Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building - Conference Series
The Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building - Conference Series (AJCEB Conference Series) is a peer reviewed, open access publication, free to both readers and authors, publishing outstanding papers from selected conferences. Although associated with AJCEB, the AJCEB Conference Series is an independent publication which offers the organisers of selected conferences an opportunity to publish the very best papers from their conferences. Editorial Consultant Göran Runeson Editor Imriyas Kamardeen This journal is no longer accepting submissions. It ceased publication in December, 2014 and is now a UTS ePRESS Archived Title.
Australian Institute of Quantity Surveying
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: a) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. b) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. c) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access). Where authors include such a work in an institutional repository or on their website (ie. a copy of a work which has been published in a UTS ePRESS journal, or a pre-print or post-print version of that work), we request that they include a statement that acknowledges the UTS ePRESS publication including the name of the journal, the volume number and a web-link to the journal item. d) Authors should be aware that the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License permits readers to share (copy and redistribute the work in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the work) for any purpose, even commercially, provided they also give appropriate credit to the work, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. They may do these things in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests you or your publisher endorses their use.
Adoption of Solar Grid-Tied PV-System Adopted in a Residential Building
Emerging construction technologies focussing on the role and development of energy-conserving equipment can play a major role in solving a wide range of environmental and nature resource problems such as the greenhouse gas. Alternative energy is becoming a popular for property developers because of its potential of becoming more economically viable option when compared to current energy source-electricity. The objective of this research report is to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of adopting a solar energy technology specifically the solar grid-tied system by comparing the cost of initial investment and usage in a typical three bedroom residential building a conventional electricity power supply. Using a case study research approach, the research findings showed that the PV system is more cost-effective in the long term compared to the conversional electricity supply. Although the pre-investment is relatively high in the PV system, it is a reliable investment in the long-term. It is important to emphasise that the use energy efficient appliances, lighting, insulation and double glassing has enhanced the effectiveness of the system. Keywords: Photovoltaic system (PV); Solar energy; Cost-effectiveness
A Passive Rotary System for Seismic Risk Mitigation of Steel Structures
This paper presents a novel bracing system designed for earthquake risk mitigation for steel structures. It involves a rotary system which a Chebyshev linkage connected to the ground and the building frame. Upon earthquake excitation, movement of structure floor slabs causes a rotational motion in the disc. Displacement-based dampers are installed between the rotary system and the ground which damp the structural vibrations. The system amplifies the travel of the dampers and efficiency is enhanced. In addition, the cross-brace members are always in tension, permitting the use of very slender sections. The paper first reviews the governing equations of the system, followed by a physical model demonstration. A 3-degree-of-system model with the proposed rotary system was subjected to simulated ground shaking. Acceleration on top floor was measured. Results demonstrated that proposed system effectively supresses the vibrational characteristics of the structure, and represents a viable and inexpensive solution to mitigate seismic risks. Keywords: Earthquake engineering, passive energy dissipation
Understanding the Building Certification System: A Need for Accreditation Reform
The building and construction industry makes a major contribution to the New South Wales (NSW) economy, with an annual input of 7.6% during 2010 that is projected to rise to 8.4% in 2020. Irrespective of the sector’s growth potential, it is experiencing a severe skills shortage across a range of professions including building certification. Interestingly, the certification sector and the regulatory environment in which it operates is yet to receive rigorous attention in academia and industry. In the context of NSW, the role of the accredited certifier is multifaceted and involves confirming that building work complies with environmental planning controls and the National Construction Code. The Building Professionals Board (BPB) is the statutory body responsible for accrediting these professionals. The BPB is partnering with the University of Newcastle to ameliorate the current skills shortage through the development of an evaluation instrument regarding: certifiers seeking to upgrade to a higher level of accreditation but who do not have a recognised qualification and/or are unable to obtain the practical experience relevant to progression; and associated professionals who, although not accredited, wish to become a certifier but lack the recognised qualifications and/or experience. The proposed evaluation instrument will incorporate a mix of current technologies and approaches to address the current and likely future demographics of certifiers, and their preparedness to engage with and access novel IT technologies. This paper introduces the current certification environment and the technologies proposed to structure the evaluation instrument. Keywords: Key Words: construction, building surveying, accreditation, education, assessment.
Procurement Selection Model: Development of a Conceptual Model Based on Transaction Costs
Procurement is a major improvement area and a crucial element contributing to project success, and the selection of an optimal procurement system is an important and difficult step in project execution. The criteria for choosing suitable procurement methods are based on client’s objectives and priorities, and influenced by project constraints. The procurement path determination chart has largely dominated research in procurement selection process in construction. Eight factors need to be considered by the client when developing procurement selection criteria. At the procurement strategy the focus should be on factors such as cost, quality, and time, while at the procurement route the consideration should focus on complexity, certainty, risk, responsibility, and degree of control by the client. However, including certain criteria and ignoring the magnitude of transaction costs (TCs) associated with uncertainties in the transaction environment simplifies this process. This study addresses this shortcoming by combining evaluation criteria with TCs incurred because of external and internal environmental uncertainties in a theoretical model on procurement selection. This is achieved by developing a conceptual framework model based on TCs. Uncertainties in the transaction environment have a positive or negative impact on the magnitude of TCs such as information, procurement, administration, and enforcement. The model represents an analytical form of a suitable combination of factors influencing procurement systems, which guide procurement decisions. The model will increase understanding of how efficient procurement selection of construction projects can be achieved through appropriate procurement procedures, which could positively impact project performance. Keywords: Construction, Procurement systems, Transaction costs
Innovate or Perish? Exploring some of the Myths of Construction Innovation
The construction innovation literature suggests that managers face a stark choice. They can innovate or perish in the face of growing global competition and an increasingly uncertain and dynamic world. Innovation is presented as a key area of reform needed to raise business performance, yet at the same time it is argued that Australia is falling behind in the global innovation stakes. Evidence suggests that the Australian Construction sector is a poor innovation performer when compared to all-industry averages and contributes relatively little to the national innovation effort. Drawing on international innovation research, this paper argues that these views are overly simplistic and explores some of the myths that surround the process in the construction industry. Through interviews with some of Australia’s leading innovators and policy-makers it suggests that many of the factors that are said to drive innovation are not as straight forward as they may seem. There are important qualifications to consider and it would seem that construction innovation is a highly interactive and amorphous process, involving many people with multiple interests dealing with day-to-day challenges. Keywords: Innovation, opportunism, strategy, risk.
Establishment of Performance Scales for Team Integration Assessment
The increased use of the alliance model in recent years highlights the importance of integration practice among multi-disciplinary teams, as it promotes a collaborative culture and the continuity of equitable relationships to improve project performance. If continuous improvement in project alliances is to be achieved through the use of integrated teams, then a means of assessing how well teams integrate and how team integration changes over time, needs to be introduced. In response to that need, an Alliance Team Integration Performance Index (ATIPI) has been developed as part of a wider study to develop an assessment tool for team integration in road construction alliance projects in New Zealand. In this paper, a set of Key Indicators (KIs) of team integration practice and the Quantitative Measures (QMs) for each KI are first introduced and then, in order to enhance the associated ATIPI model, the establishment of scales for the performance levels, namely ‘poor’, ‘average’, ‘good’, ‘very good’ and ‘excellent’, for each KI are described. The establishment of performance scales will help ensure that the assessment of team integration practice is quantified in a consistent and objective manner. Keywords: Alliance, Assessment, New Zealand, Performance Scales, Team Integration
Bio-inspired Parametric Design for Adaptive Stadium Façades
The challenge of developing sustainable, adaptive architecture requires unconventional approaches to innovative knowledge about composition and dynamic interaction between building façades and environmental conditions. These approaches are often inspired by biology, its complex fine-tuned behaviour and integration of living systems. This paper proposes a system inspired from the optics of reflecting superposition compound eyes to create responsive façade structures that capture and distribute daylight within a building in response to the movement of the sun. This is investigated using the parametric reshaping of a building envelop as part of solar radiation and target ray simulations. The prototype façade system is capable of adapting to different functional needs, locations, times of the day, and other contextual conditions. Keywords: Biomimetics, kinetic/adaptive façades, reflecting superposition compound eyes
Model of Absorptive Capacity and Implementation of New Technology for Rural Construction SMEs
Absorptive capacity has been acknowledged as a critical component for organisations to sustain, grow and compete in their markets. Many researchers have used the concept of absorptive capacity in their analysis at different levels: individual, organisation, industry and country. However, most of the studies focus on very large organisations with sophisticated structures and strong R&D orientation. Very few studies address the theory of absorptive capacity in the context of SME organisations. This paper presents part of the findings of research that investigated absorptive capacity in the context of Malaysian rural construction SMEs. The aim of this paper is to prescribe a model of absorptive capacity for rural construction SMEs. The model is based on validation drawn from five case studies of construction SMEs operating in the rural area in Malaysia. The developed model serves two functions: Firstly, to help rural construction SMEs to understand the issues and process related to absorptive capacity and the implementation, and use of, new technology; secondly, to provide a mechanism for policy makers to transfer new technology to rural contractors. This research contributes to the body of knowledge of absorptive capacity by highlighting issues related to absorptive capacity and implementation of new technology in the context of rural SMEs. Keywords: Absorptive Capacity, Malaysia, Rural Construction, Small and medium sized enterprise (SME).
Innovative Unit Delivery – The Supported Cloud
Deakin University has recently moved to an academic calendar of three trimesters. This change aims to provide students with greater flexibility to plan their study around work or life commitments, create options for students to commence their degree and enable students to fast track their study. It has been found for students in the Bachelor of Construction Management that engagement and satisfaction during summer (Trimester 3) are less than when those same units are delivered during other trimesters. This research addresses the use of Supported Cloud learning to improve learning and the relationship with students. The School of Architecture and Built Environment used two units as case studies to examine different innovative unit delivery strategies that combined cloud and located learning. The research design included evaluation surveys, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews as well as reflection by participating teachers. The findings show that students’ results are improved when the cloud based learning is supported by well-developed resources, structured delivery and availability of some face-to-face contacts. This innovation will serve as a benchmark for Cloud delivery in the School in all trimesters. Keywords: Flexible Delivery, Construction Management Education, Cloud Learning, Located Learning
A Competency Knowledge-Base for BIM Learning
Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools and workflows continue to proliferate within the Design, Construction and Operation (DCO) industry. To equip current and future industry professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in collaborative workflows and integrated project deliverables, it is important to identify the competencies that need to be taught at educational institutions or trained on the job. Expanding upon a collaborative BIM education framework pertaining to a national BIM initiative in Australia, this paper introduces a conceptual workflow to identify, classify, and aggregate BIM competency items. Acting as a knowledge-base for BIM learners and learning providers, the aggregated competency items can be used to develop BIM learning modules to satisfy the learning requirements of varied audiences - be they students, practitioners, tradespeople or managers. This competency knowledge-base will facilitate a common understanding of BIM deliverables and their requirements, and support the national efforts to promote BIM learning. Keywords:BIM competency, BIM education, BIM learning modules, competency knowledge-base, learning triangle.
Effective Project Scheduling Under Workspace Congestion and Workflow Disturbance Factors
Effective project management implies the use of advanced planning and scheduling methods that allow to determine feasible sequences of activities and to complete a project on time and on budget. Traditional scheduling tools like fundamental Critical Path Method (CPM) and various methods for Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) and Time Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (TCPSP) have many shortcomings for construction projects where spatial factor plays a critically important role. Previous attempts to interpret space as a specific resource were successful for particular problems of line-of-balance scheduling, space scheduling, dynamic layout planning, horizontal and vertical logic scheduling, workspace congestion mitigating, scheduling multiple projects with movable resources, spatial scheduling of repeated and grouped activities and motion planning. However, none of these methods considers the spatio-temporal requirements in a holistic framework of generic RCPSP problem and provides feasible results accounting for workspace and workflow factors. In this paper we start with the classical RCPSP statement and then present mathematically strong formalisation of the extended generalised problem, taking into account workspace congestion and workflow disturbance constraints specified in practically meaningful and computationally constructive ways. For the generalised RCPSP problem an effective scheduling method is proposed. The method tends to minimise the project makespan while satisfying timing constraints and precedence relations, not exceeding resource utilisation limits, avoiding workspace congestions and keeping workflows continuous. The method reuses so-called serial scheduling scheme and provides for additional computational routines and heuristic priority rules to generate feasible schedules satisfying all the imposed requirements. Advantages of the method and prospects for its application to industrial needs are outlined in the paper too.
Resource-constrained project scheduling problem
Performance Study on Natural Marker Detection for Augmented Reality Supported Facility Maintenance
The operation and maintenance phase is the longest and most expensive life-cycle period of building facilities. Operators need to perform activities to provide a comfortable living and working environment and to upkeep equipment to prevent functionality failures. For that purpose they manually browse, sort and select dispersed and unformatted facility information before actually going on the site. Although some software tools have been introduced, they still spent 50% of the on-site work on inspection target localization and navigation. To improve these manual, time consuming and tedious procedures, the authors previously presented a framework that uses BIM-based Augmented Reality (AR) to support facility maintenance tasks. The proposed workflow contains AR supported activities, namely AR-based indoor navigation and AR-based maintenance instructions. An inherent problem of AR is marker definition and detection. As introduced, indoor natural markers such as exit signs, fire extinguisher location signs, and appliances’ labels were identified to be suitable for both navigation and maintenance instructions. However, small markers, changing lighting conditions, low detection frame rates and accuracies might prevent the proposed approach from being practical. In this paper the performance of natural marker detection will be evaluated under different configurations, varying marker types, marker sizes, camera resolutions and lighting conditions. The detection performance will be measured using pre-defined metrics incorporating detection accuracy, tracking quality, frame rates, and robustness. The result will be a set of recommendations on what configurations are most suitable and practical within the given framework.
Discrete-Event Simulation versus Constrained Graphic Modelling of Construction Processes
Effective construction project planning and control requires the development of a model of the project’s construction processes. The Critical Path Method (CPM) is the most popular project modelling method in construction since it is relatively simple to use and reasonably versatile in terms of the range of processes it can represent. Several other modelling techniques have been developed over the years, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Linear scheduling, for example, has been designed to provide highly insightful visual representations of a construction process, but unfortunately is largely incapable of representing non-repetitive construction work. Discrete-event simulation is generally agreed to be the most versatile of all modelling methods, but it lacks the simplicity in use of CPM and so has not been widely adopted in construction. A new graphical constraint-based method of modelling construction processes, Foresight, has been developed with the goal of offering the simplicity in use of CPM, the visual insight of linear scheduling, and the versatility of simulation. Earlier work has demonstrated the modelling versatility of Foresight. As part of a continuing study, this paper focuses on a comparison of the Foresight approach with discrete-event construction simulation methods, specifically Stroboscope (a derivative of CYCLONE). Foresight is shown to outperform Stroboscope in terms of the simplicity of the resultant models for a series of case studies involving a number of variants of an earthmoving operation and of a sewer tunnelling operation. A qualitative comparison of the two approaches also highlights the superior visual insight provided by Foresight over conventional simulation, an attribute essential to both the effective verification and optimization of a model.
A Web3D Enabled Information Integration Framework for Facility Management
Managing capital oil and gas and civil engineering facilities requires a large amount of heterogeneous information that is generated by different project stakeholders across the facility lifecycle phases and is stored in various databases and technical documents. The amount of information reaches its peak during the commissioning and handover phases when the project is handed over to the operator. The operational phase of facilities spans multiple decades and the way facilities are used and maintained have a huge impact on costs, environment, productivity, and health and safety. Thus, the client and the operator bear most of the additional costs associated with incomplete, incorrect or not immediately usable information. Web applications can provide quick and convenient access to information regardless of user location. However, the integration and delivery of engineering information, including 3D content, over the Web is still at its infancy and is affected by numerous technical (i.e. data and tools) and procedural (i.e. process and people) challenges. This paper addresses the technical issues and proposes a Web3D enabled information integration framework that delivers engineering information together with 3D content without any plug-ins. In the proposed framework, a class library defines the engineering data requirements and a semi-structured database provides means to integrate heterogeneous technical asset information. This framework also enables separating the 3D model content into fragments, storing them together with the digital assets and delivering to the client browser on demand. Such framework partially alleviates the current limitations of the JavaScript based 3D content delivery such as application speed and latency. Hence, the proposed framework is particularly valuable to petroleum and civil engineering companies working with large amounts of data.
Guest Editors: Imriyas Kamardeen, Sidney Newton, Benson Lim & Martin Loosemore
Construction Pathways: Attracting the Missing Students and Workers to University
The Commonwealth Government has the increased participation of under-represented groups to a 20% diversity target for Australian universities. It also has minimum targets of 40% of all Australians (25-34 years) holding a Bachelor’s degree by 2020. These targets are baseline items in a government agenda of improving educational outcomes for Australians and pivotal in addressing skill shortages in industries such as construction. In construction there is a skewing of skill shortages to the higher order or post entry level skills. Demand for higher skilled occupations such as construction managers, outstrips demand for construction trades (DEEWR, 2010). But whilst 41% of the industry have VET qualifications, only 10% possess HE qualifications in construction. Movement between the VET and HE sectors is low: of all construction students qualifying at AQF 4, less than 10% continue on to higher education and less than 1% of VET qualified persons in the construction workforce seek re-entry to university. This paper examines national data in construction education pathways and evaluates, using the DEMO matrix, the enablers in pathways to HE qualifications. The evaluation is based upon survey responses of two cohorts entering higher education from non-traditional pathways- articulating VET students and mature-aged workers. The results indicate that pathway programmes into construction degrees can attract non-traditional cohorts, but elements such as learner engagement, confidence, people-rich resources and collaboration are critical features of successful pathways.
Paving the Road for Sustainable Construction in Developing Countries: A Study of the Jordanian Construction Industry
There is an increasing pressure on governments of developing economies to support sustainable construction procurement. In exploring this issue, this research asks three related questions: (1) how is sustainable procurement perceived in developing economies, (2) how can government regulation influence its application, and (3) what is the role of performance measurement in stimulating sustainable procurement practices? Answers are sought via an investigation exploring the underlying issues and challenges facing the construction industry of a developing country looking to address sustainable procurement. Using primary and secondary data sources, this research presents a case study of the Jordanian construction industry. Findings show that whilst sustainable procurement practices are promoted, it is still in its infancy - in part due to ineffective procurement frameworks and a lack of performance measurement. Current government regulations and policies are identified as an underlying cause, discouraging the development and adoption of sustainable procurement methods. As the Jordanian construction industry shares characteristics with other developing economies, it is expected that the findings of this paper will be of interest to professionals in those construction industries attempting to initiate sustainable procurement via performance measurement.
Does Vocational Guidance Become Gendered When Discussing Construction?
The Australian construction industry is highly reliant on the local labour force and those employed within it undertake a wide variety of roles ranging from labouring to management. In the past 20 years construction has seen record levels of employment; however lack of skilled labour is becoming problematic. Australia, like most industrialised countries, has an ageing population due to falling birth rates, increased life expectancy and the ageing of the large post-World War II ‘baby boom’ generation. Deciding on a career is one of the most fundamental activities in a young person’s life and the role of the school career counsellor is crucial in this process. This research examined secondary school career counsellor’s knowledge of construction, their perceptions of it as a good career choice and how often they directed male and female students to investigate construction as a career. Comparisons using paired t-tests found career counsellors perceived construction to be a better career option for young men, and directed them more frequently than women, to explore construction careers. The findings also indicate that an educative model, where students and counsellors gain firsthand knowledge from people working in the industry, may counter negative gender stereotypes associated with this area of work and encourage more young people, both male and female, to consider a career in the construction industry.
Engineering Sketching: A Valuable Teaching Tool in Construction
Sketching in general engineering and science has been “outmanoeuvred” by computer graphics while still holding on in architectural engineering as a tool to think about spatial relationships, allowing the students to develop conceptual designs quicker than any CAD. Moreover, a recent paper reported that sketching helped students in geology develop critical thinking skills. Based on students’ feedback, it was concluded that it led to a deeper understanding of important concepts. Should it surprise us that psychological research shows that sketching facilitates inference, discovery and learning? This paper presents a model for creating and assessing assignments that uses engineering sketching to teach and learn in a second year course at UNSW, CVEN2101-Engineering Construction. The class focuses on studying key principles related to the safe and effective utilization of construction equipment such as trucks, excavators, cranes and temporary structures. Students faced the challenge to investigate how the physics and math relate to digging, lifting and the creation of large forces while keeping labourers safe. The concept of forensic engineering had to be used to study the cause of accidents. The developed model includes various measurements and proper motion paths, in an attempt to quantify the level of understanding. It is felt, that based on the findings of this study, that engineering sketching not only allows inventing new mechanisms, as Leonardo da Vinci did, but equally important, provides a valuable and reliable tool to teach and learn construction engineering.
Sustainable Retirement Living: What Matters?
There is a growing demand for sustainable retirement villages in Australia due to an increasing number of ageing population and public acceptance of sustainable development. This research aims to gain a better understanding of retirees’ understanding about sustainable retirement living and their attitudes towards sustainable developments via a questionnaire survey approach. The results showed that the current residents of retirement villages are generally very conscious of unsustainable resource consumption and would like their residences and community to be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The cost of energy supply is a concern to majority of respondents. However there is a certain level of concerns from residents too on the extra cost of going green in their residence. Education is required to residents about recycling household waste and how to use available facilities. A better understanding of retirees’ awareness and attitudes towards sustainability issues helps to improve the sustainable developments of retirement villages in the future.
The Impacts of Housing Affordability on Social and Economic Sustainability in Beijing
China has undergone significant housing price growth since its 1998’s policy reformation – triggering housing affordability issues in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Although studies have been done to investigate Chinese cities’ housing market policies, it appears that hitherto little is known about the effect of housing affordability on the cities’ social and economic sustainability. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationships among housing affordability, macro-economic performance and socio-demographic trends in Beijing. Under this aim, the specific objectives are to: examine Beijing’s housing market performance, housing affordability, economic development and socio-demographic trends; and model the relationships among housing affordability, economic performance and socio-demographic trends in Beijing. Twelve years of retrospective census data from National Bureau of Statistics of China were collated and analysed. The results show that economic growth is positively influenced by housing affordability. However, it is shown that low level of housing affordability could lead to economic and social un-sustainability. This research informs urban planners and researchers about the effect of housing affordability on a nation’s urban economic and social development, offering a new plausible insight towards developing a sustainable housing market.
The Use of Engineering Sketching and Journaling to Foster Deep Understanding of Construction: an Exploratory Study
In today’s teaching environment where students’ main focus is on getting a high mark for a class, deep understanding has taken a backseat. Being able to answer as many exam preparation questions as possible and fulfilling all the criteria on an assignment will guarantee success. “I deserve a higher mark because I worked hard in this class,” are the arguments one hears after the final marks are published. How about understanding the new material presented in the class? Engineering sketching and journaling have been hailed by experienced engineers as tools to enhance thinking and communication. The authors of the paper report about their utilization as teaching tools to foster deep understanding in a course on construction equipment and methods. While topics like equipments economics, power transmission and safety benefit from graphing in two-axis coordinate systems, understanding the best path of a backhoe bucket during a trenching operation is impossible to describe in words. Of course, understanding has several components: a) WHY do we use a backhoe excavator and not a trencher, b) WHAT are the possible three link motion paths and their related force vectors, c) HOW can the operator control the path of the bucket, and d) WHAT-IF there are utilities buried in the ground?
The Planning and Implementation of Computer-based Games for Project Risk Management Education: A Preliminary Case Study
This paper reports the preliminary stages of an action research project for the design, development and assessment of a computer-based game for student learning about project risk management. A computer game was created through the use of systems dynamic software (Simsoft) incorporating a land development project. The game was played by final year undergraduate construction management students who had to make decisions in identifying, assessing and managing project risks. A survey of their experience found: that most students had not experienced this form of online educational game previously in their studies despite the ubiquity of information technology for learning purposes in the university sector; there was no strong support for the idea that the acquisition of knowledge was better compared to conventional learning through lectures and books; the computer-based experience was enjoyable thus indicating it drew them into the learning environment; and student testing found they had gained understanding of the project risk management process.
The Role of Industry Based Learning in a Construction Management Program
Increasingly university administrations are questioning the value of industry experience during a construction management undergraduate program. It is suggested that such work experience is difficult for academics to assess. It may also be unavailable to some students and not closely related to formal learning outcomes. As a result there is pressure to remove the requirement from the graduation eligibility process at many universities. For those who believe that an understanding of the industry context is critical to the development of a construction graduate, there is a need to provide evidence of the breadth and effectiveness of industry experience undertaken by undergraduates. Such evidence may be gleaned from the documents provided by students to support their completion of the required amount of industry experience. Logbooks and employer letters from the last four years at one university were examined and encoded using NVIVO9™ text analysis software. The resulting data indicates that current students are employed throughout the industry in a wide variety of roles and in many types of companies. There is some evidence that the type of experience gained in top tier companies is qualitatively different from that gained elsewhere. There is no indication that student employment is clustered at the low skilled end of the spectrum. Indeed, there is evidence that some students gain positions of considerable responsibility well before they graduate with an undergraduate degree. As such it may well be worth consideration that a specific hierarchy of industry roles be established for students to aim for during their study period. This research suggests that this question merits further discussed between industry advisors and academic providers.
Work Integrated Learning and the Case for a “Student-Industry Network” in Undergraduate Construction Management Programs
The term “work ready graduates” is commonly used by Universities to describe students who have been well prepared and who can seamlessly enter professional practice. It is an ideal that is simpler said than achieved in reality. Students in construction management often work and study concurrently but this is often undertaken in an ad hoc way that does not derive the benefits of the potential synergy between the two. The paper explores the need to create such synergy by operationalising Work Integrated Learning concepts and the issues and conditions involved in implementing at the study-work interface for construction management students. The extant literature is used to build the case and identify relevant issues that need to be addressed in the context of contemporary higher education thinking. Research findings are presented from the perspective of the university sector, the student and the industry. Based on findings and insights from these stakeholders, the paper proposes a means of enabling Work Integrated Learning via a structured student-industry network. The brief for such a network is introduced with a view to real world application.
Causes and Effects of Delays and Disruptions in Construction Projects in Tanzania
Delays and disruptions are among the challenges faced in the course of executing construction projects. Delays as well as disruptions are sources of potential risks that current studies are looking into ways to manage such as technical, social, economic, legal, financial, resource, construction and commercial. The purpose of this research is to assess causes and effects and disruptions in construction projects. This study is descriptive, designed to obtain views from clients, consulting firms, regulatory boards and construction firms in regard to causes and effects of delays in construction projects. Two sampling techniques were used to select respondents namely: purposive and random sampling. Literature review, questionnaires and interviews techniques were used to collect data for the study. Findings reveal that the main causes of delays and disruptions are: design changes, delays in payment to contractors, information delays, funding problems, poor project management, compensation issues and disagreement on the valuation of work done. On the other hand, time overrun, cost overrun, negative social impact, idling resources and disputes are the main effects of delays and disruptions. The study concludes that there still exist a number of causes of delays and disruptions and their effects put construction projects at great risk that have an effect on their performance. It is therefore recommended that adequate construction budget, timely issuing of information, finalization of design and project management skills should be the main focus of the parties in project procurement process.
Towards the Integration of Risk and Value Management
Governments are increasingly faced with the challenge of delivering infrastructure developments under difficult budget constraints. Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are being used widely as a means of meeting public infrastructure demands through private finance. The aim is to achieve value for money (VfM) through the allocation of risks to the party who can manage them more effectively. If project risks are not well managed, the project will face cost, quality and time overruns thereby affecting the viability of the project. Both Risk Management (RM) and Value Management (VM) are considered to be best practice in project management and enable organisations to define objectives when delivering complex projects whilst reducing risk and maximising value. Over the years researchers and practitioners have argued that the integration of RM and VM in a single study would avoid duplication of work and deliver better value for money thereby leading to better project outcomes. As part of an on-going doctoral study into the integration of risk management and value management in PPP projects, this paper attempts to examine the application of risk and value management practice in infrastructure development projects, predominantly in PPP projects, through semi-structured interviews conducted as a qualitative research methodology with ten industry practitioners. To achieve this aim, this paper attempts to identify the similarities between the two processes along with the benefits and critical success factors for the integration of RM and VM in PPP projects. The results suggest that, although risk and value management activities are said to be used in projects; “formal” RM and VM studies are rarely undertaken. The observations to date suggest that, although there are barriers against the integration of VM and RM, there is a need for the development of a systematic process to enable the integration of risk and value management to occur.
Disaster Restoration Projects: A Conceptual Project Management Perspective
Disaster events create significant challenges for all those involved with affected people and communities having many needs in the ensuing period. One of the major needs is that of reinstating the built environment back to its original pre-disaster condition. That is the restoration and reconstruction of damaged structures. This paper particularly focuses in on the repair and mitigation aspect. These are termed disaster restoration projects and are thought to contain many unique problems not found within conventional construction. The area of project management is continually attracting interest from various sectors. This is mainly due to its perceived value within the business world. Hence, it seems worthwhile that the emerging disaster restoration field look to project management principles and knowledge for possible benefits. With this in mind this study initially presents some background in respect to disasters, restoration and project management. It then follows on to provide a commentary on the topic examining project organization, stakeholders, life cycles, processes and project management knowledge areas. The commentary is founded within project management best practice. Disaster restoration projects would appear to have their own unique attributes and problems. As such, examining disaster restoration projects through a project management lens provides an opportunity to enhance knowledge within this field. It is believed that the application of recognized project management concepts can lead to improved outcomes. This study should prove useful to those involved in disaster restoration projects across the developed and developing world.