Construction InnovationTable of Contents for Construction Innovation. List of articles from the current issue, including Just Accepted (EarlyCite)https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/1471-4175/vol/24/iss/7?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestConstruction InnovationEmerald Publishing LimitedConstruction InnovationConstruction Innovationhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/proxy/containerImg?link=/resource/publication/journal/3ba0f40775d6d6ace27ef929f5be3cdf/urn:emeraldgroup.com:asset:id:binary:ci.cover.jpghttps://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/1471-4175/vol/24/iss/7?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDelineating the people-related features required for construction digitalisationhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2022-0012/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDigitalisation, which involves the use of digital technologies in transforming an organisation’s activities, transcends just the acquiring of emerging digital tools. Having the right people to drive the implementation of these technologies and attaining strategic organisational goals is essential. While most studies have focused on the use of emerging technologies in the construction industry, less attention has been given to the ‘people’ dimension. Therefore, this study aims to assess the people-related features needed for construction digitalisation. The study adopted pragmatic thinking using a mixed-method approach. A Delphi was used to achieve the qualitative aspect of the research, while a questionnaire survey conducted among 222 construction professionals was used to achieve the quantitative aspect. The data gathered were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean item score, Kruskal–Wallis H test, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Based on acceptable reliability, validity and model fit indices, the study found that the people-related factors needed for construction digitalisation can be grouped into technical capability of personnel, attracting and retaining digital talent and organisation’s digital culture. The findings offer valuable benefits to construction organisations as understanding these identified people features can help lead to better deployment of digital tools and the attainment of the digital transformation. This study attempts to fill the gap in the shortage of literature exploring the people dimension of construction digitalisation. The study offers an excellent theoretical backdrop for future works on digital talent for construction digitalisation, which has gained less attention in the current construction digitalisation discourse.Delineating the people-related features required for construction digitalisation
Douglas Aghimien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, John Aliu
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.1-20

Digitalisation, which involves the use of digital technologies in transforming an organisation’s activities, transcends just the acquiring of emerging digital tools. Having the right people to drive the implementation of these technologies and attaining strategic organisational goals is essential. While most studies have focused on the use of emerging technologies in the construction industry, less attention has been given to the ‘people’ dimension. Therefore, this study aims to assess the people-related features needed for construction digitalisation.

The study adopted pragmatic thinking using a mixed-method approach. A Delphi was used to achieve the qualitative aspect of the research, while a questionnaire survey conducted among 222 construction professionals was used to achieve the quantitative aspect. The data gathered were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean item score, Kruskal–Wallis H test, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.

Based on acceptable reliability, validity and model fit indices, the study found that the people-related factors needed for construction digitalisation can be grouped into technical capability of personnel, attracting and retaining digital talent and organisation’s digital culture.

The findings offer valuable benefits to construction organisations as understanding these identified people features can help lead to better deployment of digital tools and the attainment of the digital transformation.

This study attempts to fill the gap in the shortage of literature exploring the people dimension of construction digitalisation. The study offers an excellent theoretical backdrop for future works on digital talent for construction digitalisation, which has gained less attention in the current construction digitalisation discourse.

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Delineating the people-related features required for construction digitalisation10.1108/CI-01-2022-0012Construction Innovation2022-05-17© 2022 Douglas Aghimien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke and John Aliu.Douglas AghimienClinton AigbavboaAyodeji Emmanuel OkeJohn AliuConstruction Innovation2472022-05-1710.1108/CI-01-2022-0012https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2022-0012/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Douglas Aghimien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke and John Aliu.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Organising methods enabling integration for value creation in complex projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0223/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this paper is to identify the areas and logic of integration of different stakeholders using different methods and to analyse their applicability and challenges in practical projects. The main aim is to describe how these different methods impact value creation. Action design research was carried out in a large hospital construction project where the first author acted as an “involved researcher” and the second author acted as an “outside researcher”. Two workshops were organised to evaluate the direct and indirect challenges and benefits of the applied four methods and to explain how different methods enable value creation. All the studied methods provide good results in terms of usability and commitment to the aims of the project, thus delivering the direct benefits expected. Process, people and tools logic works well in this case project when applying the methods properly. Significant evidence was provided on secondary deliverables of the methods, and all analysed methods had a significant impact in the area of leading people, clarifying what “focus on people” means and how it is enabled. Focus on people can be achieved through different operative methods if applied in the right way. It is necessary to select the most suitable methods based on all the direct and indirect deliverables. This case project offered a platform to analyse integration methods in a real-life project using the collaborative contract method. The authors were able to participate in the analysis by taking action from the very beginning of the project in terms of training, learning, continuous development and coaching of these methods and evaluating the applicability.Organising methods enabling integration for value creation in complex projects
Kari-Pekka Tampio, Harri Haapasalo
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.21-43

The purpose of this paper is to identify the areas and logic of integration of different stakeholders using different methods and to analyse their applicability and challenges in practical projects. The main aim is to describe how these different methods impact value creation.

Action design research was carried out in a large hospital construction project where the first author acted as an “involved researcher” and the second author acted as an “outside researcher”. Two workshops were organised to evaluate the direct and indirect challenges and benefits of the applied four methods and to explain how different methods enable value creation.

All the studied methods provide good results in terms of usability and commitment to the aims of the project, thus delivering the direct benefits expected. Process, people and tools logic works well in this case project when applying the methods properly. Significant evidence was provided on secondary deliverables of the methods, and all analysed methods had a significant impact in the area of leading people, clarifying what “focus on people” means and how it is enabled.

Focus on people can be achieved through different operative methods if applied in the right way. It is necessary to select the most suitable methods based on all the direct and indirect deliverables.

This case project offered a platform to analyse integration methods in a real-life project using the collaborative contract method. The authors were able to participate in the analysis by taking action from the very beginning of the project in terms of training, learning, continuous development and coaching of these methods and evaluating the applicability.

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Organising methods enabling integration for value creation in complex projects10.1108/CI-11-2021-0223Construction Innovation2022-05-31© 2022 Kari-Pekka Tampio and Harri Haapasalo.Kari-Pekka TampioHarri HaapasaloConstruction Innovation2472022-05-3110.1108/CI-11-2021-0223https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0223/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Kari-Pekka Tampio and Harri Haapasalo.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Combining artificial intelligence and building engineering technologies towards energy efficiency: the case of ventilated façadeshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0229/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestNearly 75% of EU buildings are not energy-efficient enough to meet the international climate goals, which triggers the need to develop sustainable construction techniques with high degree of resilience against climate change. In this context, a promising construction technique is represented by ventilated façades (VFs). This paper aims to propose three different VFs and the authors define a novel machine learning-based approach to evaluate and predict their energy performance under different boundary conditions, without the need for expensive on-site experimentations The approach is based on the use of machine learning algorithms for the evaluation of different VF configurations and allows for the prediction of the temperatures in the cavities and of the heat fluxes. The authors trained different regression algorithms and obtained low prediction errors, in particular for temperatures. The authors used such models to simulate the thermo-physical behavior of the VFs and determined the most energy-efficient design variant. The authors found that regression trees allow for an accurate simulation of the thermal behavior of VFs. The authors also studied feature weights to determine the most relevant thermo-physical parameters. Finally, the authors determined the best design variant and the optimal air velocity in the cavity. This study is unique in four main aspects: the thermo-dynamic analysis is performed under different thermal masses, positions of the cavity and geometries; the VFs are mated with a controlled ventilation system, used to parameterize the thermodynamic behavior under stepwise variations of the air inflow; temperatures and heat fluxes are predicted through machine learning models; the best configuration is determined through simulations, with no onerous in situ experimentations needed.Combining artificial intelligence and building engineering technologies towards energy efficiency: the case of ventilated façades
Serena Summa, Alex Mircoli, Domenico Potena, Giulia Ulpiani, Claudia Diamantini, Costanzo Di Perna
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.44-64

Nearly 75% of EU buildings are not energy-efficient enough to meet the international climate goals, which triggers the need to develop sustainable construction techniques with high degree of resilience against climate change. In this context, a promising construction technique is represented by ventilated façades (VFs). This paper aims to propose three different VFs and the authors define a novel machine learning-based approach to evaluate and predict their energy performance under different boundary conditions, without the need for expensive on-site experimentations

The approach is based on the use of machine learning algorithms for the evaluation of different VF configurations and allows for the prediction of the temperatures in the cavities and of the heat fluxes. The authors trained different regression algorithms and obtained low prediction errors, in particular for temperatures. The authors used such models to simulate the thermo-physical behavior of the VFs and determined the most energy-efficient design variant.

The authors found that regression trees allow for an accurate simulation of the thermal behavior of VFs. The authors also studied feature weights to determine the most relevant thermo-physical parameters. Finally, the authors determined the best design variant and the optimal air velocity in the cavity.

This study is unique in four main aspects: the thermo-dynamic analysis is performed under different thermal masses, positions of the cavity and geometries; the VFs are mated with a controlled ventilation system, used to parameterize the thermodynamic behavior under stepwise variations of the air inflow; temperatures and heat fluxes are predicted through machine learning models; the best configuration is determined through simulations, with no onerous in situ experimentations needed.

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Combining artificial intelligence and building engineering technologies towards energy efficiency: the case of ventilated façades10.1108/CI-11-2021-0229Construction Innovation2022-06-22© 2022 Serena Summa, Alex Mircoli, Domenico Potena, Giulia Ulpiani, Claudia Diamantini and Costanzo Di Perna.Serena SummaAlex MircoliDomenico PotenaGiulia UlpianiClaudia DiamantiniCostanzo Di PernaConstruction Innovation2472022-06-2210.1108/CI-11-2021-0229https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0229/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Serena Summa, Alex Mircoli, Domenico Potena, Giulia Ulpiani, Claudia Diamantini and Costanzo Di Perna.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
To prefabricate or not? A method for evaluating the impact of prefabrication in building constructionhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0205/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestPrefabricated products are continually entering the building construction market; yet, the decision to use prefabricated products in a construction project is based mostly on personal preferences and the evaluation of direct costs. Researchers and practitioners have debated appropriate measurement systems for evaluating the impacts of prefabricated products and for comparing them with conventional on-site construction practices. The more advanced, cost–benefit approach to evaluating prefabricated products often inspires controversy because it may generate inaccurate results when converting non-monetary effects into costs. As prefabrication may affect multiple organisations and product subsystems, the method used to decide on production methods should consider multiple direct and indirect impacts, including nonmonetary ones. Thus, this study aims to develop a multi-criteria method to evaluate both the monetary and non-monetary impacts of prefabrication solutions to facilitate decision-making on whether to use prefabricated products. Drawing upon a literature review, this research suggests a multi-criteria method that combines the choosing-by-advantage approach with a cost–benefit analysis. The method was presented for validation in focus group discussions and tested in a case involving a prefabricated bathroom. The analysis indicates that the method helps a project’s stakeholders communicate about the relative merits of prefabrication and conventional construction while facilitating the final decision of whether to use prefabrication. This research contributes a method of evaluating the monetary and non-monetary impacts of prefabricated products. The research underlines the need to evaluate the diverse benefits and sacrifices that stakeholder face when considering production methods in construction.To prefabricate or not? A method for evaluating the impact of prefabrication in building construction
Krishna Chauhan, Antti Peltokorpi, Rita Lavikka, Olli Seppänen
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.65-82

Prefabricated products are continually entering the building construction market; yet, the decision to use prefabricated products in a construction project is based mostly on personal preferences and the evaluation of direct costs. Researchers and practitioners have debated appropriate measurement systems for evaluating the impacts of prefabricated products and for comparing them with conventional on-site construction practices. The more advanced, cost–benefit approach to evaluating prefabricated products often inspires controversy because it may generate inaccurate results when converting non-monetary effects into costs. As prefabrication may affect multiple organisations and product subsystems, the method used to decide on production methods should consider multiple direct and indirect impacts, including nonmonetary ones. Thus, this study aims to develop a multi-criteria method to evaluate both the monetary and non-monetary impacts of prefabrication solutions to facilitate decision-making on whether to use prefabricated products.

Drawing upon a literature review, this research suggests a multi-criteria method that combines the choosing-by-advantage approach with a cost–benefit analysis. The method was presented for validation in focus group discussions and tested in a case involving a prefabricated bathroom.

The analysis indicates that the method helps a project’s stakeholders communicate about the relative merits of prefabrication and conventional construction while facilitating the final decision of whether to use prefabrication.

This research contributes a method of evaluating the monetary and non-monetary impacts of prefabricated products. The research underlines the need to evaluate the diverse benefits and sacrifices that stakeholder face when considering production methods in construction.

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To prefabricate or not? A method for evaluating the impact of prefabrication in building construction10.1108/CI-11-2021-0205Construction Innovation2022-08-11© 2022 © Krishna Chauhan, Antti Peltokorpi, Rita Lavikka and Olli Seppänen.Krishna ChauhanAntti PeltokorpiRita LavikkaOlli SeppänenConstruction Innovation2472022-08-1110.1108/CI-11-2021-0205https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0205/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 © Krishna Chauhan, Antti Peltokorpi, Rita Lavikka and Olli Seppänen.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
How public client’s control systems affect contractors’ innovation possibilitieshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0054/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to identify how a public client’s use of control systems (process, output and social control) affect innovation possibilities in construction projects. Semi-structured interviews about six infrastructure projects were conducted to identify respondents’ views on innovation possibilities. These possibilities were then analyzed from an organizational control perspective within principal–agent relationships between the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) and their contractors. How the client uses control systems affects innovation possibilities. Relying on process control could negatively affect innovation opportunities, whereas output control could have a positive influence. In addition, social control seems to have a weak effect, as the STA appears not to use social control to facilitate joint innovation. Public clients must comply with the Public Procurement Act and, therefore, retain the requirements specified in the tendering documents. Much of the steering of the execution is connected to the ex ante phase (before signing the contract), which affects innovation possibilities in the design and execution phases for the contractor. This study was conducted with only one client, thus limiting its generalizability. However, the findings provide an important stepping stone to further investigation into balancing control systems and creating innovation possibilities in a principal–agent relationship. Although public procurement has increasingly been emphasized as a major potential source of innovation, studying how a public client’s use of organizational control systems affects innovation possibilities in the construction sector has received scant attention.How public client’s control systems affect contractors’ innovation possibilities
Anna-Therése Järvenpää, Johan Larsson, Per Erik Eriksson
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.83-101

This paper aims to identify how a public client’s use of control systems (process, output and social control) affect innovation possibilities in construction projects.

Semi-structured interviews about six infrastructure projects were conducted to identify respondents’ views on innovation possibilities. These possibilities were then analyzed from an organizational control perspective within principal–agent relationships between the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) and their contractors.

How the client uses control systems affects innovation possibilities. Relying on process control could negatively affect innovation opportunities, whereas output control could have a positive influence. In addition, social control seems to have a weak effect, as the STA appears not to use social control to facilitate joint innovation. Public clients must comply with the Public Procurement Act and, therefore, retain the requirements specified in the tendering documents. Much of the steering of the execution is connected to the ex ante phase (before signing the contract), which affects innovation possibilities in the design and execution phases for the contractor.

This study was conducted with only one client, thus limiting its generalizability. However, the findings provide an important stepping stone to further investigation into balancing control systems and creating innovation possibilities in a principal–agent relationship.

Although public procurement has increasingly been emphasized as a major potential source of innovation, studying how a public client’s use of organizational control systems affects innovation possibilities in the construction sector has received scant attention.

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How public client’s control systems affect contractors’ innovation possibilities10.1108/CI-03-2022-0054Construction Innovation2022-07-21© 2022 Anna-Therése Järvenpää, Johan Larsson and Per Erik Eriksson.Anna-Therése JärvenpääJohan LarssonPer Erik ErikssonConstruction Innovation2472022-07-2110.1108/CI-03-2022-0054https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0054/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Anna-Therése Järvenpää, Johan Larsson and Per Erik Eriksson.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Implementing solar photovoltaic systems in buildings: a case of systemic innovation in the construction sectorhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0264/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to explore the process of implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in construction to contribute to the understanding of systemic innovation in construction. The exploratory research presented is based on qualitative data collected in workshops and interviews with 76 construction- and solar-industry actors experienced in solar PV projects. Actor-specific barriers were identified and analysed using an abductive approach. In light of established definitions of systemic innovation, the process of implementing solar PV systems in construction involves challenges regarding technical and material issues, competencies, and informal and formal institutions. The specificities of this case highlight the necessity of paying attention to details in the process and to develop knowledge of systemic innovation in construction since the industry’s involvement in addressing societal challenges related to the energy transition will require implementing such innovations much more in the future. New knowledge of solar PV systems as an innovation in professional construction is collected, enabling the adaptation of management strategies for its implementation. This knowledge can also be applied generally to other challenges encountered in highly systemic innovation implementation. Solar industry actors can gain an understanding of solar-specific challenges for the construction industry, challenges for which they must adapt their activities. The exploration of actor-specific experiences of solar PV projects has resulted in a novel understanding of this specific innovation and its implementation. The findings illustrate a case of a high level of systemic innovation and the need to use a finer-grained scale for classification when studying innovation in construction.Implementing solar photovoltaic systems in buildings: a case of systemic innovation in the construction sector
Charlotta Winkler
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.102-123

This paper aims to explore the process of implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in construction to contribute to the understanding of systemic innovation in construction.

The exploratory research presented is based on qualitative data collected in workshops and interviews with 76 construction- and solar-industry actors experienced in solar PV projects. Actor-specific barriers were identified and analysed using an abductive approach.

In light of established definitions of systemic innovation, the process of implementing solar PV systems in construction involves challenges regarding technical and material issues, competencies, and informal and formal institutions. The specificities of this case highlight the necessity of paying attention to details in the process and to develop knowledge of systemic innovation in construction since the industry’s involvement in addressing societal challenges related to the energy transition will require implementing such innovations much more in the future.

New knowledge of solar PV systems as an innovation in professional construction is collected, enabling the adaptation of management strategies for its implementation. This knowledge can also be applied generally to other challenges encountered in highly systemic innovation implementation. Solar industry actors can gain an understanding of solar-specific challenges for the construction industry, challenges for which they must adapt their activities.

The exploration of actor-specific experiences of solar PV projects has resulted in a novel understanding of this specific innovation and its implementation. The findings illustrate a case of a high level of systemic innovation and the need to use a finer-grained scale for classification when studying innovation in construction.

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Implementing solar photovoltaic systems in buildings: a case of systemic innovation in the construction sector10.1108/CI-10-2022-0264Construction Innovation2023-03-17© 2023 Charlotta Winkler.Charlotta WinklerConstruction Innovation2472023-03-1710.1108/CI-10-2022-0264https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0264/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Charlotta Winkler.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Performance measurement indicators influential to the espousal of cyber-physical systems for facilities management – a Delphi approachhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0230/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe quest for improved facilities management (FM) delivery is receiving immense focus through the incorporation of innovative technologies such as cyber-physical systems (CPS). The system’s high computational capabilities can aid in the abatement of some of the challenges plaguing FM functions. However, the requisite ingredients for the uptake of the system for FM have still not gained scholarly attention. Because performance measurement is a vital index in determining the outcome of FM methods, this study aims to investigate the influence of performance measurement indicators that are influential to the uptake of CPS for delivering FM functions. A qualitative technique was adopted using the Delphi technique. The panel of experts for the study was selected through a well-defined process based on stipulated criteria. The experts gave their opinions in two rounds before consensus was attained on the identified performance measurement indicators, whereas methods of data analysis were measures of central tendency, inter-quartile deviation and Mann–Whitney U test. Results from this study showed that 11 of the performance indicators were of very high significance in the determination of the uptake of CPS for FM functions, whereas 5 of the indicators were proven to be of high significance. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference in the opinions of the experts based on their affiliation with academic institutions and professional practice. The findings of this study contribute practically by aiding policymakers, facility managers and relevant stakeholders with the vital knowledge of delivery mandates for efficient FM services that can spur the uptake of digital technologies such as CPS. This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it unveils a roadmap of the expected performance output and its accompanying evaluation that would drive the adoption of a promising technology such as CPS in the delivery of FM tasks.Performance measurement indicators influential to the espousal of cyber-physical systems for facilities management – a Delphi approach
Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.124-142

The quest for improved facilities management (FM) delivery is receiving immense focus through the incorporation of innovative technologies such as cyber-physical systems (CPS). The system’s high computational capabilities can aid in the abatement of some of the challenges plaguing FM functions. However, the requisite ingredients for the uptake of the system for FM have still not gained scholarly attention. Because performance measurement is a vital index in determining the outcome of FM methods, this study aims to investigate the influence of performance measurement indicators that are influential to the uptake of CPS for delivering FM functions.

A qualitative technique was adopted using the Delphi technique. The panel of experts for the study was selected through a well-defined process based on stipulated criteria. The experts gave their opinions in two rounds before consensus was attained on the identified performance measurement indicators, whereas methods of data analysis were measures of central tendency, inter-quartile deviation and Mann–Whitney U test.

Results from this study showed that 11 of the performance indicators were of very high significance in the determination of the uptake of CPS for FM functions, whereas 5 of the indicators were proven to be of high significance. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference in the opinions of the experts based on their affiliation with academic institutions and professional practice.

The findings of this study contribute practically by aiding policymakers, facility managers and relevant stakeholders with the vital knowledge of delivery mandates for efficient FM services that can spur the uptake of digital technologies such as CPS.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it unveils a roadmap of the expected performance output and its accompanying evaluation that would drive the adoption of a promising technology such as CPS in the delivery of FM tasks.

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Performance measurement indicators influential to the espousal of cyber-physical systems for facilities management – a Delphi approach10.1108/CI-09-2022-0230Construction Innovation2023-03-21© 2023 Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba and Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke.Matthew IkuabeClinton Ohis AigbavboaChimay AnumbaAyodeji Emmanuel OkeConstruction Innovation2472023-03-2110.1108/CI-09-2022-0230https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0230/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba and Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Industrialized house building productivity growthhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0097/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this paper is to understand if and how industrialized house building (IHB) could support productivity developments for housebuilding on project and industry levels. The take is that fragmentation of construction is one explanation for the lack of productivity growth, and that IHB could be an integrating method of overcoming horizontal and vertical fragmentation. Singe-factor productivity measures are calculated based on data reported by IHB companies and compared to official produced and published research data. The survey covers the years 2013–2020 for IHB companies building multi-storey houses in timber. Generalization is sought through descriptive statistics by contrasting the data samples to the used means to control vertical and horizontal fragmentation formulated as three theoretical propositions. According to the results, IHB in timber is on average more productive than conventional housebuilding at the company level, project level, in absolute and in growth terms over the eight-year period. On the company level, the labour productivity was on average 10% higher for IHB compared to general construction and positioned between general construction and general manufacturing. On the project level, IHB displayed an average cost productivity growth of 19% for an employed prefabrication degree of about 45%. Empirical evidence is presented quantifying so far perceived advantages of IHB. By providing analysis of actual cost and project data derived from IHB companies, the article quantifies previous research that IHB is not only about prefabrication. The observed positive productivity growth in relation to the employed prefabrication degree indicates that off-site production is not a sufficient mean for reaching high productivity and productivity growth. Instead, the capabilities to integrate the operative logic of conventional housebuilding together with logic of IHB platform development and use is a probable explanation of the observed positive productivity growth.Industrialized house building productivity growth
Lars Stehn, Alexander Jimenez
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.143-162

The purpose of this paper is to understand if and how industrialized house building (IHB) could support productivity developments for housebuilding on project and industry levels. The take is that fragmentation of construction is one explanation for the lack of productivity growth, and that IHB could be an integrating method of overcoming horizontal and vertical fragmentation.

Singe-factor productivity measures are calculated based on data reported by IHB companies and compared to official produced and published research data. The survey covers the years 2013–2020 for IHB companies building multi-storey houses in timber. Generalization is sought through descriptive statistics by contrasting the data samples to the used means to control vertical and horizontal fragmentation formulated as three theoretical propositions.

According to the results, IHB in timber is on average more productive than conventional housebuilding at the company level, project level, in absolute and in growth terms over the eight-year period. On the company level, the labour productivity was on average 10% higher for IHB compared to general construction and positioned between general construction and general manufacturing. On the project level, IHB displayed an average cost productivity growth of 19% for an employed prefabrication degree of about 45%.

Empirical evidence is presented quantifying so far perceived advantages of IHB. By providing analysis of actual cost and project data derived from IHB companies, the article quantifies previous research that IHB is not only about prefabrication. The observed positive productivity growth in relation to the employed prefabrication degree indicates that off-site production is not a sufficient mean for reaching high productivity and productivity growth. Instead, the capabilities to integrate the operative logic of conventional housebuilding together with logic of IHB platform development and use is a probable explanation of the observed positive productivity growth.

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Industrialized house building productivity growth10.1108/CI-04-2022-0097Construction Innovation2023-05-03© 2023 Lars Stehn and Alexander JimenezLars StehnAlexander JimenezConstruction Innovation2472023-05-0310.1108/CI-04-2022-0097https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0097/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Lars Stehn and Alexander Jimenezhttp://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Identifying latent classes to successful AEC innovation through a survey of Finnish construction companieshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0002/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive performance and vital to the long-term success of any organisation and company. Using finite mixture structural equation modelling (FMSEM), the authors have classified innovation logic into latent classes. The method analyses and recognises classes for companies that have similar logic in innovation activities based on the collected data. Through FMSEM analysis, the authors have identified three latent classes that explain the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies – LC1: the internal innovators; LC2: the non-innovation-oriented introverts; and LC3: the innovation-oriented extroverts. These three latent classes clearly capture the perceptions within the industry as well as the different characteristics and variables. The presented latent classes explain innovation logic but is limited to analysing Finnish companies. Also, the research is quantitative by nature and does not increase the understanding in the same manner as qualitative research might capture on more specific aspects. This paper presents starting points for construction industry companies to intensify innovation activities. It may also indicate more fundamental changes for the structure of construction industry organisations, especially by enabling innovation friendly culture. This study describes innovation logic in Finnish construction companies through three models (LC1–LC3) by using quantitative data analysed with the FMSEM method. The fundamental innovation challenges in the Finnish construction companies are clarified via the identified latent classes.Identifying latent classes to successful AEC innovation through a survey of Finnish construction companies
Kai Hänninen, Jouni Juntunen, Harri Haapasalo
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.163-187

The purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive performance and vital to the long-term success of any organisation and company.

Using finite mixture structural equation modelling (FMSEM), the authors have classified innovation logic into latent classes. The method analyses and recognises classes for companies that have similar logic in innovation activities based on the collected data.

Through FMSEM analysis, the authors have identified three latent classes that explain the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies – LC1: the internal innovators; LC2: the non-innovation-oriented introverts; and LC3: the innovation-oriented extroverts. These three latent classes clearly capture the perceptions within the industry as well as the different characteristics and variables.

The presented latent classes explain innovation logic but is limited to analysing Finnish companies. Also, the research is quantitative by nature and does not increase the understanding in the same manner as qualitative research might capture on more specific aspects.

This paper presents starting points for construction industry companies to intensify innovation activities. It may also indicate more fundamental changes for the structure of construction industry organisations, especially by enabling innovation friendly culture.

This study describes innovation logic in Finnish construction companies through three models (LC1–LC3) by using quantitative data analysed with the FMSEM method. The fundamental innovation challenges in the Finnish construction companies are clarified via the identified latent classes.

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Identifying latent classes to successful AEC innovation through a survey of Finnish construction companies10.1108/CI-01-2023-0002Construction Innovation2023-05-15© 2023 Kai Hänninen, Jouni Juntunen and Harri Haapasalo.Kai HänninenJouni JuntunenHarri HaapasaloConstruction Innovation2472023-05-1510.1108/CI-01-2023-0002https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0002/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Kai Hänninen, Jouni Juntunen and Harri Haapasalo.
Integrating lean construction with BIM and sustainability: a comparative study of challenges, enablers, techniques, and benefitshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0023/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry has considerably evolved in the recent two decades due to the emergence of sustainability, lean construction (LC) and building information modelling (BIM). Despite previous research efforts, there is still a gap concerning the multidimensional nature of their integration. Hence, this study aims to fill the mentioned knowledge gap through exploring and comparing the challenges, enablers, techniques as well as benefits of integrating LC with BIM and sustainability in building construction projects. A systematic literature review was conducted to fulfill the purpose of this study. The findings reveal and compare the challenges, enablers, techniques and benefits of integrating LC with BIM and sustainability in building construction projects. The results suggest that there are eight common challenges for integrating LC with BIM and sustainability, including high initial cost, lack of collaboration, lack of professionals and lack of compatible contractual framework. The discovered challenges, enablers, techniques and benefits seem to be mostly routed in people. The findings also suggest that the synergistic benefits of integrating LC with BIM and sustainability can overcome the common challenges (safety, reliability, productivity, collaboration and quality) in construction projects. The findings contribute to the literature and practice concerning the integration of LC with BIM and sustainability by exploring, comparing and discussing the relevant challenges, enablers, techniques as well as benefits. Moreover, the findings reveal the significance of the development of people in construction industry, besides processes and technology, as people are always subject of activities in construction while processes and technology are always objects.Integrating lean construction with BIM and sustainability: a comparative study of challenges, enablers, techniques, and benefits
Sina Moradi, Piia Sormunen
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.188-203

The construction industry has considerably evolved in the recent two decades due to the emergence of sustainability, lean construction (LC) and building information modelling (BIM). Despite previous research efforts, there is still a gap concerning the multidimensional nature of their integration. Hence, this study aims to fill the mentioned knowledge gap through exploring and comparing the challenges, enablers, techniques as well as benefits of integrating LC with BIM and sustainability in building construction projects.

A systematic literature review was conducted to fulfill the purpose of this study.

The findings reveal and compare the challenges, enablers, techniques and benefits of integrating LC with BIM and sustainability in building construction projects. The results suggest that there are eight common challenges for integrating LC with BIM and sustainability, including high initial cost, lack of collaboration, lack of professionals and lack of compatible contractual framework. The discovered challenges, enablers, techniques and benefits seem to be mostly routed in people. The findings also suggest that the synergistic benefits of integrating LC with BIM and sustainability can overcome the common challenges (safety, reliability, productivity, collaboration and quality) in construction projects.

The findings contribute to the literature and practice concerning the integration of LC with BIM and sustainability by exploring, comparing and discussing the relevant challenges, enablers, techniques as well as benefits. Moreover, the findings reveal the significance of the development of people in construction industry, besides processes and technology, as people are always subject of activities in construction while processes and technology are always objects.

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Integrating lean construction with BIM and sustainability: a comparative study of challenges, enablers, techniques, and benefits10.1108/CI-02-2023-0023Construction Innovation2023-05-26© 2023 Sina Moradi and Piia Sormunen.Sina MoradiPiia SormunenConstruction Innovation2472023-05-2610.1108/CI-02-2023-0023https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0023/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Sina Moradi and Piia Sormunen.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Implementation of circular economy in construction projects: a procurement strategy approachhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0327/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits and challenges of implementing circular economy (CE), as well as shed light on the influence of procurement strategy in CE implementation in construction projects. A qualitative research approach with abductive reasoning was adopted. The empirical data were collected from the construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results reveal that clients, consultants and contractors have limited awareness, knowledge and motivation to implement CE in construction projects. The absence of incentives to design projects following CE principles, lack of involvement of contractors and suppliers, non-use of materials that use CE principles and current procurement strategies are the main challenges for the implementation of CE in the UAE. Previous research offers limited knowledge on CE and its implementation in construction projects particularly from a procurement strategy perspective. The findings of the study provide new knowledge of the benefits, challenges and role of procurement strategy for implementing CE. It is suggested that collaborative and partnering-based procurement methods are needed to facilitate the effective implementation of CE.Implementation of circular economy in construction projects: a procurement strategy approach
Siraj Ahmed, Jukka Majava, Kirsi Aaltonen
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.204-222

The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits and challenges of implementing circular economy (CE), as well as shed light on the influence of procurement strategy in CE implementation in construction projects.

A qualitative research approach with abductive reasoning was adopted. The empirical data were collected from the construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The results reveal that clients, consultants and contractors have limited awareness, knowledge and motivation to implement CE in construction projects. The absence of incentives to design projects following CE principles, lack of involvement of contractors and suppliers, non-use of materials that use CE principles and current procurement strategies are the main challenges for the implementation of CE in the UAE.

Previous research offers limited knowledge on CE and its implementation in construction projects particularly from a procurement strategy perspective. The findings of the study provide new knowledge of the benefits, challenges and role of procurement strategy for implementing CE. It is suggested that collaborative and partnering-based procurement methods are needed to facilitate the effective implementation of CE.

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Implementation of circular economy in construction projects: a procurement strategy approach10.1108/CI-12-2022-0327Construction Innovation2023-07-03© 2023 Siraj Ahmed, Jukka Majava and Kirsi Aaltonen.Siraj AhmedJukka MajavaKirsi AaltonenConstruction Innovation2472023-07-0310.1108/CI-12-2022-0327https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0327/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Siraj Ahmed, Jukka Majava and Kirsi Aaltonen.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Organizing construction logistics outsourcing: a logistics strategy perspectivehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0017/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry shows an increased interest in how to manage logistics within construction projects. Often construction logistics is outsourced to a logistics service provider (LSP). However, construction logistics is normally approached either as a strategic decision or as an operational issue and rarely as a tactical concern. The purpose of this study is to explore how to organize the logistics outsourcing decision at strategic, tactical and operational levels. This study is performed as a single-case study within a construction corporation, containing (amongst others) a building contractor (BC) and a construction equipment rental company (CERC) offering logistics services. The study shows that to procure construction logistics service successfully, BCs need logistics capabilities at strategic and tactical levels to maintain an alignment between the use of logistics services and operational characteristics. Simultaneously, CERC’s need to design their service offerings to correspond to the needs of the BC. This study builds on a single-case study of a Swedish construction corporation. Further research is needed to better understand current logistics outsourcing and development practices and how these can be improved to foster better logistics management at the project level. BCs find suggestions of different logistics organization structures and suitable outsourcing arrangements. CERCs and LSPs can use the findings to understand their customers’ needs and adapt service offerings. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first studies of how two companies within a corporation can work together to develop construction logistics service offerings.Organizing construction logistics outsourcing: a logistics strategy perspective
Petter Haglund, Mats Janné
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.223-238

The construction industry shows an increased interest in how to manage logistics within construction projects. Often construction logistics is outsourced to a logistics service provider (LSP). However, construction logistics is normally approached either as a strategic decision or as an operational issue and rarely as a tactical concern. The purpose of this study is to explore how to organize the logistics outsourcing decision at strategic, tactical and operational levels.

This study is performed as a single-case study within a construction corporation, containing (amongst others) a building contractor (BC) and a construction equipment rental company (CERC) offering logistics services.

The study shows that to procure construction logistics service successfully, BCs need logistics capabilities at strategic and tactical levels to maintain an alignment between the use of logistics services and operational characteristics. Simultaneously, CERC’s need to design their service offerings to correspond to the needs of the BC.

This study builds on a single-case study of a Swedish construction corporation. Further research is needed to better understand current logistics outsourcing and development practices and how these can be improved to foster better logistics management at the project level.

BCs find suggestions of different logistics organization structures and suitable outsourcing arrangements. CERCs and LSPs can use the findings to understand their customers’ needs and adapt service offerings.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first studies of how two companies within a corporation can work together to develop construction logistics service offerings.

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Organizing construction logistics outsourcing: a logistics strategy perspective10.1108/CI-01-2023-0017Construction Innovation2023-06-26© 2023 Petter Haglund and Mats Janné.Petter HaglundMats JannéConstruction Innovation2472023-06-2610.1108/CI-01-2023-0017https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0017/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Petter Haglund and Mats Janné.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Clients as drivers of innovation in the infrastructure sector: implications of hard and soft project management approacheshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2022-0001/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestBy adopting the “hard” and “soft” project management (PM) approaches from the PM-literature, this paper aims to problematize the expected role of client organizations in driving innovation in the transport infrastructure sector. Addressing a large public client in Sweden, a case study design was initially applied to provide in-depth insights and perspectives of client project managers’ views and experiences of managing projects expected to drive innovation. In this paper, the concepts of “hard” and “soft” are used to discuss empirical findings on challenges associated with adopting a PM-approach for driving innovation in projects. The empirical material consists of interview data, complemented with observations and archival data. Findings reveal challenges associated with combining hard and soft approaches, frequently demonstrating difficulties in balancing short-term project expectations with the promotion of innovation. In line with the literature, project managers note that there is a need for soft approaches to promote development and drive innovation. Yet, findings reflect a situation in which operational success criteria predominate, whereas soft approaches are not sufficiently used to create the grounds required for fostering innovation. Insights are provided into how PM-approaches may impact construction innovation in the infrastructure sector, demonstrating a need for further research on the challenges and implications of applying and combining hard and soft PM-approaches.Clients as drivers of innovation in the infrastructure sector: implications of hard and soft project management approaches
Jacob Guerrero, Susanne Engström
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.239-256

By adopting the “hard” and “soft” project management (PM) approaches from the PM-literature, this paper aims to problematize the expected role of client organizations in driving innovation in the transport infrastructure sector.

Addressing a large public client in Sweden, a case study design was initially applied to provide in-depth insights and perspectives of client project managers’ views and experiences of managing projects expected to drive innovation. In this paper, the concepts of “hard” and “soft” are used to discuss empirical findings on challenges associated with adopting a PM-approach for driving innovation in projects. The empirical material consists of interview data, complemented with observations and archival data.

Findings reveal challenges associated with combining hard and soft approaches, frequently demonstrating difficulties in balancing short-term project expectations with the promotion of innovation. In line with the literature, project managers note that there is a need for soft approaches to promote development and drive innovation. Yet, findings reflect a situation in which operational success criteria predominate, whereas soft approaches are not sufficiently used to create the grounds required for fostering innovation.

Insights are provided into how PM-approaches may impact construction innovation in the infrastructure sector, demonstrating a need for further research on the challenges and implications of applying and combining hard and soft PM-approaches.

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Clients as drivers of innovation in the infrastructure sector: implications of hard and soft project management approaches10.1108/CI-01-2022-0001Construction Innovation2023-08-01© 2023 Jacob Guerrero and Susanne Engström.Jacob GuerreroSusanne EngströmConstruction Innovation2472023-08-0110.1108/CI-01-2022-0001https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2022-0001/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Jacob Guerrero and Susanne Engström.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Cyber-physical systems for facilities management: a Delphi study on the propelling measureshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0063/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThrough its advanced computational capabilities, cyber–physical systems (CPS) proffer solutions to some of the cultural challenges plaguing the effective delivery of facilities management (FM) mandates. This study aims to explore the drivers for the uptake of CPS for FM functions using a qualitative approach – the Delphi technique. Using the Delphi technique, the study selected experts through a well-defined process entailing a pre-determined set of criteria. The experts gave their opinions in two iterations which were subjected to statistical analyses such as the measure of central tendency and interquartile deviation in ascertaining consensus among the experts and the Mann–Whitney U test in establishing if there is a difference in the opinions given by the experts. The study’s findings show that six of the identified drivers of the uptake of CPS for FM were attributed to be of very high significance, while 12 were of high significance. Furthermore, it was revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in the opinions given by experts in professional practice and academia. The study’s outcome provides the requisite insight into the propelling measures for the uptake of CPS for FM by organisations and, by extension, aiding digital transformation for effective FM delivery. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, evidence from the literature suggests that no study has showcased the drivers of the incorporation of CPS for FM. Hence, this study fills this gap in knowledge by unravelling the significant propelling measures of the integration of CPS for FM functions.Cyber-physical systems for facilities management: a Delphi study on the propelling measures
Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.257-272

Through its advanced computational capabilities, cyber–physical systems (CPS) proffer solutions to some of the cultural challenges plaguing the effective delivery of facilities management (FM) mandates. This study aims to explore the drivers for the uptake of CPS for FM functions using a qualitative approach – the Delphi technique.

Using the Delphi technique, the study selected experts through a well-defined process entailing a pre-determined set of criteria. The experts gave their opinions in two iterations which were subjected to statistical analyses such as the measure of central tendency and interquartile deviation in ascertaining consensus among the experts and the Mann–Whitney U test in establishing if there is a difference in the opinions given by the experts.

The study’s findings show that six of the identified drivers of the uptake of CPS for FM were attributed to be of very high significance, while 12 were of high significance. Furthermore, it was revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in the opinions given by experts in professional practice and academia.

The study’s outcome provides the requisite insight into the propelling measures for the uptake of CPS for FM by organisations and, by extension, aiding digital transformation for effective FM delivery.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, evidence from the literature suggests that no study has showcased the drivers of the incorporation of CPS for FM. Hence, this study fills this gap in knowledge by unravelling the significant propelling measures of the integration of CPS for FM functions.

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Cyber-physical systems for facilities management: a Delphi study on the propelling measures10.1108/CI-04-2023-0063Construction Innovation2023-08-16© 2023 Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba and Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke.Matthew IkuabeClinton AigbavboaChimay AnumbaAyodeji Emmanuel OkeConstruction Innovation2472023-08-1610.1108/CI-04-2023-0063https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0063/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Aigbavboa, Chimay Anumba and Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke.
Digital transformation of the wood construction supply chain through building information modelling: current state of practicehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2023-0124/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to present a state-of-the-art review of building information modelling (BIM) in the Swedish construction practice with a focus on wood construction. It focuses on examining the extent, maturity and actual practices of BIM in the Swedish wood construction industry, by analysing practitioners’ perspectives on the current state of BIM and its perceived benefits. A qualitative approach was selected, given the study’s exploratory character. Initially, an extensive review was undertaken to examine the current state of BIM utilisation and its associated advantages within the construction industry. Subsequently, empirical data were acquired through semi-structured interviews featuring open-ended questions, aimed at comprehensively assessing the prevailing extent of BIM integration within the Swedish wood construction sector. The research concluded that the wood construction industry in Sweden is shifting towards BIM on different levels, where in some cases, the level of implementation is still modest. It should be emphasised that the wood construction industry in Sweden is not realising the full potential of BIM. The industry is still using a combination of BIM and traditional methods, thus, limiting the benefits that full BIM implementation could offer the industry. This study provided empirical evidence on the current perceptions and state of practice of the Swedish wood construction industry regarding BIM maturity.Digital transformation of the wood construction supply chain through building information modelling: current state of practice
Lina Gharaibeh, Sandra Matarneh, Kristina Eriksson, Björn Lantz
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.273-291

This study aims to present a state-of-the-art review of building information modelling (BIM) in the Swedish construction practice with a focus on wood construction. It focuses on examining the extent, maturity and actual practices of BIM in the Swedish wood construction industry, by analysing practitioners’ perspectives on the current state of BIM and its perceived benefits.

A qualitative approach was selected, given the study’s exploratory character. Initially, an extensive review was undertaken to examine the current state of BIM utilisation and its associated advantages within the construction industry. Subsequently, empirical data were acquired through semi-structured interviews featuring open-ended questions, aimed at comprehensively assessing the prevailing extent of BIM integration within the Swedish wood construction sector.

The research concluded that the wood construction industry in Sweden is shifting towards BIM on different levels, where in some cases, the level of implementation is still modest. It should be emphasised that the wood construction industry in Sweden is not realising the full potential of BIM. The industry is still using a combination of BIM and traditional methods, thus, limiting the benefits that full BIM implementation could offer the industry.

This study provided empirical evidence on the current perceptions and state of practice of the Swedish wood construction industry regarding BIM maturity.

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Digital transformation of the wood construction supply chain through building information modelling: current state of practice10.1108/CI-05-2023-0124Construction Innovation2023-12-01© 2023 Lina Gharaibeh, Sandra Matarneh, Kristina Eriksson and Björn Lantz.Lina GharaibehSandra MatarnehKristina ErikssonBjörn LantzConstruction Innovation2472023-12-0110.1108/CI-05-2023-0124https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2023-0124/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Lina Gharaibeh, Sandra Matarneh, Kristina Eriksson and Björn Lantz.
Automation of text document classification in the budgeting phase of the Construction process: a Systematic Literature Reviewhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0315/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to review recent advances towards the implementation of ANN and NLP applications during the budgeting phase of the construction process. During this phase, construction companies must assess the scope of each task and map the client’s expectations to an internal database of tasks, resources and costs. Quantity surveyors carry out this assessment manually with little to no computer aid, within very austere time constraints, even though these results determine the company’s bid quality and are contractually binding. This paper seeks to compile applications of machine learning (ML) and natural language processing in the architectural engineering and construction sector to find which methodologies can assist this assessment. The paper carries out a systematic literature review, following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, to survey the main scientific contributions within the topic of text classification (TC) for budgeting in construction. This work concludes that it is necessary to develop data sets that represent the variety of tasks in construction, achieve higher accuracy algorithms, widen the scope of their application and reduce the need for expert validation of the results. Although full automation is not within reach in the short term, TC algorithms can provide helpful support tools. Given the increasing interest in ML for construction and recent developments, the findings disclosed in this paper contribute to the body of knowledge, provide a more automated perspective on budgeting in construction and break ground for further implementation of text-based ML in budgeting for construction.Automation of text document classification in the budgeting phase of the Construction process: a Systematic Literature Review
Luís Jacques de Sousa, João Poças Martins, Luís Sanhudo, João Santos Baptista
Construction Innovation, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp.292-318

This study aims to review recent advances towards the implementation of ANN and NLP applications during the budgeting phase of the construction process. During this phase, construction companies must assess the scope of each task and map the client’s expectations to an internal database of tasks, resources and costs. Quantity surveyors carry out this assessment manually with little to no computer aid, within very austere time constraints, even though these results determine the company’s bid quality and are contractually binding.

This paper seeks to compile applications of machine learning (ML) and natural language processing in the architectural engineering and construction sector to find which methodologies can assist this assessment. The paper carries out a systematic literature review, following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, to survey the main scientific contributions within the topic of text classification (TC) for budgeting in construction.

This work concludes that it is necessary to develop data sets that represent the variety of tasks in construction, achieve higher accuracy algorithms, widen the scope of their application and reduce the need for expert validation of the results. Although full automation is not within reach in the short term, TC algorithms can provide helpful support tools.

Given the increasing interest in ML for construction and recent developments, the findings disclosed in this paper contribute to the body of knowledge, provide a more automated perspective on budgeting in construction and break ground for further implementation of text-based ML in budgeting for construction.

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Automation of text document classification in the budgeting phase of the Construction process: a Systematic Literature Review10.1108/CI-12-2022-0315Construction Innovation2024-01-23© 2024 Luís Jacques de Sousa, João Poças Martins, Luís Sanhudo and João Santos Baptista.Luís Jacques de SousaJoão Poças MartinsLuís SanhudoJoão Santos BaptistaConstruction Innovation2472024-01-2310.1108/CI-12-2022-0315https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0315/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Luís Jacques de Sousa, João Poças Martins, Luís Sanhudo and João Santos Baptista.http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
Modeling the relationship between value management implementation phases, critical success factors and overall project successhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2022-0018/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to develop an overall project success (OPS) model by investigating the mediation impact of value management (VM) implementation between VM critical success factors (CSFs) and OPS as well as the moderation impact of VM CSFs between VM implementation and OPS. In total, 335 structured questionnaires were administered to relevant stakeholders in the study area. The research used a partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to model the relationship among VM implementation, CSFs and OPS. The results revealed that there is an indirect positive and significant correlation among the variables. The model prediction analysis also significantly impacted with 59.9% on OPS by setting VM implementation as a mediator variable and 61% by setting VM CSFs as a moderation variable. This research work will serve as a guide or benchmark for decision-makers who want to use VM to improve the success of their building projects. This study fills the knowledge gap by identifying and emphasizing the impact of VM CSFs and activities on OPS.Modeling the relationship between value management implementation phases, critical success factors and overall project success
Ahmed Farouk Kineber, Idris Othman, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, Nicholas Chileshe, Tarek Zayed
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to develop an overall project success (OPS) model by investigating the mediation impact of value management (VM) implementation between VM critical success factors (CSFs) and OPS as well as the moderation impact of VM CSFs between VM implementation and OPS.

In total, 335 structured questionnaires were administered to relevant stakeholders in the study area. The research used a partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to model the relationship among VM implementation, CSFs and OPS.

The results revealed that there is an indirect positive and significant correlation among the variables. The model prediction analysis also significantly impacted with 59.9% on OPS by setting VM implementation as a mediator variable and 61% by setting VM CSFs as a moderation variable.

This research work will serve as a guide or benchmark for decision-makers who want to use VM to improve the success of their building projects.

This study fills the knowledge gap by identifying and emphasizing the impact of VM CSFs and activities on OPS.

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Modeling the relationship between value management implementation phases, critical success factors and overall project success10.1108/CI-01-2022-0018Construction Innovation2023-04-04© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAhmed Farouk KineberIdris OthmanAyodeji Emmanuel OkeNicholas ChilesheTarek ZayedConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-0410.1108/CI-01-2022-0018https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2022-0018/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Exploring innovation deployment of construction contracting firms through the lens of exploratory–exploitative learning: a Hong Kong case studyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0004/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to explore the innovation deployment of construction contracting firms through exploratory–exploitative learning and organisational ambidexterity. Firstly, a literature-based conceptual framework was developed to explain innovation implementation through exploratory–exploitative learning and organisational ambidexterity. A prominent Hong Kong construction contracting firm was then selected as the case study to explore its innovation deployment at different organisational levels (i.e. firm and project levels). Qualitative data were attained by conducting 12 semi-structured interviews with industry experts and document analysis. The thematic analysis using NVivo 12 software was adopted to analyse data. Findings reveal that the case study firm successfully fosters innovation when ambidexterity is achieved through the balance between exploratory (i.e. radical innovation) and exploitative learnings (i.e. incremental innovation). Establishing uniform ambidexterity (i.e. 50:50) at the firm or project level is not mandatory to deploy innovation successfully. The ratio can vary based on the characteristics and requirements of construction firms. This paper shall motivate construction practitioners to adopt radical–incremental innovation ambidexterity in firms and ultimately enhance the productivity and efficiency of the construction industry. Previous construction innovation research has frequently explored firm or project-level innovation separately. This study identified a multi-level focus on innovation. Through the lens of exploratory–exploitative theory, different forms of innovation ambidexterity for different levels are suggested rather than one specific ambidexterity.Exploring innovation deployment of construction contracting firms through the lens of exploratory–exploitative learning: a Hong Kong case study
Nipuni Sumanarathna, Bismark Duodu, Shoeb Ahmed Memon, Steve Rowlinson
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to explore the innovation deployment of construction contracting firms through exploratory–exploitative learning and organisational ambidexterity.

Firstly, a literature-based conceptual framework was developed to explain innovation implementation through exploratory–exploitative learning and organisational ambidexterity. A prominent Hong Kong construction contracting firm was then selected as the case study to explore its innovation deployment at different organisational levels (i.e. firm and project levels). Qualitative data were attained by conducting 12 semi-structured interviews with industry experts and document analysis. The thematic analysis using NVivo 12 software was adopted to analyse data.

Findings reveal that the case study firm successfully fosters innovation when ambidexterity is achieved through the balance between exploratory (i.e. radical innovation) and exploitative learnings (i.e. incremental innovation).

Establishing uniform ambidexterity (i.e. 50:50) at the firm or project level is not mandatory to deploy innovation successfully. The ratio can vary based on the characteristics and requirements of construction firms.

This paper shall motivate construction practitioners to adopt radical–incremental innovation ambidexterity in firms and ultimately enhance the productivity and efficiency of the construction industry.

Previous construction innovation research has frequently explored firm or project-level innovation separately. This study identified a multi-level focus on innovation. Through the lens of exploratory–exploitative theory, different forms of innovation ambidexterity for different levels are suggested rather than one specific ambidexterity.

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Exploring innovation deployment of construction contracting firms through the lens of exploratory–exploitative learning: a Hong Kong case study10.1108/CI-01-2023-0004Construction Innovation2023-06-28© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedNipuni SumanarathnaBismark DuoduShoeb Ahmed MemonSteve RowlinsonConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-2810.1108/CI-01-2023-0004https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0004/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A deep convolutional neural network for predicting electricity consumption at Grey Nuns building in Canadahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0005/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe energy efficiency of buildings has been emphasized along with the continual development in the building and construction sector that consumes a significant amount of energy. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to forecast energy consumption to improve energy resource planning and management. This study proposes the application of the convolutional neural network (CNN) for estimating the electricity consumption in the Grey Nuns building in Canada. The performance of the proposed model is compared against that of long short-term memory (LSTM) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks. The models are trained and tested using monthly electricity consumption records (i.e. from May 2009 to December 2021) available from Concordia’s facility department. Statistical measures (e.g. determination coefficient [R2], root mean squared error [RMSE], mean absolute error [MAE] and mean absolute percentage error [MAPE]) are used to evaluate the outcomes of models. The results reveal that the CNN model outperforms the other model predictions for 6 and 12 months ahead. It enhances the performance metrics reported by the LSTM and MLP models concerning the R2, RMSE, MAE and MAPE by more than 4%, 6%, 42% and 46%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed model uses the available data to predict the electricity consumption for 6 and 12 months ahead. In June and December 2022, the overall electricity consumption is estimated to be 195,312 kWh and 254,737 kWh, respectively. This study discusses the development of an effective time-series model that can forecast future electricity consumption in a Canadian heritage building. Deep learning techniques are being used for the first time to anticipate the electricity consumption of the Grey Nuns building in Canada. Additionally, it evaluates the effectiveness of deep learning and machine learning methods for predicting electricity consumption using established performance indicators. Recognizing electricity consumption in buildings is beneficial for utility providers, facility managers and end users by improving energy and environmental efficiency.A deep convolutional neural network for predicting electricity consumption at Grey Nuns building in Canada
Nehal Elshaboury, Eslam Mohammed Abdelkader, Abobakr Al-Sakkaf, Ashutosh Bagchi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The energy efficiency of buildings has been emphasized along with the continual development in the building and construction sector that consumes a significant amount of energy. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to forecast energy consumption to improve energy resource planning and management.

This study proposes the application of the convolutional neural network (CNN) for estimating the electricity consumption in the Grey Nuns building in Canada. The performance of the proposed model is compared against that of long short-term memory (LSTM) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks. The models are trained and tested using monthly electricity consumption records (i.e. from May 2009 to December 2021) available from Concordia’s facility department. Statistical measures (e.g. determination coefficient [R2], root mean squared error [RMSE], mean absolute error [MAE] and mean absolute percentage error [MAPE]) are used to evaluate the outcomes of models.

The results reveal that the CNN model outperforms the other model predictions for 6 and 12 months ahead. It enhances the performance metrics reported by the LSTM and MLP models concerning the R2, RMSE, MAE and MAPE by more than 4%, 6%, 42% and 46%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed model uses the available data to predict the electricity consumption for 6 and 12 months ahead. In June and December 2022, the overall electricity consumption is estimated to be 195,312 kWh and 254,737 kWh, respectively.

This study discusses the development of an effective time-series model that can forecast future electricity consumption in a Canadian heritage building. Deep learning techniques are being used for the first time to anticipate the electricity consumption of the Grey Nuns building in Canada. Additionally, it evaluates the effectiveness of deep learning and machine learning methods for predicting electricity consumption using established performance indicators. Recognizing electricity consumption in buildings is beneficial for utility providers, facility managers and end users by improving energy and environmental efficiency.

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A deep convolutional neural network for predicting electricity consumption at Grey Nuns building in Canada10.1108/CI-01-2023-0005Construction Innovation2023-04-25© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedNehal ElshabouryEslam Mohammed AbdelkaderAbobakr Al-SakkafAshutosh BagchiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-2510.1108/CI-01-2023-0005https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0005/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Longitudinal analysis of interorganizational collaborative networks of cross-laminated timber (CLT) constructionhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0012/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestCross-laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative construction material that provides a balanced mix of structural stiffness, fabrication flexibility and sustainability. CLT development and innovation diffusion require close collaborations between its supply chain architectural, engineering, construction and manufacturing (AECM) stakeholders. As such, the purpose of this study is to provide a preliminary understanding of the knowledge diffusion and innovation process of CLT construction. The study implemented a longitudinal social network analysis of the AECM companies involved in 100 CLT projects in the UK. The project data were acquired from an industry publication and decoded in the form of a multimode project-company network, which was projected into a single-mode company collaborative network. This complete network was filtered into a four-phase network to allow the longitudinal analysis of the CLT collaborations over time. A set of network and node social network analysis metrics was used to characterize the topology patters of the network and the centrality of the companies. The study highlighted the scale-free structure of the CLT collaborative network that depends on the influential hubs of timber manufacturers, engineers and contractors to accelerate the innovation diffusion. However, such CLT supply collaborative network structure is more vulnerable to disruptions due to its dependence on these few prominent hubs. Also, the industry collaborative network’s decreased modularity confirms the maturity of the CLT technology and the formation of cohesive clusters of innovation partners. The macro analysis approach of the study highlighted the critical role of supply chain upstream stakeholders due to their higher centralities in the collaborative network. Stronger collaborations were found between the supply chain upstream stakeholders (timber manufacturers) and downstream stakeholders (architects and main contractors). The study contributes to the field of industrialized and CLT construction by characterizing the collaborative networks between CLT supply chain stakeholders that are critical to propose governmental policies and industry initiatives to advance this sustainable construction material.Longitudinal analysis of interorganizational collaborative networks of cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction
Hisham Said, Aswathy Rajagopalan, Daniel M. Hall
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative construction material that provides a balanced mix of structural stiffness, fabrication flexibility and sustainability. CLT development and innovation diffusion require close collaborations between its supply chain architectural, engineering, construction and manufacturing (AECM) stakeholders. As such, the purpose of this study is to provide a preliminary understanding of the knowledge diffusion and innovation process of CLT construction.

The study implemented a longitudinal social network analysis of the AECM companies involved in 100 CLT projects in the UK. The project data were acquired from an industry publication and decoded in the form of a multimode project-company network, which was projected into a single-mode company collaborative network. This complete network was filtered into a four-phase network to allow the longitudinal analysis of the CLT collaborations over time. A set of network and node social network analysis metrics was used to characterize the topology patters of the network and the centrality of the companies.

The study highlighted the scale-free structure of the CLT collaborative network that depends on the influential hubs of timber manufacturers, engineers and contractors to accelerate the innovation diffusion. However, such CLT supply collaborative network structure is more vulnerable to disruptions due to its dependence on these few prominent hubs. Also, the industry collaborative network’s decreased modularity confirms the maturity of the CLT technology and the formation of cohesive clusters of innovation partners. The macro analysis approach of the study highlighted the critical role of supply chain upstream stakeholders due to their higher centralities in the collaborative network. Stronger collaborations were found between the supply chain upstream stakeholders (timber manufacturers) and downstream stakeholders (architects and main contractors).

The study contributes to the field of industrialized and CLT construction by characterizing the collaborative networks between CLT supply chain stakeholders that are critical to propose governmental policies and industry initiatives to advance this sustainable construction material.

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Longitudinal analysis of interorganizational collaborative networks of cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction10.1108/CI-01-2023-0012Construction Innovation2024-03-11© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedHisham SaidAswathy RajagopalanDaniel M. HallConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-03-1110.1108/CI-01-2023-0012https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-01-2023-0012/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Method for automating the processes of generating and using 4D BIM models integrated with location-based planning and Last Planner Systemhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0030/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestSeveral studies have addressed the use of four-dimensional (4D) building information modeling (BIM) for construction management. However, the automation of the processes for generating 4D models and their integrated use with Location-Based Planning and the Last Planner® System is not well discussed. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a method for automating the generation and use of 4D BIM models integrated with Location-Based Planning and Last Planner® System supporting project control cycles. The research strategy adopted was Design Science Research. The automated method for using the 4D models was developed and refined in two residential building projects in Brazil, along with 31 meetings and involving 11 direct users. The assessment of the proposed method focuses on four constructs: the impact of process automation, the impact on the identification and assessment of site progress and the planning process, ease of adoption and utility of the proposed method. The results of this paper indicated increased adherence between planned and executed through an automated method for using the 4D models. The established routines enabled automating the link between the planning levels and the three-dimensional (3D) model, providing a more agile and updated data source and achieving 92.8% of user satisfaction regarding the deadline and frequency of delivery of the 4D model reports. Moreover, this study identified the relationships between the processes of the method proposed and Digital Models. The primary scientific value achieved in this study is creating a method for automating processes and simplifying steps for the generation and use of 4D BIM models in the production planning and control cycles during the construction phase.Method for automating the processes of generating and using 4D BIM models integrated with location-based planning and Last Planner System
Bruno Falcón Silveira, Dayana Bastos Costa
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Several studies have addressed the use of four-dimensional (4D) building information modeling (BIM) for construction management. However, the automation of the processes for generating 4D models and their integrated use with Location-Based Planning and the Last Planner® System is not well discussed. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a method for automating the generation and use of 4D BIM models integrated with Location-Based Planning and Last Planner® System supporting project control cycles.

The research strategy adopted was Design Science Research. The automated method for using the 4D models was developed and refined in two residential building projects in Brazil, along with 31 meetings and involving 11 direct users. The assessment of the proposed method focuses on four constructs: the impact of process automation, the impact on the identification and assessment of site progress and the planning process, ease of adoption and utility of the proposed method.

The results of this paper indicated increased adherence between planned and executed through an automated method for using the 4D models. The established routines enabled automating the link between the planning levels and the three-dimensional (3D) model, providing a more agile and updated data source and achieving 92.8% of user satisfaction regarding the deadline and frequency of delivery of the 4D model reports. Moreover, this study identified the relationships between the processes of the method proposed and Digital Models.

The primary scientific value achieved in this study is creating a method for automating processes and simplifying steps for the generation and use of 4D BIM models in the production planning and control cycles during the construction phase.

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Method for automating the processes of generating and using 4D BIM models integrated with location-based planning and Last Planner System10.1108/CI-02-2022-0030Construction Innovation2023-01-23© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedBruno Falcón SilveiraDayana Bastos CostaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-2310.1108/CI-02-2022-0030https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0030/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Impacts of institutional isomorphism on the adoption of social procurement in the Chinese construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0035/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestSocial procurement (SP) is a complicated and risky innovation, the adoption of which needs to be accompanied by complementary process and organizational change. To date, however, there has been little empirical evidence explaining whether and how different sorts of external pressures affect the level of SP adoption in the construction sector. Drawing on institutional theory, this study aims to analyze how three types of isomorphic pressures (i.e. coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) influence the adoption of SP in the construction sector. The impacts of these pressures are empirically tested with survey data collected from 134 construction firms in the Chinese construction industry. The findings show that both coercive and mimetic pressures have a considerable impact on the adoption of SP. However, there is little evidence in this study that normative demands had a major impact on SP. This research is a useful instrument for promoting a favorable social attitude regarding construction procurement. Through socioeconomic regeneration and development, procurement can be considered as a significant route for social transformation, economic development and poverty reduction. This study addresses the paucity of research into SP in the construction industry by establishing the institutional drivers to procuring services and products from a social enterprise perspective. Findings from this study extend the frontiers of existing knowledge on SP in the construction industry.Impacts of institutional isomorphism on the adoption of social procurement in the Chinese construction industry
Ahsan Nawaz, Francis Lanme Guribie
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Social procurement (SP) is a complicated and risky innovation, the adoption of which needs to be accompanied by complementary process and organizational change. To date, however, there has been little empirical evidence explaining whether and how different sorts of external pressures affect the level of SP adoption in the construction sector. Drawing on institutional theory, this study aims to analyze how three types of isomorphic pressures (i.e. coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) influence the adoption of SP in the construction sector.

The impacts of these pressures are empirically tested with survey data collected from 134 construction firms in the Chinese construction industry.

The findings show that both coercive and mimetic pressures have a considerable impact on the adoption of SP. However, there is little evidence in this study that normative demands had a major impact on SP.

This research is a useful instrument for promoting a favorable social attitude regarding construction procurement. Through socioeconomic regeneration and development, procurement can be considered as a significant route for social transformation, economic development and poverty reduction.

This study addresses the paucity of research into SP in the construction industry by establishing the institutional drivers to procuring services and products from a social enterprise perspective. Findings from this study extend the frontiers of existing knowledge on SP in the construction industry.

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Impacts of institutional isomorphism on the adoption of social procurement in the Chinese construction industry10.1108/CI-02-2022-0035Construction Innovation2022-12-14© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAhsan NawazFrancis Lanme GuribieConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-1410.1108/CI-02-2022-0035https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0035/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Measuring the perceptual, physiological and environmental factors that impact stress in the construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0040/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to highlight and demonstrate how the study of stress and related responses in construction can best be measured and benchmarked effectively. A range of perceptual and physiological measures are obtained across different time periods and during different activities in a fieldwork setting. Differences in the empirical results are analysed and implications for future studies of stress discussed. The results of this study strongly support the use of multiple psychometrics and biosensors whenever biometrics are included in the study of stress. Perceptual, physiological and environmental factors are all shown to act in concert to impact stress. Strong conclusions on the potential drivers of stress should then only be considered when consistent results apply across multiple metrics, time periods and activities. Stress is an incredibly complex condition. This study demonstrates why many current applications of biosensors to study stress in construction are not up to the task and provides empirical evidence on how future studies can be significantly improved. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to focus explicitly on demonstrating the need for multiple research instruments and settings when studying stress or related conditions in construction.Measuring the perceptual, physiological and environmental factors that impact stress in the construction industry
Sidney Newton
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to highlight and demonstrate how the study of stress and related responses in construction can best be measured and benchmarked effectively.

A range of perceptual and physiological measures are obtained across different time periods and during different activities in a fieldwork setting. Differences in the empirical results are analysed and implications for future studies of stress discussed.

The results of this study strongly support the use of multiple psychometrics and biosensors whenever biometrics are included in the study of stress. Perceptual, physiological and environmental factors are all shown to act in concert to impact stress. Strong conclusions on the potential drivers of stress should then only be considered when consistent results apply across multiple metrics, time periods and activities.

Stress is an incredibly complex condition. This study demonstrates why many current applications of biosensors to study stress in construction are not up to the task and provides empirical evidence on how future studies can be significantly improved.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to focus explicitly on demonstrating the need for multiple research instruments and settings when studying stress or related conditions in construction.

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Measuring the perceptual, physiological and environmental factors that impact stress in the construction industry10.1108/CI-02-2022-0040Construction Innovation2022-10-27© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedSidney NewtonConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-10-2710.1108/CI-02-2022-0040https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0040/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Evaluation of success factors to implement digitalization in the construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0042/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to identify and rank the key success factors linked with digitalization in the Indian construction sector. Because the construction firms in India are in the early stages of implementing digitalization in their operations, it provides a framework from which they may focus on the effectiveness of digitalization. This research study examines 12 success factors related to digitalization in construction, which are derived from various sectors. Furthermore, experts from the construction industry and academia have validated these factors with respect to the Indian construction sector. The multi-criteria decision-making techniques are further used to examine the interrelationship, ranking and weightage of digitalization success. Finally, the success factors are validated through a questionnaire-based empirical study followed by ranking using a t-test. The results from both approaches (company-specific and generalized) are compared and discussed. This research identifies that selecting appropriate digital methods and techniques is a critical success factor as far as digitalization in the Indian construction scenario is concerned. Besides that, continuous monitoring and control in digital implementation significantly impact other factors. While similar results are obtained from approaches adopted in the study, a few success factors appear to differ in terms of their ranking position. Further studies can explore the finer details that can explain the behavior pattern. This study can also be extended by assessing the structural relationship among the identified factors that can throw more light on the dynamics of the continuation of digitalization in construction which can further help in formulating policies or digitalization rollout. The outcome of this study sheds light on construction business knowledge by stressing key success elements connected to digitalization in construction processes in the Indian construction sector. Moreover, this study shows that the success of digitalization in construction is similar to that of transformation in the information technology industry, where adopting suitable digital methods and techniques plays a vital role in the transformation process. Despite the multiple benefits of construction digitalization, limited research focuses on digitalization success factors, making this study unique. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that integrating Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory and maximum mean de-entropy approaches may be used to successfully prioritize success factors in the nascent stage of construction digitalization.Evaluation of success factors to implement digitalization in the construction industry
Avirag Bajpai, Subhas C. Misra
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to identify and rank the key success factors linked with digitalization in the Indian construction sector. Because the construction firms in India are in the early stages of implementing digitalization in their operations, it provides a framework from which they may focus on the effectiveness of digitalization.

This research study examines 12 success factors related to digitalization in construction, which are derived from various sectors. Furthermore, experts from the construction industry and academia have validated these factors with respect to the Indian construction sector. The multi-criteria decision-making techniques are further used to examine the interrelationship, ranking and weightage of digitalization success. Finally, the success factors are validated through a questionnaire-based empirical study followed by ranking using a t-test. The results from both approaches (company-specific and generalized) are compared and discussed.

This research identifies that selecting appropriate digital methods and techniques is a critical success factor as far as digitalization in the Indian construction scenario is concerned. Besides that, continuous monitoring and control in digital implementation significantly impact other factors.

While similar results are obtained from approaches adopted in the study, a few success factors appear to differ in terms of their ranking position. Further studies can explore the finer details that can explain the behavior pattern. This study can also be extended by assessing the structural relationship among the identified factors that can throw more light on the dynamics of the continuation of digitalization in construction which can further help in formulating policies or digitalization rollout.

The outcome of this study sheds light on construction business knowledge by stressing key success elements connected to digitalization in construction processes in the Indian construction sector. Moreover, this study shows that the success of digitalization in construction is similar to that of transformation in the information technology industry, where adopting suitable digital methods and techniques plays a vital role in the transformation process.

Despite the multiple benefits of construction digitalization, limited research focuses on digitalization success factors, making this study unique. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that integrating Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory and maximum mean de-entropy approaches may be used to successfully prioritize success factors in the nascent stage of construction digitalization.

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Evaluation of success factors to implement digitalization in the construction industry10.1108/CI-02-2022-0042Construction Innovation2022-12-19© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAvirag BajpaiSubhas C. MisraConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-1910.1108/CI-02-2022-0042https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0042/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
The coupling of project delivery methods and contract strategies for public building projects in Ethiopiahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0043/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this paper is to use Delphi technique to assess the applicability of coupling various project delivery methods (PDMs) and contract strategies (CSs) for delivery of public building projects (PBP) in Ethiopia. To achieve the objective of this research, an online Delphi study was designed, conducted and analyzed using various statistical procedures. Results were compared to CII’s project delivery and CS (PDCS) tool, a US-based PDM selection tool. This study converged in the third round signifying a consensus on the importance of design–build and construction manager at risk as alternatives to design–bid–build. In addition, “controlling schedule growth” was deemed to be a major performance measure that needs to be considered for PBP in Ethiopia, a result consistent with the outcomes from CII’s PDCS tool. Among existing studies, none to the best of the authors’ knowledge has focused on a holistic approach to identify the most appropriate pairings of PDMs and CSs for PBP which was critically needed due to the magnitude and high stakes of these projects. This research is a steppingstone toward gaining knowledge on how to approach these types of projects in fast-growing environments thirsty for new building projects such as in Ethiopia.The coupling of project delivery methods and contract strategies for public building projects in Ethiopia
Abay Legesse, Ali Nejat, Tewodros Ghebrab
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this paper is to use Delphi technique to assess the applicability of coupling various project delivery methods (PDMs) and contract strategies (CSs) for delivery of public building projects (PBP) in Ethiopia.

To achieve the objective of this research, an online Delphi study was designed, conducted and analyzed using various statistical procedures. Results were compared to CII’s project delivery and CS (PDCS) tool, a US-based PDM selection tool.

This study converged in the third round signifying a consensus on the importance of design–build and construction manager at risk as alternatives to design–bid–build. In addition, “controlling schedule growth” was deemed to be a major performance measure that needs to be considered for PBP in Ethiopia, a result consistent with the outcomes from CII’s PDCS tool.

Among existing studies, none to the best of the authors’ knowledge has focused on a holistic approach to identify the most appropriate pairings of PDMs and CSs for PBP which was critically needed due to the magnitude and high stakes of these projects. This research is a steppingstone toward gaining knowledge on how to approach these types of projects in fast-growing environments thirsty for new building projects such as in Ethiopia.

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The coupling of project delivery methods and contract strategies for public building projects in Ethiopia10.1108/CI-02-2022-0043Construction Innovation2023-05-23© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAbay LegesseAli NejatTewodros GhebrabConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-2310.1108/CI-02-2022-0043https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2022-0043/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Exploring the relationships between knowledge management enablers, employee innovativeness and market development performance in A/E/C firms: a developing country perspectivehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0022/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to explore the relationships between knowledge management (KM) enablers, employee innovativeness (EI) and market development performance (MDP) in architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C) firms. A questionnaire survey is conducted to collect empirical data from A/E/C practitioners in Vietnam. First, factor analysis is used to identify KM enablers in A/E/C firms. Then, a framework which shows the links between KM enablers, EI and MDP is proposed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the proposed relationships. This study identifies five constructs which can enable A/E/C firms to achieve effective KM implementation, including mutual trust and collaboration, organizational values and norms, information and communication systems, organizational policies and empowerment. Furthermore, the SEM results show that except for organizational policies, four remaining KM enablers significantly affect EI. It is also found that EI has a significant impact on MDP. The findings could help A/E/C firms to know which KM enablers are critical to EI and provide a better understanding of the link between EI and MDP. Hence, they could make appropriate investments in KM practices to improve both EI and MDP. The results of this study fill the gap in knowledge by empirically structuring the relationships between KM enablers, EI and MDP. Such results may provide A/E/C firms with useful information to enhance EI and MDP in today’s intensively competitive construction environments.Exploring the relationships between knowledge management enablers, employee innovativeness and market development performance in A/E/C firms: a developing country perspective
Chau Ngoc Dang, Warit Wipulanusat, Peem Nuaklong, Boonsap Witchayangkoon
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to explore the relationships between knowledge management (KM) enablers, employee innovativeness (EI) and market development performance (MDP) in architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C) firms.

A questionnaire survey is conducted to collect empirical data from A/E/C practitioners in Vietnam. First, factor analysis is used to identify KM enablers in A/E/C firms. Then, a framework which shows the links between KM enablers, EI and MDP is proposed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the proposed relationships.

This study identifies five constructs which can enable A/E/C firms to achieve effective KM implementation, including mutual trust and collaboration, organizational values and norms, information and communication systems, organizational policies and empowerment. Furthermore, the SEM results show that except for organizational policies, four remaining KM enablers significantly affect EI. It is also found that EI has a significant impact on MDP.

The findings could help A/E/C firms to know which KM enablers are critical to EI and provide a better understanding of the link between EI and MDP. Hence, they could make appropriate investments in KM practices to improve both EI and MDP.

The results of this study fill the gap in knowledge by empirically structuring the relationships between KM enablers, EI and MDP. Such results may provide A/E/C firms with useful information to enhance EI and MDP in today’s intensively competitive construction environments.

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Exploring the relationships between knowledge management enablers, employee innovativeness and market development performance in A/E/C firms: a developing country perspective10.1108/CI-02-2023-0022Construction Innovation2024-01-31© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedChau Ngoc DangWarit WipulanusatPeem NuaklongBoonsap WitchayangkoonConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-3110.1108/CI-02-2023-0022https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0022/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
A review of the current state and future trends in modern methods of construction researchhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0029/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to identify the primary research areas of modern methods of construction (MMC) along with its current trends and developments. A combination of bibliometric and qualitative analysis is adopted to examine 1,957 MMC articles in the Scopus database. With the support of CiteSpace 6.1.R6, the clusters, leading authors, journals, institutions and countries in the field of MMC are examined. Offsite construction, inter-modular connections, augmenting output, prefabricated concrete beams and earthquake-resilient prefabricated beam–column steel joints are the top five research areas in MMC. Among them, offsite construction and inter-modular connections are significantly focused, with many research articles. The potential for collaboration, among prominent authors such as Wang, J., Liu, Y. and Wang, Y., explains the recent rapid growth of the MMC field of research. With a total of 225 articles, Engineering Structures is the journal that has published the most articles on MMC. China is the leading country in this field, and the Ministry of Education China is the top institution in MMC. The findings of this study bear significant implications for stakeholders in academia and industry alike. In academia, these insights allow researchers to identify research gaps and foster collaboration, steering efforts toward innovative and impactful outcomes. For industries using MMC practices, the clarity provided on MMC techniques facilitates the efficient adoption of best practices, thereby promoting collaboration, innovation and global problem-solving within the construction field.A review of the current state and future trends in modern methods of construction research
Dat Tien Doan, Tuyet Phuoc Anh Mai, Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein Ghaffarianhoseini, Nicola Naismith
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to identify the primary research areas of modern methods of construction (MMC) along with its current trends and developments.

A combination of bibliometric and qualitative analysis is adopted to examine 1,957 MMC articles in the Scopus database. With the support of CiteSpace 6.1.R6, the clusters, leading authors, journals, institutions and countries in the field of MMC are examined.

Offsite construction, inter-modular connections, augmenting output, prefabricated concrete beams and earthquake-resilient prefabricated beam–column steel joints are the top five research areas in MMC. Among them, offsite construction and inter-modular connections are significantly focused, with many research articles. The potential for collaboration, among prominent authors such as Wang, J., Liu, Y. and Wang, Y., explains the recent rapid growth of the MMC field of research. With a total of 225 articles, Engineering Structures is the journal that has published the most articles on MMC. China is the leading country in this field, and the Ministry of Education China is the top institution in MMC.

The findings of this study bear significant implications for stakeholders in academia and industry alike. In academia, these insights allow researchers to identify research gaps and foster collaboration, steering efforts toward innovative and impactful outcomes. For industries using MMC practices, the clarity provided on MMC techniques facilitates the efficient adoption of best practices, thereby promoting collaboration, innovation and global problem-solving within the construction field.

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A review of the current state and future trends in modern methods of construction research10.1108/CI-02-2023-0029Construction Innovation2024-02-28© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedDat Tien DoanTuyet Phuoc Anh MaiAli GhaffarianHoseiniAmirhosein GhaffarianhoseiniNicola NaismithConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-2810.1108/CI-02-2023-0029https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0029/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Stakeholders’ role towards circular economy implementation: a scientometric reviewhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0032/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to identify in literature the role of construction stakeholders in the implementation of circular economy (CE) in the construction industry (CI). This study also sought to identify the status quo and research trend, “hot themes”, areas requiring more research and future research direction of stakeholders’ role in CE implementation in the CI. A literature search was conducted using the Scopus search engine, augmented by Google Scholar to produce 50 relevant articles for the identification of stakeholders’ roles using content analysis. The scientometric study was undertaken using VOSviewer on 42 articles obtained from Scopus search to identify the status quo, “hot themes”, knowledge gaps and future research direction of the role of stakeholders in CE implementation. Through content analysis, the identified roles of government as a stakeholder are to develop efficient policy instruments, legislation support and financial investment in research and development activities that will promote the smooth implementation of CE. The role of academia/research is to engage in research aimed at investigating both the short-term behaviour and the durability of recycled materials and products. In addition, the roles of professionals in the consultant/design/procurement team are to design with life cycle assessment and reused materials, design for deconstruction and disassembly, etc. The role of the user/consumer is to ensure knowledge diffusion and awareness exchange that recognize the available opportunities for long-term material usage (including repair, reuse, refurbishment and recycling). The research status quo identified from the scientometric analysis include how stakeholders can come up with innovative ways in demolition that will ensure that more of the materials can be reused. Stakeholders should focus on enacting policies and laws that can promote the use of recycled materials in buildings, etc. Research that focuses on how to engage the various construction stakeholders to come up with specific public policy that will promote CE implementation, identifying the specific roles to be played by stakeholders during policy enactment as well as managing the environment, laws and legislations towards CE implementation. The role of stakeholders in the extension of the life span of projects, the use of strategies to minimize waste generation and standardization of building materials, components and connectors with the purpose of simplifying disassembly are the research gaps and areas for future research studies. Some of the research “hot themes” include “circular business models in the CI”, “environmental sustainability policy implementation”, “environmental, economic and social sustainability”, “policy, laws and legislations on waste management” and “environmental and industrial economics” towards CE implementation. The findings from this study serve as a valuable reference for construction stakeholders to assess their specific roles as stakeholders and to identify the status quo and research trend, “hot themes”, areas requiring more research and future research directions on stakeholders’ roles in CE implementation in the CI. Identifying the role of stakeholders for CE implementation is one bold step towards the achievement of CE implementation in the CI.Stakeholders’ role towards circular economy implementation: a scientometric review
Safowaa Osei-Tutu, Joshua Ayarkwa, Gabriel Nani, Dickson Osei-Asibey, Ivy Maame Adwoa Abu
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to identify in literature the role of construction stakeholders in the implementation of circular economy (CE) in the construction industry (CI). This study also sought to identify the status quo and research trend, “hot themes”, areas requiring more research and future research direction of stakeholders’ role in CE implementation in the CI.

A literature search was conducted using the Scopus search engine, augmented by Google Scholar to produce 50 relevant articles for the identification of stakeholders’ roles using content analysis. The scientometric study was undertaken using VOSviewer on 42 articles obtained from Scopus search to identify the status quo, “hot themes”, knowledge gaps and future research direction of the role of stakeholders in CE implementation.

Through content analysis, the identified roles of government as a stakeholder are to develop efficient policy instruments, legislation support and financial investment in research and development activities that will promote the smooth implementation of CE. The role of academia/research is to engage in research aimed at investigating both the short-term behaviour and the durability of recycled materials and products. In addition, the roles of professionals in the consultant/design/procurement team are to design with life cycle assessment and reused materials, design for deconstruction and disassembly, etc. The role of the user/consumer is to ensure knowledge diffusion and awareness exchange that recognize the available opportunities for long-term material usage (including repair, reuse, refurbishment and recycling). The research status quo identified from the scientometric analysis include how stakeholders can come up with innovative ways in demolition that will ensure that more of the materials can be reused. Stakeholders should focus on enacting policies and laws that can promote the use of recycled materials in buildings, etc. Research that focuses on how to engage the various construction stakeholders to come up with specific public policy that will promote CE implementation, identifying the specific roles to be played by stakeholders during policy enactment as well as managing the environment, laws and legislations towards CE implementation. The role of stakeholders in the extension of the life span of projects, the use of strategies to minimize waste generation and standardization of building materials, components and connectors with the purpose of simplifying disassembly are the research gaps and areas for future research studies. Some of the research “hot themes” include “circular business models in the CI”, “environmental sustainability policy implementation”, “environmental, economic and social sustainability”, “policy, laws and legislations on waste management” and “environmental and industrial economics” towards CE implementation.

The findings from this study serve as a valuable reference for construction stakeholders to assess their specific roles as stakeholders and to identify the status quo and research trend, “hot themes”, areas requiring more research and future research directions on stakeholders’ roles in CE implementation in the CI.

Identifying the role of stakeholders for CE implementation is one bold step towards the achievement of CE implementation in the CI.

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Stakeholders’ role towards circular economy implementation: a scientometric review10.1108/CI-02-2023-0032Construction Innovation2024-02-06© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedSafowaa Osei-TutuJoshua AyarkwaGabriel NaniDickson Osei-AsibeyIvy Maame Adwoa AbuConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-0610.1108/CI-02-2023-0032https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-02-2023-0032/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
A state of art review on time, cost and sustainable benefits of modern construction techniques for affordable housinghttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0048/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to identify modern construction techniques for affordable housing, such as prefabrication and interlocking systems, that can save time and cost while also providing long-term sustainable benefits that are desperately needed in today's construction industry. The need for housing is growing worldwide, but traditional construction cannot cater to the demand due to insufficient time. There should be some paradigm shift in the construction industry to supply housing to society. This paper presented a state-of-the-art review of modern construction techniques practiced worldwide and their advantages in affordable housing construction by conducting a systematic literature review and applying the backward snowball technique. The paper reviews modern prefabrication techniques and interlocking systems such as modular construction, formwork systems, light gauge steel/cold form steel construction and sandwich panel construction, which have been globally well practiced. It was understood from the overview that modular construction, including modular steel construction and precast concrete construction, could reduce time and costs efficiently. Further enhancement in the quality was also noticed. Besides, it was observed that light gauge steel construction is a modern phase of steel that eases construction execution efficiently. Modern formwork systems such as Mivan (Aluminium Formwork) have been reported for their minimum construction time, which leads to faster construction than traditional formwork. However, the cost is subjected to the repetitions of the formwork. An interlocking system is an innovative approach to construction that uses bricks made of sustainable materials such as earth that conserve time and cost. The study finds that the prefabrication techniques and interlocking system have a lot of unique attributes that can enable the modern construction sector to flourish. The study summarizes modern construction techniques that can save time and cost, enhancing the sustainability of construction practices, which is the need of the Indian construction industry in particular. This study is limited to identifying specific modern construction techniques for time and cost savings, lean concepts and sustainability which are being practiced worldwide. Modern formwork systems such as Mivan (Aluminium Formwork) have been reported for their minimum construction time which leads to faster construction than traditional formwork. The need for housing is growing rapidly all over the world, but traditional construction cannot cater to the need due to insufficient time. There should be some paradigm shift in the construction industry to supply housing to society. This study is unique in identifying specific modern construction techniques for time and cost savings, lean concepts and sustainability which are being practiced worldwide.A state of art review on time, cost and sustainable benefits of modern construction techniques for affordable housing
Rakesh Sai Kumar Mandala, R. Ramesh Nayaka
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to identify modern construction techniques for affordable housing, such as prefabrication and interlocking systems, that can save time and cost while also providing long-term sustainable benefits that are desperately needed in today's construction industry.

The need for housing is growing worldwide, but traditional construction cannot cater to the demand due to insufficient time. There should be some paradigm shift in the construction industry to supply housing to society. This paper presented a state-of-the-art review of modern construction techniques practiced worldwide and their advantages in affordable housing construction by conducting a systematic literature review and applying the backward snowball technique. The paper reviews modern prefabrication techniques and interlocking systems such as modular construction, formwork systems, light gauge steel/cold form steel construction and sandwich panel construction, which have been globally well practiced. It was understood from the overview that modular construction, including modular steel construction and precast concrete construction, could reduce time and costs efficiently. Further enhancement in the quality was also noticed. Besides, it was observed that light gauge steel construction is a modern phase of steel that eases construction execution efficiently. Modern formwork systems such as Mivan (Aluminium Formwork) have been reported for their minimum construction time, which leads to faster construction than traditional formwork. However, the cost is subjected to the repetitions of the formwork. An interlocking system is an innovative approach to construction that uses bricks made of sustainable materials such as earth that conserve time and cost.

The study finds that the prefabrication techniques and interlocking system have a lot of unique attributes that can enable the modern construction sector to flourish. The study summarizes modern construction techniques that can save time and cost, enhancing the sustainability of construction practices, which is the need of the Indian construction industry in particular.

This study is limited to identifying specific modern construction techniques for time and cost savings, lean concepts and sustainability which are being practiced worldwide.

Modern formwork systems such as Mivan (Aluminium Formwork) have been reported for their minimum construction time which leads to faster construction than traditional formwork.

The need for housing is growing rapidly all over the world, but traditional construction cannot cater to the need due to insufficient time. There should be some paradigm shift in the construction industry to supply housing to society.

This study is unique in identifying specific modern construction techniques for time and cost savings, lean concepts and sustainability which are being practiced worldwide.

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A state of art review on time, cost and sustainable benefits of modern construction techniques for affordable housing10.1108/CI-03-2022-0048Construction Innovation2023-05-05© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedRakesh Sai Kumar MandalaR. Ramesh NayakaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-0510.1108/CI-03-2022-0048https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0048/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Energy performance assessment of venetian blinds in south-oriented residential spaces in hot arid desert climateshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0052/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestWindow shading has always been an effective technique to control the access of solar radiation; however, inappropriate selection of the shading technique, location and optical properties may lead to an increase in energy consumed for cooling and artificial lighting. Venetian blinds (VBs) are a type of adjustable shading devices that can be installed to the interior, exterior or in between glass panes of a window and that can be easily implemented in both new and existing buildings. This study aims to investigate the impact of three VB parameters: slat angle, reflectivity and location on the overall energy consumption of a residential space with a south-facing facade under the hot arid desert climate of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. For the purpose of globalizing the findings, the same investigations were applied for two other cities of similar climates: Cairo, Egypt, and Arizona, the USA. A test room was modelled for energy simulation, with a 20% window-to-wall ratio. A VB was assigned with alternatives of being located to the indoor, outdoor or in between double glass panes. High, medium and low reflectivity values were applied at each location at slat angle alternatives of 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°. Results showed VB performance across slat angles, where up to 20.1% energy savings were achieved by mid-pane high reflectivity VBs in Riyadh, while the value exceeded 30% in case of being externally located. A similar performance pattern occurred in the other two cities of hot arid desert climates: Cairo and Arizona. The study is limited to VBs at a fixed position, with no upward movement for partial or full openness conditions. The effect of blind control and operation on performance, such as the amount and duration of openness/closure of the blind and changes in slat angle across time, in addition to VB automation, shall be investigated in a future study. The better understanding of VB energy performance achieved would enhance a more rational selection of VBs, which would benefit the construction industry as it would assist designers, real estate developer companies, as well as end-users in the decision-making process and help to realize energy-efficient solutions in residential buildings. VB production entities would also benefit by manufacturing and promoting for energy-efficient products. In this study, a matrix of combinations of three VB parameters was developed, and the effect of these combinations on the overall energy consumption of both artificial lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems was evaluated and compared to identify the combinations of higher efficiency. The literature showed that these three parameters were hardly investigated in a combined form and hardly assessed by considering the overall energy consumed by both artificial lighting and HVAC.Energy performance assessment of venetian blinds in south-oriented residential spaces in hot arid desert climates
Khaled El-Deeb
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Window shading has always been an effective technique to control the access of solar radiation; however, inappropriate selection of the shading technique, location and optical properties may lead to an increase in energy consumed for cooling and artificial lighting. Venetian blinds (VBs) are a type of adjustable shading devices that can be installed to the interior, exterior or in between glass panes of a window and that can be easily implemented in both new and existing buildings. This study aims to investigate the impact of three VB parameters: slat angle, reflectivity and location on the overall energy consumption of a residential space with a south-facing facade under the hot arid desert climate of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. For the purpose of globalizing the findings, the same investigations were applied for two other cities of similar climates: Cairo, Egypt, and Arizona, the USA.

A test room was modelled for energy simulation, with a 20% window-to-wall ratio. A VB was assigned with alternatives of being located to the indoor, outdoor or in between double glass panes. High, medium and low reflectivity values were applied at each location at slat angle alternatives of 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°.

Results showed VB performance across slat angles, where up to 20.1% energy savings were achieved by mid-pane high reflectivity VBs in Riyadh, while the value exceeded 30% in case of being externally located. A similar performance pattern occurred in the other two cities of hot arid desert climates: Cairo and Arizona.

The study is limited to VBs at a fixed position, with no upward movement for partial or full openness conditions. The effect of blind control and operation on performance, such as the amount and duration of openness/closure of the blind and changes in slat angle across time, in addition to VB automation, shall be investigated in a future study.

The better understanding of VB energy performance achieved would enhance a more rational selection of VBs, which would benefit the construction industry as it would assist designers, real estate developer companies, as well as end-users in the decision-making process and help to realize energy-efficient solutions in residential buildings. VB production entities would also benefit by manufacturing and promoting for energy-efficient products.

In this study, a matrix of combinations of three VB parameters was developed, and the effect of these combinations on the overall energy consumption of both artificial lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems was evaluated and compared to identify the combinations of higher efficiency. The literature showed that these three parameters were hardly investigated in a combined form and hardly assessed by considering the overall energy consumed by both artificial lighting and HVAC.

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Energy performance assessment of venetian blinds in south-oriented residential spaces in hot arid desert climates10.1108/CI-03-2022-0052Construction Innovation2023-05-11© Emerald Publishing LimitedKhaled El-DeebConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-1110.1108/CI-03-2022-0052https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0052/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© Emerald Publishing Limited
Adoption of smart contracts in the construction industry: an institutional analysis of drivers and barriershttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0066/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry has arrived at a crossroads of rapid technological progress. While it is foreseen that the advent of new construction technologies will disrupt the construction industry’s future, such disruptions often create the ideal environment for innovation. As poor payment practices continue to plague the construction industry, the advent of smart contracts has created an opportunity to rectify the inherent flaws in the mitigation of payment problems in traditional construction contracts. Given the intrinsic resistance of construction firms to such revolutionary changes, this study aims to understand the various factors influencing the adoption of smart contracts in the Singapore construction industry. A mixed method was adopted involving quantifying respondents’ perceptions of the factors influencing smart contract adoption, and validation from a group of interviewees on the matter. Out of 461 registered quantity surveyor members contacted via the Singapore institute of surveyors and valuers website, 55 respondents took part in the survey. This is followed by semi-structured interviews to validate the survey results. The findings indicate that construction firms have neither a significant knowledge of nor willingness to adopt smart contracts. A total of 29 institutional factors were also identified that significantly influence the adoption of smart contracts. The quantitative findings were further reinforced by qualitative interviews with five industry experts. With recognition of and the successful formulation of the significant institutional drivers and barriers, the key findings of this study will be integral in driving the commercial adoption of smart contracts within the construction industry.Adoption of smart contracts in the construction industry: an institutional analysis of drivers and barriers
Gao Shang, Low Sui Pheng, Roderick Low Zhong Xia
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The construction industry has arrived at a crossroads of rapid technological progress. While it is foreseen that the advent of new construction technologies will disrupt the construction industry’s future, such disruptions often create the ideal environment for innovation. As poor payment practices continue to plague the construction industry, the advent of smart contracts has created an opportunity to rectify the inherent flaws in the mitigation of payment problems in traditional construction contracts. Given the intrinsic resistance of construction firms to such revolutionary changes, this study aims to understand the various factors influencing the adoption of smart contracts in the Singapore construction industry.

A mixed method was adopted involving quantifying respondents’ perceptions of the factors influencing smart contract adoption, and validation from a group of interviewees on the matter. Out of 461 registered quantity surveyor members contacted via the Singapore institute of surveyors and valuers website, 55 respondents took part in the survey. This is followed by semi-structured interviews to validate the survey results.

The findings indicate that construction firms have neither a significant knowledge of nor willingness to adopt smart contracts. A total of 29 institutional factors were also identified that significantly influence the adoption of smart contracts. The quantitative findings were further reinforced by qualitative interviews with five industry experts.

With recognition of and the successful formulation of the significant institutional drivers and barriers, the key findings of this study will be integral in driving the commercial adoption of smart contracts within the construction industry.

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Adoption of smart contracts in the construction industry: an institutional analysis of drivers and barriers10.1108/CI-03-2022-0066Construction Innovation2023-04-06© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedGao ShangLow Sui PhengRoderick Low Zhong XiaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-0610.1108/CI-03-2022-0066https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2022-0066/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Impact of trust in virtual project teams: structural equation modelling approachhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0039/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to focus on model development to analyse key factors affecting trust in virtual project teams (VPTs). A questionnaire survey was conducted on construction professionals participating in virtual teams. Structural equation modelling technique was performed to establish the effect of relevant factors on trust-building in VPTs. Team performance is highly affected by the trust among the team members. Trust building can be enhanced by improving the quality of team communication, organisation culture, team bonding and team members’ characteristics. The model developed in this study would benefit team productivity and team members’ learning in VPTs.Impact of trust in virtual project teams: structural equation modelling approach
Sukhwant Kaur Sagar, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, Mohammed Arif, Amit Kaushik, Rubina Islam
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to focus on model development to analyse key factors affecting trust in virtual project teams (VPTs).

A questionnaire survey was conducted on construction professionals participating in virtual teams. Structural equation modelling technique was performed to establish the effect of relevant factors on trust-building in VPTs.

Team performance is highly affected by the trust among the team members. Trust building can be enhanced by improving the quality of team communication, organisation culture, team bonding and team members’ characteristics.

The model developed in this study would benefit team productivity and team members’ learning in VPTs.

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Impact of trust in virtual project teams: structural equation modelling approach10.1108/CI-03-2023-0039Construction Innovation2023-08-22© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedSukhwant Kaur SagarOlugbenga Timo OladinrinMohammed ArifAmit KaushikRubina IslamConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-2210.1108/CI-03-2023-0039https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0039/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Critical indicators for assessing the life cycle social footprint of Australian freewayshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0040/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestFreeways in Australia play a significant role in connecting distant communities, shifting freight and strengthening the country’s economy. To meet the growing needs of present and future generations, delivering a socially sustainable road infrastructure that creates generational benefits is essential. However, the existing literature reveals the lack of comprehensive indicators to assess the social sustainability performance of freeway projects. Therefore, this paper aims to identify a critical set of system-specific indicators to evaluate the life cycle social footprint of Australian freeways. This study conducted 31 interview questionnaire surveys with actively engaged stakeholders involved in various freeway projects around Australia. The data collected was analysed using fuzzy set theory and other statistical approaches. The study identified 42 critical indicators for assessing the social sustainability performance throughout the life cycle of freeways in the Australian context. For example, stakeholder involvement, reduction of casualty rate due to road accidents, fair remuneration to project workforce and improved accessibility to required services. The context-specific opinions extracted from the industry experts and the comprehensive set of critical indicators identified would ensure that all the vital aspects of social sustainability are considered throughout the life cycle of Australian freeways in the future, assisting the decision-makers in enhancing the project’s social sustainability performance. The linguistic explanations associated with the ratings given by the industry experts provide greater insight into the context of the life cycle social sustainability assessment of Australian freeways exclusively.Critical indicators for assessing the life cycle social footprint of Australian freeways
Ankitha Vijayakumar, Muhammad Nateque Mahmood, Argaw Gurmu, Imriyas Kamardeen, Shafiq Alam
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Freeways in Australia play a significant role in connecting distant communities, shifting freight and strengthening the country’s economy. To meet the growing needs of present and future generations, delivering a socially sustainable road infrastructure that creates generational benefits is essential. However, the existing literature reveals the lack of comprehensive indicators to assess the social sustainability performance of freeway projects. Therefore, this paper aims to identify a critical set of system-specific indicators to evaluate the life cycle social footprint of Australian freeways.

This study conducted 31 interview questionnaire surveys with actively engaged stakeholders involved in various freeway projects around Australia. The data collected was analysed using fuzzy set theory and other statistical approaches.

The study identified 42 critical indicators for assessing the social sustainability performance throughout the life cycle of freeways in the Australian context. For example, stakeholder involvement, reduction of casualty rate due to road accidents, fair remuneration to project workforce and improved accessibility to required services.

The context-specific opinions extracted from the industry experts and the comprehensive set of critical indicators identified would ensure that all the vital aspects of social sustainability are considered throughout the life cycle of Australian freeways in the future, assisting the decision-makers in enhancing the project’s social sustainability performance.

The linguistic explanations associated with the ratings given by the industry experts provide greater insight into the context of the life cycle social sustainability assessment of Australian freeways exclusively.

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Critical indicators for assessing the life cycle social footprint of Australian freeways10.1108/CI-03-2023-0040Construction Innovation2023-07-31© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAnkitha VijayakumarMuhammad Nateque MahmoodArgaw GurmuImriyas KamardeenShafiq AlamConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-07-3110.1108/CI-03-2023-0040https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0040/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
An ontological assessment proposal for architectural outputs of generative adversarial networkhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0053/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study presents an ontological approach to assess the architectural outputs of generative adversarial networks. This paper aims to assess the performance of the generative adversarial network in representing building knowledge. The proposed ontological assessment consists of five steps. These are, respectively, creating an architectural data set, developing ontology for the architectural data set, training the You Only Look Once object detection with labels within the proposed ontology, training the StyleGAN algorithm with the images in the data set and finally, detecting the ontological labels and calculating the ontological relations of StyleGAN-generated pixel-based architectural images. The authors propose and calculate ontological identity and ontological inclusion metrics to assess the StyleGAN-generated ontological labels. This study uses 300 bay window images as an architectural data set for the ontological assessment experiments. The ontological assessment provides semantic-based queries on StyleGAN-generated architectural images by checking the validity of the building knowledge representation. Moreover, this ontological validity reveals the building element label-specific failure and success rates simultaneously. This study contributes to the assessment process of the generative adversarial networks through ontological validity checks rather than only conducting pixel-based similarity checks; semantic-based queries can introduce the GAN-generated, pixel-based building elements into the architecture, engineering and construction industry.An ontological assessment proposal for architectural outputs of generative adversarial network
Can Uzun, Raşit Eren Cangür
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study presents an ontological approach to assess the architectural outputs of generative adversarial networks. This paper aims to assess the performance of the generative adversarial network in representing building knowledge.

The proposed ontological assessment consists of five steps. These are, respectively, creating an architectural data set, developing ontology for the architectural data set, training the You Only Look Once object detection with labels within the proposed ontology, training the StyleGAN algorithm with the images in the data set and finally, detecting the ontological labels and calculating the ontological relations of StyleGAN-generated pixel-based architectural images. The authors propose and calculate ontological identity and ontological inclusion metrics to assess the StyleGAN-generated ontological labels. This study uses 300 bay window images as an architectural data set for the ontological assessment experiments.

The ontological assessment provides semantic-based queries on StyleGAN-generated architectural images by checking the validity of the building knowledge representation. Moreover, this ontological validity reveals the building element label-specific failure and success rates simultaneously.

This study contributes to the assessment process of the generative adversarial networks through ontological validity checks rather than only conducting pixel-based similarity checks; semantic-based queries can introduce the GAN-generated, pixel-based building elements into the architecture, engineering and construction industry.

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An ontological assessment proposal for architectural outputs of generative adversarial network10.1108/CI-03-2023-0053Construction Innovation2023-08-04© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedCan UzunRaşit Eren CangürConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-0410.1108/CI-03-2023-0053https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0053/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Challenges to adopt digital construction technologies in the Jordanian construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0056/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to examine the challenges facing the construction industry practitioners toward adopting digital construction technologies in the Jordanian construction industry. Quantitative methods were used by reviewing the related literature to include 16 challenges that face the Jordanian construction industry in adopting digital construction. A questionnaire was used to achieve the desired study objectives for 373 respondents from various institutions and companies. The questionnaire was analyzed with SPSS using statistical tests such as mean score, Kruskal–Wallis H test and factor analysis. After collecting the quantitative data, the study showed that the most challenges facing construction industry practitioners toward adopting digital construction techniques are lack of qualified workers, high requirement for computing equipment’s, high initial cost of bringing these technologies to the market and construction firms low investment in research and development. These challenges faced by respondents were divided into three main factors, namely, construction’s nature, financial constraints and poor management support. This study provides information and statistics on the challenges that face individuals or companies toward adopting digital construction techniques in Jordan. It proposes recommendations and proper practical implantation strategies to overcome the challenges.Challenges to adopt digital construction technologies in the Jordanian construction industry
Zaid Alwashah, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Husam Abu Hajar, Waleed Abu-Khader, Rateb J. Sweis
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to examine the challenges facing the construction industry practitioners toward adopting digital construction technologies in the Jordanian construction industry.

Quantitative methods were used by reviewing the related literature to include 16 challenges that face the Jordanian construction industry in adopting digital construction. A questionnaire was used to achieve the desired study objectives for 373 respondents from various institutions and companies. The questionnaire was analyzed with SPSS using statistical tests such as mean score, Kruskal–Wallis H test and factor analysis.

After collecting the quantitative data, the study showed that the most challenges facing construction industry practitioners toward adopting digital construction techniques are lack of qualified workers, high requirement for computing equipment’s, high initial cost of bringing these technologies to the market and construction firms low investment in research and development. These challenges faced by respondents were divided into three main factors, namely, construction’s nature, financial constraints and poor management support.

This study provides information and statistics on the challenges that face individuals or companies toward adopting digital construction techniques in Jordan. It proposes recommendations and proper practical implantation strategies to overcome the challenges.

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Challenges to adopt digital construction technologies in the Jordanian construction industry10.1108/CI-03-2023-0056Construction Innovation2024-01-31© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedZaid AlwashahGhaleb J. SweisHusam Abu HajarWaleed Abu-KhaderRateb J. SweisConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-3110.1108/CI-03-2023-0056https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0056/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Lean tools used in administrative processes across sectors: a systematic review and insights for the construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0057/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestAdministrative processes play a crucial role in various sectors, often contributing to cost overruns and delays. While lean concept has been extensively applied in many industries, there is a recognized need for further research on the integration of lean in administrative processes. To address this research gap, this study aims to systematically analyse the implementation of lean in administrative processes, providing a sector-wise comparison to explore its prospects for the construction industry. A systematic literature review was conducted by adapting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method. Eighty-six research papers are subjected to descriptive and content analysis on different tools applied in lean integrated administrative processes in health care, education, public administration and other sectors. The research study reveals common lean tools irrespective of sector. Moreover, specific tools used for a particular sector are analysed. Out of the various lean tools and techniques, value stream mapping, 5S and Kaizen are highly acknowledged tools in every sector of lean intervention. Furthermore, ECRS is applied explicitly in the education sector. Furthermore, it is noted that Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs and Customers (SIPOC), 5whys, load levelling and control charts are identical to administrative processes in lean health care. Furthermore, Spaghetti charts and Kaikaku are only adapted to administrative processes in the public administration sector, and causal loop diagrams are used explicitly in administrative processes in the construction sector. This study contributes to research by developing a guideline to design lean intervention for a lean-integrated administrative process in any sector which still needs to be transformed into lean. Hence, this study will be a cornerstone for incorporating lean principles for administrative processes in construction sector.Lean tools used in administrative processes across sectors: a systematic review and insights for the construction industry
U.D.R.E. Ruwanpura, B.A.K.S. Perera, Tharusha Ranadewa
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Administrative processes play a crucial role in various sectors, often contributing to cost overruns and delays. While lean concept has been extensively applied in many industries, there is a recognized need for further research on the integration of lean in administrative processes. To address this research gap, this study aims to systematically analyse the implementation of lean in administrative processes, providing a sector-wise comparison to explore its prospects for the construction industry.

A systematic literature review was conducted by adapting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method. Eighty-six research papers are subjected to descriptive and content analysis on different tools applied in lean integrated administrative processes in health care, education, public administration and other sectors.

The research study reveals common lean tools irrespective of sector. Moreover, specific tools used for a particular sector are analysed. Out of the various lean tools and techniques, value stream mapping, 5S and Kaizen are highly acknowledged tools in every sector of lean intervention. Furthermore, ECRS is applied explicitly in the education sector. Furthermore, it is noted that Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs and Customers (SIPOC), 5whys, load levelling and control charts are identical to administrative processes in lean health care. Furthermore, Spaghetti charts and Kaikaku are only adapted to administrative processes in the public administration sector, and causal loop diagrams are used explicitly in administrative processes in the construction sector.

This study contributes to research by developing a guideline to design lean intervention for a lean-integrated administrative process in any sector which still needs to be transformed into lean. Hence, this study will be a cornerstone for incorporating lean principles for administrative processes in construction sector.

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Lean tools used in administrative processes across sectors: a systematic review and insights for the construction industry10.1108/CI-03-2023-0057Construction Innovation2023-12-26© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedU.D.R.E. RuwanpuraB.A.K.S. PereraTharusha RanadewaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-12-2610.1108/CI-03-2023-0057https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0057/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Adoption of the digitalised last planner system in infrastructure projects: an Australian case studyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0058/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestInfrastructure projects are complex, task-based endeavours; the reliability of project schedules is often low, as delays occur. As a result, the infrastructure sector is constantly searching for innovative practices that might improve project performance. This study aims to pursue one research question: what are the benefits and challenges to last planner system (LPS) implementation in Australia’s infrastructure industry? It addresses this question through an examination of two rail infrastructure projects in Victoria, Australia. The state of Victoria in Australia provides an excellent context for this study. The study was set in one of the programme alliances which was contracted to carry out five level-crossing removal projects. This study uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, including surveys, interviews and site visits. The authors collected 43 valid survey responses. Additionally, 19 participants from the alliance programme’s two projects (Projects A and B) took part in the interviews. Extensive empirical evidence has been triangulated to achieve the research goals. The findings show through the questionnaire survey that the greatest benefits that digital LPS brings are primarily associated with process improvement and social benefits. The interview results acknowledged that the roll-out of digital LPS had a positive impact on schedules, cost, occupational health and safety (OHS) and quality performance. The research also noted a few challenges in the introduction of digital LPS. Overall, the finding presents strong evidence that the introduction of digital LPS has been a clear success in the case company. This is the first piece of research to fill this major gap in the LPS literature by exploring the issue of digital LPS adoption in Australia’s infrastructure sector. This study has thus laid the foundation for future work on LPS research in the Australian context. The authors are optimistic that this exploratory work will generate interest across other alliances, and perhaps extend into Australia’s construction sector.Adoption of the digitalised last planner system in infrastructure projects: an Australian case study
Shang Gao, Toong-Khuan Chan, Phil Hendy
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Infrastructure projects are complex, task-based endeavours; the reliability of project schedules is often low, as delays occur. As a result, the infrastructure sector is constantly searching for innovative practices that might improve project performance. This study aims to pursue one research question: what are the benefits and challenges to last planner system (LPS) implementation in Australia’s infrastructure industry? It addresses this question through an examination of two rail infrastructure projects in Victoria, Australia.

The state of Victoria in Australia provides an excellent context for this study. The study was set in one of the programme alliances which was contracted to carry out five level-crossing removal projects. This study uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, including surveys, interviews and site visits. The authors collected 43 valid survey responses. Additionally, 19 participants from the alliance programme’s two projects (Projects A and B) took part in the interviews. Extensive empirical evidence has been triangulated to achieve the research goals.

The findings show through the questionnaire survey that the greatest benefits that digital LPS brings are primarily associated with process improvement and social benefits. The interview results acknowledged that the roll-out of digital LPS had a positive impact on schedules, cost, occupational health and safety (OHS) and quality performance. The research also noted a few challenges in the introduction of digital LPS. Overall, the finding presents strong evidence that the introduction of digital LPS has been a clear success in the case company.

This is the first piece of research to fill this major gap in the LPS literature by exploring the issue of digital LPS adoption in Australia’s infrastructure sector. This study has thus laid the foundation for future work on LPS research in the Australian context. The authors are optimistic that this exploratory work will generate interest across other alliances, and perhaps extend into Australia’s construction sector.

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Adoption of the digitalised last planner system in infrastructure projects: an Australian case study10.1108/CI-03-2023-0058Construction Innovation2023-09-29© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedShang GaoToong-Khuan ChanPhil HendyConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-09-2910.1108/CI-03-2023-0058https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-03-2023-0058/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Critical success factors for public–private partnerships in smart city infrastructure projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0072/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestScaling up smart city infrastructure projects will require a large financial investment. Using public–private partnerships is one of the most effective ways to address budget constraints. Numerous factors have varying degrees of influence on the performance of Public private partnerships (PPP) projects; certain PPP factors are more crucial to the success of a smart city infrastructure project than others, and their influence can be greatly increased when they are fulfilled collectively. This study aims to find out what factors are unique to smart city PPP initiatives, as well as how these factors work together, so that successful smart city infrastructure PPP projects can be scaled up. The methodology included three sequential stages: identifying the critical success factors (CSF) of PPP for smart cities based on an extensive literature review, collecting data from a sample of 90 PPP practitioners using a Likert scale questionnaire and estimating interrelationships among the CSF and their emergent clusters using structural equation modelling. The best fit model developed in this study demonstrated the significance of each factor and their interrelationships within their categories in enhancing the performance of PPPs in smart city infrastructure projects. Five categories of critical success factors for PPPs in smart city infrastructure projects have been established: partnership and collaboration; financial sustainability; contractual duties and outsourcing; smart integration; and contract governance. The proposed model represented the causal interrelationships among relevant critical success factors derived from literature, which may help in directing the organization’s attention and resources to more critical areas, leading to the effective fulfilment of the smart city infrastructure project’s objectives. In addition to the theoretical and methodological contributions, this study produced a usable and readily adaptable list and clusters of critical success factors for research in the area of the implementation of PPP in smart city infrastructure projects. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify PPP critical success factors and their themed clusters for smart city infrastructure projects.Critical success factors for public–private partnerships in smart city infrastructure projects
Khalid Almarri, Halim Boussabaine
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Scaling up smart city infrastructure projects will require a large financial investment. Using public–private partnerships is one of the most effective ways to address budget constraints. Numerous factors have varying degrees of influence on the performance of Public private partnerships (PPP) projects; certain PPP factors are more crucial to the success of a smart city infrastructure project than others, and their influence can be greatly increased when they are fulfilled collectively. This study aims to find out what factors are unique to smart city PPP initiatives, as well as how these factors work together, so that successful smart city infrastructure PPP projects can be scaled up.

The methodology included three sequential stages: identifying the critical success factors (CSF) of PPP for smart cities based on an extensive literature review, collecting data from a sample of 90 PPP practitioners using a Likert scale questionnaire and estimating interrelationships among the CSF and their emergent clusters using structural equation modelling.

The best fit model developed in this study demonstrated the significance of each factor and their interrelationships within their categories in enhancing the performance of PPPs in smart city infrastructure projects. Five categories of critical success factors for PPPs in smart city infrastructure projects have been established: partnership and collaboration; financial sustainability; contractual duties and outsourcing; smart integration; and contract governance.

The proposed model represented the causal interrelationships among relevant critical success factors derived from literature, which may help in directing the organization’s attention and resources to more critical areas, leading to the effective fulfilment of the smart city infrastructure project’s objectives. In addition to the theoretical and methodological contributions, this study produced a usable and readily adaptable list and clusters of critical success factors for research in the area of the implementation of PPP in smart city infrastructure projects.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify PPP critical success factors and their themed clusters for smart city infrastructure projects.

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Critical success factors for public–private partnerships in smart city infrastructure projects10.1108/CI-04-2022-0072Construction Innovation2023-04-27© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedKhalid AlmarriHalim BoussabaineConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-2710.1108/CI-04-2022-0072https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0072/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Material recognition for construction quality monitoring using deep learning methodshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0074/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to propose a new deep learning technique to detect the type of material to improve automated construction quality monitoring. A new data augmentation approach that has improved the model robustness against different illumination conditions and overfitting is proposed. This study uses data augmentation at test time and adds outlier samples to training set to prevent over-fitted network training. For data augmentation at test time, five segments are extracted from each sample image and fed to the network. For these images, the network outputting average values is used as the final prediction. Then, the proposed approach is evaluated on multiple deep networks used as material classifiers. The fully connected layers are removed from the end of the networks, and only convolutional layers are retained. The proposed method is evaluated on recognizing 11 types of building materials which include 1,231 images taken from several construction sites. Each image resolution is 4,000 × 3,000. The images are captured with different illumination and camera positions. Different illumination conditions lead to trained networks that are more robust against various environmental conditions. Using VGG16 model, an accuracy of 97.35% is achieved outperforming existing approaches. It is believed that the proposed method presents a new and robust tool for detecting and classifying different material types. The automated detection of material will aid to monitor the quality and see whether the right type of material has been used in the project based on contract specifications. In addition, the proposed model can be used as a guideline for performing quality control (QC) in construction projects based on project quality plan. It can also be used as an input for automated progress monitoring because the material type detection will provide a critical input for object detection. Several studies have been conducted to perform quality management, but there are some issues that need to be addressed. In most previous studies, a very limited number of material types were examined. In addition, although some studies have reported high accuracy to detect material types (Bunrit et al., 2020), their accuracy is dramatically reduced when they are used to detect materials with similar texture and color. In this research, the authors propose a new method to solve the mentioned shortcomings.Material recognition for construction quality monitoring using deep learning methods
Hadi Mahamivanan, Navid Ghassemi, Mohammad Tayarani Darbandy, Afshin Shoeibi, Sadiq Hussain, Farnad Nasirzadeh, Roohallah Alizadehsani, Darius Nahavandi, Abbas Khosravi, Saeid Nahavandi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to propose a new deep learning technique to detect the type of material to improve automated construction quality monitoring.

A new data augmentation approach that has improved the model robustness against different illumination conditions and overfitting is proposed. This study uses data augmentation at test time and adds outlier samples to training set to prevent over-fitted network training. For data augmentation at test time, five segments are extracted from each sample image and fed to the network. For these images, the network outputting average values is used as the final prediction. Then, the proposed approach is evaluated on multiple deep networks used as material classifiers. The fully connected layers are removed from the end of the networks, and only convolutional layers are retained.

The proposed method is evaluated on recognizing 11 types of building materials which include 1,231 images taken from several construction sites. Each image resolution is 4,000 × 3,000. The images are captured with different illumination and camera positions. Different illumination conditions lead to trained networks that are more robust against various environmental conditions. Using VGG16 model, an accuracy of 97.35% is achieved outperforming existing approaches.

It is believed that the proposed method presents a new and robust tool for detecting and classifying different material types. The automated detection of material will aid to monitor the quality and see whether the right type of material has been used in the project based on contract specifications. In addition, the proposed model can be used as a guideline for performing quality control (QC) in construction projects based on project quality plan. It can also be used as an input for automated progress monitoring because the material type detection will provide a critical input for object detection.

Several studies have been conducted to perform quality management, but there are some issues that need to be addressed. In most previous studies, a very limited number of material types were examined. In addition, although some studies have reported high accuracy to detect material types (Bunrit et al., 2020), their accuracy is dramatically reduced when they are used to detect materials with similar texture and color. In this research, the authors propose a new method to solve the mentioned shortcomings.

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Material recognition for construction quality monitoring using deep learning methods10.1108/CI-04-2022-0074Construction Innovation2023-07-12© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedHadi MahamivananNavid GhassemiMohammad Tayarani DarbandyAfshin ShoeibiSadiq HussainFarnad NasirzadehRoohallah AlizadehsaniDarius NahavandiAbbas KhosraviSaeid NahavandiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-07-1210.1108/CI-04-2022-0074https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0074/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Factors affecting the implementation of automated progress monitoring of rebar using vision-based technologieshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0076/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestRebar is the prime component of reinforced concrete structures, and rebar monitoring is a time-consuming and technical job. With the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution, the construction industry practices have evolved toward digitalization. Still, hesitation remains among stakeholders toward the adoption of advanced technologies and one of the significant reasons is the unavailability of knowledge frameworks and implementation guidelines. This study aims to investigate technical factors impacting automated monitoring of rebar for the understanding, confidence gain and effective implementation by construction industry stakeholders. A structured study pipeline has been adopted, which includes a systematic literature collection, semistructured interviews, pilot survey, questionnaire survey and statistical analyses via merging two techniques, i.e. structural equation modeling and relative importance index. The achieved model highlights “digital images” and “scanning” as two main categories being adopted for automated rebar monitoring. Moreover, “external influence”, “data-capturing”, “image quality”, and “environment” have been identified as the main factors under “digital images”. On the other hand, “object distance”, “rebar shape”, “occlusion” and “rebar spacing” have been highlighted as the main contributing factors under “scanning”. The study provides a base guideline for the construction industry stakeholders to gain confidence in automated monitoring of rebar via vision-based technologies and effective implementation of the progress-monitoring processes. This study, via structured data collection, performed qualitative and quantitative analyses to investigate technical factors for effective rebar monitoring via vision-based technologies in the form of a mathematical model.Factors affecting the implementation of automated progress monitoring of rebar using vision-based technologies
Abdul Hannan Qureshi, Wesam Salah Alaloul, Wong Kai Wing, Syed Saad, Khalid Mhmoud Alzubi, Muhammad Ali Musarat
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Rebar is the prime component of reinforced concrete structures, and rebar monitoring is a time-consuming and technical job. With the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution, the construction industry practices have evolved toward digitalization. Still, hesitation remains among stakeholders toward the adoption of advanced technologies and one of the significant reasons is the unavailability of knowledge frameworks and implementation guidelines. This study aims to investigate technical factors impacting automated monitoring of rebar for the understanding, confidence gain and effective implementation by construction industry stakeholders.

A structured study pipeline has been adopted, which includes a systematic literature collection, semistructured interviews, pilot survey, questionnaire survey and statistical analyses via merging two techniques, i.e. structural equation modeling and relative importance index.

The achieved model highlights “digital images” and “scanning” as two main categories being adopted for automated rebar monitoring. Moreover, “external influence”, “data-capturing”, “image quality”, and “environment” have been identified as the main factors under “digital images”. On the other hand, “object distance”, “rebar shape”, “occlusion” and “rebar spacing” have been highlighted as the main contributing factors under “scanning”.

The study provides a base guideline for the construction industry stakeholders to gain confidence in automated monitoring of rebar via vision-based technologies and effective implementation of the progress-monitoring processes. This study, via structured data collection, performed qualitative and quantitative analyses to investigate technical factors for effective rebar monitoring via vision-based technologies in the form of a mathematical model.

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Factors affecting the implementation of automated progress monitoring of rebar using vision-based technologies10.1108/CI-04-2022-0076Construction Innovation2022-11-14© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAbdul Hannan QureshiWesam Salah AlaloulWong Kai WingSyed SaadKhalid Mhmoud AlzubiMuhammad Ali MusaratConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-11-1410.1108/CI-04-2022-0076https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0076/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Closing the information gaps: a systematic review of research on delay and disruption claimshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0080/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDelay and disruption claims involve a complex process that often result in disputes, unnecessary expenses and time loss on construction projects. This study aims to review and synthesize the contributions of previous research undertaken in this area and propose future directions for improving the process of delay and disruption claims. This study adopted a holistic systematic review of literature following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A total of 230 articles were shortlisted related to delay and disruption claims in construction using Scopus and Web of Science databases. Six research themes were identified and critically reviewed including delay analysis, disruption analysis, claim management, contract administration, dispute resolution and delay and disruption information and records. The systematic review showed that there is a dearth of research on managing the wide-ranging information required for delay and disruption claims, ensuring the transparency and uniformity in delay and disruption claims’ information and adopting an end-user’s centred research approach for resolving the problems in the process of delay and disruption claims. Complexities in delay and disruption claims are real-world problems faced by industry practitioners. The findings will help the research community and industry practitioners to prioritize their energies toward information management of delay and disruption claims. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in delay and disruption claims by identifying the need for conducting more research on its information requirements and management. Subsequently, it provides an insight on the use of modern technologies such as drones, building information modeling, radio frequency identifiers, blockchain, Bigdata and machine learning, as tools for more structured and efficient attainment of required information in a transparent and consistent manner. It also recommends greater use of design science research approach for delay and disruption claims. This will help to ensure delay and disruption claims are the least complex and less dispute-prone process.Closing the information gaps: a systematic review of research on delay and disruption claims
Babar Ali, Ajibade A. Aibinu, Vidal Paton-Cole
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Delay and disruption claims involve a complex process that often result in disputes, unnecessary expenses and time loss on construction projects. This study aims to review and synthesize the contributions of previous research undertaken in this area and propose future directions for improving the process of delay and disruption claims.

This study adopted a holistic systematic review of literature following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A total of 230 articles were shortlisted related to delay and disruption claims in construction using Scopus and Web of Science databases.

Six research themes were identified and critically reviewed including delay analysis, disruption analysis, claim management, contract administration, dispute resolution and delay and disruption information and records. The systematic review showed that there is a dearth of research on managing the wide-ranging information required for delay and disruption claims, ensuring the transparency and uniformity in delay and disruption claims’ information and adopting an end-user’s centred research approach for resolving the problems in the process of delay and disruption claims.

Complexities in delay and disruption claims are real-world problems faced by industry practitioners. The findings will help the research community and industry practitioners to prioritize their energies toward information management of delay and disruption claims.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge in delay and disruption claims by identifying the need for conducting more research on its information requirements and management. Subsequently, it provides an insight on the use of modern technologies such as drones, building information modeling, radio frequency identifiers, blockchain, Bigdata and machine learning, as tools for more structured and efficient attainment of required information in a transparent and consistent manner. It also recommends greater use of design science research approach for delay and disruption claims. This will help to ensure delay and disruption claims are the least complex and less dispute-prone process.

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Closing the information gaps: a systematic review of research on delay and disruption claims10.1108/CI-04-2022-0080Construction Innovation2022-11-21© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedBabar AliAjibade A. AibinuVidal Paton-ColeConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-11-2110.1108/CI-04-2022-0080https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0080/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Industry 4.0 driven emerging skills of offsite construction: a multi-case study-based analysishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0081/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestIndustry 4.0 is exacerbating the need for offsite construction (OSC) adoption, and this rapid transformation is pushing the boundaries of construction skills towards extensive modernisation. The adoption of this modern production strategy by the construction industry would redefine the position of OSC. This study aims to examine whether the existing skills are capable of satisfying the needs of different OSC types. A critical literature review evaluated the impact of transformative technology on OSC skills. An existing industry standard OSC skill classification was used as the basis to develop a master list that recognises emerging and diminishing OSC skills. The master list recognises 67 OSC skills under six skill categories: managers, professionals, technicians and trade workers, clerical and administrative workers, machinery operators and drivers and labourers. The skills data was extracted from a series of 13 case studies using document reviews and semi-structured interviews with project stakeholders. The multiple case study evaluation recognised 13 redundant skills and 16 emerging OSC skills such as architects with building information modelling and design for manufacture and assembly knowledge, architects specialised in design and logistics integration, advanced OSC technical skills, factory operators, OSC estimators, technicians for three dimensional visualisation and computer numeric control operators. Interview findings assessed the current state and future directions for OSC skills development. Findings indicate that the prevailing skills are not adequate to readily relocate construction activities from onsite to offsite. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first studies that recognises the major differences in skill requirements for non-volumetric and volumetric OSC types.Industry 4.0 driven emerging skills of offsite construction: a multi-case study-based analysis
Buddhini Ginigaddara, Srinath Perera, Yingbin Feng, Payam Rahnamayiezekavat, Mike Kagioglou
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Industry 4.0 is exacerbating the need for offsite construction (OSC) adoption, and this rapid transformation is pushing the boundaries of construction skills towards extensive modernisation. The adoption of this modern production strategy by the construction industry would redefine the position of OSC. This study aims to examine whether the existing skills are capable of satisfying the needs of different OSC types.

A critical literature review evaluated the impact of transformative technology on OSC skills. An existing industry standard OSC skill classification was used as the basis to develop a master list that recognises emerging and diminishing OSC skills. The master list recognises 67 OSC skills under six skill categories: managers, professionals, technicians and trade workers, clerical and administrative workers, machinery operators and drivers and labourers. The skills data was extracted from a series of 13 case studies using document reviews and semi-structured interviews with project stakeholders.

The multiple case study evaluation recognised 13 redundant skills and 16 emerging OSC skills such as architects with building information modelling and design for manufacture and assembly knowledge, architects specialised in design and logistics integration, advanced OSC technical skills, factory operators, OSC estimators, technicians for three dimensional visualisation and computer numeric control operators. Interview findings assessed the current state and future directions for OSC skills development. Findings indicate that the prevailing skills are not adequate to readily relocate construction activities from onsite to offsite.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first studies that recognises the major differences in skill requirements for non-volumetric and volumetric OSC types.

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Industry 4.0 driven emerging skills of offsite construction: a multi-case study-based analysis10.1108/CI-04-2022-0081Construction Innovation2022-11-07© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedBuddhini GinigaddaraSrinath PereraYingbin FengPayam RahnamayiezekavatMike KagioglouConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-11-0710.1108/CI-04-2022-0081https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0081/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Social media sensing framework for urban infrastructure management: a Philippine case studyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0082/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to use social media data mining to revitalize and support existing urban infrastructure monitoring strategies by extracting valuable insights from public opinion, as current strategies struggle with issues such as adaptability to changing conditions, public engagement and cost effectiveness. Twitter messages or “Tweets” about public infrastructure in the Philippines were gathered and analyzed to discover reoccurring concerns in public infrastructure, emerging topics in public debates and the people’s general view of infrastructure services. This study proposes a topic model for extracting dominating subjects from aggregated social media data, as well as a sentiment analysis model for determining public opinion sentiment toward various urban infrastructure components. The findings of this study highlight the potential of social media data mining to go beyond the limitations of traditional data collection techniques, as well as the importance of public opinion as a key driver for more user-involved infrastructure management and as an important social aspect that can be used to support planning and response strategies in routine maintenance, preservation and improvement of urban infrastructure systems.Social media sensing framework for urban infrastructure management: a Philippine case study
Sy Tien Do, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Denver Banlasan
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to use social media data mining to revitalize and support existing urban infrastructure monitoring strategies by extracting valuable insights from public opinion, as current strategies struggle with issues such as adaptability to changing conditions, public engagement and cost effectiveness.

Twitter messages or “Tweets” about public infrastructure in the Philippines were gathered and analyzed to discover reoccurring concerns in public infrastructure, emerging topics in public debates and the people’s general view of infrastructure services.

This study proposes a topic model for extracting dominating subjects from aggregated social media data, as well as a sentiment analysis model for determining public opinion sentiment toward various urban infrastructure components.

The findings of this study highlight the potential of social media data mining to go beyond the limitations of traditional data collection techniques, as well as the importance of public opinion as a key driver for more user-involved infrastructure management and as an important social aspect that can be used to support planning and response strategies in routine maintenance, preservation and improvement of urban infrastructure systems.

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Social media sensing framework for urban infrastructure management: a Philippine case study10.1108/CI-04-2022-0082Construction Innovation2023-02-08© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedSy Tien DoViet Thanh NguyenDenver BanlasanConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-02-0810.1108/CI-04-2022-0082https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0082/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Asset management-based resilience index formulation for pavements via principal components analysishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0083/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper extends the authors’ previous research work investigating resilience for municipal infrastructure from an asset management perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to formulate a pavement resilience index while incorporating asset management and the associated resilience indicators from the authors’ previous research work. This paper introduces a set of holistic-based key indicators that reflect municipal infrastructure resiliency. Thenceforth, the indicators were integrated using the weighted sum mean method to form the proposed resilience index. Resilience indicators weights were determined using principal components analysis (PCA) via IBM SPSS®. The developed framework for the PCA was built based on an optimization model output to generate the required weights for the desired resilience index. The output optimization data were adjusted using the standardization method before performing PCA. This paper offers a mathematical approach to generating a resilience index for municipal infrastructure. The statistical tests conducted throughout the study showed a high significance level. Therefore, using PCA was proper for the resilience indicators data. The proposed framework is beneficial for asset management experts, where introducing the proposed index will provide ease of use to decision-makers regarding pavement network maintenance planning. The resilience indicators used need to be updated beyond what is mentioned in this paper to include asset redundancy and structural asset capacity. Using clustering as a validation tool is an excellent opportunity for other researchers to examine the resilience index for each pavement corridor individually pertaining to the resulting clusters. This paper provides a unique example of integrating resilience and asset management concepts and serves as a vital step toward a comprehensive integration approach between the two concepts. The used PCA framework offers dynamic resilience indicators weights and, therefore, a dynamic resilience index. Resiliency is a dynamic feature for infrastructure systems. It differs during their life cycle with the change in maintenance and rehabilitation plans, systems retrofit and the occurring disruptive events throughout their life cycle. Therefore, the PCA technique was the preferred method used where it is data-based oriented and eliminates the subjectivity while driving indicators weights.Asset management-based resilience index formulation for pavements via principal components analysis
Ahmed Mohammed, Tarek Zayed, Fuzhan Nasiri, Ashutosh Bagchi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper extends the authors’ previous research work investigating resilience for municipal infrastructure from an asset management perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to formulate a pavement resilience index while incorporating asset management and the associated resilience indicators from the authors’ previous research work.

This paper introduces a set of holistic-based key indicators that reflect municipal infrastructure resiliency. Thenceforth, the indicators were integrated using the weighted sum mean method to form the proposed resilience index. Resilience indicators weights were determined using principal components analysis (PCA) via IBM SPSS®. The developed framework for the PCA was built based on an optimization model output to generate the required weights for the desired resilience index. The output optimization data were adjusted using the standardization method before performing PCA.

This paper offers a mathematical approach to generating a resilience index for municipal infrastructure. The statistical tests conducted throughout the study showed a high significance level. Therefore, using PCA was proper for the resilience indicators data. The proposed framework is beneficial for asset management experts, where introducing the proposed index will provide ease of use to decision-makers regarding pavement network maintenance planning.

The resilience indicators used need to be updated beyond what is mentioned in this paper to include asset redundancy and structural asset capacity. Using clustering as a validation tool is an excellent opportunity for other researchers to examine the resilience index for each pavement corridor individually pertaining to the resulting clusters.

This paper provides a unique example of integrating resilience and asset management concepts and serves as a vital step toward a comprehensive integration approach between the two concepts. The used PCA framework offers dynamic resilience indicators weights and, therefore, a dynamic resilience index. Resiliency is a dynamic feature for infrastructure systems. It differs during their life cycle with the change in maintenance and rehabilitation plans, systems retrofit and the occurring disruptive events throughout their life cycle. Therefore, the PCA technique was the preferred method used where it is data-based oriented and eliminates the subjectivity while driving indicators weights.

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Asset management-based resilience index formulation for pavements via principal components analysis10.1108/CI-04-2022-0083Construction Innovation2022-12-07© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAhmed MohammedTarek ZayedFuzhan NasiriAshutosh BagchiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-0710.1108/CI-04-2022-0083https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0083/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
The link between construction apps’ acceptance and digital attributes of construction professionals: perspectives from digital competence modelhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0094/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe advancement of digital technological breakthroughs in the construction industry is dependent on connecting the attributes of the intended consumers to the technologies. Thus, this study aims to look at the relationship between construction app acceptance and the digital qualities of construction professionals (CPs) to determine whether understanding the connection can assist predict construction app user behaviour. This study’s theoretical approach was derived from the European Union digital competence model, which supports the hypothesis that the traits associated with digital competence enable digitally competent CPs to embrace construction apps. Six hypotheses were developed to investigate the theories, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to predict the acceptance of construction apps based on the CP’s attributes. The investigation’s findings revealed that the CP’s attributes can explain at least 50% of the proportion of variance in 34 construction apps. The use of a smartphone (Mean Score = 3.30; Factor Loading = 0.609), technological orientation (Mean Score = 3.55; Factor Loading = 0.663), information technology skills (Mean Score = 3.48; Factor Loading = 0.649), information on construction innovation (Mean Score = 3.73; Factor Loading = 0.528) and interest in R&D (Mean Score = 3.48; Factor Loading = 0.531) are the digital characteristics that can essentially forecast the acceptance of construction apps. The data backs up the notion that CPs would gain digital competency before accepting construction apps. This is because a digitally savvy CP will most likely embrace construction apps. Frameworks for accelerating digital technologies and innovations in the construction industry have been unveiled in this study. The research also gives recommendations for the evaluation, design and implementation of a more attractive construction app. This study also has implications for investigating the impacts of risk aversion, personal connection, social influence, technological curiosity and digital nativity as predictors of construction app uptake. The findings of this study serve as an index for prioritising digital traits for CPs and characterising a digitally proficient construction professional. The findings provide recommendations for organising, training and supporting construction personnel’ digital competencies. The research is useful for developing and implementing instructional digital training programmes. This study is unusual in that it provides clear insights on construction apps as well as variables for building great user-experience apps for CPs, which are both limited in the literature.The link between construction apps’ acceptance and digital attributes of construction professionals: perspectives from digital competence model
Oluseye Olugboyega, Kayode Emmanuel Ilesanmi, Godwin Ehis Oseghale, Clinton Aigbavboa
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The advancement of digital technological breakthroughs in the construction industry is dependent on connecting the attributes of the intended consumers to the technologies. Thus, this study aims to look at the relationship between construction app acceptance and the digital qualities of construction professionals (CPs) to determine whether understanding the connection can assist predict construction app user behaviour.

This study’s theoretical approach was derived from the European Union digital competence model, which supports the hypothesis that the traits associated with digital competence enable digitally competent CPs to embrace construction apps. Six hypotheses were developed to investigate the theories, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to predict the acceptance of construction apps based on the CP’s attributes.

The investigation’s findings revealed that the CP’s attributes can explain at least 50% of the proportion of variance in 34 construction apps. The use of a smartphone (Mean Score = 3.30; Factor Loading = 0.609), technological orientation (Mean Score = 3.55; Factor Loading = 0.663), information technology skills (Mean Score = 3.48; Factor Loading = 0.649), information on construction innovation (Mean Score = 3.73; Factor Loading = 0.528) and interest in R&D (Mean Score = 3.48; Factor Loading = 0.531) are the digital characteristics that can essentially forecast the acceptance of construction apps. The data backs up the notion that CPs would gain digital competency before accepting construction apps. This is because a digitally savvy CP will most likely embrace construction apps.

Frameworks for accelerating digital technologies and innovations in the construction industry have been unveiled in this study. The research also gives recommendations for the evaluation, design and implementation of a more attractive construction app. This study also has implications for investigating the impacts of risk aversion, personal connection, social influence, technological curiosity and digital nativity as predictors of construction app uptake.

The findings of this study serve as an index for prioritising digital traits for CPs and characterising a digitally proficient construction professional. The findings provide recommendations for organising, training and supporting construction personnel’ digital competencies. The research is useful for developing and implementing instructional digital training programmes.

This study is unusual in that it provides clear insights on construction apps as well as variables for building great user-experience apps for CPs, which are both limited in the literature.

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The link between construction apps’ acceptance and digital attributes of construction professionals: perspectives from digital competence model10.1108/CI-04-2022-0094Construction Innovation2022-12-23© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedOluseye OlugboyegaKayode Emmanuel IlesanmiGodwin Ehis OseghaleClinton AigbavboaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-2310.1108/CI-04-2022-0094https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0094/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Students’ perception of strategies for effective lean knowledge in future Nigerian construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0096/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestWaste has been a major challenge in the construction industry. Lean concepts have been adopted in developed nations to overcome waste. However, developing countries are still faced with the challenge due to a lack of strategies for effective lean knowledge by construction practitioners. The purpose of this research is to identify the strategies for lean knowledge in the future Nigerian construction industry. This was achieved through a case study of a Nigerian university. Assignments and questionnaires were the two instruments used for data collection in the study. Content analysis was adopted to analyse the data obtained from the assignments, while statistical tools such as correlation and ANOVA analysis were used to analyse the questionnaire data. The findings of the study showed that the introduction of lean theory into students’ academic curriculum, lean practical classes and collaboration between universities, industry and lean construction institutes are some of the critical strategies for adequate lean knowledge in the future Nigerian construction industry. The study is case-based and focused on a single university. The study did not also put clients’ level of lean knowledge as well as future required acquaintance into consideration. This study is important as it will enable students to have an adequate understanding of the concept of lean construction right from a higher institution level. This study will enable students to put the knowledge into practice in the construction industry, hence eliminating waste or NVAAs in future construction projects. The findings of the study could enhance concerted efforts by universities, lean construction institutes and the construction industry towards an intentional and systematic delivery of lean knowledge that will reduce waste in future Nigerian construction projects. Further studies should be carried out to identify the success factors required by clients for effective lean knowledge in construction projects.Students’ perception of strategies for effective lean knowledge in future Nigerian construction industry
Adefemi Aka, Abubakar Danladi Isah, Olusegun Idris Salisu, Abdulkabir Opeyemi Bello
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Waste has been a major challenge in the construction industry. Lean concepts have been adopted in developed nations to overcome waste. However, developing countries are still faced with the challenge due to a lack of strategies for effective lean knowledge by construction practitioners. The purpose of this research is to identify the strategies for lean knowledge in the future Nigerian construction industry.

This was achieved through a case study of a Nigerian university. Assignments and questionnaires were the two instruments used for data collection in the study. Content analysis was adopted to analyse the data obtained from the assignments, while statistical tools such as correlation and ANOVA analysis were used to analyse the questionnaire data.

The findings of the study showed that the introduction of lean theory into students’ academic curriculum, lean practical classes and collaboration between universities, industry and lean construction institutes are some of the critical strategies for adequate lean knowledge in the future Nigerian construction industry.

The study is case-based and focused on a single university. The study did not also put clients’ level of lean knowledge as well as future required acquaintance into consideration.

This study is important as it will enable students to have an adequate understanding of the concept of lean construction right from a higher institution level. This study will enable students to put the knowledge into practice in the construction industry, hence eliminating waste or NVAAs in future construction projects.

The findings of the study could enhance concerted efforts by universities, lean construction institutes and the construction industry towards an intentional and systematic delivery of lean knowledge that will reduce waste in future Nigerian construction projects. Further studies should be carried out to identify the success factors required by clients for effective lean knowledge in construction projects.

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Students’ perception of strategies for effective lean knowledge in future Nigerian construction industry10.1108/CI-04-2022-0096Construction Innovation2023-12-07© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAdefemi AkaAbubakar Danladi IsahOlusegun Idris SalisuAbdulkabir Opeyemi BelloConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-12-0710.1108/CI-04-2022-0096https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2022-0096/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Critical success factors for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects: academics and construction practitioners’ perspectiveshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0060/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe application of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in construction projects is of increasing interest to researchers and construction practitioners. Although the application of 3D printing technology at various stages of the project lifecycle has been explored, few studies have identified the relative importance of critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects. To address this research gap, this study aims to explore the academics (i.e. researchers) and construction practitioners’ perspectives on CSFs for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects. To do this, a questionnaire was administered to participants (i.e. academics and construction practitioners) with knowledge and expertise in 3D printing technology in construction projects. The collected data were analysed using mean score ranking, normalization and rank agreement analysis to identify CSFs and determine the consistency of the ranking of CSFs between academics and construction practitioners. In addition, exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the relationships and underlying constructs of the measured CSFs. Through a rank agreement analysis of the collected data, 11 CSFs for implementing 3D printing technology were retrieved (i.e. 17% agreement), indicating a diverse agreement in the ranking of the CSFs between academics and construction practitioners. In addition, the results show three key components of CSFs including “production demand enabling CSFs”, “optimize the construction process enabling CSFs” and “optimized design enabling CSFs”. This study highlights the feasibility of implementing the identified CSFs for 3D printing technology in construction projects, which not only serves as a reference for other researchers but also increases construction practitioners’ awareness of the practical benefits of implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects. Specifically, it would optimize the construction lifecycle processes, enhance digital transformation and promote sustainable construction projects.Critical success factors for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects: academics and construction practitioners’ perspectives
Ruifan Chang, Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The application of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in construction projects is of increasing interest to researchers and construction practitioners. Although the application of 3D printing technology at various stages of the project lifecycle has been explored, few studies have identified the relative importance of critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects. To address this research gap, this study aims to explore the academics (i.e. researchers) and construction practitioners’ perspectives on CSFs for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects.

To do this, a questionnaire was administered to participants (i.e. academics and construction practitioners) with knowledge and expertise in 3D printing technology in construction projects. The collected data were analysed using mean score ranking, normalization and rank agreement analysis to identify CSFs and determine the consistency of the ranking of CSFs between academics and construction practitioners. In addition, exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the relationships and underlying constructs of the measured CSFs.

Through a rank agreement analysis of the collected data, 11 CSFs for implementing 3D printing technology were retrieved (i.e. 17% agreement), indicating a diverse agreement in the ranking of the CSFs between academics and construction practitioners. In addition, the results show three key components of CSFs including “production demand enabling CSFs”, “optimize the construction process enabling CSFs” and “optimized design enabling CSFs”.

This study highlights the feasibility of implementing the identified CSFs for 3D printing technology in construction projects, which not only serves as a reference for other researchers but also increases construction practitioners’ awareness of the practical benefits of implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects. Specifically, it would optimize the construction lifecycle processes, enhance digital transformation and promote sustainable construction projects.

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Critical success factors for implementing 3D printing technology in construction projects: academics and construction practitioners’ perspectives10.1108/CI-04-2023-0060Construction Innovation2023-08-11© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedRuifan ChangMaxwell Fordjour Antwi-AfariConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-1110.1108/CI-04-2023-0060https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0060/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Project bank account (PBA) decentralised application for the construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0067/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestPoor cash flow management and lack of profitability have plagued the construction industry for decades. In response, the UK Government published the project bank account (PBA) payment strategy in 2012 to mitigate main contractors unfairly withholding liabilities. However, PBAs suffer from adoption challenges, such as systems fragmentation and a lack of incentives for main contractors to adopt them effectively. This study aims to investigate how to reduce systems fragmentation in construction by integrating PBA procedures with existing management workflows to increase payment automation, resulting in improved cash liquidity and better incentives for using PBAs. A PBA blockchain decentralised application is developed, presented and critically evaluated. Blockchain is the technology used because of its permissionless, license-free, open-source and immutability properties. It is a suitable general-purpose technology layer for building and testing applications without the limitations associated with centralised technologies, such as high proprietary fees, vendor lock and intellectual property restrictions. The research demonstrates how a blockchain application can integrate siloed construction workflows such as cash flow scheduling, supply chain management and payment executions, reducing the management workload for implementing PBAs in construction projects. Furthermore, the proposed application is open-source and replicable, and its user interface is available for external testing here: https://console.atra.io/app/bf26f846-7f16-4f80-90a0-c5488ab6edd3. PBA is a suitable test case because it enforces an auditable, transparent and neutral account, which are inbuilt properties of blockchains; thus, both systems are harmonious to integrate. PBA is mandated in UK public sector construction projects; therefore, the research has a solid practical foundation.Project bank account (PBA) decentralised application for the construction industry
Denis Scott, Ling Ma, Tim Broyd
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Poor cash flow management and lack of profitability have plagued the construction industry for decades. In response, the UK Government published the project bank account (PBA) payment strategy in 2012 to mitigate main contractors unfairly withholding liabilities. However, PBAs suffer from adoption challenges, such as systems fragmentation and a lack of incentives for main contractors to adopt them effectively. This study aims to investigate how to reduce systems fragmentation in construction by integrating PBA procedures with existing management workflows to increase payment automation, resulting in improved cash liquidity and better incentives for using PBAs.

A PBA blockchain decentralised application is developed, presented and critically evaluated. Blockchain is the technology used because of its permissionless, license-free, open-source and immutability properties. It is a suitable general-purpose technology layer for building and testing applications without the limitations associated with centralised technologies, such as high proprietary fees, vendor lock and intellectual property restrictions.

The research demonstrates how a blockchain application can integrate siloed construction workflows such as cash flow scheduling, supply chain management and payment executions, reducing the management workload for implementing PBAs in construction projects. Furthermore, the proposed application is open-source and replicable, and its user interface is available for external testing here: https://console.atra.io/app/bf26f846-7f16-4f80-90a0-c5488ab6edd3.

PBA is a suitable test case because it enforces an auditable, transparent and neutral account, which are inbuilt properties of blockchains; thus, both systems are harmonious to integrate. PBA is mandated in UK public sector construction projects; therefore, the research has a solid practical foundation.

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Project bank account (PBA) decentralised application for the construction industry10.1108/CI-04-2023-0067Construction Innovation2024-01-11© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedDenis ScottLing MaTim BroydConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-1110.1108/CI-04-2023-0067https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0067/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Understanding the key risks in circular construction projects: from systematic review to conceptual frameworkhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0068/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestCircular construction offers sustainable solutions and opportunities to disentangle a project’s life cycle, including demolition, deconstruction and repurposing of architectural, civil engineering and infrastructure projects from the extraction of natural resources and their wasteful usage. However, it introduces additional layers of novel risks and uncertainties in the delivery of projects. The purpose of this study is to review the relevant literature to discover, classify and theorize the critical risk factors for circular construction projects. The paper conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the risks of circular construction projects. It deployed a multistage approach, including literature search and assessment, metadata extraction, citation frequency analysis, Pareto analysis and total interpretive structural modeling. Sixty-eight critical risk factors were identified and categorized into nine broad taxonomies: material risks, organizational risks, supply chain risks, technological risks, financial risks, design risks, health and safety risks, regulatory risks and stakeholder risks. Using the Pareto analysis, a conceptual map of 47 key critical risk factors was generated for circular construction projects. A hierarchical model was further developed to hypothesize the multiple possible connections and interdependencies of the taxonomies, leading to chain reactions and push effects of the key risks impacting circular construction projects. This study constitutes the first systematic review of the literature, consolidating and theorizing the chain reactions of the critical risk factors for circular construction projects. Thus, it provides a better understanding of risks in circular construction projects.Understanding the key risks in circular construction projects: from systematic review to conceptual framework
Ibrahim Yahaya Wuni, Derek Asante Abankwa
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Circular construction offers sustainable solutions and opportunities to disentangle a project’s life cycle, including demolition, deconstruction and repurposing of architectural, civil engineering and infrastructure projects from the extraction of natural resources and their wasteful usage. However, it introduces additional layers of novel risks and uncertainties in the delivery of projects. The purpose of this study is to review the relevant literature to discover, classify and theorize the critical risk factors for circular construction projects.

The paper conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the risks of circular construction projects. It deployed a multistage approach, including literature search and assessment, metadata extraction, citation frequency analysis, Pareto analysis and total interpretive structural modeling.

Sixty-eight critical risk factors were identified and categorized into nine broad taxonomies: material risks, organizational risks, supply chain risks, technological risks, financial risks, design risks, health and safety risks, regulatory risks and stakeholder risks. Using the Pareto analysis, a conceptual map of 47 key critical risk factors was generated for circular construction projects. A hierarchical model was further developed to hypothesize the multiple possible connections and interdependencies of the taxonomies, leading to chain reactions and push effects of the key risks impacting circular construction projects.

This study constitutes the first systematic review of the literature, consolidating and theorizing the chain reactions of the critical risk factors for circular construction projects. Thus, it provides a better understanding of risks in circular construction projects.

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Understanding the key risks in circular construction projects: from systematic review to conceptual framework10.1108/CI-04-2023-0068Construction Innovation2023-11-09© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedIbrahim Yahaya WuniDerek Asante AbankwaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-11-0910.1108/CI-04-2023-0068https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0068/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Application of lean for early identification and avoidance of disputes in construction projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0073/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe dispute resolution process in the construction industry is known for delays in settlement, with some cases even escalating to complex arbitration and litigation. To avoid conflicts turning into disputes, the parties need to be proactive in identifying and resolving conflicts in their nascent stages. It is here that innovative lean construction practices can potentially act as a game-changer to avoid disputes, and this study aims to attempt to understand this phenomenon empirically. A questionnaire-based empirical study, followed by semi-structured interviews, is conducted to understand the relevance of key tenets of lean principles in dispute avoidance. Although stakeholders agree on the usefulness and practicality of lean principles in dispute avoidance, the extent of agreement is lesser when it comes to its implementation practicality. Moreover, there is a demographic influence observed on lean tenets such as “open communication”, “stakeholder collaboration” and “constraint identification”. The results point towards an approach that combines contractual mandate, training and awareness creation to iron out the differences in the usefulness and practicality of lean approaches to avoid disputes. Lean implementation is widely discussed in many construction contexts, such as sustainability, productivity improvement and planning. However, a discussion on lean philosophy’s role in dispute avoidance is muted. Therefore, this study assumes significance.Application of lean for early identification and avoidance of disputes in construction projects
Murali Jagannathan, Vijayeta Malla, Venkata Santosh Kumar Delhi, Venkatesan Renganaidu
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The dispute resolution process in the construction industry is known for delays in settlement, with some cases even escalating to complex arbitration and litigation. To avoid conflicts turning into disputes, the parties need to be proactive in identifying and resolving conflicts in their nascent stages. It is here that innovative lean construction practices can potentially act as a game-changer to avoid disputes, and this study aims to attempt to understand this phenomenon empirically.

A questionnaire-based empirical study, followed by semi-structured interviews, is conducted to understand the relevance of key tenets of lean principles in dispute avoidance.

Although stakeholders agree on the usefulness and practicality of lean principles in dispute avoidance, the extent of agreement is lesser when it comes to its implementation practicality. Moreover, there is a demographic influence observed on lean tenets such as “open communication”, “stakeholder collaboration” and “constraint identification”.

The results point towards an approach that combines contractual mandate, training and awareness creation to iron out the differences in the usefulness and practicality of lean approaches to avoid disputes.

Lean implementation is widely discussed in many construction contexts, such as sustainability, productivity improvement and planning. However, a discussion on lean philosophy’s role in dispute avoidance is muted. Therefore, this study assumes significance.

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Application of lean for early identification and avoidance of disputes in construction projects10.1108/CI-04-2023-0073Construction Innovation2024-02-19© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedMurali JagannathanVijayeta MallaVenkata Santosh Kumar DelhiVenkatesan RenganaiduConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-1910.1108/CI-04-2023-0073https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0073/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Factors affecting intention to adopt green building practices: a journey towards meeting sustainable goalshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0074/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry and its activities harmfully affect the environment. Hence, adopting green building (GRB) practices can be helpful in achieving sustainable development goals. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors affecting the intention to adopt GRB practices by extending theory of planned behavior (TPB). Using non-probability purposive sampling technique, data was gathered from consultant and contractor engineers in the construction industry through a questionnaire. The analysis was done using partial least square-structural equation modeling technique on a useful sample of 290. Findings revealed that the core constructs of TPB [i.e. attitude (AT), subjective norms (SUBN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC)] significantly affect the intention to adopt GRB practices. Moreover, government support and knowledge of green practices (KNGP) were found to be critical influencing factors on AT, SUBNs and PBC. Lastly, the findings confirmed that environmental concerns (ENC) play as a moderating between SUBN and intention to adopt GRB practices, as well as AT and intention to adopt GRB practices. This study contributes to existing knowledge on GRB, offering evidence base for policy choices regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation in the construction industry. This study provides insights from the perspective of a developing economy and confirms the applicability of TPB in the adoption of GRB practices. Moreover, this study confirms the moderation role of ENC in between TPB constructs and intention to GRB that is not tested earlier in the context of GRB. This study also confirms that government sustainable support positively affects PBC, and KNGP significantly affects SUBNs.Factors affecting intention to adopt green building practices: a journey towards meeting sustainable goals
Rabbia Aslam Siddiqui, Zulfikar Adamu, Obas John Ebohon, Wajeeha Aslam
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The construction industry and its activities harmfully affect the environment. Hence, adopting green building (GRB) practices can be helpful in achieving sustainable development goals. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors affecting the intention to adopt GRB practices by extending theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Using non-probability purposive sampling technique, data was gathered from consultant and contractor engineers in the construction industry through a questionnaire. The analysis was done using partial least square-structural equation modeling technique on a useful sample of 290.

Findings revealed that the core constructs of TPB [i.e. attitude (AT), subjective norms (SUBN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC)] significantly affect the intention to adopt GRB practices. Moreover, government support and knowledge of green practices (KNGP) were found to be critical influencing factors on AT, SUBNs and PBC. Lastly, the findings confirmed that environmental concerns (ENC) play as a moderating between SUBN and intention to adopt GRB practices, as well as AT and intention to adopt GRB practices.

This study contributes to existing knowledge on GRB, offering evidence base for policy choices regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation in the construction industry.

This study provides insights from the perspective of a developing economy and confirms the applicability of TPB in the adoption of GRB practices. Moreover, this study confirms the moderation role of ENC in between TPB constructs and intention to GRB that is not tested earlier in the context of GRB. This study also confirms that government sustainable support positively affects PBC, and KNGP significantly affects SUBNs.

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Factors affecting intention to adopt green building practices: a journey towards meeting sustainable goals10.1108/CI-04-2023-0074Construction Innovation2024-03-01© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedRabbia Aslam SiddiquiZulfikar AdamuObas John EbohonWajeeha AslamConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-03-0110.1108/CI-04-2023-0074https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0074/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Uncertainties affecting the offsite construction supply chain resilience: a systematic literature reviewhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0075/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to synthesise the latest literature on supply chain operations of offsite manufacturing in the construction industry to identify and evaluate the uncertainties at each stage of the offsite construction supply chain (OSC-SC) to compile contributions to knowledge and thereby determine the future research directions to improve supply chain resilience (SCR). The study was conducted as a systematic literature review. In total, 99 peer-reviewed journal papers published between 2015 and mid-2022 were shortlisted and analysed through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The bibliometric analysis revealed that the research focusing on supply chain issues and developing best practices in offsite construction adopt case study approaches to investigate the research problems comprehensively. The content analysis revealed the lack of up-to-date knowledge in the construction workforce regarding OSC; low preparedness for the changes brought by the SC uncertainties; the lack of a proper procurement model for OSC; lack of end-to-end visibility of the supply chain to identify uncertainties and lack of national or government standards on OSC-SC, as some of the key problems instigating the identified the uncertainties. This study clarifies the current knowledge by systematically presenting uncertainties at each stage of the OSC-SC. Moreover, it provides a framework and proposes that future research should focus specifically on individual/team, organisational, supply chain/network and sector/national/supranational levels to improve SCR.Uncertainties affecting the offsite construction supply chain resilience: a systematic literature review
Tennakoon Mudiyanselage Maheshi Pabasara Tennakoon, Nicholas Chileshe, Raufdeen Rameezdeen, Jorge Ochoa Paniagua, Aparna Samaraweera, Larissa Statsenko
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to synthesise the latest literature on supply chain operations of offsite manufacturing in the construction industry to identify and evaluate the uncertainties at each stage of the offsite construction supply chain (OSC-SC) to compile contributions to knowledge and thereby determine the future research directions to improve supply chain resilience (SCR).

The study was conducted as a systematic literature review. In total, 99 peer-reviewed journal papers published between 2015 and mid-2022 were shortlisted and analysed through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

The bibliometric analysis revealed that the research focusing on supply chain issues and developing best practices in offsite construction adopt case study approaches to investigate the research problems comprehensively. The content analysis revealed the lack of up-to-date knowledge in the construction workforce regarding OSC; low preparedness for the changes brought by the SC uncertainties; the lack of a proper procurement model for OSC; lack of end-to-end visibility of the supply chain to identify uncertainties and lack of national or government standards on OSC-SC, as some of the key problems instigating the identified the uncertainties.

This study clarifies the current knowledge by systematically presenting uncertainties at each stage of the OSC-SC. Moreover, it provides a framework and proposes that future research should focus specifically on individual/team, organisational, supply chain/network and sector/national/supranational levels to improve SCR.

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Uncertainties affecting the offsite construction supply chain resilience: a systematic literature review10.1108/CI-04-2023-0075Construction Innovation2023-08-24© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedTennakoon Mudiyanselage Maheshi Pabasara TennakoonNicholas ChilesheRaufdeen RameezdeenJorge Ochoa PaniaguaAparna SamaraweeraLarissa StatsenkoConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-2410.1108/CI-04-2023-0075https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0075/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Exploring constraints in integrating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) into building designs: a case of Nigerian quantity surveying firmshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0079/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the primary constraints that quantity surveying firms in Nigeria encounter while integrating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles into building designs. The study used a quantitative approach by administering a well-structured questionnaire to 114 quantity surveyors. The collected data were analyzed using methods such as frequencies, percentages, mean item scores, Kruskal–Wallis test and exploratory factor analysis. The top five ranked constraints were limited access to funding or financing options, limited availability of green materials, limited availability of insurance for sustainable buildings, limited availability of sustainable design resources and limited diversity and inclusivity within the design profession. Based on the factor analysis, the study identified six clusters of constraints: structural-related constraints, technical-related constraints, financial-related constraints, capacity-related constraints, legal-related constraints and culture-related constraints. This study has several practical implications for quantity surveying firms, policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in building design and construction in Nigeria. The findings of this study can also inform future research on the integration of IEQ principles into building designs. By identifying and structuring the clusters of constraints faced by quantity surveying firms in Nigeria when implementing IEQ principles, this study provides a novel approach to understanding the challenges associated with IEQ implementation in the building sector. This understanding can guide policymakers, industry stakeholders and quantity surveying firms in developing effective strategies to overcome these constraints and promote IEQ principles in building design and construction.Exploring constraints in integrating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) into building designs: a case of Nigerian quantity surveying firms
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, John Aliu, Doyin Helen Agbaje, Andrew Ebekozien, Douglas Omoregie Aghimien, Feyisetan Leo-Olagbaye, Clinton Aigbavboa
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the primary constraints that quantity surveying firms in Nigeria encounter while integrating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles into building designs.

The study used a quantitative approach by administering a well-structured questionnaire to 114 quantity surveyors. The collected data were analyzed using methods such as frequencies, percentages, mean item scores, Kruskal–Wallis test and exploratory factor analysis.

The top five ranked constraints were limited access to funding or financing options, limited availability of green materials, limited availability of insurance for sustainable buildings, limited availability of sustainable design resources and limited diversity and inclusivity within the design profession. Based on the factor analysis, the study identified six clusters of constraints: structural-related constraints, technical-related constraints, financial-related constraints, capacity-related constraints, legal-related constraints and culture-related constraints.

This study has several practical implications for quantity surveying firms, policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in building design and construction in Nigeria. The findings of this study can also inform future research on the integration of IEQ principles into building designs.

By identifying and structuring the clusters of constraints faced by quantity surveying firms in Nigeria when implementing IEQ principles, this study provides a novel approach to understanding the challenges associated with IEQ implementation in the building sector. This understanding can guide policymakers, industry stakeholders and quantity surveying firms in developing effective strategies to overcome these constraints and promote IEQ principles in building design and construction.

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Exploring constraints in integrating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) into building designs: a case of Nigerian quantity surveying firms10.1108/CI-04-2023-0079Construction Innovation2024-02-06© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedAyodeji Emmanuel OkeJohn AliuDoyin Helen AgbajeAndrew EbekozienDouglas Omoregie AghimienFeyisetan Leo-OlagbayeClinton AigbavboaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-0610.1108/CI-04-2023-0079https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0079/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Common data environments in construction: state-of-the-art and challenges for practical implementationhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0088/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestInformation management workflow in building information modelling (BIM)-based collaboration is based on using a common data environment (CDE). The basic premise of a CDE is exposing all relevant data as a single source of truth and facilitating continuous collaboration between stakeholders. A multitude of tools can be used as a CDE, however, it is not clear how the tools are used or if they fulfil the users’ needs. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate current practices of using CDEs for information management during the whole built asset’s life cycle, through a state-of-the-art literature review and an empirical study. Literature data is collected according to the PRISMA 2020 guideline for reporting systematic reviews. This paper includes 46 documents in the review and conduct a bibliometric and thematic analysis to identify the main challenges of digital information management. To understand the current practice and the views of the stakeholders using CDEs in their work, this paper used an empirical approach including semi-structured interviews with 15 BIM experts. The results indicate that one of the major challenges of CDE adoption is project complexity and using multiple CDEs simultaneously leading to data accountability, transparency and reliability issues. To tackle those challenges, the use of novel technologies in CDE development such as blockchain could be further investigated. The research explores the major challenges in the practical implementation of CDEs for information management. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on this topic combining a systematic literature review and fieldwork.Common data environments in construction: state-of-the-art and challenges for practical implementation
Klaudia Jaskula, Dimosthenis Kifokeris, Eleni Papadonikolaki, Dimitrios Rovas
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Information management workflow in building information modelling (BIM)-based collaboration is based on using a common data environment (CDE). The basic premise of a CDE is exposing all relevant data as a single source of truth and facilitating continuous collaboration between stakeholders. A multitude of tools can be used as a CDE, however, it is not clear how the tools are used or if they fulfil the users’ needs. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate current practices of using CDEs for information management during the whole built asset’s life cycle, through a state-of-the-art literature review and an empirical study.

Literature data is collected according to the PRISMA 2020 guideline for reporting systematic reviews. This paper includes 46 documents in the review and conduct a bibliometric and thematic analysis to identify the main challenges of digital information management. To understand the current practice and the views of the stakeholders using CDEs in their work, this paper used an empirical approach including semi-structured interviews with 15 BIM experts.

The results indicate that one of the major challenges of CDE adoption is project complexity and using multiple CDEs simultaneously leading to data accountability, transparency and reliability issues. To tackle those challenges, the use of novel technologies in CDE development such as blockchain could be further investigated.

The research explores the major challenges in the practical implementation of CDEs for information management. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on this topic combining a systematic literature review and fieldwork.

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Common data environments in construction: state-of-the-art and challenges for practical implementation10.1108/CI-04-2023-0088Construction Innovation2024-01-29© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedKlaudia JaskulaDimosthenis KifokerisEleni PapadonikolakiDimitrios RovasConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-2910.1108/CI-04-2023-0088https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-04-2023-0088/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Key residential construction defects: a framework for their identification and correlated causeshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0103/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestConstruction defects are one of the primary causes of deficient quality performance and constantly yield project cost and schedule overruns mostly because of rework. This study aims to propose a new method for identifying a bespoke checklist of the most recurrent defects in residential construction work and their correlated causes as a basis for developing a framework for practical improvements in managing defect risks. A literature review was first used to ground the defects within the existing theory and develop a new framework for ranking the key defects involved. This was demonstrated and tested by an analysis of Queensland Building Construction Commission (QBCC) archival data for 42,000 reported defects in new Queensland residential buildings. A questionnaire survey of 427 construction practitioners from 37 trades was then conducted to determine their causes. The developed framework consists of preconditions for defective acts, defective supervision and organizational influences and is found to be suitable for analyzing the QBCC archives to rank the 20 most frequent defects. In the demonstration study, a questionnaire survey identified the highest frequency latent causes of defective acts to be workers taking shortcuts to complete tasks, workers’ lack of skill or knowledge level, challenges and limitations of technical constructability, and incorrect material supply; the failure to correct a known problem and poor supervision for defective supervision; and inadequate employee training, low managerial priority for quality and high time pressure and constraints for organizational influences. The method is a new approach to identifying the key defects in residential construction work and their correlated causes for developing bespoke checklists as an aid to in managing defect risks.Key residential construction defects: a framework for their identification and correlated causes
Rebeca Lambers, Fiona Lamari, Martin Skitmore, Darmicka Rajendra
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Construction defects are one of the primary causes of deficient quality performance and constantly yield project cost and schedule overruns mostly because of rework. This study aims to propose a new method for identifying a bespoke checklist of the most recurrent defects in residential construction work and their correlated causes as a basis for developing a framework for practical improvements in managing defect risks.

A literature review was first used to ground the defects within the existing theory and develop a new framework for ranking the key defects involved. This was demonstrated and tested by an analysis of Queensland Building Construction Commission (QBCC) archival data for 42,000 reported defects in new Queensland residential buildings. A questionnaire survey of 427 construction practitioners from 37 trades was then conducted to determine their causes.

The developed framework consists of preconditions for defective acts, defective supervision and organizational influences and is found to be suitable for analyzing the QBCC archives to rank the 20 most frequent defects. In the demonstration study, a questionnaire survey identified the highest frequency latent causes of defective acts to be workers taking shortcuts to complete tasks, workers’ lack of skill or knowledge level, challenges and limitations of technical constructability, and incorrect material supply; the failure to correct a known problem and poor supervision for defective supervision; and inadequate employee training, low managerial priority for quality and high time pressure and constraints for organizational influences.

The method is a new approach to identifying the key defects in residential construction work and their correlated causes for developing bespoke checklists as an aid to in managing defect risks.

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Key residential construction defects: a framework for their identification and correlated causes10.1108/CI-05-2022-0103Construction Innovation2023-04-07© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedRebeca LambersFiona LamariMartin SkitmoreDarmicka RajendraConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-0710.1108/CI-05-2022-0103https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0103/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Structuration of lean-agile integrated factors for construction projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0105/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to analyze and understand mutual relationships between lean and agile enabling factors in the context of the construction domain and put forth the most driving and dependent enablers for a hybrid lean–agile system (HLAS). A threefold research flow is adopted. First, the content analysis of literature stemmed from the identification of preliminary enablers (n = 26). Second, a questionnaire survey (n = 101) is administered to downsize enablers to ten using the relative importance index. Further, in the third phase, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and the cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification analysis were performed amid the ten key enablers through pairwise interactions from subject matter experts (n = 19). Hierarchical representation of enablers has been presented, which facilitates a conceptual model for application in the construction industry. The ISM model demonstrates a three leveled classification structure that showcases direct and transitive relationships among various enablers. “Use of project management tools” is the driving enabler, followed by “collaborative and common data platform working” and “institution of team training” are critical enablers to HLAS adoption. A structured way of identification of interdependent among lean–agile is a vital unique contribution to this study. The results serve as a knowledge base for practical adoption of HLAS and may prove to be influential in developing a framework for easier adoption in developing countries.Structuration of lean-agile integrated factors for construction projects
Vijayeta Malla
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to analyze and understand mutual relationships between lean and agile enabling factors in the context of the construction domain and put forth the most driving and dependent enablers for a hybrid lean–agile system (HLAS).

A threefold research flow is adopted. First, the content analysis of literature stemmed from the identification of preliminary enablers (n = 26). Second, a questionnaire survey (n = 101) is administered to downsize enablers to ten using the relative importance index. Further, in the third phase, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and the cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification analysis were performed amid the ten key enablers through pairwise interactions from subject matter experts (n = 19). Hierarchical representation of enablers has been presented, which facilitates a conceptual model for application in the construction industry.

The ISM model demonstrates a three leveled classification structure that showcases direct and transitive relationships among various enablers. “Use of project management tools” is the driving enabler, followed by “collaborative and common data platform working” and “institution of team training” are critical enablers to HLAS adoption.

A structured way of identification of interdependent among lean–agile is a vital unique contribution to this study. The results serve as a knowledge base for practical adoption of HLAS and may prove to be influential in developing a framework for easier adoption in developing countries.

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Structuration of lean-agile integrated factors for construction projects10.1108/CI-05-2022-0105Construction Innovation2023-01-06© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedVijayeta MallaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-0610.1108/CI-05-2022-0105https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0105/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Adaptability of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for cost management of building construction projects in Sri Lankahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0108/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestEnterprise resource planning (ERP) systems that are equipped with numerous features and functionalities help to improve the profitability of construction corporations around the world through enhancing the efficiency of the functions related to cost management. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of ERP systems for cost management of building construction projects in Sri Lanka. A qualitative technique was used in this study, which comprised two-round Delphi-based semistructured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to determine the interviewees. Content analysis was used to evaluate the collected data. The findings of this study identified the ERP system as a strategic tool for gaining a competitive advantage for an organization while confirming 14 uses of ERP systems and 16 stages of the cost management process. Eighteen issues were finalized at the end of the interview rounds while categorizing the suitable ERP applications at each stage of the cost management process. Even though there are numerous distinct studies conducted on cost management and ERP systems, there has been a lack of studies conducted on the synergy between these two areas that can be adapted for the building projects in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, the findings of this study can bring a new paradigm to the Sri Lankan construction sector by influencing the adaption of correct ERP systems at numerous project stages by providing a competitive edge.Adaptability of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for cost management of building construction projects in Sri Lanka
B.H.V.H. Jayamaha, B.A.K.S. Perera, K.D.M. Gimhani, M.N.N. Rodrigo
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems that are equipped with numerous features and functionalities help to improve the profitability of construction corporations around the world through enhancing the efficiency of the functions related to cost management. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of ERP systems for cost management of building construction projects in Sri Lanka.

A qualitative technique was used in this study, which comprised two-round Delphi-based semistructured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to determine the interviewees. Content analysis was used to evaluate the collected data.

The findings of this study identified the ERP system as a strategic tool for gaining a competitive advantage for an organization while confirming 14 uses of ERP systems and 16 stages of the cost management process. Eighteen issues were finalized at the end of the interview rounds while categorizing the suitable ERP applications at each stage of the cost management process.

Even though there are numerous distinct studies conducted on cost management and ERP systems, there has been a lack of studies conducted on the synergy between these two areas that can be adapted for the building projects in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, the findings of this study can bring a new paradigm to the Sri Lankan construction sector by influencing the adaption of correct ERP systems at numerous project stages by providing a competitive edge.

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Adaptability of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for cost management of building construction projects in Sri Lanka10.1108/CI-05-2022-0108Construction Innovation2023-03-02© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedB.H.V.H. JayamahaB.A.K.S. PereraK.D.M. GimhaniM.N.N. RodrigoConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-0210.1108/CI-05-2022-0108https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0108/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
The knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between construction practitioners and academicians in Malaysia: a comparative studyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0109/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between the academicians and industry players in construction engineering, further suggesting a mechanism to narrow the gap between the distinct parties. This study was conducted through structured online and face-to-face interviews, using KAP survey, and semi-structured interviews. This constructive research was conducted among Malaysian construction industry players and academicians from the construction engineering department in public universities. The findings exhibit the similarities and differences of KAP between academics and industry on Industry 4.0 in construction engineering. In general, both categories of respondents have displayed more similarities than differences in all aspects, except for knowledge. The better knowledge profile of Industry 4.0 among the academicians reflects the nature of the academic works that constantly seek new knowledge, thus suggesting the establishment of an industry-academic (I-A) knowledge equilibrium framework to leverage the knowledge profile between both parties. This exploratory study that showcases the perspective of the academia and industry practitioners on Industry 4.0 acts as a cornerstone for bridging the gap between the two distinct sectors within the same field. The gap between the academic and industry was highlighted, further establishing the I-A knowledge equilibrium framework that could also be applied to other fields of study. The originality of this paper was the profiling of the KAP of Industry 4.0 for the academicians and industry players in construction engineering, further distinguishing the gap between both parties.The knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between construction practitioners and academicians in Malaysia: a comparative study
Nadia Safura Zabidin, Sheila Belayutham, Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between the academicians and industry players in construction engineering, further suggesting a mechanism to narrow the gap between the distinct parties.

This study was conducted through structured online and face-to-face interviews, using KAP survey, and semi-structured interviews. This constructive research was conducted among Malaysian construction industry players and academicians from the construction engineering department in public universities.

The findings exhibit the similarities and differences of KAP between academics and industry on Industry 4.0 in construction engineering. In general, both categories of respondents have displayed more similarities than differences in all aspects, except for knowledge. The better knowledge profile of Industry 4.0 among the academicians reflects the nature of the academic works that constantly seek new knowledge, thus suggesting the establishment of an industry-academic (I-A) knowledge equilibrium framework to leverage the knowledge profile between both parties.

This exploratory study that showcases the perspective of the academia and industry practitioners on Industry 4.0 acts as a cornerstone for bridging the gap between the two distinct sectors within the same field.

The gap between the academic and industry was highlighted, further establishing the I-A knowledge equilibrium framework that could also be applied to other fields of study.

The originality of this paper was the profiling of the KAP of Industry 4.0 for the academicians and industry players in construction engineering, further distinguishing the gap between both parties.

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The knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between construction practitioners and academicians in Malaysia: a comparative study10.1108/CI-05-2022-0109Construction Innovation2023-02-20© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedNadia Safura ZabidinSheila BelayuthamChe Khairil Izam Che IbrahimConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-02-2010.1108/CI-05-2022-0109https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0109/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Structuring risks for a comprehensive understanding of cost overruns in power plant projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0120/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestPower plant projects are very complex and encounter serious cost overruns worldwide. Their cost overrun risks are not independent but interrelated in many cases, having structural relationships among each other. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to establish the complex structural relationships of risks involved. In total, 76 published articles from the previous literature are reviewed using the content analysis method. Three risk networks in different phases of power plant projects are depicted based on literature review and case studies. The possible methods of solving these risk networks are also discussed. The study finds critical cost overrun risks and develops risk networks for the procurement, civil and mechanical works of power plant projects. It identifies potential models to assess cost overrun risks based on the developed risk networks. The literature review also revealed some research gaps in the cost overrun risk management of power plants and similar infrastructure projects. This study will assist project risk managers to understand the potential risks and their relationships to prevent and mitigate cost overruns for future power plant projects. It will also facilitate decision-makers developing a risk management framework and controlling projects’ cost overruns. The study presents conceptual risk networks in different phases of power plant projects for comprehending the root causes of cost overruns. A comparative discussion of the relevant models available in the literature is presented, where their potential applications, limitations and further improvement areas are discussed to solve the developed risk networks for modeling cost overrun risks.Structuring risks for a comprehensive understanding of cost overruns in power plant projects
Muhammad Saiful Islam, Madhav Nepal, Martin Skitmore
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Power plant projects are very complex and encounter serious cost overruns worldwide. Their cost overrun risks are not independent but interrelated in many cases, having structural relationships among each other. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to establish the complex structural relationships of risks involved.

In total, 76 published articles from the previous literature are reviewed using the content analysis method. Three risk networks in different phases of power plant projects are depicted based on literature review and case studies. The possible methods of solving these risk networks are also discussed.

The study finds critical cost overrun risks and develops risk networks for the procurement, civil and mechanical works of power plant projects. It identifies potential models to assess cost overrun risks based on the developed risk networks. The literature review also revealed some research gaps in the cost overrun risk management of power plants and similar infrastructure projects.

This study will assist project risk managers to understand the potential risks and their relationships to prevent and mitigate cost overruns for future power plant projects. It will also facilitate decision-makers developing a risk management framework and controlling projects’ cost overruns.

The study presents conceptual risk networks in different phases of power plant projects for comprehending the root causes of cost overruns. A comparative discussion of the relevant models available in the literature is presented, where their potential applications, limitations and further improvement areas are discussed to solve the developed risk networks for modeling cost overrun risks.

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Structuring risks for a comprehensive understanding of cost overruns in power plant projects10.1108/CI-05-2022-0120Construction Innovation2023-10-27© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedMuhammad Saiful IslamMadhav NepalMartin SkitmoreConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-10-2710.1108/CI-05-2022-0120https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0120/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A deep learning-based approach to facilitate the as-built state recognition of indoor construction workshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0121/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestRecognising the as-built state of construction elements is crucial for construction progress monitoring. Construction scholars have used computer vision-based algorithms to automate this process. Robust object recognition from indoor site images has been inhibited by technical challenges related to indoor objects, lighting conditions and camera positioning. Compared with traditional machine learning algorithms, one-stage detector deep learning (DL) algorithms can prioritise the inference speed, enable real-time accurate object detection and classification. This study aims to present a DL-based approach to facilitate the as-built state recognition of indoor construction works. The one-stage DL-based approach was built upon YOLO version 4 (YOLOv4) algorithm using transfer learning with few hyperparameters customised and trained in the Google Colab virtual machine. The process of framing, insulation and drywall installation of indoor partitions was selected as the as-built scenario. For training, images were captured from two indoor sites with publicly available online images. The DL model reported a best-trained weight with a mean average precision of 92% and an average loss of 0.83. Compared to previous studies, the automation level of this study is high due to the use of fixed time-lapse cameras for data collection and zero manual intervention from the pre-processing algorithms to enhance visual quality of indoor images. This study extends the application of DL models for recognising as-built state of indoor construction works upon providing training images. Presenting a workflow on training DL models in a virtual machine platform by reducing the computational complexities associated with DL models is also materialised.A deep learning-based approach to facilitate the as-built state recognition of indoor construction works
Biyanka Ekanayake, Alireza Ahmadian Fard Fini, Johnny Kwok Wai Wong, Peter Smith
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Recognising the as-built state of construction elements is crucial for construction progress monitoring. Construction scholars have used computer vision-based algorithms to automate this process. Robust object recognition from indoor site images has been inhibited by technical challenges related to indoor objects, lighting conditions and camera positioning. Compared with traditional machine learning algorithms, one-stage detector deep learning (DL) algorithms can prioritise the inference speed, enable real-time accurate object detection and classification. This study aims to present a DL-based approach to facilitate the as-built state recognition of indoor construction works.

The one-stage DL-based approach was built upon YOLO version 4 (YOLOv4) algorithm using transfer learning with few hyperparameters customised and trained in the Google Colab virtual machine. The process of framing, insulation and drywall installation of indoor partitions was selected as the as-built scenario. For training, images were captured from two indoor sites with publicly available online images.

The DL model reported a best-trained weight with a mean average precision of 92% and an average loss of 0.83. Compared to previous studies, the automation level of this study is high due to the use of fixed time-lapse cameras for data collection and zero manual intervention from the pre-processing algorithms to enhance visual quality of indoor images.

This study extends the application of DL models for recognising as-built state of indoor construction works upon providing training images. Presenting a workflow on training DL models in a virtual machine platform by reducing the computational complexities associated with DL models is also materialised.

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A deep learning-based approach to facilitate the as-built state recognition of indoor construction works10.1108/CI-05-2022-0121Construction Innovation2022-12-20© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedBiyanka EkanayakeAlireza Ahmadian Fard FiniJohnny Kwok Wai WongPeter SmithConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-2010.1108/CI-05-2022-0121https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0121/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Extended reality (XR) technologies in the construction safety: systematic review and analysishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0131/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestExtended reality (XR) is an emerging technology, with its popularity rising in different industry sectors, where its application has been recently considered in construction safety. This study aims to investigate the applications of XR technologies in the safety of construction through projects lifecycle perspective. Scientometric analysis was conducted to discover trends, keywords, contribution of countries and publication outlets in the literature. The content analysis was applied to categorize previous studies into three groups concerning the phase of lifecycle in which they used XR. Results of the content analysis showed that the application of XR in the construction safety is mostly covered in two areas, namely, safety training and risk management. It was found that virtual reality was the most used XR tool with most of its application dedicated to safety training in the design phase. The amount of research on the application of augmented reality and mixed reality in safety training, and risk management in all phases of lifecycle is still insignificant. Finally, this study proposed three main areas for using the XR technologies regarding the safety issues in future research, namely, control of safety regulations and safety coordination in construction phase, and safety reports in the operation phase. This paper inspected the utilization of all types of XR for safety in each phase of construction lifecycle and proposed future directions for research by addressing the safety challenges in each phase.Extended reality (XR) technologies in the construction safety: systematic review and analysis
Mohammad Javad Zoleykani, Hamidreza Abbasianjahromi, Saeed Banihashemi, Seyed Amir Tabadkani, Aso Hajirasouli
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Extended reality (XR) is an emerging technology, with its popularity rising in different industry sectors, where its application has been recently considered in construction safety. This study aims to investigate the applications of XR technologies in the safety of construction through projects lifecycle perspective.

Scientometric analysis was conducted to discover trends, keywords, contribution of countries and publication outlets in the literature. The content analysis was applied to categorize previous studies into three groups concerning the phase of lifecycle in which they used XR.

Results of the content analysis showed that the application of XR in the construction safety is mostly covered in two areas, namely, safety training and risk management. It was found that virtual reality was the most used XR tool with most of its application dedicated to safety training in the design phase. The amount of research on the application of augmented reality and mixed reality in safety training, and risk management in all phases of lifecycle is still insignificant. Finally, this study proposed three main areas for using the XR technologies regarding the safety issues in future research, namely, control of safety regulations and safety coordination in construction phase, and safety reports in the operation phase.

This paper inspected the utilization of all types of XR for safety in each phase of construction lifecycle and proposed future directions for research by addressing the safety challenges in each phase.

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Extended reality (XR) technologies in the construction safety: systematic review and analysis10.1108/CI-05-2022-0131Construction Innovation2023-03-14© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedMohammad Javad ZoleykaniHamidreza AbbasianjahromiSaeed BanihashemiSeyed Amir TabadkaniAso HajirasouliConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-1410.1108/CI-05-2022-0131https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2022-0131/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Towards digital approach for managing request for information (RFI) in construction projects: a literature reviewhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2023-0113/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestRequest for information (RFI) documents play a pivotal role in seeking clarifications in construction projects. However, perceived as inevitable “non-value adding” tasks, they harbour risks like schedule delays and increased project costs, underlining the importance of strategic RFI management in construction projects. Despite this, a lack of literature dissecting RFI processes impedes a full understanding of their intricacies and impacts. This study aims to bridge the gap through a comprehensive literature review, delving into RFI intricacies and implications, while emphasising the necessity for strategic RFI management to prevent project risks. This research study systematically reviews RFI-related papers published between 2000 and 2023. Accordingly, the review discusses key themes related to RFI management, yielding best practices for industry stakeholders and highlighting research directions and gaps in the body of knowledge. Present RFI management platforms exhibit deficiencies and lack analytics essential for streamlined RFI processing. Complications arise in building information modelling (BIM)-enabled projects due to software disparities and interoperability hurdles. The existing body of knowledge heavily relies on manual content analysis, an impractical approach for the construction industry. The proposed research direction involves automated comprehension of unstructured RFI content using advanced text mining and natural language processing techniques, with the potential to greatly elevate the efficiency of RFI processing. The study extends the RFI literature by providing novel insights into the problemetisation with the RFI process, offering a holistic understanding and best practices to minimise adverse effects. Additionally, the paper synthesises RFI processes in traditional and BIM-enabled project settings, maps a causal-loop diagram to identify associated issues and summarises approaches for extracting knowledge from the unstructured content of RFIs. The outcomes of this review stand to offer invaluable insights to both industry practitioners and researchers, enabling and promoting the refinement of RFI processes within the construction domain.Towards digital approach for managing request for information (RFI) in construction projects: a literature review
Muneeb Afzal, Johnny Kwok Wai Wong, Alireza Ahmadian Fard Fini
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Request for information (RFI) documents play a pivotal role in seeking clarifications in construction projects. However, perceived as inevitable “non-value adding” tasks, they harbour risks like schedule delays and increased project costs, underlining the importance of strategic RFI management in construction projects. Despite this, a lack of literature dissecting RFI processes impedes a full understanding of their intricacies and impacts. This study aims to bridge the gap through a comprehensive literature review, delving into RFI intricacies and implications, while emphasising the necessity for strategic RFI management to prevent project risks.

This research study systematically reviews RFI-related papers published between 2000 and 2023. Accordingly, the review discusses key themes related to RFI management, yielding best practices for industry stakeholders and highlighting research directions and gaps in the body of knowledge.

Present RFI management platforms exhibit deficiencies and lack analytics essential for streamlined RFI processing. Complications arise in building information modelling (BIM)-enabled projects due to software disparities and interoperability hurdles. The existing body of knowledge heavily relies on manual content analysis, an impractical approach for the construction industry. The proposed research direction involves automated comprehension of unstructured RFI content using advanced text mining and natural language processing techniques, with the potential to greatly elevate the efficiency of RFI processing.

The study extends the RFI literature by providing novel insights into the problemetisation with the RFI process, offering a holistic understanding and best practices to minimise adverse effects. Additionally, the paper synthesises RFI processes in traditional and BIM-enabled project settings, maps a causal-loop diagram to identify associated issues and summarises approaches for extracting knowledge from the unstructured content of RFIs. The outcomes of this review stand to offer invaluable insights to both industry practitioners and researchers, enabling and promoting the refinement of RFI processes within the construction domain.

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Towards digital approach for managing request for information (RFI) in construction projects: a literature review10.1108/CI-05-2023-0113Construction Innovation2024-01-09© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedMuneeb AfzalJohnny Kwok Wai WongAlireza Ahmadian Fard FiniConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-0910.1108/CI-05-2023-0113https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-05-2023-0113/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Towards closing the housing gap in the UK: exploration of the influencing factors and the way forwardhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2022-0148/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestHousing provides constructed space for human activities. Literature indicates that housing impacts wealth, education attainment and health outcomes, among others. Because of its contributions to society, it is essential to develop and implement strategies that address the housing shortage experienced in most cities across the globe. This study aims to unpack the factors affecting housing production in the UK and chart the way forward. In addressing this study's aim, an interprivitst approach was adopted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 experienced professionals. Data were collected across the four nations of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). The results indicated that the opportunistic behaviour of stakeholders is one of the main factors affecting housing production in the study area. Also, modern construction methods, collaborative practices, government intervention and affordable housing schemes were identified as key strategies for addressing housing production factors. This study identified strategies for mitigating housing production issues that provide a focal point to all stakeholders keen on filling the housing shortage gap and improving productivity to channel their resources and effort accordingly. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to empirically analyse the influencing factors on the housing gap in the UK from the perspective of the supply side to provide information that could lead towards closing the said gap.Towards closing the housing gap in the UK: exploration of the influencing factors and the way forward
Emmanuel Itodo Daniel, Olalekan Oshodi, Daniel Dabara, Nenpin Dimka
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Housing provides constructed space for human activities. Literature indicates that housing impacts wealth, education attainment and health outcomes, among others. Because of its contributions to society, it is essential to develop and implement strategies that address the housing shortage experienced in most cities across the globe. This study aims to unpack the factors affecting housing production in the UK and chart the way forward.

In addressing this study's aim, an interprivitst approach was adopted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 experienced professionals. Data were collected across the four nations of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

The results indicated that the opportunistic behaviour of stakeholders is one of the main factors affecting housing production in the study area. Also, modern construction methods, collaborative practices, government intervention and affordable housing schemes were identified as key strategies for addressing housing production factors.

This study identified strategies for mitigating housing production issues that provide a focal point to all stakeholders keen on filling the housing shortage gap and improving productivity to channel their resources and effort accordingly.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to empirically analyse the influencing factors on the housing gap in the UK from the perspective of the supply side to provide information that could lead towards closing the said gap.

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Towards closing the housing gap in the UK: exploration of the influencing factors and the way forward10.1108/CI-06-2022-0148Construction Innovation2023-01-11© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedEmmanuel Itodo DanielOlalekan OshodiDaniel DabaraNenpin DimkaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-1110.1108/CI-06-2022-0148https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2022-0148/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
System for tracking and managing metallic formworks adopted in cast-in-place concrete wall systems by integrating IoT and BIMhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0127/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestTracking physical resources at the construction site can generate information to support effective decision-making and building production control. However, the methods for conventional tracking usually offer low reliability. This study aims to propose the integrated Smart Twins 4.0 to track and manage metallic formworks used in cast-in-place concrete wall systems using internet of things (IoT) (operationalized by radio frequency identification [RFID]) and building information modeling (BIM), focusing on increasing quality and productivity. Design science research is the research approach, including an exploratory study to map the constructive system, the integrated system development, an on-site pilot implementation in a residential project and a performance evaluation based on acquired data and the perception of the project’s production team. In all rounds of requests, Smart Twins 4.0 registered and presented the status from the formworks and the work progress of buildings in complete correspondence with the physical progress providing information to support decision-making during operation. Moreover, analyses of the system infrastructure and implementation details can drive researchers regarding future IoT and BIM implementation in real construction sites. The primary contribution is the system proposal, centralized into a mobile app that contains a Web-based virtual model to receive data in real time during construction phases and solve a real problem. The paper describes Smart Twins 4.0 development and its requirements for tracking physical resources considering theoretical and practical previous research regarding RFID, IoT and BIM.System for tracking and managing metallic formworks adopted in cast-in-place concrete wall systems by integrating IoT and BIM
Caroline Silva Araújo, Emerson de Andrade Marques Ferreira, Dayana Bastos Costa
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Tracking physical resources at the construction site can generate information to support effective decision-making and building production control. However, the methods for conventional tracking usually offer low reliability. This study aims to propose the integrated Smart Twins 4.0 to track and manage metallic formworks used in cast-in-place concrete wall systems using internet of things (IoT) (operationalized by radio frequency identification [RFID]) and building information modeling (BIM), focusing on increasing quality and productivity.

Design science research is the research approach, including an exploratory study to map the constructive system, the integrated system development, an on-site pilot implementation in a residential project and a performance evaluation based on acquired data and the perception of the project’s production team.

In all rounds of requests, Smart Twins 4.0 registered and presented the status from the formworks and the work progress of buildings in complete correspondence with the physical progress providing information to support decision-making during operation. Moreover, analyses of the system infrastructure and implementation details can drive researchers regarding future IoT and BIM implementation in real construction sites.

The primary contribution is the system proposal, centralized into a mobile app that contains a Web-based virtual model to receive data in real time during construction phases and solve a real problem. The paper describes Smart Twins 4.0 development and its requirements for tracking physical resources considering theoretical and practical previous research regarding RFID, IoT and BIM.

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System for tracking and managing metallic formworks adopted in cast-in-place concrete wall systems by integrating IoT and BIM10.1108/CI-06-2023-0127Construction Innovation2024-01-05© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedCaroline Silva AraújoEmerson de Andrade Marques FerreiraDayana Bastos CostaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-0510.1108/CI-06-2023-0127https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0127/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Detecting skewed pricing in tenders for public-sector projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0131/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestSkewed pricing is a typical tactic used by tenderers in unit price projects to gain additional advantages at the expense of the owner or other competing tenderers. This paper aims to describe the development of a model for detecting skewed pricing in competitive tendering for unit price contracts. The model evaluates how much the offered unit rates for work items deviate from the reasonable rate identified from the item’s submitted unit rates. Item rate deviations are integrated into a total deviation score for each submitted tender based on the relative weight of the work item to the total project amount. The model allows for assigning higher weights to work items that are more prone to skewed pricing, such as those that are performed early and those that are expected to experience quantity fluctuations. The paper presents a detection model that uses only the submitted prices of the competing tenderers to perform the needed calculations, which reduces subjectivity in identifying skewed tenders. Two examples are given to demonstrate how the model may be used to detect skewed tenders. The model supports tendering officials in the challenging task of identifying skewed tenders, which is required by rules and regulations governing public procurement. The model’s ease of use is expected to make it more widely used as a decision-support tool during the tender evaluation stage of real-world projects.Detecting skewed pricing in tenders for public-sector projects
Khaled Hesham Hyari, Mujahed Thneibat
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Skewed pricing is a typical tactic used by tenderers in unit price projects to gain additional advantages at the expense of the owner or other competing tenderers. This paper aims to describe the development of a model for detecting skewed pricing in competitive tendering for unit price contracts.

The model evaluates how much the offered unit rates for work items deviate from the reasonable rate identified from the item’s submitted unit rates. Item rate deviations are integrated into a total deviation score for each submitted tender based on the relative weight of the work item to the total project amount. The model allows for assigning higher weights to work items that are more prone to skewed pricing, such as those that are performed early and those that are expected to experience quantity fluctuations.

The paper presents a detection model that uses only the submitted prices of the competing tenderers to perform the needed calculations, which reduces subjectivity in identifying skewed tenders. Two examples are given to demonstrate how the model may be used to detect skewed tenders.

The model supports tendering officials in the challenging task of identifying skewed tenders, which is required by rules and regulations governing public procurement. The model’s ease of use is expected to make it more widely used as a decision-support tool during the tender evaluation stage of real-world projects.

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Detecting skewed pricing in tenders for public-sector projects10.1108/CI-06-2023-0131Construction Innovation2023-11-13© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedKhaled Hesham HyariMujahed ThneibatConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-11-1310.1108/CI-06-2023-0131https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0131/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A scoping review of research on mental health conditions among young construction workershttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0133/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestCurrent research on mental health in the construction industry is fragmented, making it difficult to obtain a complete picture of young construction workers’ mental health conditions. This situation adversely affects research progress, mental health-care planning and resource allocation. To address this challenge, the purpose of this paper was to identify the themes of mental health conditions among young construction workers and their prevalence by geographical location. The scoping review was conducted using meta-aggregation, guided by the CoCoPop (condition [mental health], context [construction industry] and population [construction workers 35 years old and younger]) and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews) frameworks. A total of 327 studies were retrieved, and 14 studies published between 1993 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria. The authors identified 13 mental health conditions and categorized them under nine themes. Mood disorders, anxiety disorders and substance-related disorders constituted the most researched themes. Studies predominantly focused on young male workers in the Global North. The prevalence estimates reported in most of the studies were above the respective country’s prevalence. This review extends previous studies by focusing specifically on the themes of mental health conditions and giving attention to young construction workers whose health needs remain a global priority. The study emphasizes the need to give research attention to lesser-studied aspects of mental health, such as positive mental health. The need to focus on female construction workers and on homogenous sub-groups of young workers is also emphasized. The findings can guide future systematic reviews on the identified thematic areas and help to plan the development of interventions.A scoping review of research on mental health conditions among young construction workers
Samuel Frimpong, Riza Yosia Sunindijo, Cynthia Changxin Wang, Elijah Frimpong Boadu, Ayirebi Dansoh, Rasaki Kolawole Fagbenro
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Current research on mental health in the construction industry is fragmented, making it difficult to obtain a complete picture of young construction workers’ mental health conditions. This situation adversely affects research progress, mental health-care planning and resource allocation. To address this challenge, the purpose of this paper was to identify the themes of mental health conditions among young construction workers and their prevalence by geographical location.

The scoping review was conducted using meta-aggregation, guided by the CoCoPop (condition [mental health], context [construction industry] and population [construction workers 35 years old and younger]) and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews) frameworks.

A total of 327 studies were retrieved, and 14 studies published between 1993 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria. The authors identified 13 mental health conditions and categorized them under nine themes. Mood disorders, anxiety disorders and substance-related disorders constituted the most researched themes. Studies predominantly focused on young male workers in the Global North. The prevalence estimates reported in most of the studies were above the respective country’s prevalence.

This review extends previous studies by focusing specifically on the themes of mental health conditions and giving attention to young construction workers whose health needs remain a global priority. The study emphasizes the need to give research attention to lesser-studied aspects of mental health, such as positive mental health. The need to focus on female construction workers and on homogenous sub-groups of young workers is also emphasized. The findings can guide future systematic reviews on the identified thematic areas and help to plan the development of interventions.

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A scoping review of research on mental health conditions among young construction workers10.1108/CI-06-2023-0133Construction Innovation2023-10-24© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedSamuel FrimpongRiza Yosia SunindijoCynthia Changxin WangElijah Frimpong BoaduAyirebi DansohRasaki Kolawole FagbenroConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-10-2410.1108/CI-06-2023-0133https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0133/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Developing and validating a positive mental health scale for the global south construction industry: the construction industry positive mental health inventory (CI-PMHI)https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0139/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestPromoting positive mental health is increasingly being encouraged as the focus of research and policies on the mental health of construction personnel. Most measures of mental health, however, typically use negative indicators such as depression and anxiety and are not specifically developed for the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background. These limitations have made it challenging to measure construction personnel’s positive mental health. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to develop a scale for measuring the positive mental health of construction personnel with a Global South background. Guided by Keyes’ two-continua model of mental health, the study objectives were addressed through a mixed-methods study using the case of Ghana. Qualitative data collected from eight key stakeholder groups using 16 interviews and two rounds of focus group discussions were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were obtained through a survey of 425 construction personnel and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis. Thematic analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of positive mental health, namely, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis of the results indicated good instrument validity and reliability. Existing measures of positive mental health are based on a three-dimensional model, i.e. emotional, social and psychological well-being. By including spiritual well-being, this study proposes a four-dimensional measurement model as a more comprehensive and promising measure to use in surveys of positive mental health among the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background, and to develop suitable interventions for them.Developing and validating a positive mental health scale for the global south construction industry: the construction industry positive mental health inventory (CI-PMHI)
Samuel Frimpong, Riza Yosia Sunindijo, Cynthia Changxin Wang, Carol K. H. Hon, Elijah Frimpong Boadu, Ayirebi Dansoh, (Kenneth) Tak Wing Yiu
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Promoting positive mental health is increasingly being encouraged as the focus of research and policies on the mental health of construction personnel. Most measures of mental health, however, typically use negative indicators such as depression and anxiety and are not specifically developed for the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background. These limitations have made it challenging to measure construction personnel’s positive mental health. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to develop a scale for measuring the positive mental health of construction personnel with a Global South background.

Guided by Keyes’ two-continua model of mental health, the study objectives were addressed through a mixed-methods study using the case of Ghana. Qualitative data collected from eight key stakeholder groups using 16 interviews and two rounds of focus group discussions were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were obtained through a survey of 425 construction personnel and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis.

Thematic analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of positive mental health, namely, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis of the results indicated good instrument validity and reliability.

Existing measures of positive mental health are based on a three-dimensional model, i.e. emotional, social and psychological well-being. By including spiritual well-being, this study proposes a four-dimensional measurement model as a more comprehensive and promising measure to use in surveys of positive mental health among the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background, and to develop suitable interventions for them.

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Developing and validating a positive mental health scale for the global south construction industry: the construction industry positive mental health inventory (CI-PMHI)10.1108/CI-06-2023-0139Construction Innovation2023-12-14© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedSamuel FrimpongRiza Yosia SunindijoCynthia Changxin WangCarol K. H. HonElijah Frimpong BoaduAyirebi Dansoh(Kenneth) Tak Wing YiuConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-12-1410.1108/CI-06-2023-0139https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0139/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
The feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façade in Sri Lankahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0150/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe use of renewable energy has become necessary because of the harmful effects of current energy sources on the environment, limited availability and financial crisis. Transparent solar panels have emerged as a promising technology for integrating renewable energy generation into building structures. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façades in Sri Lanka. The research apprehended a qualitative approach, including two expert interview rounds adhering to the Delphi technique with 17 and 15 experts each per round. Manual content analysis was incorporated to analyse the collected data. Regarding operation and maintenance, the study emphasizes the importance of regular inspection, cleaning and repair of transparent solar panels to ensure optimal performance and longevity. These activities contribute to maximizing energy generation and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the building. The benefits of implementing transparent solar panels on building façades are manifold. They include renewable energy generation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy efficiency and enhanced architectural aesthetics. Furthermore, the research findings underscore the potential of transparent solar panels to contribute to Sri Lanka’s sustainable development goals and address the country’s increasing energy demand. However, the study also identifies challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation. This study contributes to understanding the feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façades in Sri Lanka. The research findings offer valuable insights into the operation and maintenance aspects, benefits, challenges and strategies for implementing transparent solar panels effectively. This knowledge can guide policymakers, architects and developers in making informed decisions regarding the integration of transparent solar panels, thereby promoting sustainable and energy-efficient building practices in Sri Lanka.The feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façade in Sri Lanka
Thisara Manupriya Sathkumara, Anuradha Samarajeewa Waidyasekara, Hasith Chathuranga Victar
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The use of renewable energy has become necessary because of the harmful effects of current energy sources on the environment, limited availability and financial crisis. Transparent solar panels have emerged as a promising technology for integrating renewable energy generation into building structures. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façades in Sri Lanka.

The research apprehended a qualitative approach, including two expert interview rounds adhering to the Delphi technique with 17 and 15 experts each per round. Manual content analysis was incorporated to analyse the collected data.

Regarding operation and maintenance, the study emphasizes the importance of regular inspection, cleaning and repair of transparent solar panels to ensure optimal performance and longevity. These activities contribute to maximizing energy generation and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the building. The benefits of implementing transparent solar panels on building façades are manifold. They include renewable energy generation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy efficiency and enhanced architectural aesthetics. Furthermore, the research findings underscore the potential of transparent solar panels to contribute to Sri Lanka’s sustainable development goals and address the country’s increasing energy demand. However, the study also identifies challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation.

This study contributes to understanding the feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façades in Sri Lanka. The research findings offer valuable insights into the operation and maintenance aspects, benefits, challenges and strategies for implementing transparent solar panels effectively. This knowledge can guide policymakers, architects and developers in making informed decisions regarding the integration of transparent solar panels, thereby promoting sustainable and energy-efficient building practices in Sri Lanka.

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The feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façade in Sri Lanka10.1108/CI-06-2023-0150Construction Innovation2023-11-13© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedThisara Manupriya SathkumaraAnuradha Samarajeewa WaidyasekaraHasith Chathuranga VictarConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-11-1310.1108/CI-06-2023-0150https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-06-2023-0150/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Development and testing of lean simulation game on set-based designhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0161/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestSet-based design (SBD) is a lean tool widely adopted for improving design processes and providing value maximization to clients. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and testing of a lean simulation game that incorporated point-based and SBD principles. The objective of the game was to enhance learning of lean design management among construction students. After a thorough and comprehensive literature review consisting of secondary data in journal papers, books, thesis references and primary data in the form of interviews with lean practitioners, the simulation game prototype was developed. The testing of the game was carried out with a study group. Data were collected during the gameplay with the help of a questionnaire survey on a confidence scale and Likert scale and assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, histogram, one-sample t-test and false discovery rate (Benjamini–Hochberg) correction method. The data collected both pre- and post-simulation showed an increase in average confidence in understanding from 3.33 to 3.89, a 16.7% rise. The data was further interpreted by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, indicating that the post-simulation learning experience was significantly better than the pre-simulation one. Promising positive results were obtained for the questions on game design, engagement and understanding of point-based design and SBD concepts. The simulation game helps bridge the gap between knowledge building and real-life by effectively imitating the process. The game facilitates a dynamic and critical approach toward developing new educational simulation games and their successful incorporation in propagating lean principles in the construction industry.Development and testing of lean simulation game on set-based design
Kavya Jain, Ganesh Devkar
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Set-based design (SBD) is a lean tool widely adopted for improving design processes and providing value maximization to clients. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and testing of a lean simulation game that incorporated point-based and SBD principles. The objective of the game was to enhance learning of lean design management among construction students.

After a thorough and comprehensive literature review consisting of secondary data in journal papers, books, thesis references and primary data in the form of interviews with lean practitioners, the simulation game prototype was developed. The testing of the game was carried out with a study group. Data were collected during the gameplay with the help of a questionnaire survey on a confidence scale and Likert scale and assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, histogram, one-sample t-test and false discovery rate (Benjamini–Hochberg) correction method.

The data collected both pre- and post-simulation showed an increase in average confidence in understanding from 3.33 to 3.89, a 16.7% rise. The data was further interpreted by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, indicating that the post-simulation learning experience was significantly better than the pre-simulation one. Promising positive results were obtained for the questions on game design, engagement and understanding of point-based design and SBD concepts.

The simulation game helps bridge the gap between knowledge building and real-life by effectively imitating the process. The game facilitates a dynamic and critical approach toward developing new educational simulation games and their successful incorporation in propagating lean principles in the construction industry.

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Development and testing of lean simulation game on set-based design10.1108/CI-07-2022-0161Construction Innovation2023-11-03© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedKavya JainGanesh DevkarConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-11-0310.1108/CI-07-2022-0161https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0161/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Cyber-physical systems and digital twins for “cognitive building” in the construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0164/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDespite the growing attention on the relevance of improved building management systems with cognition in recent years in the architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO) community, no review has been conducted to understand the human-environment interaction features of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and digital twins (DTs) in developing the concept of a cognitive building (CB). Thus, this paper aims to review existing studies on CPS and DTs for CB to propose a comprehensive system architecture that considers human-environment interactions. Scientometric analysis and content analysis were adopted for this study. The scientometric analysis of 1,042 journal papers showed the major themes of CPS/DTs for CB, and these can be categorized into three key technologies to realize CB in the AECO community: CPS, DTs and cognitive computing (CC). Content analysis of 44 relevant publications in the built environment assisted in understanding and evidently confirming the claim of this study on the integration of CPS and DTs for CB in construction by also involving the CC. It is found and confirmed that CB can be realized with CPS and DTs along with the CC. A CB system architecture (CBSA) is proposed from the three key technologies considering the human-environment interactions in the loop. The study discovered the potential applications of the CBSA across the building lifecycle phases, including the design, construction and operations and maintenance, with the potential promise of endowing resilience, intelligence, greater efficiency and self-adaptiveness. Based on the findings of the review, four research directions are proposed: human-environment interactions, CB for sustainable building performance, CB concept for modular buildings and moving beyond CB. This study stands out for comprehensively surveying the intellectual core and the landscape of the general body of knowledge on CPS/DTs for CB in the built environment. It makes a distinctive contribution to knowledge as it does not only propose CBSA by integrating CPS and DTs along with CC but also suggests some potential practical applications. These may require expert judgments and real case examples to enhance reproducibility and validation.Cyber-physical systems and digital twins for “cognitive building” in the construction industry
Frank Ato Ghansah, Weisheng Lu
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Despite the growing attention on the relevance of improved building management systems with cognition in recent years in the architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO) community, no review has been conducted to understand the human-environment interaction features of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and digital twins (DTs) in developing the concept of a cognitive building (CB). Thus, this paper aims to review existing studies on CPS and DTs for CB to propose a comprehensive system architecture that considers human-environment interactions.

Scientometric analysis and content analysis were adopted for this study.

The scientometric analysis of 1,042 journal papers showed the major themes of CPS/DTs for CB, and these can be categorized into three key technologies to realize CB in the AECO community: CPS, DTs and cognitive computing (CC). Content analysis of 44 relevant publications in the built environment assisted in understanding and evidently confirming the claim of this study on the integration of CPS and DTs for CB in construction by also involving the CC. It is found and confirmed that CB can be realized with CPS and DTs along with the CC. A CB system architecture (CBSA) is proposed from the three key technologies considering the human-environment interactions in the loop. The study discovered the potential applications of the CBSA across the building lifecycle phases, including the design, construction and operations and maintenance, with the potential promise of endowing resilience, intelligence, greater efficiency and self-adaptiveness. Based on the findings of the review, four research directions are proposed: human-environment interactions, CB for sustainable building performance, CB concept for modular buildings and moving beyond CB.

This study stands out for comprehensively surveying the intellectual core and the landscape of the general body of knowledge on CPS/DTs for CB in the built environment. It makes a distinctive contribution to knowledge as it does not only propose CBSA by integrating CPS and DTs along with CC but also suggests some potential practical applications. These may require expert judgments and real case examples to enhance reproducibility and validation.

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Cyber-physical systems and digital twins for “cognitive building” in the construction industry10.1108/CI-07-2022-0164Construction Innovation2023-08-01© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedFrank Ato GhansahWeisheng LuConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-0110.1108/CI-07-2022-0164https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0164/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Innovation communities as catalysts for BIM adoption: a cross-case analysis of BIM communities in Norway and Vietnamhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0167/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to explore how open innovation communities contribute to the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in the construction industry. The paper presents a cross-case analysis of two construction communities, buildingSMART Norway and the BIM Vietnam Community. Data were collected based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted with industry experts actively engaged in these two communities. The theoretical basis for the study was open innovation and the institutional intervention model, which delineates institutional actions related to the adoption of new information technology. The findings show both similarities and differences in the way in which the communities contribute to industrial practice. Both communities use similar knowledge channels and repositories but apply different approaches to innovation creation and diffusion. In addition, trust can support BIM innovation in the community context. The comparison of buildingSMART Norway and the BIM Vietnam Community in accelerating BIM innovation allows for exploring how open innovation communities support BIM adoption in the construction industry. The findings provide insights for construction communities into creating and diffusing BIM innovation. In addition, the examples of gaining benefits from community innovation activities are useful for construction firms and practitioners.Innovation communities as catalysts for BIM adoption: a cross-case analysis of BIM communities in Norway and Vietnam
Nam Bui, Christoph Merschbrock, Bjørn Erik Munkvold
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to explore how open innovation communities contribute to the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in the construction industry.

The paper presents a cross-case analysis of two construction communities, buildingSMART Norway and the BIM Vietnam Community. Data were collected based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted with industry experts actively engaged in these two communities. The theoretical basis for the study was open innovation and the institutional intervention model, which delineates institutional actions related to the adoption of new information technology.

The findings show both similarities and differences in the way in which the communities contribute to industrial practice. Both communities use similar knowledge channels and repositories but apply different approaches to innovation creation and diffusion. In addition, trust can support BIM innovation in the community context.

The comparison of buildingSMART Norway and the BIM Vietnam Community in accelerating BIM innovation allows for exploring how open innovation communities support BIM adoption in the construction industry. The findings provide insights for construction communities into creating and diffusing BIM innovation. In addition, the examples of gaining benefits from community innovation activities are useful for construction firms and practitioners.

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Innovation communities as catalysts for BIM adoption: a cross-case analysis of BIM communities in Norway and Vietnam10.1108/CI-07-2022-0167Construction Innovation2024-03-11© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedNam BuiChristoph MerschbrockBjørn Erik MunkvoldConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-03-1110.1108/CI-07-2022-0167https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0167/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
The usability of a novel mobile augmented reality application for excavation process considering safety and productivity in constructionhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0168/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to assess the usability of augmented reality (AR) based mobile app for excavation and earthmoving processes using a novel tool entitled Excavator Augmented Reality (EAR). A mixed-methods research approach was used through conducting experimentation to collect qualitative and quantitative data collected from the Sri Lankan construction sector. EAR app was used for experimentation in outdoor areas examining how a 360° tracked hydraulic excavator can be navigated in different physical environments similar to the real prospected job. The findings reveal that EAR could make a considerable impact on enhancing productivity, safety and training processes. However, the developed EAR App subjected to assessment demonstrated the highest satisfaction gap for the auditory aspects. Among the remaining criterion, the satisfaction met user expectations for comfortability and no-risk practice. An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) conducted revealed that visualising the excavator activities and the requirements of improved features were the highest agreed strengths and weaknesses of the EAR. Among the opportunities for improvement, the necessity of improving emergency and safety reached the highest agreement. Moreover, the study presented the challenges in introducing mobile augmented reality (MAR) to the construction sector under the political, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) model along with solutions to be taken. This study provides a novel approach to addressing the safety, productivity and training concerns in heavy mobile plants and machinery on construction sites which remains to be unexplored to this end.The usability of a novel mobile augmented reality application for excavation process considering safety and productivity in construction
Fathima Nishara Abdeen, Randima Nirmal Gunatilaka, Samad M.E. Sepasgozar, David John Edwards
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to assess the usability of augmented reality (AR) based mobile app for excavation and earthmoving processes using a novel tool entitled Excavator Augmented Reality (EAR).

A mixed-methods research approach was used through conducting experimentation to collect qualitative and quantitative data collected from the Sri Lankan construction sector. EAR app was used for experimentation in outdoor areas examining how a 360° tracked hydraulic excavator can be navigated in different physical environments similar to the real prospected job.

The findings reveal that EAR could make a considerable impact on enhancing productivity, safety and training processes. However, the developed EAR App subjected to assessment demonstrated the highest satisfaction gap for the auditory aspects. Among the remaining criterion, the satisfaction met user expectations for comfortability and no-risk practice. An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) conducted revealed that visualising the excavator activities and the requirements of improved features were the highest agreed strengths and weaknesses of the EAR. Among the opportunities for improvement, the necessity of improving emergency and safety reached the highest agreement. Moreover, the study presented the challenges in introducing mobile augmented reality (MAR) to the construction sector under the political, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) model along with solutions to be taken.

This study provides a novel approach to addressing the safety, productivity and training concerns in heavy mobile plants and machinery on construction sites which remains to be unexplored to this end.

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The usability of a novel mobile augmented reality application for excavation process considering safety and productivity in construction10.1108/CI-07-2022-0168Construction Innovation2022-12-09© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedFathima Nishara AbdeenRandima Nirmal GunatilakaSamad M.E. SepasgozarDavid John EdwardsConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-0910.1108/CI-07-2022-0168https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0168/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Relationship between digital twin and building information modeling: a systematic review and future directionshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0183/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDigital twin (DT) and building information modeling (BIM) are interconnected in some ways. However, there has been some misconception about how DT differs from BIM. As a result, industry professionals reject DT even in BIM-based construction projects due to reluctance to innovate. Furthermore, researchers have repeatedly developed tools and techniques with the same goals using DT and BIM to assist practitioners in construction projects. Therefore, this study aims to assist industry professionals and researchers in understanding the relationship between DT and BIM and synthesize existing works on DT and BIM. A systematic review was conducted on published articles related to DT and BIM. A total record of 54 journal articles were identified and analyzed. The analysis of the selected journal articles revealed four types of relationships between DT and BIM: BIM is a subset of DT, DT is a subset of BIM, BIM is DT, and no relationship between BIM and DT. The existing research on DT and BIM in construction projects targets improvements in five areas: planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning. In addition, several areas have emerged, such as developing geo-referencing approaches for infrastructure projects, applying the proposed methodology to other construction geometries and creating 3D visualization using color schemes. This study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by overviewing existing research related to DT and BIM in construction projects. Also, it reveals research gaps in the body of knowledge to point out directions for future research.Relationship between digital twin and building information modeling: a systematic review and future directions
Afiqah R. Radzi, Nur Farhana Azmi, Syahrul Nizam Kamaruzzaman, Rahimi A. Rahman, Eleni Papadonikolaki
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Digital twin (DT) and building information modeling (BIM) are interconnected in some ways. However, there has been some misconception about how DT differs from BIM. As a result, industry professionals reject DT even in BIM-based construction projects due to reluctance to innovate. Furthermore, researchers have repeatedly developed tools and techniques with the same goals using DT and BIM to assist practitioners in construction projects. Therefore, this study aims to assist industry professionals and researchers in understanding the relationship between DT and BIM and synthesize existing works on DT and BIM.

A systematic review was conducted on published articles related to DT and BIM. A total record of 54 journal articles were identified and analyzed.

The analysis of the selected journal articles revealed four types of relationships between DT and BIM: BIM is a subset of DT, DT is a subset of BIM, BIM is DT, and no relationship between BIM and DT. The existing research on DT and BIM in construction projects targets improvements in five areas: planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning. In addition, several areas have emerged, such as developing geo-referencing approaches for infrastructure projects, applying the proposed methodology to other construction geometries and creating 3D visualization using color schemes.

This study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by overviewing existing research related to DT and BIM in construction projects. Also, it reveals research gaps in the body of knowledge to point out directions for future research.

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Relationship between digital twin and building information modeling: a systematic review and future directions10.1108/CI-07-2022-0183Construction Innovation2023-01-26© Emerald Publishing LimitedAfiqah R. RadziNur Farhana AzmiSyahrul Nizam KamaruzzamanRahimi A. RahmanEleni PapadonikolakiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-2610.1108/CI-07-2022-0183https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2022-0183/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© Emerald Publishing Limited
The complexities of embracing mechatronics in the Nigerian construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2023-0154/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to investigate the obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the construction industry from a Nigerian perspective. It aims to fill the knowledge gap by focusing on the specific challenges faced in developing countries, considering the unique contexts and constraints of the Nigerian construction industry. The study used a comprehensive literature review to identify 26 obstacles to mechatronics adoption. These obstacles were used to develop a well-structured questionnaire, which was then distributed to construction professionals using Google Forms through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The rankings obtained from the questionnaire responses were analyzed to determine the most significant obstacles. The study revealed the top five most significant obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the Nigerian construction industry. These obstacles include high costs of operation and maintenance, resistance to adopting new technologies, a lack of standardized protocols, insufficient maintenance capabilities and a lack of government support. Factor analysis revealed five clusters of obstacles: technological-related factors, economic-related factors, capability-related factors, government-related factors and awareness-related factors. Findings from this study have the potential to inform decision-making, drive policy changes and guide future research efforts aimed at promoting the widespread adoption of mechatronics technologies, ultimately leading to the transformation and improvement of the construction industry as a whole. This study contributes to the field of mechatronics adoption in the construction industry by addressing the gap in research specific to developing countries such as Nigeria. By identifying and analyzing the obstacles from a Nigerian perspective, the study offers unique insights and original findings.The complexities of embracing mechatronics in the Nigerian construction industry
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, John Aliu, Samuel Bankole Oni, Oluwadamilare Olamide Ilesanmi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to investigate the obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the construction industry from a Nigerian perspective. It aims to fill the knowledge gap by focusing on the specific challenges faced in developing countries, considering the unique contexts and constraints of the Nigerian construction industry.

The study used a comprehensive literature review to identify 26 obstacles to mechatronics adoption. These obstacles were used to develop a well-structured questionnaire, which was then distributed to construction professionals using Google Forms through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The rankings obtained from the questionnaire responses were analyzed to determine the most significant obstacles.

The study revealed the top five most significant obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the Nigerian construction industry. These obstacles include high costs of operation and maintenance, resistance to adopting new technologies, a lack of standardized protocols, insufficient maintenance capabilities and a lack of government support. Factor analysis revealed five clusters of obstacles: technological-related factors, economic-related factors, capability-related factors, government-related factors and awareness-related factors.

Findings from this study have the potential to inform decision-making, drive policy changes and guide future research efforts aimed at promoting the widespread adoption of mechatronics technologies, ultimately leading to the transformation and improvement of the construction industry as a whole.

This study contributes to the field of mechatronics adoption in the construction industry by addressing the gap in research specific to developing countries such as Nigeria. By identifying and analyzing the obstacles from a Nigerian perspective, the study offers unique insights and original findings.

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The complexities of embracing mechatronics in the Nigerian construction industry10.1108/CI-07-2023-0154Construction Innovation2023-11-27© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAyodeji Emmanuel OkeJohn AliuSamuel Bankole OniOluwadamilare Olamide IlesanmiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-11-2710.1108/CI-07-2023-0154https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-07-2023-0154/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Confirmatory factor analysis of the positive factors influencing the performance of Ghanaian construction projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0190/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to identify the unidimensionality and reliability of 84 factors that influence the performance of construction projects and develop a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model. The study adopted a deductive research approach and started by identifying the positive factors that influence construction project performance. This was followed by the modification of the identified factors. After that, a questionnaire was developed out of the factors for data collection. Exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the factor structure of the positive factors, and this was verified using CFA afterwards. A model fit analysis was performed to determine the goodness of fit of the hypothesised model, followed by the development of the confirmatory model. The study demonstrated substantial correlation in the data, sufficient unidimensionality and internal reliability. In addition, the estimated fit indices suggested that the postulated model adequately described the sample data. The paper revealed that performance can be enhanced if stakeholders identify and leverage the positive factors influencing performance. The paper suggests that project stakeholders, particularly government, project owners, consultants and construction firms, can improve project performance by critically examining economic and financial systems (EFS), regulation and policy-making systems (RPS), effective management practices (EMP) and project implementation strategies (PIS). The contribution of this paper to the present literature is identifying the positive factors and developing the confirmatory factor model. The model comprised 42 positive variables under four indicators: EMP, RPS, PIS and EFS.Confirmatory factor analysis of the positive factors influencing the performance of Ghanaian construction projects
Benjamin Boahene Akomah, Prasanna Venkatesan Ramani
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to identify the unidimensionality and reliability of 84 factors that influence the performance of construction projects and develop a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model.

The study adopted a deductive research approach and started by identifying the positive factors that influence construction project performance. This was followed by the modification of the identified factors. After that, a questionnaire was developed out of the factors for data collection. Exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the factor structure of the positive factors, and this was verified using CFA afterwards. A model fit analysis was performed to determine the goodness of fit of the hypothesised model, followed by the development of the confirmatory model.

The study demonstrated substantial correlation in the data, sufficient unidimensionality and internal reliability. In addition, the estimated fit indices suggested that the postulated model adequately described the sample data.

The paper revealed that performance can be enhanced if stakeholders identify and leverage the positive factors influencing performance. The paper suggests that project stakeholders, particularly government, project owners, consultants and construction firms, can improve project performance by critically examining economic and financial systems (EFS), regulation and policy-making systems (RPS), effective management practices (EMP) and project implementation strategies (PIS).

The contribution of this paper to the present literature is identifying the positive factors and developing the confirmatory factor model. The model comprised 42 positive variables under four indicators: EMP, RPS, PIS and EFS.

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Confirmatory factor analysis of the positive factors influencing the performance of Ghanaian construction projects10.1108/CI-08-2022-0190Construction Innovation2024-01-09© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedBenjamin Boahene AkomahPrasanna Venkatesan RamaniConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-0910.1108/CI-08-2022-0190https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0190/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Implementation of augmented reality in BIM-enabled construction projects: a bibliometric literature review and a case study from Chinahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0196/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestIn recent years, augmented reality (AR) has shown its potential to assist various construction activities. Its use commonly requires additional refinement to be integrated into the building information modeling (BIM) process. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated AR implementation in BIM-enabled projects because of numerous challenges related to its implementation. This study aims to investigate the implementation of AR in construction and identify the critical mechanisms for implementing BIM-AR successfully. A mixed methodology was adopted for this study. First, this work presents a bibliometric analysis covering articles obtained from Scopus database published between 2000 and 2022. A sample size of 65 research papers pertinent to AR in construction was analyzed using VOSviewer software. Second, a participatory case study was conducted for a BIM-enabled project in China to gain insight into how BIM-AR implementation in construction is achieved. The findings from the bibliometric analysis show an increasing interest in AR research within construction. The results indicate that AR research focuses on four clusters: real-time communication, project management, construction activities and education. Findings from the case study provide an empirical experience of AR application scenarios in a BIM-enabled project. Concomitantly, 15 critical success factors that influence BIM-AR implementation were finally identified and demonstrated. This study provides a rich insight into the understanding and awareness of implementing AR. First, the findings are beneficial to construction practitioners and researchers because they provide a concentrated perspective of AR for emerging activities in the construction industry. Second, the results obtained from the case study could provide a useful guide for effectively implementing AR in a BIM-enabled construction project. Overall, this study may stimulate further research on AR-related studies in construction, such as BIM integration, factor analysis and construction education.Implementation of augmented reality in BIM-enabled construction projects: a bibliometric literature review and a case study from China
Kaiyang Wang, Fangyu Guo, Ruijia Zhou, Liang Qian
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

In recent years, augmented reality (AR) has shown its potential to assist various construction activities. Its use commonly requires additional refinement to be integrated into the building information modeling (BIM) process. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated AR implementation in BIM-enabled projects because of numerous challenges related to its implementation. This study aims to investigate the implementation of AR in construction and identify the critical mechanisms for implementing BIM-AR successfully.

A mixed methodology was adopted for this study. First, this work presents a bibliometric analysis covering articles obtained from Scopus database published between 2000 and 2022. A sample size of 65 research papers pertinent to AR in construction was analyzed using VOSviewer software. Second, a participatory case study was conducted for a BIM-enabled project in China to gain insight into how BIM-AR implementation in construction is achieved.

The findings from the bibliometric analysis show an increasing interest in AR research within construction. The results indicate that AR research focuses on four clusters: real-time communication, project management, construction activities and education. Findings from the case study provide an empirical experience of AR application scenarios in a BIM-enabled project. Concomitantly, 15 critical success factors that influence BIM-AR implementation were finally identified and demonstrated.

This study provides a rich insight into the understanding and awareness of implementing AR. First, the findings are beneficial to construction practitioners and researchers because they provide a concentrated perspective of AR for emerging activities in the construction industry. Second, the results obtained from the case study could provide a useful guide for effectively implementing AR in a BIM-enabled construction project. Overall, this study may stimulate further research on AR-related studies in construction, such as BIM integration, factor analysis and construction education.

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Implementation of augmented reality in BIM-enabled construction projects: a bibliometric literature review and a case study from China10.1108/CI-08-2022-0196Construction Innovation2023-03-07© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedKaiyang WangFangyu GuoRuijia ZhouLiang QianConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-0710.1108/CI-08-2022-0196https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0196/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Machine learning regression for estimating the cost range of building projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0197/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestSeveral factors influence the costs of buildings. Thus, identifying the cost significant factors can assist to improve the accuracy of project cost forecasts during the planning phase. This paper aims to identify the cost significant parameters and explore the potential for improving the accuracy of cost forecasts for buildings using machine learning techniques and large data sets. The Australian State of Victoria Building Authority data sets, which comprise various parameters such as cost of the buildings, materials used, gross floor areas (GFA) and type of buildings, have been used. Five different machine learning regression models, such as decision tree, linear regression, random forest, gradient boosting and k-nearest neighbor were used. The findings of the study showed that among the chosen models, linear regression provided the worst outcome (r2 = 0.38) while decision tree (r2 = 0.66) and gradient boosting (r2 = 0.62) provided the best outcome. Among the analyzed features, the class of buildings explained about 34% of the variations, followed by GFA and walls, which both accounted for 26% of the variations. The output of this research can provide important information regarding the factors that have major impacts on the costs of buildings in the Australian construction industry. The study revealed that the cost of buildings is highly influenced by their classes.Machine learning regression for estimating the cost range of building projects
Argaw Gurmu, Mani Pourdadash Miri
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Several factors influence the costs of buildings. Thus, identifying the cost significant factors can assist to improve the accuracy of project cost forecasts during the planning phase. This paper aims to identify the cost significant parameters and explore the potential for improving the accuracy of cost forecasts for buildings using machine learning techniques and large data sets.

The Australian State of Victoria Building Authority data sets, which comprise various parameters such as cost of the buildings, materials used, gross floor areas (GFA) and type of buildings, have been used. Five different machine learning regression models, such as decision tree, linear regression, random forest, gradient boosting and k-nearest neighbor were used.

The findings of the study showed that among the chosen models, linear regression provided the worst outcome (r2 = 0.38) while decision tree (r2 = 0.66) and gradient boosting (r2 = 0.62) provided the best outcome. Among the analyzed features, the class of buildings explained about 34% of the variations, followed by GFA and walls, which both accounted for 26% of the variations.

The output of this research can provide important information regarding the factors that have major impacts on the costs of buildings in the Australian construction industry. The study revealed that the cost of buildings is highly influenced by their classes.

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Machine learning regression for estimating the cost range of building projects10.1108/CI-08-2022-0197Construction Innovation2023-06-22© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedArgaw GurmuMani Pourdadash MiriConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-2210.1108/CI-08-2022-0197https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0197/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Circular information flows in industrialized housing construction: the case of a multi-family housing product platform in Swedenhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0199/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to conduct a qualitative assessment of synergies between information flows of a multifamily product platform used for industrialized housing and materials passports that can promote a circular economy in the construction industry. Using a single case study method, the research assesses the availability and accessibility of materials passport-relevant information generated by a leading Swedish industrialized housing construction firm. Data is collected using semistructured interviews, document analysis and an extended research visit. The research findings identify the functional layers of the product platform, map the information flow using a process diagram, assess the availability and accessibility of material passport relevant information by lifecycle stage and actor, and summarize the key points using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. The three main implications are: the technical and process platforms used in industrialized construction allow for generating standardized, digital and reusable information; the vertical integration of trades and long-term relationships with suppliers improve transparency and reduce fragmentation in information flows; and the design-build-operate business model strategy incentivizes actors to manage information flows in the use phase. Industrialized construction firms can use this paper as an approach to understand and map their information flows to identify suitable approaches to generate and manage materials passports. The specific characteristics of product platforms and industrialized construction provide a unique opportunity for circular information flow across the building lifecycle, which can support material passport adoption to a degree not often found in the traditional construction industry.Circular information flows in industrialized housing construction: the case of a multi-family housing product platform in Sweden
Firehiwot Kedir, Daniel M. Hall, Sara Brantvall, Jerker Lessing, Alexander Hollberg, Ranjith K. Soman
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to conduct a qualitative assessment of synergies between information flows of a multifamily product platform used for industrialized housing and materials passports that can promote a circular economy in the construction industry.

Using a single case study method, the research assesses the availability and accessibility of materials passport-relevant information generated by a leading Swedish industrialized housing construction firm. Data is collected using semistructured interviews, document analysis and an extended research visit.

The research findings identify the functional layers of the product platform, map the information flow using a process diagram, assess the availability and accessibility of material passport relevant information by lifecycle stage and actor, and summarize the key points using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis.

The three main implications are: the technical and process platforms used in industrialized construction allow for generating standardized, digital and reusable information; the vertical integration of trades and long-term relationships with suppliers improve transparency and reduce fragmentation in information flows; and the design-build-operate business model strategy incentivizes actors to manage information flows in the use phase.

Industrialized construction firms can use this paper as an approach to understand and map their information flows to identify suitable approaches to generate and manage materials passports.

The specific characteristics of product platforms and industrialized construction provide a unique opportunity for circular information flow across the building lifecycle, which can support material passport adoption to a degree not often found in the traditional construction industry.

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Circular information flows in industrialized housing construction: the case of a multi-family housing product platform in Sweden10.1108/CI-08-2022-0199Construction Innovation2023-06-01© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedFirehiwot KedirDaniel M. HallSara BrantvallJerker LessingAlexander HollbergRanjith K. SomanConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-0110.1108/CI-08-2022-0199https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0199/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Management of environmental risks in highway construction projects in Sri Lankahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0202/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestEnvironmental risks (ERs) are critical to any highway construction project (HCP). One of the main contracting parties responsible for ERs is the contractor. Hence, it has been crucial to look into ways to control ERs in HCPs from the contractor’s perspective. This study aims to investigate how ERs can be managed in HCP in Sri Lanka. A quantitative research approach with three rounds of Delphi was used. Statistical techniques were used to analyse and validate the ERs, the parties to whom the risks were to be allocated, and risk management measures identified from the empirical data collection. The study reveals the 11 most significant ERs for HCP. Further, the most significant ERs in HCP were mainly found to be the responsibility of contractors in Sri Lanka. Twenty-four most appropriate risk response measures were determined; 13 were found to be common measures that could be used to manage two or more risks, while the remaining 11 were unique to specific risks. Overall, this research determines the most significant ERs in HCP, the best risk allocation among the parties and appropriate risk-handling strategies and measures for each significant ERs. Additionally, the study addresses the demand for ERs management in HCP.Management of environmental risks in highway construction projects in Sri Lanka
K.I.L. Abhayantha, B.A.K.S. Perera, H.A.H.P. Perera, Roshani S. Palliyaguru
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Environmental risks (ERs) are critical to any highway construction project (HCP). One of the main contracting parties responsible for ERs is the contractor. Hence, it has been crucial to look into ways to control ERs in HCPs from the contractor’s perspective. This study aims to investigate how ERs can be managed in HCP in Sri Lanka.

A quantitative research approach with three rounds of Delphi was used. Statistical techniques were used to analyse and validate the ERs, the parties to whom the risks were to be allocated, and risk management measures identified from the empirical data collection.

The study reveals the 11 most significant ERs for HCP. Further, the most significant ERs in HCP were mainly found to be the responsibility of contractors in Sri Lanka. Twenty-four most appropriate risk response measures were determined; 13 were found to be common measures that could be used to manage two or more risks, while the remaining 11 were unique to specific risks.

Overall, this research determines the most significant ERs in HCP, the best risk allocation among the parties and appropriate risk-handling strategies and measures for each significant ERs. Additionally, the study addresses the demand for ERs management in HCP.

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Management of environmental risks in highway construction projects in Sri Lanka10.1108/CI-08-2022-0202Construction Innovation2023-08-10© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedK.I.L. AbhayanthaB.A.K.S. PereraH.A.H.P. PereraRoshani S. PalliyaguruConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-1010.1108/CI-08-2022-0202https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0202/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
The potential of exoskeletons in construction: barriers and challengeshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0206/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestExoskeletons are moving into industries with the potential to reduce muscle strains and prevent occupational injuries. Although exoskeletons have been designed and tested in laboratory settings, rare empirical studies of their application in construction have been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is on in a real-life setting testing the applicability of adopting exoskeletons in the construction industry. A feasibility study of exoskeletons in construction is conducted by testing a passive exoskeleton, designed for shoulder support. Five bricklayers tested in a two-month period the exoskeleton, each wearing it for a three-day period while carrying out normal work activities. Test data in terms of interviews were collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The application of exoskeletons in construction revealed several limitations, where the two primary ones are the exoskeleton is not designed while considering the tasks of a bricklayer causing several challenges and the exoskeleton only supports a single upward motion while limiting other movements and even counteracted when a downward movement was necessary. The identified challenges could easily have been revealed by coupling the design and testing of exoskeletons to actual application. Thus, the design approach needs to be reversed. Instead of designing an exoskeleton to support a specific body part or motion and then identifying where it is applicable, it should target specific industries and focus on the actual work and movements and the necessary support. As part of the change, the design metrics should be reevaluated to reflect the work to support.The potential of exoskeletons in construction: barriers and challenges
Søren Munch Lindhard, Astrid Heidemann Lassen, Yang Cheng, Matteo Musso, Geng Wang, Shaoping Bai
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Exoskeletons are moving into industries with the potential to reduce muscle strains and prevent occupational injuries. Although exoskeletons have been designed and tested in laboratory settings, rare empirical studies of their application in construction have been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is on in a real-life setting testing the applicability of adopting exoskeletons in the construction industry.

A feasibility study of exoskeletons in construction is conducted by testing a passive exoskeleton, designed for shoulder support. Five bricklayers tested in a two-month period the exoskeleton, each wearing it for a three-day period while carrying out normal work activities. Test data in terms of interviews were collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

The application of exoskeletons in construction revealed several limitations, where the two primary ones are the exoskeleton is not designed while considering the tasks of a bricklayer causing several challenges and the exoskeleton only supports a single upward motion while limiting other movements and even counteracted when a downward movement was necessary.

The identified challenges could easily have been revealed by coupling the design and testing of exoskeletons to actual application. Thus, the design approach needs to be reversed. Instead of designing an exoskeleton to support a specific body part or motion and then identifying where it is applicable, it should target specific industries and focus on the actual work and movements and the necessary support. As part of the change, the design metrics should be reevaluated to reflect the work to support.

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The potential of exoskeletons in construction: barriers and challenges10.1108/CI-08-2022-0206Construction Innovation2023-12-18© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedSøren Munch LindhardAstrid Heidemann LassenYang ChengMatteo MussoGeng WangShaoping BaiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-12-1810.1108/CI-08-2022-0206https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0206/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Success factors of digital technologies (DT) tools adoption for sustainable construction in a developing economyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0207/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestAs the construction sector constantly seeks ways to address ever-growing societal demands, the need to embrace innovation and digital technologies (DTs) cannot be overstated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the success factors influencing the adoption of DTs to achieve sustainable construction in a developing economy such as Nigeria. A quantitative research approach was conducted with close-ended questionnaires developed and administered to construction professionals based in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data obtained was analyzed using percentages, frequency, mean item score and exploratory factor analysis. The findings from the mean scores revealed the leading influential success factors which were education and training, methodology of model constructions, organization development, customer satisfaction and profitability and new revenue. Factor analysis revealed three clusters of success factors which were management needs, construction methodology and effective communication. To adequately integrate DTs into construction industry activities and processes, awareness about the technologies must be created and enhanced if already in play. This study posits that the construction sector must accept and implement this new paradigm of innovation to benefit from this disruptive era. This study serves as a foundation for other related studies that are aimed at advocating the efficacy of DTs in the effective and efficient execution of construction activities. The assessment of the success factors influencing the adoption of DTs would help construction organizations and stakeholders to understand the need to embrace and implement smart technologies into the activities, operations and processes of the construction industry.Success factors of digital technologies (DT) tools adoption for sustainable construction in a developing economy
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, John Aliu, Solomon Onajite, Michael Simeon
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

As the construction sector constantly seeks ways to address ever-growing societal demands, the need to embrace innovation and digital technologies (DTs) cannot be overstated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the success factors influencing the adoption of DTs to achieve sustainable construction in a developing economy such as Nigeria.

A quantitative research approach was conducted with close-ended questionnaires developed and administered to construction professionals based in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data obtained was analyzed using percentages, frequency, mean item score and exploratory factor analysis.

The findings from the mean scores revealed the leading influential success factors which were education and training, methodology of model constructions, organization development, customer satisfaction and profitability and new revenue. Factor analysis revealed three clusters of success factors which were management needs, construction methodology and effective communication.

To adequately integrate DTs into construction industry activities and processes, awareness about the technologies must be created and enhanced if already in play. This study posits that the construction sector must accept and implement this new paradigm of innovation to benefit from this disruptive era.

This study serves as a foundation for other related studies that are aimed at advocating the efficacy of DTs in the effective and efficient execution of construction activities. The assessment of the success factors influencing the adoption of DTs would help construction organizations and stakeholders to understand the need to embrace and implement smart technologies into the activities, operations and processes of the construction industry.

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Success factors of digital technologies (DT) tools adoption for sustainable construction in a developing economy10.1108/CI-08-2022-0207Construction Innovation2022-12-22© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAyodeji Emmanuel OkeJohn AliuSolomon OnajiteMichael SimeonConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-12-2210.1108/CI-08-2022-0207https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0207/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Usage of digital technology in improving the mental health of workers on construction siteshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0214/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to investigate the usage of digital technologies (DTs) in improving the mental health of workers on construction sites. A mixed research approach was used in the study, which comprised a questionnaire survey and two phases of semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to determine the interviewees and respondents of the questionnaire survey. Weighted mean rating (WMR) and manual content analysis were used to rank and evaluate the collected data. The findings of this study revealed bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, work-related stress and depression as the six most significant mental disorders (MDs) among the construction workforce and 30 causes for them. Moreover, 27 symptoms were related to the six most significant MDs, and sweating was the most significant symptom among them. Despite that, 16 DTs were found to be suitable in mitigating the causes for the most significant MDs. There are numerous studies conducted on the application of DTs to construction operations. However, insufficient studies have been conducted focusing on the application of DTs in improving the mental health of workers at construction sites. This study can thus influence the use of DTs for tackling the common causes for MDs by bringing a new paradigm to the construction industry.Usage of digital technology in improving the mental health of workers on construction sites
Ayesh Udayanga Nelumdeniya, B.A.K.S. Perera, K.D.M. Gimhani
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to investigate the usage of digital technologies (DTs) in improving the mental health of workers on construction sites.

A mixed research approach was used in the study, which comprised a questionnaire survey and two phases of semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to determine the interviewees and respondents of the questionnaire survey. Weighted mean rating (WMR) and manual content analysis were used to rank and evaluate the collected data.

The findings of this study revealed bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, work-related stress and depression as the six most significant mental disorders (MDs) among the construction workforce and 30 causes for them. Moreover, 27 symptoms were related to the six most significant MDs, and sweating was the most significant symptom among them. Despite that, 16 DTs were found to be suitable in mitigating the causes for the most significant MDs.

There are numerous studies conducted on the application of DTs to construction operations. However, insufficient studies have been conducted focusing on the application of DTs in improving the mental health of workers at construction sites. This study can thus influence the use of DTs for tackling the common causes for MDs by bringing a new paradigm to the construction industry.

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Usage of digital technology in improving the mental health of workers on construction sites10.1108/CI-08-2022-0214Construction Innovation2023-08-29© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAyesh Udayanga NelumdeniyaB.A.K.S. PereraK.D.M. GimhaniConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-2910.1108/CI-08-2022-0214https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0214/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Construction and demolition waste management in Jordan: a multifaceted perspectivehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0221/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to explore the multifaceted challenge of managing construction and demolition waste within the context of the Jordan construction industry. Using data sourced through desk research, interviews and questionnaires, this study examines the principal causes of increased volumes of construction and demolition waste, as well as the obstacles to both developing and implementing better waste management strategies. This study identifies multiple causes of issues related to waste management and barriers to developing and implementing solutions and concludes by recommending a holistic approach to this multifaceted problem. A lack of adequate construction waste management infrastructure, regarding both physical facilities and regulations, was highlighted as the key challenge. The accumulation of waste that results from construction and demolition activity, and activities characterized by unsustainable utilization of raw materials and inefficiency are a global issue. The challenge of effectively managing construction waste is importantly tied to factors including the availability of the necessary infrastructure; economic conditions; and the scarcity of skilled laborers, among others. This study focuses on the Jordan construction industry, which is so far not very well researched. By building upon previous studies, this study supports further research to illuminate the causes of waste and the barriers to better management, an issue that is not only a pillar of progress at the country level but also key for a sustainable development in general.Construction and demolition waste management in Jordan: a multifaceted perspective
Ala'a Saleh Alshdiefat, Ahlam Ammar Sharif, Albara' Ibrahim Alharahsheh, Shaban Ismael Albrka, Nils O.E. Olsson, Mohammad Younes, Sofie Bang
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to explore the multifaceted challenge of managing construction and demolition waste within the context of the Jordan construction industry.

Using data sourced through desk research, interviews and questionnaires, this study examines the principal causes of increased volumes of construction and demolition waste, as well as the obstacles to both developing and implementing better waste management strategies.

This study identifies multiple causes of issues related to waste management and barriers to developing and implementing solutions and concludes by recommending a holistic approach to this multifaceted problem. A lack of adequate construction waste management infrastructure, regarding both physical facilities and regulations, was highlighted as the key challenge.

The accumulation of waste that results from construction and demolition activity, and activities characterized by unsustainable utilization of raw materials and inefficiency are a global issue. The challenge of effectively managing construction waste is importantly tied to factors including the availability of the necessary infrastructure; economic conditions; and the scarcity of skilled laborers, among others.

This study focuses on the Jordan construction industry, which is so far not very well researched. By building upon previous studies, this study supports further research to illuminate the causes of waste and the barriers to better management, an issue that is not only a pillar of progress at the country level but also key for a sustainable development in general.

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Construction and demolition waste management in Jordan: a multifaceted perspective10.1108/CI-08-2022-0221Construction Innovation2023-05-03© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAla'a Saleh AlshdiefatAhlam Ammar SharifAlbara' Ibrahim AlharahshehShaban Ismael AlbrkaNils O.E. OlssonMohammad YounesSofie BangConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-0310.1108/CI-08-2022-0221https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0221/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Measures for improving the buildability of building designs in construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0223/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDespite many studies on buildability from different perspectives and methods, the problems associated with buildability have not ceased from confronting the construction industry. This paper aims to determine the critical measures for improving the buildability of building designs in the construction industry. A questionnaire was developed to address the aim of the study. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaires to purposively selected group of quantity surveyors, builders, engineers and architects. A total of 368 questionnaires were administered and a response rate of 60% (219 questionnaires were returned) was achieved. Data elicited were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that “the benefits of improved buildability should be made known to designers”, “more technical literature for improving buildability should be provided to designers” and “more education and training on buildability should be given to designers” are the top most important three measures for improving the buildability of building designs in the construction industry. This study highlights the measures for improving buildability of building designs which are considered significant by construction professionals. An understanding of these measures is essential for reducing buildability problems as well as for improving and embedding buildability as a practice in the construction industry.Measures for improving the buildability of building designs in construction industry
Innocent Chigozie Osuizugbo
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Despite many studies on buildability from different perspectives and methods, the problems associated with buildability have not ceased from confronting the construction industry. This paper aims to determine the critical measures for improving the buildability of building designs in the construction industry.

A questionnaire was developed to address the aim of the study. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaires to purposively selected group of quantity surveyors, builders, engineers and architects. A total of 368 questionnaires were administered and a response rate of 60% (219 questionnaires were returned) was achieved. Data elicited were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The results revealed that “the benefits of improved buildability should be made known to designers”, “more technical literature for improving buildability should be provided to designers” and “more education and training on buildability should be given to designers” are the top most important three measures for improving the buildability of building designs in the construction industry.

This study highlights the measures for improving buildability of building designs which are considered significant by construction professionals. An understanding of these measures is essential for reducing buildability problems as well as for improving and embedding buildability as a practice in the construction industry.

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Measures for improving the buildability of building designs in construction industry10.1108/CI-08-2022-0223Construction Innovation2023-05-31© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedInnocent Chigozie OsuizugboConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-3110.1108/CI-08-2022-0223https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2022-0223/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Predicting construction cost index using fuzzy logic and machine learning in Jordanhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0182/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe process of predicting construction costs and forecasting price fluctuations is a significant and challenging undertaking for project managers. This study aims to develop a construction cost index (CCI) for Jordan’s construction industry using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and predict future CCI values using traditional and machine learning (ML) techniques. The most influential cost items were selected by conducting a literature review and confirmatory expert interviews. The cost items’ weights were calculated using FAHP to develop the CCI formula. The results showed that the random forest model had the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.09%, followed by Extreme Gradient Boosting and K-nearest neighbours with MAPEs of 1.41% and 1.46%, respectively. The novelty of this study lies within the use of FAHP to address the ambiguity of the impact of various cost items on CCI. The developed CCI equation and ML models are expected to significantly benefit construction managers, investors and policymakers in making informed decisions by enhancing their understanding of cost trends in the construction industry.Predicting construction cost index using fuzzy logic and machine learning in Jordan
Heba Al Kailani, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Farouq Sammour, Wasan Omar Maaitah, Rateb J. Sweis, Mohammad Alkailani
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The process of predicting construction costs and forecasting price fluctuations is a significant and challenging undertaking for project managers. This study aims to develop a construction cost index (CCI) for Jordan’s construction industry using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and predict future CCI values using traditional and machine learning (ML) techniques.

The most influential cost items were selected by conducting a literature review and confirmatory expert interviews. The cost items’ weights were calculated using FAHP to develop the CCI formula.

The results showed that the random forest model had the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.09%, followed by Extreme Gradient Boosting and K-nearest neighbours with MAPEs of 1.41% and 1.46%, respectively.

The novelty of this study lies within the use of FAHP to address the ambiguity of the impact of various cost items on CCI. The developed CCI equation and ML models are expected to significantly benefit construction managers, investors and policymakers in making informed decisions by enhancing their understanding of cost trends in the construction industry.

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Predicting construction cost index using fuzzy logic and machine learning in Jordan10.1108/CI-08-2023-0182Construction Innovation2024-01-22© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedHeba Al KailaniGhaleb J. SweisFarouq SammourWasan Omar MaaitahRateb J. SweisMohammad AlkailaniConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-2210.1108/CI-08-2023-0182https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0182/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
The challenges of adopting emerging technologies in the AEC industry a literature review and bibliometric analysishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0186/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to identify and provide a theoretical explanation for the barriers that hinder the adoption of emerging technologies in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, irrespective of the company’s size, specialization or geographical location. In addition, the paper proposes potential areas for future research in this domain. A list of barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies was identified and clarified using a systematic literature review of various scientific sources. Twenty-five barriers were recognized and explained and some suggestions for future research studies were provided. The barriers related to a specific country or region or to a specific technology were excluded. By providing a deeper comprehension of the barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies, this review is expected to encourage their adoption in the industry. Furthermore, it could prove valuable in devising effective strategies for the successful implementation of these technologies.The challenges of adopting emerging technologies in the AEC industry a literature review and bibliometric analysis
Mohammad O. Eriqat, Rateb J. Sweis, Ghaleb J. Sweis
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to identify and provide a theoretical explanation for the barriers that hinder the adoption of emerging technologies in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, irrespective of the company’s size, specialization or geographical location. In addition, the paper proposes potential areas for future research in this domain.

A list of barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies was identified and clarified using a systematic literature review of various scientific sources.

Twenty-five barriers were recognized and explained and some suggestions for future research studies were provided.

The barriers related to a specific country or region or to a specific technology were excluded.

By providing a deeper comprehension of the barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies, this review is expected to encourage their adoption in the industry. Furthermore, it could prove valuable in devising effective strategies for the successful implementation of these technologies.

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The challenges of adopting emerging technologies in the AEC industry a literature review and bibliometric analysis10.1108/CI-08-2023-0186Construction Innovation2024-02-14© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedMohammad O. EriqatRateb J. SweisGhaleb J. SweisConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-1410.1108/CI-08-2023-0186https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0186/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Contractors’ carbon reduction behaviour: UK construction professionals’ perspectivehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0192/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe decisions of contractors could impact the reduction of construction carbon footprint. These decisions are linked to the belief of contractors which equally affects how they behave while delivering projects. This study aims to investigate the behavioural tendencies of contractors that could lead to carbon minimisation during the execution of construction projects. An industry survey was performed amongst 41 UK construction professionals. Spearman’s correlation and factor analysis were used to analyse the data. The result of the Spearman’s correlation gave rise to 14 contractors’ carbon reduction behaviour (CCRB) variables and their factor analysis yielded two distinct factors, namely, contractors’ consummate carbon reduction behaviour and contractors’ pragmatic carbon reduction behaviour. The findings suggest that in the UK, contractors are willing to take voluntary practical steps to decrease the carbon footprint of construction projects. This finding might be unexpected to construction stakeholders, especially construction clients who may believe that infusing strict carbon reduction obligations in contracts is sufficient in nudging contractors to lessen the carbon impact of projects. The study attempted to quantitatively derive CCRB, thereby extending the breadth of knowledge in the construction carbon reduction domain.Contractors’ carbon reduction behaviour: UK construction professionals’ perspective
Suhaib Arogundade, Mohammed Dulaimi, Saheed Ajayi, Ali Saad
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The decisions of contractors could impact the reduction of construction carbon footprint. These decisions are linked to the belief of contractors which equally affects how they behave while delivering projects. This study aims to investigate the behavioural tendencies of contractors that could lead to carbon minimisation during the execution of construction projects.

An industry survey was performed amongst 41 UK construction professionals. Spearman’s correlation and factor analysis were used to analyse the data.

The result of the Spearman’s correlation gave rise to 14 contractors’ carbon reduction behaviour (CCRB) variables and their factor analysis yielded two distinct factors, namely, contractors’ consummate carbon reduction behaviour and contractors’ pragmatic carbon reduction behaviour. The findings suggest that in the UK, contractors are willing to take voluntary practical steps to decrease the carbon footprint of construction projects.

This finding might be unexpected to construction stakeholders, especially construction clients who may believe that infusing strict carbon reduction obligations in contracts is sufficient in nudging contractors to lessen the carbon impact of projects.

The study attempted to quantitatively derive CCRB, thereby extending the breadth of knowledge in the construction carbon reduction domain.

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Contractors’ carbon reduction behaviour: UK construction professionals’ perspective10.1108/CI-08-2023-0192Construction Innovation2024-02-08© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedSuhaib ArogundadeMohammed DulaimiSaheed AjayiAli SaadConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-0810.1108/CI-08-2023-0192https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0192/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Understanding the relevance and impact of the cost of quality in the construction industry: a systematic literature review using PRISMAhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0197/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestConstruction industry faces challenges in making objective decisions due to monetary value attached to quality. Among various quality management techniques available, cost of quality (COQ) is one such method used to address the concern. However, the absence of measurable COQ factors to monitor quality costs hampers the implementation of COQ framework in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to identify COQ factors focused on visible factors (VF) and hidden factors (HF) and the current requirements to achieve it. This study is based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses protocol guidelines. The present study identified 57 articles published between 1992 and 2023 in peer-reviewed journals. The findings reveal 22 factors, which are grouped into four categories based on COQ. Through systematic review, the authors observed limited methodological and theoretical diversity. In fact, there are no quantitative frameworks to calculate COQ. The study, therefore, developed a framework comprising four major routes/paths of COQ factors within the framework. The COQ routes developed through this study will enable the practitioners to meticulously categorise VF and HF, facilitating quantifying of quality throughout the lifecycle of project, which is currently absent from the existing quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) approach. In addition, these COQ routes stand as essential construction strategies, significantly enhancing outcomes related to time, cost, quality, sustainability and fostering closer relationships within project frameworks. The current study contributes significantly to the existing body of knowledge by developing various COQ routes and proposing future research directions to address gaps in the literature.Understanding the relevance and impact of the cost of quality in the construction industry: a systematic literature review using PRISMA
Nandini Sharma, Boeing Laishram
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Construction industry faces challenges in making objective decisions due to monetary value attached to quality. Among various quality management techniques available, cost of quality (COQ) is one such method used to address the concern. However, the absence of measurable COQ factors to monitor quality costs hampers the implementation of COQ framework in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to identify COQ factors focused on visible factors (VF) and hidden factors (HF) and the current requirements to achieve it.

This study is based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses protocol guidelines. The present study identified 57 articles published between 1992 and 2023 in peer-reviewed journals.

The findings reveal 22 factors, which are grouped into four categories based on COQ. Through systematic review, the authors observed limited methodological and theoretical diversity. In fact, there are no quantitative frameworks to calculate COQ. The study, therefore, developed a framework comprising four major routes/paths of COQ factors within the framework.

The COQ routes developed through this study will enable the practitioners to meticulously categorise VF and HF, facilitating quantifying of quality throughout the lifecycle of project, which is currently absent from the existing quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) approach. In addition, these COQ routes stand as essential construction strategies, significantly enhancing outcomes related to time, cost, quality, sustainability and fostering closer relationships within project frameworks.

The current study contributes significantly to the existing body of knowledge by developing various COQ routes and proposing future research directions to address gaps in the literature.

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Understanding the relevance and impact of the cost of quality in the construction industry: a systematic literature review using PRISMA10.1108/CI-08-2023-0197Construction Innovation2024-02-16© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedNandini SharmaBoeing LaishramConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-1610.1108/CI-08-2023-0197https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0197/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Barriers and strategies for implementing lean six sigma in small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction industry: a fuzzy TOPSIS analysishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0225/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestQuality management barriers have been discovered in construction small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), determining their long-term survival. Despite the recognition of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a valuable quality management technique for addressing the barriers faced by SMEs, LSS implementation within the construction SME context is alarmingly low. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the barriers for implementing LSS within construction SMEs and to determine the most effective strategies for overcoming these barriers. A quantitative research approach was used, and data was collected in two stages: a questionnaire survey with 44 construction professionals and an expert opinion survey with 12 LSS specialists. The collected data was then analysed using the fuzzy TOPSIS method, achieving a higher degree of sensitivity. The findings revealed the 15 most significant LSS barriers that need to be addressed. In addition, the ten most important strategies to be implemented in overcoming the identified barriers before LSS implementation were discovered and thematised, most notably the hiring of LSS specialists for project monitoring and the formation of a committee for strategic planning through LSS. Previous research on LSS examined barriers and strategies for SMEs in general, but to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind, focusing especially on the construction SME context and involving the unique fuzzy TOPSIS approach.Barriers and strategies for implementing lean six sigma in small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction industry: a fuzzy TOPSIS analysis
Shamika Hasaranga De Silva, K.A.T.O. Ranadewa, Akila Pramodh Rathnasinghe
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Quality management barriers have been discovered in construction small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), determining their long-term survival. Despite the recognition of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a valuable quality management technique for addressing the barriers faced by SMEs, LSS implementation within the construction SME context is alarmingly low. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the barriers for implementing LSS within construction SMEs and to determine the most effective strategies for overcoming these barriers.

A quantitative research approach was used, and data was collected in two stages: a questionnaire survey with 44 construction professionals and an expert opinion survey with 12 LSS specialists. The collected data was then analysed using the fuzzy TOPSIS method, achieving a higher degree of sensitivity.

The findings revealed the 15 most significant LSS barriers that need to be addressed. In addition, the ten most important strategies to be implemented in overcoming the identified barriers before LSS implementation were discovered and thematised, most notably the hiring of LSS specialists for project monitoring and the formation of a committee for strategic planning through LSS.

Previous research on LSS examined barriers and strategies for SMEs in general, but to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind, focusing especially on the construction SME context and involving the unique fuzzy TOPSIS approach.

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Barriers and strategies for implementing lean six sigma in small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction industry: a fuzzy TOPSIS analysis10.1108/CI-09-2022-0225Construction Innovation2023-06-06© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedShamika Hasaranga De SilvaK.A.T.O. RanadewaAkila Pramodh RathnasingheConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-0610.1108/CI-09-2022-0225https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0225/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Agility assessment framework for modular and offsite constructionhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0238/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this paper is to determine if companies in the modular and offsite construction (MOC) industry are agile or not and its level of application for agility principles, which allows for quick responses to the increasingly dynamic nature of industry environments. This paper proposes an agility assessment framework for MOC that uses 48 assessment attributes organized into four categories: metrics, drivers, enablers and capabilities. A questionnaire approach was used to disseminate the framework globally in 19 countries and synthesize its relevance to the MOC industry. The questionnaire had 55 complete responses, majority of respondents work in managerial positions for MOC manufacturing facilities and onsite general contractors. It was found that the lowest metric score for adapting to change was for cost since controlling cost would be difficult for any changes required after the design freeze stage. The top agility driver was found to be the need to respond to the wide variety of customer expectations, while the lowest driver was the existence of competing priorities. The top agility enabler was vendor partnership, which can be related to current postpandemic supply chain disruptions. Regarding technological capabilities, Europe and the USA acquired better scores compared to Asia, Latin America and Africa. This study contributes to the MOC body of knowledge by creating an agility assessment tool for MOC firms to analyze their agile approach and environment, identifying the preliminary importance of agility assessment attributes and determining significant agile differences between the main MOC industry groups.Agility assessment framework for modular and offsite construction
Tarek Salama, Hisham Said
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this paper is to determine if companies in the modular and offsite construction (MOC) industry are agile or not and its level of application for agility principles, which allows for quick responses to the increasingly dynamic nature of industry environments.

This paper proposes an agility assessment framework for MOC that uses 48 assessment attributes organized into four categories: metrics, drivers, enablers and capabilities. A questionnaire approach was used to disseminate the framework globally in 19 countries and synthesize its relevance to the MOC industry. The questionnaire had 55 complete responses, majority of respondents work in managerial positions for MOC manufacturing facilities and onsite general contractors.

It was found that the lowest metric score for adapting to change was for cost since controlling cost would be difficult for any changes required after the design freeze stage. The top agility driver was found to be the need to respond to the wide variety of customer expectations, while the lowest driver was the existence of competing priorities. The top agility enabler was vendor partnership, which can be related to current postpandemic supply chain disruptions. Regarding technological capabilities, Europe and the USA acquired better scores compared to Asia, Latin America and Africa.

This study contributes to the MOC body of knowledge by creating an agility assessment tool for MOC firms to analyze their agile approach and environment, identifying the preliminary importance of agility assessment attributes and determining significant agile differences between the main MOC industry groups.

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Agility assessment framework for modular and offsite construction10.1108/CI-09-2022-0238Construction Innovation2023-04-11© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedTarek SalamaHisham SaidConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-1110.1108/CI-09-2022-0238https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0238/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Ending the suitability quantification dilemma: intelligent decision support system for modular integrated construction in a high-density metropolishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0242/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestModular integrated construction (MiC) is a modern construction method innovating and reinventing the traditional site-based construction method. As it integrates advanced manufacturing principles and requires offsite production of volumetric building components, several factors and conditions must converge to make the MiC method suitable and efficient for building projects in each context. This paper aims to present a knowledge-based decision support system (KB-DSS) for assessing a project’s suitability for the MiC method. The KB-DSS uses 21 significant suitability decision-making factors identified through literature review, consultation of experts and questionnaire surveys. It has a knowledge base, a DSS and a user interface. The knowledge base comprises IF-THEN production rules to compute the MiC suitability score with the efficient use of the powerful reasoning and explanation capabilities of DSS. The tool receives the inputs of a decision-maker, computes the MiC suitability score for a given project and generates recommendations based on the score. Three real-world projects in Hong Kong are used to demonstrate the applicability of the tool for solving the MiC suitability assessment problem. This study established the complex and competing significant conditions and factors determining the suitability of the MiC method for construction projects. It developed a unique tool combining the capabilities of expert systems and decision support system to address the complex problem of assessing the suitability of the MiC method for construction projects in a high-density metropolis.Ending the suitability quantification dilemma: intelligent decision support system for modular integrated construction in a high-density metropolis
Ibrahim Yahaya Wuni, Khwaja Mateen Mazher
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Modular integrated construction (MiC) is a modern construction method innovating and reinventing the traditional site-based construction method. As it integrates advanced manufacturing principles and requires offsite production of volumetric building components, several factors and conditions must converge to make the MiC method suitable and efficient for building projects in each context. This paper aims to present a knowledge-based decision support system (KB-DSS) for assessing a project’s suitability for the MiC method.

The KB-DSS uses 21 significant suitability decision-making factors identified through literature review, consultation of experts and questionnaire surveys. It has a knowledge base, a DSS and a user interface. The knowledge base comprises IF-THEN production rules to compute the MiC suitability score with the efficient use of the powerful reasoning and explanation capabilities of DSS.

The tool receives the inputs of a decision-maker, computes the MiC suitability score for a given project and generates recommendations based on the score. Three real-world projects in Hong Kong are used to demonstrate the applicability of the tool for solving the MiC suitability assessment problem.

This study established the complex and competing significant conditions and factors determining the suitability of the MiC method for construction projects. It developed a unique tool combining the capabilities of expert systems and decision support system to address the complex problem of assessing the suitability of the MiC method for construction projects in a high-density metropolis.

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Ending the suitability quantification dilemma: intelligent decision support system for modular integrated construction in a high-density metropolis10.1108/CI-09-2022-0242Construction Innovation2023-01-11© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedIbrahim Yahaya WuniKhwaja Mateen MazherConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-1110.1108/CI-09-2022-0242https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0242/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Application of gamification for sustainable construction: an evaluation of the challengeshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0247/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to identify and evaluate the challenges affecting the adoption of gamification practices in developing countries through the lens of the Nigerian construction industry. A scoping literature review was conducted through which challenges to the adoption of gamification practices were identified, which helped in the formulation of a questionnaire survey. Data was obtained from construction professionals including architects, builders, engineers and quantity surveyors. Retrieved data were analyzed using several statistical tools such as percentages, frequencies, mean item scores (MIS) and exploratory factor analyses. Based on the MIS ranking results, the top five significant challenges to the adoption of gamification were lack of capacity and expertise, lack of budgeting for innovation, lack of technical infrastructure, hesitation to adopt and limited internet connectivity. Through factor analysis, the challenges identified were categorized into five principal clusters, namely, organizational challenges, technical-related challenges, human-related challenges, data security challenges and economic challenges. The identification and evaluation of the key challenges hindering the adoption of gamification practices would help construction organizations and stakeholders to understand the need to embrace and implement the concept into their activities, operations and processes to improve the engagement and motivation levels of employees. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind in the study area to identify and evaluate the challenges affecting the adoption of gamification practices using a structured quantitative approach.Application of gamification for sustainable construction: an evaluation of the challenges
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, John Aliu, Patience Tunji-Olayeni, Timilehin Abayomi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to identify and evaluate the challenges affecting the adoption of gamification practices in developing countries through the lens of the Nigerian construction industry.

A scoping literature review was conducted through which challenges to the adoption of gamification practices were identified, which helped in the formulation of a questionnaire survey. Data was obtained from construction professionals including architects, builders, engineers and quantity surveyors. Retrieved data were analyzed using several statistical tools such as percentages, frequencies, mean item scores (MIS) and exploratory factor analyses.

Based on the MIS ranking results, the top five significant challenges to the adoption of gamification were lack of capacity and expertise, lack of budgeting for innovation, lack of technical infrastructure, hesitation to adopt and limited internet connectivity. Through factor analysis, the challenges identified were categorized into five principal clusters, namely, organizational challenges, technical-related challenges, human-related challenges, data security challenges and economic challenges.

The identification and evaluation of the key challenges hindering the adoption of gamification practices would help construction organizations and stakeholders to understand the need to embrace and implement the concept into their activities, operations and processes to improve the engagement and motivation levels of employees.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind in the study area to identify and evaluate the challenges affecting the adoption of gamification practices using a structured quantitative approach.

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Application of gamification for sustainable construction: an evaluation of the challenges10.1108/CI-09-2022-0247Construction Innovation2023-01-20© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAyodeji Emmanuel OkeJohn AliuPatience Tunji-OlayeniTimilehin AbayomiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-2010.1108/CI-09-2022-0247https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2022-0247/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
A BIM-integrated multi objective optimization model for sustainable building construction managementhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2023-0223/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry is tasked with creating sustainable, efficient and cost-effective buildings. This study aims to develop a building information modeling (BIM)-based multiobjective optimization (MOO) model integrating the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) to enhance sustainability. The goal is to reduce embodied energy and cost in the design process. Through a case study research method, this study uses BIM, NSGA-III and real-world data in five phases: literature review, identification of factors, BIM model development, MOO model creation and validation in the architecture, engineering and construction sectors. The innovative BIM-based MOO model optimizes embodied energy and cost to achieve sustainable construction. A commercial building case study validation showed a reduction of 30% in embodied energy and 21% in cost. This study validates the model’s effectiveness in integrating sustainability goals, enhancing decision-making, collaboration, efficiency and providing superior assessment. This model delivers a unified approach to sustainable design, cutting carbon footprint and strengthening the industry’s ability to attain sustainable solutions. It holds potential for broader application and future integration of social and economic factors. The research presents a novel BIM-based MOO model, uniquely focusing on sustainable construction with embodied energy and cost considerations. This holistic and innovative framework extends existing methodologies applicable to various buildings and paves the way for additional research in this area.A BIM-integrated multi objective optimization model for sustainable building construction management
Hemanth Kumar N., S.P. Sreenivas Padala
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The construction industry is tasked with creating sustainable, efficient and cost-effective buildings. This study aims to develop a building information modeling (BIM)-based multiobjective optimization (MOO) model integrating the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) to enhance sustainability. The goal is to reduce embodied energy and cost in the design process.

Through a case study research method, this study uses BIM, NSGA-III and real-world data in five phases: literature review, identification of factors, BIM model development, MOO model creation and validation in the architecture, engineering and construction sectors.

The innovative BIM-based MOO model optimizes embodied energy and cost to achieve sustainable construction. A commercial building case study validation showed a reduction of 30% in embodied energy and 21% in cost. This study validates the model’s effectiveness in integrating sustainability goals, enhancing decision-making, collaboration, efficiency and providing superior assessment.

This model delivers a unified approach to sustainable design, cutting carbon footprint and strengthening the industry’s ability to attain sustainable solutions. It holds potential for broader application and future integration of social and economic factors.

The research presents a novel BIM-based MOO model, uniquely focusing on sustainable construction with embodied energy and cost considerations. This holistic and innovative framework extends existing methodologies applicable to various buildings and paves the way for additional research in this area.

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A BIM-integrated multi objective optimization model for sustainable building construction management10.1108/CI-09-2023-0223Construction Innovation2024-03-04© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedHemanth Kumar N.S.P. Sreenivas PadalaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-03-0410.1108/CI-09-2023-0223https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2023-0223/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Examining the barriers to implementing design for deconstruction in the construction industry of a developing countryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2023-0239/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDespite endeavors to alleviate construction and demolition waste and the indications that the process of deconstruction has the potential to steer waste reduction initiatives, there has not been a progressive increase in the adoption of Design for Deconstruction (DfD) in the global south, especially Ghana. This paper aims to identify and analyze the barriers to implementing DfD in developing countries. A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 240 design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). The questionnaire was developed by reviewing pertinent literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics. The findings revealed ten (10) significant impediments to implementing DfD within the construction industries in developing economies. These impediments revolve around cost, legal matters, storage, incentive and design-related matters. Key among these barriers is “For recovered materials, there are little performance guarantees,” “The absence of strict regulations regarding design for deconstruction,” “Lack of a large market enough for components that have been recovered,” “The need for building codes that address how to design with reused materials” and “Lack of effective design for deconstruction tools.” The results of this research shed light on a relatively unexplored area within the construction sector, particularly in a developing country like Ghana. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study contributes fresh and supplementary knowledge and perspectives regarding the challenges in implementing DfD practices.Examining the barriers to implementing design for deconstruction in the construction industry of a developing country
Hayford Pittri, Godawatte Arachchige Gimhan Rathnagee Godawatte, Kofi Agyekum, Edward Ayebeng Botchway, Annabel Morkporkpor Ami Dompey, Samuel Oduro, Eric Asamoah
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Despite endeavors to alleviate construction and demolition waste and the indications that the process of deconstruction has the potential to steer waste reduction initiatives, there has not been a progressive increase in the adoption of Design for Deconstruction (DfD) in the global south, especially Ghana. This paper aims to identify and analyze the barriers to implementing DfD in developing countries.

A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 240 design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). The questionnaire was developed by reviewing pertinent literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics.

The findings revealed ten (10) significant impediments to implementing DfD within the construction industries in developing economies. These impediments revolve around cost, legal matters, storage, incentive and design-related matters. Key among these barriers is “For recovered materials, there are little performance guarantees,” “The absence of strict regulations regarding design for deconstruction,” “Lack of a large market enough for components that have been recovered,” “The need for building codes that address how to design with reused materials” and “Lack of effective design for deconstruction tools.”

The results of this research shed light on a relatively unexplored area within the construction sector, particularly in a developing country like Ghana. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study contributes fresh and supplementary knowledge and perspectives regarding the challenges in implementing DfD practices.

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Examining the barriers to implementing design for deconstruction in the construction industry of a developing country10.1108/CI-09-2023-0239Construction Innovation2024-01-09© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedHayford PittriGodawatte Arachchige Gimhan Rathnagee GodawatteKofi AgyekumEdward Ayebeng BotchwayAnnabel Morkporkpor Ami DompeySamuel OduroEric AsamoahConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-0910.1108/CI-09-2023-0239https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-09-2023-0239/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Structural behaviour of the strengthened reinforced concrete beams using ultra high-performance fibre reinforced concrete layerhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2021-0183/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDamage to reinforced concrete (RC) structural elements is inevitable. Such damage can be the result of several factors, including aggressive environmental conditions, overloading, inadequate design, poor work execution, fire, storm, earthquakes etc. Therefore, repairing and strengthening is one way to improve damaged structures, so that they can be reutilized. In this research, the use of an ultra high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) layer is proposed as a strengthening material to rehabilitate damaged-RC beams. Different strengthening schemes pertaining to the structural performance of the retrofitted RC beams due to the flexural load were investigated. A total of 13 normal RC beams were prepared. All the beams were subjected to a four-point flexural test. One beam was selected as the control beam and tested to failure, whereas the remaining beams were tested under a load of up to 50% of the ultimate load capacity of the control beam. The damaged beams were then strengthened using a UHPFRC layer with two different schemes; strip-shape and U-shape schemes, before all the beams were tested to failure. Based on the test results, the control beam and all strengthened beams failed in the flexural mode. Compared to the control beam, the damaged-RC beams strengthened using the strip-shape scheme provided an increase in the ultimate load capacity ranging from 14.50% to 43.48% (or an increase of 1.1450 to 1.4348 times), whereas for the U-shape scheme beams ranged from 48.70% to 149.37% (or an increase of 1.4870–2.4937 times). The U-shape scheme was more effective in rehabilitating the damaged-RC beams. The UHPFRC mixtures are workable, as well easy to place and cast into the formworks. Furthermore, the damaged-RC beams strengthened using strip-shape scheme and U-shape scheme generated ductility factors of greater than 4 and 3, respectively. According to Eurocode8, these values are suitable for seismically active regions. Therefore, the strengthened damaged-RC beams under this study can quite feasibly be used in such regions. Observations of crack patterns were not accompanied by measurements of crack widths due to the unavailability of a microcrack meter in the laboratory. The cost of the strengthening system application were not evaluated in this study, so the users should consider wisely related to the application of this method on the constructions. Rehabilitation of the damaged-RC beams exhibited an adequate structural performance, where all strengthened RC beams fail in the flexural mode, as well as having increment in the failure load capacity and ductility. So, the used strengthening system in this study can be applied for the building construction in the seismic regions. Aside from equipment, application of this strengthening system need also the labours. The use of sand blasting on the surfaces of the damaged-RC beams, as well as the application of UHPFRC layers of different thicknesses and shapes to strengthen the damaged-RC beams, provides a novel innovation in the strengthening of damaged-RC beams, which can be applicable to either bridge or building constructions.Structural behaviour of the strengthened reinforced concrete beams using ultra high-performance fibre reinforced concrete layer
Nursyamsi Nursyamsi, Johannes Tarigan, Muhammad Aswin, Badorul Hisham Abu Bakar, Harianto Hardjasaputra
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Damage to reinforced concrete (RC) structural elements is inevitable. Such damage can be the result of several factors, including aggressive environmental conditions, overloading, inadequate design, poor work execution, fire, storm, earthquakes etc. Therefore, repairing and strengthening is one way to improve damaged structures, so that they can be reutilized. In this research, the use of an ultra high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) layer is proposed as a strengthening material to rehabilitate damaged-RC beams. Different strengthening schemes pertaining to the structural performance of the retrofitted RC beams due to the flexural load were investigated.

A total of 13 normal RC beams were prepared. All the beams were subjected to a four-point flexural test. One beam was selected as the control beam and tested to failure, whereas the remaining beams were tested under a load of up to 50% of the ultimate load capacity of the control beam. The damaged beams were then strengthened using a UHPFRC layer with two different schemes; strip-shape and U-shape schemes, before all the beams were tested to failure.

Based on the test results, the control beam and all strengthened beams failed in the flexural mode. Compared to the control beam, the damaged-RC beams strengthened using the strip-shape scheme provided an increase in the ultimate load capacity ranging from 14.50% to 43.48% (or an increase of 1.1450 to 1.4348 times), whereas for the U-shape scheme beams ranged from 48.70% to 149.37% (or an increase of 1.4870–2.4937 times). The U-shape scheme was more effective in rehabilitating the damaged-RC beams. The UHPFRC mixtures are workable, as well easy to place and cast into the formworks. Furthermore, the damaged-RC beams strengthened using strip-shape scheme and U-shape scheme generated ductility factors of greater than 4 and 3, respectively. According to Eurocode8, these values are suitable for seismically active regions. Therefore, the strengthened damaged-RC beams under this study can quite feasibly be used in such regions.

Observations of crack patterns were not accompanied by measurements of crack widths due to the unavailability of a microcrack meter in the laboratory. The cost of the strengthening system application were not evaluated in this study, so the users should consider wisely related to the application of this method on the constructions.

Rehabilitation of the damaged-RC beams exhibited an adequate structural performance, where all strengthened RC beams fail in the flexural mode, as well as having increment in the failure load capacity and ductility. So, the used strengthening system in this study can be applied for the building construction in the seismic regions.

Aside from equipment, application of this strengthening system need also the labours.

The use of sand blasting on the surfaces of the damaged-RC beams, as well as the application of UHPFRC layers of different thicknesses and shapes to strengthen the damaged-RC beams, provides a novel innovation in the strengthening of damaged-RC beams, which can be applicable to either bridge or building constructions.

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Structural behaviour of the strengthened reinforced concrete beams using ultra high-performance fibre reinforced concrete layer10.1108/CI-10-2021-0183Construction Innovation2022-11-10© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedNursyamsi NursyamsiJohannes TariganMuhammad AswinBadorul Hisham Abu BakarHarianto HardjasaputraConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-11-1010.1108/CI-10-2021-0183https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2021-0183/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Investigating the determents of intelligent construction contract adoption: a refinement of the technology readiness index to inform an integrated technology acceptance modelhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2021-0191/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis paper aims to identify the relevant contributing constructs of readiness for the implementation of intelligent contracts (iContracts) in the construction industry. This study investigates the relationship between the personality dimensions of technology readiness index (TRI) and the system specific factors of technology acceptance model (TAM) within the context of iContracts. Drawing insights from the extant literature and the author's previous qualitative investigations into iContract readiness constructs, a quantitative approach is used to operationalise the constructs by offering relevant statements to be measured and validated through a multiple-item scale against the users intent to accept the future iContract technology. This study confirms and validates the relationship of the proposed iContract readiness index (iCRI) statements against the established TAM factors by offering 18 new constructs influencing technology readiness of the iContract technology. This study proves 9 of the 12 hypotheses highlighting key factors to be addressed for the successful development of the iContract technology. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a novel iCRI that informs an iContract technology readiness acceptance model (iCTRAM) for a trending technology. The iCTRAM can guide developers in producing an appropriate iContract solution and assess the readiness of users and organisations for the successful adoption of the iContract concept. This study offers a unique theoretical framework, in an embryonic field, for predicting the success of iContract implementation within construction organisations. This study combines the established studies of TRI and TAM in producing a predictive iContract readiness assessment tool.Investigating the determents of intelligent construction contract adoption: a refinement of the technology readiness index to inform an integrated technology acceptance model
Alan J. McNamara, Sara Shirowzhan, Samad M.E. Sepasgozar
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This paper aims to identify the relevant contributing constructs of readiness for the implementation of intelligent contracts (iContracts) in the construction industry. This study investigates the relationship between the personality dimensions of technology readiness index (TRI) and the system specific factors of technology acceptance model (TAM) within the context of iContracts.

Drawing insights from the extant literature and the author's previous qualitative investigations into iContract readiness constructs, a quantitative approach is used to operationalise the constructs by offering relevant statements to be measured and validated through a multiple-item scale against the users intent to accept the future iContract technology.

This study confirms and validates the relationship of the proposed iContract readiness index (iCRI) statements against the established TAM factors by offering 18 new constructs influencing technology readiness of the iContract technology. This study proves 9 of the 12 hypotheses highlighting key factors to be addressed for the successful development of the iContract technology.

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a novel iCRI that informs an iContract technology readiness acceptance model (iCTRAM) for a trending technology. The iCTRAM can guide developers in producing an appropriate iContract solution and assess the readiness of users and organisations for the successful adoption of the iContract concept.

This study offers a unique theoretical framework, in an embryonic field, for predicting the success of iContract implementation within construction organisations. This study combines the established studies of TRI and TAM in producing a predictive iContract readiness assessment tool.

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Investigating the determents of intelligent construction contract adoption: a refinement of the technology readiness index to inform an integrated technology acceptance model10.1108/CI-10-2021-0191Construction Innovation2022-11-04© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedAlan J. McNamaraSara ShirowzhanSamad M.E. SepasgozarConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-11-0410.1108/CI-10-2021-0191https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2021-0191/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
Structural performance of buried reinforced concrete pipelines under deep embankment soilhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2021-0196/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestBuried pipelines under various soil embankment heights are cost-effective alternatives to transporting liquid products. This paper aims to assist pipeline architects and professionals in selecting the most cost-effective buried reinforced concrete pipelines under deep embankment soil with minor structural reinforcement while meeting shear stress requirements, safety and reliability constraints. It is unfeasible to experimentally assess pipeline efficiency with high soil fill depth. Thus, to fill this gap, this research uses a dependable finite element analysis (FEA) to conduct a parametric study and carry out such an issue. This research considered reinforced concrete pipes with diameters of 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 cm at depths of 5, 10, 15 and 20 m. According to this research, the proposed best pipeline diameter-to-thickness (D/T) proportions for soil embankment heights 5, 10, 15 and 20 m are 8.75, 4.8, 3.5 and 3.1, correspondingly. The cost-effective reinforced concrete (RC) pipeline thickness dramatically rises if the soil embankment reaches 20 m, indicating that the soil embankment depth highly influences it. Most of the analyzed reinforced concrete pipelines had a maximum deflection value of less than 1 cm, telling that the FEA accurately identified the pipeline width, needed flexural steel reinforcement, and concrete crack width while avoiding significant distortion. The cost-effective thickness for the analyzed structured concrete pipes was calculated by considering the lowest required value of steel reinforcement. An algorithm was developed based on the parametric scientific findings to predict the ideal pipeline D/T ratio. A construction case study was also shown to assist architects and professionals in determining the best reinforced concrete pipeline geometry for a specific soil embankment height.Structural performance of buried reinforced concrete pipelines under deep embankment soil
Ghassan Almasabha, Ali Shehadeh, Odey Alshboul, Omar Al Hattamleh
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Buried pipelines under various soil embankment heights are cost-effective alternatives to transporting liquid products. This paper aims to assist pipeline architects and professionals in selecting the most cost-effective buried reinforced concrete pipelines under deep embankment soil with minor structural reinforcement while meeting shear stress requirements, safety and reliability constraints.

It is unfeasible to experimentally assess pipeline efficiency with high soil fill depth. Thus, to fill this gap, this research uses a dependable finite element analysis (FEA) to conduct a parametric study and carry out such an issue. This research considered reinforced concrete pipes with diameters of 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 cm at depths of 5, 10, 15 and 20 m.

According to this research, the proposed best pipeline diameter-to-thickness (D/T) proportions for soil embankment heights 5, 10, 15 and 20 m are 8.75, 4.8, 3.5 and 3.1, correspondingly. The cost-effective reinforced concrete (RC) pipeline thickness dramatically rises if the soil embankment reaches 20 m, indicating that the soil embankment depth highly influences it. Most of the analyzed reinforced concrete pipelines had a maximum deflection value of less than 1 cm, telling that the FEA accurately identified the pipeline width, needed flexural steel reinforcement, and concrete crack width while avoiding significant distortion.

The cost-effective thickness for the analyzed structured concrete pipes was calculated by considering the lowest required value of steel reinforcement. An algorithm was developed based on the parametric scientific findings to predict the ideal pipeline D/T ratio. A construction case study was also shown to assist architects and professionals in determining the best reinforced concrete pipeline geometry for a specific soil embankment height.

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Structural performance of buried reinforced concrete pipelines under deep embankment soil10.1108/CI-10-2021-0196Construction Innovation2023-03-23© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedGhassan AlmasabhaAli ShehadehOdey AlshboulOmar Al HattamlehConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-2310.1108/CI-10-2021-0196https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2021-0196/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Development of building defects dashboards and stochastic models for multi-storey buildings in Victoria, Australiahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0254/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestBuilding defects are becoming recurrent phenomena in most high-rise buildings. However, little research exists on the analysis of defects in high-rise buildings based on data from real-life projects. This study aims to develop dashboards and models for revealing the most common locations of defects, understanding associations among defects and predicting the rectification periods. In total, 15,484 defect reports comprising qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from a company that provides consulting services for the construction industry in Victoria, Australia. Data mining methods were applied using a wide range of Python libraries including NumPy, Pandas, Natural Language Toolkit, SpaCy and Regular Expression, alongside association rule mining (ARM) and simulations. Findings reveal that defects in multi-storey buildings often occur on lower levels, rather than on higher levels. Joinery defects were found to be the most recurrent problem on ground floors. The ARM outcomes show that the occurrence of one type of defect can be taken as an indication for the existence of other types of defects. For instance, in laundry, the chance of occurrence of plumbing and joinery defects, where paint defects are observed, is 88%. The stochastic model built for door defects showed that there is a 60% chance that defects on doors can be rectified within 60 days. The dashboards provide original insight and novel ideas regarding the frequency of defects in various positions in multi-storey buildings. The stochastic models can provide a reliable point of reference for property managers, occupants and sub-contractors for taking measures to avoid reoccurring defects; so too, findings provide estimations of possible rectification periods for various types of defects.Development of building defects dashboards and stochastic models for multi-storey buildings in Victoria, Australia
Argaw Gurmu, M. Reza Hosseini, Mehrdad Arashpour, Wellia Lioeng
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Building defects are becoming recurrent phenomena in most high-rise buildings. However, little research exists on the analysis of defects in high-rise buildings based on data from real-life projects. This study aims to develop dashboards and models for revealing the most common locations of defects, understanding associations among defects and predicting the rectification periods.

In total, 15,484 defect reports comprising qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from a company that provides consulting services for the construction industry in Victoria, Australia. Data mining methods were applied using a wide range of Python libraries including NumPy, Pandas, Natural Language Toolkit, SpaCy and Regular Expression, alongside association rule mining (ARM) and simulations.

Findings reveal that defects in multi-storey buildings often occur on lower levels, rather than on higher levels. Joinery defects were found to be the most recurrent problem on ground floors. The ARM outcomes show that the occurrence of one type of defect can be taken as an indication for the existence of other types of defects. For instance, in laundry, the chance of occurrence of plumbing and joinery defects, where paint defects are observed, is 88%. The stochastic model built for door defects showed that there is a 60% chance that defects on doors can be rectified within 60 days.

The dashboards provide original insight and novel ideas regarding the frequency of defects in various positions in multi-storey buildings. The stochastic models can provide a reliable point of reference for property managers, occupants and sub-contractors for taking measures to avoid reoccurring defects; so too, findings provide estimations of possible rectification periods for various types of defects.

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Development of building defects dashboards and stochastic models for multi-storey buildings in Victoria, Australia10.1108/CI-10-2022-0254Construction Innovation2023-06-26© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedArgaw GurmuM. Reza HosseiniMehrdad ArashpourWellia LioengConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-2610.1108/CI-10-2022-0254https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0254/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Identification of success criteria over lifecycle of dam industry projects: a Delphi studyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0255/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDam industry projects have significant economic, social and environmental impacts. However, very little has been carried out to improve their lifecycle performance. The purpose of this study is to identify success criteria applicable to different stages of such projects. This study adopted a quantitative research design where the potential success criteria for dam engineering projects were evaluated. The applicable success criteria were determined for the four phases of project lifecycle by three rounds of Delphi technique with the participation of experts from dams industry in Australia. The findings of this research suggest that project success is a multidimensional notion and varies over lifecycle of projects. This study on project success criteria shows that certain criteria can be applied to measure success in different phases over lifecycle of Australian dam industry projects. The results of this research present the first exclusive quantitative assessment of success criteria for dams industry. The success criteria presented in this study enable project practitioners to measure success at various stages of dam industry projects. This can serve as a tool to put more management efforts into achieving success on those criteria.Identification of success criteria over lifecycle of dam industry projects: a Delphi study
Pouya Amies, Xiaohua Jin, Sepani Senaratne
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Dam industry projects have significant economic, social and environmental impacts. However, very little has been carried out to improve their lifecycle performance. The purpose of this study is to identify success criteria applicable to different stages of such projects.

This study adopted a quantitative research design where the potential success criteria for dam engineering projects were evaluated. The applicable success criteria were determined for the four phases of project lifecycle by three rounds of Delphi technique with the participation of experts from dams industry in Australia.

The findings of this research suggest that project success is a multidimensional notion and varies over lifecycle of projects. This study on project success criteria shows that certain criteria can be applied to measure success in different phases over lifecycle of Australian dam industry projects.

The results of this research present the first exclusive quantitative assessment of success criteria for dams industry. The success criteria presented in this study enable project practitioners to measure success at various stages of dam industry projects. This can serve as a tool to put more management efforts into achieving success on those criteria.

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Identification of success criteria over lifecycle of dam industry projects: a Delphi study10.1108/CI-10-2022-0255Construction Innovation2023-07-11© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedPouya AmiesXiaohua JinSepani SenaratneConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-07-1110.1108/CI-10-2022-0255https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0255/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A study on implementing QFD (quality function deployment) in the construction of a commercial business centerhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0263/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to demonstrate how the process of quality function deployment (QFD) is used to identify the basic requirements of the customers in designing and executing the commercial business center. This study was considered with the aim of determining the approach of QFD methodology used in the planning and designing of commercial business centers. The methodology used in the study is a customer-driven process that includes customer requirements in each and every aspect of the planning and designing of the project. The main focus of this study is to understand the requirements of the customers and to design and execute a commercial business project. This study illustrates the quality requirements of the projects that benefit from the QFD process to obtain customer requirements for the planning and designing of commercial business centers. A case study is used to demonstrate the use of QFD process. This helps to explain the effective application of QFD in the planning and designing of business centers and similar constructions. The planning and designing of the commercial business center using the QFD process were challenging and hence it is limited to the design part. The strategic objectives are not taken into account while performing QFD in this case study and the risk of market research is lacking. House of quality (HOQ) can be too complicated at times; hence, the adaptability in the traditional QFD is lacking. Most of the work in the HOQ matrix is done through subjective evaluation. Therefore, this research is mostly useful for a single party responsible for all phases of the planning and designing of the project. In the construction industry, the use of the QFD process for project performance analysis and application is restricted. As a result of the scarcity of studies on the planning and design of construction projects, this study on the planning and design of a construction project was inspired.A study on implementing QFD (quality function deployment) in the construction of a commercial business center
Sruthilaya Dara
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to demonstrate how the process of quality function deployment (QFD) is used to identify the basic requirements of the customers in designing and executing the commercial business center.

This study was considered with the aim of determining the approach of QFD methodology used in the planning and designing of commercial business centers. The methodology used in the study is a customer-driven process that includes customer requirements in each and every aspect of the planning and designing of the project. The main focus of this study is to understand the requirements of the customers and to design and execute a commercial business project.

This study illustrates the quality requirements of the projects that benefit from the QFD process to obtain customer requirements for the planning and designing of commercial business centers. A case study is used to demonstrate the use of QFD process. This helps to explain the effective application of QFD in the planning and designing of business centers and similar constructions.

The planning and designing of the commercial business center using the QFD process were challenging and hence it is limited to the design part. The strategic objectives are not taken into account while performing QFD in this case study and the risk of market research is lacking. House of quality (HOQ) can be too complicated at times; hence, the adaptability in the traditional QFD is lacking. Most of the work in the HOQ matrix is done through subjective evaluation. Therefore, this research is mostly useful for a single party responsible for all phases of the planning and designing of the project.

In the construction industry, the use of the QFD process for project performance analysis and application is restricted. As a result of the scarcity of studies on the planning and design of construction projects, this study on the planning and design of a construction project was inspired.

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A study on implementing QFD (quality function deployment) in the construction of a commercial business center10.1108/CI-10-2022-0263Construction Innovation2023-05-22© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedSruthilaya DaraConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-2210.1108/CI-10-2022-0263https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0263/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Qualitative assessment of resilience in construction projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0265/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDue to the recent increase in unexpected events that negatively affect projects, the concept of resilience has grasped the attention of researchers, as risk management alone fails to address unpredicted events. This study aims to identify resilience dimensions and their designated factors and then construct a comprehensive definition for resilience in construction projects. This paper adopted a qualitative research design through content analysis of semi-structured interviews with project engineers on behalf of their construction project; 26 interviews were analyzed via ATLAS.ti. The results demonstrate that resilience in construction projects consists of four main dimensions: preparation, absorption, recovery and adaptation; each dimension comprises separate factors. The evidence from this study demonstrates that the resilience of the organization, project team and project manager supports the construction project when facing unpredicted or abnormal conditions. The results of this paper will help construction project managers to enhance the resilience of their projects by providing different resilience factors. The resilience concept in projects is novel and has limited knowledge available, especially in construction projects therefore, it requires additional comprehensive discussion and validation. The findings of this paper will serve as a cornerstone for the development of the resilience field and enrich the indigent literature on resilience in the construction industry.Qualitative assessment of resilience in construction projects
Khalid A. Hilu, Mohammed A. Hiyassat
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Due to the recent increase in unexpected events that negatively affect projects, the concept of resilience has grasped the attention of researchers, as risk management alone fails to address unpredicted events. This study aims to identify resilience dimensions and their designated factors and then construct a comprehensive definition for resilience in construction projects.

This paper adopted a qualitative research design through content analysis of semi-structured interviews with project engineers on behalf of their construction project; 26 interviews were analyzed via ATLAS.ti.

The results demonstrate that resilience in construction projects consists of four main dimensions: preparation, absorption, recovery and adaptation; each dimension comprises separate factors. The evidence from this study demonstrates that the resilience of the organization, project team and project manager supports the construction project when facing unpredicted or abnormal conditions.

The results of this paper will help construction project managers to enhance the resilience of their projects by providing different resilience factors.

The resilience concept in projects is novel and has limited knowledge available, especially in construction projects therefore, it requires additional comprehensive discussion and validation. The findings of this paper will serve as a cornerstone for the development of the resilience field and enrich the indigent literature on resilience in the construction industry.

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Qualitative assessment of resilience in construction projects10.1108/CI-10-2022-0265Construction Innovation2023-03-23© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedKhalid A. HiluMohammed A. HiyassatConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-2310.1108/CI-10-2022-0265https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0265/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Design for adaptability and disassembly: guidelines for building deconstructionhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0266/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDesign for adaptability and disassembly (DfAD) is an effective method to reduce construction and demolition waste generation, landfill loads and greenhouse gas generation; preserve natural resources; and increase environmental awareness in the construction industry. However, it is an underexplored strategy due to a lack of information about projects and a set of agreed guidelines to guide buildings deconstruction. This study aims to understand how DfAD can support the sector’s transition toward circularity. Through an integrative literature review, this study analyzed the current publications and terminologies used, identified the main themes discussed and described the key criteria for integrating deconstruction in the building design stage. The results showed that the term DfAD encompasses different ecodesign strategies and is concentrated in six major thematic categories (design and construction principles, tools for DfAD, components and connections for DfAD, barriers, drivers and guidelines for DfAD, existing building stock potential and selective deconstruction process). In total, 60 criteria were presented to guide the deconstruction of buildings, emphasizing standardization, modularization and prefabrication of materials and components as fundamental requirements. The study highlighted the need to expand the knowledge and training of the design team, establish public policies and tax incentives and develop tools, methods, and circular indicators to enable the implementation of deconstruction strategies for buildings.Design for adaptability and disassembly: guidelines for building deconstruction
Mayara Regina Munaro, Sergio Fernando Tavares
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Design for adaptability and disassembly (DfAD) is an effective method to reduce construction and demolition waste generation, landfill loads and greenhouse gas generation; preserve natural resources; and increase environmental awareness in the construction industry. However, it is an underexplored strategy due to a lack of information about projects and a set of agreed guidelines to guide buildings deconstruction. This study aims to understand how DfAD can support the sector’s transition toward circularity.

Through an integrative literature review, this study analyzed the current publications and terminologies used, identified the main themes discussed and described the key criteria for integrating deconstruction in the building design stage.

The results showed that the term DfAD encompasses different ecodesign strategies and is concentrated in six major thematic categories (design and construction principles, tools for DfAD, components and connections for DfAD, barriers, drivers and guidelines for DfAD, existing building stock potential and selective deconstruction process). In total, 60 criteria were presented to guide the deconstruction of buildings, emphasizing standardization, modularization and prefabrication of materials and components as fundamental requirements.

The study highlighted the need to expand the knowledge and training of the design team, establish public policies and tax incentives and develop tools, methods, and circular indicators to enable the implementation of deconstruction strategies for buildings.

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Design for adaptability and disassembly: guidelines for building deconstruction10.1108/CI-10-2022-0266Construction Innovation2023-06-29© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedMayara Regina MunaroSergio Fernando TavaresConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-2910.1108/CI-10-2022-0266https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0266/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Comparative life cycle assessment of flooring options for sustainable buildingshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0267/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to quantify and compare the environmental impacts of Marble-stone and Kota-stone flooring options widely used for buildings in India. The study discusses the possibility of carbon sequestration through Bamboo cultivation in India. The study has followed a standard life cycle assessment (LCA) framework based on ISO 14040 guidelines. Three distinct phases have been compared on midpoint and endpoint assessment categories – raw material, polishing and disposal. Primary data has been collected from the construction site in India, and secondary data has been collected from the Ecoinvent 3.0 database. Previous studies have been referred to discuss and calculate the area of bamboo cultivation required to sequestrate the generated carbon from the flooring. The study has found that endpoint category damage to resources, and midpoint categories of climate change, metal depletion and agricultural land use are highly impacted in building floorings. The study has also found that the Marble-stone floor generates higher environmental impacts than the Kota-stone floor in most of the midpoint and endpoint impact categories. This difference is significant in the raw material phase due to the different compositions of stones. The study also found that Bamboo has excellent potential to act as a carbon sink and mitigate the generated carbon. This study excludes human labour, cutting and distribution of floor tiles made of Marble-stone and Kota-stone. The researcher can use the study to evaluate, compare and benchmark the various building flooring options from the environmental perspective. The study aids to the body of knowledge available on the various building flooring options by presenting the LCA or the environmental impacts generated by two flooring options. It is expected that the architects and builders can use these results to develop carbon-neutral buildings. This study provides a methodology for governments, constructors, builders and individuals to evaluate, compare and benchmark the various construction materials from the environmental perspective by computing the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of the materials. This study compares two widely used building flooring options using the LCA methodology and evaluates the potential of bamboo cultivation near the buildings for carbon sinks. The study is unique because it shows the environmental impacts of two flooring options and the carbon sequestration method to mitigate/absorb the generated environmental impacts in or around the building itself through bamboo cultivation. This study may set the foundation for carbon-neutral buildings.Comparative life cycle assessment of flooring options for sustainable buildings
Kailash Choudhary, Narpat Ram Sangwa, Kuldip Singh Sangwan
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to quantify and compare the environmental impacts of Marble-stone and Kota-stone flooring options widely used for buildings in India. The study discusses the possibility of carbon sequestration through Bamboo cultivation in India.

The study has followed a standard life cycle assessment (LCA) framework based on ISO 14040 guidelines. Three distinct phases have been compared on midpoint and endpoint assessment categories – raw material, polishing and disposal. Primary data has been collected from the construction site in India, and secondary data has been collected from the Ecoinvent 3.0 database. Previous studies have been referred to discuss and calculate the area of bamboo cultivation required to sequestrate the generated carbon from the flooring.

The study has found that endpoint category damage to resources, and midpoint categories of climate change, metal depletion and agricultural land use are highly impacted in building floorings. The study has also found that the Marble-stone floor generates higher environmental impacts than the Kota-stone floor in most of the midpoint and endpoint impact categories. This difference is significant in the raw material phase due to the different compositions of stones. The study also found that Bamboo has excellent potential to act as a carbon sink and mitigate the generated carbon.

This study excludes human labour, cutting and distribution of floor tiles made of Marble-stone and Kota-stone. The researcher can use the study to evaluate, compare and benchmark the various building flooring options from the environmental perspective. The study aids to the body of knowledge available on the various building flooring options by presenting the LCA or the environmental impacts generated by two flooring options. It is expected that the architects and builders can use these results to develop carbon-neutral buildings. This study provides a methodology for governments, constructors, builders and individuals to evaluate, compare and benchmark the various construction materials from the environmental perspective by computing the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of the materials.

This study compares two widely used building flooring options using the LCA methodology and evaluates the potential of bamboo cultivation near the buildings for carbon sinks. The study is unique because it shows the environmental impacts of two flooring options and the carbon sequestration method to mitigate/absorb the generated environmental impacts in or around the building itself through bamboo cultivation. This study may set the foundation for carbon-neutral buildings.

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Comparative life cycle assessment of flooring options for sustainable buildings10.1108/CI-10-2022-0267Construction Innovation2023-12-20© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedKailash ChoudharyNarpat Ram SangwaKuldip Singh SangwanConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-12-2010.1108/CI-10-2022-0267https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0267/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Developing an interactive pile training module for construction risk management and gaging users’ intentionshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0269/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to develop a novel theoretical model for predicting the users’ intention to use virtual tools designed for construction risk evaluation. Risk evaluation is a vital objective for construction managers. This paper intends to examine critical factors such as potential benefits, motivation, performance expectancy and rich sources of information that may affect users’ intention to use virtual technology. A pile training module (PTM) was developed in a virtual environment to analyze the proposed virtual reality-technology acceptance model (VR-TAM) factors. Further, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the participation of 102 construction professionals in China to validate the proposed VR-TAM model and PTM tool. The retrieved data was computed to test the proposed model by using partial least squares structural equation modeling and the significance of the PTM tool in a virtual environment. The results of this study reveal that high-significance paths represent five relationships between crucial factors affecting users’ intention to use a selected virtual reality (VR) module. Five of seven hypothesis paths were significant with acceptable t-values. By quantitative measurement of high-significance paths, this research has found that each factor under VR-TAM has received significant loadings, with many above the 0.7 threshold mark and others around 0.6. The top factors include “motivation” and “benefits” and have multiplier effects on “intention to use” as the source factors. The finding of this study presents crucial factors for VR adoption, and the proposed VR-TAM model contributes to the body of knowledge toward managing construction risk using pre-optimization and understanding in a virtual environment. This study supports Chinese construction company managers in effectively using VR technology in their construction projects for risk assessment and management. This study offered the development of a novel VR-TAM integrated with risk assessment techniques for piling processes. Further, the developed model was analyzed by using a survey of Chinese construction professionals to collect perceptions about the modified theoretical model of VR-TAM.Developing an interactive pile training module for construction risk management and gaging users’ intentions
Wei Du, Samad M.E. Sepasgozar, Ayaz Khan, Sara Shirowzhan, Juan Garzon Romero
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to develop a novel theoretical model for predicting the users’ intention to use virtual tools designed for construction risk evaluation. Risk evaluation is a vital objective for construction managers. This paper intends to examine critical factors such as potential benefits, motivation, performance expectancy and rich sources of information that may affect users’ intention to use virtual technology.

A pile training module (PTM) was developed in a virtual environment to analyze the proposed virtual reality-technology acceptance model (VR-TAM) factors. Further, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the participation of 102 construction professionals in China to validate the proposed VR-TAM model and PTM tool. The retrieved data was computed to test the proposed model by using partial least squares structural equation modeling and the significance of the PTM tool in a virtual environment.

The results of this study reveal that high-significance paths represent five relationships between crucial factors affecting users’ intention to use a selected virtual reality (VR) module. Five of seven hypothesis paths were significant with acceptable t-values. By quantitative measurement of high-significance paths, this research has found that each factor under VR-TAM has received significant loadings, with many above the 0.7 threshold mark and others around 0.6. The top factors include “motivation” and “benefits” and have multiplier effects on “intention to use” as the source factors.

The finding of this study presents crucial factors for VR adoption, and the proposed VR-TAM model contributes to the body of knowledge toward managing construction risk using pre-optimization and understanding in a virtual environment. This study supports Chinese construction company managers in effectively using VR technology in their construction projects for risk assessment and management.

This study offered the development of a novel VR-TAM integrated with risk assessment techniques for piling processes. Further, the developed model was analyzed by using a survey of Chinese construction professionals to collect perceptions about the modified theoretical model of VR-TAM.

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Developing an interactive pile training module for construction risk management and gaging users’ intentions10.1108/CI-10-2022-0269Construction Innovation2023-08-23© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedWei DuSamad M.E. SepasgozarAyaz KhanSara ShirowzhanJuan Garzon RomeroConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-08-2310.1108/CI-10-2022-0269https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0269/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Implementing the principles of circular economy in the construction industry: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of strategieshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0270/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to examine the strategies that can be adopted to enhance the practice of circular economy (CE) principles among built environment (BE) firms operating in the Ghanaian Construction Industry (GCI). A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 162 BE professionals working in construction, consulting, and developer firms on the issue under investigation. The questionnaire was developed through a review of related literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed four major categories of strategies (i.e. systems and technical related strategies, market orientation and operational strategies, knowledge dissemination and awareness-related strategies, and environmental and regulatory strategies) to promote the practice of the principles of CE among BE professionals in the GCI. This study’s findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in the construction industry, especially, in a developing country such as Ghana, and offer new and additional information and insights into the current state-of-the-art on CE implementation.Implementing the principles of circular economy in the construction industry: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of strategies
Judith Amudjie, Kofi Agyekum, Emmanuel Adinyira, Samuel Amos-Abanyie, Edward Ayebeng Botchway
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to examine the strategies that can be adopted to enhance the practice of circular economy (CE) principles among built environment (BE) firms operating in the Ghanaian Construction Industry (GCI).

A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 162 BE professionals working in construction, consulting, and developer firms on the issue under investigation. The questionnaire was developed through a review of related literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

The findings revealed four major categories of strategies (i.e. systems and technical related strategies, market orientation and operational strategies, knowledge dissemination and awareness-related strategies, and environmental and regulatory strategies) to promote the practice of the principles of CE among BE professionals in the GCI.

This study’s findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in the construction industry, especially, in a developing country such as Ghana, and offer new and additional information and insights into the current state-of-the-art on CE implementation.

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Implementing the principles of circular economy in the construction industry: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of strategies10.1108/CI-10-2022-0270Construction Innovation2023-07-26© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedJudith AmudjieKofi AgyekumEmmanuel AdinyiraSamuel Amos-AbanyieEdward Ayebeng BotchwayConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-07-2610.1108/CI-10-2022-0270https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0270/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Impact factor analysis affecting the operation of asset lifecycle by using asset information modeling and blockchain technologyhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0272/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestCurrently, owners find it difficult to manage their assets throughout their project life cycle. The fact that asset information models (AIMs) are mandatory as deliverables for building information modeling-driven projects makes it a key requirement for the client to understand in detail those factors affecting asset operation. Hence, because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the most significant market in the Middle East, this study aims to investigate those factors where blockchain and AIMs could impact the asset management (AM) life cycle. Researchers used a hypothesis-based approach over a systematic literature review and a workshop (descriptive statistics) to understand the current challenges in AM. Later, a second workshop was run to understand the impact factor analysis affecting the operation of the asset life cycle by using asset information modeling and blockchain technology over a multiquantitative method. Results found that factors affecting the operation of assets could be the improvement of trust and stakeholder’s influences; the availability of handover process products’ accurate data; manufacturers providing detailed product models; increasing the speed of preparing holistic and integrated AM systems; improving collaboration between stakeholders; and returning clients’ investments faster. Understanding the factors affecting AM life cycle based on the utilization of AIMs and blockchain then allows investors and their team members to work in a secure and collaborative environment that helps them to pre-identify certain risks and improve decision-making in a more effective way, as is required by ISO55000.Impact factor analysis affecting the operation of asset lifecycle by using asset information modeling and blockchain technology
Azzam Raslan, Ali Cheshmehzangi, Dave Towey, Walid Tizani, Georgios Kapogiannis
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Currently, owners find it difficult to manage their assets throughout their project life cycle. The fact that asset information models (AIMs) are mandatory as deliverables for building information modeling-driven projects makes it a key requirement for the client to understand in detail those factors affecting asset operation. Hence, because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the most significant market in the Middle East, this study aims to investigate those factors where blockchain and AIMs could impact the asset management (AM) life cycle.

Researchers used a hypothesis-based approach over a systematic literature review and a workshop (descriptive statistics) to understand the current challenges in AM. Later, a second workshop was run to understand the impact factor analysis affecting the operation of the asset life cycle by using asset information modeling and blockchain technology over a multiquantitative method.

Results found that factors affecting the operation of assets could be the improvement of trust and stakeholder’s influences; the availability of handover process products’ accurate data; manufacturers providing detailed product models; increasing the speed of preparing holistic and integrated AM systems; improving collaboration between stakeholders; and returning clients’ investments faster.

Understanding the factors affecting AM life cycle based on the utilization of AIMs and blockchain then allows investors and their team members to work in a secure and collaborative environment that helps them to pre-identify certain risks and improve decision-making in a more effective way, as is required by ISO55000.

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Impact factor analysis affecting the operation of asset lifecycle by using asset information modeling and blockchain technology10.1108/CI-10-2022-0272Construction Innovation2024-02-05© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedAzzam RaslanAli CheshmehzangiDave ToweyWalid TizaniGeorgios KapogiannisConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-0510.1108/CI-10-2022-0272https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0272/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Sustainability principles in infrastructure project delivery: establishing the broader implementation strategies for decision-makinghttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0273/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to get a clearer knowledge of the reasons for, approaches to and challenges associated with integrating sustainable development concerns into pipeline construction projects in New Zealand. To achieve this, this study delves deeply into sustainable construction to understand the reasons behind and incorporate sustainable development trials into their newly established product management and development procedure. As a result, this study looks at identifying key elements of sustainable construction practices and various interpretations of sustainability in the construction industry; offering a strategy for incorporating sustainable construction practices into the pipeline construction project in New Zealand; and benefits and difficulties that the construction industry encounters when implementing sustainable construction. Finally, a framework is developed to help in understanding the issues and potential solutions for integrating sustainable building methods into the pipeline construction project in New Zealand. This study followed a four-step method (Figure 1), beginning with the identification of the data, continuing with the first screening of the data, determining eligibility and, finally, including the data. This data collection is being done to provide knowledge and direction for further research. Data were collected from various websites on the Web of Science and from Scopus databases. Additionally, data were gathered with the assistance of aggregator databases such as Scopus (scopus.com) and publishing databases such as Elsevier (sciencedirect.com), Inderscience, Taylor and Francis (tandfonline.com), Emerald Insight (emeraldinsight.com) and Google Scholar. These databases have been considered by a number of scholars to be reputable databases. This research provided a thorough description of the key justifications for sustainable construction. This study demonstrated how the idea worked in practice by reviewing the literature on the relevance and analysis of sustainability in construction. This body of research identified crucial components of sustainable construction techniques and varied interpretations of sustainability in the construction industry. To better grasp the current application considerations in the construction sector, it also offered literature on sustainable construction methods. To determine the most effective strategy to make certain adjustments to the current construction processes, the literature also includes a wide range of sustainability-related topics in both developed and developing country contexts. This study also demonstrated the many perspectives and strategies for sustainable behaviors. Because the purpose of this study was to develop a strategy for implementing sustainable construction in New Zealand, it was of the utmost importance to shed light on the most well-known and prominent sustainable construction applications from across the world. The output of this aim provided the literature on construction practices to acquire insight into the ongoing conversations on sustainable practices and systems in the construction industry. This was done to obtain insight into the existing talks. This research's contribution to the body of knowledge is demonstrated by the fact that this study has led to a better understanding of sustainable construction practices in the construction industry as well as the identification of the most significant challenges that businesses, organizations, educators and policymakers must face to improve their ability to put these strategies into practice. This research has provided a solid foundation for future research that aims to advance knowledge in this field by providing options for future research to evaluate the influence that the approach has had on enhancing the implementation of sustainable construction. Additionally, this study presents options for future research to evaluate the influence the approach has had on improving the implementation of sustainable construction. The successful completion of the research aim in the more traditional forms of higher education in the built environment can contribute to a better representation of new trends in the practice area associated with expanding and improving the construction industry sustainably.Sustainability principles in infrastructure project delivery: establishing the broader implementation strategies for decision-making
Taofeeq D. Moshood, James O.B. Rotimi, Shahzad Wajiha
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to get a clearer knowledge of the reasons for, approaches to and challenges associated with integrating sustainable development concerns into pipeline construction projects in New Zealand. To achieve this, this study delves deeply into sustainable construction to understand the reasons behind and incorporate sustainable development trials into their newly established product management and development procedure. As a result, this study looks at identifying key elements of sustainable construction practices and various interpretations of sustainability in the construction industry; offering a strategy for incorporating sustainable construction practices into the pipeline construction project in New Zealand; and benefits and difficulties that the construction industry encounters when implementing sustainable construction. Finally, a framework is developed to help in understanding the issues and potential solutions for integrating sustainable building methods into the pipeline construction project in New Zealand.

This study followed a four-step method (Figure 1), beginning with the identification of the data, continuing with the first screening of the data, determining eligibility and, finally, including the data. This data collection is being done to provide knowledge and direction for further research. Data were collected from various websites on the Web of Science and from Scopus databases. Additionally, data were gathered with the assistance of aggregator databases such as Scopus (scopus.com) and publishing databases such as Elsevier (sciencedirect.com), Inderscience, Taylor and Francis (tandfonline.com), Emerald Insight (emeraldinsight.com) and Google Scholar. These databases have been considered by a number of scholars to be reputable databases.

This research provided a thorough description of the key justifications for sustainable construction. This study demonstrated how the idea worked in practice by reviewing the literature on the relevance and analysis of sustainability in construction. This body of research identified crucial components of sustainable construction techniques and varied interpretations of sustainability in the construction industry. To better grasp the current application considerations in the construction sector, it also offered literature on sustainable construction methods. To determine the most effective strategy to make certain adjustments to the current construction processes, the literature also includes a wide range of sustainability-related topics in both developed and developing country contexts. This study also demonstrated the many perspectives and strategies for sustainable behaviors. Because the purpose of this study was to develop a strategy for implementing sustainable construction in New Zealand, it was of the utmost importance to shed light on the most well-known and prominent sustainable construction applications from across the world. The output of this aim provided the literature on construction practices to acquire insight into the ongoing conversations on sustainable practices and systems in the construction industry. This was done to obtain insight into the existing talks.

This research's contribution to the body of knowledge is demonstrated by the fact that this study has led to a better understanding of sustainable construction practices in the construction industry as well as the identification of the most significant challenges that businesses, organizations, educators and policymakers must face to improve their ability to put these strategies into practice. This research has provided a solid foundation for future research that aims to advance knowledge in this field by providing options for future research to evaluate the influence that the approach has had on enhancing the implementation of sustainable construction. Additionally, this study presents options for future research to evaluate the influence the approach has had on improving the implementation of sustainable construction. The successful completion of the research aim in the more traditional forms of higher education in the built environment can contribute to a better representation of new trends in the practice area associated with expanding and improving the construction industry sustainably.

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Sustainability principles in infrastructure project delivery: establishing the broader implementation strategies for decision-making10.1108/CI-10-2022-0273Construction Innovation2023-12-29© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedTaofeeq D. MoshoodJames O.B. RotimiShahzad WajihaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-12-2910.1108/CI-10-2022-0273https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0273/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Tracking indoor construction progress by deep-learning-based analysis of site surveillance videohttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0275/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestAccurate and rapid tracking and counting of building materials are crucial in managing on-site construction processes and evaluating their progress. Such processes are typically conducted by visual inspection, making them time-consuming and error prone. This paper aims to propose a video-based deep-learning approach to the automated detection and counting of building materials. A framework for accurately counting building materials at indoor construction sites with low light levels was developed using state-of-the-art deep learning methods. An existing object-detection model, the You Only Look Once version 4 (YOLO v4) algorithm, was adapted to achieve rapid convergence and accurate detection of materials and site operatives. Then, DenseNet was deployed to recognise these objects. Finally, a material-counting module based on morphology operations and the Hough transform was applied to automatically count stacks of building materials. The proposed approach was tested by counting site operatives and stacks of elevated floor tiles in video footage from a real indoor construction site. The proposed YOLO v4 object-detection system provided higher average accuracy within a shorter time than the traditional YOLO v4 approach. The proposed framework makes it feasible to separately monitor stockpiled, installed and waste materials in low-light construction environments. The improved YOLO v4 detection method is superior to the current YOLO v4 approach and advances the existing object detection algorithm. This framework can potentially reduce the time required to track construction progress and count materials, thereby increasing the efficiency of work-in-progress evaluation. It also exhibits great potential for developing a more reliable system for monitoring construction materials and activities.Tracking indoor construction progress by deep-learning-based analysis of site surveillance video
Johnny Kwok Wai Wong, Fateme Bameri, Alireza Ahmadian Fard Fini, Mojtaba Maghrebi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Accurate and rapid tracking and counting of building materials are crucial in managing on-site construction processes and evaluating their progress. Such processes are typically conducted by visual inspection, making them time-consuming and error prone. This paper aims to propose a video-based deep-learning approach to the automated detection and counting of building materials.

A framework for accurately counting building materials at indoor construction sites with low light levels was developed using state-of-the-art deep learning methods. An existing object-detection model, the You Only Look Once version 4 (YOLO v4) algorithm, was adapted to achieve rapid convergence and accurate detection of materials and site operatives. Then, DenseNet was deployed to recognise these objects. Finally, a material-counting module based on morphology operations and the Hough transform was applied to automatically count stacks of building materials.

The proposed approach was tested by counting site operatives and stacks of elevated floor tiles in video footage from a real indoor construction site. The proposed YOLO v4 object-detection system provided higher average accuracy within a shorter time than the traditional YOLO v4 approach.

The proposed framework makes it feasible to separately monitor stockpiled, installed and waste materials in low-light construction environments. The improved YOLO v4 detection method is superior to the current YOLO v4 approach and advances the existing object detection algorithm. This framework can potentially reduce the time required to track construction progress and count materials, thereby increasing the efficiency of work-in-progress evaluation. It also exhibits great potential for developing a more reliable system for monitoring construction materials and activities.

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Tracking indoor construction progress by deep-learning-based analysis of site surveillance video10.1108/CI-10-2022-0275Construction Innovation2023-06-01© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedJohnny Kwok Wai WongFateme BameriAlireza Ahmadian Fard FiniMojtaba MaghrebiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-0110.1108/CI-10-2022-0275https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0275/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Forecasting demand in the residential construction industry using machine learning algorithms in Jordanhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0279/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDemand forecasts are a key component of planning efforts and are crucial for managing core operations. This study aims to evaluate the use of several machine learning (ML) algorithms to forecast demand for residential construction in Jordan. The identification and selection of variables and ML algorithms that are related to the demand for residential construction are indicated using a literature review. Feature selection was done by using a stepwise backward elimination. The developed algorithm’s accuracy has been demonstrated by comparing the ML predictions with real residual values and compared based on the coefficient of determination. Nine economic indicators were selected to develop the demand models. Elastic-Net showed the highest accuracy of (0.838) versus artificial neural networkwith an accuracy of (0.727), followed by Eureqa with an accuracy of (0.715) and the Extra Trees with an accuracy of (0.703). According to the results of the best-performing model forecast, Jordan’s 2023 first-quarter demand for residential construction is anticipated to rise by 11.5% from the same quarter of the year 2022. The results of this study extend to the existing body of knowledge through the identification of the most influential variables in the Jordanian residential construction industry. In addition, the models developed will enable users in the fields of construction engineering to make reliable demand forecasts while also assisting in effective financial decision-making.Forecasting demand in the residential construction industry using machine learning algorithms in Jordan
Farouq Sammour, Heba Alkailani, Ghaleb J. Sweis, Rateb J. Sweis, Wasan Maaitah, Abdulla Alashkar
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Demand forecasts are a key component of planning efforts and are crucial for managing core operations. This study aims to evaluate the use of several machine learning (ML) algorithms to forecast demand for residential construction in Jordan.

The identification and selection of variables and ML algorithms that are related to the demand for residential construction are indicated using a literature review. Feature selection was done by using a stepwise backward elimination. The developed algorithm’s accuracy has been demonstrated by comparing the ML predictions with real residual values and compared based on the coefficient of determination.

Nine economic indicators were selected to develop the demand models. Elastic-Net showed the highest accuracy of (0.838) versus artificial neural networkwith an accuracy of (0.727), followed by Eureqa with an accuracy of (0.715) and the Extra Trees with an accuracy of (0.703). According to the results of the best-performing model forecast, Jordan’s 2023 first-quarter demand for residential construction is anticipated to rise by 11.5% from the same quarter of the year 2022.

The results of this study extend to the existing body of knowledge through the identification of the most influential variables in the Jordanian residential construction industry. In addition, the models developed will enable users in the fields of construction engineering to make reliable demand forecasts while also assisting in effective financial decision-making.

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Forecasting demand in the residential construction industry using machine learning algorithms in Jordan10.1108/CI-10-2022-0279Construction Innovation2023-03-01© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedFarouq SammourHeba AlkailaniGhaleb J. SweisRateb J. SweisWasan MaaitahAbdulla AlashkarConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-0110.1108/CI-10-2022-0279https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0279/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Bolstering circular economy in construction through digitalisationhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2023-0245/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe purpose of this study is to assess the potential benefits of digital technologies (DTs) in bolstering the circular economy (CE) transition in the construction industry, to speed up the attainment of sustainable development objectives. A detailed literature review was undertaken to identify DTs that could influence CE transition and the benefits of these DTs in the CE transitioning efforts of the construction industry. Based on these, a survey questionnaire was formulated and administered to construction professionals using convenient sampling techniques. With a response rate of 49.42% and data reliability of over 0.800, the gathered data were analysed using frequency and percentage, mean item score, normalisation value, coefficient of variation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, analysis of variance and factor analysis. This study found that the construction experts agreed that building information modelling, blockchain technology, RFID, drone technology and cloud computing are the leading DTs that have the potential to influence and speed up CE transition in construction. Also, six clusters of benefits of DTs in bolstering EC are quicken CE transition, proactive waste management, recycling and zero waste, data management and decision-making, enhance productivity and performance and resource optimisation. Studies on the integration of DTs in CE transition are scarce and it is even lacking in the Nigerian context. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess the role of DTs in CE transitioning in the Nigerian construction industry.Bolstering circular economy in construction through digitalisation
Emmanuel Chidiebere Eze, Onyinye Sofolahan, Rex Asibuodu Ugulu, Ernest Effah Ameyaw
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The purpose of this study is to assess the potential benefits of digital technologies (DTs) in bolstering the circular economy (CE) transition in the construction industry, to speed up the attainment of sustainable development objectives.

A detailed literature review was undertaken to identify DTs that could influence CE transition and the benefits of these DTs in the CE transitioning efforts of the construction industry. Based on these, a survey questionnaire was formulated and administered to construction professionals using convenient sampling techniques. With a response rate of 49.42% and data reliability of over 0.800, the gathered data were analysed using frequency and percentage, mean item score, normalisation value, coefficient of variation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, analysis of variance and factor analysis.

This study found that the construction experts agreed that building information modelling, blockchain technology, RFID, drone technology and cloud computing are the leading DTs that have the potential to influence and speed up CE transition in construction. Also, six clusters of benefits of DTs in bolstering EC are quicken CE transition, proactive waste management, recycling and zero waste, data management and decision-making, enhance productivity and performance and resource optimisation.

Studies on the integration of DTs in CE transition are scarce and it is even lacking in the Nigerian context. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess the role of DTs in CE transitioning in the Nigerian construction industry.

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Bolstering circular economy in construction through digitalisation10.1108/CI-10-2023-0245Construction Innovation2024-02-21© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedEmmanuel Chidiebere EzeOnyinye SofolahanRex Asibuodu UguluErnest Effah AmeyawConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-02-2110.1108/CI-10-2023-0245https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2023-0245/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
A virtual reality-based constructability index for construction projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0210/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to develop a constructability index (CI) that can ease the construction activities in a project based on the contractors’ experience and resources. The proposed CI is a vital decision support tool that quantifies the difficulty level for the contractor to execute certain activities with the contingency of other project elements. The virtual reality (VR) technology was used to provide additional data, communicate the contingency impact of other project elements on specific activities and provide sequential execution data to the contractors. This can minimize the risk of not being able to execute various activities on time and within the budget. The VR-based CI was developed through two steps. Step 1 was to identify the factors affecting constructability by exploring the literature and consulting local construction experts. These factors were then organized through a hierarchy of main factors and subfactors and validated by local experts through predesigned surveys. The factors were classified into VR dependent or non-VR independent, and their relative weights were calculated using the analytical hierarchy process along with their reliability, which was determined using Cronbach’s alpha approach. Step 2 was to define the attributes for the constructability factors defined in Step 1 using the Multi Attribute Utility Theory to quantify the contractor’s compliance level of these factors by giving them the appropriate score. The utility factors for the VR-independent factors were obtained through standards, literature and local surveys, and they were quantified on a 1–10 scale. However, the VR-dependent factors were given their corresponding scores using the developed VR navigation environment generated by integrating Autodesk Revit and Navisworks software. Accordingly, the CI for each activity was evaluated, and the overall CI for the project was calculated by aggregating the CIs for all activities. The developed CI quantifies the contractor’s ability to execute construction projects and addresses the lack of communication and coordination between the various construction units in the planning phase itself. Moreover, it can resolve possible hard (physical) and soft (time) construction clashes and minimize their impacts on project schedule and budget. Among the relative weights of the identified factors, prefabrication of building components was found to have the highest effect on constructability. Furthermore, applying the developed VR-CI, a real project showed that the utility values of the main factors quantified on a ten-point scale were between 6 and 9, which means routine supervisions and monitoring are required. Though the concepts of constructability and VR have been used in different contexts, their integration to develop a comprehensive CI for the building construction industry is a unique contribution, which has not been reported previously.A virtual reality-based constructability index for construction projects
Altayeb Qasem, Abdulaziz Saud Almohassen
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to develop a constructability index (CI) that can ease the construction activities in a project based on the contractors’ experience and resources. The proposed CI is a vital decision support tool that quantifies the difficulty level for the contractor to execute certain activities with the contingency of other project elements. The virtual reality (VR) technology was used to provide additional data, communicate the contingency impact of other project elements on specific activities and provide sequential execution data to the contractors. This can minimize the risk of not being able to execute various activities on time and within the budget.

The VR-based CI was developed through two steps. Step 1 was to identify the factors affecting constructability by exploring the literature and consulting local construction experts. These factors were then organized through a hierarchy of main factors and subfactors and validated by local experts through predesigned surveys. The factors were classified into VR dependent or non-VR independent, and their relative weights were calculated using the analytical hierarchy process along with their reliability, which was determined using Cronbach’s alpha approach. Step 2 was to define the attributes for the constructability factors defined in Step 1 using the Multi Attribute Utility Theory to quantify the contractor’s compliance level of these factors by giving them the appropriate score. The utility factors for the VR-independent factors were obtained through standards, literature and local surveys, and they were quantified on a 1–10 scale. However, the VR-dependent factors were given their corresponding scores using the developed VR navigation environment generated by integrating Autodesk Revit and Navisworks software. Accordingly, the CI for each activity was evaluated, and the overall CI for the project was calculated by aggregating the CIs for all activities.

The developed CI quantifies the contractor’s ability to execute construction projects and addresses the lack of communication and coordination between the various construction units in the planning phase itself. Moreover, it can resolve possible hard (physical) and soft (time) construction clashes and minimize their impacts on project schedule and budget. Among the relative weights of the identified factors, prefabrication of building components was found to have the highest effect on constructability. Furthermore, applying the developed VR-CI, a real project showed that the utility values of the main factors quantified on a ten-point scale were between 6 and 9, which means routine supervisions and monitoring are required.

Though the concepts of constructability and VR have been used in different contexts, their integration to develop a comprehensive CI for the building construction industry is a unique contribution, which has not been reported previously.

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A virtual reality-based constructability index for construction projects10.1108/CI-11-2021-0210Construction Innovation2023-05-26© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAltayeb QasemAbdulaziz Saud AlmohassenConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-2610.1108/CI-11-2021-0210https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0210/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Estimating labor resource requirements in construction projects using machine learninghttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0211/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestExisting labor estimation models typically consider only certain construction project types or specific influencing factors. These models are focused on quantifying the total labor hours required, while the utilization rate of the labor during the project is not usually accounted for. This study aims to develop a novel machine learning model to predict the time series of labor resource utilization rate at the work package level. More than 250 construction work packages collected over a two-year period are used to identify the main contributing factors affecting labor resource requirements. Also, a novel machine learning algorithm – Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) – is adopted to develop a forecasting model that can predict the utilization of labor resources over time. This paper presents a robust machine learning approach for predicting labor resources’ utilization rates in construction projects based on the identified contributing factors. The machine learning approach is found to result in a reliable time series forecasting model that uses the RNN algorithm. The proposed model indicates the capability of machine learning algorithms in facilitating the traditional challenges in construction industry. The findings point to the suitability of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques for developing predictive models to forecast the utilization rate of labor resources in construction projects, as well as for supporting project managers by providing forecasting tool for labor estimations at the work package level before detailed activity schedules have been generated. Accordingly, the proposed approach facilitates resource allocation and enables prioritization of available resources to enhance the overall performance of projects.Estimating labor resource requirements in construction projects using machine learning
Hamidreza Golabchi, Ahmed Hammad
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Existing labor estimation models typically consider only certain construction project types or specific influencing factors. These models are focused on quantifying the total labor hours required, while the utilization rate of the labor during the project is not usually accounted for. This study aims to develop a novel machine learning model to predict the time series of labor resource utilization rate at the work package level.

More than 250 construction work packages collected over a two-year period are used to identify the main contributing factors affecting labor resource requirements. Also, a novel machine learning algorithm – Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) – is adopted to develop a forecasting model that can predict the utilization of labor resources over time.

This paper presents a robust machine learning approach for predicting labor resources’ utilization rates in construction projects based on the identified contributing factors. The machine learning approach is found to result in a reliable time series forecasting model that uses the RNN algorithm. The proposed model indicates the capability of machine learning algorithms in facilitating the traditional challenges in construction industry.

The findings point to the suitability of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques for developing predictive models to forecast the utilization rate of labor resources in construction projects, as well as for supporting project managers by providing forecasting tool for labor estimations at the work package level before detailed activity schedules have been generated. Accordingly, the proposed approach facilitates resource allocation and enables prioritization of available resources to enhance the overall performance of projects.

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Estimating labor resource requirements in construction projects using machine learning10.1108/CI-11-2021-0211Construction Innovation2023-01-19© Emerald Publishing LimitedHamidreza GolabchiAhmed HammadConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-01-1910.1108/CI-11-2021-0211https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0211/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© Emerald Publishing Limited
Influence of an integrated value-based asset condition assessment in built asset managementhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0216/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestBuilt asset management processes require a long transition period to collect, edit and update asset conditions information from existing data sets. This paper aims to explore and explain whether and how digital technologies, including asset information model (AIM), Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, can enhance asset conditions assessment and lead to better asset management. Mixed methods are applied to achieve the research objective with a focus in universities. The questionnaire aims to test whether the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can enhance asset condition assessment (ACA). Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to the quantitative data. The mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, skewness and range of the data group were calculated. Semi-structured interviews were designed to answer how the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can enhance the ACA. Quantitative data was analysed to define and explain the essential factors for each sub-hypothesis. Meanwhile, to strengthen the evaluation of the research hypothesis, the researcher also obtained secondary data from the literature review. The research shows that the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain strongly influences asset conditions assessment. The integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can improve the asset monitoring and diagnostics through its life cycle and in different aspects, including financial, physical, functional and sustainability. Moreover, the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can enhance cross-functional collaboration to avoid misunderstandings, various barriers and enhance trust, communication and collaboration between the team members. Finally, costs and risk could be reduced, and performance could be increased during the ACA. The contribution of this study indicated that the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain application in asset assessment could increase the efficiency, accuracy, stability and flexibility of asset assessment to ensure the reliability of assets and lead to a high-efficiency working environment. More importantly, a key performance indicator for ACA based on the asset information, technology and people experience could be developed gradually. This study can break the gap between transdisciplinary knowledge to improve the integration of people, technology (AIM, IoT and blockchain) and process value-based ACA in built asset management within universities.Influence of an integrated value-based asset condition assessment in built asset management
Zihao Ye, Georgios Kapogiannis, Shu Tang, Zhiang Zhang, Carlos Jimenez-Bescos, Tianlun Yang
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Built asset management processes require a long transition period to collect, edit and update asset conditions information from existing data sets. This paper aims to explore and explain whether and how digital technologies, including asset information model (AIM), Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, can enhance asset conditions assessment and lead to better asset management.

Mixed methods are applied to achieve the research objective with a focus in universities. The questionnaire aims to test whether the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can enhance asset condition assessment (ACA). Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to the quantitative data. The mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, skewness and range of the data group were calculated. Semi-structured interviews were designed to answer how the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can enhance the ACA. Quantitative data was analysed to define and explain the essential factors for each sub-hypothesis. Meanwhile, to strengthen the evaluation of the research hypothesis, the researcher also obtained secondary data from the literature review.

The research shows that the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain strongly influences asset conditions assessment. The integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can improve the asset monitoring and diagnostics through its life cycle and in different aspects, including financial, physical, functional and sustainability. Moreover, the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain can enhance cross-functional collaboration to avoid misunderstandings, various barriers and enhance trust, communication and collaboration between the team members. Finally, costs and risk could be reduced, and performance could be increased during the ACA.

The contribution of this study indicated that the integration of AIM, IoT and blockchain application in asset assessment could increase the efficiency, accuracy, stability and flexibility of asset assessment to ensure the reliability of assets and lead to a high-efficiency working environment. More importantly, a key performance indicator for ACA based on the asset information, technology and people experience could be developed gradually.

This study can break the gap between transdisciplinary knowledge to improve the integration of people, technology (AIM, IoT and blockchain) and process value-based ACA in built asset management within universities.

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Influence of an integrated value-based asset condition assessment in built asset management10.1108/CI-11-2021-0216Construction Innovation2023-04-14© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedZihao YeGeorgios KapogiannisShu TangZhiang ZhangCarlos Jimenez-BescosTianlun YangConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-1410.1108/CI-11-2021-0216https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0216/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Redefining the construction managerial landscape to facilitate Industry 4.0 implementation: scientometric mapping of research frontiershttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0224/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to provide an excellent overview of current research trends in the construction sector in digital advancements. It provides a roadmap to policymakers for the effective utilisation of emergent digital technologies and a need for a managerial shift for its smooth adoption. A total of 3,046 peer-reviewed journal review articles covering Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, building information modelling (BIM) and digital technologies within the construction sector were reviewed using scientometric mapping and weighted mind-map analysis techniques. Prominent research clusters identified were: practice-factor-strategy, system, sustainability, BIM and construction worker safety. Leading countries, authors, institutions and their collaborative networks were identified with the UK, the USA, China and Australia leading this field of research. A conceptual framework for an IoT-based concrete lifecycle quality control system is provided. The study traces the origins of the initial application of Industry 4.0 concepts in the construction field and reviews available literature from 1983 to 2021. It raises awareness of the latest developments and potential landscape realignment of the construction industry through digital technologies conceptual framework for an IoT-based concrete lifecycle quality control system is provided.Redefining the construction managerial landscape to facilitate Industry 4.0 implementation: scientometric mapping of research frontiers
Arka Ghosh, Jemal Abawajy, Morshed Chowdhury
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to provide an excellent overview of current research trends in the construction sector in digital advancements. It provides a roadmap to policymakers for the effective utilisation of emergent digital technologies and a need for a managerial shift for its smooth adoption.

A total of 3,046 peer-reviewed journal review articles covering Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, building information modelling (BIM) and digital technologies within the construction sector were reviewed using scientometric mapping and weighted mind-map analysis techniques.

Prominent research clusters identified were: practice-factor-strategy, system, sustainability, BIM and construction worker safety. Leading countries, authors, institutions and their collaborative networks were identified with the UK, the USA, China and Australia leading this field of research. A conceptual framework for an IoT-based concrete lifecycle quality control system is provided.

The study traces the origins of the initial application of Industry 4.0 concepts in the construction field and reviews available literature from 1983 to 2021. It raises awareness of the latest developments and potential landscape realignment of the construction industry through digital technologies conceptual framework for an IoT-based concrete lifecycle quality control system is provided.

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Redefining the construction managerial landscape to facilitate Industry 4.0 implementation: scientometric mapping of research frontiers10.1108/CI-11-2021-0224Construction Innovation2022-10-13© 2022 Emerald Publishing LimitedArka GhoshJemal AbawajyMorshed ChowdhuryConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2022-10-1310.1108/CI-11-2021-0224https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2021-0224/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited
“It's your fault!” – said a public client to modernity advocates: an exploration of UK public sector’s viewpoints on the modern methods of constructionhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0282/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe staggering demand for construction projects to meet a spectrum of public needs is projected to outstrip the industry’s supply capability. The modern methods of construction (MMC) offers wider control due to shifting key construction processes offsite. Public clients play a significant role due to their purchasing power; however, their uptake of MMC is low, despite the benefits. The purpose of this study is to reveal the reasoning behind such low adoption. The research gap, herewith, is our lack of understanding of the influence of public clients perceptions on their adoption’s indecision. This study used a qualitative approach to investigate the motives behind the public sector’s low MMC adoption. Semi-structured interviews with 14 of the United Kingdom’s public sector decision-makers, industry leaders and experts have been conducted. Perspectives were argued against the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory. Overall, the innovation’s attributes informed the authors of the positive perceptions from the public sector, demonstrating that the low adoption of MMC is not linked to any embedded issues with the innovation itself rather being predominantly related to the dynamics between supply and demand. The former (supply), reflected a failure in communicating confidence, and the latter (demand), attained characteristics that are limiting wider uptake. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to apply the DOI theory to reveal the relationship between UK public clients’ perceptions and their decision-making. Moreover, this paper addresses the scant attention to the use of theories to explain the flow of innovations in the construction context.“It's your fault!” – said a public client to modernity advocates: an exploration of UK public sector’s viewpoints on the modern methods of construction
Ali M. Saad, Sambo Lyson Zulu, Mohammed Dulaimi
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The staggering demand for construction projects to meet a spectrum of public needs is projected to outstrip the industry’s supply capability. The modern methods of construction (MMC) offers wider control due to shifting key construction processes offsite. Public clients play a significant role due to their purchasing power; however, their uptake of MMC is low, despite the benefits. The purpose of this study is to reveal the reasoning behind such low adoption. The research gap, herewith, is our lack of understanding of the influence of public clients perceptions on their adoption’s indecision.

This study used a qualitative approach to investigate the motives behind the public sector’s low MMC adoption. Semi-structured interviews with 14 of the United Kingdom’s public sector decision-makers, industry leaders and experts have been conducted. Perspectives were argued against the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory.

Overall, the innovation’s attributes informed the authors of the positive perceptions from the public sector, demonstrating that the low adoption of MMC is not linked to any embedded issues with the innovation itself rather being predominantly related to the dynamics between supply and demand. The former (supply), reflected a failure in communicating confidence, and the latter (demand), attained characteristics that are limiting wider uptake.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to apply the DOI theory to reveal the relationship between UK public clients’ perceptions and their decision-making. Moreover, this paper addresses the scant attention to the use of theories to explain the flow of innovations in the construction context.

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“It's your fault!” – said a public client to modernity advocates: an exploration of UK public sector’s viewpoints on the modern methods of construction10.1108/CI-11-2022-0282Construction Innovation2023-04-07© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAli M. SaadSambo Lyson ZuluMohammed DulaimiConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-04-0710.1108/CI-11-2022-0282https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0282/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A framework for social sustainability on the building level: a contextual approachhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0288/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to build on a contextualised approach for revealing the particularities of social sustainability indicators on the building scale within the particular context of Jordan, focusing on the buildings of the Dahiyat Al Hussein suburb. This study relied on a review of the relevant previous research as well as global, regional and local rating tools, followed by working with a diversified participant base comprising experts as well as users through Delphi rounds and analytic hierarchy process-based assessments. This study resulted in several key indicators that were classified into three main categories: environmental friendliness, comfort and convenience and social blend. It resembled a step on the path towards the standardisation of context-specific social sustainability indicators, an effort that would be further supported by future research addressing other development within Jordan. The sustainability debate has, for long, acquired the undivided attention of its key stakeholders. With the continuous rise of global attention, the conceptualisation of sustainability has grown more specialised in both function and scale, and sustainable measures have been developed at the macro and micro levels. With the further spread of the concept, recognition of its contextual differences between various countries became more vivid, where the social dimension attains particular importance.A framework for social sustainability on the building level: a contextual approach
Ahlam Ammar Sharif
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to build on a contextualised approach for revealing the particularities of social sustainability indicators on the building scale within the particular context of Jordan, focusing on the buildings of the Dahiyat Al Hussein suburb.

This study relied on a review of the relevant previous research as well as global, regional and local rating tools, followed by working with a diversified participant base comprising experts as well as users through Delphi rounds and analytic hierarchy process-based assessments.

This study resulted in several key indicators that were classified into three main categories: environmental friendliness, comfort and convenience and social blend. It resembled a step on the path towards the standardisation of context-specific social sustainability indicators, an effort that would be further supported by future research addressing other development within Jordan.

The sustainability debate has, for long, acquired the undivided attention of its key stakeholders. With the continuous rise of global attention, the conceptualisation of sustainability has grown more specialised in both function and scale, and sustainable measures have been developed at the macro and micro levels. With the further spread of the concept, recognition of its contextual differences between various countries became more vivid, where the social dimension attains particular importance.

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A framework for social sustainability on the building level: a contextual approach10.1108/CI-11-2022-0288Construction Innovation2023-06-28© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAhlam Ammar SharifConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-06-2810.1108/CI-11-2022-0288https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0288/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Gender-specific occupational stress management in construction professionals: a comparative analysis of contractor quantity surveyors work at sitehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0290/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry is one of the most stressful industries. Thus, quantity surveyors (QSs) who work at sites frequently experience high levels of occupational stress. The gender of a QS also has a significant impact on his/her occupational stress. Hence, this study aims to investigate the management of occupational stress in QSs working at sites for contractors (hereinafter referred to as CQSs). The study adopted a mixed approach using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey for female and male CQSs to identify, validate and rank the stressors and symptoms of occupational stress in CQSs and the strategies of managing that stress based on their significance levels. Manual content analysis and the mean weighted rating were used to analyse the data collected. Heavy workload was the most significant occupational stressor of CQSs, whereas sleeping disorders were their primary symptom of occupational stress. Establishing a proper work programme was identified as the most effective stress management strategy for male and female CQSs. This study shows that many site QSs are stressed owing to their heavy workloads and work obligations and that their stress-related attributes significantly depend on their genders. This study is significant because no previous studies have been conducted on managing occupational stress in CQSs in male and female CQSs. The study findings can be used to identify the stressors and symptoms of occupational stress in CQSs early and use appropriate management strategies to enhance the work satisfaction and productivity of CQSs suffering from occupational stress.Gender-specific occupational stress management in construction professionals: a comparative analysis of contractor quantity surveyors work at site
K.A. Gunasekara, B.A.K.S. Perera, I.N. Kurukulasooriya
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The construction industry is one of the most stressful industries. Thus, quantity surveyors (QSs) who work at sites frequently experience high levels of occupational stress. The gender of a QS also has a significant impact on his/her occupational stress. Hence, this study aims to investigate the management of occupational stress in QSs working at sites for contractors (hereinafter referred to as CQSs).

The study adopted a mixed approach using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey for female and male CQSs to identify, validate and rank the stressors and symptoms of occupational stress in CQSs and the strategies of managing that stress based on their significance levels. Manual content analysis and the mean weighted rating were used to analyse the data collected.

Heavy workload was the most significant occupational stressor of CQSs, whereas sleeping disorders were their primary symptom of occupational stress. Establishing a proper work programme was identified as the most effective stress management strategy for male and female CQSs. This study shows that many site QSs are stressed owing to their heavy workloads and work obligations and that their stress-related attributes significantly depend on their genders.

This study is significant because no previous studies have been conducted on managing occupational stress in CQSs in male and female CQSs. The study findings can be used to identify the stressors and symptoms of occupational stress in CQSs early and use appropriate management strategies to enhance the work satisfaction and productivity of CQSs suffering from occupational stress.

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Gender-specific occupational stress management in construction professionals: a comparative analysis of contractor quantity surveyors work at site10.1108/CI-11-2022-0290Construction Innovation2024-01-24© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedK.A. GunasekaraB.A.K.S. PereraI.N. KurukulasooriyaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-2410.1108/CI-11-2022-0290https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0290/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Convolutional neural network-based deep learning model for air quality prediction in October city of Egypthttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0292/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestModern human society has continuous advancements that have a negative impact on the quality of the air. Daily transportation, industrial and residential operations churn up dangerous contaminants in our surroundings. Addressing air pollution issues is critical for human health and ecosystems, particularly in developing countries such as Egypt. Excessive levels of pollutants have been linked to a variety of circulatory, respiratory and nervous illnesses. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to forecast air pollution concentrations in Egypt based on time series analysis. Deep learning models are leveraged to analyze air quality time series in the 6th of October City, Egypt. In this regard, convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory network and multilayer perceptron neural network models are used to forecast the overall concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter 10 µm in diameter (PM10). The models are trained and validated by using monthly data available from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency between December 2014 and July 2020. The performance measures such as determination coefficient, root mean square error and mean absolute error are used to evaluate the outcomes of models. The CNN model exhibits the best performance in terms of forecasting pollutant concentrations 3, 6, 9 and 12 months ahead. Finally, using data from December 2014 to July 2021, the CNN model is used to anticipate the pollutant concentrations 12 months ahead. In July 2022, the overall concentrations of SO2 and PM10 are expected to reach 10 and 127 µg/m3, respectively. The developed model could aid decision-makers, practitioners and local authorities in planning and implementing various interventions to mitigate their negative influences on the population and environment. This research introduces the development of an efficient time-series model that can project the future concentrations of particulate and gaseous air pollutants in Egypt. This research study offers the first time application of deep learning models to forecast the air quality in Egypt. This research study examines the performance of machine learning approaches and deep learning techniques to forecast sulfur dioxide and particular matter concentrations using standard performance metrics.Convolutional neural network-based deep learning model for air quality prediction in October city of Egypt
Nehal Elshaboury, Eslam Mohammed Abdelkader, Abobakr Al-Sakkaf
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Modern human society has continuous advancements that have a negative impact on the quality of the air. Daily transportation, industrial and residential operations churn up dangerous contaminants in our surroundings. Addressing air pollution issues is critical for human health and ecosystems, particularly in developing countries such as Egypt. Excessive levels of pollutants have been linked to a variety of circulatory, respiratory and nervous illnesses. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to forecast air pollution concentrations in Egypt based on time series analysis.

Deep learning models are leveraged to analyze air quality time series in the 6th of October City, Egypt. In this regard, convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory network and multilayer perceptron neural network models are used to forecast the overall concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter 10 µm in diameter (PM10). The models are trained and validated by using monthly data available from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency between December 2014 and July 2020. The performance measures such as determination coefficient, root mean square error and mean absolute error are used to evaluate the outcomes of models.

The CNN model exhibits the best performance in terms of forecasting pollutant concentrations 3, 6, 9 and 12 months ahead. Finally, using data from December 2014 to July 2021, the CNN model is used to anticipate the pollutant concentrations 12 months ahead. In July 2022, the overall concentrations of SO2 and PM10 are expected to reach 10 and 127 µg/m3, respectively. The developed model could aid decision-makers, practitioners and local authorities in planning and implementing various interventions to mitigate their negative influences on the population and environment.

This research introduces the development of an efficient time-series model that can project the future concentrations of particulate and gaseous air pollutants in Egypt. This research study offers the first time application of deep learning models to forecast the air quality in Egypt. This research study examines the performance of machine learning approaches and deep learning techniques to forecast sulfur dioxide and particular matter concentrations using standard performance metrics.

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Convolutional neural network-based deep learning model for air quality prediction in October city of Egypt10.1108/CI-11-2022-0292Construction Innovation2023-07-11© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedNehal ElshabouryEslam Mohammed AbdelkaderAbobakr Al-SakkafConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-07-1110.1108/CI-11-2022-0292https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0292/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Comprehensive evaluation of classification: an empirical study on consequence prediction of construction accidents in Chinahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0295/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestConsequence prediction is an emerging topic in safety management concerning the severity outcome of accidents. In practical applications, it is usually implemented through supervised learning methods; however, the evaluation of classification results remains a challenge. The previous studies mostly adopted simplex evaluation based on empirical and quantitative assessment strategies. This paper aims to shed new light on the comprehensive evaluation and comparison of diverse classification methods through visualization, clustering and ranking techniques. An empirical study is conducted using 9 state-of-the-art classification methods on a real-world data set of 653 construction accidents in China for predicting the consequence with respect to 39 carefully featured factors and accident type. The proposed comprehensive evaluation enriches the interpretation of classification results from different perspectives. Furthermore, the critical factors leading to severe construction accidents are identified by analyzing the coefficients of a logistic regression model. This paper identifies the critical factors that significantly influence the consequence of construction accidents, which include accident type (particularly collapse), improper accident reporting and handling (E21), inadequate supervision engineers (O41), no special safety department (O11), delayed or low-quality drawings (T11), unqualified contractor (C21), schedule pressure (C11), multi-level subcontracting (C22), lacking safety examination (S22), improper operation of mechanical equipment (R11) and improper construction procedure arrangement (T21). The prediction models and findings of critical factors help make safety intervention measures in a targeted way and enhance the experience of safety professionals in the construction industry. The empirical study using some well-known classification methods for forecasting the consequences of construction accidents provides some evidence for the comprehensive evaluation of multiple classifiers. These techniques can be used jointly with other evaluation approaches for a comprehensive understanding of the classification algorithms. Despite the limitation of specific methods used in the study, the presented methodology can be configured with other classification methods and performance metrics and even applied to other decision-making problems such as clustering. This study sheds new light on the comprehensive comparison and evaluation of classification results through visualization, clustering and ranking techniques using an empirical study of consequence prediction of construction accidents. The relevance of construction accident type is discussed with the severity of accidents. The critical factors influencing the accident consequence are identified for the sake of taking prevention measures for risk reduction. The proposed method can be applied to other decision-making tasks where the evaluation is involved as an important component.Comprehensive evaluation of classification: an empirical study on consequence prediction of construction accidents in China
Ning Chen, Zhenyu Zhang, An Chen
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Consequence prediction is an emerging topic in safety management concerning the severity outcome of accidents. In practical applications, it is usually implemented through supervised learning methods; however, the evaluation of classification results remains a challenge. The previous studies mostly adopted simplex evaluation based on empirical and quantitative assessment strategies. This paper aims to shed new light on the comprehensive evaluation and comparison of diverse classification methods through visualization, clustering and ranking techniques.

An empirical study is conducted using 9 state-of-the-art classification methods on a real-world data set of 653 construction accidents in China for predicting the consequence with respect to 39 carefully featured factors and accident type. The proposed comprehensive evaluation enriches the interpretation of classification results from different perspectives. Furthermore, the critical factors leading to severe construction accidents are identified by analyzing the coefficients of a logistic regression model.

This paper identifies the critical factors that significantly influence the consequence of construction accidents, which include accident type (particularly collapse), improper accident reporting and handling (E21), inadequate supervision engineers (O41), no special safety department (O11), delayed or low-quality drawings (T11), unqualified contractor (C21), schedule pressure (C11), multi-level subcontracting (C22), lacking safety examination (S22), improper operation of mechanical equipment (R11) and improper construction procedure arrangement (T21). The prediction models and findings of critical factors help make safety intervention measures in a targeted way and enhance the experience of safety professionals in the construction industry.

The empirical study using some well-known classification methods for forecasting the consequences of construction accidents provides some evidence for the comprehensive evaluation of multiple classifiers. These techniques can be used jointly with other evaluation approaches for a comprehensive understanding of the classification algorithms. Despite the limitation of specific methods used in the study, the presented methodology can be configured with other classification methods and performance metrics and even applied to other decision-making problems such as clustering.

This study sheds new light on the comprehensive comparison and evaluation of classification results through visualization, clustering and ranking techniques using an empirical study of consequence prediction of construction accidents. The relevance of construction accident type is discussed with the severity of accidents. The critical factors influencing the accident consequence are identified for the sake of taking prevention measures for risk reduction. The proposed method can be applied to other decision-making tasks where the evaluation is involved as an important component.

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Comprehensive evaluation of classification: an empirical study on consequence prediction of construction accidents in China10.1108/CI-11-2022-0295Construction Innovation2024-01-09© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedNing ChenZhenyu ZhangAn ChenConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-0910.1108/CI-11-2022-0295https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0295/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
BIM-based smart safety monitoring system using a mobile app: a case study in an ongoing construction sitehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0296/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestConstruction safety is a crucial aspect that has far-reaching impacts on economic development. But safety monitoring is often reliant on labor-based observations, which can be prone to errors and result in numerous fatalities annually. This study aims to address this issue by proposing a cloud-building information modeling (BIM)-based framework to provide real-time safety monitoring on construction sites to enhance safety practices and reduce fatalities. This system integrates an automated safety tracking mobile app to detect hazardous locations on construction sites, a cloud-based BIM system for visualization of worker tracking on a virtual construction site and a Web interface to visualize and monitor site safety. The study’s results indicate that implementing a comprehensive automated safety monitoring approach is feasible and suitable for general indoor construction site environments. Furthermore, the assessment of an advanced safety monitoring system has been successfully implemented, indicating its potential effectiveness in enhancing safety practices in construction sites. By using this system, the construction industry can prevent accidents and fatalities, promote the adoption of new technologies and methods with minimal effort and cost and improve safety outcomes and productivity. This system can reduce workers’ compensation claims, insurance costs and legal penalties, benefiting all stakeholders involved. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt in Bangladesh to develop a mobile app-based technological solution aimed at reforming construction safety culture by using BIM technology. This has the potential to change the construction sector’s attitude toward accepting new technologies and cultures through its convenient choice of equipment.BIM-based smart safety monitoring system using a mobile app: a case study in an ongoing construction site
Md. Mehrab Hossain, Shakil Ahmed, S.M. Asif Anam, Irmatova Aziza Baxramovna, Tamanna Islam Meem, Md. Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Iffat Haq
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Construction safety is a crucial aspect that has far-reaching impacts on economic development. But safety monitoring is often reliant on labor-based observations, which can be prone to errors and result in numerous fatalities annually. This study aims to address this issue by proposing a cloud-building information modeling (BIM)-based framework to provide real-time safety monitoring on construction sites to enhance safety practices and reduce fatalities.

This system integrates an automated safety tracking mobile app to detect hazardous locations on construction sites, a cloud-based BIM system for visualization of worker tracking on a virtual construction site and a Web interface to visualize and monitor site safety.

The study’s results indicate that implementing a comprehensive automated safety monitoring approach is feasible and suitable for general indoor construction site environments. Furthermore, the assessment of an advanced safety monitoring system has been successfully implemented, indicating its potential effectiveness in enhancing safety practices in construction sites.

By using this system, the construction industry can prevent accidents and fatalities, promote the adoption of new technologies and methods with minimal effort and cost and improve safety outcomes and productivity. This system can reduce workers’ compensation claims, insurance costs and legal penalties, benefiting all stakeholders involved.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt in Bangladesh to develop a mobile app-based technological solution aimed at reforming construction safety culture by using BIM technology. This has the potential to change the construction sector’s attitude toward accepting new technologies and cultures through its convenient choice of equipment.

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BIM-based smart safety monitoring system using a mobile app: a case study in an ongoing construction site10.1108/CI-11-2022-0296Construction Innovation2023-07-10© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedMd. Mehrab HossainShakil AhmedS.M. Asif AnamIrmatova Aziza BaxramovnaTamanna Islam MeemMd. Habibur Rahman SobuzIffat HaqConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-07-1010.1108/CI-11-2022-0296https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0296/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A hybrid AHP-MAUT model for assessing competitiveness of construction companies: a case study of construction companies in Vietnam and Canadahttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0299/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe construction industry is facing an enormous number of challenges due to continuous advancements in construction technologies and techniques. Hence, construction management theories have to confront critical newly issues concerning market globalization and construction innovations. The key factor to address these challenges is to ameliorate the competitive abilities of the competing construction firms. In this context, measuring competitiveness of construction firms is an efficacious approach to amplify their competitive growth and profitability. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to design a three-tier multi-criteria decision making model for competitiveness assessment and benchmarking of construction companies, meanwhile tackling a wide range of essential factors and attributes that covers broad aspects of the present competitive market. In the first tier, four new pillars (4P) of competitiveness assessment are introduced for construction firms, namely, organization performance, project performance, environment and client and innovation and development. These pillars are able to aid in construction firms’ management on both long and short term basis. Hence, 21 key competitive factors and eighty key competitive criteria are identified, incorporated and analyzed in this research study. The second tier encapsulates carrying out a questionnaire survey in the Canadian and Vietnamese market to garner two main sets of information. The first set of information incorporates responses of the pairwise comparisons between competitiveness factors and criteria. The second set involves gathering utility scores pertinent to each competitiveness criteria. The developed model then leverages the use of analytical hierarchy process to scrutinize the relative importance priorities of competitiveness factors and criteria. The third tier of the developed model encompasses the use of multi-attribute utility theory to compute competitiveness scores for construction companies through blending criteria’ relative importance weights alongside their respective utility functions. In addition, the third tier comprises conducting a sensitivity analysis to derive the most important criteria influencing the overall competitiveness of construction companies. The developed model is tested and validated using three case studies; one construction company from Canada and two construction companies from Vietnam. Results demonstrated that the developed model has a potential to render a synthesized and methodical performance evaluation for the competitive ability of a given construction company. Furthermore, it was found that Vietnamese companies are more considerate towards pillars pertaining to environment and client while Canadian companies are more attentive towards innovation and development. The outcome of sensitivity analysis revealed that effectiveness of cost management highly affects the competitive ability of Vietnamese companies while effectiveness of cost management exhibits the most significant influence on the competitive of Canadian companies. The developed model can benefit construction companies to understand their competitiveness in their market and diagnose their strengths and weaknesses. It is also can be useful in efficient utilization of their limited resources and development of sustainable and long-term strategic plans strategic plans, which consequently leads to maintaining better position in their dynamic business markets. Literature review manifests that reported competitiveness assessment models and practices are not able to address present challenges, technologies and developments in construction market.A hybrid AHP-MAUT model for assessing competitiveness of construction companies: a case study of construction companies in Vietnam and Canada
Hoang Nguyen Ngoc, Eslam Mohammed Abdelkader, Abobakr Al-Sakkaf, Ghasan Alfalah, Tarek Zayed
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The construction industry is facing an enormous number of challenges due to continuous advancements in construction technologies and techniques. Hence, construction management theories have to confront critical newly issues concerning market globalization and construction innovations. The key factor to address these challenges is to ameliorate the competitive abilities of the competing construction firms. In this context, measuring competitiveness of construction firms is an efficacious approach to amplify their competitive growth and profitability. To this end, the purpose of this research paper is to design a three-tier multi-criteria decision making model for competitiveness assessment and benchmarking of construction companies, meanwhile tackling a wide range of essential factors and attributes that covers broad aspects of the present competitive market.

In the first tier, four new pillars (4P) of competitiveness assessment are introduced for construction firms, namely, organization performance, project performance, environment and client and innovation and development. These pillars are able to aid in construction firms’ management on both long and short term basis. Hence, 21 key competitive factors and eighty key competitive criteria are identified, incorporated and analyzed in this research study. The second tier encapsulates carrying out a questionnaire survey in the Canadian and Vietnamese market to garner two main sets of information. The first set of information incorporates responses of the pairwise comparisons between competitiveness factors and criteria. The second set involves gathering utility scores pertinent to each competitiveness criteria. The developed model then leverages the use of analytical hierarchy process to scrutinize the relative importance priorities of competitiveness factors and criteria. The third tier of the developed model encompasses the use of multi-attribute utility theory to compute competitiveness scores for construction companies through blending criteria’ relative importance weights alongside their respective utility functions. In addition, the third tier comprises conducting a sensitivity analysis to derive the most important criteria influencing the overall competitiveness of construction companies. The developed model is tested and validated using three case studies; one construction company from Canada and two construction companies from Vietnam.

Results demonstrated that the developed model has a potential to render a synthesized and methodical performance evaluation for the competitive ability of a given construction company. Furthermore, it was found that Vietnamese companies are more considerate towards pillars pertaining to environment and client while Canadian companies are more attentive towards innovation and development. The outcome of sensitivity analysis revealed that effectiveness of cost management highly affects the competitive ability of Vietnamese companies while effectiveness of cost management exhibits the most significant influence on the competitive of Canadian companies.

The developed model can benefit construction companies to understand their competitiveness in their market and diagnose their strengths and weaknesses. It is also can be useful in efficient utilization of their limited resources and development of sustainable and long-term strategic plans strategic plans, which consequently leads to maintaining better position in their dynamic business markets.

Literature review manifests that reported competitiveness assessment models and practices are not able to address present challenges, technologies and developments in construction market.

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A hybrid AHP-MAUT model for assessing competitiveness of construction companies: a case study of construction companies in Vietnam and Canada10.1108/CI-11-2022-0299Construction Innovation2023-03-21© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedHoang Nguyen NgocEslam Mohammed AbdelkaderAbobakr Al-SakkafGhasan AlfalahTarek ZayedConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-2110.1108/CI-11-2022-0299https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-11-2022-0299/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
CASA+: highly energy-efficient housing system for the central-south of Chilehttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2021-0241/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to introduce the results of a research carried out to develop a prototype of a highly energy-efficient modular detached house, called CASA+ CASA means HOUSE in spanish, adapted to the climatic features of central-southern Chile. The project enables a sustainable alternative to facilitate the reconstruction of the residential areas after the impact of the 2010 earthquake. The methodology is based on an “integrated design process” of a case study that proposes a constructive response that quantitatively and qualitatively improves the initial data of traditional dwellings. The characteristics of the new system have been simulated with specific software to validate the final decisions, considering the cost–benefit ratio. Simulation tools were used to assess and improve the system’s energy performance with respect to present options and to analyse its economic and construction viability. We obtained several economically competitive housing prototypes that substantially reduced energy consumption and the CO2 footprint by between 20% and 80%. The prototype has not been developed, as we are waiting for funding, but all its energy features have been simulated. Furthermore, this experience also identified similar modifications made to the design of the houses, which revealed general possibilities for improving energy performance. The origin of this research is a public call for international researchers to improve the quality of the new homes to be built in Chile after the strong earthquake of 2010. The result of the research has been put at the direct service of Chilean society and in other international projects for the construction of low-energy social housing. These are the result of a long research aimed at establishing a new architectural model that, in addition to improving the architectural quality of the product, obtains significant improvements in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The most particular aspect is the practical vocation and its implementation with real construction with the support of construction companies.CASA+: highly energy-efficient housing system for the central-south of Chile
Flavio Celis-D’Amico, Ernesto Echeverria-Valiente, Rodrigo Garcia-Alvarado, Olavo Escorcia-Oyola, Fernando da Casa-Martín
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to introduce the results of a research carried out to develop a prototype of a highly energy-efficient modular detached house, called CASA+ CASA means HOUSE in spanish, adapted to the climatic features of central-southern Chile. The project enables a sustainable alternative to facilitate the reconstruction of the residential areas after the impact of the 2010 earthquake.

The methodology is based on an “integrated design process” of a case study that proposes a constructive response that quantitatively and qualitatively improves the initial data of traditional dwellings. The characteristics of the new system have been simulated with specific software to validate the final decisions, considering the cost–benefit ratio.

Simulation tools were used to assess and improve the system’s energy performance with respect to present options and to analyse its economic and construction viability. We obtained several economically competitive housing prototypes that substantially reduced energy consumption and the CO2 footprint by between 20% and 80%.

The prototype has not been developed, as we are waiting for funding, but all its energy features have been simulated.

Furthermore, this experience also identified similar modifications made to the design of the houses, which revealed general possibilities for improving energy performance.

The origin of this research is a public call for international researchers to improve the quality of the new homes to be built in Chile after the strong earthquake of 2010. The result of the research has been put at the direct service of Chilean society and in other international projects for the construction of low-energy social housing.

These are the result of a long research aimed at establishing a new architectural model that, in addition to improving the architectural quality of the product, obtains significant improvements in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The most particular aspect is the practical vocation and its implementation with real construction with the support of construction companies.

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CASA+: highly energy-efficient housing system for the central-south of Chile10.1108/CI-12-2021-0241Construction Innovation2023-05-10© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedFlavio Celis-D’AmicoErnesto Echeverria-ValienteRodrigo Garcia-AlvaradoOlavo Escorcia-OyolaFernando da Casa-MartínConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-1010.1108/CI-12-2021-0241https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2021-0241/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
4D BIM integrated optimization of construction steel bar procurement plan for limited storage capacityhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0310/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestDue to its longer length compared to other construction materials and distinctive stacking patterns, obtaining construction steel bars in congested construction sites with limited storage capacity becomes challenging. Lack of storage space in crowded places prompts the need for building steel bar storage choice optimization. Therefore, this study aims to optimize the construction steel bar procurement plan by providing when and how much rebar to order and how to stack different sizes of rebar considering limited storage capacity. A novel approach has been presented in this paper by integrating 4D building information modelling (BIM) and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). This technique uses BIM to retrieve material quantities, including rebar, during the design phase. Following that, activities are scheduled depending on the duration determined by crew productivity data and material quantity. Then, based on the prior price, the price of each unit of rebar is projected for the duration of construction using the exponential smoothing method. After that, the MILP approach is used to generate an optimal steel bar procurement plan for limited storage space following the scheduled rebar-related operations. The developed strategy minimizes overall procurement costs and ensures the storage of rebar as per standard guidelines. An optimal rebar procurement and storage plan to construct a six-storied RC frame has been presented in this paper as a demonstrative example to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. This work partially satisfies a long-sought research need for establishing a comprehensive construction steel bar procurement system, making it a very useful source of information for practitioners and researchers. The proposed method can be used to minimize a key performance limitation that the conventional rebar procurement practice for crowded building sites may experience.4D BIM integrated optimization of construction steel bar procurement plan for limited storage capacity
Md. Tareq Hossain Khondoker, Md. Mehrab Hossain, Ayan Saha
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Due to its longer length compared to other construction materials and distinctive stacking patterns, obtaining construction steel bars in congested construction sites with limited storage capacity becomes challenging. Lack of storage space in crowded places prompts the need for building steel bar storage choice optimization. Therefore, this study aims to optimize the construction steel bar procurement plan by providing when and how much rebar to order and how to stack different sizes of rebar considering limited storage capacity.

A novel approach has been presented in this paper by integrating 4D building information modelling (BIM) and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). This technique uses BIM to retrieve material quantities, including rebar, during the design phase. Following that, activities are scheduled depending on the duration determined by crew productivity data and material quantity. Then, based on the prior price, the price of each unit of rebar is projected for the duration of construction using the exponential smoothing method. After that, the MILP approach is used to generate an optimal steel bar procurement plan for limited storage space following the scheduled rebar-related operations.

The developed strategy minimizes overall procurement costs and ensures the storage of rebar as per standard guidelines. An optimal rebar procurement and storage plan to construct a six-storied RC frame has been presented in this paper as a demonstrative example to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

This work partially satisfies a long-sought research need for establishing a comprehensive construction steel bar procurement system, making it a very useful source of information for practitioners and researchers. The proposed method can be used to minimize a key performance limitation that the conventional rebar procurement practice for crowded building sites may experience.

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4D BIM integrated optimization of construction steel bar procurement plan for limited storage capacity10.1108/CI-12-2022-0310Construction Innovation2024-01-22© 2024 Emerald Publishing LimitedMd. Tareq Hossain KhondokerMd. Mehrab HossainAyan SahaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2024-01-2210.1108/CI-12-2022-0310https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0310/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited
Contractor payment delays: a systematic review of current trends and future directionshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0317/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThe phenomenon of delayed payment to contractors, particularly in the construction industry, is a vital one and has implications for the health of economies of both developing and developed countries. However, the knowledge of this phenomenon seems patchy and scattered. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge on the subject matter with directions for future research. A systematic literature review coupled with a scientometric analysis was used to identify the main strands of delayed payment to contractor research as a basis for qualitative analysis and directions for future investigations. Current trends of delayed payment to contractor research are categorised into five broad themes, namely: causes, effects, mitigation measures, ethical and law and regulatory issues. On the basis of these themes, directions for future research are proffered. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comprehensive and an integrated knowledge on delayed payment to contractor research with pointers for further investigation and policy directions.Contractor payment delays: a systematic review of current trends and future directions
Ebenezer Adaku, Victor Osei-Poku, Jemima Antwiwaa Ottou, Adwoa Yirenkyi-Fianko
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

The phenomenon of delayed payment to contractors, particularly in the construction industry, is a vital one and has implications for the health of economies of both developing and developed countries. However, the knowledge of this phenomenon seems patchy and scattered. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge on the subject matter with directions for future research.

A systematic literature review coupled with a scientometric analysis was used to identify the main strands of delayed payment to contractor research as a basis for qualitative analysis and directions for future investigations.

Current trends of delayed payment to contractor research are categorised into five broad themes, namely: causes, effects, mitigation measures, ethical and law and regulatory issues. On the basis of these themes, directions for future research are proffered.

To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comprehensive and an integrated knowledge on delayed payment to contractor research with pointers for further investigation and policy directions.

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Contractor payment delays: a systematic review of current trends and future directions10.1108/CI-12-2022-0317Construction Innovation2023-03-03© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedEbenezer AdakuVictor Osei-PokuJemima Antwiwaa OttouAdwoa Yirenkyi-FiankoConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-03-0310.1108/CI-12-2022-0317https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0317/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
A critical review of quantity surveying education in an offsite construction perspective: strategies for up-skillinghttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0322/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestOffsite construction (OSC) is a modern method of construction (MMC) that involves manufacturing and assembly of buildings. Industry 4.0-driven technological advancements have accelerated OSC uptake causing many skilled construction workers requiring re-skilling or up-skilling. Quantity surveyors currently play an important role throughout a construction project life cycle, and hence, their knowledge on OSC projects is vital for the continuity of quantity surveying (QS) profession. The purpose of this paper is to critically review QS education in an OSC perspective and to propose strategies for up-skilling. This research includes a detailed literature review of QS and OSC to evaluate how OSC affects the QS profession. Publicly available information on the university websites on accredited QS and construction management degrees was reviewed to identify OSC and MMC references, specifically the content listing and learning outcomes. Out of the 315 degrees offered by 157 universities, only 69 degrees in 32 universities refer to OSC or MMC. OSC concept is explicitly referred in subjects related to construction technology, production management, lean construction, digital construction and MMC. As such, the research suggests including lean production principles, OSC techniques and design philosophies such as design for manufacture and assembly be added to the QS curricula. This research is a comprehensive desktop study that does not involve empirical data-based evaluation. Research findings inform strategies to improve QS education and professional competencies. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind that evaluates accredited QS degrees and learning requirements in an OSC perspective.A critical review of quantity surveying education in an offsite construction perspective: strategies for up-skilling
Buddhini Ginigaddara, Thayaparan Gajendran, Cameron Beard
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Offsite construction (OSC) is a modern method of construction (MMC) that involves manufacturing and assembly of buildings. Industry 4.0-driven technological advancements have accelerated OSC uptake causing many skilled construction workers requiring re-skilling or up-skilling. Quantity surveyors currently play an important role throughout a construction project life cycle, and hence, their knowledge on OSC projects is vital for the continuity of quantity surveying (QS) profession. The purpose of this paper is to critically review QS education in an OSC perspective and to propose strategies for up-skilling.

This research includes a detailed literature review of QS and OSC to evaluate how OSC affects the QS profession. Publicly available information on the university websites on accredited QS and construction management degrees was reviewed to identify OSC and MMC references, specifically the content listing and learning outcomes.

Out of the 315 degrees offered by 157 universities, only 69 degrees in 32 universities refer to OSC or MMC. OSC concept is explicitly referred in subjects related to construction technology, production management, lean construction, digital construction and MMC. As such, the research suggests including lean production principles, OSC techniques and design philosophies such as design for manufacture and assembly be added to the QS curricula.

This research is a comprehensive desktop study that does not involve empirical data-based evaluation. Research findings inform strategies to improve QS education and professional competencies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind that evaluates accredited QS degrees and learning requirements in an OSC perspective.

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A critical review of quantity surveying education in an offsite construction perspective: strategies for up-skilling10.1108/CI-12-2022-0322Construction Innovation2023-11-07© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedBuddhini GinigaddaraThayaparan GajendranCameron BeardConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-11-0710.1108/CI-12-2022-0322https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0322/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Sustainable supplier selection in a construction company: a new MCDM method based on dominance-based rough set analysishttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0324/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to focus on sustainable supplier selection in a construction company considering a new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on dominance-based rough set analysis. The inclusion of sustainability concept in industrial supply chains has started gaining momentum due to increased environmental protection awareness and social obligations. The selection of sustainable suppliers marks the first step toward accomplishing this objective. The problem of selecting the right suppliers fulfilling the sustainable requirements is a major MCDM problem since various conflicting factors are underplay in the selection process. The decision-makers are often confronted with inconsistent situations forcing them to make imprecise and vague decisions. This paper presents a new method based on dominance-based rough sets for the selection of right suppliers based on sustainable performance criteria relying on the triple bottom line approach. The method applied has its distinct advantages by providing more transparency in dealing with the preference information provided by the decision-makers and is thus found to be more intuitive and appealing as a performance measurement tool. The technique is easy to apply using “jrank” software package and devises results in the form of decision rules and ranking that further assist the decision-makers in making an informed decision that increases credibility in the decision-making process. The novelty of this study of its kind is that uses the dominance-based rough set approach for a sustainable supplier selection process.Sustainable supplier selection in a construction company: a new MCDM method based on dominance-based rough set analysis
Arpit Singh, Vimal Kumar, Pratima Verma
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to focus on sustainable supplier selection in a construction company considering a new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on dominance-based rough set analysis. The inclusion of sustainability concept in industrial supply chains has started gaining momentum due to increased environmental protection awareness and social obligations. The selection of sustainable suppliers marks the first step toward accomplishing this objective. The problem of selecting the right suppliers fulfilling the sustainable requirements is a major MCDM problem since various conflicting factors are underplay in the selection process. The decision-makers are often confronted with inconsistent situations forcing them to make imprecise and vague decisions.

This paper presents a new method based on dominance-based rough sets for the selection of right suppliers based on sustainable performance criteria relying on the triple bottom line approach. The method applied has its distinct advantages by providing more transparency in dealing with the preference information provided by the decision-makers and is thus found to be more intuitive and appealing as a performance measurement tool.

The technique is easy to apply using “jrank” software package and devises results in the form of decision rules and ranking that further assist the decision-makers in making an informed decision that increases credibility in the decision-making process.

The novelty of this study of its kind is that uses the dominance-based rough set approach for a sustainable supplier selection process.

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Sustainable supplier selection in a construction company: a new MCDM method based on dominance-based rough set analysis10.1108/CI-12-2022-0324Construction Innovation2023-05-11© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedArpit SinghVimal KumarPratima VermaConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-1110.1108/CI-12-2022-0324https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0324/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Unpacking the strategies to promote the implementation of automation techniques in the construction industryhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0332/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestThis study aims to identify and evaluate the key strategies to promote the implementation of automation techniques with reference to the Nigerian construction industry. Pragmatic philosophical thinking using a mixed-method approach (a combination of qualitative and quantitative) was adopted for this study. The qualitative strand of this research was achieved using a Delphi technique while a well-structured questionnaire conducted among 191 construction professionals was adopted to attain the quantitative strand. Obtained data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean item scores, Kruskal–Wallis H test and exploratory factor analysis (FA). Results revealed that the “provision of funding and subsidies for automation techniques” “mandatory automation policies and regulations,” “creating incentives for adoption,” “formulation of programs to promote awareness” and “deploying gamification to boost employee performance” were the top five strategies to promote the adoption of automation techniques. FA revealed four principal clusters, namely, awareness and publicity programs, government regulations and standards, provision of education and training and awards and recognition. This study provided a solid theoretical and empirical foundation that can be useful to construction industry stakeholders, decision-makers, policymakers and the government in mapping out strategies to promote the incorporation and deployment of automation and robotics in the construction industry. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first in developing countries and Nigeria to establish an ordered grouping structure of the strategies to promote the adoption of automation techniques.Unpacking the strategies to promote the implementation of automation techniques in the construction industry
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, John Aliu, Patricia Fadamiro, Prince Akanni, Paramjit Singh Jamir Singh, Mohamad Shaharudin Samsurijan
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

This study aims to identify and evaluate the key strategies to promote the implementation of automation techniques with reference to the Nigerian construction industry.

Pragmatic philosophical thinking using a mixed-method approach (a combination of qualitative and quantitative) was adopted for this study. The qualitative strand of this research was achieved using a Delphi technique while a well-structured questionnaire conducted among 191 construction professionals was adopted to attain the quantitative strand. Obtained data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean item scores, Kruskal–Wallis H test and exploratory factor analysis (FA).

Results revealed that the “provision of funding and subsidies for automation techniques” “mandatory automation policies and regulations,” “creating incentives for adoption,” “formulation of programs to promote awareness” and “deploying gamification to boost employee performance” were the top five strategies to promote the adoption of automation techniques. FA revealed four principal clusters, namely, awareness and publicity programs, government regulations and standards, provision of education and training and awards and recognition.

This study provided a solid theoretical and empirical foundation that can be useful to construction industry stakeholders, decision-makers, policymakers and the government in mapping out strategies to promote the incorporation and deployment of automation and robotics in the construction industry.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first in developing countries and Nigeria to establish an ordered grouping structure of the strategies to promote the adoption of automation techniques.

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Unpacking the strategies to promote the implementation of automation techniques in the construction industry10.1108/CI-12-2022-0332Construction Innovation2023-05-19© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedAyodeji Emmanuel OkeJohn AliuPatricia FadamiroPrince AkanniParamjit Singh Jamir SinghMohamad Shaharudin SamsurijanConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-05-1910.1108/CI-12-2022-0332https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0332/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited
Poka-Yoke to minimise variations: a framework for building projectshttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0343/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatestVariations due to errors and mistakes have caused cost overruns in building projects. Therefore, it is undeniable that the gravity of such variations will be a critical factor in deciding the success of any building project. In addition, the design stage of a building project is considered the most suitable stage to identify and mitigate the causes of potential variations. However, there are no proper mechanisms to minimise the frequency or gravity of variations. Many researchers experienced the promising essence of Poka-Yoke, a mistake-proofing method aimed at increasing efficiency by early detection and eradication of the causes of potential errors. However, less attention has been paid so far to implement Poka-Yoke principles to minimise variations in the building project. Therefore, this study aims to develop a framework to minimise variations in building projects through the integration of the Poka-Yoke principles. An interpretivism stance is adopted, and a qualitative research approach is used. The data collection technique adopted is semi-structured interviews with ten experts, and the data is analysed using code-based content analysis through NVivo12. Research findings revealed 23 causes of variations, categorised under client-originated, consultant-originated, contractor-originated and other variations. The identified causes were then mapped with the Poka-Yoke principles to develop the framework. The research findings could prove useful to researchers, academics, government agencies and construction professionals in developing nations that have demographic/cultural and socioeconomic characteristics such as Sri Lanka. The findings benefitted the Sri Lankan construction sector by minimising the causes of variations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study will be the first of its kind in the Sri Lankan construction industry, leading to a better understanding of the “Poka-Yoke” principle within the building construction context.Poka-Yoke to minimise variations: a framework for building projects
Nadeeshan Uhanovita A.C., Ranadewa K.A.T.O., Agana Parameswaran
Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-

Variations due to errors and mistakes have caused cost overruns in building projects. Therefore, it is undeniable that the gravity of such variations will be a critical factor in deciding the success of any building project. In addition, the design stage of a building project is considered the most suitable stage to identify and mitigate the causes of potential variations. However, there are no proper mechanisms to minimise the frequency or gravity of variations. Many researchers experienced the promising essence of Poka-Yoke, a mistake-proofing method aimed at increasing efficiency by early detection and eradication of the causes of potential errors. However, less attention has been paid so far to implement Poka-Yoke principles to minimise variations in the building project. Therefore, this study aims to develop a framework to minimise variations in building projects through the integration of the Poka-Yoke principles.

An interpretivism stance is adopted, and a qualitative research approach is used. The data collection technique adopted is semi-structured interviews with ten experts, and the data is analysed using code-based content analysis through NVivo12.

Research findings revealed 23 causes of variations, categorised under client-originated, consultant-originated, contractor-originated and other variations. The identified causes were then mapped with the Poka-Yoke principles to develop the framework. The research findings could prove useful to researchers, academics, government agencies and construction professionals in developing nations that have demographic/cultural and socioeconomic characteristics such as Sri Lanka.

The findings benefitted the Sri Lankan construction sector by minimising the causes of variations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study will be the first of its kind in the Sri Lankan construction industry, leading to a better understanding of the “Poka-Yoke” principle within the building construction context.

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Poka-Yoke to minimise variations: a framework for building projects10.1108/CI-12-2022-0343Construction Innovation2023-09-13© 2023 Emerald Publishing LimitedNadeeshan Uhanovita A.C.Ranadewa K.A.T.O.Agana ParameswaranConstruction Innovationahead-of-printahead-of-print2023-09-1310.1108/CI-12-2022-0343https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-12-2022-0343/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest© 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited