in Oman shows that although the term fall, appear several times in the regulation, the full spectrum of the fall protection is not covered in detail. The provision of chemical hazards in Omani regulations is not of the standards as adopted in the USA, UK, AUS, and SA. There is limited information for the regulated to support adequate compliance. While the term “scaffolding” was not found in the current regulations enforced in Oman, the term “ladder” was, however, used at five different instances in the regulations which obviously cannot substitute the scaffolding.
Application of Technological Tools in Improving Housing Resilience
Authors: Shaikh Saima , Brown Andre , Enegbuma Wallace Imoudu
Published: December 2022

Seismic events pose a significant threat, particularly to rural communities, with poorly developed construction practices. This has resulted in the loss of life and considerable economic losses owing to substantial numbers of house collapses. The application of best practice in disaster construction knowledge as a means of significantly improving housing resilience is, therefore, a key challenge for most rural construction practices. In this context, effective utilization of available, and feasible technologies in rural areas can help to solve the problem of the inadequate facilitation of communication that is needed to deliver knowledge on the construction of long-term disaster-resilient housing. The study examines the potential for improvement of housing resilience from a disaster knowledge perspective. It responds to the challenges of the effective application of best building practice guidelines in such contexts. The main question of our research is, “Are communication technology tools capable of having a positive effect in establishing a knowledge transfer framework in rural Pakistan?”. The study employs both literature and questionnaire survey, and explores the availability and usability of technologies. It takes a premise in which effective knowledge transfer via reasonably available technological tools can be actionable and made operational. Our findings support the creation of a knowledge transfer framework for rural housing construction to improve disaster mitigation. The approach can assist rural communities in reducing losses and improving response and recovery, thereby improving housing resilience and lowering vulnerabilities.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of BIM-based Virtual Reality for Coordinating the Design Disciplines in a Building Renovation Project
Authors: Rashidi Ali , Maalim Amjad Mohammed , Gutierrez-Bucheli Laura , Maxwell Duncan , Arashpour Mehrdad
Published: December 2022

The coordination process plays a vital role in construction projects during the design phase when interferences and clashes between design systems are identified to reduce the risk of costly reworks. Despite the fact that coordination has been studied commonly in BIM research, limited research has explored the impact of virtual reality (VR) to understand how it can enhance the process. This research study examined the effectiveness of coordination processes in a building renovation project following an innovative approach based on virtual environments (3D-BIM VR) compared to the conventional approach (2D CAD). This research uses the Cyclotron Charette Test method to analyse both approaches in terms of accuracy, speed, and usability. Fifteen participants from engineering backgrounds participated in the prototype testing divided into two experiments. The first experiment involved visually identifying clashes from multiple 2D CAD drawings, while the second involved visually identifying clashes from 3D-BIM-based VR models. The results showed that the virtual reality environment not only helped uncover clashes quickly but also made it more accurate and helpful. A further finding from this research indicates that motion sickness hinders users’’ participation in VR environments. Finally, future research pathways are discussed to improve the coordination process using VR technology
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Construction Management Education amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Recommendations from a Scientometric Analysis
Authors: Posillico J J , Stanislav T A , Edwards D J , Shelbourn M
Published: December 2022

Purpose: The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has gained traction in a wide range of academic disciplines as a legitimate and compelling form of scholarly and creative work for faculty. SoTL has explored questions about teaching strategies; student engagement, growth and learning; and other aspects of the teaching and learning process. Like the Fourth Industrial Revolution, SoTL is a disruptive force in higher education by, at its very core, making clearer how to support and enhance students’ learning. The research presented here contextualises SoTL in Construction Management Education (CME), seeks to enrich CME models for teaching and learning, spur collaboration and advance SoTL as a whole. Methodology: The overarching epistemology adopted both interpretivist and pragmatist philosophical stances embedded within inductive reasoning to critically analyse extant literature as a secondary data source. Groupings of SoTL research activity were established and common themes identified using scientometrics. Findings: Research findings illustrate that, whilst SoTL has received increasing attention and development within higher education, a considerable scarcity of SoTL in CME is present. A comparative analysis between CME and select disciplines with a high representation of SoTL research allowed for the establishment of shared themes among the disciplines resulting in an initial set of recommendations for advancing SoTL in CME. Originality: This research highlights the lack of SoTL inquiry and practice within CME and, in so doing, underscores the urgency for collaboration both within and outside of built environment disciplines to optimise future CME practices amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Data-Driven Process Mining Framework for Risk Management in Construction Projects
Authors: Khodabakhshian A , Re Cecconi F
Published: December 2022

Construction Projects are exposed to numerous risks due to their complex and uncertain nature, threatening the realization of the project objectives. However, Risk Management (RM) is a less efficient realm in the industry than other knowledge areas given the manual and time-consuming nature of its processes and reliance on experience-based subjective judgments. This research proposes a Process Mining-based framework for detecting, monitoring, and analysing risks, improving the RM processes using evidence-based event logs, such as Risk Registers and Change-Logs within previous projects’ documents. Process Mining (PM) is a data-driven methodology, well established in other industries, that benefits from Artificial Intelligence(AI) to identify trends and complex patterns among event logs. It performs well while intaking large amounts of data and predicting future outputs based on historical data. Therefore, this research proposes a Bayesian Network (BN)-based Process Mining framework for graphical representation of the RM processes, intaking the conditional dependence structure between Risk variables, and continuous and automated risk identification and management. A systematic literature review on RM, PM, and AI forms the framework theoretical basis and delineates the integration areas for practical implementation. The proposed framework is applied to a small database of 20 projects as the case study, the scope of which can be tailored to the enterprise requirements. It contributes to creating a holistic theoretical foundation and practical workflow applicable to construction projects and filling the knowledge gap in inefficient and discrete conventional RM methods, which ignore the interdependencies between risk variables and assess each risk isolated.
A Knowledge Management Comparison of Nine House Typologies for Varying Climatic Regions in South Africa
Authors: Van Tonder F
Published: December 2022

Housing was identified as one of the greatest challenges faced by the Nelson Mandela 1994 South African government. The government has provided low-cost housing since then and has been efficient in numbers but has proven ineffective in addressing housing provision as a housing and social problem. This paper will present data on how knowledge management can address the housing problem. This paper critically compares the information included in contract documentation and outline specifications of nine hypothetical low-cost housing typologies. The typologies were developed for the varying climatic regions in South Africa. Housing information is often inaccessible to those affected by the housing problem. This paper’s premise is that knowledge management will contribute to addressing the housing problem. The research findings indicate that there is a noteworthy overlap in the information of the nine typologies. This paper argues that knowledge management of this overlapping information would impact the social problem by providing knowledge power to those affected by the housing problem. The findings are new and significant as such research has not previously been published.
Development of an Introductory Course in Design Phase Management for Constructors
Authors: Hubbard B , Debs L
Published: December 2022

Collaborative construction delivery methods such as Design-Build (DB), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Construction Management at Risk (CMR) have a need for a person that manages the design phase of a project made up of many different stakeholders. A course was recently developed for a construction-based Design and Construction Integration (DCI) program that focuses on the unique role of managing the construction project during the design phase. The course covers a number of issues including: 1) effectively building and managing a team that is made up of owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and sub-contractors that have diverse educational and experiential backgrounds, 2) building team expertise by bringing in key subcontractors and specialty designers under various contract methods, 3) risk management of the different types of delivery methods are explored along with the legal issues associated with the delivery methods, and finally 4) managing the design phase costs and how stakeholders are compensated during the design phase to ensure a quality designed project that will be on budget and has a feasible construction schedule. The course introduces many of these topics with the underlying concepts of lean design and construction best practices. This paper details the development of the course, class activities associated with the course, and lessons learned from implementing the course in a DCI program.
Mental workload and physical energy impact on construction worker task demand: a survey study of the carpentry trade
Authors: Alotaibi A , Gambatese J
Published: December 2022

Construction projects involve tasks that can be mentally and physically challenging. Previous research has investigated the perceptions of construction workers regarding safety hazards on a construction site. Further research is needed to investigate how the conditions of a construction site and task influence construction worker safety, especially with respect to worker mental workload. The present study aims to clarify the level of impact of task-related characteristics, referred to as constituents, on the mental workload that a worker feels when conducting carpentry work. The research also aims to determine the extent to which the amount of physical energy present on the site impacts the mental workload. Insights collected from 34 construction professionals in the US using a survey questionnaire are presented. The study revealed that task constituents such as distractions have a high impact on a carpenter’s mental workload. Similarly, physical energy types (temperature, etc.) have a high impact on mental workload. The contributions of this study to knowledge are the determination and confirmation of the level of impact of task constituents and physical energy on mental workload for carpenters performing construction work. The results of the study can be used to improve the understanding of safety behaviors among construction workers.
Evaluating the need for recovery from work for site-based construction practitioners in Australia
Authors: Sun C , Hon C K H , Jimmieson N L , Way K A , Xia B
Published: December 2022

Site-based construction practitioners face high levels of job stress and need to recuperate from work-induced fatigue. Insufficient recovery from work will lead to work fatigue and health problems. While need for recovery (NFR) is an important concept to the wellbeing of construction practitioners, there is limited study in this area. Thus, this study aims to evaluate NFR for site-based construction practitioners in Australia and identify patterns of NFR as a function of demographics and work characteristics. A survey was conducted with site-based construction practitioners in Australia. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to analyse collected data. Results showed that the mean NFR of site-based construction practitioners in Australia was 17.96 (range = 6 – 30, 6 items). Age and work hours explained differences in NFR mean scores according to both the one-way ANOVA and correlations. NFR increased with work hours and decreased with age, with r = 0.19 and r = -0.24 respectively. The correlation analysis also indicated the negative relationship between work experience and NFR (r = -0.21). Work experience and work hours interacted to influence NFR according to the two-way ANOVA. The positive relationship between work hours (≤ 60 hours) and NFR was weaker in those with more work experience while this moderating effect of work experience did not apply to people working more than 60 hours. The significance of the study lies in providing insights to increase the work capacity of construction practitioners and help them to recover from job stress.
Mapping activities and inputs of modular construction with steel 3D modules in Brazil
Authors: Baú G , Oviedo-Haito R J J
Published: December 2022

COVID-19 has intensified the need for faster and more efficient construction in Brazil. In this regard, offsite construction methods are important, in particular, modular construction with steel 3D modules. While extensively discussed in the literature, details, such as the inputs of the process related to modular construction, are rarely provided. The purpose of this paper is to map the process involved in modular construction with steel 3D modules, including the operations and inputs. To this end, based on a literature framework, a case study was performed considering six cases of modular construction with steel 3D modules carried out by three different companies. As a result, the process is described in a flowchart, composed by six stages: 1) design and planning; 2) substructure execution; 3) production of the modules; 4) transport of the modules; 5) assembly; and 6) installation. This study shows that the fundamental steps involved in the production of the modules are uniform among the construction projects studied. However, the customization and, consequently, the inputs used to produce the modules vary greatly. Thus, this paper contributes to structuring and documenting the process involved in modular construction with steel 3D modules, including the operations and inputs.
Offsite Construction: Reflection is Simply Not Good Enough – We Need a New Prism!
Authors: Ezcan V , Goulding J S , Rahimian F P
Published: December 2022

This paper reflects on the recurrent challenges facing Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC), noting that slow incremental changes have only just stated to address efficiency and product delivery systems underpinning its value proposition. Whilst these challenges embrace many areas, from quality through to waste and concomitant carbon footprint initiatives; the challenge here is “why have other sectors out-performed AEC in many of these areas?”. Acknowledging this, the work presented here challenges the industry to re-think its position, advocating the use of a new ‘prism’ - one which highlights new opportunities for exploitation, rather than re-examining parochial ‘traditional’ approaches. The rationalisation underpinning this treatise rests on the need for AEC to transition towards Industry 4.0. This work presents findings from three case study construction organisations based in Turkey. The foci concentrated on the use and application Offsite Construction (OSC) concepts, addressing the specific technology-related needs to transition to Industry 4.0. This is particularly important given the need for organisations to not only unlock their digital potential to improve performance and capability, but also leverage better value throughout the whole process. Emphasis was therefore placed on this transformative ‘journey’ using agility as the main prism. Research findings highlight the need to step back from adopting conventional thinking and linear approaches, to ones which help actuate evidenced-based levers for change: from conceptualising, embedding, implementing and diffusing new technology per se (into existing business systems and processes); but also embrace the macro, meso and micro drivers associated with the skills and people involved in the delivery of these products and services. In doing so, the paper presents a number of agility-driven innovation and exploitation opportunities, from Additive Manufacturing through to Distributed Ledgers and new data-centric logistic platforms.
The impact of various safety leadership styles on construction safety climate: A case of South India
Authors: Senthamizh Sankar S , Anandh K S , Rajendran S , Sen K N
Published: December 2022

The Indian construction industry is the second-largest job-providing sector in the country, which comprises many investments. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) report, India is a significant contributor to construction site accidents and fatalities among world nations. The poor Safety Leadership (SL) style and the diminished leader’s commitment to quality safety outcomes have caused misfortunes in construction sites. This paper aims to identify the impact of various safety leadership styles on the Organisational Safety Climate (OSC) predictors and propose a conceptual model explaining the relationship between SL styles and OSC. The study identifies six leadership styles from the works of literature: Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), Distributed leadership, Contingent reward, Laissez-faire leadership, Management-by-exception, and Superior’s empowerment leadership. Structured questionnaires were circulated for data collection among construction professionals working in metropolitan cities in south India. The collected data were analysed using the stepwise regression analysis and Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis to identify the SL styles influencing OSC predictors. The findings revealed that four out of six SL styles are optimistic. On the other hand, two of them are pessimistic, namely laissez-faire leadership and management-by-exception leadership style, which leads to an increase in construction site misfortunes. The outcome of this study helps the top-level management personnel build and develop a positive safety leadership trait to achieve quality safety outcomes of the construction organization.
Impact of job quality on construction worker’s health and well-being in a developing country context
Authors: Shourav M S A , Zhang R , Lingard H
Published: December 2022

Job quality has an impact on construction worker’s health and well-being. Research shows that impacts of job quality vary between countries due to institutional differences. The study aims to examine the experiences of job quality and associated impact on construction workers’ health and well-being in the context of a developing country. A quantitative research approach has been adopted for the purpose of this study. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among 212 blue-collar construction workers in Bangladesh to understand the extent of the impact of job quality factors on the worker’s health and well-being. A descriptive statistical analysis conducted on the collected data revealed the important job quality factors impacting construction worker’s health and well-being, including job and ogranisational, physical, psychosocial, and control factors. The findings will also help the relevant stakeholders to develop strategies to address key job quality factors to protect the health and well-being of construction workers in the context of developing countries.
The use of prefabrication in building
Authors: Kenny Dayne W. , Ayesu-Koranteng Emma , Amoah Christopher , Adeniran Ayo
Published: December 2022

Prefabricated construction in the construction industry is a growing technology implemented globally. However, some countries do not implement this new technology. This study sought to identify the barriers hindering the adoption of prefabricated construction in the South African construction industry. The research focused on South Africa, specifically East London in Eastern Cape Province. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of six prefabrication building firms. The data collected was then analysed and coded using thematic content analysis. The study’s findings indicate the barriers to the acceptance of prefabricated construction as aesthetic appeal, product stigmas and beliefs, financial commitment, product flexibility, public and construction industry knowledge, and effect on construction industry professionals. Thus the lack of understanding of the prefabricated construction method is the primary barrier to adopting this construction method in South Africa. All these factors underpin the lack of prefabricated construction and building methods in the South African construction industry, especially in East London. The study suggests that with the barriers against adopting prefabricated construction, further investigation is recommended to mitigate these barriers.
The Status Quo of Prefabricated Housing: An investigation into New Zealand Construction Sector
Authors: Nesarnobari S , Shahzad W , Jelodar M B
Published: December 2022

The increase of population in large cities of New Zealand (NZ), propelled by the massive number of immigrants after COVID, has caused a shortage in housing supply. Prefabrication has been advocated as a potential solution to this problem. Its uptake in NZ is relatively low despite its benefits. So, building capacity and more capability are essential for the prefabricated housing (PH) supply chain (SC) by identifying obstacles and proposing methods to tackle them. This research aims to assess and map the SC for prefabricated housing projects (PHP) in NZ. The investigations include key industries, trades and skills in this construction system. For this purpose, a comprehensive analytical approach is followed, integrating bibliometric search and qualitative discussion: 1) recent PH research keywords, pros&cons; to identify factors limited PH sector to deliver NZ supply requirements 2) study gaps in PH sector 3) prefabricated construction research directions in the future. Results show lower uptake of prefabrication through SC and knowledge, negative perception, skill shortage, cost and finance, lack of coordination and communication, site operations, design shortage, and lack of design alteration to respond to site. Consequently, various influential factors hindering its uptake were discussed, and identifying the industries, parties and trades involved was performed.
Research on the Assistance of MySQL Database Platform to the Renewal Design of the Interior Space of Urban Existing Housing
Authors: Yu S , Ruihong Y , Jing X , Yuling C
Published: December 2022

In response to the topic of this conference, this paper mainly adopts the strategy of introducing database technology into the renewal and renovation of existing housing. The construction industry, particularly those involved in the renovation of existing homes, must adapt to the new information era by applying information transformation strategies. In the architecture sector, it is still utilized for the storage and visualization of project and product information, but that is about all for the time being. According to the findings of this study, the database platform should be utilized more extensively in such a case. Through the establishment of a new online platform, residents will be able to engage in the design process to a significant degree. This study, which used WAMP as its foundation and database technology as its vehicle, created a core database on the supporting and accessory systems of existing housing in order to provide people with an interactive platform for free renewal design and, as a result, make it easier for people to become involved in the redevelopment and renovation of existing housing.
SWOT Analysis of Offsite Manufacturers of Prefabricated Building Components in Singapore
Authors: Yng Ling Florence Yean , Jie Chia Jonathan Rong
Published: December 2022

Despite government’s push for the use of prefabrication in Singapore, the problem is that offsite manufacturers of prefabricated building components (hereinafter referred to as manufactures) appear to be unable to harness their inherent strengths, overcome their weaknesses and external threats to take advantage of the available opportunities in the construction market. The aim of this study is to do a SWOT analysis on Singapore’s manufacturers and develop strategies to enable them to thrive. A structured questionnaire was designed based on extant literature of offsite manufacturing. Quantitative data were collected from 46 project stakeholders via an industry wide survey. It was found that manufacturers’ strengths are their high quality prefabricated products and high productivity. Their weaknesses are the high capital and production costs. Their biggest opportunities are the limited supply of manual site labor and tender evaluation criteria that favour productivity and quality. The threats include lack of control over factors of production, shrinking construction demand, stiff competition and complex designs. The implication is that manufacturers should improve and re-examine their internal operations to overcome their weaknesses and the challenges in their external environment. Production should be streamlined, and partnerships with suppliers and transportation firms should be developed to guard against price fluctuations and inaccurate deliveries. Other recommendations are also offered to help manufacturers harness their strengths and opportunities while minimizing their weaknesses and threats.…
Quantifying Safety in Off-site Construction
Authors: Odo N , Rankin J
Published: December 2022

The construction industry has been identified as one of the most dangerous when examining safety performance and outcomes. The concept of leveraging off-site construction as a safer alternative to execute construction works has been presented by researchers and industry, but support for this premise with quantifiable data is lacking. To investigate differences in off-site construction versus conventional on-site methods, the research has developed a safety evaluation methodology to quantify safety performance and allow for comparisons of construction methods. The methodology is developed in partnership with a jurisdictional occupational health and safety authority and leverages historical safety data to provide inputs for a risk-based process-analysis of construction methods. The methodology is partially validated in collaboration with the project team (owner, general contractor, module manufacturer) and applied to a case study of a mid-rise modular hotel construction project that employed a mix of conventional and off-site construction processes. The evaluation methodology takes a construction product-focused approach (in this a case a hotel room module) with emphasis on defining a complete material supply chain. As such, the approach takes a unique approach to industry level comparison, establishing an evaluation methodology for future comparisons.