bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Spatial Variation of Heatwave Intensity to Enhance Urban Resilience
Authors: Singh Manan , Sharston Ryan
Published: December 2022

With global rise in frequency and intensity of natural disaster events, the adverse effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. A recent example is the extreme heatwave experienced by western North America which has caused a substantial loss of life and damage to the infrastructure. Research suggests that the intensity of heatwaves is amplified in urban areas due to the contribution of Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) which is largely a function of surrounding urban landscape. In order to develop urban resilience to the extreme heat, it is important to understand the direct relationship between urban form and the temperature elevations caused by the heatwaves. This research examines the disproportionate effects of heatwaves in urban areas and their dependence on urban form by leveraging the microclimatic weather data collected during the 2021 heatwave event in western North America. Strong positive correlations were found between heatwave intensity and both impervious area (PRCC=0.79) and population density (PRCC = 0.83), whereas tree canopy cover was negatively correlated with heatwave intensity (PRCC = -0.89). This analysis can be used to inform urban planning, and to establish proper resilience measures against future heatwave events.
Zero carbon refurbishment for existing buildings: A literature review
Authors: Bui T T P , Domingo N , MacGregor C , Wilkinson S
Published: December 2022

The need to mitigate climate change calls for the construction industry to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for new and existing buildings by 2050. Zero carbon refurbishment (ZCR) for existing buildings is a significant area of interest, as many existing buildings will still be there in 2050. This paper investigates the global development, knowledge structure and gaps in the research field by conducting a systematic literature review. The final selection of 147 up-to-date journal articles was analysed using mixed-method data analysis, including quantitative (science mapping) and qualitative (thematic) analysis. Quantitative results reveal evolving research topics including energy performance and efficiency, life cycle environmental impacts, energy resources and policy, and decision-making with multi-objective optimisation. Research in ZCR is well-established in European countries and there is much interest and activity around the world. ZCR research on residential and office buildings provokes much consideration compared to other building types. The qualitative findings discuss the mainstream research areas (e.g. decision-making with multi-objective optimisation), determines research gaps (e.g. carbon impact), and recommends the future research agenda. The study offers academics a comprehensive understanding of ZCR research to link current research areas into future trends. It also provides construction professionals with current practices and an interdisciplinary guide to better deliver ZCR projects.
Trends in residential sustainability measures in the state of Victoria
Authors: Crawford R H , Paton-Cole V , Turnbull R , Fitzgerald E , Michalewicz A , Garber J
Published: December 2022

Buildings require a significant quantity of energy and water during their operation. Solar water heaters and rainwater tanks have become increasingly common to reduce the demand for fossil-fuel based energy and mains water within buildings. Since 2006, the Victorian Building Authority has required either a rainwater tank or solar water heater to be installed in any new house built in Victoria, Australia. This research analyses the trend in adoption of these two systems using data from building permits issued from 2006 to 2019. This shows that despite an initial preference for rainwater tanks, solar water heaters have been the preferred choice. This preference was found to be greatest for projects costing from $200k-$600k and for allotment areas smaller than 500 m2. Preference for rainwater tanks tended to increase in line with an increase in project cost and allotment area, and this preference was found to be most common in metropolitan areas. This study provides insight into the opportunities for further adoption of solar water heaters and rainwater tanks, including using information at the LGA level to develop specific business opportunities or to inform policy, such as alternative water efficiency solutions for households where allotment area may limit rainwater tank adoption.
Designing façade and envelope for a high-rise residential building using energy-efficient materials: A case in Istanbul, Turkey
Authors: Azima Mahshad , Seyis Senem
Published: December 2022

The construction industry is responsible for 40% of global energy demand as buildings increase heating, cooling, and lighting demand. Therefore, building energy performance has become one of the most significant subjects for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry in the last decade. The envelope of a building has an essential role in optimizing energy performance and consumption. The research objective of this study is to analyse and compare the impact of different envelope and façade materials on building energy performance for a high-rise residential building. The research methodology includes a literature review and a case study. The literature review analysed studies published between 2015 and 2021. In the literary review, 84 publications were extracted from Web of Science and Scopus databases, and the following sources were included: articles published in prominent journals, conference proceedings, thesis, scientific reports, and books. In the case study, passive strategies including building shape, orientation, insulation, window-wall ratio, and shelter were implemented in a 10-story residential building in Istanbul, Turkey. Design-Builder and EnergyPlus were used for analysing and comparing the energy performance of the different wall, insulation, and glass materials used in the building. Results demonstrate that each parameter and material has a considerable impact on the building energy performance. This study would contribute to the AEC literature and industry by comparing different envelope materials’ energy performance and the proper scenario according to Turkey(Istanbul)’s climate. Policy-makers and decision-makers can benefit from the results of this research and amend the existing codes and policies for new high-rise buildings.
Reducing embodied carbon emissions of concrete modules in high-rise buildings through structural design optimisation
Authors: Zhang Y , Pan W , Teng Y
Published: December 2022

Modular buildings have been widely recognised as a solution for improving the sustainability of the construction industry. However, the implications of modular buildings for reducing embodied carbon (EC) have seldom been examined previously. This paper aims to quantify the EC reduction potentials of different structural designs of concrete modules in high-rise buildings. The study was conducted via a real case study with a high-rise modular building in Hong Kong. The EC of the concrete modules during the cradle-to-end-of-construction stage was assessed using process-based LCA method. Three critical structural and one material design variables were considered to optimise the structural design of modules in order to achieve the lowest possible EC, including concrete grades, rebar ratios in modules’ structural components, dimensions of modules’ structural components and low carbon concrete mix alternatives. Material quantities were extracted from the parametrically established BIM model of the modules using Dynamo software, followed by structural safety check according to Hong Kong’s codes. Results indicated that the feasible reduction potential of the modules with fixed external size could reach up to 27% compared to the design with highest EC emissions. Reducing components’ dimensions could reduce up to 20% EC of the modules with the same concrete grade. Adopting low carbon concrete could reduce 10%-13% EC of the modules on average for different concrete grades. The findings revealed a significant potential of EC reduction in concrete modules through structural design optimisation, providing a new direction for achieving low carbon modular buildings.
Assessing Emergency Animal Safe Sites for Evacuation
Authors: Ogunmakinde O E , Egbelakin T , Henderson R
Published: December 2022

Providing shelters for animals during disasters such as floods, bushfires and storms requires adequate planning and preparedness. Planning for animals during the disaster response and recovery phases is critical to mitigating the negative effects that animal loss or separation can have. The human-animal bond has the potential to influence people’s decisions during emergencies, such as how they will respond and when or if they will evacuate. Evacuation with animals during a disaster event can be difficult and complicated. It is critical, however, that animals are rescued and kept safe during and after disasters. Any compromise can result in the death of such animals. Similarly, even in disaster-related situations, animal handling should be consistent with the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines. This project aims to better understand disaster preparedness and resilience, as well as the recovery of animals during a disaster event. Twenty-five potential animal evacuation sites, including saleyards, showgrounds, animal shelters, and racecourses, were identified and accessed in nine local government areas (LGAs) across the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. On-site survey using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data. While none of the facilities are of high standard, 16% would require cosmetic work, 76% would require minor work, and the remaining facilities would require significant work. The project’s implication is that the assessment guideline can be included in the local council’s emergency management plan to improve adequate planning for safe animal evacuation.
ISO standards or global indices: Who decides if a city is smart?
Authors: Prevelianaki K , Sherratt F , Henjewele C
Published: December 2022

The Smart City status has become much sought after and desired as cities across the world continue to develop through smart initiatives. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Smart City Indicators “..specifies and establishes definitions and methodologies for a set of indicators for smart cities”. As a highly recognised standards organisation with international impact the definitions and criteria used therein will inevitably influence wider understandings of smartness and smart cities. However, although the standards give extensive guidance on how to become smart, their benchmarks and assessment process arguably remain unclear. International Smart City Indices use various criteria to evaluate smartness and publish annual rankings. Yet the lack of consistency among them, as well as with the ISO Standards, suggests a disconnect between what regulators propose for the development of smart cities and what the Indices perceive and measure as smartness. This paper presents the current challenges of smart city standards adoption, particularly how these lead to vague and unmeasurable city changes, further contributing to an already chaotic state in defining smartness of cities. Through critical content and comparative analysis of the ISO standards and selected Smart City Indices, different conceptualisations of smart in both its evaluation and measurement are illuminated, revealing areas of complexity, ambiguity, dissonance and even conflict between them. This indicates a disparity between regulators and the wider smart city industry community, and thus potentially further problems in the progress of smart in reality.
Climate benefits of wooden construction in urban context
Authors: Talvitie I , Amiri A , Junnila S
Published: December 2022

Wooden construction materials have two climate benefits compared to non-wooden options: lower lifecycle emissions and a carbon storage potential. This study estimates the implications of replacing concrete buildings with wooden ones for a period of 35 years in Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. The study has three main steps. First, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions difference between concrete and wooden buildings is estimated. Next, we select the most accurate carbon storage potential of wooden buildings. Finally, we compare future wooden and concrete building scenarios regarding the climate benefits for the metropolitan area. We use data provided by the regional authority of the study area on predicted residential building construction. According to our findings, switching to wooden construction in urban areas can have a significant climate benefit for the studied region. Increasing wooden construction can cut carbon emissions by 0.56 Mt and increase the carbon storage by 1.83 Mt in the study area, an amount that is four times bigger than the yearly emissions from traffic in the same urban area. The findings are not only useful for the city of Helsinki but also to other global cities which have committed to carbon neutral strategies and have sustainable forestry practices available.
Towards a theoretical understanding BIM Success in an owner organization: Diffusion of Innovations Theory vs. Actor-Network Theory
Authors: Pablo Z , Edirisinghe R
Published: December 2022

Research on BIM adoption has been linked to different theories of innovation underpinned by diverging assumptions. Diffusion of Innovations theory (DIT), for example, assumes the innovation adoption process is linear, while Actor-Network Theory (ANT) assumes innovation is dynamic and non-linear. However, limited work has been done to compare the often hidden assumptions of different innovation theories, and to explore how well they suit the BIM process. This study has two objectives: (1) to conduct a comparative analysis of the contrasting conceptual foundations of DIT and ANT and (2) to build and test two early-stage analytical toolkits using the conceptual apparatus of each theory, allowing users to examine the experiences of adopter organisations using two lenses. The toolkits this study offers were developed by moving iteratively between key theoretical concepts and qualitative interview data from a single US-based owner organisation, a case study of an early adopter of BIM. The study has two contributions. The first, a theoretical finding, is that DIT is better suited for analysing innovations that are material, stabilised and thus “closed” in early stages, while ANT is better suited for innovations that are dynamic and iteratively (re)created. The second is a set of preliminary insights for practice.
Traditional African vegetables in modular living walls: a novel approach towards smart cities
Authors: Botes Karen L , Breed Christina A
Published: December 2022

In terms of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), combined with good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), are vital. The world is not making adequate progress in meeting the UN’s targets to address food security (SDG 2). In South Africa, the growing population, rapid urbanization, poverty, and unemployment exacerbate the issue of food security; even more so considering climate change (SDG 13). The built environment needs to respond to these demands and incorporate green initiatives that can provide ecosystem services. Novel approaches are required to optimize land use and promote sustainable built environments through food production. This paper consolidates literature on local vertical urban food production with vegetable crops to enhance ecosystem services and lower the carbon footprint of buildings in the Global South. The literature review points to the potential of small-scale edible living walls that utilize local materials and traditional African vegetable (TAV) species to enhance system sustainability and resilience. TAV species offer advantages as opposed to exotic food crops as they are tolerant to extreme heat and drought, have a high nutritional value, and have low irrigation and agrochemical maintenance requirements.
The Development of BIM-MyCREST Process Model for Concept Design of Green Buildings
Authors: Ohueri C C , Liew S C , Bamgbade J A , Enegbuma W I
Published: December 2022

The synergies of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) process and green building assessment tools (GBATs) like the Malaysian Carbon Reduction and Environmental Sustainability Tool (MyCREST) known as green BIM, ensure that information is accurately exchanged during the green building design (GBD) practices. However, the issue of poor Information Exchange synthesis persists due to the lack of a standard model for green BIM implementation. Therefore, this study aims to develop the BIM-MyCREST Process Model (BMPM) for the concept design of green buildings. To actualize the research aim, an in-depth interview was conducted with 10 construction experts. Using the narrative analysis technique, the interview data were analyzed to identify the incidents that take place during the BIM process execution in GBD practices. With reference to MyCREST Guide, BIM standards; and the use of Integrated DEFinition (IDEF) language (IDEF0 and IDEF3), the BMPM was explicitly coordinated following the narratives of the interviewees. The developed BMPM will enable the multi-disciplinary GBD team to use the diverse domain BIM software to exchange accurate information and make critical decisions during the design of green buildings; thereby developing a building with high sustainability performance and accomplishing the business and commercial objectives of the MyCREST rating.
Competence of Indonesia workforce in facing liberalization
Authors: Dewi A A D P , Willar D , Trigunarsyah B , Makalew F
Published: December 2022

Quality of the workforce affects the quality of construction projects. It involves the ability and competence of the construction workforce, which contributes to the success of the construction projects. The paradigm transference toward liberalization leads to opportunities for collaboration between countries, but, on the other hand, it brings about tough competition. A competent workforce will survive facing such a paradigm. As a developing country, Indonesia faces challenges in improving the abilities and competencies in the construction workforce sector. This paper reviews the existing literature to explore workforce barriers to meeting liberalization. It found that the unreadiness of the construction workforce, the lack of clarification in existing legislation, the language barrier in gaining international certification, and financial problems are the main obstacles in improving workforce competence. This paper proposes approaches to overcome the barriers: a relook at existing legislation to provide more guidance on improving workforce competency, the need for stakeholder role in improving competence workforce, and giving affordable and accessible training and education and English course to the construction workforce.
Learning on the job through collaborative learning: analysing the appropriation of BIM knowledge in micro-enterprise architectural design companies
Authors: Ferreira R C , Rocha P N , Pereira L M , Codinhoto R , Fabricio M M
Published: December 2022

The lack of Building Information Modelling (BIM) knowledge appropriation by Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) professionals is often considered one of the main obstacles to successful BIM implementation. Although barriers to implementation have been substantially investigated, a literature review on knowledge appropriation revealed that this area is poorly investigated and biased towards small and medium construction companies. The review also shows that no published research has addressed micro-enterprise design firms, despite these representing approximately 90% of the firms in the AECO sector. In this context, this research investigates whether collaborative learning can be a teaching and learning strategy for appropriating BIM knowledge in architectural design micro-enterprises. The Zone of Proximal Development concept and the Collaborative Learning method were the theoretical lenses to study BIM knowledge appropriation. The research method involved documental analysis of four years of data from a micro-enterprise. The data was classified into vertical collaboration, diagonal collaboration; horizontal collaboration; and individual action. Results show a progressive development of the professionals’ (BIM knowledge) autonomy, as they gradually moved from individual action and vertical collaboration relationships to diagonal and horizontal collaboration actions. The evidence indicates that teaching and learning strategies can contribute to the appropriation of BIM knowledge in the context of micro and small companies.
A Survey on the Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic at Construction Sites
Authors: Arı K , Coplugil K B , Gönültas I , Artan D
Published: December 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial disruptions and hardships across nations and industries. Like others, the construction industry has also been impacted by the pandemic in a number of ways. Reported adverse impacts include significant delays in projects, failure to deliver materials on time, decreased productivity rates, and increases in material prices. Declining revenues and increasing project delivery difficulties due to the current crisis have also affected the industry. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic at the construction sites from the perspective of the employer, contractor and the employees. A survey has been conducted with the construction professionals to explore the measures taken against the pandemic, how these measures were financed, suspensions, delays, disruptions, non-payment and cash flow issues, employee motivation, procurement and recruitment problems, interpretation of the force majeure clauses in the contracts, extension of time and additional payment claims arisen due to the pandemic. The findings are expected to be useful to all construction industry stakeholders and researchers for identifying the prominent problem areas and seek relevant solutions to decrease the adverse effects experienced during the pandemic.
An offsite construction scoping study for occupational health and safety
Authors: Simukonda W , Emuze F
Published: December 2022

Within the sustainable construction philosophical worldview, the construction industry is transiting towards adoption of offsite construction (OSC) as a sine qua non for resolving ill-performances of construction industry. However, its various definitions have potential to obtuse its industry wide benefits and challenges. The aim of this paper is to give a concise description of OSC and its benefits for improving occupation health and safety (OHS). With a framework for conducting a scoping study, this paper highlights various appellations of OSC using scholarly articles by various researchers and practitioners from 2000 to 2020, collected from multiple sources, i.e., Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. The scholarly articles are reviewed regarding research contribution and methodology used. A plethora of OSC studies with divergent scopes and objectives highlight its benefits to environmental sustainability indicators of energy consumption, waste generation and carbon gas emissions, with only implied link to OHS. A new OSC focus that is explicit on OHS benefits and challenges is suggested for future research. The paper contributes to the body of offsite literature by providing a broader OSC definition and reviewing the benefits of OSC to OHS based on their production systems.
The changing role of BIM-facilitated facilities management in the post-COVID era: A systematic literature review
Authors: Ma P , Chan I Y S
Published: December 2022

COVID-19 has become a long-term pandemic and pushed the re-interpretation of normality. Fighting against the pandemic and building a new normal in the post-COVID era requires constant and innovative approaches. Building information modeling (BIM) facilitated facilities management (FM) has been advocated as a powerful method to overcome the huge public health-related challenges. However, studies investigating the role of BIM-facilitated FM in the pandemic era are fragmented, and holistic knowledge is limited. Research objectives of this study are twofold: (1) to identify varying FM requirements after the outbreak of COVID-19, (2) to investigate how BIM-facilitated FM copes with changing requests in the pandemic period. To achieve the objectives, a systematic literature review was conducted. Currently, FM tends to be public health-centric, and highly emphasized requirements encompass the flexibility of space transformation for emergency purpose, effective and sufficient ventilation, reliable biosecurity, and strict anti-infection management. Based on centralized database and visualized model, BIM-facilitated FM enables space optimization, simulation and prediction of infection risk, monitoring and managing equipment operation, and effective information management, which enhances both hard and soft FM. This paper sheds light on the applications and directions of future BIM-facilitated FM research in protecting public health in the post-COVID era.
The status of emergency alert systems for construction project sites
Authors: Pulver S E , Celik B G , Abraham Y S
Published: December 2022

Worker safety is of the utmost importance; consequently, construction project sites use alert systems to notify project team members of emergencies on the job site. Various emergency alert systems are available in the construction industry, from the simple air horn to the more complex remote and app-based systems. This research aims to improve construction safety by investigating emergency alert systems that notify workers of widespread emergencies on the project site. The objectives are to identify the types of emergency alert systems available in the construction industry, explore the industry professionals’ perceptions of the existing emergency alert systems, and identify any gaps in the market for new technologies or the potential for improving existing ones. This study utilizes a survey of 34 industry professionals to identify the most commonly used emergency alert systems on jobsites and their knowledge and perceptions of app-based and remote emergency alert systems. Results indicate that while the air horn is the most used method of emergency alerts, the construction industry may be willing to spend more on remote emergency alert systems than app-based emergency alert systems. The primary concerns of the construction industry are the overall cost, the reliability of the high-tech systems, and the potential for false alarms. It appears that if the construction professionals’ concerns are addressed, they would be willing to spend more on app-based systems.
Analysing the COVID19 challenge in the context of a smart city considering the SDG’s: case study in New York City
Authors: Salgado M S
Published: December 2022

New York City administration invest on strategies to become a smart city. On 2015 the Mayor announced the release of “One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City” a comprehensive plan for a sustainable and resilient city. But at the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 disrupted its implementation. The negative impacts of the pandemic include public health impacts, housing and food insecurity, increase of unemployment rate and closure of small businesses, among others. Digital technologies played an important role during this period, as the city’s administration offered reliable information about the pandemic through applications and websites. Considering the importance of NYC for the economy of U.S., and the huge impact that COVID-19 pandemic had on the city, this paper is part of a research that explores a smart city approach (i. e. New York) during a pandemic scenario through an empiric perception, presenting an early analysis of the actions adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). A case study has been conducted, with the mapping of actions adopted by the New York City administration during the first wave of COVID 19 pandemic (March-June 2020). Results indicate a close relation among those actions and the basic SDG’s, signalling that a city to be smart must be sustainable. Conclusions indicate the necessity to review priorities on cities administration aiming the strengthening of a more resilient-inclusive society, particularly considering the challenges during and after a pandemic.
Developing Client Leadership to Drive BIM Adoption for WHS Management
Authors: London K , Pablo Z , Feng Y , Vårhammar A
Published: December 2022

The construction sector consistently reports high numbers of injuries and fatalities. Many incidents can be avoided through better planning, design and construction practices, which can be supported by technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM adoption has been increasing in Australia, but its specific adoption to support work health and safety (WHS) goals remains limited. This paper presents findings from Phase 1 of a four-phase government-funded research project exploring how a large-scale industry-wide shift can be achieved. Phase 1 included a literature review that confirmed a lack of systematic studies that explore the potential use of BIM for WHS management in holistic ways and nine semi structured interviews of expert stakeholders to explore drivers and barriers to the adoption of BIM for WHS management. Using a two-stage qualitative analysis, the research team found four areas that were fundamental to achieving this shift: (1) Client Leadership, where clients with large infrastructure project portfolios created an environment prioritizing the structured, collaborative creation and use of information requirements across supply chains; (2) Tendering Proficiency where BIM for WHS information requirements were specified at early stages; (3) Best Practice, showing use of BIM across six WHS areas and (4) Supply Chain Monitoring.
Gender Diversity in the UK Construction Industry
Authors: Seidu R D , Young B E , Meyer C L , Thorpe J , Fong D , Madanayake U
Published: December 2022

For many years, there has been an assumption that the UK construction industry is devoid of gender diversity. Part of this assumption was predicated on the representation of workers in construction sites, who are predominantly male. However, there are many positions in the construction industry that are not public-facing, and the question is whether the assumption that males fill most of these roles is also true. This issue has existed in the construction industry for many years; it appears that placing the sole onus on construction companies to employ more women may not be producing the desired level of progress. This research aim to establish whether clients can influence gender diversity in the construction industry with an objective of determining the current position of inequality in the construction industry; and existing incentives and frameworks. The research adopted an exploratory approach, with data collected through existing literature and records of 20 major construction companies, followed by interviews with Six individuals working for UK construction companies and clients of varying sizes. The study will awaken the construction industry and how it can initiate new proposals or support schemes that have worked previously, to encourage more women to join the construction industry. It reveals that clients have an important role to play if the construction industry is to improve on gender diversity through contractual commitments that could be monitored regularly throughout the duration of a project.
Development of a framework for quality assurance of off-site manufactured building components: A case study of the New Zealand housing sector
Authors: Lin Rene , Sajeevan Samarasinghe Don Amila , Rotimi Funmilayo Ebun
Published: December 2022

A shortage of housing is a prominent issue across the globe. Traditional on-site construction methods seem too inefficient to meet the increasing housing demand. As a solution, many countries, including the United States, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia, have introduced off-site manufacturing methods to increase the housing supply. Different from the traditional way of on-site construction, off-site manufacturing is a technique that involves manufacturing building components in a controlled environment. Despite strong government support and industry attempts to increase off-site manufacturing, the current building consenting and inspection processes in New Zealand have significant quality-related issues. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the gaps in current quality assurance processes used in off-site manufacturing and recommend a framework in order to gain credibility and the acceptance of the construction market. The study collected qualitative data from industry experts (e.g., developers, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors, head contractors and council officers) who had significant experience in current quality assurance regimes in New Zealand prefabrication construction. The key themes for designing the proposed framework were generated using content analysis of the primary data collected from semi-structured interviews with industry experts. The study has found that standardisation in off-shore products regarding the New Zealand Building Code remains the biggest challenge in the consenting process. Quality assurance and inspection test plans are the developer’s responsibility and are typically provided by third-party inspectors. In this post-Covid-19 world-building, consent authorities rely heavily on third-party inspection companies that apply more rigorous auditing. Essentially, the most important parts of quality assurance are to have an experienced team and to adopt a holistic approach by engaging stakeholders early in the design stage. The stakeholders should consider recommendations for mandatory after-service insurance to ensure end-customer interests are protected. The findings of this study can contribute to the early engagement of different stakeholders to ensure overseas manufacturing of building components meets New Zealand quality standards. It is expected that the new quality assurance framework would help to promote off-site manufacturing for the New Zealand housing sector.
A Comparison Study on the Long-life Housing Development Histories and Plans of Collective Housing Based on the Open Building Theory in China and Japan
Authors: Ma Lingxiang , Zhao Yu , Seike Tsuyoshi
Published: December 2022

These days have seen the rise of open building theory through the development of SI housing system in China and Japan, as one of the strategies of long-life housing. In SI housing system, although the concept of levels has been well applied, and the resident decision are being considered before and after occupancy, some of the plans and designs don’t really meet resident requirements and likes, especially in China. As a result, some of the designs are not that effective as expected. There is no doubt that the open building theory is one of the good strategies towards long-life housing though, the realizing methods should be reconsidered, in order to meet the residents’ needs better.

As the local regulation, culture, society, etc. are greatly distinguished in China and Japan, the development histories of long-life housing and open building theory in China and Japan and the differences between them should be firstly investigated. In this article, the development histories of long-life housing and open building theory in China and Japan are introduced and compared, and that different social background influenced their development process and industrial models is confirmed. Besides, the supply method and plan differences of open building housing of two countries are compared and analysed. As a result, it is shown that different social backgrounds have an impact on the development of SI housing, that in Japan the SI structure system has been formed, while China has developed the SI supply system.
Exploring Off-site Construction and Building Information Modelling Integration Challenges; Enhancing Capabilities within New Zealand Construction Sector
Authors: Ghalenoei Nazanin Kordestani , Jelodar Mostafa Babaeian , Paes Daniel , Sutrisna Monty
Published: December 2022

Over the last few years off-site construction (OSC); which is essentially manufacturing different components in a controlled environment, has become popular in the construction industry. This method has the advantages of simplicity, speed, reducing project duration, and minimising construction waste. Therefore, a growing body of literature recognises the importance of OSC to gain better project performance. While OSC has received considerable critical attention, to enhance OSC applications, integrating advanced technologies such as building information modelling (BIM) is essential. There is a lack of research addressing the integration of BIM and OSC, particularly in New Zealand, and few studies investigated the current subject. Therefore, this study focuses on finding the existing OSC and BIM integration challenges within the New Zealand construction sector. The objective of this study has been investigated through literature review and interviews with experts. The common challenges of OSC and BIM integration were identified and classified. Human resources, documentation, managerial, and organisational are the main challenges. This paper is dedicated to exploring OSC and BIM integration in New Zealand, an essential step for the OSC application strategies within the construction sector. This study findings will lend to the construction sector expanding capabilities to improve the status quo and optimise OSC applications through advanced technologies.
Stressors in the multicultural construction working environment
Authors: Liu Q J , Feng Y B , London K , Zhang P
Published: December 2022

Due to the dynamic and complex nature of the construction industry, construction workers are often exposed to a range of stressors which are causative factors for mental health problems. Simultaneously, intercultural contact between workers in a multicultural working environment may aggravate mental health issues. A better understanding of stressors can contribute to the development of targeted measures for mental health prevention and promotion. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the correlation between stressors and mental health for construction workers in a culturally diverse working environment. Data were collected using questionnaires from 252 construction workers in Australia. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The results revealed the significant correlations between stressors and mental health outcomes and indicated the most significant stressors from work, personal and cultural domains. The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers on the development of mental health interventions for construction workforce in a multicultural context. Researchers could also benefit from an in-depth comprehension on the causative factors of psychological issues in the construction industry.
Construction industry classification systems: Defining the construction sector in New Zealand
Authors: Hoai Le An Thi , Domingo Niluka , Sutrisna Monty
Published: December 2022

CanConstrucNZ is a partnership programme between New Zealand universities, government agencies, and professional bodies to develop a smart system that enables mapping future pipeline projects with the industry capacity and capability to advise the stakeholders whether the sector will be capable of delivering the proposed construction projects. Defining the scope of the construction sector itself is the first step of the programme that helps measure the construction sector capacity. This paper compares different definitions and approaches of the construction sector boundaries and discusses similarities and differences in the selected classification systems, usually used to define, collect, and generate data for measuring the construction sector. The findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive classification to help generate the correct level of data for measuring the construction sector’s true scope and size, resulting in better policy initiatives, and informing changes in the industry. The findings of this study recommend future research to develop a customised classification system to represent the value of the New Zealand construction sector in a holistic manner.
Network design. Using a platform approach and network cooperation in housing design, formation & revitalization of a living environment – participation, complexity approach
Authors: Rybakov S
Published: December 2022

Networked methods of cooperation, informatization practices, decentralized systems, «Uberization», emerging today in “common” sectors of the economy, can have an effect in housing/renovation. The 20th century, to solve the problems of large-scale housing creation, formed its own systems (including mass-production, standardization, functionalist vision, typization, etc.)- they all complemented each other and gave a complex effect in synthesis. Today, for new problems of renovation & creating sophisticated environment, we can mark possibility of forming our own complex systems – including “new” economy, network production, collaboration of participants - creating its own tools, more adapted to solve new problems. Changes of the 21st-century: “new economy”, network cooperation & participation for creating environment (sophisticated distribution design tasks in networks), new management - can form new systems and design techniques that contribute to the individualization & new understanding of housing for 21-stage-society. An experimental platform was created on the basis of these ideas, allowing to synthesize them. 3 cases will be considered: 1-”contrasted”(with the traditional methodology) dwelling design with communities in IT-environment. 2-Experimental residential complex including a “game” with different forms of individualization. 3-A historical building, renovated into a mixed-use-development with a public park. All of them demonstrate complicity, usage of AI, IT & based on the open-building philosophy. The methodology of work includes theoretical models & real community testing, systematized information, methods classification, various digital modeling data.
Life cycle sustainability assessment for modular construction – A proposed conceptual framework
Authors: Jayawardana J , Zhang G , Kulatunga A K , Sandanayake M , Jayasinghe J A S C
Published: December 2022

Offsite construction (OSC) is increasingly recognised as a viable alternative for conventional in-situ construction. Modular construction (MC) is one of the most advanced and efficient OSC methods in the construction industry. Even with the distinctive benefits offered by MC, it is imperative to investigate the sustainability performance of MC to understand the trade-offs with traditional construction. Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is a tool that integrates the three pillars of sustainability from a life cycle perspective. At present, the most common method is to consider the LCSA as a sum of life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social LCA (S-LCA). However, studies that have employed the LCSA methodology in assessing MC are still lacking in the literature. Relevant literature still lacks comprehensive framework guidance to conduct LCSA of MC. Thus, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework that integrates the triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability to assess the sustainability performance of MC using LCSA. The publications acquired from the keyword search analysis were reviewed to develop the conceptual framework by identifying the key factors and challenges to the LCSA. The framework integrates the methodological steps, findings, and gaps related to LCSA discovered from the literature survey. The results show that the LCSA goal and scope should be defined properly to address the complications from the methodological differences of the TBL of sustainability. The proposed framework offers insight to academia and construction industry practitioners about the holistic investigation of the sustainability performance of MC.
Examining the Agile Project Management Practices in the Malaysian Construction Industry
Authors: Chia F C , Tung Y H , Yong F Y Y
Published: December 2022

Agile Project Management (APM) is traceable as a concept for software development and IT projects. It represents one of the basic competitive advantages of contemporary organizations that can be applied to almost any large-scale project in any industry. Construction projects being a high uncertainties, high changes, high complexity, and high risk industry is yet to be seen if the adaptive approach of APM is applicable. A questionnaire consisting of four core agile values and 70 agile practices was used to study the inclination of project management practices in the Malaysian construction industry. The survey, which garnered 210 responses from construction personnel, revealed the inclination of four core agile values between 6.38 and 7.34 on the scale of 0-10, while agile practices scored between 3.4 to 4.0 on 0-5. The agile oriented group is found had applied 25 out of the 70 project agile practices more frequent than the non-agile oriented group. Smaller organizations have adopted more agile project practices, especially those related to the continuous improvement domain. The study concluded that the Malaysian construction participants are leaning towards the core value of project management, and indeed practiced agility in most of the project management tasks currently.
An Exploratory Study on Communication Complexity in Mega Construction Projects
Authors: Cakir I , Kaya H D , Dikmen I , Atasoy G , Birgonul M T
Published: December 2022

Complexity is the property of a project that makes it difficult to understand, foresee and control its behaviour due to interrelatedness between various project attributes such as tasks, parties, disciplines, and interfaces. Project complexity is an inherent part of mega construction projects due to their large scale, long period, the multiplicity of disciplines, the high number of stakeholders, multi-nationality, and high level of public attention, as well as political interest. This paper depicts findings of a research project that aims to identify characteristics of and factors that contribute to project complexity by referring to the experiences of professionals involved in mega construction projects. For this purpose, data has been collected by interviewing 18 participants from 11 mega construction projects. Communication complexity, which reflects the amount of distributed communication channels between various stakeholders, has been identified as one of the major drivers of project complexity in megaprojects. Based on literature and semi-structured interview findings, a causal structure to represent communication complexity comprising of three components, which are; project, stakeholders, and communication management, was developed. The causal map, which represents the opinions of a limited number of experts, cannot be generalised; however, it can provide useful insights about drivers of communication complexity that can be used to develop strategies to manage complexity.