A reliability based approach for sustainable management of community buildings. The proposed project will address a major issue of maintaining service delivery and managing risk of failure of infrastructure assets owned by local councils. A working business tool will be developed based on fundamental understanding of behaviour of building infrastructure over a long period of time which will enable 79 local councils in Victoria to optimise their maintenance and capital expenditure with a realisti ....A reliability based approach for sustainable management of community buildings. The proposed project will address a major issue of maintaining service delivery and managing risk of failure of infrastructure assets owned by local councils. A working business tool will be developed based on fundamental understanding of behaviour of building infrastructure over a long period of time which will enable 79 local councils in Victoria to optimise their maintenance and capital expenditure with a realistic understanding of the implications of investment. The national benefit will be a significant improvement of service delivery to community through better design and management of council assets and a significant saving of maintenance cost of councils.Read moreRead less
Differentiation not disintegration: Integrating strategies to improve Occupational Health and Safety in the construction industry. Almost ten percent of all injury and death claims in Australia are attributed to construction, creating a significant social and economic burden. Organisational, technological and cultural fragmentation of the supply chain impedes the integration of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) into construction planning and design. The research will effect critical and susta ....Differentiation not disintegration: Integrating strategies to improve Occupational Health and Safety in the construction industry. Almost ten percent of all injury and death claims in Australia are attributed to construction, creating a significant social and economic burden. Organisational, technological and cultural fragmentation of the supply chain impedes the integration of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) into construction planning and design. The research will effect critical and sustainable improvements in construction OHS, through: (i) the engagement of all industry participants in the OHS improvement effort; (ii) the identification of new technologies which can improve OHS; and (iii) the establishment of a unity of purpose regarding OHS among construction industry stakeholders, contributing significantly to a reduction in the social and economic costs of occupational death, injury and illness.Read moreRead less
Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based construction work. Construction workers, who comprise 8.5% of Australia's workforce, are a high risk group for work-family conflict (WFC), which is linked to negative outcomes for individuals, families and organizations. The construction industry is facing a skills shortage but remains unattractive to young workers and those with family/care responsibilities. The research ....Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based construction work. Construction workers, who comprise 8.5% of Australia's workforce, are a high risk group for work-family conflict (WFC), which is linked to negative outcomes for individuals, families and organizations. The construction industry is facing a skills shortage but remains unattractive to young workers and those with family/care responsibilities. The research will help the construction industry to re-think cultural expectations about work hours and design jobs that reduce WFC and promote work-family interaction. The research will help the industry improve its ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce and contribute to a reduction in the social and economic costs of WFC.Read moreRead less