ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7694-4743
Current Organisation
Queensland University of Technology
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Systems engineering | Engineering Systems Design | Engineering practice and education | Environmentally sustainable engineering | Building | Public Health and Health Services | Building Construction Management and Project Planning | Infrastructure Engineering and Asset Management | Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety | Civil Engineering | Building construction management and project planning | Design practice and methods | Building science technologies and systems | Atmospheric Aerosols |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Residential Building Management and Services | Commercial Building Management and Services | Environmentally Sustainable Construction not elsewhere classified | Environmental Health | Environmentally Sustainable Transport not elsewhere classified
Related Links
Publications
A Scoping Review of System Dynamics in Construction Industry: 1998-2018
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 2021
Accountability Effects of Public Participation Practice in Chinese Public Projects: Partial Least-Squares Path Analysis
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 11-2019
Development route of the wind power industry in China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
The future of sustainable building assessment tools: A case study in Australia
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 18-06-2014
Sustainable Education Buildings in Australia: A Green Star Review
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 04-06-2013
Improving distribued subgraph matching algorithm on timely dataflow
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 04-2019
Choosing Appropriate Contract Methods for Design-Build Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2016
Ranked generic criteria for EPC contractor selection
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-08-2022
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-10-2021-0874
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to prioritize the appropriate generic contractor selection criteria for Engineering–Procurement–Construction (EPC) projects in the construction industry. Proceeding from a review of previous studies and validation by a small group of experts, a preliminary set of 16 criteria was first identified. This was followed by three rounds of Delphi surveys: firstly, with 64 experienced participants confirming the relevance of the 16 criteria secondly, with a reduced subgroup of 47 more experienced participants scoring the importance of each and finally, providing the opportunity for these 47 to revise their scores in the light of knowing the aggregated results of the previous round. The results show the consensus view, of which the most important criteria are ranked as past performance, project understanding, technical attributes, key personnel, health and safety, past experience, time, management, financial, contractual and legal, quality, cost, relationships, environmental and sustainability, organizational and industrial relations, and geographic location. The findings are useful for both practitioners and academics in making a significant contribution to the body of knowledge of the EPC process. This will assist in providing a better understanding of criteria importance and pave the way to developing an EPC contractor selection model involving the criteria most needed to objectively identify potential contractors and evaluate tenders.
Development of a carbon emissions analysis framework using building information modeling and life cycle assessment for the construction of hospital projects
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-11-2019
DOI: 10.3390/SU11226274
Abstract: Buildings produce a large amount of carbon emissions in their life cycle, which intensifies greenhouse-gas effects and has become a great threat to the survival of humans and other species. Although many previous studies shed light on the calculation of carbon emissions, a systematic analysis framework is still missing. Therefore, this study proposes an analysis framework of carbon emissions based on building information modeling (BIM) and life cycle assessment (LCA), which consists of four steps: (1) defining the boundary of carbon emissions in a life cycle (2) establishing a carbon emission coefficients database for Chinese buildings and adopting Revit, GTJ2018, and Green Building Studio for inventory analysis (3) calculating carbon emissions at each stage of the life cycle and (4) explaining the calculation results of carbon emissions. The framework developed is validated using a case study of a hospital project, which is located in areas in Anhui, China with a hot summer and a cold winter. The results show that the reinforced concrete engineering contributes to the largest proportion of carbon emissions (around 49.64%) in the construction stage, and the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) generates the largest proportion (around 53.63%) in the operational stage. This study provides a practical reference for similar buildings in analogous areas and for additional insights on reducing carbon emissions in the future.
Are green project management practices applicable to traditional projects?
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2015
Falls from height in the construction industry: A critical review of the scientific literature
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-06-2016
Investigation of barriers to entry into the design-build market in the People's Republic of China (PRC)
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2012
Regional Planning Reconfiguration in China Based on Inclusiveness: Examining Development and Control Orientation
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2020
Institutional Pressures and Megaproject Social Responsibility Behavior
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-03-2021
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS11040140
Abstract: Megaproject social responsibility (MSR) is a critical factor regarding the sustainable delivery of megaprojects and MSR behavior to implement MSR. However, the questions of which factors effectively promote MSR behavior and how these factors work remain underexamined. Thus, this study aims to examine how the external institutional pressure and internal factors composed of relational behavior and pure altruistic values affect MSR behavior. On the basis of a conditional process analysis conducted on a set of survey data from various organizations involved in megaprojects in China, the results revealed that the higher the degree of mimetic pressure, the higher the degree of MSR behavior. Concurrently, relational behavior mediates the relationship between normative pressures and MSR behavior. Relational behavior also drives MSR behavior, and pure altruistic values moderate the relationships between institutional pressures and MSR behavior. These findings also provide practical suggestions for policymakers on the implementation and governance of MSR.
Understanding the Megaproject Social Responsibility Network among Stakeholders
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 11-2023
Energy Analysis and Forecast of a Major Modern Hospital
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-07-2022
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12081116
Abstract: Healthcare buildings often have high energy use intensity, which is potentially influenced by a few factors, such as occupancy and climate. A suite of data analysis methods, including principal component analysis and regressions, is applied to analyse monthly electricity data of a modern major hospital in subtropical Australia. The analysis shows that occupancy is not highly correlated with the hospital’s electricity use, nor is it important for building energy modelling. However, outdoor environment temperature is highly correlated with the hospital’s electricity use. Then, the hospital’s electricity uses in 2030 to 2090 scenarios are forecast with future climate files. The impacts are analysed in terms of bill increases and renewable capacity needed to offset the increased electricity use. This study has established a process to predict future hospital energy use using data-driven energy modelling. This succinct article provides vital evidence to support the healthcare sector to continuously improve energy efficiency for health buildings, which is a major asset to adapt to the changing climate.
Effect of Perceived Justice on Subcontractor Willingness to Cooperate: The Mediating Role of Relationship Value
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2017
Developing a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model for selecting design-build operational variations
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 12-2011
Identifying significant risks and analyzing risk relationship for construction PPP projects in China using integrated FISM-MICMAC Approach
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-09-2019
DOI: 10.3390/SU11195206
Abstract: To meet the growing demand for public facilities and services, many developing countries, including China, have adopted the concept of public–private partnership (PPP). However, there are many risks in PPP projects. Furthermore, these risks affect each other, which may lead to project failure. However, the existing research on the PPP risk relationship has not gone into sufficient detail. Therefore, in order to fill this literature gap, this study proposes a procedural method to analyze the correlation between PPP risks. Firstly, this study, identifies the risks of construction PPP projects in China by combining the literature review with a case study and interviews. Then, fuzzy interpretative structural modeling (FISM) is used to reflect the relationships between these risks and reveal the failure mechanisms of PPP projects. In addition, based on matrix impact cross-reference multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC) analysis, the risk is ided into four clusters, according to the driving and dependence power, to show the relationship level of the risk. Finally, the paper compares and discusses the research results with other studies and puts forward some suggestions on PPP risks. The FISM-MICMAC method adopted in this study considers the fuzzy of the PPP risk relationship and improves upon previous studies. In addition, the method of FISM-MICMAC can provide a new risk assessment tool for risk management strategies in the field of construction engineering and management.
Human Error Risk Management Methodology for Rail Crack Incidents
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2015
Public participation performance in public construction projects of South China: A case study of the Guangzhou Games venues construction
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
Contribution of Social Media Analytics to Disaster Response Effectiveness: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/SU15118860
Abstract: Disasters are sudden and catastrophic events with fatal consequences. Time-sensitive information collection from disaster zones is crucial for improved and data-driven disaster response. However, information collection from disaster zones in a prompt way is not easy or even possible. Human-centric information provided by citizen sensors through social media platforms create an opportunity for prompt information collection from disaster zones. There is, nevertheless, limited scholarly work that provides a comprehensive review on the potential of social media analytics for disaster response. This study utilizes a systematic literature review with PRISMA protocol to investigate the potential of social media analytics for enhanced disaster response. The findings of the systematic review of the literature pieces (n = 102) disclosed that (a) social media analytics in the disaster management research domain is an emerging field of research and practice (b) the central focus on the research domain is on the utilization of social media data for disaster response to natural hazards, but the social media data-driven disaster response to human-made disasters is an increasing research focus (c) human-centric information intelligence provided by social media analytics in disaster response mainly concentrates on collective intelligence, location awareness, and situation awareness, and (d) there is limited scholarly research investigating near-real-time transport network management aftermath disasters. The findings inform authorities’ decision-making processes as near-real time disaster response management depending on social media analytics is a critical element of securing sustainable cities and communities.
Does project culture matter? A comparative study of two major hospital projects
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 30-09-2014
Abstract: – This research aims to investigate the impacts of project culture on the performance of construction projects. Cultural issues in the construction industry have attracted growing attention from both practitioners and academia. However, there are few studies on culture issues at the project level. The influence of project culture has not traditionally been on the research radar. – A case study approach, utilising questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews and review of project documents, was used to investigate project culture and its associated impacts in two major hospital projects. – The results indicated that project culture played an important role in achieving harmonious relationships between project participants and better project outcomes in terms of schedule, functionality, satisfaction with the process, satisfaction with the relationships, environmental issues addressed commercial success, further business opportunities and overall performance. Case 1 outperformed Case 2 in these performance indicators. Similarly, it became clear that the project’s culture should be developed from the outset and sustained during the project period. Furthermore, it was also highlighted that the project culture should be translated to all levels of the supply chain, i.e. sub-contractors and suppliers. – The findings enabled the client to understand the role of project culture and actively commit towards the development and maintenance of the project culture from very early on. It also helps project teams to understand how to deal with cultural issues at the project level. – This study is one of limited empirical studies that offer in-depth insights of how project culture affects the performance of construction projects. It is also the first study of hospital projects on the research topic.
Innovation District Typology Classification via Performance Framework: Insights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-09-2022
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12091398
Abstract: As a new land use type, innovation districts are taking prominence in the urban development policies and plans of many cities across the globe. This new urban land use comes in many shapes and forms and offers various features and functions to the users. Despite its increasing popularity, there exist only limited approaches to classify innovation districts, and there are no holistic typologies developed so far. This study focuses on this understudied, but important area of research. The paper aims to develop an innovation district typology matrix and evaluates its practicality with real innovation district data. The methodological approach is three-fold. First, the multidimensional innovation district classification framework is adopted as a performance framework. Second, data from three eminent Australian innovation districts—i.e., Macquarie Park Innovation District (Sydney), Monash Technology Precinct (Melbourne), and Kelvin Grove Urban Village (Brisbane)—are collected. Third, both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods are employed for data analysis. The study finds that innovation district performances can be measured, and typologies can be developed though a novel approach. These, in return, inform property developers and managers, city administrators, and urban planners in their efforts to plan, design, develop, and manage competitive innovation districts.
A Classification Framework for Design-Build Variants from an Operational Perspective
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2012
The contribution of ISO 14067 to the evolution of global greenhouse gas standards - A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
A Bayesian Network Model for the Impacts of Psychosocial Hazards on the Mental Health of Site-Based Construction Practitioners
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 03-2023
Examining the impacts of early cost drivers on contingencies
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
Date: 13-05-2014
Opportunities and Adoption Challenges of AI in the Construction Industry: A PRISMA Review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Hybrid approach to reducing estimating overfitting and collinearity
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 19-08-2019
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-08-2018-0353
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to address the overfitting and collinearity problems that frequently occur in predictive cost estimating models for construction practice. A case study, modeling the cost of preliminaries is proposed to test the robustness of this approach. A hybrid approach is developed based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and principal component regression (PCR). Cost information for a s le of 204 UK school building projects is collected involving elemental items, contingencies (risk) and the contractors’ preliminaries. An application to estimate the cost of preliminaries for construction projects demonstrates the method and tests its effectiveness in comparison with such competing models as: alternative regression models, three artificial neural network data mining techniques, case-based reasoning and support vector machines. The experimental results show that the AIC–PCR approach provides a good predictive accuracy compared with the alternatives used, and is a promising alternative to avoid overfitting and collinearity. This is the first time an approach integrating the AIC and PCR has been developed to offer an improvement on existing methods for estimating construction project Preliminaries. The hybrid approach not only reduces the risk of overfitting and collinearity, but also results in better predictability compared with the commonly used stepwise regression.
Distributed subgraph matching on timely dataflow
Publisher: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Date: 06-2019
Abstract: Recently there emerge many distributed algorithms that aim at solving subgraph matching at scale. Existing algorithm-level comparisons failed to provide a systematic view of distributed subgraph matching mainly due to the intertwining of strategy and optimization. In this paper, we identify four strategies and three general-purpose optimizations from representative state-of-the-art algorithms. We implement the four strategies with the optimizations based on the common Timely dataflow system for systematic strategy-level comparison. Our implementation covers all representative algorithms. We conduct extensive experiments for both unlabelled matching and labelled matching to analyze the performance of distributed subgraph matching under various settings, which is finally summarized as a practical guide.
Operation performance measurement of public rental housing delivery by PPPs with fuzzy-AHP comprehensive evaluation
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 26-06-2019
Abstract: As governments promote greatly the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to develop the Public Rental Housing (PRH) projects, the effective and efficient operation performance measurement should be pivotal for ensuring the success and sustainable development of these projects. Thus, this paper investigated operation performance indicators (OPIs) and measured the performance level of PRH PPP projects by fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) comprehensive evaluation (FACE) method. Four important aspects of PRH PPP projects related to the operation performance and an evaluation indicator system of 21 OPIs from these four aspects were developed, the weights of which were calculated by using the AHP method. Based on fuzzy mathematics and the expert evaluation method, all the OPIs were quantitatively graded according to five ranks of evaluation criteria. Membership functions, weights of OPIs, and maximum membership degree principle were utilized to establish a multi-level FACE model for operation performance measurement of PRH PPP projects. One PRH PPP project of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in China was chosen as the case study. Evaluation results were derived from the proposed model, and they generally conform to the actual situation. This study provides an effective operation performance measurement framework for PRH PPPs projects.
Relationship between Internationalization and Financial Performance: Evidence from ENR-Listed Chinese Firms
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 03-2020
Identification of selection criteria for operational variations of the design-build system: A Delphi study in China [Atrankos Kriteriju; Projektavimo Ir Statybos Sistemos Darbiniams Variantams Nustatymas: Delphi Tyrimas Kinijoje]
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 02-04-2012
DOI: 10.3846/13923730.2012.657417
Abstract: The design-build (DB) system has been demonstrated as an effective delivery method and has gained popularity worldwide. However it is observed that a number of operational variations of DB system have emerged since the last decade to cater for different client's requirements. After the client decides to procure his project through the DB system, he still has to choose an appropriate configuration to deliver their projects optimally. However, there is little research on the selection of DB operational variations. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of evaluation criteria for determining the appropriateness of each operational variation. To obtain such criteria, a three-round Delphi survey has been conducted with 20 construction experts in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Seven top selection criteria were identified. These are: (1) availability of competent design-builders (2) client's capabilities (3) project complexity (4) client's control of project (5) early commencement & short duration (6) reduced responsibility or involvement and (7) clearly defined end user's requirements. These selection criteria were found to have a statistically significant agreement. These findings may furnish various stakeholders, DB clients in particular, with better insight to understand and compare the different operational variations of the DB system. Santrauka Įrodyta, kad projektavimo ir statybos (P ir S) sistema – veiksmingas vykdymo metodas, tad ji išpopuliarėjo visame pasaulyje. Tačiau pastebėta, kad per pastarąjį dešimtmetį atsirado ne vienas darbinis P ir S sistemos variantas, tenkinantis skirtingus kliento poreikius. Klientui nutarus projekto paslaugas pirkti naudojant P ir S sistemą, jam vis tiek tenka pačiam pasirinkti tinkamą derinį, idant projektas vyktų optimaliai. Tačiau darbinių P ir S variantų pasirinkimas beveik nebuvo tyrinėtas. Viena pagrindinių priežasčių – trūksta vertinimo kriterijų, kurie leistų nustatyti kiekvieno darbinio varianto tinkamumą. Siekiant nustatyti tokius kriterijus, atliekant Delphi apklausą trimis etapais buvo apklausta 20 statybos ekspertų iš Kinijos Liaudies Respublikos (KLR). Nustatyti septyni svarbiausi atrankos kriterijai: 1) kompetentingų projektuotojų statytojų pasiūla 2) kliento pajėgumai 3) projekto sudėtingumas 4) kiek klientas kontroliuoja projektą 5) ankstyva pradžia ir nedidelė trukmė 6) mažesnė atsakomybė arba dalyvavimas 7) aiškiai nusakyti galutinio kliento reikalavimai. Nustatyta, kad susitarimas dėl šių atrankos kriterijų yra statistiškai reikšmingas. Įvairioms suinteresuotosioms grupėms, o ypač P ir S klientams, šios išvados gali padėti geriau suprasti įvairius darbinius P ir S sistemos variantus ir juos palyginti.
Regional differences and heterogeneity of construction and demolition waste with economic growth: evidence from China
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-11-2022
Critical risk factors affecting the implementation of PPP waste-to-energy projects in China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Design-build contractor selection for public sustainable buildings
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2015
Research into the psychosocial safety climate of engineering construction projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
Date: 09-11-2020
The relationship between psychosocial hazards and mental health in the construction industry
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
Sustainability reporting in construction contractors: A case study
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2014
Deep Learning-Based Image Recognition of Agricultural Pests
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-12-2022
DOI: 10.3390/APP122412896
Abstract: Pests and diseases are an inevitable problem in agricultural production, causing substantial economic losses yearly. The application of convolutional neural networks to the intelligent recognition of crop pest images has become increasingly popular due to advances in deep learning methods and the rise of large-scale datasets. However, the ersity and complexity of pest s les, the size of s le images, and the number of ex les all directly affect the performance of convolutional neural networks. Therefore, we designed a new target-detection framework based on Cascade RCNN (Regions with CNN features), aiming to solve the problems of large image size, many pest types, and small and unbalanced numbers of s les in pest s le datasets. Specifically, this study performed data enhancement on the original s les to solve the problem of a small and unbalanced number of ex les in the dataset and developed a sliding window cropping method, which could increase the perceptual field to learn s le features more accurately and in more detail without changing the original image size. Secondly, combining the attention mechanism with the FPN (Feature Pyramid Networks) layer enabled the model to learn s le features that were more important for the current task from both channel and space aspects. Compared with the current popular target-detection frameworks, the average precision value of our model (mAP@0.5) was 84.16%, the value of (mAP@0.5:0.95) was 65.23%, the precision was 67.79%, and the F1 score was 82.34%. The experiments showed that our model solved the problem of convolutional neural networks being challenging to use because of the wide variety of pest types, the large size of s le images, and the difficulty of identifying tiny pests.
Sustainable Urban Development for Older Australians: Understanding the Formation of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in the Greater Brisbane Region
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 02-09-2021
DOI: 10.3390/SU13179853
Abstract: As most older Australians prefer to age-in-place, providing sustainable and age-friendly communities poses a significant challenge to urban policymakers. The naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) have organically emerged as a collaborative model of care to support older adults to age-in-place, but neither academic research nor government policies recognise this housing option for older Australians. This paper aims to analyse the distributions and temporal patterns of NORCs in the Greater Brisbane Region, Australia, to understand the formation and development of NORCs. The geovisualisation method was employed to identify the distribution changes of NORCs between 2006 and 2016. The Global Moran’s I and Local Moran’s I measures were utilised to analyse the spatial correlation and the clusters of NORCs. The results show that NORCs increased significantly from 2006 to 2016, and their distribution was mainly clustered or co-located along the coastline and Brisbane River areas. The evolvement of NORCs reflected the change of aggregation pattern of older population between 2006 and 2016. Understanding the distribution trend of NORCs informs government policy and decisions in addressing issues of service delivery and community cooperation, and eventually leads to sustainable urban development and successful ageing in place for older Australians.
Motivation and owner commitment for improving the delivery performance of green building projects: A research framework
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
BIM-based operation and maintenance management system for smart industrial parks - a case study in China
Publisher: WORLD SCIENTIFIC
Date: 05-2019
Influence of outdoor living environment on elders' quality of life in old residential communities
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-11-2019
DOI: 10.3390/SU11236638
Abstract: The population is getting older in Mainland China, which presents a huge challenge of how to support these increasing elders to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL). Due to the limited nursing institutions and Chinese traditional culture, aging in place is the most common choice for elders. Up to now, most elders in cities are living in old residential communities (ORCs) rather than new ones. Poor quality of outdoor living environment (OLE) in these ORCs cannot well support the daily life of the elders, especially for those with physical problems. A questionnaire study was conducted to explore the influence of OLE on the QoL of elders living in ORCs. A total of 107 questionnaires were completed by both elderly residents in ORCs (45.79% were male and 54.21% were female). The data was analyzed by a mix of reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results showed that physical health of elders was influenced by distance, safety, greenery, seat, recreational facilities psychological health was predicted by width, height, and greenery social relationship was affected by distance, safety, and recreational facilities. Based on the research results, recommendations were proposed to property management service providers and local governments, including providing more seats at a reasonable height, setting handrails alongside the long r , installing folding seats along building stairs, and so on.
Defining green road infrastructure projects - A critical review
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2015
Construction accidents in Australia: Evaluating the true costs
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
Sustainable construction trends in journal papers
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2015
A critical review of system dynamics modelling in construction management research
Publisher: WORLD SCIENTIFIC
Date: 05-2019
Measuring sustainability performance within the Australian energy industry
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2015
Insights into the adoption of green construction in Malaysia: The drivers and challenges
Publisher: e-IPH Ltd.
Date: 07-08-2016
Abstract: The construction sector is an essential in providing physical development for nations to cater to the demand for infrastructures such as education, housing, and manufacturing. However, the adverse impact of the building sector on the environment has triggered a growing awareness of the sustainable approach. Green construction is becoming expected in every construction project, and Malaysia is developing a national pathway to sustainable construction. After a comprehensive literature review, this research used semi-structured face-to-face interviews with industry experts to explore the current practices. In the Malaysian context, the compliance with government policy and industry guidelines has been the primary push factors to deliver green projects. The most common barrier faced was the low level of knowledge and awareness of project stakeholders. This paper helps provide a basis for future research and increase stakeholder awareness of green construction in the Malaysian construction industry and beyond.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (icenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Green Building Green construction, Drivers, Barriers.
Mapping knowledge in the economic areas of green building using scientometric analysis
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-08-2019
DOI: 10.3390/EN12153011
Abstract: This paper presents the first inclusive scientometric review of the economic areas of green building (GBE). The aim is to methodically examine and summarize the state-of-the-art of the GBE body of knowledge. To this end, this study analyses 1713 GBE-related bibliographic records retrieved from the Web of Science by using the quantitative method of knowledge mapping. The knowledge base, knowledge domain, and knowledge evolution of how they interacted with each other are explored using document co-citation analysis and keywords co-citation analysis of the existing body of literature. The research findings are informative in recognizing and interpreting the underlying structure and trends in GBE. A knowledge map provides a valuable and instructive understanding of the evolution and status quo of the GBE knowledge body, as well as assisting in recognizing the gaps and deficiencies involved. The results will help in understanding how GBE knowledge is evolving and its role played in green building, and thus provide suggestions of how academic research can enhance sustainability practices in terms of economic area in the future.
Influences of environmental impact assessment on public acceptance of waste-to-energy incineration projects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2021
Availability of services in registered retirement villages in Queensland, Australia: A content analysis
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-07-2017
DOI: 10.1111/AJAG.12445
Abstract: The study investigates and compares the services available in different types of registered retirement villages in Queensland (QLD). A content analysis based on official websites of 175 registered villages in QLD, Australia, is presented. This study identifies 82 services, with activity organisation, emergency response, hairdressing and transportation being most frequently available to residents. The number of services available is associated with the village size and financial type, with residents living in large private villages having access to significantly more services. The research findings reveal the state of the art of current industry practice. They provide useful implications for stakeholders. For instance, residents who prefer to get access to various services should focus more on large private villages. Developers can check their service delivery environment to confirm its balance with residents' competencies. The government can propose innovative initiatives to promote the delivery of appropriate services in villages.
UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE AUSTRALIAN RETIREMENT VILLAGE INDUSTRY: A CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAM
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 30-06-2021
Abstract: The retirement village industry in Australia has been accommodating an increasing number of residents in recent decades. However, a thorough understanding of the dynamic behaviour of the industry remains largely unknown, which prevents a better prediction of its future growth. This study incorporates system dynamics thinking into residents’ relocation decisions and aims to develop a causal loop diagram to have a full understanding of the complex interactions of variables affecting their relocation, which in turn determines the future growth pattern of the industry. Based on thematic analysis using literature review and interview data, five primary causal loops are identified, including the positive reinforcing loops of word-of-mouth effect and new-supply effect, and three negative balancing loops of the move-out effect, price effect and home-village distance effect. Of these five causal loops, the most dominant ones in determining the system behaviour are the word-of-mouth (reinforcing) and home-village distance (balancing) effects. The causal loop diagram provides a better understanding of the underlying structure of the retirement village industry and will help guide the industry and policy makers in formulating strategies to create a more ageing-friendly living environment for seniors in Australia.
Social acceptance of NIMBY facilities
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste: Exploring the Effects of Psychological Distance of Project Failure on Learning Intention
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2017
Measuring corruption in public construction projects in China
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 10-2015
Effects of perceived stress on public acceptance of waste incineration projects
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-12-2023
Bid evaluation and assessment of innovation in road construction industry
Publisher: Ital Publication
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.28991/CEJ-2021-03091646
Abstract: Objectives: This paper present a thorough understanding of bid evaluation process and assessment of innovation in road construction industry. Methods/Analysis: The research articles reviewed are based on topics of bid evaluation process, evaluation of bids in road construction industry, the indicators and techniques of bids evaluation, process of Bid evaluation in countries, innovation in road industry, and indicators of innovation in the context of road construction industry. Findings: It is widely accepted that projects related to the road construction must be accomplished in an organized manner. Literature indicates that the road constructing demands from customers and competition of assessing and evaluating tenders have been increasing rapidly. Novelty /Improvement: Challenges in developing suitable roads contribute to the inconsistency in the industry and directly demands towards physical work on a road construction project, nevertheless, a failure to accurately assessment of tenders can lead to complications for the whole project and road Construction Company. The selection of a suitable construction contractor’s surges likelihoods of successful achievement of a road construction project. This may also achieve the customer goals, and retain the project schedule on time, within the budget and achieve high quality project. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091646 Full Text: PDF
Erratum for “Accountability Effects of Public Participation Practice in Chinese Public Projects: Partial Least-Squares Path Analysis” by Linlin Xie, Yi Hu, Bing Zhang, Bo Xia, Martin Skitmore, and Xia
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 05-2020
Impact of Institutional Pressures on Organizational Citizenship Behaviors for the Environment: Evidence from Megaprojects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2018
Understanding Spatial Distribution of Retirement Villages: An Analysis of the Greater Brisbane Region
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-11-2021
Abstract: The nature of the increasingly ageing populations of developed countries places residential issues of these populations at the heart of urban policy. Retirement villages as housing options for older adults in Australia has been growing steadily in recent years however, there have been a dearth of geographical studies looking into the distribution of existing retirement villages at the regional level. This study aims to reveal the geographical distributions and cluster patterns of retirement villages in the Greater Brisbane Region of Australia to better understand and serve the living requirements of current and potential retirement village residents. The geovisualization method was adopted to visually explore the distribution patterns of retirement villages. The Global Moran’s I and Local Moran’s I measures were employed to analyze the spatial correlation and the clusters of retirement villages in the study region. The study revealed that distribution of retirement villages was not random (z-score = 7.11 p 0.001), but clustered in nature and included hotspot patterns, especially along the coastline and Brisbane River areas. Moreover, for-profit and not-for-profit retirement villages have different distribution patterns and adopted significantly different tenure agreements. In the study region, the spatial distribution of retirement villages aligns with the aggregation trend of older residents. The findings of this study disclosed the spatial distribution patterns of retirement villages and will provide developers and policymakers with geographically referenced data for the choice of new development sites to meet the market demand of potential customers, forming aged-friendly development strategies, and eventually leading to improved quality of life for older Australians.
Key factors affecting sustained business operations after an earthquake: a case study from New Beichuan, China, 2013–2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-03-2019
Exploring the effects of spatial distance on public perception of waste-to-energy incineration projects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.WASMAN.2022.02.033
Abstract: The spatial distance of residents from potentially harmful facilities plays a vital role in shaping their perceptions of the facilities. Based on environmental psychology theories, such as the ripple effect, psychological typhoon eye effect, and marginal zone effect, two waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration plants in China's Zhejiang province are used as case studies to understand peoples' perceptions. Following a questionnaire survey of local residents, the results of a one-way ANOVA indicate a low acceptance of incinerators and a high level of perceived risk the impact of spatial distance on the local residents' level of perceived risk correspond to the marginal zone effect and the perception of economic benefits, trust, fairness, and acceptance of WTE incinerators have a ripple effect. Furthermore, the impact of spatial distance is effectively eliminated or alleviated by a range of community engagement approvals and various forms of economic compensation. These findings enrich the knowledge system related to environmental psychology research on NIMBY infrastructure projects and contribute toward better understanding of public psychology in order to provide a future reference for more efficient decision-making models.
Influence of Financial Conditions on the Environmental Information Disclosure of Construction Firms
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2022
What hinders the development of Chinese continuing care retirement community sector? A news coverage analysis
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 18-01-2019
Abstract: The continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is an emerging institutional living arrangement for the increasing number of older Chinese and has attracted a variety of investors from different sectors in China. However, the development of this sector is still in its infancy and encounters various barriers. This paper aims to explore what hinders the development of the Chinese CCRC industry based on a comprehensive content analysis of news coverage retrieved from 14 major Chinese portal websites. Twenty-one barriers are identified, and they are closely related to the development and operation of CCRCs, government policies and industry management, and potential and current customers. Of all the barriers, the high risks involved in the delivery of CCRCs, lack of policy support, and affordability issue are the most frequently mentioned barriers relating to CCRC development and operation, government policies and industry management, and customers, respectively. These identified barriers call for close collaboration cross various CCRC stakeholders in order to ensure healthy development of the Chinese CCRC industry in the future. This study systemically explores the barriers hindering the development of the burgeoning Chinese CCRC sector, and its findings will benefit CCRC stakeholders and the Chinese CCRC industry in a number of ways.
How can social media analytics assist authorities in pandemic-related policy decisions? Insights from Australian states and territories
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 21-07-2020
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-45845/V1
Abstract: Background and objectives: Due to COVID-19, various countries introduced lockdowns and limited citizen movements. These restrictions triggered an increased use of digital technologies and platforms by the public. This provides an opportunity for the authorities to capture public perceptions on COVID-19 from social media channels to make informed decisions. The use of social media analytics during pandemics for decision-making, however, is an understudied area of research. Thus, this study aims to generate insights into how social media analytics can assist authorities in pandemic-related policy decisions. Methods: This study involved a social media analysis approach—i.e., systematic geo-Twitter analysis—that contains descriptive, content, sentiment, and spatial analyses. Australian states and territories are selected as the case study context for the empirical investigation. This study collected 96,666 geotagged tweets (originated from Australia between 1 January and 4 May 2020), and analysed 35,969 of them after data cleaning. Results: The findings disclose that: (a) Social media analytics is an efficient approach to capture the attitudes and perceptions of the public during a pandemic (b) Crowdsourced social media data can guide interventions and decisions of the authorities during a pandemic, and (c) Effective use of government social media channels can help the public to follow the introduced measures/restrictions. Conclusion: The findings are invaluable for authorities to understand community perceptions and identify communities in needs and demands in a pandemic situation, where authorities are not in a position to conduct direct and lengthily public consultations.
Internationalization and Productivity of Construction Firms in a Developing Country: The Effect of Institutional Environment and Ownership on Malaysian Construction Firms
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2022
Learning on rework management of construction projects: a case study
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-11-2018
Investigating the Relationships between Safety Climate and Safety Performance Indicators in Retrofitting Works
Publisher: University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Date: 27-06-2018
Abstract: Retrofitting works has become increasingly important in the construction industry, as it plays an effective role in providing solutions to maintain, upgrade or change the functions to the existing or aged buildings. Very often, safety issues of retrofitting works are underestimated because there may be unreported accidents in small projects and there is no separate classification of accident statistics for the retrofitting works within the construction industry. As safety climate is widely regarded as a contributing factor to safety performance, the aim of this research was to examine the relationship between safety climate and safety performance in retrofitting works context. The safety climate questionnaire NOSACQ-50 has been employed to measure safety climate in retrofitting works. Field patrols were undertaken to distribute the safety questionnaires to the local worksites that undertake retrofits in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 264 valid questionnaires were collected. SEM was employed to examine the existence and strength of the relationship between safety climate and safety performance. PLS-SEM was utilised to estimate the parameters of the structural model. The model has exposed a positive relationship between safety climate and safety performance in retrofitting context. This research was the first to examine the relationship between the second order latent variables. A positive relationship (0.60 with 36 percent of explained variance) was found between safety climate and safety performance.
Communications in hybrid arrangements: Case of Australian construction project teams
Publisher: Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)
Date: 28-06-2017
Impact of environment regulation on the efficiency of regional construction industry: A 3-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
Problems in the home and community-based long-term care for the elderly in China
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-06-2021
DOI: 10.1002/HPM.3255
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify the issues that limited the supply of home and community‐based Long‐Term‐Care (LTC) for the elderly, offer essential insights into the sustainable development of China's LTC. A content analysis of news coverage on 12 major portals in China has been conducted to identify the issues. The results demonstrate that there are 12 significant problems in the supply of home and community‐based LTC for the elderly. For the service providers, the lack of qualified LTC professionals, limited service types/low service quality and unrealised integrated care, lack of steady profit patterns are the three major problems. The deficiencies of the LTC system and the lack of incentive policies and legislation for private investors’ participation are the two major problems faced by the government. The public is confronted with a shortage of home and community support resources and unable to adapt to a change due to their mindsets. The issues identified in this paper can not only provide some opportunities to various stakeholders in this area but also offer insights into the sustainable development of China's LTC. The findings presented in this paper provide the means to understand the home and community‐based LTC market in China for private investors and government, which will help to promote the cooperation between the two.
Challenges to developing smart prisons in the United Arab Emirates
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 14-07-2022
Abstract: The smart building concept has gained prominence in the construction sector during the past decade. In the United Arab Emirates, although smart building technology has been widely adopted in different building sectors, no empirical studies have examined the applicability of the smart buildings concept in prison facilities. The current study aims to understand the current status of prison buildings in the UAE and the challenges faced by the prison industry to implement new smart technology. This study involved a semi-structured interview consisting of 14 participants who were interviewed face-to-face about their opinion about the objectives of the study. The interviewees were experts from the prison and construction industry of the UAE working at the top management level. Mind-maps were created from the thematic data using Nvivo software. The results demonstrated that among current issues prevailing in prisons, overcrowding was regarded as the most severe issue. Additionally, in most cases, there is no systemic classification of inmates. Concerning the potential challenges in the implementation of smart technologies in the prison buildings, being too old and outdated of prison buildings are a significant concern, followed by a substantial gap in the approval system of budget to purchase new smart technology. The findings of this study are of vital importance and help to identify potential challenges involved in the implementation of smart technologies in prison buildings that should be taken into consideration before selecting any new smart technology.
Project Owners’ Motivation for Delivering Green Building Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2017
Identification of key competences of design-builders in the construction market of the People's Republic of China (PRC)
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2009
A method for the ontology-based risk management of PPP construction projects
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-07-2023
Abstract: With the increasing complexity of public–private partnership (PPP) projects, the amount of data generated during the construction process is massive. This paper aims to develop a new information management method to cope with the risk problems involved in dealing with such data, based on domain ontologies of the construction industry, to help manage PPP risks, share and reuse risk knowledge. Risk knowledge concepts are acquired and summarized through PPP failure cases and an extensive literature review to establish a domain framework for risk knowledge using ontology technology to help manage PPP risks. The results indicate that the risk ontology is capable of capturing key concepts and relationships involved in managing PPP risks and can be used to facilitate knowledge reuse and storage beneficial to risk management. The classes in the risk knowledge ontology model constructed in this research do not yet cover all the information in PPP project risks and need to be further extended. Moreover, only the framework and basic methods needed are developed, while the construction of a working ontology model and the relationship between implicit and explicit knowledge is a complicated process that requires repeated modifications and evaluations before it can be implemented. The ontology provides a basis for turning PPP risk information into risk knowledge to allow the effective sharing and communication of project risks between different project stakeholders. It can also have the potential to help reduce the dependence on subjectivity by mining, using and storing tacit knowledge in the risk management process. The apparent suitability of the nine classes of PPP risk knowledge (project model, risk type, risk occurrence stage, risk source, risk consequence, risk likelihood, risk carrier, risk management measures and risk case) is identified, and the proposed construction method and steps for a complete domain ontology for PPP risk management are unique. A combination of criteria- and task-based evaluations is also developed for assessing the PPP risk ontology for the first time.
The Influence of Passengers’ Perceived Social Responsibility Efforts on Their Satisfaction in Public-Private-Partnership Urban Rail Transit Projects
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-11-2021
DOI: 10.3390/SU132313108
Abstract: With the rapid development of public-private-partnership (PPP) urban rail transit (URT) projects in China, their social responsibility (SR) is considered to provide a useful way of guaranteeing passengers’ rights and to help urban sustainable development. However, what remains largely unknown is how passengers’ perceptions of the SR effort of such projects’ influences their satisfaction. To bridge this knowledge gap, the current study first proposes a conceptual model based on social responsibility and satisfaction theories. Hypotheses are then tested through bootstrapping analysis based on data drawn from a questionnaire survey of 436 residents from three typical PPP URT projects. The results show that the relationship between the passengers’ perceived SR effort and their satisfaction with PPP URT projects is sequentially and doubly mediated by perceived quality and perceived value. The findings contribute to the current body of knowledge in social responsibility and user satisfaction by introducing passenger-perceived SR effort as an antecedent factor, and offer valuable practical and managerial implications for the projects’ operation management to help promote urban sustainability.
Beyond national culture difference
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 19-06-2019
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-04-2018-0182
Abstract: International construction joint ventures (ICJVs) have been widely used as a temporary arrangement in many projects all over the world, especially in megaprojects. Within ICJVs, the national culture difference between partners affects their cooperation significantly. However, prior research has provided contradictory empirical evidence regarding these impacts. To address this problem, the purpose of this paper is to introduce cultural intelligence that judges an in idual’s capability to function and manage effectively in culturally erse settings as a moderating variable. Multiple regression analysis and moderated multiple regression were undertaken to test proposed hypotheses. A questionnaire survey was conducted with international construction practitioners who had experiences of managing or participating in ICJVs. The result of multiple regression analysis revealed that difference in national culture has significant negative effects on information exchange, shared problem solving and flexibility when asking for changes, thus effecting cooperation within ICJVs. Meanwhile, cultural intelligence of members can weaken these negative influences. First, given that national culture difference affects negatively on the cooperation within ICJVs, it needs to be regarded as one of vital resources of risk which should be prevented and managed when attending ICJVs Second, managers should build a series of mutually agreeable regulations and rules to lessen the negative effect of national culture difference Third, it is recommended that ICJV management teams contain as many work-experienced members as possible and members within ICJVs, especially new staff, receive cross-cultural training termly to facilitate the cooperation between partners. This research reveals the moderating effects of cultural intelligence on the relationship between national culture difference and cooperation in ICJVs as well as provides practical implications for ICJV managers to deal with national culture difference and reduce its negative impact on cooperation within ICJVs.
Green buildings for greying people
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-04-2014
Abstract: – This paper aims to identify the critical issues to be considered by developers and practitioners when embarking on their first green residential retirement project in Australia. With an increasingly ageing population and widespread acceptance of the need for sustainable development in Australia, the demand for green retirement villages is increasing. – In view of the lack of adequate historical data for quantitative analysis, a case study approach is used to examine the successful delivery of green retirement villages. Face-to-face interviews and document analyses were conducted for data collection. – The findings of the study indicate that one of the major obstacles to the provision of affordable green retirement villages is the higher initial costs involved. However, positive aspects were identified, the most significant of which relate to the innovative design of site and floor plans adoption of thermally efficient building materials orientation of windows installation of water harvesting and recycling systems, water conservation fittings and appliances and waste management during the construction stage. With the adoption of these measures, it is believed that sustainable retirement development can be achieved without significant additional capital costs. – The research findings serve as a guide for developers in decision-making throughout the project life-cycle when introducing green features into the provision of affordable retirement accommodation. – This paper provides insights into the means by which affordable green residential retirement projects for aged people can be successfully completed.
Research Trend on Retirement Village Development for the Elderly: A Scientometric Analysis
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 29-01-2020
Underlying Knowledge of Construction Management Consultants in China
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 04-2016
Evaluation of Design-Builder Qualifications through the Analysis of Requests for Qualifications
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2012
Influence of psychosocial safety climate on construction workers’ intent to stay, taking job satisfaction as the intermediary
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 24-11-2022
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-12-2021-1082
Abstract: From a psychosocial perspective, this study aims to understand the impact of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) on the intent to stay of construction workers and provides practical recommendations for construction enterprises to retain construction workers. This study proposes the conceptual framework explained by the conservation of resources (COR) theory and develops a mediation model of “PSC – job satisfaction – intent to stay” within the framework supported by the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model. Then, a questionnaire survey of 489 construction workers in Guangzhou was conducted and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was performed on the data collected. Results show that PSC has a significant and positive effect on job satisfaction and intent to stay. In addition, job satisfaction partially mediates the effect of PSC on intent to stay. Hence, the theoretical model of “PSC – job satisfaction – intent to stay” has been empirically tested and supported. This study is the first to investigate the effect of PSC on intent to stay and enriches the research on the retention of construction workers. The COR theory explains well the mechanism of PSC influence on intent to stay, thus expanding its application to the construction field. Moreover, this study provides practical recommendations for construction enterprises to retain workers so as to build a stable and productive workforce.
Evaluating the need for recovery from work for site-based construction practitioners in Australia
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1101/3/032036
Abstract: 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.
Streamlining WELL Concepts of Office Buildings for Developing Countries
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
Date: 07-03-2022
Industry effect of job hopping: an agent-based simulation of Chinese construction workers
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-02-2019
Developing a people capability framework to promote sustainability in facility management practices
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 03-05-2016
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research study that aims to establish a people capability framework to promote the sustainability agenda in facilities management (FM) practices. Through a literature review, a range of factors relating to people capabilities in the context of sustainability endeavours is identified. A questionnaire survey of industry practitioners and statistical data analysis help prioritise these people capability factors and evaluate the role played by each factor in promoting sustainability in FM practices. Twenty-three people capability factors are identified as significant to the promotion of sustainability measures in FM practices. Dealing with these factors effectively can provide a sound basis for equipping FM professionals with the necessary knowledge, information on training and educational needs and the right mindset to enhance the implementation of sustainability in FM practices. The research shows the importance of capabilities and skills in the pursuit of sustainability in professional practice. In addition, it highlights specific areas for improvement in the FM sector. The research links the importance of sustainability with the mindset and preparedness of FM practitioners. It emphasises people capabilities, in addition to technological advancement and financial implications, in the promotion of sustainability in the building industry.
Proactive behavior-based system for controlling safety risks in urban highway construction megaprojects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
How can social media analytics assist authorities in pandemic-related policy decisions? Insights from Australian states and territories
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-10-2020
The path towards greening the Malaysian construction industry
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
An Empirical Study on Recent Graph Database Systems
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2020
Key competitiveness indicators for new real estate developers
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 03-08-2010
DOI: 10.1108/13664381011063430
Abstract: The paper aims to explore the key competitiveness indicators (KCIs) that provide the guidelines for helping new real estate developers (REDs) achieve competitiveness during their inception stage in which the organisations start their business. The research was conducted using a combination of various methods. A literature review was undertaken to provide a proper theoretical understanding of organisational competitiveness within RED's activities and developed a framework of competitiveness indicators (CIs) for REDs. The Delphi forecasting method is employed to investigate a group of 20 experts' perception on the relative importance between CIs. The results show that the KCIs of new REDs are capital operation capability, entrepreneurship, land reserve capability, high sales revenue from the first real estate development project, and innovation capability. The five KCIs of new REDs are new. In practical terms, the examination of these KCIs would help the business managers of new REDs to effectively plan their business by focusing their efforts on these key indicators. The KCIs can also help REDs provide theoretical constructs of the knowledge base on organisational competitiveness from a dynamic perspective, and assist in providing valuable experiences and in formulating feasible strategies for survival and growth.
The application of case-based reasoning in construction management research: An overview
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
FAST: FPGA-based Subgraph Matching on Massive Graphs
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 04-2021
Community response to construction noise in three central cities of Zhejiang province, China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2017.07.058
Abstract: As a common source of environmental noise in China and many developing countries worldwide, construction work provokes many complaints and deterioration in acoustic climate quality. This paper describes research to obtain an improved understanding of people's community response to, and evaluation of, construction noise in three central cities of Zhejiang province, China. This involved carrying out a social survey using standard questionnaires developed by the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN). A dose-response relationship model is established using a quadratic polynomial regression analysis based on construction noise exposure measurements from 40 construction sites in Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou. The results of the study indicate that the majority of people have a negative attitude to construction noise the noise ranges between 60 dB and 80 dB (compared with 50 dB-70 dB traffic noise in Tianjin), with the percentage of highly annoyed people affected increasing from 15%-20% to 30%-40% over the range. There also different levels of annoyance depending on the time of day, and the location and activities of those affected. Other cultural differences are also apparent both between Ningbo/Wenzhou and the more urbane citizens of Hangzhou, and the Chinese people and their more noise-tolerant EU and Vietnam counterparts. The findings of this study provide a new perspective for the study of construction noise that can help local governments have an improved understanding of how residents react to construction noise for the purpose of selecting construction noise-mitigation projects and introducing construction noise-control regulations.
Factors influencing transaction costs in construction projects: A critical review
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 28-05-2017
Efficient kNN Join over Dynamic High-Dimensional Data
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
Assessing the life cycle CO2 emissions of reinforced concrete structures: Four cases from China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT RESEARCH: CRITICAL REVIEW AND FUTURE TRENDS
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 22-08-2019
Abstract: As a result of growing complexities in the construction industry, system dynamics modeling (SDM) has been increasingly used in construction management (CM) research to explore complicated causal relationships at the various levels of construction and management processes. Given the rapid growth of SDM applications over the past two decades, a systematic review is needed to ascertain the state of the art and further trends in the area. This paper provides the results of a systematic analysis of 103 papers from 41 selected peer-reviewed journals from 1997 to 2016. The contributions of the papers are first analyzed, structured and formulated in terms of the year of publication, software involved, the combined use with other methods, and research design. With the assistance of the a keyword co-occurrence network analysis, eight research topics involving different internal and external complexities are identified, including: (1) sustainability, (2) project planning and control, (3) performance and effectiveness, (4) strategic management, (5) site and resource management, (6) risk analysis and management, (7) knowledge management, and (8) organization and stakeholder management. The analysis results reveal the pivotal role of SDM in streamlining different complicated casual relationships at the activity, project, and industry levels across the eight topics and its significant potential in uncovering the impact of complicated contextual conditions on project planning and control, effectiveness and performance, strategic management, and sustainability at the project and industry levels. Lastly, trends and recommendations for SDM applications are provided for future CM research. This paper provides a state of the art of SDM in CM applications and insights into opportunities and useful references for the future.
Hop-Constrained s-t Simple Path Enumeration in Large Uncertain Graphs
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
PatMat: A distributed pattern matching engine with Cypher
Publisher: ACM
Date: 03-11-2019
Multi-fractal fluctuation features of thermal power coal price in China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
Toward a model for forming psychological safety climate in construction project management
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Effects of economic compensation on public acceptance of waste-to-energy incineration projects: an attribution theory perspective
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 25-11-2020
A Meta-frontier method of decomposing long-term construction productivity components and technological gaps at the firm level: evidence from Malaysia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-01-2019
Evaluating the social license to operate of waste-to-energy incineration projects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2023
Sustainable living environment in retirement villages
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 25-11-2021
Education for sustainability in construction management curricula
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-07-2015
Green Star points obtained by Australian building projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 12-2013
Mixed perceptions of business-to-government Guanxi in tendering and bidding for infrastructure projects in China
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 10-2017
Key stakeholder values in encouraging green orientation of construction procurement
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
How Australian construction contractors responded to the economic downturn
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 09-10-2015
DOI: 10.3846/1648715X.2015.1052588
Abstract: The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008 had a significant impact on the world economy and the construction industry was no exception. This study investigates the major impacts of the 2008 GFC on the Australian construction industry and, in particular how the Australian construction contractors responded to the economic downturn. A total of 35 senior managers from the Top 100 Australian construction companies were interviewed. The findings indicate that construction companies, particularly the large ones were not affected in any significant way but are expecting some difficult financial times over the next few years and are taking actions to minimize the upcoming adverse impacts. The most common strategy adopted by Australian construction contractors is to concentrate on core business while avoiding aimless bidding. Similarly, great focus is placed on retaining human resources in order to maintain the skill set so that the company can respond quickly when market conditions improves. The research findings will provide construction contractors with insights on how to establish and sustain competitive advantages during economic slowdown and become more resilient in the future.
The past, present and future of carbon labelling for construction materials - A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
Effect of Motivation and Owner Commitment on the Delivery Performance of Green Building Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2018
Real Options Model of Toll-Adjustment Mechanism in Concession Contracts of Toll Road Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2018
SUSTAINABLE RETIREMENT VILLAGE FOR OLDER PEOPLE: A CASE STUDY IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 19-06-2015
DOI: 10.3846/1648715X.2015.1029564
Abstract: Retirement villages are regarded as a viable accommodation option for the ever increasing ageing population in Australia. This paper aims to identify sustainability features and practices adopted in retirement villages and associated benefits to improve the life quality of older people. A case study of an existing retirement village 10 kms from Brisbane CBD was conducted involving a series of interviews with the village managers and residents together with documents relating to the village's operations and activities. The environmentally friendly features that were incorporated into the development mainly include green design for the site and floor plan and waste management in daily operation. More importantly, a variety of facilities are provided to strengthen the social engagement and interactions among the residents. Additionally, different daily services are provided to assist independent living and improve the health conditions of residents. Also, the relatively low vacancy rate in this village indicates that these sustainability features offer good value of money for the residents. The paper provides a first look at sustainable retirement villages in terms of triple bottom line sustainability with emphasis on social aspects, reveals the importance in maintaining an appropriate balance, and provides ex les of how this can be achieved in practice.
Explaining the alienation of megaproject environmental responsibility behavior: a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis study in China
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 15-04-2022
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-10-2021-0919
Abstract: The alienation of megaproject environmental responsibility (MER) behavior is destructive, but its mechanism has not been clearly depicted. Based on fraud triangle theory and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method, this study explored the combined effect of antecedent factors on alienation of MER behavior. Based on the fraud triangle theory and literature review, eight influencing factors associated with the alienation of MER behavior were first identified. Subsequently, the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was used in this study to reveal configurations influencing alienation of MER behavior. The study found nine configurations of MER behavioral alienation antecedent factors, integrated into three types of driving modes, i.e. “economic pressure + learning effect,” “institutional defect + moral rejection,” and “information asymmetry + economic pressure + expectation pressure.” By analyzing the configuration effects of various induced conditions, this study puts forward a comprehensive analysis framework to solve the alienation of MER behavior in the megaprojects and a practical strategy to control alienation of MER behavior.
The impact of the CDM (clean development mechanism) on the cost price of wind power electricity: A China study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2014
Overview of public-private partnerships in the waste-to-energy incineration industry in China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Improving the sustainable retirement village framework: From theory to practice
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Understanding the CSR Awareness of Large Construction Enterprises in China
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 25-11-2020
DOI: 10.1155/2020/8866511
Abstract: With the rapid growth of the construction industry in China in recent years, its impact on society and the environment is increasing, as well as the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In order to understand the CSR awareness and CSR practices of Chinese domestic construction enterprises, this study conducted a comprehensive content analysis of the CSR reports of China’s leading 100 domestic construction enterprises. The results show that the Chinese construction industry’s CSR awareness is generally poor and CRS practices mainly involve corporate governance, environmental management, occupational health and development, economic responsibility, community development, and overseas responsibility. State-owned enterprises are more concerned with community responsibility, while private enterprises pay more attention to economic and employee development. These findings not only reveal the CSR awareness and CSR practices of Chinese domestic construction enterprises but also provide practical implications for construction enterprises in other countries to integrate CSR into their corporate governance system and strengthen their CSR practices.
Measuring the effects of mergers and acquisitions on the economic performance of real estate developers
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 23-12-2015
DOI: 10.3846/1648715X.2015.1072858
Abstract: Real estate developers in China are using mergers and acquisitions (M& As) to ensure their survival and competitiveness. However, no suitable method is yet available to assess whether such M& As provide enhanced value for those involved. Using a hybrid method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist total factor productivity (TFP) indices, this paper evaluates the short and medium term effects of M& As on acquirers’ economic performance with a set of 32 M& A cases occurring during 2000–2011 in China. The results of the analysis show that M& As generally have a positive effect on acquirers’ economic performance. Acquisitions on average experienced a steady growth in developer Malmquist TFP, a more progressive adoption of technology immediately after acquisition, a slight short-term decrease in technical efficiency after acquisition but followed by a marked increase in the longer term once the integration and synergy benefits were realised. However, there is no evidence to show whether developers achieved any short or long term scale efficiency improvements after M& A. The findings of this study provide useful insights on developer M& A performance from an efficiency and productivity perspective.
Enhancing public acceptance towards waste-to-energy incineration projects: Lessons learned from a case study in China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2019
Critical factors for project efficiency in a defence environment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
Understanding Collusive Practices in Chinese Construction Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2017
Key attributes underpinning different markup decision between public and private projects: A China study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
Behavior selection of stakeholders toward megaproject social responsibility
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 24-10-2019
DOI: 10.1155/2019/4956067
Abstract: The importance of social responsibility strategy for the sustainable development of megaprojects has been widely concerned, while types and motivations of social responsibility behavior have also been analyzed and examined in the corporate management literature. However, the typical social responsibility behaviors in megaprojects and the various motivations and factors that influence stakeholders’ selection of social responsibility behavior have not been fully considered and confirmed. In this study, camouflage behavior and collaborative behavior are taken as representative social responsibility behaviors. Based on the social action theory, the impact of relevant influencing factors is empirically examined and stakeholder’s selection of these two behaviors toward megaproject social responsibility (MSR) is explored. Results from the s le data of 127 management staff with megaproject experience from the participating parties revealed that synergistic behavior is driven mainly by relationship quality (RQ), whereas hypocritical behavior is affected by RQ, institutional pressure, and external appeals. In addition, the mutual feedback mechanism significantly improves the RQ of participating parties, which indirectly affects both behaviors. These findings bear implications in realizing the management of social responsibility behavior in megaprojects and guiding the participating parties to coordinate and implement social responsibility.
A review of benchmarking in carbon labelling schemes for building materials
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
Investigation of innovation during bid evaluation process in the road construction industry
Publisher: Ital Publication
Date: 03-2021
DOI: 10.28991/CEJ-2021-03091676
Abstract: Tender evaluation is the procedure of choosing the best contractor for a particular project from many applicants. Although rational and logical methods can be used for bidding strategies, bid evaluation remains a skill for which an engineer’s verdict is crucial. Contractors commonly witness that tender selection is not an easy job, and the lowest bid does not necessarily win the contract. The tender decision mainly depends on quantifiable measures such as financial costs and paybacks, and qualitative or invisible factors like administrative security accountability, aptitude, and the proficiency of the contractors. Moreover, Bid evaluation is a decision-making procedure that incorporates an extensive criteria range for which the information is not accordingly. Hence, ambiguity linked to such information is not appropriate for this study. This paper aims to evaluate innovation during the bid evaluation process in the road industry. The research results indicate that the private and public sectors in Australia offer innovative products and work methods, given the chance. Therefore, innovation during the bid evaluation process is welcomed and sometimes strongly encouraged. Further, it is important to have strong research in to how to effectively determine value for money in the context of developing suitable and quality roads. Therefore, this research is useful in the context of evaluating factors that help to understand value for money in the road sector in context of bid evaluation process. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091676 Full Text: PDF
Application of a hybrid Entropy-McKinsey Matrix method in evaluating sustainable urbanization: A China case study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Classifying innovation districts: Delphi validation of a multidimensional framework
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Comparing the Psychosocial Safety Climate between Megaprojects and Non-Megaprojects: Evidence from China
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-12-2020
DOI: 10.3390/APP10248809
Abstract: Compared to non-megaprojects, megaprojects are often more complex and riskier, and construction employees are thus susceptible to a higher level of psychosocial hazards, which adversely affect their psychosocial health and safety performance. The psychosocial safety climate evaluates the employees’ perceived level of psychosocial health and safety of the workplace and reveals the causes of psychosocial hazards that need to be addressed it is, therefore, of great significance to determine whether the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) of megaprojects is different from that of non-megaprojects. A questionnaire survey is described involving 10 megaprojects and 143 non-megaprojects in China. The results show that, contrary to expectations, the psychosocial safety climate of megaprojects is significantly better than that of non-megaprojects. Compared with those of non-megaprojects, the employees of megaprojects have a higher common perception of the organization’s emphasis on psychosocial health and safety-related policies, procedures, and behavioral practices in work processes. This research, for the first time, demonstrates and tests the use of the psychosocial safety climate scale (PSC-12) for measuring the construction industry’s PSC, provides insights for understanding the psychosocial safety climate of megaprojects, and serves as a reference for organizational management to intervene in employees’ psychosocial health and correct unsafe behaviors. It also contributes to theoretical research and the measurement standards of psychological safety in megaprojects.
Identifying Key Selection Criteria for Smart Building Technologies in The United Arab Emirates Prisons
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-08-2022
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12081171
Abstract: The selection of an appropriate smart building technology has been a challenge for stakeholders, because no specific selection criteria are currently available. This study aimed to identify the potential selection criteria for the selection of smart building technologies for prison buildings in the United Arab Emirates. A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate the relative importance of smart building technologies and the specific selection criteria. 238 experts from the public and the private sector with rich experience in the construction and prison industry participated in the survey. The data obtained were analyzed for descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to compare the responses of the government and private sector respondents. Cronbach’s coefficient was estimated using reliability analysis. Finally, exploratory factor analysis was performed by Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) to extract the contributing factors and was further improved by varimax rotation using SPSS. To evaluate the appropriateness of the factor extraction, the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin (KMO) measure of s ling accuracy and Barlett’s test of sphericity were conducted. The results demonstrated that most participants thought that the safety and security, anti-hacking capability, high working efficiency, and durability of the new smart building technology were very important. 14 listed selection criteria were extracted into three factors by factor analysis explaining 50.585% total variation. Regarding smart building technologies, fire protection was mostly voted by the participants followed by video surveillance and heat, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC). This study is a novel research study identifying the key selection criteria for the selection of important smart building technologies and would be helpful for a broad audience.
The energy rebound effect of residential buildings
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Importance-Performance Analysis of Prefabricated Building Sustainability: A Case Study of Guangzhou
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 17-08-2020
DOI: 10.1155/2020/8839118
Abstract: In the era of sustainability as the development concept, prefabricated buildings have gradually become an important way to achieve sustainable development of the construction process due to the advantages of high construction speed, energy-saving, and environmental protection. In order to make the prefabricated building develop in a sustainable direction, it is necessary to understand the importance and performance of the critical sustainability aspects of the prefabricated building. However, the existing research has not fully explored this point, and classification research on all aspects of sustainability according to the management priorities of sustainable development is lacking. The present study determines the critical sustainability characterization items (criteria) of prefabricated buildings and uses the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method to explore the sustainability importance and performance level of prefabricated buildings in Guangzhou on the basis of the three dimensions of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. In particular, this study revises the traditional IPA method and uses the comprehensive weight obtained by the analytical network process- (ANP-) entropy weight method to obtain the importance of items. Results show that items “environmental protection” and “construction civilization” are of high importance and perform well. “Construction cost” and “product quality” are considered high-importance items with relatively poor performance that is, these areas require urgent improvement actions. The “policy support” item at the intersection of IPA coordinates is also an aspect worthy of attention and discussion. This study provides a useful reference for decision-makers and relevant personnel on determining the priority of project management and achieving the optimal allocation of resources to promote the sustainable development of prefabricated buildings.
Framework for the implementation of lean construction strategies using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique: A case of the Saudi construction industry
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 13-09-2019
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-03-2018-0136
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for implementing lean construction and consequently to improve performance levels in the construction industry in the context of Saudi Arabia. There is currently no framework for implementing lean construction specifically tailored to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry. Existing lean construction frameworks are focussed on other countries and are less applicable in the KSA due to differences in socio-cultural and operational contexts. This study employs the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique for data collection and analysis. First, following a survey of 282 construction professionals, 12 critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry were identified by Sarhan et al. (2016). Second, 16 of these professionals who have 15 years or more experience were exclusively selected to examine the contextual relationship among the 12 CSFs. A row and column questionnaire was used for a pairwise comparison of the CSFs. A matrix of cross-impact multiplications (MICMAC) was applied to analyse the questionnaire data to develop an ISM model that can serve as a framework for implementing lean construction. Third, the framework was subjected to further validation by interviewing five experts to check for conceptual inconsistencies and to confirm the applicability of the framework in the context of the KSA construction industry. The findings reveal that the CSFs are ided into four clusters: autonomous, linkage, dependent and driving clusters. Additionally, the findings reveal seven hierarchies of inter-relationships among the CSFs. The order of practical application of the CSFs descends from the seventh hierarchy to the first hierarchy. The new framework is a significant advancement over existing lean construction frameworks as it employs an ISM technique to specify the hierarchical relationships among the different factors that contribute to the successful implementation of lean construction. The primary value of this study is the development of a new framework that reflects the socio-cultural and operational contexts in the KSA construction industry and can guide the successful implementation of lean construction. Therefore, construction industry operators such as contractors, consultants, government departments and professionals can rely on the framework to implement lean construction more effectively and successfully.
Determining the Appropriate Proportion of Owner-Provided Design in Design-Build Contracts: Content Analysis Approach
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 09-2012
Determining Optimal Proportion of Design in Design-Build Request for Proposals
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 06-2013
Impact of Design Risk on the Performance of Design-Build Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 06-2017
Challenges, success factors and strategies for women’s career development in the Australian construction industry
Publisher: University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Date: 21-09-2017
Abstract: Construction is traditionally a male industry. Women have long had difficulties entering or advancing their career in construction. Evidence shows that a ersified workforce with gender balance will bring about higher levels of productivity. Despite the importance of this issue, there have been limited studies on women’s career development in construction. This study aims to investigate women’s career development in the Australian construction industry, with objectives to evaluate the challenges and success factors of women’s career development in the construction industry and provide strategies for narrowing the gender imbalance. A mixed approach of questionnaire survey and interview were conducted with female practitioners in the construction industry. Forty-three completed questionnaires were received and 10 interviews were conducted. Stress, family-work balance, and negative perception towards women in construction were the top three challenges identified. Dedication, determination, and independence were the top three success factors of women in construction. This study recommends construction employers consider providing personal development programs and flexible working arrangement for their female employees. Significance of this study lies on contributing to understanding women’s career development in construction. Findings will be useful for government and professional institutions to promulgate strategies for advancing women’s career development in construction.
Time and cost performance of design-build projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 02-2016
Achieving transparency in carbon labelling for construction materials - Lessons from current assessment standards and carbon labels
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Indicators of owner commitment for successful delivery of green building projects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
A practice mining system for the delivery of sustainable retirement villages
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
Critical success factors in distance learning construction programs at Central Queensland University: Students' perspective
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2015
Providing a sustainable living environment in not-for-profit retirement villages: a case study in Australia
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 03-04-2018
Abstract: As a viable housing option for older people, retirement villages need to provide a sustainable living environment that satisfies their residents’ needs in terms of affordability, lifestyle and environmental friendliness. This is, however, a significant challenge for not-for-profit developers because of the high upfront costs involved in using sustainable practices. The purpose of this paper is to identify the sustainable features and practices adopted in not-for-profit retirement villages. Because of the lack of quantitative historical data, a case study approach was adopted to identify the sustainable features and practices used in a not-for-profit retirement village in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Data were collected based on interviews, direct observation and documentation, and collected data were analysed by using content analysis. The research findings indicate that similar to private developers, not-for-profit developers also have the capability to make their village environment sustainable. In this case, the sustainable practices cover various aspects including the selection of village location, site planning, provision of facilities and services, social life and living costs. Although the associated costs of adopting sustainable features is a concern for both developers and residents, some of the identified sustainable practices in this case do not result in significant cost increase but can improve the residents’ quality of life substantially. The research findings provide a number of practical implications on how to deliver sustainable retirement villages in a not-for-profit village setting. This paper provides a first look at sustainable features and practices adopted in both the development and operation stages of a not-for-profit retirement village.
Need for Recovery among Site-Based Construction Practitioners in Australia: A Latent Class Analysis and Multinomial Logistic Regression
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2024
Relationship between contractor satisfaction and project management performance
Publisher: University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Date: 15-11-2020
Abstract: Despite the fast growth of project-based companies and industries, studies of the satisfaction-performance (S-P) nexus of project participants are lacking. This study aims to explore the role of contractor satisfaction in affecting contractor project management performance along with considering external effects from other key participants. Two broad dimensions of satisfaction toward noneconomic factors and economic factors were used to develop hypothesized models. Structural equation modelling techniques were applied with data collected from 117 projects, showing that it is insufficient to simply conclude that contractor satisfaction influences project managerial performance and vice versa, and that satisfaction disaggregation is necessary. Additionally, it was found that noneconomic satisfaction contributes to performance, which in turn contributes to economic satisfaction. The theoretical and practical implications are further discussed.
Green building incentives: A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
Hop-Constrained s-t Simple Path Enumeration in Billion-Scale Labelled Graphs
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
Exploring Key Indicators of Residual Value Risks in China’s Public–Private Partnership Projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2018
How public owners communicate the sustainability requirements of green design-build projects
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 08-2014
Megaproject Environmentally Responsible Behavior in China: A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-05-2022
Abstract: Construction megaprojects play a significant role in today’s infrastructure provision in terms of sustainable development, and their increasing proliferation worldwide means the environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) of those involved are becoming of vital importance. This study investigates how ERB can be best supported in megaprojects by first identifying the motivational factors that are involved based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), followed by a survey of 188 managers involved in China megaprojects to test the TPB model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results strongly support the TPB model’s predictive ability, with subjective norms being the strongest predictors, followed by attitudes and perceived behavioral control. These findings provide support for decision makers in helping to cultivate and improve the level of megaproject ERB in China and many other such countries that are similarly involved.
Key competences of design-build clients in the People's Republic of China
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 29-10-2010
Conceptualising the state of the art of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the construction industry and its nexus to sustainable development
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
Defining sustainability requirements for design-build (DB) contractor selection in public sector projects
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2014
Exploring construction workers' attitudinal ambivalence
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-12-2023
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-01-2021-0097
Abstract: This study aimed to identify driving factors of safety attitudinal ambivalence (AA) and explore their influence. Construction workers' intention to act safely can be instable under conflicting information from safety management, co-workers and habitual unsafe behaviour. Existing research explained the mechanism of unsafe behaviours as in idual decisions but failed to include AA, as the co-existence of both positive and negative attitude. This study applied system dynamics to explore factors of construction workers' AA and simulate the process of mitigating the ambivalence for less safety behaviour. Specifically, the group model building approach with eight experts was used to map the causal loop diagram and field questionnaire of 209 construction workers were used to collect empirical data for initiating parameters. The group model building identified five direct factors of AA, namely the organisational safety support, important others' safety attitude, emotional arousal, safety production experience and work pressure, with seven feedback paths. The questionnaire survey obtained the initial values of the factors in the SD model, with the average ambivalence at 0.389. The ambivalence between cognitive and affective safety attitude was the highest. Model simulation results indicated that safety experience and work pressure had the most significant effects, and safety experience and positive attitude of co-workers could compensate the pressure from tight schedule and budget. This study provided a new perspective of the dynamic safety attitude under the co-existence of positive and negative attitude, identified its driving factors and their influencing paths. The group model building approach and field questionnaire surveys were used to provide convincible suggestions for empirical safety management with least and most effective approaches and possible interventions to prevent unsafe behaviour with tight schedule and budget.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices in the Australian construction industry
Publisher: WORLD SCIENTIFIC
Date: 05-2019
Key competences of design-build clients in China
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-05-2010
DOI: 10.1108/14725961011041161
Abstract: Design‐build (DB) clients play a vital role in the delivery of DB system and the clients' competences are critical to the success of DB projects. Most of the DB clients, however, remain inexperienced with the DB system. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key competences that DB clients should possess to ensure the success of DB projects in the construction market of China. Five semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews and two rounds Delphi questionnaire survey were conducted in the construction market of China to identify the key competences of DB clients. Rankings have been assigned to these key competences on the basis of their relative importance. Six ranked key competences of DB clients have been identified, which are, namely: the ability to clearly define project scope and objectives financial capacity for the projects capacity in contract management adequate staff or consulting team effective coordination with DB contractors and experience with similar DB projects. Calculation of Kendall's coefficient of concordance ( W ) indicates a statistically significant consensus of panel experts on these top six key competences. Clients should clearly understand the competence requirements in DB projects and should assess their DB capability before going for the DB option. The examination of DB client's key competences will help the client deepen the understanding of the DB system. DB clients can also make use of the research findings as guidelines to improve their DB competence.
Analysis of selection criteria for design-builders through the analysis of Request for Proposals (RFPs)
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 2013
Green oriented procurement for building projects: Preliminary findings from Malaysia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2017
Causes of Business-to-Government Corruption in the Tendering Process in China
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 03-2017
Stakeholder analysis of a retirement village development in Australia: Insights from an interdisciplinary workshop
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-10-2015
A Follow-Up Spatial Analysis of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in the Greater Brisbane Region: Using the Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census Data (2021)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-01-2023
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS13020359
Abstract: We conducted a spatial and temporal analysis of naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) in the Greater Brisbane region using the latest ABS Census 2021 data. Four methods of spatial analysis were employed to identify the distribution and evolution of NORCs: (i) geovisualisation, (ii) spatial autocorrelation, (iii) cluster and outlier analysis, and (iv) hotspot and cold spot analysis. The findings from this data analysis are consistent with previous research findings that NORCs are developing at a fast pace and are concentrated along the Brisbane River and coastline areas, where an increasing number of older people are relocating for better ageing in place, i.e., ageing at home in the community as long as possible. In addition, the spatial distribution of NORCs is characterized by a preference for cluster, with most of the NORC population located in coastal areas. Furthermore, older people moving out and younger people moving in are the primary reasons why the city and the south area are becoming cold spots. The findings of this study will provide practical implications for various stakeholders to assist older Australians in ageing in place as long as they desire by developing age-friendly community environments.
Comparison of sustainable community rating tools in Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
Retirement villages in Australia: a literature review
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2017
The importance of use and end-of-life phases to the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of concrete - A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
Applications of Bayesian approaches in construction management research
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 07-06-2022
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-10-2020-0817
Abstract: Bayesian approaches have been widely applied in construction management (CM) research due to their capacity to deal with uncertain and complicated problems. However, to date, there has been no systematic review of applications of Bayesian approaches in existing CM studies. This paper systematically reviews applications of Bayesian approaches in CM research and provides insights into potential benefits of this technique for driving innovation and productivity in the construction industry. A total of 148 articles were retrieved for systematic review through two literature selection rounds. Bayesian approaches have been widely applied to safety management and risk management. The Bayesian network (BN) was the most frequently employed Bayesian method. Elicitation from expert knowledge and case studies were the primary methods for BN development and validation, respectively. Prediction was the most popular type of reasoning with BNs. Research limitations in existing studies mainly related to not fully realizing the potential of Bayesian approaches in CM functional areas, over-reliance on expert knowledge for BN model development and lacking guides on BN model validation, together with pertinent recommendations for future research. This systematic review contributes to providing a comprehensive understanding of the application of Bayesian approaches in CM research and highlights implications for future research and practice.
Product diversification and large construction firm productivity
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 25-07-2021
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-05-2020-0288
Abstract: Many large construction firms (LCFs) adopt product ersification (PD) to counter downturns and spread risks. However, no detailed information is available concerning the type of PD that improves their performance. In addition, it is still uncertain how much changes in institutional dimensions influence the effectiveness of PD. Therefore, the aim is to resolve this issue by establishing a model that shows the extent of this influence. The generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator is used to model the PD strategies of 86 LCFs in Malaysia over 14 years (2003–2016) and its impact on productivity and profitability performance. Unrelated ersification (UD) decreased firm performance in 2003–2016, while related ersification (RD) had a positive impact during the more liberal 2010–2016 phase. The models show that the impact of PD is highly dependent on changes in institutional dimensions. Firstly, managers may adjust the type of PD and its level of ersification to improve firm performance. Secondly, they may devise PD strategies based on changes in institutional dimensions to maximise their effectiveness. The study contributes to the literature by determining the optimal amount of PD (including RD and UD) and its impact on performance. Secondly, the study is the first to investigate the moderating relationship of the institutional dimensions of economic and regulatory institutions on PD-firm performance. Thirdly, the study is the first to explore the components of technical-scale-scope economies (movement towards and around the production frontier), this being crucial to the strategy that was only conjectured in previous studies.
An Overview of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) for Ageing in Place
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-04-2022
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12050519
Abstract: As an alternative to ageing at home in the community, naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) have great potential to facilitate ageing in place however, they have not attracted much research attention. This study conducts an overview of NORCs, aiming to examine the previous research in a comprehensive manner in order to explore how NORCs impact ageing in place, with the goal of guiding future research. The research presented here employs the content analysis method to review prior NORC-related studies and categorise research themes and findings following top-down coding principles. A total of 49 articles were selected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, and the results show that the “social environment”, which was the most discussed topic (n = 24), provides the necessary mental support and physical motivation for older adults to live actively in NORCs, and that NORCs play a positive role in preserving public resources and promoting in idual health. The limitations of this study include the fact that there is little public information on NORC programs and the subjective classification of themes, among others. This study acts as a foundation for future research on NORCs, which serve as a perfect model for healthy ageing in place.
Sustainability Literacy of Older People in Retirement Villages
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1155/2014/919054
Abstract: With many developed countries experiencing the aging of the population, older people play a large role in contributing to environmental problems but also to environmental solutions. The purpose of this research is to understand the awareness and behavior of current older people living in retirement villages towards sustainability development. To achieve this, a sustainability literacy survey was conducted with 65 older residents of a private retirement village located 10 Km outside the Brisbane, Australia’s central business district (CBD). Most of residents recognized the importance of environment protection and would like to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. In addition, the majority were willing to pay higher prices for a living environment with sustainable features. The importance of positive social communications was emphasized with most residents having established good relationships with others in the village. The findings provide an important insight into consumer perspectives regarding the sustainable features that should and can be incorporated into the village planning and development.
Review of community facilities in A ustralian retirement villages: A content analysis
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-04-2014
DOI: 10.1111/AJAG.12153
Abstract: Facilities in retirement villages form a supportive environment for older residents. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the provision of these facilities in retirement villages, which are regarded as a viable accommodation option for the increasing ageing population in Australia. A content analysis of facilities in 124 retirement villages operated by 22 developers in Queensland and South Australia was conducted. The most widely provided facilities are community centres, libraries, barbeque facilities, hairdressers/salons and billiards/snooker ool tables. Commercial operators provide more facilities than not-for-profit organisations, and larger retirement villages normally have more facilities due to the economies of scale involved. The results of the study provide a useful reference for providing facilities within retirement villages that may support the quality lifestyles of older residents.
Identification of Risk Factors Affecting PPP Waste-to-Energy Incineration Projects in China: A Multiple Case Study
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.1155/2018/4983523
Abstract: Waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration technologies are considered an effective solution for sustainable and efficient municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in China, and the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement has been widely used to construct and operate WTE incineration projects. However, PPP WTE incineration projects in China are affected by numerous risks due to the long concession period, various participants, and other factors commonly involved in PPPs, resulting in a number of failures. In light of the pivotal role that risk identification, analysis, and response play in the successful development of PPP WTE incineration projects, this paper presents a multiple case study to identify the risk factors involved in China by drawing on experience from the real-life risk events of 35 PPP WTE incineration plants. 18 risk factors are identified the most critical of which being public opposition risk, environmental pollution risk, government decision-making risk, a defective legal and regulatory system, and MSW supply risk. The results of the study provide a solid foundation for the future risk analysis, risk allocation, and risk response of PPP WTE incineration projects, and shed light on performance improvement of the PPP WTE incineration projects as well as the development of the PPP WTE industry in China.
What is a sustainable retirement village? Perceptions of Australian developers
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
Development of a market-oriented EFQM excellence model for analyzing the implementation of quality management in developing countries
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-04-2019
Analyzing causes for reworks in construction projects in China
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 11-2015
Impact of passengers' perceptions of social responsibility activities on the efficacy of PPP urban rail transit projects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
How can innovation district performance be assessed? Insights from South East Queensland, Australia
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 08-11-2022
DOI: 10.1108/JPMD-06-2022-0053
Abstract: Many cities across the world are actively investing in ways to excel in the innovation economy through the development of innovation districts as one of the most popular policy options. While innovation districts are among the leading drivers of innovation activities in cities, they are also high-cost and high-risk investments. Besides, holistic approaches for assessing these districts’ multifaceted performances are scarce. Bridging this knowledge gap is critical, hence, this paper aims to explore how innovation district performance can be assessed through a classification framework. The paper introduces a multidimensional innovation district classification framework and applies it into Australian innovation districts with ergent features, functions, spatial and contextual characteristics. The study places 30 innovation districts from South East Queensland under the microscope of the framework to assess the multifaceted nature of innovation district performance. It uses qualitative analysis method to analyse both the primary and secondary data, and descriptive analysis with basic excel spreadsheet calculations to analyse the validity of the data. The data analysis clusters 30 innovation districts from South East Queensland under three performance levels – i.e. desired, acceptable and unsavoury – concerning their form, feature and function characteristics. The results disclose that the framework is a practical tool for informing planners, developers and managers on innovation district performances, and it has the capability to provide guidance for policymakers on their policy and investment decisions regarding the most suitable innovation district types and characteristics to consider.
Internal relationships of market-oriented EFQM enablers in the Chinese construction industry
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 05-05-2021
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-10-2019-0539
Abstract: Service-oriented innovation economies are becoming the new trend for the construction industry. Benchmarking the quality management level of developed countries and improving quality management are also becoming necessities for promoting innovation in the economy. The purpose of this study is to analyse the internal relationships between the five enablers of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence model, based on a market-oriented strategy, to serve as a framework for managing and improving quality. Considering the different market environment and culture, this study refines the strategy enabler based on Zebal and Goodwin's (2011) Developing Country Market Orientation Scale, and builds a market-oriented EFQM Excellence model. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to analyse the results of a questionnaire survey of 683 China construction industry top enterprises to explore the internal relationships between the model's five enablers. (1) “Leadership” has a positive influence on “Market-Oriented Strategy”, “People” and “Partnerships and Resources” (2) “Market-Oriented Strategy” has positive influence on “Partnerships and Resources” (3) “People” has a low influence on “Processes, Products and Services” (4) “Partnerships and Resources” has a medium influence on “Processes, Products and Services” and (5) the relationships between “Market-Oriented Strategy” and “People”, “Partnerships and Resources” are not significant. This study refines the strategy enabler of the original EFQM Excellence model with Zebal and Goodwin's (2011) Developing Country Market Orientation Scale. It also develops a market-oriented EFQM Excellence model that is suitable for developing countries, and it tests the implicit relationships of its five new enablers in an innovation environment where cultural differences exist.
Applying the self-determination theory (SDT) to explain the levels of motivation for adopting green building
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-04-2018
Integrated experiential learning-based framework to facilitate project planning in civil engineering and construction management courses
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 10-2019
The use of building information modelling by quantity surveyors in facilities management roles
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 21-07-2020
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-11-2019-0660
Abstract: Adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in facilities management (FM) provides an information platform to store and exchange asset data. Quantity Surveyors, with cost management expertise, are increasingly involved in FM roles in the operation phase. However, no study has been conducted on how BIM may assist Quantity Surveyors when contracted in FM roles. This study aims to identify the potential benefits and challenges of using BIM by Quantity Surveyors in FM roles. Interviews were conducted with eight professionals from an international built and natural asset design and management company and its FM business partner in Australia. Lack of complete and accurate data was the main issue faced by Quantity Surveyors in FM. The benefits of BIM in FM were digitizing and storing asset information and developing a cost database that would be useful for Quantity Surveyors, whereas challenges included keeping model data up to date, cost, industry resistance to change and contractors' lack of model use. This study contributes to revealing the niche adoption of BIM by Quantity Surveyors in FM and identifying the issues faced by Quantity Surveyors in FM roles using BIM. It contributes to the knowledge of BIM adoption in post-construction. Findings will be useful to develop strategies for adopting BIM in FM and supporting Quantity Surveyors' roles in FM.
Barriers to implementing lean construction practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 23-02-2018
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to implementing lean construction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry and to prioritise the principal factors that constitute these barriers. A literature review was initially used to reveal the global barriers to implementing lean construction. Subsequently, these barriers were incorporated into a structured questionnaire, and a convenience s le of 282 construction professionals in the KSA construction industry was surveyed. The results were analysed using mean item score (MIS), Mann–Whitney U test and principal component analysis (PCA). The findings revealed 22 barriers to lean construction implementation in the KSA construction industry. Principal factors that constitute these barriers were found to be traditional practices, client related, technological, performance and knowledge and cost-related barriers in descending order of pervasiveness. The study also proposes solutions to overcome these principal barriers. This study provides a global overview of the barriers to implementing lean construction. It contributes to the body of knowledge, as it uncovers for the first time the barriers to implementing lean construction in the KSA construction industry with reference to the socio-cultural, economic and operational context of the KSA. Thus, it is relevant to other countries in the Middle East because of their shared similarities to the KSA. Furthermore, the solutions proposed to overcome these barriers in the KSA construction industry can be applied in other countries where similar barriers are identified.
Improving sustainability literacy of future quantity surveyors
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 21-11-2016
DOI: 10.1108/SASBE-07-2016-0015
Abstract: The increasing need for sustainability-literate construction professionals has prompted higher education institutions to incorporate a sustainability agenda education into their construction courses. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sustainability knowledge embedded into a quantity surveying (QS) undergraduate course. Using the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) as a case study, analysis of sustainability knowledge embedded into the QS course is conducted by examining the content of QS course structure, unit aims, learning outcomes, assessment framework and weekly lecture and tutorial materials. The results show that the “incorporation approach”, i.e. the practice of incorporating the sustainability themes into existing relevant subjects, is mainly used in delivering the sustainability knowledge to the QS students. Additionally, it is found that in its QS course, QUT has covered all aspects of sustainability comprehensively from an environmental viewpoint and with regard, to economic, social and governance aspects. This research also proposes recommendations for further improvement of the sustainability education in the QUT QS course and beyond. This study revealed the current practices and approaches of incorporating sustainability knowledge into QS education programme and addressed the knowledge requirements of future sustainability literate QS professionals.
Influence of Institutional Pressure on Megaproject Social Responsibility Behavior
Publisher: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Date: 24-02-2022
Abstract: To explore the law of megaproject social responsibility behavior (MSRB) among internal organizations under institutional pressure, this paper presents a theoretical and empirical study to investigate how institutional pressure affects MSRB through the mediating role of organizational social responsibility cognition and the mediating roles of the communication mechanism and relationship strength based on new institutional sociology. Based on a total of 147 responses from a broad questionnaire survey, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The research results show that institutional pressure has a promoting effect on MSRB, and organizational social responsibility cognition mediates the relationship between institutional pressure and MSRB. Additionally, the communication mechanism and relationship strength have no effect on the relationship between institutional pressures and MSRB. The research results provide a new theoretical foundation for the analysis of MSRB and practical suggestions for policymakers on the governance of MSRB.
Supporting and impeding factors for partnering in construction - a China study
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 16-08-2013
Abstract: Partnering has drawn attention from both academics and practitioners in the construction industry in the context of construction and facilities management. The past decades have seen a number of articles reporting the application of partnering in construction. The Chinese construction industry is one of the largest industries in the world however, to the authors' best knowledge, no project in mainland China has adopted this procurement approach in a formal and systematic manner as yet. This paper presents a timely study that aims to investigate the feasibility of implementing the partnering concept into Chinese industry and to understand the current barriers to this concept in China. The study employed a qualitative approach to investigate the factors that support or impede the implementation of partnering in mainland China. The methodology encompassed a critical review of relevant laws, regulations, and policy documents and semi‐structured interviews. The findings indicate that the partnering practice is feasible in the construction industry of China due to the large demand brought about by China's strong economic growth and government support. However, the implementation of partnering in the Chinese construction industry is being impeded by the restrictions of the current Chinese regulatory framework and tender evaluation framework, the incompatible features of Chinese culture and the general lack of trust. Six strategies that help to facilitate the implementation of partnering in China have been developed based on the supporting and impeding factors identified in this study. It is worth noting that not all aspects of Chinese culture are compatible with partnering principles. This study offers a useful reference to implement collaborative contracting models such as partnering in developing countries with a consideration of new factors such as political environment and emerging economies.
Impact of community engagement on public acceptance towards waste-to-energy incineration projects: Empirical evidence from China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WASMAN.2018.02.028
Abstract: As one of the most popular methods for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration offers effective solutions to deal with the MSW surge and globe energy issues. Nevertheless, the construction of WTE facilities faces considerable and strong opposition from local communities due to the perceived potential risks. The present study aims to understand whether, and how, community engagement improves local residents' public acceptance towards waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facilities using a questionnaire survey conducted with nearby residents of two selected WTE incineration plants located in Zhejiang province, China. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) reveal that firstly, a lower level of public acceptance exists among local residents of over the age of 35, of lower education levels, living within 3 km from the WTE Plant and from WTE incineration Plants which are under construction. Secondly, the public trust of local government and other authorities was positively associated with the public acceptance of the WTE incineration project, both directly and indirectly based on perceived risk. Thirdly, community engagement can effectively enhance public trust in local government and other authorities related to the WTE incineration project. The findings contribute to the literature on MSW treatment policy-making and potentially hazardous facility siting, by exploring the determinants of public acceptance towards WTE incineration projects.
Artificial Intelligent Technologies for the Construction Industry: How Are They Perceived and Utilized in Australia?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Lean construction implementation in the Saudi Arabian construction industry
Publisher: University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Date: 31-03-2017
Abstract: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has witnessed a huge increase in construction during the last two decades. However, many projects experienced time delays, cost overruns and the generation of massive amounts of waste. To address these challenges, lean construction has been introduced into the Saudi construction industry however, it is still in its infancy. This study therefore investigates the current state of lean construction implementation in the construction industry in the KSA. The objectives are to identify: the types of construction waste, level of use of tools that support the implementation of lean construction, stages of application of lean methods, and the benefits of lean construction. To achieve these objectives, a structured questionnaire survey of 282 construction professionals was carried out. After the analysis of the collected data using mean score and Anova test, the following conclusions were made. In the construction industry in the KSA, waiting is the most common type of waste, while Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the conventional tool supporting the implementation of lean construction. Furthermore, the data suggests that lean construction is most commonly used in the construction stage of projects while customer satisfaction is the main benefit derived from lean construction practices. This study concludes that the level of implementation of lean construction in the KSA construction industry is increasing. The results will help benchmark the current state of lean construction implementation, which will enable the construction industry to identify strategies to implement lean construction in Saudi Arabia in accordance with their needs and project goals, to achieve better productivity.
Selecting Key Smart Building Technologies for UAE Prisons by Integrating Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy-TOPSIS
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-11-2022
DOI: 10.3390/BUILDINGS12122074
Abstract: Prisons are the structures used for incarcerated inmates and are often overcrowded and understaffed. This often leads to inhumane conditions and increased violence. Smart building technologies can help to alleviate these problems to some extent and improve communication between staff and prisoners. However, selecting appropriate smart building technology for prison building requires significant effort, knowledge, and experience. The current study aims to develop a decision-making model for selecting smart building technologies for UAE prisons following the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy-TOPSIS. The results of AHP revealed that for the main criteria, economical criteria were the highest ranked with a global weight of 0.228, followed by technology and engineering criteria (global weights of 0.203 and 0.200, respectively). For sub-criteria, prison category and security was the highest ranked criterion with a global weight of 0.082 followed by antihacking capability (0.075). Concerning the final ranking of smart building technologies by fuzzy-TOPSIS, the safety and security system was the highest-ranked technology (Ci = 0.970), followed by the fire protection system (Ci = 0.636) and information and communication information network system (Ci = 0.605). To conclude, the current findings will assist UAE policymakers and prison authorities to select the most appropriate smart building technologies for UAE prison buildings.
GREEN BUILDING RATING FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS – LESSONS LEARNED
Publisher: College Publishing
Date: 03-2016
Abstract: Office buildings constitute a significant proportion of the non-residential building stock. In recent years, various rating tools have been developed to foster green office building development. The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has developed the Green Star - Office rating tools for this purpose. There are an increasing number of stakeholders adopting these tools to showcase their efforts in sustainable development. This research focuses on the challenges and barriers in obtaining GBCA ratings in Australian Office buildings. To accomplish this, the scoring sheets from the rating of 264 certified office buildings were collected and critically analysed. The findings indicated that credits related to the attributes of innovation, ecology and energy are comparatively difficult to achieve. It was also found in this study that a large number of projects did not apply for the specific credits of refrigerant global warming potential, re-use of façade, topsoil and fill removal from site, and in idual comfort control. This study provides a useful reference to both the property developer and the Green Building Council of Australia for green building developments in the future. In particular, the findings provide useful inputs to the development of the next generation of green building rating tools.
Measuring complexity for building projects: a Delphi study
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 06-01-2012
DOI: 10.1108/09699981211192544
Abstract: The aim of this study is to identify complexity measures for building projects in the People's Republic of China (PRC). A three‐round of Delphi questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the key parameters that measure the degree of project complexity. A complexity index (CI) was developed based on the identified measures and their relative importance. Six key measures of project complexity have been identified, namely: building structure & function construction method the urgency of the project schedule project size/scale geological condition and neighboring environment. These complexity measures help stakeholders assess degrees of project complexity and better manage the potential risks that might be induced to different levels of project complexity. The findings provide insightful perspectives to define and understand project complexity. For stakeholders, understanding and addressing the complexity help to improve project planning and implementation.
Multinational contracting and the eclectic paradigm of internationalization
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 03-12-2028
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-10-2017-0216
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present a novel version of Dunning’s eclectic paradigm of internationalisation (OLI framework) to explain both inbound and outbound Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multinational contracting. The OLI factors and hypothesis are significantly developed to address a weakness in the OLI framework in its application to settings, such as multinational contracting, with extreme heterogeneity arising from extreme location specificity. These developments advance Dunning’s seminal contribution and bring this to life in construction research that has barely applied the framework and, when doing so, has focused only on outbound FDI by multinational contractors (MCs). The power of the OLI framework is increased on explaining and predicting FDI in contexts that exhibit extreme heterogeneity associated with extreme location specificity. Furthermore, the operationalisation of key theories representing the framework’s OLI factors is made far more precise. Engineering, construction and architectural managers, can now more reliably apply the OLI framework both in MCs’ outbound FDI decisions and in governments’ decisions to attract new MCs – or inbound FDI. A significant advance is made in the OLI framework in settings with extreme location specificity, along with the operationalisation of key theories associated with the OLI factors, including the first steps to operationalise Coase’s Nobel prize-winning transaction cost thesis.
Psychosocial hazards affecting mental health in the construction industry
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-03-2023
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-07-2022-0617
Abstract: Mental health problems are a grave concern in construction. Although the distinction between high job demands and low job resources, as reflected in the Job Demands-Resources (JD–R) model, has been used to examine the extent to which psychosocial hazards influence mental health for construction practitioners, limited research has reflected on the nature of these psychosocial hazards by exploring experiences of site-based construction practitioners. This study adopted a phenomenological approach to examine people’ experiences and thoughts of the complex phenomena of psychosocial hazards and mental health in construction. In total, 33 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with site-based construction practitioners in Australia to unveil construction-focused psychosocial hazards and their effects on mental health. The data were analysed via content analysis, employing an interpretation-focused coding strategy to code text and an in idual-based sorting strategy to cluster codes. Eighteen psychosocial hazards were identified based on the JD–R model. Six of these represented a new contribution, describing salient characteristics inherent to the construction context (i.e. safety concerns, exposure to traumatic events, job insecurity, task interdependency, client demand and contract pressure). Of particular importance, a number of interrelationships among psychosocial hazards emerged. The significance of this qualitative research lies in elucidating psychosocial hazards and their complex interrelatedness in the context of the mental health of construction practitioners, enriching the understanding of this central health and safety issue in the high-risk setting of construction work. The findings contribute to addressing mental health issues in the Australian construction industry by identifying higher order control measures, thereby creating a mentally healthy workplace.
Delivering sustainable communities: a case study in China
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-07-2016
DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-07-2014-0032
Abstract: – China’s accelerated urbanisation leads directly to pressure on the urban environment. The purpose of this paper is to identify best practices involved in a real sustainable community projects for the experience to be replicated in future. – To explore the practical development experiences and technological applications, a case study was conducted, involving both document analysis and semi-structured interviews. – The findings identify the green technologies and strategies used in the project planning and design process. The social considerations of the project development are also recognised in providing comfort, convenience and safety for their residents. Furthermore, the research highlights the fact that sustainable communities can incur less operational costs compared with traditional ones and therefore provide a feasible option for clients with a greater capability for upfront investment. – The results of the research provide valuable references for developers in the development of sustainable communities in both China and other countries.
Selection of project procurement methods in the consumer electronics industry - a Hong Kong study
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2012
Perceived obstacles to multi-storey timber-frame construction: an Australian study
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-05-2014
Recent Advances in Modeling the Vulnerability of Transportation Networks
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 06-2015
Survey on Exact kNN Queries over High-Dimensional Data Space
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-01-2023
DOI: 10.3390/S23020629
Abstract: k nearest neighbours (kNN) queries are fundamental in many applications, ranging from data mining, recommendation system and Internet of Things, to Industry 4.0 framework applications. In mining, specifically, it can be used for the classification of human activities, iterative closest point registration and pattern recognition and has also been helpful for intrusion detection systems and fault detection. Due to the importance of kNN queries, many algorithms have been proposed in the literature, for both static and dynamic data. In this paper, we focus on exact kNN queries and present a comprehensive survey of exact kNN queries. In particular, we study two fundamental types of exact kNN queries: the kNN Search queries and the kNN Join queries. Our survey focuses on exact approaches over high-dimensional data space, which covers 20 kNN Search methods and 9 kNN Join methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work of a comprehensive survey of exact kNN queries over high-dimensional datasets. We specifically categorise the algorithms based on indexing strategies, data and space partitioning strategies, clustering techniques and the computing paradigm. We provide useful insights for the evolution of approaches based on the various categorisation factors, as well as the possibility of further expansion. Lastly, we discuss some open challenges and future research directions.
Related Organisations
Related Funding Activities
Sustainable Retirement Villages For Ageing Australians
Start Date: 2017
End Date: 2019
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP170101208
Start Date: 06-2017
End Date: 03-2021
Amount: $117,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityIndustrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC220100012
Start Date: 07-2023
End Date: 07-2028
Amount: $4,939,486.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP200301123
Start Date: 2023
End Date: 06-2026
Amount: $898,013.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP230101313
Start Date: 04-2023
End Date: 04-2026
Amount: $345,483.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity