ORCID Profile
0000-0002-1654-311X
Current Organisation
Bond University
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.
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2013
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 07-08-2017
DOI: 10.1108/JEDT-02-2017-0014
Abstract: This study aims to answer the ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions about the key role players’ influence on the overall productivity outcomes in the lifecycle of residential buildings procured through the traditional route. A mix of exploratory and descriptive research methods was used to obtain feedback from 179 role-players involved in various phases of the residential building lifecycle (RBLC) in New Zealand. Empirical data were analysed using content analysis, multi-attribute method and Friedman’s two-way analysis of variance. Results showed that designers, building owners, main contractors and project managers were the greatest influencers of the productivity outcomes in the RBLC. The priority drivers of these key role-players’ influences on the RBLC productivity outcomes comprised poor brief interpretation, inclination to lowest tender, inadequate prior risk analysis and miscommunication of owner’s requirements and preferences to service providers, respectively. By taking proactive steps to redress their productivity inhibiting acts/omissions as identified in this study, the various role-players could contribute to significant improvement of productivity outcomes in the building lifecycle. It was not possible to interview all participants that made up the representative random s les from each role-player group due largely to workload related excuses. As a result, the findings and the conclusions may not be generalised beyond the study scope. However, the study achieved its purpose, as the main intent was to provide hypothetical constructs that could guide further confirmatory/experimental studies for residential buildings as well as for other building types. A succinct and easy-to-follow model was developed as implementation pathway for operationalising the key findings of the study in the industry. The model highlights the Owner-Architect-Contractor Influence Triangle (OACIT) as the 20 per cent of the solutions that could deliver 80 per cent of the productivity improvement in the RBLC. This study re-examines productivity issues not only from a life-cycle perspective but also from the perspectives of the majority of the key role-players. In addition, the OACIT concept offers a novel productivity improvement tool it stresses that productivity in the traditionally procured building lifecycle could be optimised if the architect could focus greater attention on brief articulation and the issuance and review of design and specification information. Also, the owner should adopt productivity-enhancing procurement and contract strategies and emphasise more on value-addition and less on lowest tender price.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2006
Publisher: University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
Date: 21-09-2011
Abstract: Productivity is key to the survival and growth of any organisation, industry or nation. Some factors constrain the achievement of the set project objectives in the New Zealand building and construction industry and are responsible for the reported steady decline of productivity and performance. This study aims to identify the key constraints to on-site labour productivity and improvement measures. Using the descriptive survey method, views of some project managers, contractors and subcontractors in New Zealand were canvassed via pilot interviews and questionnaire surveys at the qualitative and quantity data gathering stages, respectively. Multi-attribute technique was used to analyse the quantitative data. Results showed that the key external constraints to on-site labour productivity comprise, in order of decreasing impact, statutory compliance, unforeseen events and wider external dynamics. The internal constraints, which contribute 67 percent of the onsite productivity issues, comprise reworks, level of skill and experience of the workforce, adequacy of method of construction, buildability issues, and inadequate supervision and coordination. . The factors underlying each broad category of external and internal constraints are reported. The relative levels of impact of the identified constraints are expected to guide the project team in addressing the constraints in a cost-effective manner.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-02-2019
DOI: 10.1108/ECAM-02-2018-0060
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key productivity constraints faced by New Zealand (NZ) road pavement maintenance and rehabilitation contractors (RPMRCs) and the associated mitigation measures. Interview-based exploratory research strategy was used to survey senior managers and directors of medium- to large-sized road contracting firms in NZ. Empirical data were analyzed using the multi-attribute analytical technique. Results revealed 70 productivity constraints faced by the RPMRCs in NZ in diminishing order of influence, these constraints were aggregated into eight broad categories as follows: finance, workforce, technology rocess, statutory/regulatory compliance, project characteristics, project management roject team characteristics, unforeseen circumstances and other/external factors. The most important constraints in each of the eight broad categories were presented. The key limitation of the research is that it was based on feedback from a limited number of participants which were less than the minimum required to represent the views of the potential participants in the s ling frame for the study. As a result, the findings may not be reliably generalized beyond the scope of the data used. Further research on the subject is recommended to ensure that the representation of the views of the in iduals and companies that comprised the s ling frame is achieved. The current findings could be formulated as propositions or hypotheses to be tested in future confirmatory research. At the industry level, the findings could provide the basis for the skill development programs of the NZ RPMRCs. The application of the research findings by the RPMRCs and consultants could result in significant improvement in the productivity of the NZ roading sector and the sector’s enhanced contribution to the economy. Currently, there is little research on the priority constraints to productivity and performance in the NZ roading sector. The findings contribute to knowledge by revealing critical factors constraining productivity performance of the NZ RMRCs and the associated improvement measures. New and more enriching viewpoints were provided on how contractors could leverage their limited resources to address the identified key constraints.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-05-2017
DOI: 10.3390/SU9060902
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-02-2015
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 25-04-2013
DOI: 10.1108/14725961311319755
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to: identify the current and future challenges faced by university facilities managers analyse their associated risk levels and establish practical ways to address the identified key challenges. Personal interviews were conducted with 25 members of the Australasian university facilities managers (UFMs). The constructs generated at the pilot interviews were used to design a structured but open‐ended questionnaire with which the Tertiary Education Facilities Managers Association (TEFMA) members were surveyed. The multi‐attribute method was used in the data analysis. Results showed that the critical challenges currently facing the UFMs comprised issues relating to the following (in diminishing order of significance): inadequate funding, emergency management and business continuity planning, statutory compliance, sustainability and environmental stewardship, keeping up with rapid changes in technology, operational efficiency, identifying and meeting stakeholder needs, maintenance and manpower. Preparing for and responding to disaster/emergency was perceived as the most critical challenge of the future, perhaps, due to the recent natural disasters. Overall, poor funding was identified as the root of all other issues faced by the UFMs, hence suggested strategies for addressing the key challenges harped on financial improvement measures. Other key measures included optimized asset utilization, supporting business case for capital investment with demonstrable returns on investment, improving FM's strategic relevance through linking FM and corporate strategies, and investment in efficient technologies such as the building automation and management systems. The findings have contributed to filling an important knowledge gap by not only identifying the current and future challenges facing the UFMs, but also prioritising them based on their relative influences on the achievement of the strategic goals of the FM department. This way, the limited resources at the disposal of the UFMs could be disbursed more cost‐effectively in addressing the critical challenges in line with their identified risk levels. This would be of practical benefit to the facilities and property managers in formulating appropriate responses to the identified critical constraints with a view to achieving more satisfactory outcomes in their operations.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-06-2017
Abstract: Identification of costs drivers and their influence level on building development costs play a key role in the development of construction models and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of any project. Forty-five indicators influencing building development costs in New Zealand are explored by literature review and pilot interviews. These indicators are grouped into seven categories. The determination and ranking of the cost drivers are carried out by a questionnaire survey distributed to key professionals working in New Zealand’s construction industry. Structural equation modeling (SEM) software was employed for analysis of the collected data. One of the key advantages of this powerful software is to provide the p-value according to the structure of the research model. Findings of this study indicate that the property market and construction industry factor, statutory and regulatory factor, and socio-economic factors are major factors affecting building development costs in New Zealand.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2008
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2011
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2013
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.3390/IJGI10040215
Abstract: Critical issues surrounding the promotion and adoption of building information modeling (BIM) for construction projects are largely country-specific due to contextual socio-cultural, economic, and regulatory environments impacting construction operations and outcomes. There is little information on BIM adoption issues specific to the Cambodian construction industry (‘the industry’). This paper aims to narrow existing knowledge by investigating key drivers for, and barriers to the adoption of BIM in the industry. Using descriptive survey method, feedback was received from contractors and architects that were registered with their respective trade and professional associations in the industry. The multi-attribute method and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-based Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) test were used to analyze the empirical datasets. Results showed that out of the 13 significant drivers identified in the study, the most influential comprised the technology’s ability to remarkably enhance project visualization and schedule performance this is followed by awareness that the technology is redefining how project information is created and shared among stakeholders and therefore the future of the industry that cannot be ignored. On the other hand, the most constraining barrier to the adoption of the technology, out of 19 significant barriers, related to strong industry resistance to change, especially reluctance to change from 2D drafting to 3D modeling other highly rated barriers included the high initial cost of the software and the shortage of professionals with BIM skills. Implementation of the study findings could support greater uptake of the technology and the leveraging of its key benefits to improving project success and the growth of the Cambodian construction industry, as well as those of other developing economies that share similar socio-cultural, economic, and regulatory environments.
Publisher: New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering
Date: 31-12-2018
DOI: 10.5459/BNZSEE.51.4.171-182
Abstract: Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are often vulnerable to the adversities caused by major earthquake events, which may include business disruption, damage to goods and property, impaired employee health and safety, financial strain and loss of revenue, or even total loss of the business. SMEs are expected to make critical decisions to prepare their businesses for an earthquake, in an attempt to ensure business continuity and the wellbeing of their employees, should a disaster occur. This study was conducted five years after the devastating Canterbury earthquakes and sought to examine the level of earthquake preparedness of SMEs by investigating the actions undertaken in two different suburban locations having differing seismicity. The extent of preparedness was assessed based on a list of twenty-one possible actions grouped into four categories being knowledge enrichment, insurance and business continuity, survival support actions, and seismic damage mitigation. The assessment involved a survey with an online questionnaire. Analysis of the collected data revealed a specific adoption pattern in the regions of study. The main preparedness action adopted by SMEs was the purchase of business insurance with the development of continuity plans. The least obtained preparedness action was related to survival support actions such as maintaining necessary emergency supplies. The overall adoption rate of the preparedness actions was less than 30%, with no significant difference between the regions studied, and close to 50% of SMEs having adopted less than five preparedness actions. This situation clearly requires urgent attention from all stakeholders involved in SMEs resilience before an earthquake disaster hits the regions.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 07-08-2017
DOI: 10.1108/JEDT-02-2017-0014
Abstract: This study aims to answer the ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions about the key role players’ influence on the overall productivity outcomes in the lifecycle of residential buildings procured through the traditional route. A mix of exploratory and descriptive research methods was used to obtain feedback from 179 role-players involved in various phases of the residential building lifecycle (RBLC) in New Zealand. Empirical data were analysed using content analysis, multi-attribute method and Friedman’s two-way analysis of variance. Results showed that designers, building owners, main contractors and project managers were the greatest influencers of the productivity outcomes in the RBLC. The priority drivers of these key role-players’ influences on the RBLC productivity outcomes comprised poor brief interpretation, inclination to lowest tender, inadequate prior risk analysis and miscommunication of owner’s requirements and preferences to service providers, respectively. By taking proactive steps to redress their productivity inhibiting acts/omissions as identified in this study, the various role-players could contribute to significant improvement of productivity outcomes in the building lifecycle. It was not possible to interview all participants that made up the representative random s les from each role-player group due largely to workload related excuses. As a result, the findings and the conclusions may not be generalised beyond the study scope. However, the study achieved its purpose, as the main intent was to provide hypothetical constructs that could guide further confirmatory/experimental studies for residential buildings as well as for other building types. A succinct and easy-to-follow model was developed as implementation pathway for operationalising the key findings of the study in the industry. The model highlights the Owner-Architect-Contractor Influence Triangle (OACIT) as the 20 per cent of the solutions that could deliver 80 per cent of the productivity improvement in the RBLC. This study re-examines productivity issues not only from a life-cycle perspective but also from the perspectives of the majority of the key role-players. In addition, the OACIT concept offers a novel productivity improvement tool it stresses that productivity in the traditionally procured building lifecycle could be optimised if the architect could focus greater attention on brief articulation and the issuance and review of design and specification information. Also, the owner should adopt productivity-enhancing procurement and contract strategies and emphasise more on value-addition and less on lowest tender price.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-04-2019
DOI: 10.3390/SU11092482
Abstract: The New Zealand housing sector is experiencing rapid growth that has a significant impact on society, the economy, and the environment. In line with the growth, the housing market for both residential and business purposes has been booming, as have house prices. To sustain the housing development, it is critical to accurately monitor and predict housing prices so as to support the decision-making process in the housing sector. This study is devoted to applying a mathematical method to predict housing prices. The forecasting performance of two types of models: autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis are compared. The ARIMA and regression models are developed based on a training-validation s le method. The results show that the ARIMA model generally performs better than the regression model. However, the regression model explores, to some extent, the significant correlations between house prices in New Zealand and the macro-economic conditions.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-04-2019
DOI: 10.3390/IJGI8040172
Abstract: Highway infrastructure plays an important role in assuring the proper function of the nation’s transportation. Highway alignment is an essential part of the highway planning and design phase, which has significant effects on the surroundings. Identifying optimal highway routes while using traditional methods requires significant time, cost, and effort, since it requires a comprehensive assessment of multiple factors, such as cost and environmental impacts. This study proposes an approach for managing highway alignment in the context of a larger landscape that integrates building information modelling (BIM) and geographic information system (GIS) capabilities. To support this integration, semantic web technologies are used to integrate data on a semantic level. Moreover, the approach also uses genetic algorithms (GAs) for optimizing highway alignments. A fully automated model is developed that enables data interoperability between BIM and GIS systems and also allows for data exchange between the integration model and the optimization algorithm. The model enables the full exploitation of features of the project and its surroundings for highway alignment planning. The proposed model is also applied to a real highway project to validate its effectiveness. The visualization model of the highway project and its surroundings provides a realistic three-dimensional image that produces a comprehensive virtual environment, where the project could be effectively planned and designed. That can help to reduce design errors and miscommunication, which, in turn, reduces project risks. Moreover, geological and geographical analyses help to identify geohazards and environmentally sensitive regions. The proposed model facilitates highway alignment planning by providing a cross-disciplinary approach to close the gap between the infrastructural and geotechnical planning processes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2005
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 19-08-2021
DOI: 10.1155/2021/6624647
Abstract: Project complexity is usually considered as one of the main causes of cost overruns, resulting in poor performance and thus project failure. However, empirical studies focused on evaluating its effects on project cost remain lacking. Given this circumstance, this study attempts to develop the relationship between project cost and the multidimensional project complexity elements. The study assumes complexity as a multidimensional factor including the task, organization, market, legal, and environment complexities. And it adopts an empirical evidence-based structural model to account for the relationships between project cost and project complexity. By doing so, a quantitative assessment of multidimensional project complexity has been developed. The findings suggest that task and organization complexities have direct effects on project cost, while market, legal, and external environment complexities have indirect effects on project cost. The practical contribution is that the findings can improve the understanding of which dimension of complexity significantly influences project cost and the need to focus efforts on strategically addressing those complexities.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 2019
Abstract: Mobile apps offer construction workers a quick, affordable and user-friendly platform for meeting their information, communication and computing needs, with nearly 13,000 construction apps currently available in the market. This study aims to report construction managers’ perspectives on the uptake of mobile apps in the New Zealand construction industry. Exploratory research methods were used in two stages. First stage involved interviews with 14 construction managers who were registered with the New Zealand Registered Master Builders Association, followed by an online questionnaire in the second stage. The link of online questionnaire was sent to all members of participating professional organisations by their administrators. In total, 228 responses were received, of which 60 per cent participants completed the entire questionnaire. Results show an overall positive attitude towards the use of apps. Perceptions of top management personnel differed slightly from those of middle managers the former expressed interest in apps usage at strategic level such as improving long-term client relationship management and satisfaction while the latter were more interested in the apps use at operational and tactical levels such as task- or project-level productivity improvement. Though bias has been minimised by giving equal opportunity to each member of trade and professional organisations to participate in this survey, of the 228 responses received, only 60 per cent participants completed the entire questionnaire. This is below the minimum requirement for a holistic representation of views. As a result, the findings might not be generalised beyond the study’s scope. The study provides new insights on the uptake of smartphone apps in New Zealand’s construction sector from the perspective of construction managers who make strategic decisions. The findings have implications for policy formulation and implementation in regards to the use of mobile apps for productivity improvement in the sector. Mobile apps developers could also gain understanding on functional needs and preferences of the construction workforce, which will help in development of more relevant apps.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-05-2018
Publisher: International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management
Date: 31-12-2014
DOI: 10.14424/IJCSCM402014-51-64
Abstract: Establishing and prioritising the factors that may influence the final contract price when responding to a call for tenders is crucial for proper risk analysis and reliable forecasting it could make or mar the ability to achieve expected profit margin in an era of lump sum fixed price contracts where clients often contest variation claims. In New Zealand, these factors have not been researched hence estimators rely only on judgement to ‘guess-estimate’ in their price forecasting. This study aimed to fill the knowledge gap by investigating the priority factors. 150 responses from professional members of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors were analysed using multi-attribute method. Results showed thirty-seven factorswhich could influence the final contract price the three most influential being poor tender documentation, complexity of design & construction, and completeness of project information. Other factors relating to project, client and contractor characteristics, design consultants and tendering conditions, estimating practice and external factors were reported. Concordance analysis indicated high level of agreement amongst survey participants in the rank-ordering of the relative importance of the identified factors. The findings could assist quantity surveyors to prepare more reliable contract price estimates at the pre-contract stage. It would also improve construction-stage cost control.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-10-2019
Abstract: Prefabrication offers substantial benefits including reduction in construction waste, material waste, energy use, labor demands, and delivery time, and an improvement in project constructability and cost certainty. As the material cost accounts for nearly 70% of the total cost of the prefabrication project, to select a suitable material supplier plays an important role in such a project. The purpose of this study is to present a method for supporting supplier selection of a prefabrication project. The proposed method consists of three parts. First, a list of assessment criteria was established to evaluate the suitability of supplier alternatives. Second, Building Information Modelling (BIM) was adopted to provide sufficient information about the project requirements and suppliers’ profiles, which facilitates the storage and sharing of information. Finally, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to rank the importance of the assessment criteria and obtain the score of supplier alternatives. The suppliers were ranked based on the total scores. To illustrate how to use the proposed method, it was applied to a real prefabrication project. The proposed method facilitates the supplier selection process by providing sufficient information in an effective way and by improving the understanding of the project requirements.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-02-2023
DOI: 10.3390/RS15051264
Abstract: As the most comprehensive document types for the recording and display of real-world information regarding construction projects, 3D realistic models are capable of recording and displaying simultaneously textures and geometric shapes in the same 3D scene. However, at present, the documentation for much of construction infrastructure faces significant challenges. Based on TLS, GNSS/IMU, mature photogrammetry, a UAV platform, computer vision technologies, and AI algorithms, this study proposes a workflow for 3D modeling of complex structures with multiple-source data. A deep learning LoFTR network was used first for image matching, which can improve matching accuracy. Then, a NeuralRecon network was employed to generate a 3D point cloud with global consistency. GNSS information was used to reduce search space in image matching and produce an accurate transformation matrix between the image scene and the global reference system. In addition, to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the co-registration of the two-source point clouds, an RPM-net was used. The proposed workflow processed the 3D laser point cloud and UAV low-altitude multi-view image data to generate a complete, accurate, high-resolution, and detailed 3D model. Experimental validation on a real high formwork project was carried out, and the result indicates that the generated 3D model has satisfactory accuracy with a registration error value of 5 cm. Model comparison between the TLS, image-based, data fusion 1 (using the common method), and data fusion 2 (using the proposed method) models were conducted in terms of completeness, geometrical accuracy, texture appearance, and appeal to professionals. The results denote that the generated 3D model has similar accuracy to the TLS model yet also provides a complete model with a photorealistic appearance that most professionals chose as their favorite.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-01-2022
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-02-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SYM14020377
Abstract: Current inspection for installation quality of high formwork is conducted by site managers based on personal experience and intuition. This non-systematic inspection is laborious and it is difficult to provide accurate dimension measurements for high formwork. The study proposed a method that uses terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology to collect the full range measurements of a high formwork and develop a genetic algorithm (GA) optimized artificial neutral network (ANN) model to improve measurement accuracy. First, a small-scale high formwork model set was established in the lab for scanning. Then, the collected multi-scan data were registered in a common reference system, and RGB value and symmetry of the structure were used to extract poles and tubes of the model set, removing all irrelevant data. Third, all the cross points of poles and tubes were generated. Next, the model set positioned on the moving equipment was scanned at different specified locations in order to collect sufficient data to develop an GA-ANN model that can generate accurate estimates of the point coordinates so that the accuracy of the dimension measurements can be achieved at the millimetre level. Validation experiments were conducted both on another model set and a real high formwork. The successful applications suggest that the proposed method is superior to other common techniques for obtaining the required data necessary for accurately measuring the overall structure dimensions, regarding data accuracy, cost and time. The study proposed an effective method for installation quality inspection for high formwork, especially when the inspection cannot be properly operated due to cost factors associated with common inspection methods.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2007
Publisher: International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management
Date: 31-12-2014
DOI: 10.14424/IJCSCM402014-22-33
Abstract: While tendering for jobs, a contractor is expected to analyse the various risks in each prospective project and price them appropriately. Contingencies are included in the tender price to cater for the various risks based on their impacts on the project targets and profit margin. Currently in New Zealand (NZ), there is little or no information on the various contractual risks and their mitigation measures. This has led to contractors over compensating or under compensating for risks with costly consequences. This study aimed to establish priority contractual risks in the NZ construction industry, and their mitigation measures. The research was based on a questionnaire survey of consultants and contractors. Descriptive statistics and multi-attribute techniques were used in the data analysis. Results showed 21 risk factors which were segregated into 6 broad categories in diminishing levels of significance as follows: Site conditions, main contractor, pricing, subcontractor, external and client-related risks. Putting tags and conditions to risky price items in the tender bids, and transferring the risks onto other parties were analysed as the 2 most effective out of the 5 key risk mitigation measures identified. Being cautious of the priority risks and application of the identified effective risk mitigation measures could guide contractors and the project team to more appr
Location: Nigeria
Location: South Africa
No related grants have been discovered for Jasper Mbachu.