Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Dutch Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klein Woolthuis, R.J.A.

2010-01-01

This article discusses the strategies that sustainable entrepreneurs use to interact with their environment in the Dutch construction industry. The Dutch construction industry is under great pressure to move towards sustainability, and entrepreneurs are believed to be able to play a large role in

Sustainable entrepreneurship in the Dutch construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klein Woolthuis, R.J.A.

2010-01-01

This article discusses the strategies that sustainable entrepreneurs use to interact with their environment in the Dutch construction industry. The Dutch construction industry is under great pressure to move towards sustainability, and entrepreneurs are believed to be able to play a large role in

Enablers of Innovation in the Construction Material Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wandahl, Søren; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann; Jacobsen, Alexia

2014-01-01

, which creates a strong interdependence between the different supply network partners and can be seen as a hindrance for innovation. Innovation models must embrace such a contemporary business structures, where competition often takes place between supply chains rather than between individual companies......The construction material industry is often acknowledged as slightly more innovative than the overall construction industry and could hence serve as a valuable learning place for how innovation could flourish in the construction industry. Construction is viewed as network or supply chain based......, it was found that different approaches for facilitating this journey exists, based on company characteristics. This paper adds to the body of knowledge on how to succeed with innovation in the construction industry. The increased awareness of an open and cooperative approach to innovation is of value both...

Occupational fatalities due to electrocutions in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Janicak, Christopher A

2008-01-01

Occupational fatalities due to contact with electricity account for approximately 9% of all deaths in the construction industry and is the fourth leading cause of death in this industry. Differences in the proportions of electrocutions in the construction industry are significantly different from other industries based upon the age of the worker and the source of the electricity. This study found that, in the construction industry, the proportion of occupational fatalities due to contact with electric current is significantly higher for workers in the 16 to 19 years old age group. Contact with overhead power lines occurred more frequently with younger workers, while contact with electric wiring, transformers, and related equipment was found to occur more frequently with older workers. The proportion of fatalities due to this event was also found to account for a significantly greater proportion of fatalities in the construction industry overall. The proportions of electrocution fatalities in the construction industry were found to be significantly higher for younger workers when compared to all other industries. Focusing prevention measures toward younger workers who work near overhead power lines could have a significant impact upon death rates. For older workers, the focus should be on those who work on or near transformers, electrical wiring, and components. Across the construction industry, implementation of effective lockout-tagout programs, and verification of energy isolation, can prevent approximately 125 fatalities per year in the construction industry.

State of the art on construction automation and robotic system in domestic and foreign construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sung Uk; Seo, Yong Chil; Jung, Seung Ho; Cho, Jai Wan; Choi, Young Soo

2007-08-01

In this report, we review the existing concept of construction automation and also survey the state of the art on construction automation and robotic system in domestic and foreign construction industry. On the basis of the result of review and survey, we want to suggest an applicable robotic technology to construction industry and points to be duly considered for activating construction automation. We investigate the state of the art on construction automation and robotic system in domestic and foreign construction industry and also applicable area and direction of domestic construction automation and robotic system. We hope that construction automation and robotic technology, which are improved rapidly nowadays, can contribute to the growth of construction industry

Occupational accidents: a perspective of pakistan construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, T.H.; Khahro, S.H.; Memon, F.A.

2014-01-01

It has been observed that the construction industry is one of the notorious industry having higher rate of facilities and injuries. Resulting in higher financial losses and work hour losses, which are normally faced by this industry due to occupational accidents. Construction industry has the highest occupational accidents rate recorded throughout the world after agriculture industry. The construction work site is often a busy place having an incredibly high account of activities taking place, where everyone is moving in frenzy having particular task assigned. In such an environment, occupational accidents do occur. This paper gives information about different types of occupational accidents and their causes in the construction industry of Pakistan. A survey has been carried out to identify the types of occupational accidents often occur at construction site. The impact of each occupational accident has also been identified. The input from the different stakeholders involved on the work site was analyzed using RIW (Relative Importance Weight) method. The findings of this research show that fall from elevation, electrocution from building power and snake bite are the frequent occupational accidents occur within the work site where as fall from elevation, struck by, snake bite and electrocution from faulty tool are the occupational accident with high impact within the construction industry of Pakistan. The results also shows the final ranking of the accidents based on higher frequency and higher impact. Poor Management, Human Element and Poor Site Condition are found as the root causes leading to such occupational accidents. Hence, this paper identify that what type of occupational accidents occur at the work place in construction industry of pakistan, in order to develop the corrective actions which should be adequate enough to prevent the re-occurrence of such accidents at work site. (author)

Management for Construction Materials and Control of Construction Waste in Construction Industry: A Review

OpenAIRE

A. A. Gulghane; Prof P. V. Khandve

2015-01-01

In recent treads a wide range of building materials is available for the construction of civil engineering structures. The total cost of materials may be up to 60% or more of the total cost incurred in construction project dependent upon the type of project. Effective construction materials management is a key to success for a construction project. Construction waste is another serious problem in construction industry. A large and various types of construction waste with different...

Construction industry accidents in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Camino López, Miguel A; Ritzel, Dale O; Fontaneda, Ignacio; González Alcantara, Oscar J

2008-01-01

This paper analyzed industrial accidents that take place on construction sites and their severity. Eighteen variables were studied. We analyzed the influence of each of these with respect to the severity and fatality of the accident. This descriptive analysis was grounded in 1,630,452 accidents, representing the total number of accidents suffered by workers in the construction sector in Spain over the period 1990-2000. It was shown that age, type of contract, time of accident, length of service in the company, company size, day of the week, and the remainder of the variables under analysis influenced the seriousness of the accident. IMPACT ON INJURY PREVENTION: The results obtained show that different training was needed, depending on the severity of accidents, for different age, length of service in the company, organization of work, and time when workers work. The research provides an insight to the likely causes of construction injuries in Spain. As a result of the analysis, industries and governmental agencies in Spain can start to provide appropriate strategies and training to the construction workers.

The image of the construction industry and its employment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Peer reviewed and revised November. 2016. Abstract. As the construction industry does not seem to .... in order to survive or reduce costs, construction companies had ... the Construction Industry Development Board Act with promoting.

The role of leaders' paradigm in construction industry change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pries, Frens; Doree, Andries G.; van der Veen, Bas; van der Veen, Bas; Vrijhoef, Ruben

2004-01-01

As in other industries, firms in the construction industry need to become more client- and market-oriented. In the last decade, several initiatives have been taken to change the construction industry in that direction. The changes, however, seem to be slower than other industries and less

Occupational Accidents: A Perspective of Pakistan Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tauha Hussain Ali

2014-07-01

Full Text Available It has been observed that the construction industry is one of the notorious industry having higher rate of fatalities and injuries. Resulting in higher financial losses and work hour losses, which are normally faced by this industry due to occuptional accidents. Construction industry has the highest occupational accidents rate recorded throughout the world after agriculture industry. The construction work site is often a busy place having an incredibly high account of activities taking place, where everyone is moving in frenzy having particular task assigned. In such an environment, occupational accidents do occur. This paper gives information about different types of occupational accidents & their causes in the construction industry of Pakistan. A survey has been carried out to identify the types of occupational accidents often occur at construction site. The impact of each occupational accident has also been identified. The input from the different stakeholders involved on the work site was analyzed using RIW (Relative Importance Weight method. The findings of this research show that ?fall from elevation, electrocution from building power and snake bite? are the frequent occupational accidents occur within the work site where as ?fall from elevation, struck by, snake bite and electrocution from faulty tool? are the occupational accident with high impact within the construction industry of Pakistan. The results also shows the final ranking of the accidents based on higher frequency and higher impact. Poor Management, Human Element and Poor Site Condition are found as the root causes leading to such occupational accidents. Hence, this paper

SPECIFICITY IN DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. S. Golubova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Specificity in development of construction industry of the Republic of Belarus determines  character of competition on the construction market, forms a pricing, marketing and product policy of building companies. Construction represents itself as a highly developed complex where interaction of business entities is of rather complicated multilateral character.

Evaluation of IT in the Danish Construction Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Jan Lambrecht

1999-01-01

How are companies in the Danish construction industry identifying the value achieved by investing in and using information technology (IT)? This question has become more important and is the subject of this paper.The construction industry has characteristics which may have some influence on how...... companies manage (and evaluate) their IT systems and what their requirements are. With the aim of identifying the sophistication of IT evaluation a questionnaire has been sent to 648 Danish companies in the construction industry. Primarily findings in the area of IT strategy and evaluation of IT systems...... are presented in this paper. The findings are compared with other related surveys and some comparisons will be made between these.The analysis of the survey indicates in general that the evaluation of IT is unsophisticated and insufficient in the construction industry. These indications are, however, found...

The supply chain of civil construction industries for support the nuclear power plant construction in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharu Dewi; Sriyana; Moch-Djoko Birmano; Sahala Lumbanraja; Nurlaila

2013-01-01

The use of domestic products for electricity infrastructure has been set out in the Ministerial Decree number: 54/M-IND/PER/3/2012, but the infrastructure of nuclear power plants (NPP) construction has not been included. Therefore, the potential of the local industries needs to be mapped it especially supply chain of civil construction industries to estimate the capability of the local component level (DCL) at the nuclear power plant project in Indonesia. NPP is a high-technology so that if NPP will be constructed, it is necessary to involve the national capability as media technology transfer, especially for EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) services. Civil construction (civil part) play role is very large, about 21%. Therefore it is necessary in particular the role of the national civil construction industry to increase the capability of local content. Preparation of Civil construction infrastructure are depend on the supply chain of raw materials. The aim of the research was to map the supply chain of the civil construction industries. Methodology this study is a survey of national industries, literature review, and searching web site. The result study is a map of civil construction industries with raw material supply chain. (author)

Evaluation of IT in the Danish Construction Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Jan Lambrecht

1999-01-01

This report presents data on how companies from the Danish construction industry evaluate new IT investments and their existing IT systems.A questionnaire has therefore been sent to 648 Danish companies in the construction industry in order collect and analyse data on the current sophistication...... of IT evaluation practice.The analysis of the survey indicates in general that the evaluation of IT is unsophisticated and insufficient in the Danish construction industry. Several companies in the survey conduct evaluation of some IT investments, but often using informal procedures. However very few companies do...

Achieving Supply Chain Integration within Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter McDermotti

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The main driver behind the adoption of supply chain management (SCM philosophy into the construction industry was the successes within other industry sectors. SCM can be defined as network of different organisations, linked upstream and downstream in a chain, aiming to produce quality and value in the services and products for the end consumers through integrated processes and activities. In order to achieve the optimised level of integration of the whole supply chain, the industry has responded in various forms. This paper will discuss different initiatives by the researchers,construction industry,and the UK government in order to achieve optimal level of supply chain integration. This paper will discuss the concept of aggregation,and also look at other supply chain integration related concepts including client-led supply chain, knowledge about the whole supply chain, effects of procurement on integration of supply chain, etc. The paper will give a brief overview and initial findings of a project undertaken by the authors, and also include examples from the UK construction industry on bundling of the supply and demand.

IT-investigation in the building construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Lars Schiøtt

1995-01-01

An investigation of the level of computing in the Danish construction industry. A quantitative and qualitative level was stated among architects, engineers, building owners, contractors a.o. use of computing......An investigation of the level of computing in the Danish construction industry. A quantitative and qualitative level was stated among architects, engineers, building owners, contractors a.o. use of computing...

Issues confronting women participation in the construction industry

OpenAIRE

Aulin, Radhlinah; Jingmond, Monika

2011-01-01

This paper raises the issues confronting the minority cohort’s participation in the construction industry. Women in construction are seen as the wrong gender to be around for the construction occupations require not only manual dexterity but physical strength. Currently, the industry is employing less than 10% of the female in the workforce with even lower participation in crafts and trade. This paper discussed about the current women participation in construction focusing on the European Uni...

Reuse of harbour sediments in the Greenlandic construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belmonte, Louise Josefine; Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate possibilities of using harbour sediments from the Greenlandic harbours as substitutes in the Greenlandic construction industry, mainly for concrete production and road construction. Materials for use in the Greenlandic construction industry are shipped...

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES IN VICTORIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA

OpenAIRE

M. Asad, Abdurrahman

2010-01-01

The construction industry has one of the highest injury ratios of all Australian industries. Individuals employed on the construction industries find themselves confronted with dangerous and life-threatening work conditions. However, it appears that the trend in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) performance of construction industry has improved consistently compared with the other industries. The enforcement of OHS law and regulation, and the outcome of authority function to assist and pro...

Developing a strategic perspective for construction industry of Botswana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Ssegawa

2013-09-01

Full Text Available 800x600 The paper discusses the outcome of a study conducted to formulate the strategic perspective of the construction industry in Botswana. The study was sanctioned by the two influential entities namely the Ministry of Infrastructure and BOCCIM Construction Sector. The two entities not only represent the demand and supply side of the construction industry but also represent key professions, trades and interests of the industry. A focus group approach was used based on workshops to formulate the strategic perspective. Workshop participants were drawn from various organisations that play a role in the delivery of construction projects. Individually they also represented the various professions, trades, occupations and interests relating to the construction processes in Botswana. Specific statements for industry’s vision, mission, values and goals were formulated through constructive discussions and debates to describe the future desired state of the construction industry. These are to serve as guiding tools for the industry’s reform process. The paper provides a step by step approach that integrates several scholastic frameworks for developing a strategic perspective for the industry. Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE

Approaching safety in the Swedish and Danish construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grill, Martin; Grytnes, Regine; Törner, Marianne

2015-01-01

in accidents rates, especially in construction, and as such offer an opportunity to explore organizational and managerial issues related to safety outcomes. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with five construction managers and four construction workers in Danish and Swedish construction...... industry. The transcripts were analysed using semantic thematic analysis. Results: Seven safety related themes were distinguished, conveying safety culture differences between Swedish and Danish construction industry concerning: participatory or directive management; challenge or obey; compliance or non...... identifies seven factors perceived by the professionals as related to lower occupational accident rates in the construction industry. Engaging in participatory management, promoting long-term planning and long-term tenures, encouraging cooperation, cautiousness and compliance to rules as well as challenging...

Allergy-related disorders in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Carino, Mauro; Romita, Paolo; Foti, Caterina

2013-01-01

Working conditions in the construction industry have improved in many industrialized countries, but heavy physical work with recurrent exposure to chemical agents, dust, and climatic influences still represents considerable risk for construction workers and may affect their health. The aim of this review is to analyze available data of the literature on allergy-related respiratory and skin disorders with emphasis on a preventive appraisal in order to produce statements and recommendations based on research evidence. The most common agents involved in the construction industry as a cause of occupational asthma (OA) in industrialized countries are isocyanates, wood dust, resins, glues, cobalt, and chromium. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an immunologic cell-mediated response to a sensitizing agent and the most common sensitizing agents associated with construction workers are epoxy resins, thiurams and thiazoles, and chromates. Medical surveillance must consider individual risk factors such as differences in individual susceptibility and sensitization to agents at workplace. Once work-related disorder is confirmed, adequate fitness for work should be assessed for the worker impaired by health condition. A reliable diagnosis of an index case is a sentinel event that may reveal risks for workers with similar exposure, leading to a revised risk assessment at the workplace that should reduce the risk and prevent further cases.

Benchmarking Sustainability Practices Use throughout Industrial Construction Project Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sungmin Yun

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Despite the efforts for sustainability studies in building and infrastructure construction, the sustainability issues in industrial construction remain understudied. Further, few studies evaluate sustainability and benchmark sustainability issues in industrial construction from a management perspective. This study presents a phase-based benchmarking framework for evaluating sustainability practices use focusing on industrial facilities project. Based on the framework, this study quantifies and assesses sustainability practices use, and further sorts the results by project phase and major project characteristics, including project type, project nature, and project delivery method. The results show that sustainability practices were implemented higher in the construction and startup phases relative to other phases, with a very broad range. An assessment by project type and project nature showed significant differences in sustainability practices use, but no significant difference in practices use by project delivery method. This study contributes to providing a benchmarking method for sustainability practices in industrial facilities projects at the project phase level. This study also discusses and provides an application of phase-based benchmarking for sustainability in industrial construction.

Optimalisation of national industry participation in nuclear power plant construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sriyana

2008-01-01

A study of national industry participation based on recent data has already been conducted. The current industry data is used to estimate the optimum level of national industry participation in nuclear power plant (NPP) construction based on the prior study. The purpose of the study is to give a figure of the optimum level of national industry participation in NPP construction. The scope of the study is the NPP construction project in related to the potency of national industry to participate in the project. The methodology used in the study are literature study, web surfing for industrial data, and on-the-spot industry survey that are potential to participate in NPP construction. In addition to that, discussion with expertise of industrial practitioner was also conducted. The study concludes that (1) based on the recent national industry capability provided and compared to prior similar study, it is estimated that the level of national industry participation in the first NPP construction with the capacity of 1000 MWe PWR is about 40%. (2) to accelerate NPP technology transfer, we need to build a small size NPP. The nuclear island will be developed by BATAN in cooperation with national industry and the non-nuclear island will be developed by national industry. Universities and other academicians should be involved to support and keep the sustainability of man power availability in developing the NPP technology. (author)

Industrial Disputes in the Construction Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.J Perry

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The Cole Royal Commission enquiry into the building and construction (abbreviated to ‘construction’ sector recommended controversial workplace-relation reforms for that sector. The recommended changes are likely to be enshrined in legislation within the year. The Commission drew on analyses of industrial disputes that focused, in the main, on quite recent experience. This paper attempts to give a broader historical perspective on disputes in that sector by considering the pattern of disputes for the entire post-World War II period. Accordingly, data on disputes and employees during the entire period are gathered from Australian Bureau of Statistics current and archived sources. These data are classified according to sector (construction versus non-construction and analysed. It is found that the strike rate has, on average, been greater in the construction sector than in the non-construction sector. However, there have been periods during which disputes in the construction sector have been relatively low. The most recent period was during the period of the Accord (1983-96, during which the strike rate in the construction sector fell relatively strongly. The analysis of this relatively broad historical period draws attention, among other things, to the possibility that the sort of strategies employed during the Accord years – strategies of cooperation and consensus building – may provide a more effective means of bringing industrial peace to the workplace relations scene of the construction sector than policies that are relatively confrontational.

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF INVESTMENT DESIGN IN INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. M. Meylanov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The development of a set of practical measures in order to improve the quality of investment design in industrial construction.Methods. The basis of research comprises a project management methodology as well as methods for logical and statistical analysis of decisionmaking in investment activities.Results. A mechanism of inclusion of industrial construction objects into the Federal targeted investment programme is revealed. The sequence of the state expert evaluation of investment projects is determined, which optimises the design solutions aimed at minimising their estimated cost if the investment is made with the involvement of the Federal budget. Qualitative and quantitative criteria are systematised for the integrated assessment of the effectiveness of investment fund usage sent to industrial construction objects.Conclusion. The consistent implementation of the state investment policy is aimed at developing the scientific-technological and scientific-industrial potential of industrial construction by providing favourable conditions for effective innovation activity, selecting rational investment strategies and priority projects aimed at solving urgent problems of improving the competitiveness of construction. Successful implementation of the state investment policy in industrial construction largely depends on the effectiveness of investment design, starting from the accuracy of the formulation of the investment plan (idea, in which the interests of all participants in investment activities are concentrated and taken into account, and to the development of an agreed set of actions to complete the project. A unified register covering the data on the cost and results of investment projects is proposed to be created with the purpose of facilitating decision-making in the process of allocation of the Federal budget funds, planning of state capital investments and approval of project documentation for new industrial construction

Research on carbon emission driving factors of China’s provincial construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Mei; Dong, Rui; Fu, Yujie; Hao, Wentao

2018-03-01

As a pillar industry of the national economy, the damage to the environment by construction industry can not be ignored. In the context of low carbon development, identifying the main driving factors for the carbon emission of the provincial construction industry are the key for the local government to formulate the development strategy for construction. In the paper, based on the Kaya factor decomposition method, the carbon intensity of the energy structure, energy intensity and the impact of the construction output on the carbon emission of provincial construction industry are studied, and relevant suggestions for low carbon development of provincial construction industry are proposed. The conclusion of this paper provides a theoretical basis for the early realization of low-carbon development in China’s provincial construction industry.

Corruption and internal fraud in the Turkish construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunduz, Murat; Önder, Oytun

2013-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding about the internal fraud and corruption problem in the Turkish construction industry. The reasons behind the internal fraud and corruption problem as well as the types of prevention methods were investigated; and as a result various recommendations were made. To this end, a risk awareness questionnaire was used to understand the behavioral patterns of the construction industry, and to clarify possible proactive and reactive measures against internal fraud and corruption. The type of fraud experienced by Turkish construction companies was also surveyed in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 89 firms; and depending on the collected data, certain recommendations for construction industry professionals were provided.

Sustainable Construction Industry Development and Green Buildings: A Case of Latvia

Science.gov (United States)

Kauskale, L.; Geipele, I.; Zeltins, N.; Vanags, J.

2018-02-01

Nowadays, more and more attention is being paid to the country's economy, construction industry and real estate market's sustainable development and to the studies related to these issues. The aim of the research is to analyse significant aspects of sustainable development of construction activities and real estate market, with particular focus on environmental aspects of construction or the role of green buildings. The research includes an integrated approach of construction industry analysis and analysis of real estate operations area. Scientific and practical solutions and recommendations will enable the industry participants to be introduced to the main sustainable aspects of construction industry development, which, in their turn, can improve the overall performance of the industry in the long term.

Supply chain bottlenecks in the South African construction industry: Qualitative insights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poobalan Pillay

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The construction industry in South Africa has a lot of potential but its performance is still restricted by numerous internal and external challenges. Unless these challenges are identified and understood better, further growth of this industry is likely to be hindered, which has negative economic implications for the South African economy. Objectives: This study investigated supply chain bottlenecks faced by the construction industry in South Africa. It also discussed solutions for addressing the identified bottlenecks in order to facilitate the continued development of supply chain management in the construction industry. Method: The study used a qualitative approach in which in-depth interviews were held with purposively selected senior managers drawn from the construction industry in South Africa. Content analysis using ATLAS.ti software was employed to identify the themes from the collected data. Findings: The findings of the study showed that supply chain management in the construction industry in South Africa is constrained by five major bottlenecks: skills and qualifications, procurement practices and systems, supply chain integration, supply chain relationships and the structure of the construction industry. Recommendations for addressing each of these five challenges were put forward. Conclusion: The study concludes that both awareness and application of supply chain management in the construction industry in South Africa remains inhibited, which creates opportunities for further improvements in this area to realise the full potential of the industry.

Partnering in the Construction Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ditlev Bohnstedt, Kristian; Bejder, Erik; Haugbølle, Kim

2013-01-01

Huge efforts have been made in order to stimulate thorough improvements in the construction industry in terms of value for money, feasibility and consistency when facilitating a partnering approach. Despite this attention there is limited documentation on the development of research trends, thus...

Sustainable Construction Industry Development and Green Buildings: A Case of Latvia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kauskale L.

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, more and more attention is being paid to the country's economy, construction industry and real estate market's sustainable development and to the studies related to these issues. The aim of the research is to analyse significant aspects of sustainable development of construction activities and real estate market, with particular focus on environmental aspects of construction or the role of green buildings. The research includes an integrated approach of construction industry analysis and analysis of real estate operations area. Scientific and practical solutions and recommendations will enable the industry participants to be introduced to the main sustainable aspects of construction industry development, which, in their turn, can improve the overall performance of the industry in the long term.

Prefabricated Construction using Digitally Integrated Industrial Manufacturing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harry Giles

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The paper describes research being carried out in relation to prefabricated high density affordablehousing under a grant from the Partnership for the Advancement of Technology in Housing(PATH and the National Science Foundation (NSF in the USA. The objective is to demonstratehow a new paradigm for the conceptualization and construction of buildings can be conceivedof as an entirely factory based process that creates advantages for construction through industrialsystems technology transfer. Our approach is intended to transform design methodologythrough demonstrating how alternative construction concepts, using entirely pre-manufacturedvolumetric units, can be adopted. This involves digital modeling that facilitates parametric variationsfor creating customized prefabricated products from design conceptualization through tofinal product delivery. The paper discusses key areas under investigation in relation to a manufacturingparadigm used in the automotive industry that integrates virtual prototyping and industrialmanufacturing systems. Our research explores a type of monocoque volumetric unit prefabricatedin steel, which will be pre-finished as part of a modular factory-built approach usingindustrialized methodologies that will facilitate customized manufacture of a high quality energyefficient product for affordable housing.The paper addresses the automotive industry methods of manufacture that have served increasedautomobile performance and economics through mass production for over a century. In starkcontrast, the building industry and in particular the housing industry is still a century behind. It issuggested that a move away from tradition will require an industry wide initiative, just like HenryFord led the way with mass production. By embracing the increasing sophistication and capabilitythat digital technology offers, it is shown how digital tools are implemented towards masscustomization in house design using virtual modeling in the

Causes of defects in the South African housing construction industry ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Martyn le Roux, Department of Quantity Surveying, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela ... in South Africa. There is a shortage of skilled people in the South. African construction industry; local and international companies within the construction industry are joining ..... observation of construction of any new home or building.

ISO in the Construction and Manufacturing Companies: A Case Study from the Construction Industry of Hyderabad and Karachi, Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Nafees Ahmed Memon; Qazi Muhammad Moinuddin Abro; Zubair Ahmed Memon

2011-01-01

Construction industry plays very important role in development of any country. The development of construction industry depends to a larger extent on quality of construction productions and projects. Quality of construction productions and projects is linked with the implementation of QMS (Quality Management System) in construction organizations. ISO certification is one of the QMS which has been adopted in manufacturing and construction industry at the global level. The constr...

Innovation in the Danish Construction Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonke, Sten; Bang, Henrik; Clausen, Lennie

This report is concerned with public policy instruments, how they are used and to which degree they enhance innovativeness in the Danish construction sector.The report is written as a Danish response to the first of three thematic questions raised in CIB Task Group 35 on innovation systems...... in construction. The three themes are:A. Which current public policy instruments facilitate innovation in construction?B. What is the role of knowledge brokers in the innovation process?C. How does the client-industry interface influence innovation?...

A Report on the Industry: Construction

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Conway, Hugh; Dunn, Colin; Khalil, Gary

2004-01-01

.... national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A healthy construction industry creates jobs, fuels the economy, enhances the quality of life for Americans, and is an essential component of national security...

Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1995-01-01

.... In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts, insulation, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, and acoustical products...

Accelerating nano-technological innovation in the Danish construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian; Stissing Jensen, Jens

2007-01-01

. The institutional features of the system are furthermore poorly equipped at identifying potentials within high-tech areas. In order to exploit the potentials of nano-technology it is thus argued that an alternative TIS needs to be established. Initiatives should identify and support "incubation rooms" or marked......  By viewing the construction industry as a technological innovation system (TIS) this paper discusses possible initiatives to accelerate nanotechnological innovations. The point of departure is a recent report on the application of nano-technology in the Danish construction industry, which...... concludes that opportunities are generally poorly appreciated by the industry and research communities alike. It is found that the construction industry is characterised by low-tech trajectories where dedicated innovation networks are often too fragile for innovations to stabilize and diffuse...

Optimization and control methods in industrial engineering and construction

CERN Document Server

Wang, Xiangyu

2014-01-01

This book presents recent advances in optimization and control methods with applications to industrial engineering and construction management. It consists of 15 chapters authored by recognized experts in a variety of fields including control and operation research, industrial engineering, and project management. Topics include numerical methods in unconstrained optimization, robust optimal control problems, set splitting problems, optimum confidence interval analysis, a monitoring networks optimization survey, distributed fault detection, nonferrous industrial optimization approaches, neural networks in traffic flows, economic scheduling of CCHP systems, a project scheduling optimization survey, lean and agile construction project management, practical construction projects in Hong Kong, dynamic project management, production control in PC4P, and target contracts optimization.   The book offers a valuable reference work for scientists, engineers, researchers and practitioners in industrial engineering and c...

ENABLING KNOWLEDGE FLOW: RETAINING GRADUATE WOMEN IN THE SINGAPORE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence Yean Yng Ling

2008-12-01

Full Text Available As extensive resources are expanded in transferring knowledge from universities to undergraduates, it is important for them to enter the workforce upon graduation to enable the knowledge to flow to the industry. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which knowledge flow is disrupted because graduate women are not entering the Singapore construction industry to ensure its sustainable growth. This study used a structured questionnaire, with data collected from 116 construction-trained graduate women via postal survey. Results show that 58% of them chose not to enter or are considering leaving the construction industry. The disruption in knowledge flow is due to better prospects in other industries (pull factor and poor job conditions within the construction industry (push factor. To retain graduate women in the construction industry, it is recommended that employers: introduce flexible work schedule; allow graduate women to work from home; and give them the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Prefabrication in Building Construction: A Perspective of Pakistan Construction Industry

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Nafees Ahmed Memon

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Construction industry is facing many problems in terms of construction waste, quality, environment, durability, safety and higher construction cost. Adoption of prefabrication is a possible solution to such problems. Accordingly, there is a need to study the prospects that would stimulate the appropriate discussion of the suitability of prefabrication and other construction methods for concrete buildings. Therefore, this study investigates the significance of advantages in adopting prefabrication along with hindrances through questionnaire survey. The data has been analyzed using RIW (Relative Importance Weight method as a MCDM approach. The results depict that main advantages of prefabrication are ?Shorter construction time? and ?Less construction site waste?. The top hindrances in adopting prefabrication as identified in this study are: ?Higher initial construction cost? and ?Inflexible for design changes?. Based on the survey results and apparent progress in the adoption of prefabrication around the world, it is concluded that the use of prefabrication is likely to increase in developing countries like Pakistan

Prefabrication in building construction: a perspective of pakistan construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, N.A.; Memon, F.A.; Khehro, S.H.

2014-01-01

Construction industry is facing many problems in terms of construction waste, quality, environment, durability, safety and higher construction cost. Adoption of prefabrication is a possible solution to such problems. Accordingly, there is a need to study the prospects that would stimulate the appropriate discussion of the suitability of prefabrication and other construction methods for concrete buildings. Therefore, this study investigates the significance of advantages in adopting prefabrication along with hindrances through questionnaire survey. The data has been analyzed using RIW (Relative Importance Weight) method as a MCDM approach. The results depict that main advantages of prefabrication are Shorter construction time and Less construction site waste. The top hindrances in adopting prefabrication as identified in this study are: Higher initial construction cost and Inflexible for design changes. Based on the survey results and apparent progress in the adoption of prefabrication around the world, it is concluded that the use of prefabrication is likely to increase in developing countries like Pakistan. (author)

Facilitating Industrial Placement in the Construction Engineering Curriculum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wandahl, Søren; Ussing, Lene Faber

2016-01-01

outset in the hypothesis that external effectiveness (industry readiness) is better in those modes of education that, at least in part, are based on the world of work itself, and several sources highlight the necessity of strong links between engineering education and industry. Hence, it becomes central......There is often a claim that there is a disconnection between theory and practice, which raises questions on student’s readiness for employment and the extent that higher education responds effectively to the evolving needs of the construction industry. Industrial placements schemes can facilitate...... student learning from construction practice whereby students can reflect on their learning experience at the university. The interplay between traditional engineering curriculum and the context-based learning is important for securing the right skills and competencies among the graduates. This paper takes...

The impact of labour productivity on the Swedish construction industries

OpenAIRE

Forsberg, Azam

2007-01-01

There have been debates concerning what can be done about the current low labour productivity in the Swedish construction industries. High production cost in the construction industries has been a burning issue for a long time. On the other hand, process industries and organisations have taken the advantage of labour productivity measurement to reduce their production cost and eliminate non value-added activities. The purpose of this paper is to examine, why and how the process industries and...

The construction industry takes up the gauntlet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Elsebet Frydendal

2005-01-01

focus on health and safety, including attempts to reduce the high risks of accidents in the industry has also been adressed. This paper questions whether these activities are enough and presents an ongoing reseach project that illustrates the need for innovation from a more holistic, normative......Public and political dissadisfaction with the Danish construction industry in terms of low productivity, high prices and poor qualiyt has lead the industry to a stage where new methods and new innovative measures are needed. The industry, supported by the government, has engaged in a range...

The Significance of Barriers to Entry in the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerard de Valence

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This research looks at the significance of barriers that firms considering entry into the construction industry might face. Drawing on the microeconomic characteristics of imperfectly competitive and oligopolistic markets the analysis finds that there are a dozen barriers to entry that affect the industry, but their significance depends on the product type. The discussion covers the question of product homogeneity in construction and evidence for the existence of barriers to entry in concentration levels. Barriers to entry specific to construction are then identified, which leads to an analysis of how they operate and their significance (high, medium or low in different market types, thus increasing our understanding of construction industry dynamics.

Towards Implementation of Green Technology in Sabah Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Azland Jainudin, Noor; Jugah, Ivy; Nasrizal Awang Ali, Awang; Tawie, Rudy

2017-12-01

The construction industry in Sabah is one of the major roles for development of social, economic infrastructures and buildings in generating wealth to the state besides the tourism sector. The increasing number of construction projects particularly in the rapid developing city of Kota Kinabalu, green technology as a whole is becoming more significant as it helps to develop effective solutions to encounter global environmental issues. The objective of the research is to identify the awareness and implementation of green technology in construction industry in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The methodology of the research is through distributing the questionnaire to the contractors, developers, consultants, architects and state government agencies to the area in Kota Kinabalu only. The questionnaires had been analysed to find out the mean value. 100 questionnaires distributed to the respondents but merely 85 questionnaires collected have been analysed. Based on the findings, 83.5% organisations were aware with the concept of green technology in construction project. In terms of the implementation only 64.7% had been implemented in their organizations. More than 50% from the major players such as contractors, consultants, developers, architects and state government agencies were aware based on six green technology concepts in their organizations. As a conclusion, the awareness towards green policy concept in construction industry is very satisfied. Meanwhile, in terms of implementation need to be increased the number of organizations to be involved in green technology in construction industry.

An assessment of drug testing within the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerber, Jonathan K; Yacoubian, George S

2002-01-01

Drug testing in the workplace has gone from virtual nonexistence to widespread employer acceptance during the past two decades. This growth is particularly significant for the construction industry. High rates of alcohol and other drug use, coupled with the high-risk, safety-sensitive nature of the industry, have prompted the development of a variety of drug surveillance and prevention strategies. Despite this growing vigilance, no scholarly works have examined the impact of drug-related policies in the construction industry. To address this limitation, we investigate the efficacy of workplace drug-testing programs in reducing injury incident rates and workers' compensation experience-rating modification factors (MODs) within the construction industry. Analyses indicate that companies with drug-testing programs experienced a 51 percent reduction in incident rates within two years of implementation. Moreover, companies that drug test their employees experienced a significant reduction in their MODs. Policy implications are discussed in light of the current findings.

National industry and the constraints for participating in NPP construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sriyana; Moch Djoko Birmano

2012-01-01

Readiness of nuclear power construction benchmarks is the extent to which the infrastructure's has been prepared. One aspect that needs to be prepared is the national industry involvement. How far the industry is ready and will be involved in future development. Nuclear power development planning is a long-term planning, so, it is necessary to analyze about the supporting items and also the constraints. The purpose of this paper is to parse what about the constraints of national industry to participate in the construction of nuclear power plants. The method are a literature study, data collection of industry capability and industry experience, as well as discussion with industry practitioners. From the above data and analysis can be concluded that the constraints faced by the national industry in participating for NPP construction are: (1) Government policy is unclear, (2) The potential for the industrial market which needs to be guaranteed, (3) The policy horizon just for short-term interests only, (4) Lack of the big manufacturer that was taken action as another industries driver, (5) The competitiveness which still need to continue enhanced, (6) Industry players that only profit-oriented and do not take sides on enhancing of the national capability. (author)

Implementation of building information modeling in Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Memon, Aftab Hameed; Rahman, Ismail Abdul; Harman, Nur Melly Edora

2014-10-01

This study has assessed the implementation level of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the construction industry of Malaysia. It also investigated several computer software packages facilitating BIM and challenges affecting its implementation. Data collection for this study was carried out using questionnaire survey among the construction practitioners. 95 completed forms of questionnaire received against 150 distributed questionnaire sets from consultant, contractor and client organizations were analyzed statistically. Analysis findings indicated that the level of implementation of BIM in the construction industry of Malaysia is very low. Average index method employed to assess the effectiveness of various software packages of BIM highlighted that Bentley construction, AutoCAD and ArchiCAD are three most popular and effective software packages. Major challenges to BIM implementation are it requires enhanced collaboration, add work to a designer, interoperability and needs enhanced collaboration. For improving the level of implementing BIM in Malaysian industry, it is recommended that a flexible training program of BIM for all practitioners must be created.

Labour Productivity in the New Zealand Construction Industry: A Thorough Investigation

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John E Tookey

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Productivity growth is strongly correlated to economic growth and increases in welfare. This fact also holds true at the industry level and is particularly true in the NZ construction industry, since productivity growth in this sector may have significant effects on the affordability of housing in the country. In recent years construction in NZ has been subjected to a series of reports that have either highlighted ‘failure’ to grow productivity or have exhorted the industry to improve its ‘poor performance’.  However thus far little by way of analysis has gone into the productivity figures that have been quoted, nor has much been done to explain and justify if or why these figures are correct or incorrect.This research seeks to deconstruct construction productivity figures in NZ and explain the patterns over recent years of ‘poor performance’ in comparison with other industries.  As such it will examine the nature of the NZ construction industry and analyse the historic statistics related to its labour productivity. This will provide an overall understanding of the sector as well as those extraneous factors that may have significant influences on the NZ construction sector.The research found that while factors influencing inputs of labour productivity measure such as labour and material costs remained stable, factors impacting the corresponding outputs such as house and land prices, value of work in Non-residential and Infrastructure construction grew significantly between 1997 and 2007. Given the positive skewing effect of standard economic indicators (inflation etc on construction labour productivity figures, the relatively poor performance of construction is worrying for the industry. The paper concludes by demonstrating labour productivity in construction is significantly worse performing than previously suspected.

RESOURCE SAVING IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WITH HIGHWAY BRANCH AS EXAMPLE

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A. V. Roudensky

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Consumption of energy is an objective (independent on cost fluctuations technical efficiency criterion of any construction or repair work. Highway/road (particularly bituminous pavement sector is an important construction industry part. Bituminous road pavement construction consists of such components as excavation and preparation of basic materials, manufacture of mixes, ready mix laying/compacting and transportation of all materials. Average energy consumption for every bituminous pavement construction component is assessed. Approach to resource and energy saving presented in the article may be used in construction industry to develop and implement innovativetechnical and organizational solutions both of general application and for individual projects.

perceptions of undergraduate construction students on industrial

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

Keywords: Industrial training, perception, construction graduates, Ghana. INTRODUCTION .... higher educational institutions to continue to strengthen its links ... the profile of the respondents; ... the teaching departments in the placement of.

Risk management in the construction industry: a new literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renault Berenger Y.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The construction industry is well known as a highly risk prone industry owing to the complexity of its activities and dynamic project environments generating an atmosphere of risks that must be taken into consideration in the decision process. For this reason, we have developed this treatise to elucidate the fundamentals of risk management through a concise new proposal of literature review for risk management in construction. Our explanation of this is venture is that over the years, this area has been acknowledged as a crucial process in the business institutions and the most discussed subject among experts and researchers in the construction sector. We have tried in this report to present the most recent studies considering the impossibility to present all definitions of the concept of risk. This study is mainly a literature review; it looks at the literature relating to the concept of risk, risk management in construction as well as methods used in construction industry.

Supply chain of steel industries for the nuclear power plant construction in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharu Dewi; Sahala M Lumbanraja

2017-01-01

Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Construction needs steel materials for the manufacturing of heavy components and civil work construction. National industries is expected to supply steel components especially for non nuclear component needs. Supply chain of steel industries is required to know the potency of steel industries from upstream to downstream industries which can support the NPP construction sustainability. The type of steel needed in the NPP construction consist of structure steel, rebar, steel plate, etc. The aim of the study is to identify supply chain of steel industries from upstream industries to downstream industries so that they can supply steel needs in the NPP construction. The methodology used are literature review and industries survey by purposive sampling test which sent questionnaires and carrying out technical visits to the potential industries to supply steel components for NPP construction. From the analysis of the questionnaires and survey, it has been obtained that the Indonesian steel industries capable of supplying steel for construction materials of non-nuclear parts are PT. Krakatau Steel, PT. Gunung Steel Group (PT Gunung Garuda and PT. Gunung Raja Paksi), PT. Cilegon Fabricators and PT. Ometraco Arya Samanta. While steel materials for primary components with nuclear grade, such as steel materials for reactor vessels and pressure vessels, the Indonesian steel industry has not been able to supply them. Therefore, the Indonesian steel industries must improve its capability, both in raw material processing and fabrication capability in order to meet the requirements of specifications, codes and standards of nuclear grade. (author)

Industry 4.0 Concept Introduction into Construction SMEs

Science.gov (United States)

Nowotarski, Piotr; Paslawski, Jerzy

2017-10-01

The article presents a general idea of Industry 4.0 concept with the introduction presenting descriptions of the most important aspects in terms of production and construction industry development. The importance of the SME sector is stressed showing that this group of companies plays significant role in the European economy. The main objective of the article is to define and show possible research areas connected with the introduction of Industry 4.0 concept into SMEs with the main focus on the construction sector. For this purpose, an analysis was made, based on the most recent literature, to point out actual needs in the SMEs sector in terms of its evolution into 4.0 level. What is more, the analysis was performed based on the most popular articles published in journals available in Thomson Reuters Web of Science Core Collection database regarding Industry 4.0 concept in the last decade showing the actual change of interest in this filed, taking into account possibility of usage of this concept in the construction and production sector. Authors tried to describe current knowledge regarding Industry 4.0 introduction for SMEs. Performed analysis showed that there is a wide spectrum of disciplines that are affected by the Industry 4.0 that needs to be examined considering introduction into SMEs. Study also showed that multidiscipline approach was not investigated so far to create special rules, procedures and methods and know-how designed for introduction of main principles of Industry 4.0 in the SME sector. Authors came to the conclusions that there should be more stress put into research in this field especially taking into account the huge potential which lies in SME sector in terms of global economic strength.

A Study of the potency of construction service industries to support the first nuclear power plant construction in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharu Dewi; Sriyana

2008-01-01

The study was conducted to identify the potency of construction service industries to participate in nuclear power plant program in Indonesia. The potency is identified by evaluation results of national industries potency in some multinational construction service industries. The research methodology chosen was the survey method by sending questionnaires, visits to National industries, interview, and literature study. The data collection technique was sampling purposive. Data can be obtained from both primary and secondary data. The study results showed that the performance of construction service industries to support the NPP program must be increased through the selection of competent human resources, reliable equipment and an effective and efficient project management system, so that they can be expected to play necessary role in the nuclear power plant construction in Indonesia. (author)

Sustainable development and construction industry in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suliman L. Kh. M.

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainable construction is a way for the building and infrastructure industry to move towards achieving sustainable development, taking into account environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues. Differing approaches and differing economic markets lead to different priorities. This paper presents the construction scenario of Malaysia and the developments in sustainable construction taking place in this country. Barriers to the implementation of sustainable construction are discussed. A list of recommendation was proposed to drive sustainable construction in this country. In conclusion, the status of sustainable construction in Malaysia is still in its infancy. The lack of awareness, training and education, ineffective procurement systems, existing public policies and regulatory frameworks are among the major barriers for sustainable construction in Malaysia. Besides the needs for capacities, technologies and tools, total and ardent commitment by all players in the construction sectors including the governments and the public atlarge are required in order to achieve sustainable construction in Malaysia.

Construction mediation and its hybridization: the case of the Hong Kong construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ng Pui-Lam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In view of the sophisticated nature of construction disputes, specialized dispute resolution mechanisms are of pivotal importance to the satisfactory settlement between disputing parties. Among the various construction dispute resolution mechanisms, mediation has been increasingly gaining recognition and acceptance. Its hybrid, namely mediation-arbitration (med-arb, has also emerged and has started receiving attention and appreciation. With special reference to the construction industry practice in Hong Kong, a commentary on the respective merits and demerits of construction mediation and construction med-arb, as well as the ways forward, are presented in this article.

New constructions of wire ropes for the industry

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ŠŠaderová Jana

1996-03-01

Full Text Available The wire ropes are used in different industrial fields. Their construction depends on the type of equipment and its purpose. Most frequently we meet with ropes at different transport and hoisting equipments and very freqently in the civil industry. For users characteristics are important which must meet requirements of the individual regulations and standards of the selection of wire ropes for the concrete equipment. The most important is the factor of safety being safeguarded by the corresponding bearing capacity of the rope. The service life of rope is interesting for the user, too, because of having an influence on the economy of the equipment on which the rope is working. These problems are solved by the grant project at our department . We are aimed at questions of the optimization of construction of wire rope with regard to their geometric construction and service life. Respectively on the basis of elaborated computer software eightstrand ropes of parallel construction were disigned and produced at the Drôtov ň a Hlohovec. The results of the fatigue tests confirmed their better qualitative properties, longer service life and economy advantages for users, too. Their using is possible and suitable on the new hoisting eguipment on the surface, in the undeground and in the hole drilling industry. By the application of the computer technique is also possible to improve the parametres of six-strands` construction of rope, the classic and parallel constructions, especially their bearing capacity. This fact follows from the knowledge that for the production of rope we use calculated diameters of wires, which secure better utilization of the metal cross-section of the wire ropes.

Mitigating delay and non-payment in the Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamad, N.; Suman, A. S.; Harun, H.; Hashim, H.

2018-02-01

Construction industry is one of the industries that have contributed towards the rapid growth of development and economics in Malaysia. However, the industry is inundated with delay and non-payment issues between the two parties in contract that is the clients and contractors Even though there are contractual and administrative provisions in the standard forms of contract in Malaysia regarding payments, delay and non-payment issues still occur between them. The aim of the study is to develop measures to mitigate delay and non-payment issues between contractors and clients in the Malaysian construction industry. Questionnaire survey was conducted with clients and contractors in Klang Valley. Results from data analysis identified significant measures to mitigate delay and non-payment issues between contractors and clients which include contractors should submit their progress work invoicing with adequate documents; contractors should follow up constantly with client regarding payment; proper understanding of requirements with regards to payment; mutual discussion of problems with client to address problems in a timely manner and proper use of payment provisions in the standard form of contract. This study is significant to contractors and clients and to other construction players in order to reduce and minimise delay and non-payment issues for the growth of economy in the Malaysian construction industry.

Recycled industrial and construction waste for mutual beneficial use.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

Instead of going to landfills, certain waste materials from industry and building construction can be recycled in transportation infrastructure projects, such as roadway paving. The beneficial use of waste materials in the construction of transportat...

HIV infection in the South African construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Paul; Govender, Rajen; Edwards, Peter; Lake, Antony

2018-06-01

South Africa has one of the highest HIV prevalences in the world, and compared with other sectors of the national economy, the construction industry is disproportionately adversely affected. Using data collected nationally from more than 57,000 construction workers, HIV infection among South African construction workers was estimated, together with an assessment of the association between worker HIV serostatus and worker characteristics of gender, age, nature of employment, occupation, and HIV testing history. The HIV infection of construction workers was estimated to be lower than that found in a smaller 2008 sample. All worker characteristics are significantly associated with HIV serostatus. In terms of most at-risk categories: females are more at risk of HIV infection than males; workers in the 30-49 year old age group are more at risk than other age groups; workers employed on a less permanent basis are more at risk; as are workers not having recently tested for HIV. Among occupations in the construction industry, general workers, artisans, and operator/drivers are those most at risk. Besides yielding more up-to-date estimated infection statistics, this research also identifies vulnerable sub-groups as valuable pointers for more targeted workplace interventions by construction firms.

The Dutch Construction Industry: An Overview and Its Use of Performance Information

OpenAIRE

Van de Rijt, J.; Hompes, M.; Santema, S.C.

2010-01-01

This paper gives an overview of the Dutch Construction industry and elaborates further on its use of performance information. After giving an overview of the Dutch construction industry depicting size, major contractors, growth, profitability, value added, costs, productivity, this section is concluded by giving future predictions of the industry for the following years. A summary is given of the 2002 Dutch construction collusion as a means to give explanations for the persistent use of procu...

THE APPLICATION OF THE JUST-IN-TIME PHILOSOPHY IN THE CHINESE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Low Sui Pheng

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The Just-in-Time (JIT philosophy originated from the Toyota Production System (TPS and has been used in the manufacturing industry for many decades. It has helped to increase the productivity of the industry and has also increased the quality of its products. In recent years, numerous studies in developed countries have endeavoured to introduce JIT in the construction industry to reap similar benefits. This study focused on applying JIT to the Chinese construction industry with the goal of improving its performance and thus its competitiveness. This paper discusses the current state of the Chinese construction industry; presents the potential impediments to implementing JIT; and proposes a framework for JIT implementation in the areas of design, procurement, construction and inspection. The results of this study suggest that government and educational institutions should play a key role in spearheading the application of JIT in the construction industry in China.

Traumatic brain injuries in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Colantonio, Angela; McVittie, Doug; Lewko, John; Yin, Junlang

2009-10-01

This study analyses factors associated with work-related traumatic brain injury (TBI), specifically in the construction industry in Ontario, Canada. This cross-sectional study utilized data extracted from the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) records indicating concussion/intracranial injury that resulted in days off work in 2004-2005. Analyses of 218 TBI cases revealed that falls were the most common cause of injury, followed by being struck by or against an object. Mechanisms of injury and the temporal profile of injury also varied by age. For instance, a significantly higher proportion of injuries occurred in the mornings for young workers compared to older workers. The results of this study provide important information for prevention of TBI which suggest important age-specific strategies for workers in the construction industry.

ISO in the Construction and Manufacturing Companies: A Case Study from the Construction Industry of Hyderabad and Karachi, Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafees Ahmed Memon

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Construction industry plays very important role in development of any country. The development of construction industry depends to a larger extent on quality of construction productions and projects. Quality of construction productions and projects is linked with the implementation of QMS (Quality Management System in construction organizations. ISO certification is one of the QMS which has been adopted in manufacturing and construction industry at the global level. The construction companies of developing countries have reaped many advantages from the effective implementation of ISO standards. The rate of adoption of ISO standards has remained slow in the construction sector of some developing countries like Pakistan. This paper presents the literature review of ISO in global construction industry. It highlights the advantages, disadvantages and barriers faced by construction companies in the implementation of ISO standards. This study also investigates the level of adoption of ISO standards in construction and manufacturing companies of Pakistan through a questionnaire survey. It presents the comparison of ISO standards\\\\\\' adoption in both construction and manufacturing sectors. The paper puts forward some suggestions and recommendation for the better adoption and improvement of ISO implementation in the construction sector of Pakistan. This study emphasizes that construction companies of Pakistan should learn from the benefits reaped by the construction companies of developed countries and take appropriate measures for implementing ISO standards. It also suggests that public sector clients should make it obligatory for the contractors and consultants to have ISO certification before awarding the works in order to enhance the the adoption of ISO standards in construction sector.

Need of risk management practice amongst bumiputera contractors in Malaysia construction industries

Science.gov (United States)

Syuhada Fadzil, Nur; Noor, Nurazuwa Md; Rahman, Ismail Abdul

2017-11-01

Malaysia construction industry has been growing continuously with double-digit growth for the past two decades. There are many issues surrounded the industry such as delay in delivery, cost overrun, quality and safety. In bumiputera contractor’s context, the literature review found that 32 issues were encountered in the construction project. These issues can be handled properly with the application of risk management. According to previous researchers, application of risk management in Malaysia construction industry is at the low level where it is implemented in traditional ways that are brainstorming and checklist. These were due to lack of knowledge, the high cost of hiring experts and avoiding extra cost. Besides that, this study also intentions to analyse the risk categories in the construction industry as well as identify risk management process to resolve the construction issues. Hence, this paper presents issues engulfed by Bumiputera contractors which can partly be resolved by applying risk management practice in carrying out the construction activity. This may inspire the contractors to apply the risk management practice in ensuring the success of their construction project.

Ranking of Delay Factors for Makkah’s Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-Emad Nashwan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents identification of significant delay factors encountered by Makkah’s construction industry using quantitative approach. A structured questionnaire developed based on literature review was verified through pilot study involved selected construction experts. Questionnaire survey was conducted amongst Makkah construction practitioners include contractors, consultants and project management consultancy. The survey managed to collect 100 valid responses which were used to rank the factors using average index approach. Results of the analysis for 10 most significant factors causing construction delay in Makkah construction industry are Difficulties in financing project by contractor, Poor coordination between parties, Shortage of manpower, Delays in producing design documents, Improper planning and scheduling of the project, Delay in progress payments, Low productivity level of labour, Poor communication between parties, Unqualified workforce and Poor contract management. This finding is helpful to Makkah construction’s community particularly projects’ stakeholders in avoiding potential delay for their future projects.

Positioning and Priorities of Growth Management in Construction Industrialization: Chinese Firm-Level Empirical Research

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Jingxiao Zhang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to quantitatively evaluate the growth phase, position, and priorities of the industrialization policy management of the construction industry at firm level. The goal is to integrate quantitative dynamics into the policy-making process for sustainable policy development in future China. This research proposes an integrated framework, including growth management model and industrial policy evaluation method, to identify the challenges of construction industrialization and policy management. The research applies the mixed system method, which includes entropy method and average score method, to analyze the growth stage and major impact indexes targeting 327 survey samples. The empirical results show that the proposed conceptual framework and policy evaluation method could effectively determine the growth position and directions of the construction industrialization. For verification purpose, the study uses the local industry data from Shaanxi Province, China. The calculation results substantiate that the construction industry is in the middle section of the third growth phase. The comparison of the results from statistical methods shows that the local construction industry still needs substantial effort in policy management to improve its sustainable industrialization level. As countermeasures, the policy priorities should concentrate on: (1 enhancing effective cooperation among universities, research institutions and enterprises; (2 improving actions towards technology transfer into productivity; and (3 encouraging market acceptance of construction industrialization. This research complements the existing literature of policy evaluation of construction industrialization. Moreover, it provides theoretical and operational steps on industry policy evaluation and growth management framework, with accurate and ample data analysis on firm-level survey. Researchers and policy makers can use this research for further

Co-operation an competition in the construction industry of the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doree, Andries G.; Holmen, Elsebeth; Caerteling, Jasper; Greenwood, D

2003-01-01

In 2002, a Parliamentary Enquiry Committee exposed widespread collusion practices in the Dutch construction industry. The construction industry in the Netherlands is in turmoil and is seen as not living up to the standards that society requires. There seems to be a culture and an environment that

Modularization in the construction industry using a top-down approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kudsk, Anders; Hvam, Lars; Thuesen, Christian

2013-01-01

Throughout the last centuries, the manufacturing industry has experienced great improvements in efficiency and cost reductions, but the same improvements have not taken place in the construction industry. Based on the principles of mass customization that are known from the manufacturing industry...

Urban BIPV in the new residential construction industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elzinga, D.

2008-03-15

This report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 10 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at urban building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in the new residential construction industry. The mission of the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme is to enhance the international collaboration efforts which accelerate the development and deployment of photovoltaic solar energy. The aim of Task 10 is stated as being to enhance the opportunities for wide-scale, solution-oriented application of photovoltaics in the urban environment. The report states that different types of building require different approaches to BIPV due to their associated varying dimensions and geometry. Several solutions are proposed to encourage the adoption and diffusion of BIPV by the new home residential building industry. These are divided into PV industry-based approaches and policy-based solutions. The former include end-customer focused policies, the identification of early adopters, the creation of product solutions that meet the needs of the building industry and standards and that the construction industry must be engaged in the design and planning stage of residential developments. Policy questions discussed include the provision of incentives, a planned approach to the demonstration of BIPV and the development of BIPV-specific policy.

Property and Construction Professions: The Views of Industry Leaders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony Mills

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The role of professionals has changed significantly, and sotoo should the role of professional societies. The future isvery unclear, and it is likely that professional societies willcontinue to change and adapt. But what is their role today;is it to provide leadership, serve their members, or promotetheir professions? These questions were put to a numberof construction industry leaders to seek their views. Thepresidents of three professional institutes and a governmentregulator for the construction industry were approachedand their opinions recorded. Each interviewee was chosenbecause of their leadership role within the property andconstruction industries. Using an informal exploratoryinterview approach each respondent discussed issuesfacing their professional society. The results show thatindemnity insurance, continuing professional development,and public recognition were key concerns.

Innovative quality management practices in the Dutch construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bossink, B.A.G.

2002-01-01

Quality management practices do support the management of strategically important innoυation processes. This conclusion is based on empirical research in the Dutch construction industry. A large-scale innovative construction project is intensively studied during a three-year period. The quality

Lessons learned in the construction industry Extracting collaborative components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bohnstedt, Kristian Ditlev; Rasmussen, Arne P.; Faber, Lene

2017-01-01

Significant literature has been dedicated to research on partnering in construction, and a plethora of underlying theories and industrial practices on partnering application have been reported. The aim is to analyze and summarize the research trend of partnering research from leading construction...

Correlation of Safety Culture Attributes in Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pervez Shaikh

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The importance of construction industry can not be overemphasized because it is one of the biggest contributors toward economic activities of a country. It employs a countable number of workforce and it is prone to accidents, incidents, hazards and disasters, therefore, the safety factor is equally important. The current research explores safety culture in the perspective of its important attributes. The EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management is taken as the bases for finding the ways and means of safety culture improvement of the construction industry. The correlation of pattern of responses is found for every attribute of the safety culture and the interrelationships and strengths are worked out to detect the involvement of the attribute.

Advocating mindset for cooperative partnership for better future of construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Datuk Wahid

2017-11-01

Construction industry players are known for their low acceptance on the changes. Hence, it is identified that the biggest challenge in the industry is changing the mindset. This paper highlights the importance of transformation in shaping for better future of the industry. Transformation favors innovation and progressive development in the industry and specifically in managing a project. Thus changes in mindset of players with an eye to the future and focus on what is coming are paramount in inculcating the transformation culture in construction eco-system. The key to the success of transformation is the collaborative and cooperative partnering which ensuring the performance of every stage of project delivery. The collaborative, cooperative and concerted effort of all parties involved in the project creates mutual understanding on mission and vision of project. Adopting healthy and harmonious project culture, implementing innovative procurement that emphasis on fair risk sharing should be a working culture. This cooperative partnership should be the future of the project undertaking in the construction industry.

Design and construction of the Portable Industrial X-Ray Equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Phuc; Nguyen Van Si; Le Tien Quan; Trinh Anh Tuan; Nguyen Manh Hung; Trinh Dinh Tuong

2011-01-01

The main purposes of the project are the supporting to design and construction of the Portable Industrial X-Ray Equipment; with the accuracy ±2% of Output High Voltage 200 kV and Tube current 5 mA. The Equipment is composed of control unit, X-ray generator, and power cable, connection cable. X-ray generator is assembling construction X-ray tube, H.V transformer together with gas insulation (SF6) are sealed up in aluminum bucked cabinet, fan and heat-sink are mounted in the end of X-ray generator as cooling, SF6 is a gas electrical performance to H.V. Alarm lamp is used to warn, flashing, show generating X-ray. Control unit is box construction. Four printed circuit boards (PCB) and electronic device are mounted in it. All operating buttons switches and displays are equipped on the panel. We have completed to design and construct the Portable Industrial X-Ray Equipment; and have tested the electronic parameters of all test points and the main parameters of equipment (the accuracy ±2% of Output High Voltage 200 kV and Tube current 5 mA). We also have successful used the Portable Industrial X-Ray Equipment to evaluate the welds in industry. (author)

Innovation and sectoral change in construction: The role of the industry paradigm and industry leaders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pries, F.; Vrijhoef, R.

2004-01-01

The construction industry appears to have serious problems to innovate effectively and incorporate innovative knowledge into firms’ businesses, despite the innovation potential and capacities of the industry. In the last decades several initiatives have been taken and many approaches have been

The Dutch Construction Industry : An Overview and Its Use of Performance Information

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Rijt, J.; Hompes, M.; Santema, S.C.

2010-01-01

This paper gives an overview of the Dutch Construction industry and elaborates further on its use of performance information. After giving an overview of the Dutch construction industry depicting size, major contractors, growth, profitability, value added, costs, productivity, this section is

Modeling injury rates as a function of industrialized versus on-site construction techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio-Romero, J C; Suárez-Cebador, M; Abad, Jesús

2014-05-01

It is often predicted that the industrialization of building activities will lead to a reduction of accident rates in the construction sector, particularly as a result of switching activities from building sites to factories. However, to date no scientific research has provided objective quantitative results to back up this claim. The aim of this paper is to evaluate how industrialization affects the accident rate in different industrialized building systems in Spain. Our results revealed that the industrialized steel modular system presents the lowest accident rate, while the highest accident rate was recorded in the construction method with cast-in-place concrete. The lightweight construction system also presents a high accident rate. Accordingly, industrialized building systems cannot claim to be safer than traditional ones. The different types of "on-site work" seem to be the main variable which would explain the accident rates recorded in industrialized construction systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Unidentified Value of IT in the Construction Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Jan Lambrecht

2000-01-01

A questionnaire survey was completed in spring1999 about the evaluation of IT in the Danish construction industry. This paper presents some of the results found in the analysis of the survey. It is found that few companies have a written IT strategy and in those who have, the practicality...... of their IT strategy is generally low. Most IT evaluation is done before the investment is made using primarily oral guidelines and subjective arguments. CAD systems are the most evaluated. In general it is found that the IT evaluations completed by companies in the construction industry are unsophisticated compared...

Worksite element as causes of occupational accidents and illnesses in Malaysian residential construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Hafiidz, J. Mohd; Arifin, K.; Aiyub, K.; Razman, M. R.; Samsurijan, M. S.; Syakir, M. I.

2017-09-01

Construction industry is an important sector that contributes to the development of economy and socioeconomy in Malaysia. It is a vital component in achieving the developed country status. However, fatalities in the Malaysian construction industry are a critical problem. Number of fatalities in this industry is the highest compared to other industries registered in Malaysia under the investigation of Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). Worksite element (worksite conditions, poor site management, construction tasks, and equipment & materials) was identified as one category of causes of occupational accidents and illnesses in Malaysian construction industry. The main objective of this study is to understand the perception of local construction personnel in terms of worksite element as causes of occupational accidents and illnesses in Malaysian residential construction industry. 13 housing projects that were registered with Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government and being permitted to perform construction work in 2012 were selected in Pulau Pinang to be studied using questionnaire survey. Worksite condition and poor site management was perceived as the most significant with the mean values of 3.68 and 3.61 respectively.

Environmental and Energy Aspects of Construction Industry and Green Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kauskale, L.; Geipele, I.; Zeltins, N.; Lecis, I.

2017-04-01

Green building is an important component of sustainable real estate market development, and one of the reasons is that the construction industry consumes a high amount of resources. Energy consumption of construction industry results in greenhouse gas emissions, so green buildings, energy systems, building technologies and other aspects play an important role in sustainable development of real estate market, construction and environmental development. The aim of the research is to analyse environmental aspects of sustainable real estate market development, focusing on importance of green buildings at the industry level and related energy aspects. Literature review, historical, statistical data analysis and logical access methods have been used in the research. The conducted research resulted in high environmental rationale and importance of environment-friendly buildings, and there are many green building benefits during the building life cycle. Future research direction is environmental information process and its models.

Causes of Payment Problems in the New Zealand Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanuja Ramachandra

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Payment delays and losses persist in the construction industry and continue to be a key concern to industry practitioners. Therefore an exploration of the key causes of payment delays and losses is undertaken in this study with the ultimate objective of seeking mitigating solutions. The study adopted a survey approach using an online questionnaire, administered to practitioners from the New Zealand construction industry, comprising consultants, head contractors and subcontractors. The data obtained was analysed using inferential statistical techniques, including comparing means and factor analysis. Factor analysis enabled clustering of the inter-related causes of payment delays and losses in order to find reduced number of causes. Accordingly, the study found that payment problems mainly relate to contractual issues, financial strength of industry players, disputes, short-comings of payment processes and ‘domino effects’. Among them, the financial strength of critical industry players was considered central to payment problems. The study concludes that any solution to these problems must address these primary causes, as a rational starting point. Thus procuring a feasible form of financial security at the outset of a project, and the pre-qualification of the financial status of critical project participants, were found to be significant in the mitigation of construction payment risks. Paper Type: Research article

Establishing a Commercialization Model for Innovative Products in the Residential Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

McCoy, Andrew Patton

2007-01-01

Throughout the world, innovation is viewed as a critical factor in the future health of the construction industry. There is universal interest in successful commercialization of innovative construction products. This thesis focuses on the US construction industry's ability to successfully commercialize innovative products. US small, limited-resource innovators will be key players in this success. Recent failures of entrepreneurial business ventures in the commercialization of such product...

The Nature of Payment Problems in the New Zealand Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanuja Ramachandra

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Delay and loss of payment is a serious problem in the construction industry of many countries. These affect the cash flow of contractors which is critical to meeting their financial obligations. Payment defaults by the principal leads to insolvency of contractors and in turn other parts of the project chain. In recognition of some of these problems, most countries have established payment-specific construction industry legislation and other contractual measures to mitigate the problems, but nevertheless the problem persists. In this context, the paper examines the nature of payment problems in the construction industry in New Zealand. It is part of a larger study, that seeks solutions to payment losses in the construction industry.The study uses two approaches; an analysis of liquidators’ reports, and an analysis of court cases involving payment disputes to determine the magnitude of payment problems on construction parties. The findings are presented using simple descriptive and interpretive analyses. The study finds that trade creditors are impacted negatively (payment delays and losses by the liquidation of property developers, general construction and construction trade companies. 75% of trade creditors are unable to be paid fully by these categories of construction companies after liquidation proceedings. Liquidation proceedings take an average 18 months before they are finalised. The analysis of court cases found that 80% of payment disputes are between principals and contractors; with considerably significant percentage of disputes resulting in outright loss of payments. Only 40% of the cases are successful, in which case claimants are able to fully recover the amount in dispute. Payment losses are more prevalent in liquidation than delays and unlike in legal disputes, there is no security for those losses. The study finds that construction parties use remedies contained in the security of payment provisions within standard conditions

The Nature of Payment Problems in the New Zealand Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanuja Ramachandra

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Delay and loss of payment is a serious problem in the construction industry of many countries. These affect the cash flow of contractors which is critical to meeting their financial obligations. Payment defaults by the principal leads to insolvency of contractors and in turn other parts of the project chain. In recognition of some of these problems, most countries have established payment-specific construction industry legislation and other contractual measures to mitigate the problems, but nevertheless the problem persists. In this context, the paper examines the nature of payment problems in the construction industry in New Zealand. It is part of a larger study, that seeks solutions to payment losses in the construction industry.The study uses two approaches; an analysis of liquidators’ reports, and an analysis of court cases involving payment disputes to determine the magnitude of payment problems on construction parties. The findings are presented using simple descriptive and interpretive analyses. The study finds that trade creditors are impacted negatively (payment delays and losses by the liquidation of property developers, general construction and construction trade companies. 75% of trade creditors are unable to be paid fully by these categories of construction companies after liquidation proceedings. Liquidation proceedings take an average 18 months before they could be finalised. The analysis of court cases found that 80% of payment disputes are between principals and contractors; with considerably significant percentage of disputes resulting in outright loss of payments. Only 40% of the cases are successful, in which case claimants are able to fully recover the amount in dispute. Payment losses are more prevalent in liquidation than delays and unlike in legal disputes, there is no security for those losses. The study finds that construction parties use remedies contained in the security of payment provisions within standard

Predictors for the Success and Survival of Entrepreneurs in the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahidy Abd-Hamid1

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A review of entrepreneurship literature suggests that entrepreneurial activities are the most important drivers for economic growth and corporate success, regardless of size, age or industry. Nevertheless, so far, only a few studies, if any, have considered entrepreneurship as a success factor for construction enterprises, although the importance of the construction industry to the nation’s economic growth is significant. This paper reports a conceptual framework for formulating the success and survival factors of entrepreneurs in the construction industry. It also integrates four major perspectives in entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial organization, entrepreneurial competencies and entrepreneurial environment.

System Dynamics Model and Simulation of Employee Work-Family Conflict in the Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Guangdong; Duan, Kaifeng; Zuo, Jian; Yang, Jianlin; Wen, Shiping

2016-01-01

The construction industry is a demanding work environment where employees’ work-family conflict is particularly prominent. This conflict has a significant impact on job and family satisfaction and performance of employees. In order to analyze the dynamic evolution of construction industry employee’s work-family conflict between work and family domains, this paper constructs a bi-directional dynamic model framework of work-family conflict by referring to the relevant literature. Consequently, a system dynamics model of employee’s work-family conflict in the construction industry is established, and a simulation is conducted. The simulation results indicate that construction industry employees experience work interference with family conflict (WIFC) levels which are significantly greater than the family interference with work conflict (FIWC) levels. This study also revealed that improving work flexibility and organizational support can have a positive impact on the satisfaction and performance of construction industry employees from a work and family perspective. Furthermore, improving family support can only significantly improve employee job satisfaction. PMID:27801857

System Dynamics Model and Simulation of Employee Work-Family Conflict in the Construction Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Guangdong; Duan, Kaifeng; Zuo, Jian; Yang, Jianlin; Wen, Shiping

2016-10-28

The construction industry is a demanding work environment where employees' work-family conflict is particularly prominent. This conflict has a significant impact on job and family satisfaction and performance of employees. In order to analyze the dynamic evolution of construction industry employee's work-family conflict between work and family domains, this paper constructs a bi-directional dynamic model framework of work-family conflict by referring to the relevant literature. Consequently, a system dynamics model of employee's work-family conflict in the construction industry is established, and a simulation is conducted. The simulation results indicate that construction industry employees experience work interference with family conflict (WIFC) levels which are significantly greater than the family interference with work conflict (FIWC) levels. This study also revealed that improving work flexibility and organizational support can have a positive impact on the satisfaction and performance of construction industry employees from a work and family perspective. Furthermore, improving family support can only significantly improve employee job satisfaction.

System Dynamics Model and Simulation of Employee Work-Family Conflict in the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangdong Wu

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The construction industry is a demanding work environment where employees’ work-family conflict is particularly prominent. This conflict has a significant impact on job and family satisfaction and performance of employees. In order to analyze the dynamic evolution of construction industry employee’s work-family conflict between work and family domains, this paper constructs a bi-directional dynamic model framework of work-family conflict by referring to the relevant literature. Consequently, a system dynamics model of employee’s work-family conflict in the construction industry is established, and a simulation is conducted. The simulation results indicate that construction industry employees experience work interference with family conflict (WIFC levels which are significantly greater than the family interference with work conflict (FIWC levels. This study also revealed that improving work flexibility and organizational support can have a positive impact on the satisfaction and performance of construction industry employees from a work and family perspective. Furthermore, improving family support can only significantly improve employee job satisfaction.

[Muskuloskeletal disorders in construction industry: hospital cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Santini, M; Riva, M M; Mosconi, G

2012-01-01

The authors analyse 493 hospital cases in 356 workers from the construction industry, came to observation for musculoskeletal disorders (average age 48, 2 years, SD 9; work seniority 32, 2 years, SD 9, 7; work seniority in construction industry 27, 3 years, SD 12, 4). The evaluation was required in 305 subjects (85.7% of the sample) to investigate one or more suspected WMDS; in 51 subjects (14.3% of the sample) to express an opinion on fitness to work or residual work capacity. Investigations led to diagnosis of 479 musculoskeletal disorders; the districts most affected are spine and upper limb. 64.7% of the musculoskeletal disorders was evaluated to be work-related, the percentage rises to 68% when considering only cases sent for evaluation of suspected WMDS. The most frequent reasons to exclude relation between the musculoskeletal disorders and work were an high age at diagnosis, presence of comorbidity or outcome of trauma, a disease mismatch exposure.

The development of public and private construction procurement systems in the Malaysian construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mastura Jaafar

2012-12-01

Full Text Available As demand on building construction projects rises, various procurement methods have been adapted to suit with unique project requirements. However, poor industry performance and rapid developments within it indicate the need for a research on the procurement systems in the industry. In order to explore the development of procurement systems in Malaysia, a discussion on different economic phases which influence the routes of procurement systems and its evolution in Malaysia's construction industry is initiated. Subsequently, based on a questionnaire survey collected from 73 public and 68 private parties, the significant and dominant role of traditional procurement system used by both the public and private sectors in Malaysia can be confirmed. Further, compared to the public sector, the private sector is observed to be more aggressive in adapting alternative systems such as design and build (D&B and Turnkey. Further elaboration on the research findings is covered in the discussion section.

The Needs for Professionalism and Competency in the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adebiyi John Oladotun

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The quantity surveyors, in the present day construction industry, analyze cost components of a construction project in a scientific way and applies the results of the analysis to a variety of financial and economic problems confronting the developer and the designer. However, competence, in any sphere of work, can be a difficult concept to pin down, especially, when it relates to professional occupations where such roles are complex and involved diverse professionals in the built environment sector. This paper aims to investigate the competencies of quantity surveyors in the discharge of its professional duties by evaluating the effects of professional competency on quantity surveying practices in Nigeria. The study population comprised professional quantity surveyors who are in the private construction/consulting firms in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were obtained to investigate the professional views on the quantity surveying profession, the roles of quantity surveyors in the construction industry and the need for professionalism and competencies in the surveying industry. Questionnaires were administered to randomly select 200 practicing quantity surveyors in Lagos state. Findings revealed that the major role of quantity surveyors in the construction industry is the preparation of the bill of quantity as it ranked 1st with RII value of 1.00; it was also discovered that quantity surveyors were in agreement with client service delivery as the first ethical standard that construction professionals should consider when performing their professional obligations in order to avoid project failure and over-cost. It is therefore recommended that the professional bodies and the academia should organize proper and adequate service trainings, workshops and seminars which will enhance the possibility of acquiring more skills and experience so as to improve competence in the discharge of quantity surveyors professional duties.

The Need for Professionalism and Competencies in the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adebiyi John Oladotun

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The quantity surveyors, in the present day construction industry, analyze cost components of a construction project in a scientific way and applies the results of the analysis to a variety of financial and economic problems confronting the developer and the designer. However, competence, in any sphere of work, can be a difficult concept to pin down, especially, when it relates to professional occupations where such roles are complex and involved diverse professionals in the built environment sector. This paper aims to investigate the competencies of quantity surveyors in the discharge of its professional duties by evaluating the effects of professional competency on quantity surveying practices in Nigeria. The study population comprised professional quantity surveyors who are in the private construction/consulting firms in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were obtained to investigate the professional views on the quantity surveying profession, the roles of quantity surveyors in the construction industry and the need for professionalism and competencies in the surveying industry. Questionnaires were administered to randomly select 200 practicing quantity surveyors in Lagos state. Findings revealed that the major role of quantity surveyors in the construction industry is the preparation of the bill of quantity as it ranked 1st with RII value of 1.00; it was also discovered that quantity surveyors were in agreement with client service delivery as the first ethical standard that construction professionals should consider when performing their professional obligations in order to avoid project failure and over-cost. It is therefore recommended that the professional bodies and the academia should organize proper and adequate service trainings, workshops and seminars which will enhance the possibility of acquiring more skills and experience so as to improve competence in the discharge of quantity surveyors professional duties.

Applications of building information model (BIM) in Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, M. M.; Haron, N. A.; Alias, A. H.; Al-Jumaa, A. T.; Muhammad, I. B.; Harun, A. N.

2017-12-01

Since the introduction of BIM in Malaysia in 2009, the technology adoption rate is slow when compared to other countries of the world. Most of the construction companies in Malaysia have an insight on the BIM concept but are yet to implement it in the management of their construction projects. By the year 2020, the Malaysian government will make BIM mandatory, this makes it important to carry out research on the possible applications of the technology. A qualitative method of enquiry was used for this study in Klang Valley using semistructured interview. The responses received were analysed using Principal component analysis (PCA). The result of the analysis showed that “quantity take-off and estimation”, “clash detection and coordination”, “integration and collaboration of stakeholders”, and “design and visualisation” as the main applications of BIM in Malaysia presently. The implication of this findings is that the Malaysian construction industry productivity is likely to increase to meet the demand of the population through the implementations of BIM. More also, BIM technology is regarded as the future of construction industry, which makes it very important for the industry.

VHTR Construction Ripple Effect using Inter-Industry Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, T. H.; Lee, K. Y.; Shin, Y. J.

2015-01-01

As a part of a VHTR economic analysis, we have studied the VHTR construction cost and operation and maintenance cost. However, it is somewhat difficult to expect the exact cost due to insufficient reference data and experience. As a result, we propose quantitative analysis techniques for ripple effects such as the production inducement effect, added value inducement effect, and employment inducement effect for VHTR 600MWt x 4 module construction and operation ripple effect based on NOAK. This paper presents a new method for the ripple effect and preliminary ripple effect consequence. We proposed a ripple effect analysis method using a time series and inter-industry table. As a result, we can predict that a 600MWth x 4 module VHTR reactor construction will bring about a 43771 employment effect, 24160 billion KRW production effect, and 4472 billion added value effect for 22 years. It is necessary to use the sub-account values of an inter-industry table to obtain a more precise effect result. However, the methodology can be applied with minor modification to another reactor type.

VHTR Construction Ripple Effect using Inter-Industry Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, T. H.; Lee, K. Y.; Shin, Y. J. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

As a part of a VHTR economic analysis, we have studied the VHTR construction cost and operation and maintenance cost. However, it is somewhat difficult to expect the exact cost due to insufficient reference data and experience. As a result, we propose quantitative analysis techniques for ripple effects such as the production inducement effect, added value inducement effect, and employment inducement effect for VHTR 600MWt x 4 module construction and operation ripple effect based on NOAK. This paper presents a new method for the ripple effect and preliminary ripple effect consequence. We proposed a ripple effect analysis method using a time series and inter-industry table. As a result, we can predict that a 600MWth x 4 module VHTR reactor construction will bring about a 43771 employment effect, 24160 billion KRW production effect, and 4472 billion added value effect for 22 years. It is necessary to use the sub-account values of an inter-industry table to obtain a more precise effect result. However, the methodology can be applied with minor modification to another reactor type.

Project and Production Management in the Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Chien-Ho Ko

2012-01-01

In this issue, the Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management (EPPM-Journal) presents five original research papers related to project and production management in the construction industry from authors in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

A multi-agent safety response model in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Meliá, José L

2015-01-01

The construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest accident rates and the most serious accidents. A multi-agent safety response approach allows a useful diagnostic tool in order to understand factors affecting risk and accidents. The special features of the construction sector can influence the relationships among safety responses along the model of safety influences. The purpose of this paper is to test a model explaining risk and work-related accidents in the construction industry as a result of the safety responses of the organization, the supervisors, the co-workers and the worker. 374 construction employees belonging to 64 small Spanish construction companies working for two main companies participated in the study. Safety responses were measured using a 45-item Likert-type questionnaire. The structure of the measure was analyzed using factor analysis and the model of effects was tested using a structural equation model. Factor analysis clearly identifies the multi-agent safety dimensions hypothesized. The proposed safety response model of work-related accidents, involving construction specific results, showed a good fit. The multi-agent safety response approach to safety climate is a useful framework for the assessment of organizational and behavioral risks in construction.

Identifying the Critical Factors Affecting Safety Program Performance for Construction Projects within Pakistan Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zubair Ahmed Memon

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Many studies have shown that the construction industry one of the most hazardous industries with its high rates of fatalities and injuries and high financial losses incurred through work related accident. To reduce or overcome the safety issues on construction sites, different safety programs are introduced by construction firms. A questionnaire survey study was conducted to highlight the influence of the Construction Safety Factors on safety program implementation. The input from the questionnaire survey was analyzed by using AIM (Average Index Method and rank correlation test was conducted between different groups of respondents to measure the association between different groups of respondent. The finding of this study highlighted that management support is the critical factor for implementing the safety program on projects. From statistical test, it is concluded that all respondent groups were strongly in the favor of management support factor as CSF (Critical Success Factor. The findings of this study were validated on selected case studies. Results of the case studies will help to know the effect of the factors on implementing safety programs during the execution stage.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Dutch Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosalinde J.A. Klein Woolthuis

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the strategies that sustainable entrepreneurs use to interact with their environment in the Dutch construction industry. The Dutch construction industry is under great pressure to move towards sustainability, and entrepreneurs are believed to be able to play a large role in this transition by introducing new products and new business practices. But how can entrepreneurs prosper in an environment that is not geared up towards such a change? And which strategies do they use to bend conditions in their favor? In this article we make use of the Market and System Failure Framework to analyze the pressures that entrepreneurs are confronted with when introducing sustainable innovations. We recognize that these pressures can be seen as bottlenecks, but that market and system failures can also create entrepreneurial opportunities. We interviewed 16 entrepreneurs in the Dutch construction industry to determine the influences they experienced from their environment and the strategies they use to deal with these. We conclude that we can distinguish between system building and following entrepreneurs, where the former aims to build a new system to challenge the old one, whereas the latter rather makes use of existing structures to build a business. We find that both strategies can be successful and that overall, the entrepreneurs confirm the belief that sustainability on people, planet and transparency aspects, can contribute very well to the long term profitability of the businesses the entrepreneurs are running. These in-depth insights into the influences from the context on the one hand, and the entrepreneurs’ strategic reactions on the other hand, contribute to our understanding of the interactions between entrepreneurs and the system context. This can help us to more effectively stimulate and support innovating entrepreneurs to contribute to the transition towards sustainability.

Barriers to the Uptake of Concurrent Engineering in the Nigerian Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Aniekwu, Nathaniel Anny; Igboanugo, Anthony C.

2012-01-01

It is the consensus of scholars that the productivity of the construction industry is very low when compared with other industries. Concurrent Engineering (CE), which has a primary goal of reducing the total time from designing a product to releasing it into the market, while creating better designs as well, has been identified as one of the concepts that has yielded effective adaptation in the construction industry. An exploratory survey was used to identify 63 variables with the capacity to...

Reuse of industrial sludge as construction aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Tay, J H; Show, K Y; Hong, S Y

2001-01-01

Industrial wastewater sludge and dredged marine clay are high volume wastes that needed enormous space at landfill disposal sites. Due to the limitation of land space, there is an urgent need for alternative disposal methods for these two wastes. This study investigates the possibility of using the industrial sludge in combination with marine clay as construction aggregates. Different proportions of sludge and clay were made into round and angular aggregates. It was found that certain mix proportions could provide aggregates of adequate strength, comparable to that of conventional aggregates. Concrete samples cast from the sludge-clay aggregates yield compressive strengths in the range of 31.0 to 39.0 N/mm2. The results showed that the round aggregates of 100% sludge and the crush aggregates of sludge with up to 20% clay produced concrete of compressive strengths which are superior to that of 38.0 N/mm2 for conventional aggregate. The study indicates that the conversion of high volume wastes into construction materials is a potential option for waste management.

Managing Conflict in The Nigerian Construction Industry: A Study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the causes of conflictin the Nigerian construction industry and, the strategies for managing them in terms of resolutions and prevention. A quantitative approach using questionnaire survey was adopted to empirically test the opinions of construction professionals on causes of conflicts and ...

The use of constructed wetlands for the treatment of industrial wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skrzypiecbcef Katarzyna

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Constructed wetlands are characterized by specific conditions enabling simultaneous various physical and biochemical processes. This is the result of specific environment for the growth of microorganisms and hydrophytes (aquatic and semiaquatic plants which are capable of living in aerobic, anaerobic and facultative anaerobic conditions. Their interaction contributes to the intensification of oxidation and reduction responsible for the removal and retention of pollutants. These processes are supported by sorption, sedimentation and assimilation. Thanks to these advantages, treatment wetland systems have been used in communal management for over 50 years. In recent years, thanks to its advantages, low operational costs and high removal efficiency, there is growing interest in the use of constructed wetlands for the treatment or pre-treatment of various types of industrial wastewater. The study analyzes current use of these facilities for the treatment of industrial wastewater in the world. The conditions of use and efficiency of pollutants removal from readily and slowly biodegradable wastewater, with special emphasis on specific and characteristic pollutants of particular industries were presented. The use of subsurface horizontal flow beds for the treatment of industrial wastewater, among others from crude oil processing, paper production, food industry including wineries and distillery, olive oil production and coffee processing was described. In Poland constructed wetlands are used for the treatment of sewage and sludge from milk processing in pilot scale or for dewatering of sewage sludge produced in municipal wastewater treatment plant treating domestic sewage with approximately 40% share of wastewater from dairy and fish industry. In all cases, constructed wetlands provided an appropriate level of treatment and in addition the so-called ecosystem service.

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN RUSSIA IN THE CONDITIONS OF ECONOMIC CRISIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nidziy Elena Nikolaevna

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The construction industry is one of the key fund-creating industries, the formation of the Russian economy greatly depends on it. The construction sector is cyclic, that’s why it has always been sensitive to the tendencies of the national economy. In the contemporary conditions of weak economical climate the construction industry is in a state of sluggish recession. The key indicators exercising restraining influence on the construction complex are analyzed. The author carried out calculations of the prices for residential real estate in the past years. The author’s view on the near-term prospects on the exit from recession state is formulated. From the view of the today’s state and the nearest development prospects, it can be stated that the construction industry is one of the most problematic among the basic economic sectors. Retrieval of the expansion rate of the construction industry is possible in case of the positive changes of general economic state.

Construction of Industrial Ecosystem of an Electric Company under Ecological Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xin; Zhang, Yuan; Wu, Han

2018-01-01

Be confronted with more and more fierce competition environment, only by constantly integrating, constructing and restructuring internal and external resources as well as capabilities can enterprises adapt themselves to the rapidly changing environment and maintain the advantages of sustained competition. Business competition has changed from product competition of single enterprise to competition of bussiness ecosystem. Therefore, how to build a business system is the key to win competition. This paper draws lessons from business ecosystem and industrial ecosystem concept and takes the subordinate industry company of a large enterprise as the research object. On the the basis of combing its characteristics and organizational structure, an industrial ecosystem is tired to constructed.

Comparative Study On The Ethical Perceptions Of Contractors And Designers In The China Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Byung Gyoo; Long, Kaiwen; Zhang, Cheng; Li Hao, Jian

2017-12-01

Ethics is becoming one of the most important requirements for successful business in the 21st century. The construction industry cannot be exceptional from this trend. However construction ethics management requires different approaches from other industries, as the products of the industry are construction projects which are completely different from mass production. Contractors and designers are two major participants in construction projects. The roles and responsibilities of these two project stakeholders decisively influence all aspects of construction project. Practically ethical perceptions of contractors and designers are one of main aspects to be considered for the effective and efficient management of ethics for the construction industry. This research has investigated the ethical perceptions of contractors and designers in the China construction industry. A questionnaire survey which contains 15 ethical issues and 6 demographic factors has been conducted. 170 construction professionals from construction companies and consulting companies have been participated in this survey. These 15 ethical issues are ranked in terms of seriousness, frequency and importance for both contractors and designers as a single group to understand the overall perceptions in the industry. The analysis has also been conducted for contractors and designers respectively to make comparisons between them. The top three serious ethical issues in the industry are ‘Bribery and corruption’, ‘Failure to practice whistle-blowing’ and ‘Improper bidding practices’. Contractors and designers showed similar outcomes for the top five important ethical issues. But for the middle ranged ethical issues, they showed some differences. Further researches are required to identify the causes of the similarity and differences.

Decision support model for selecting and evaluating suppliers in the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Schramm

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A structured evaluation of the construction industry's suppliers, considering aspects which make their quality and credibility evident, can be a strategic tool to manage this specific supply chain. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision model for suppliers' selection from the construction industry, as well as an efficient evaluation procedure for the selected suppliers. The model is based on SMARTER (Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique Exploiting Ranking method and its main contribution is a new approach to structure the process of suppliers' selection, establishing explicit strategic policies on which the company management system relied to make the suppliers selection. This model was applied to a Civil Construction Company in Brazil and the main results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model. This study allowed the development of an approach to Construction Industry which was able to provide a better relationship among its managers, suppliers and partners.

Impact of Fragmentation Issue in Construction Industry: An Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Nawi Mohd Nasrun

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In general, fragmentation within the construction industry arises from two areas within the traditional construction process; the construction work process where the most significant division is in the separation of the design and construction phase, and the construction structure itself. The fragmentation process in traditional contracting practice further hinders the integration of construction knowledge among contractors, diminishing the opportunity for them to influence design decisions. When design professionals fail to consider as to how a contractor would construct the designed project results in scheduling problems, delays, and disputes during the construction process. Moving towards team integration is considered a significant strategy for overcoming the issue. Accordingly, this paper discusses the fragmentation issue in more detail including its definition, and causes and effects to the construction projects. It also explores that the team integration strategy alleviates scheduling problems, and helps avoid delays and disputes during the construction process, preventing harm to overall project performance.

Causes of Fatal Accidents Involving Cranes in the Australian Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Gharaie, Ehsan; Lingard, Helen; Cooke, Tracy

2015-01-01

In ten years from 2004 to 2013, 359 workers died in the Australian construction industry because of work related causes. This paper investigates crane-related fatalities in order to find the upstream causation of such accidents. The National Coroners’ Information System (NCIS) database was searched to identify fatal accidents in the construction industry involving the use of a crane.  The narrative description of the cases provided in the coroners’ findings and associated documents were conte...

Stepwise modularization in the construction industry using a bottom-up approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kudsk, Anders; Grønvold, Martin O'Brien; Olsen, Magnus Holo

2013-01-01

The manufacturing industry has experienced a great deal of improvement in efficiency and cost reductions throughout the last centuries. But although there have been improvements in the manufacturing industry, the principles and work methods in the construction industry have stood still for more t...... than a hundred years. Based on principles of mass customization applied in the manufacturing industry, two cases of successful implementation of mass customization and modularization have been investigated as a means of showcasing the possibility to incorporate standardization in parts...... implemented stepwise. The case shows that substantial benefits can be gained through implementing modularized construction. It is especially interesting to note that these benefits are achieved through the development of a module with focus on the internal interfaces. © Kudsk et al.; Licensee Bentham Open....

Relationship between time management in construction industry and project management performance

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Najuwa; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd; Radzuan, Kamaruddin

2016-08-01

Nowadays, construction industry particularly in Malaysia struggle in achieving status of eminent time management for construction project. Project managers have a great responsibility to keep the project success under time of project completion. However, studies shows that delays especially in Malaysian construction industry still unresolved due to weakness in managing the project. In addition, quality of time management on construction projects is generally poor. Due to the progressively extended delays issue, time performance becomes an important subject to be explored to investigate delay factors. The method of this study is review of literature towards issues in construction industry which affecting time performance of project in general by focusing towards process involved for project management. Based on study, it was found that knowledge, commitment, cooperation are the main criteria as an overall to manage the project into a smooth process during project execution until completion. It can be concluded that, the strength between project manager and team members in these main criteria while conducting the project towards good time performance is highly needed. However, there is lack of establishment towards factors of poor time performance which strongly related with project management. Hence, this study has been conducted to establish factors of poor time performance and its relations with project management.

Applicability of the 'constructional fire prevention for industrial plants' to power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammacher, P.

1978-01-01

Power plants, especially nuclear power plants, are considered because of their high value and large construction volume to be among the most important industrial constructions of our time. They have a very exposed position from the point of view of fire prevention because of their constructional and operational concept. The efforts in the Federal Republic of Germany to standardize laws and regulations for fire prevention in industrial plants (industrial construction code, DIN 18230) must be supported if only because they would simplify the licensing procedure. However these regulations cannot be applied in many cases and especially in the main buildings of thermal power plants without restricting or even endangering the function or the safety of such plants. At the present state of the art many parts of the power plant can surely be defined as 'fire safe'. Fire endangered plant components and rooms are protected according to their importance by different measures (constructional measures, fire-fighting equipments, extractors for flue gases and for heat, fire-brigade of the plant). (orig.) [de

The institutionalization of benchmarking in the Danish construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Grane Mikael Gregaard; Gottlieb, Stefan Christoffer

, the chapter accounts for the data collection methods used to conduct the empirical data collection and the appertaining choices that are made, based on the account for analyzing institutionalization processes. The analysis unfolds over seven chapters, starting with an exposition of the political foundation...... and disseminated to the construction industry. The fourth chapter demonstrates how benchmarking was concretized into a benchmarking system and articulated to address several political focus areas for the construction industry. BEC accordingly became a political arena where many local perspectives and strategic...... emerged as actors expressed diverse political interests in the institutionalization of benchmarking. The political struggles accounted for in chapter five constituted a powerful political pressure and called for transformations of the institutionalization in order for benchmarking to attain institutional...

Considerações sobre estudos de ambientes industriais e não industriais no Brasil: uma abordagem comparativa Comments on studies of industrial and non-industrial environments in Brazil: a comparative approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Gioda

2003-10-01

Full Text Available A qualidade do ar em ambientes industriais tem sido palco de estudos desde a segunda metade do século XX. Resultados bem documentados apontaram que a exposição prolongada a poluentes químicos, proveniente do consumo, produção, armazenamento etc., pode causar danos à saúde do trabalhador. Recentemente, estudos direcionados a ambientes não industriais mostraram correlações surpreendentes entre a qualidade do ar e os efeitos causados à saúde. O sistema de ventilação artificial tem sido a principal causa de reclamações e de um alto índice de absenteísmo. Os sintomas relacionados com a qualidade do ar em ambientes não industriais são reconhecidos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde que os identifica como "Síndrome dos Edifícios Doentes". No Brasil, há poucos estudos relacionando qualidade do ar em ambientes fechados e saúde. O presente trabalho pretende mapear as pesquisas já realizadas no País, visando, com isso, incentivar novos estudos nessa área, em virtude de sua importância para a saúde da população.Air quality in industrial environments has been studied since the second half of the 20th century. Well-documented results show that exposure to chemical pollutants through their consumption, production, and storage can damage workers' health. New research focusing on non-industrial environments has shown unexpected correlations between air quality and health effects. Artificial ventilation systems have been related to health-related complaints and a high rate of absenteeism. Symptoms related to air quality in non-industrial environments are recognized by the World Health Organization and encompassed under the so-called sick building syndrome (SBS. In Brazil there are few studies comparing indoor air quality and health. The present study is intended to map the studies already conducted in Brazil in order to encourage further research in this area, due to its importance for public health.

Occupational Health Hazards of Women Working in Brick Kiln and Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. G Vaidya

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: In brick kiln and construction industry the exposure to carbon monoxide and silica dust is the most common occupational hazard to the workers in these industries. A study on occupational health hazards of working women in these two unorganized sectors was undertaken by Lokmanya Medical Research Centre. Objectives: To study the effect of work site environment on the health of the women working in brick kiln and construction industry. An attempt was also made to study the seasonal changes in the concentration of carbon monoxide and dust at the worksite. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the working women (age 18-40 years at brick kilns and construction sites during summer and winter season. They were examined primarily to assess the effect of working environment on health. Gasteck Detector Pump of model 800 and air sampling instrument (SKC Air Check–52 were used to measure concentration of carbon monoxide and dust in the air respectively. Results: There were 66% of women who were in the age group of 18-40 years and most of them (94% were married. At brick kiln sites, average CO exposure was 62.8 ppm and 55.5 ppm and average dust exposure was 3 3 146.1 mg/m and 91.4 mg/m in summer and winter season respectively.At construction sites, average dust exposure was 41.5 ppm and 90.8 ppm in summer and winter. Conclusion: Both exposure to CO and dust were more in summer than in winter in brick kiln industry whereas in construction industry the exposure to dust was more in winter season. A high level of morbidity in the form of headache, bodyache, problems with vision, cough and breathlessness were observed in both industries. It is strongly recommended to take pollution control measures.

Construction Safety And Health Factors At The Industry Level: The Case Of Singapore

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Y.J. Cheah

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries due to the unique nature of its products and the processes involved. Recent occurrences of highly publicized construction site accidents in Singapore have highlighted the immediate needs for the local industry to address safety and attention at the industry level. The objective of this paper is to examine issues and critical factors affecting S&H standards in Singapore. Clearly, collective efforts should be pursued at the industry level as the country moves towards the ultimate safety management strategy of self-regulation. The findings also indicate that the challenge of making worksites safe should not be placed solely on the contractors but should be shared by all parties affecting the value chain of construction, including the developers, the consultants and the government. The factors identified through factor analysis may inform legislators and industry practitioners in terms of the sources of problems and help develop effective strategies for improvement. Some of the experiences mentioned in the paper could also be relevant to other countries facing similar circumstances.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE BARRIERS FACING BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNICS WITHIN THE UK CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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Vian Ahmed

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The UK construction industry is one of the largest employers, positioned as the country’s top employer with over two million employees and projected to continue growth as far as 2011. However, it is facing ongoing skills shortages in a number of professional areas and tends to lack an ethnic diversity of workers compared to the White community of workers across the whole economy. The government’s Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force shows that for any given level of qualification, a Black or ethnic minority person is less likely to be employed, than a similarly qualified White person. Current research into issues surrounding ethnicity, from academia to employment is scarce, particularly in entry and process development within the construction industry. The aim of this paper is to outline the findings from perceptional and experiential barriers of Black and Minority Ethnics (BMEs students and employees, in order to identify perceptional and actual barriers that lead to the under-representation of BMEs within the construction industry; and also to suggest how better knowledge flow mechanisms could lead to a more balanced development, particularly in terms of ethnic diversification in the UK construction industry. The aim was achieved by adopting qualitative and quantitative methods including questionnaire surveys of undergraduate students in a construction related program, employees working within the construction industry and interviews with company directors and human resource managers. The image of the construction industry is found to be one of the major barriers for entry into the industry. Language and cultures form additional barriers for a range of ethnic groupings. Support, in the form of recruitment events, training, mentoring, professional networking, as well as work placement and experience schemes, can smooth entry, retention and progression within the construction industry.

Challenges, success factors and strategies for women’s career development in the Australian construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasmin E. Rosa

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Construction is traditionally a male industry. Women have long had difficulties entering or advancing their career in construction. Evidence shows that a diversified workforce with gender balance will bring about higher levels of productivity. Despite the importance of this issue, there have been limited studies on women’s career development in construction. This study aims to investigate women’s career development in the Australian construction industry, with objectives to evaluate the challenges and success factors of women’s career development in the construction industry and provide strategies for narrowing the gender imbalance. A mixed approach of questionnaire survey and interview were conducted with female practitioners in the construction industry. Forty-three completed questionnaires were received and 10 interviews were conducted. Stress, family-work balance, and negative perception towards women in construction were the top three challenges identified. Dedication, determination, and independence were the top three success factors of women in construction. This study recommends construction employers consider providing personal development programs and flexible working arrangement for their female employees. Significance of this study lies on contributing to understanding women’s career development in construction. Findings will be useful for government and professional institutions to promulgate strategies for advancing women’s career development in construction.

Industrial robots application in the construction of buildings and structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verzhbovskiy Gennady

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Proposals on the use of modernized industrial robots in the construction of low-rise buildings are formulated. The necessary parameters of such a mechanism are established. The time necessary for building the walls of a two-story house is determined. Features of the robots use on the construction site are described.

Technology Trends and Opportunities for Construction Industry and Lifecycle Management

OpenAIRE

Janson, Vidar

2017-01-01

Master's thesis in for Offshore Technology: Industrial Asset Management The purpose of the report is to highlight methods that can make it easier for the construction industry and industry in general to benefit from new technology. The report is intended as a reference to technological solutions that along with some techniques, can streamline workflow for multiple tasks in planning, design, and operation and maintenance management. The problems focused on is how to: • Simplify the procu...

Women in the Construction Industry in the U.K.: a Cultural Discord?

Science.gov (United States)

Bagilhole, Barbara M.; Dainty, Andrew R. J.; Neale, Richard H.

The construction industry is the most male dominated of all industrial sectors in the United Kingdom. This article reports on a study that explored women's and men's experiences of working in the industry, focusing on how the cultural aspects of the workplace environment impinged upon women's career development. We interviewed more than 80 male and female construction professionals from large construction organizations, and compared their career accounts in order to establish the aspects of the workplace culture that had a gender-differentiated impact on progression. We found that construction organizations formed competitive "power" cultures where women's contributions were marginalized and their careers impeded through a combination of inflexible work practices and discriminatory behavior. These barriers to women's careers were maintained in small project teams by autonomous male operational managers. Their locus of control embraced recruitment, promotion, and staff development, which allowed them to sustain a workplace culture intolerant of nontraditional entrants. We conclude that this cultural environment is likely to remain problematic for women unless it can be changed in a way that values their contribution. This requires a radical shift in middle management attitudes, a departure from current organizational human resource management systems, and a wider acceptance of the need for cultural change within the industry.

Organisation, ‘anchoring’ of knowledge, and innovation in the construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drejer, Ina; Vinding, Anker Lund

2004-01-01

explanation for the relatively poor innovation performance of the industry. Using survey data from the Danish construction industry the paper investigates the importance of learning and ?anchoring? of project specific knowledge within the firms for facilitating engagement in innovative activities...... at the firm level. The data refer to the overall Danish construction industry, as well as a specific region, North Jutland, which is relatively specialised in construction. By using latent class and regression analysis the results show that firms, which to a high extent make use of partnering and other...... interorganisational features, combined with internal product and process evaluation and knowledge diffusion, are more likely to engage in innovative activities than firms that make less use of what we label ?knowledge anchoring mechanisms?. This indicates that there are ways for firms to compensate for the problems...

Occupational safety and health management in the construction industry: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaafar, Mohd Hafiidz; Arifin, Kadir; Aiyub, Kadaruddin; Razman, Muhammad Rizal; Ishak, Muhammad Izzuddin Syakir; Samsurijan, Mohamad Shaharudin

2017-09-11

The construction industry plays a significant role in contributing to the economy and development globally. During the process of construction, various hazards coupled with the unique nature of the industry contribute to high fatality rates. This review refers to previous published studies and related Malaysian legislation documents. Four main elements consisting of human, worksite, management and external elements which cause occupational accidents and illnesses were identified. External and management elements are the underlying causes contributing to occupational safety and health (OSH), while human and worksite elements are more apparent causes of occupational accidents and illnesses. An effective OSH management approach is required to contain all hazards at construction sites. An approach to OSH management constructed by elements of policy, process, personnel and incentive developed in previous work is explored. Changes to the sub-elements according to previous studies and the related Malaysian legislation are also covered in this review.

Construction industry, e-business and marketing. Are the dot.coms pushing aside personal relationships?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tijhuis, Willem

2001-01-01

In the present globalizing construction industry, parties in construction industry are looking more internationally for enhancing their business-activities. But what stimulates these developments specifically? It seems to be that the role of information-technology is one of the big drivers for it,

Developing a Best-Evidence Pre-employment Medical Examination: An Example from the Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gouttebarge, Vincent; van der Molen, Henk F.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.; Sluiter, Judith K.

2014-01-01

The Dutch construction industry has introduced a compulsory preemployment medical examination (PE-ME). Best-evidence contents related to specific job demands are, however, lacking and need to be gathered. After the identification of job demands and health problems in the construction industry

Quality Cost in the Construction Industry ' Preliminary Findings in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukhtar Che Ali

2010-06-01

Full Text Available One of the key areas being emphasis in ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS is performance measurement towards continual improvement. Among the primary measuring tools is quality cost approach. Quality cost has been well practice in manufacturing sector but slowly gain its importance in construction industry. In fact Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK has reckoned quality cost as one of the tool and technique in few of its management processes. In view of such circumstances that has prompted an effort to undertake a study to ascertain the level of knowledge and practice on quality cost in Malaysian construction landscape. The targeted group of respondents was the personnel in the project management team. Capitalizing Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB National Electronic Tendering Initiatives (NETI road shows which were held in year 2007 throughout the country, the author was able to garner 263 respondents representing the project management team. Subsequently the data gathered from the completed forms were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS software. General findings indicated that the level of knowledge and practice on quality cost among the project management team were relatively low. One of the main contributing factors was poor knowledge in the area related to quality cost. Despite of such scenario most of the respondents showed their interest in acquiring knowledge in the field of quality cost. Hence quality cost approach is at the infancy stage in Malaysian construction industry.

Computer support for collaborative work in the construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuwen, van J.P.; Cha, J.

2003-01-01

Collaborative work is an essential ingredient for success in the construction industry. With the advancements of capabilities of information technologies and communication infrastructures, the effective utilisation of these technologies has become very important and strongly affects business

A Guide to Scaffold Use in the Construction Industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2001-01-01

On August 30, 1996, OSHA issued revised standards for scaffolds. The revised standard, known as "Safety Standards for Scaffolds Used in the Construction Industry" is found in Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part, Subpart L...

Technology transfer by industry for the construction of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frewer, H.; Altvater, W.

1977-01-01

The construction of nuclear power plants call for a wide sphere of industrial activities, nuclear as well as conventional. For a specific country the ways and methods of developing an industrial nuclear power program and reaching the target of independence, will widely differ, depending on the size of the country, the economic situation, the already existing industrial manufacturing and engineering capacities, the time schedule of the program and the type of contracting. The experience in effective technology transfer for the strengthening and setting up the national industry, and the engineering capacities, needed for the construction of nuclear power plants up to the largest size existing today are considered. The German nuclear power industry gained this experience in connection with the turn-key supply of the first units in various countries. The prerequisites and national nuclear power programs were different. Based on a successful technological development, including standardization, the German nuclear power industry could meet the demand and different approaches in these countries. The main features and practices followed for the transfer of technology is described for three different cases, namely Argentina, Brazil and Iran. (author)

Analysis of administrative barriers in the industry of the high-rise construction in Russian Federation

Science.gov (United States)

Zaychenko, Irina; Borremans, Alexandra; Gutman, Svetlana

2018-03-01

The article describes the concept and types of administrative barriers encountered in various areas of the enterprise. The particularities of the Russian high-rise construction industry are described and a comparative analysis of administrative barriers in this sector is performed. The main stages and administrative procedures when the developers implement investment and construction projects in the field of high-rise construction are determined. The regulatory and legal framework for the implementation of investment and project activities in the high-rise construction industry has been studied and conclusions have been drawn on its low level of precision in the issue of the formation of competitive and efficient high-rise construction markets. The average number of administrative procedures for the implementation of the investment and construction project in the field of high-rise construction is determined. The factors preventing the reduction of administrative barriers in the high-rise construction industry are revealed.

Characteristic of Noise-induced Hearing Loss among Workers in Construction Industries

Science.gov (United States)

Naadia Mazlan, Ain; Yahya, Khairulzan; Haron, Zaiton; Amsharija Mohamed, Nik; Rasib, Edrin Nazri Abdul; Jamaludin, Nizam; Darus, Nadirah

2018-03-01

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is among the most common occupational disease in industries. This paper investigates NIHL in construction related industries in Malaysia with particular emphasis on its relation with risk factors. The objectives of this research were to (1) quantify the prevalence of NIHL in construction related industries, and (2) assess the relationship between hearing loss and risk factors and it's characteristic. The study was conducted using 110 NIHL compensation record collected from Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), Malaysia. Risk factors namely area noise, age, temperature, smoking habit, hobby, diabetic and cardiovascular disease were identified and analysed. Results showed that there was no direct relationship between area noise with hearing impairment while there was only low relationship between age and hearing impairment. The range for area noise and age were between 70 to 140 dB(A) and 20 to 70 years, respectively. The other risk factors classified as categorical data and analysed using frequency method. Grade of impairment does not depend solely on area noise but also in combination with age and other risk factors. Characteristic of NIHL prevailed in construction related industries were presented using scatterplots and can serve as a references for future hazard control on site.

Apprenticeship Bullying in the Building and Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Riggall, Michaela; Skues, Jason; Wise, Lisa

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the definition, prevalence, antecedents, consequences and coping behaviours associated with apprenticeship bullying in the building and construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: The sample comprises 13 participants aged between 22 and 27 (M = 23.8, SD = 1.26) who were all men who had…

A patent landscape on application of microorganisms in construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Dapurkar, Dipti; Telang, Manasi

2017-07-01

Construction biotechnology includes research and development of construction materials and processes that make use of various microbes. The present technology landscape gives a perspective on how microbes have been used in construction industry as cement and concrete additives by analyzing patents filed in this technology arena. All patents related to the technology of interest published globally to date have been reviewed. The earliest patent filing in this technology domain was recorded in the year 1958 and the patenting activity reached its peak around mid to late 1990s. The early technology was mainly focused on microbial polysaccharides and other metabolic products as additives. Year 2002 onwards, biomineralization has taken precedence over the other technologies with consistent patent filings indicating a shift in innovation focus. Japan has been the global leader with highest number of patents filed on application of microbes in construction industry. Southeast University, China has topped the patent assignee list with maximum number of filings followed by Kajima Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. Most patent applications have claimed microbe based bio-products. Construction-related microbial technologies are mainly based on activity of different microorganisms such as urease-producing, acidogenic, halophilic, alkaliphilic, nitrate and iron-reducing bacteria. Sporosarcina pasteurii has been the most widely used microbe for biomineralization.

Successful Paths to Becoming a Lean Organization in the Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Warcup, Robert D.

2015-01-01

Lean construction is considered a valuable solution for the declining productivity of the construction industry. This study seeks to answer the general research question: What does it take to become lean? The research explored the possible paths to becoming lean by examining the journeys of three successful lean construction firms in the U.S. The results are intended to assist other construction firms with their own transformations. This study is especially useful to executives and management...

Economic assessment of the construction industry: A construction-economics nexus

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Herbert Marion, Jr.

The purpose of this study was to conduct an economic assessment of the construction industry. More specifically, this study addresses ambiguities within the literature that are associated with the construction-economics nexus. The researcher 1) investigated the relationships between economic indicators and stock prices of U.S. construction equipment manufacturers, 2) investigated the relationships between energy production, consumption, and corruption, and 3) determined the economic effect electricity generation and electricity consumption has on economies of scale. The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics in this study and determined that economists, researchers, policy-makers, and others should have predicted the 2007-08 world economic collapse 5-6 years prior to realization of the event given that construction indices and GDP grossly regressed from statistically acceptable trends as early as 2002 and perhaps 2000. Substantiating this claim, the effect of the cost of construction materials and labor, i.e. construction index, on GDP was significant for years leading up to the collapse (1970-2007). Additionally, it was determined that energy production and consumption are predictors of governmental corruption in some countries. In the Republic of Botswana, for example, the researcher determined that energy production and consumption statistically jointly effected governmental corruption. In addition to determining statistical effect, a model for predicting governmental corruption was developed based on energy production and consumption volumes. Also, the researcher found that electricity generation in the 25 largest world economies had a statistically significant effect on GDP. Electricity consumption also had an effect on GDP, as well, but not on other economic indicators. More importantly than the quantitative findings, the researcher concluded that the construction-economics nexus is far more complex than most policy-makers realize. As such

MANAGEMENT PROCESS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK IN THE NIGERIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

OpenAIRE

Akwu, Ifeoma Claris

2017-01-01

The study examined the state of health and safety risk management practices in the building sector of the construction industry with the objective to examine the health and safety risk management processes adopted by the construction industry in Nigeria; the study adopted the survey and case study research design. It employed the use of Delphi’s technique in the distribution of questionnaire and made use of chi-square analytical technique for the analysis of gathered data. The findings reveal...

Disabling occupational injury in the US construction industry, 1996.

Science.gov (United States)

Courtney, Theodore K; Matz, Simon; Webster, Barbara S

2002-12-01

In 1996 the US construction industry comprised 5.4% of the annual US employment but accounted for 7.8% of nonfatal occupational injuries and illness and 9.7% of cases involving at least a day away from work. Information in the published literature on the disability arising from construction injuries is limited. The construction claims experience (n = 35,790) of a large workers' compensation insurer with national coverage was examined. The leading types and sources of disabling occupational morbidity in 1996 in the US construction industry were identified. Disability duration was calculated from indemnity payments data using previously published methods. The average disability duration for an injured construction worker was 46 days with a median of 0 days. The most frequently occurring conditions were low back pain (14.8%), foreign body eye injuries (8.5%), and finger lacerations (4.8%). Back pain also accounted for the greatest percentage of construction claim costs (21.3%) and disability days (25.5%). However, the conditions with the longest disability durations were sudden-onset injuries, including fractures of the ankle (median = 55 days), foot (42 days), and wrist (38 days). Same-level and elevated falls were the principal exposures for fractures of the wrist and ankle, whereas elevated falls and struck by incidents accounted for the majority of foot fractures. Manual materials handling activities were most often associated with low back pain disability. The results suggest that these most disabling injuries can be addressed by increasing primary prevention resources in slips and falls and exposures related to injuries of sudden-onset as well as in reducing manual materials handling and other exposures associated with more gradual-onset injuries.

Categorization of potential project cost overrun factors in construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Karunakaran, P.; Abdullah, A. H.; Nagapan, S.; Sohu, S.; Kasvar, K. K.

2018-04-01

Cost overrun has been severely hit down the economy and reputations for many construction industry around the world. Many project management tools developed to control the budget of a project. However, the cost management is still considered poor as there are many cost overrun issues occurred in the construction industry. Thus, this paper aims to identify and cluster the potential construction project cost overrun factors according to their originating groups using the thematic approach. Basically, through literature review, all the potential factors that may cause cost overrun were screened thoroughly before they were clustered into seven (7) groups of the originating factors, namely project, contract, client, contractor, consultant, labour and external. Each potential factor was explained clearly with some examples based on the Malaysian case studies to illustrate the cost overrun scenario. These findings may aid in the future to highlight on how to mitigate the critical potential factors of cost overrun to reduce or overcome its impact on all the stakeholders involved.

Program-oriented approach to resource saving issues in construction materials industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novikova Galina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The construction as a sector of the economy is one of the largest consumers of energy resources, and the building materials industry is today one of the most energy-intensive construction industry. At the enterprises of the building materials industry the different approaches and methods are used to solve resource and energy problems. Energy saving is considered not as an complex approach in the enterprise activity, but as activity for the implementation of specific energy-saving projects, which have limitations in time and in resources. The authors suggest to use a softwareoriented approach to solving the problems of resource and energy saving. For practical application of program-oriented approach we offer to use a structuring method of the decision-making, not previously used to solve problems of resource and energy saving.

Bi-project management in engineering complex industrial construction projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velde, Robert R. van der; Donk, Dirk Pieter van

2000-01-01

Engineering large industrial construction projects is usually a complex task with several co-operating actors. This paper investigates such projects, characterised by two main actors: the owner of the installation (the client organisation) responsible for the engineering of the production process,

Project Culture in the Chinese Construction Industry: Perceptions of Contractors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Zou

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years culture has become one of the most studied topicsin project management research. Some studies have investigatedthe infl uence of culture at different levels – such as nationalculture, industry culture, organisational culture and professionalculture. As a project-based industry, the construction industryneeds to have more insight concerning cultural issues at theproject level and their infl uence on the performance of constructionprojects. Few studies, however, have focused on culture at theproject level. This paper uses a questionnaire survey to determinethe perceptions of Chinese contractors about the impact of projectculture on the performance of local construction projects. This isaugmented by a series of in-depth interviews with senior executivemanagers in the industry. The fi ndings indicate that specifi c projectculture does contribute signifi cantly towards project outcomes.In particular, goal orientation and fl exibility, as two dimensionsof project culture, have a negative statistical correlation withperceived satisfaction of the process, commercial success, futurebusiness opportunities, lessons learnt from the project, satisfactionwith the relationships, and overall performance. This paper alsoindicates that the affordability of developing an appropriate projectculture is a major concern for industry practitioners.

Habituating pain: Questioning pain and physical strain as inextricable conditions in the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeppe Z.N. Ajslev

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In this article, we investigate the relations between discursive practices within the Danish construction industry and the perceived pain, physical deterioration, and strain affecting the construction workers. Of central importance is the widely accepted hegemonic discourse on physical strain and pain as unavoidable conditions in construction work. Based on 32 semi-structured interviews performed in eight case studies within four different construction professions, workers’ descriptions of physical strain and its relation to the organizational and social context are analyzed through concepts of subject positioning in discursive practice and a focus on power relations. The analysis shows that workers and employers reproduce certain types of traditional working class masculinities and search for high-pace productive working rhythms, which in combination with economic incentives common within the industry reproduce physical strain and the habituation of pain as unquestioned conditions in construction work. The understanding of this mutual reinforcement of the necessity of physically straining, painful, high-paced construction work provides fruitful perspectives on the overrepresentation of musculoskeletal deterioration within construction work and also sheds light on some of the difficulties in addressing and changing occupational health and safety practices in the construction industry.

The Use of Information Technology Techniques in the Construction Industry of Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zubair Ahmed Memon

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Construction sector together with service, manufacturing, agriculture and mining sectors is the main contributors of the Pakistan\\'s GDP (Gross Domestic Product and economic growth. It is also a key indicator in determining the economic performance of the country. As the issues of globalization and trades deregulation, stringer requirements of time, cost, quality and advancement of technologies have become more critical, the sector has to find ways to enhance its operational efficiency and effectiveness. IT (Information Technology as a key enabler has been recognized to be an inseparable tool to sustain business and become more competitive. This paper gives an overview of the current status of IT application and presents the significant results from PCI (Pakistan Construction Industry. The result of survey also highlights the challenges to the construction industry of Pakistan before implementing the IT techniques. A statistical method \\'Average Index\\' is used to analyze the collected data and statistical hypothesis testing is conducted to know the difference between the parameters. The survey produced knowledge about the use of computers, hardware and software, communication and strategies for the use of IT. The use of spread sheets, word processor, CAD (Computer Aided Drafting in general has increased and the use of model based CAD software has increased among the major key players of construction industry. The use of project webs and electronic trade in the industry is not started properly. From the analysis it is concluded that construction firms in Pakistan are mostly using manual procedures and the use of IT seems to be at the inception stage

Efficiency of innovative technology in construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Stverkova, H.; Vaclavik, V.

2017-10-01

The need for sustainability increasingly influences the development of new technologies, business processes and working practices. Innovations are an important part of all business processes. The aim of innovation is, in particular, to reduce the burden on the environment. The current trend in the construction industry is diamond rope cutting. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the most advanced technology for cutting and removing concrete structures in terms of efficiency.

Distributed object models for collaboration in the construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuwen, van J.P.; Zee, van der A.

2005-01-01

Abstract Information about products for the construction industry is increasingly often provided to designers in digital ways that enable them to apply the information directly in the design process. Digital product catalogues are provided using various media and formats and several initiatives are

Successful verification of subcontracted work in the construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Makkinga, Rick; de Graaf, Robin; Voordijk, Hans

2018-01-01

Due to the introduction of new types of contracts, such as Design, Build, Finance, & Maintain (DBFM), a major shift in tasks and responsibilities from client to contractor can be seen in the construction industry. To manage these new contracts and corresponding shifts in responsibilities, systems

How clients influence building projects - a comparison of the construction industry and the petroleum industry in Norway

OpenAIRE

Evju, Mads; Mai, Nam Bao Nguyen

2014-01-01

Master's thesis in Industrial economics Several studies indicate the need for competence and quality improvement in the Norwegian construction industry. Findings show that diversity in client groups can lead to different levels of competence. This poses many challenges to the industry and those involved, all of which will be highlighted in this thesis. The objective of this thesis is to provide an understanding of how clients’ levels of competence and focus can influence the final resu...

R&D investment and impact in the global construction industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hampson, Keith

2014-01-01

"R&D Investment and Impact in the Global Construction Industry brings together contributions from leading academics in a diverse group of countries to investigate the role of research and development (R&D...

Industrial safety management with emphasis on construction safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, R.

2016-01-01

Safety professionals, line managers, team leaders and concerned workers today eagerly discuss to find out the best safety approach for their workplace. Some research suggested that behaviour based and comprehensive ergonomics approaches lead in average reduction of injuries. This article discusses 'the science and engineering' behind improvement in industrial safety aspects particularly at construction sites through various safety approaches. A high degree of commitment to safety by the project management and rigorous and proactive measures are essential to prevent accidents at construction sites particularly in DAE units because of its sensitivity. Persistent efforts by the project management are needed for sustainable and committed safety at work place. The number of fatalities occurring from construction work in DAE units is sometimes disturbing and fall of person from height and through openings are the major causes for serious accidents

Exploring the Driving Factors of Construction Industrialization Development in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaer Xiahou

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Construction industrialization (CI has been adopted worldwide because of its potential benefits. However, current research shows the incentives for adopting CI may differ in different regions. While the promotion of CI in China is still at the initial stage, a systematical analysis of the driving factors would help decision makers get a comprehensive understanding of CI development and select proper strategies to promote CI. This research combines qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the construction industrialization driving factors (CIDFs in China. The grounded theory method (GTM was employed to explore CI concepts among 182 CI-related articles published in 10 top-tier journals from 2000 to 2017. A total of 15 CIDFs were identified, including one suggested by professionals during a pre-test questionnaire survey. The analysis showed that the development of CI in China is pushed by macrodevelopment and pulled by the government and is also a self-driven process. The major driving factors for CI adoption in China are the transformation and upgrade of the conventional construction industry and the solution of development dilemmas. Our study also suggests that pilot programs are, currently, the most effective method to promote CI in China and to accumulate experience so to gain recognition by the society. This research is also of value for CI promotion in other developing countries.

Exploring the Driving Factors of Construction Industrialization Development in China

Science.gov (United States)

Xiahou, Xiaer; Yuan, Jingfeng; Tang, Yuchun; Li, Qiming

2018-01-01

Construction industrialization (CI) has been adopted worldwide because of its potential benefits. However, current research shows the incentives for adopting CI may differ in different regions. While the promotion of CI in China is still at the initial stage, a systematical analysis of the driving factors would help decision makers get a comprehensive understanding of CI development and select proper strategies to promote CI. This research combines qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the construction industrialization driving factors (CIDFs) in China. The grounded theory method (GTM) was employed to explore CI concepts among 182 CI-related articles published in 10 top-tier journals from 2000 to 2017. A total of 15 CIDFs were identified, including one suggested by professionals during a pre-test questionnaire survey. The analysis showed that the development of CI in China is pushed by macrodevelopment and pulled by the government and is also a self-driven process. The major driving factors for CI adoption in China are the transformation and upgrade of the conventional construction industry and the solution of development dilemmas. Our study also suggests that pilot programs are, currently, the most effective method to promote CI in China and to accumulate experience so to gain recognition by the society. This research is also of value for CI promotion in other developing countries. PMID:29510507

MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF GUYANA’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY USING A SET OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING METRICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J. Willis

2011-10-01

Full Text Available A study measuring the performance of Guyana’s construction industry using a set of project performance benchmarking metrics was recently completed. The underlying premise of the study was that the aggregated performance of construction projects provides a realistic assessment of the performance of the construction industry, on the basis that construction projects are the mechanism through which the construction industry creates its tangible products. The fact that an influential government agency acted as owner of the study was critical to the data collection phase. The best approach for collecting project performance data in Guyana involves the utilisation of a researcher or team of researchers mining electronic and hard copy project documents. This study analysed approximately 270 construction projects to obtain an indication of the performance of guyana’s construction industry. It was found that sea defence projects performed the worst, whereas health facility projects performed the best. The main implication of this is that sea defence projects are likely to be the least efficient and, given their critical nature, there is an argument for urgent performance improvement interventions.

Identification of Causes and Effects of Poor Communication in Construction Industry: A Theoretical Review

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Yaser Gamil

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Construction industry is characterized in nature as complex, fragmented, dynamic and involves many parties therefore effective communication is essential to overcome these challenges. Many researchers found that the industry faces major challenge to ensure effective and successful communication throughout the lifecycle of the project which therefore resulted to project failure. Poor communication in construction industry had been addressed in previous research studies; however, this paper presents and examines the identification of causes and effects which lead to poor communication. Further investigations on previous literature were conducted to extract the causes and effects which contributed to poor communication in construction industry. Similarity technique was applied to avoid duplications in the identified causes and effect of poor communication. Using the frequency technique, from the 33 causes of poor communication it was found that the most dominant cause is lack of effective communication. Whereas, out of 21 effects from poor communication, it was found that highly repeated effect is time overrun. These findings will serve a good platform for further investigation on the relevancy of causes and effects to the local construction practitioners.

Labour Productivity in the New Zealand Construction Industry: A Thorough Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Dai Tran

2011-03-01

The research found that while factors influencing inputs of labour productivity measure such as labour and material costs remained stable, factors impacting the corresponding outputs such as house and land prices, value of work in Non-residential and Infrastructure construction grew significantly between 1997 and 2007. Given the positive skewing effect of standard economic indicators (inflation etc on construction labour productivity figures, the relatively poor performance of construction is worrying for the industry. The paper concludes by demonstrating labour productivity in construction is significantly worse performing than previously suspected.

Procurement of non-incremental sustainable technology innovations : entrepreneurial firms supplying the New Zealand construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staal, Anne; Tookey, John

Traditionally construction industries in New Zealand and abroad have a low track record for successful sustainable innovations. This has a negative impact on private and government spending, and on quality, society and the environment. This conceptual paper posits that the construction industry

Concerns for Skills Shortages in the 21st Century: A Review into the Construction Industry, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Watson

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The Australian Construction Industry is now facing skills shortages in all trades. As an industry focused on the skill of its workforce, there is now concern the Australian standard in quality, workmanship, and productivity will inhibit both at national and international level.This research paper addresses the underlying, influential factors concerning skills shortages in the Australian construction industry. The influential factors addressed include funding, training statistics, employer expectations, financial limitations, Industrial Relations and immigration. Given the reference to skills shortages within the industry, and documented in related literature, if skills shortages are to continue to exist, their effect will impact upon the overall performance of construction companies throughout Australia.

Accidents in Malaysian construction industry: statistical data and court cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Heap Yih; Low, Thuan Siang

2014-01-01

Safety and health issues remain critical to the construction industry due to its working environment and the complexity of working practises. This research attempts to adopt 2 research approaches using statistical data and court cases to address and identify the causes and behavior underlying construction safety and health issues in Malaysia. Factual data on the period of 2000-2009 were retrieved to identify the causes and agents that contributed to health issues. Moreover, court cases were tabulated and analyzed to identify legal patterns of parties involved in construction site accidents. Approaches of this research produced consistent results and highlighted a significant reduction in the rate of accidents per construction project in Malaysia.

Industrial complex in organizing the high-speed in-line construction of reactor compartments at the Balakovo NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maksakov, A.I.; Kovrigin, Yu.K.; Zhila, V.P.

1986-01-01

Qualitatively new technology of reactor compartment construction presupposing organizing of an industrial-mounting in-line complex is described. Maximum level of construction industrialization and noticeable reduction of construction duration are noted to be ensured by means of this technology

New technologies in Islamic countries. Power engineering, transport, oil industry, machinery construction, building construction and information technologies problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharipova, N.S.

1999-01-01

The published proceedings contain brief presentations concerning new technologies in power engineering, transport, oil industry, machinery construction, building construction and information technologies presented to the International scientific and technical conference: New technologies in Islamic countries, which was organized within frame work of 6 General Assembly of Federation of engineering Institutes of Islamic countries (FEIIC). (author)

Industrial experience with the construction of pressurized-water reactors in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leny, J.-C.

1983-01-01

Since 1969, the switch to light-water reactors as the basis of the French nuclear programme has led to the development of an industrial infrastructure for the manufacture of pressurized-water reactor equipment. Since the massive power plant construction programme was approved in 1974, an integrated PWR industry has been built up around and in conjunction with Framatome. The experience gathered relates to the series production of thirty-four 900 MW(e) units and eighteen 1300 MW(e) units, and it is unique. From the industrial point of view, the high rate of construction of identical equipment items has made it possible to streamline production and establish a fully integrated and complete team of constructors and sub-contractors supervised by a likewise highly integrated and comprehensive organization responsible for regulating quality. At the research and development level, the effort to improve knowledge of the product has gradually led to mastery of a French technology and to further developments proceeding therefrom. Standardized, repeated production has given rise to consistent quality, better component reliability and safer plant operation as well as reduced construction time and lower manufacturing costs. However, difficulties have inevitably had to be overcome with respect to the setting up of teams maintaining schedules and mastering the techniques used, and this has required time and money. The remarkable quality, reliability and safety of the products has led to export orders and to good co-operation with local industry in the importing countries. (author)

How innovative New Zealand firms procure environmental innovations for the construction industry : a literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staal, Anne; Tookey, John; Seadon, Jeff; Walhof, Gert; Mobach, Mark P.

2015-01-01

Construction industries in New Zealand and abroad have a low track record for successful sustainable innovations. This often has a negative impact on private and government spending, and on quality, society and the environment. This paper posits that the construction industry needs step-change (i.e.

Review of Qualitative Approaches for the Construction Industry: Designing a Risk Management Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Spee, Ton; Gillen, Matt; Lentz, Thomas J.; Garrod, Andrew; Evans, Paul; Swuste, Paul

2011-01-01

Objectives This paper presents the framework and protocol design for a construction industry risk management toolbox. The construction industry needs a comprehensive, systematic approach to assess and control occupational risks. These risks span several professional health and safety disciplines, emphasized by multiple international occupational research agenda projects including: falls, electrocution, noise, silica, welding fumes, and musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the International Social Security Association says, "whereas progress has been made in safety and health, the construction industry is still a high risk sector." Methods Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ about 80% of the world's construction workers. In recent years a strategy for qualitative occupational risk management, known as Control Banding (CB) has gained international attention as a simplified approach for reducing work-related risks. CB groups hazards into stratified risk 'bands', identifying commensurate controls to reduce the level of risk and promote worker health and safety. We review these qualitative solutions-based approaches and identify strengths and weaknesses toward designing a simplified CB 'toolbox' approach for use by SMEs in construction trades. Results This toolbox design proposal includes international input on multidisciplinary approaches for performing a qualitative risk assessment determining a risk 'band' for a given project. Risk bands are used to identify the appropriate level of training to oversee construction work, leading to commensurate and appropriate control methods to perform the work safely. Conclusion The Construction Toolbox presents a review-generated format to harness multiple solutions-based national programs and publications for controlling construction-related risks with simplified approaches across the occupational safety, health and hygiene professions. PMID:22953194

Review of qualitative approaches for the construction industry: designing a risk management toolbox.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalk, David M; Spee, Ton; Gillen, Matt; Lentz, Thomas J; Garrod, Andrew; Evans, Paul; Swuste, Paul

2011-06-01

This paper presents the framework and protocol design for a construction industry risk management toolbox. The construction industry needs a comprehensive, systematic approach to assess and control occupational risks. These risks span several professional health and safety disciplines, emphasized by multiple international occupational research agenda projects including: falls, electrocution, noise, silica, welding fumes, and musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the International Social Security Association says, "whereas progress has been made in safety and health, the construction industry is still a high risk sector." Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ about 80% of the world's construction workers. In recent years a strategy for qualitative occupational risk management, known as Control Banding (CB) has gained international attention as a simplified approach for reducing work-related risks. CB groups hazards into stratified risk 'bands', identifying commensurate controls to reduce the level of risk and promote worker health and safety. We review these qualitative solutions-based approaches and identify strengths and weaknesses toward designing a simplified CB 'toolbox' approach for use by SMEs in construction trades. This toolbox design proposal includes international input on multidisciplinary approaches for performing a qualitative risk assessment determining a risk 'band' for a given project. Risk bands are used to identify the appropriate level of training to oversee construction work, leading to commensurate and appropriate control methods to perform the work safely. The Construction Toolbox presents a review-generated format to harness multiple solutions-based national programs and publications for controlling construction-related risks with simplified approaches across the occupational safety, health and hygiene professions.

The Employer Perspective on Sustainable Employability in the Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tonnon, Susanne C; van der Veen, Rozan; Westerman, Marjan J; Robroek, Suzan J W; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Van Der Beek, Allard J.; Proper, Karin I.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the measures employers in the construction industry take to promote sustainable employability, the barriers and facilitators that influence implementation and employer needs. METHODS: Questionnaire among 499 employers and interviews with 17 employers. RESULTS: Employers

New technologies in Islamic countries. Power engineering, transport, oil industry, machinery construction, building construction and information technologies problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharipova, N.S.

1999-01-01

This issue contains papers, which reflect the most important achievements of new technologies in power engineering, transport, oil industry, machinery construction, building construction and information technologies presented to the International Scientific and Technical Conference: New technologies in Islamic countries, which was organized within frame work of 6 General Assembly of Federation of Engineering Institutes of Islamic Countries (FEIIC). (author)

Risk identification in the infrastructure construction industry : a supply chain case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Achard, P.O.; Nucciarelli, A.; Rosato, R.; Svensson, G.

2008-01-01

The objective of this article is to describe the risk identification within a supply chain of an infrastructure construction project. This research is based on a case study of risk management within a supply chain in the infrastructure construction industry. Data have been collected from an

Big data in the construction industry: A review of present status, opportunities, and future trends

OpenAIRE

Bilal, M.; Oyedele, L.; Qadir, J.; Munir, K.; Ajayi, S. ed; Akinade, O.; Owolabi, H. A.; Alaka, H. A.; Pasha, M.

2016-01-01

The ability to process large amounts of data and to extract useful insights from data has revolutionised society. This phenomenon—dubbed as Big Data—has applications for a wide assortment of industries, including the construction industry. The construction industry already deals with large volumes of heterogeneous data; which is expected to increase exponentially as technologies such as sensor networks and the Internet of Things are commoditised. In this paper, we present a detailed survey of...

Implementation of Risk Management in Malaysian Construction Industry: Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Abdul-Rahman, Hamzah; Wang, Chen; Sheik Mohamad, Farhanim

2015-01-01

Construction industries are exposed to wide array of risks, such as financial, design, and contractual ones, which might have a direct impact on their performance toward achieving the desired objectives. Risk Management is a proactive decision-making process used to minimize and manage the risks in the most efficient and appropriate manner. However, most construction firms in Malaysia do not apply formal risk management in their projects. Thus, this study aims to identify the actual process o...

The impact of internationalization and diversification on construction industry performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Horta, Isabel M.; Kapelko, Magdalena; Oude Lansink, Alfons; Camanho, Ana S.

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of internationalization and diversification strategies on the financial performance of construction industry companies. The results obtained can guide the design of strategies to pursue company growth and achieve competitive advantage. The evaluation of

Developing a Best-Evidence Pre-employment Medical Examination: An Example from the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Gouttebarge

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The Dutch construction industry has introduced a compulsory preemployment medical examination (PE-ME. Best-evidence contents related to specific job demands are, however, lacking and need to be gathered. After the identification of job demands and health problems in the construction industry (systematic literature search and expert meeting, specific job demands and related requirements were defined and instruments proposed. Finally, a work ability assessment was linked to the instruments' outcomes, resulting in the modular character of the developed PE-ME. Twenty-two specific job demands for all Dutch construction jobs were identified, including kneeling/squatting, working under time pressure, and exposure to hazardous substances. The next step was proposing self-report questions, screening questionnaires, clinical tests, and/or performance-based tests, leading to a work ability judgment. “Lifting/carrying” is described as an example. The new modular PE-ME enables a job-specific assessment of work ability to be made for more than 100 jobs in the Dutch construction industry.

Implementation of safety management systems in Hong Kong construction industry - A safety practitioner's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Yiu, Nicole S N; Sze, N N; Chan, Daniel W M

2018-02-01

In the 1980s, the safety management system (SMS) was introduced in the construction industry to mitigate against workplaces hazards, reduce the risk of injuries, and minimize property damage. Also, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation was introduced on 24 November 1999 in Hong Kong to empower the mandatory implementation of a SMS in certain industries including building construction. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of the SMS in improving construction safety and identify the factors that influence its implementation in Hong Kong. A review of the current state-of-the-practice helped to establish the critical success factors (CSFs), benefits, and difficulties of implementing the SMS in the construction industry, while structured interviews were used to establish the key factors of the SMS implementation. Results of the state-of-the-practice review and structured interviews indicated that visible senior commitment, in terms of manpower and cost allocation, and competency of safety manager as key drivers for the SMS implementation. More so, reduced accident rates and accident costs, improved organization framework, and increased safety audit ratings were identified as core benefits of implementing the SMS. Meanwhile, factors such as insufficient resources, tight working schedule, and high labor turnover rate were the key challenges to the effective SMS implementation in Hong Kong. The findings of the study were consistent and indicative of the future development of safety management practice and the sustainable safety improvement of Hong Kong construction industry in the long run. Copyright © 2018 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Competency Standards for Bachelor of Industrial Technology Graduates for the Construction Industry in Region IV-A: Inputs For Curriculum Enhancement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George P. Compasivo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to develop competency standards for Industrial Technology graduates for employment in the construction industry in Region IV-A, Philippines. It specifically identified the basic and core competency standards for industrial technology and determined the degree of importance of competencies needed in the construction industry sector. The study identified 28 common competencies for three areas of specializations in industrial technology namely: electrical, civil and drafting technology. There were 39 core competencies for electrical, 31 for drafting and 38 items for civil technology. A total of 50 panel of experts were carefully selected using the purposive sampling as respondents in the study. Experts are selected based on their technical know-how or proficiency and currently practicing their line of profession in the construction industry. The study used the descriptive-developmental method of research. The Delphi technique was applied to determine if the competency under investigation reached the general agreement of opinions by the panel of experts involved. The findings implied that the newly developed competency standards were good input for curriculum enhancement in the area of civil, drafting and electrical technology. The study recommended the newly developed competencies may be followed by the faculty in the course they teach and the new competency items suggested by the panel of experts for inclusion in the curriculum for the three areas of specializations may be considered during the curriculum revision.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTIVES AND BENEFITS ON ADOPTING QLASSIC – CIS 7: 2006 IN MALAYSIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenn Jhun Kam

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews on the building contractors motivating factors on adopting the newly imposed quality assurance initiative in Malaysia's construction industry. The quality assurance initiative named Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC - The Construction Industry Standard (CIS - CIS 7:2006. It is introduced by the Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB. This QLASSIC system consists of a building construction standard where all the contractors must follow the specification, if adopting this system in their construction project. Literature commonly categorized motivation factor into two types, which are internally and externally. Both types of motivation factors are put into study in related to the benefits on adopting the QLASSIC system. Further analysis will be done to determine the motives and benefits relationship behind the adoption of the QLASSIC system in the construction projects.

Driving Innovative Thinking in the New Zealand Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammadali Noktehdan

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the relationship between innovation and productivity improvement in the construction industry. It is argued that this relationship is not well understood due to lack of in-depth understanding of innovation in construction. To overcome this obstacle, the authors present a multi-dimensional innovation classification system which aims at better defining and classifying what is meant by innovation in construction. The use of this classification system is demonstrated by applying it to a database of 500 innovations reported by the construction alliance, the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team. The results clearly demonstrate the diversity of types, degree of novelty and performance improvement benefits among construction innovations. Such diversity means that the impact of the reported innovations on productivity and performance are of different levels of significance. The classification system developed in this study can be used by construction organisations and alliances in the future to develop more detailed methods of calculating innovation performance indicators, based on the innovation type, novelty and benefits factors. By using this system, they can also put in place mechanisms to influence the types of innovation developed in their projects with the aim of maximising their productivity performance.

Work Stress among Professionals in Building Construction Industry in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eziyi Offia Ibem

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This study was undertaken to identify key stress factors among professionals in building construction industry in Nigeria. This is in view of the fact that to date, very little is known about work stress among professionals in building construction industry in this country. The study involved the administration of questionnaire to 107 professionals including architects, builders, civil/structural engineers and quantity surveyors randomly selected from 60 ongoing building projects in Anambra, Ogun and Kaduna States, Nigeria. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, and findings show that the principal sources of stress were high volume of work, uncomfortable site office environment, lack of feedback on previous and ongoing building projects, and variations in the scope of work in ongoing building projects. The paper suggests that taking responsibility for work which one has adequate capacity to handle, establishing realistic budgets and time frame for project delivery, provision of spatially adequate, visually and thermally comfortable site offices, adoption of appropriate job design practice and education of professionals on stress management strategies will reduce the incidence of stress among professionals in building industry in Nigeria.

Work Stress among Professionals in Building Construction Industry in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eziyi Offia Ibem

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This study was undertaken to identify key stress factors among professionals in building construction industry in Nigeria. This is in view of the fact that to date, very little is known about work stress among professionals in building construction industry in this country. The study involved the administration of questionnaire to 107 professionals including architects, builders, civil/structural engineers and quantity surveyors randomly selected from 60 ongoing building projects in Anambra, Ogun and Kaduna States, Nigeria. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, and findings show that the principal sources of stress were high volume of work, uncomfortable site office environment, lack of feedback on previous and ongoing building projects, and variations in the scope of work in ongoing building projects. The paper suggests that taking responsibility for work which one has adequate capacity to handle, establishing realistic budgets and time frame for project delivery, provision of spatially adequate, visually and thermally comfortable site offices, adoption of appropriate job design practice and education of professionals on stress management strategies will reduce the incidence of stress among professionals in building industry in Nigeria. 

Sustainable Industrialization in the Building Industry: On the Road to Energy Efficient Construction Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wandahl, Søren; Ussing, Lene Faber

2013-01-01

Since the Brundtland report in 1987, sustainability has been an issue in all parts of the world, and the focus is increasing in these years. In the same period, the building industry has in the same period also been under heavy pressure to increase productivity in the same pace as other manufactu......Since the Brundtland report in 1987, sustainability has been an issue in all parts of the world, and the focus is increasing in these years. In the same period, the building industry has in the same period also been under heavy pressure to increase productivity in the same pace as other...... manufacturing industries. An important question, then, is how well these two highly relevant areas can go hand in hand. By means of comparing the main ideas and drivers behind sustainability and industrialization, respectively, common threads, possible synergies and evident barriers are put forward...... in this discussion paper. The main method is a review to track past merits in the two domains and to detect knowledge gaps that have research potential. A strategic research agenda focusing on energy-efficient construction management is outlined showing the need for future focus on combining industrialization...

Making the link: climate policy and the reform of the UK construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorrell, Steve

2003-01-01

This paper explores the barriers to energy efficiency in the construction of non-domestic buildings in the UK. The source of the barriers is argued to lie in the organisation of the construction industry, including the linear design process, the reliance on cost-based competitive tendering and the incentives placed upon different actors. The consequences include oversizing of equipment, reduced quality, neglect of whole life costs and lack of integrated design. Each of these problems can usefully be interpreted using concepts from the new institutional economics. While the barriers are well known to construction industry specialists, they are relatively neglected in the academic literature on energy policy. Furthermore, conventional policy measures such as building regulations leave these barriers largely untouched. The UK construction industry is currently undergoing a series of reforms which aim to change the relationship between different actors and to achieve improvements in product quality and productivity. While these reforms have the potential to address many of the barriers, the reform agenda makes practically no reference to sustainability. This paper argues that climate policy objectives must be integrated into the reform agenda if the UK is to begin the transition to a low carbon built environment

Developing and Testing a Tool to Evaluate BIM Maturity : Sectoral Analysis in the Dutch Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siebelink, Sander; Voordijk, Johannes T.; Adriaanse, Arjen

2018-01-01

This study's objective was to evaluate the status of building information modelling (BIM) implementation within the Dutch construction industry by means of a developed BIM maturity tool that could be applied within the construction industry's various disciplines. Existing BIM maturity models tend to

IMPACT OF ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina PLOSCARU

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The current financial and economic crisis has affected many sectors, and also the construction sector. The construction market has been and will be an important source of income for the entire Europe, totaling about 1.650 thousand billion euro, which is more than the GDP of Italy. Building no doubt brings significant percentage in the GDP of any European country, which of course is different from country to country. In Western European countries, the residential market is almost 50% from the construction market, while in Eastern European countries the majority is held by the civil and non-residential constructions. In addition, in the West the medium budget per capita spent on construction is 3-4 times higher than that spent in Eastern countries. But, according to previsions in the coming years the countries that will witness a growth, albeit small, will be the Eastern ones. The paper highlights the impact of the economic and financial crisis in the construction industry on a European and national level, as the sustainable constructions that may represent the sector’s future.

Zero carbon homes: Perceptions from the UK construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heffernan, Emma; Pan, Wei; Liang, Xi; Wilde, Pieter de

2015-01-01

The take-up of the many voluntary energy efficiency standards which exist in the UK and internationally has been limited. As a result, governments have recognised the need to introduce mandatory schemes through legislation, e.g. from 2016 all new build homes in the UK will be required to achieve zero carbon in regulated energy consumption. However, as 2016 approaches, very few zero carbon homes are being delivered. This paper explores the drivers and barriers for zero carbon homebuilding. The perceptions of the wider construction industry were gathered through a series of semi-structured interviews with professionals involved in commissioning, designing, constructing and regulating housing. The results show that, whilst drivers for zero carbon homebuilding exist, the barriers are currently perceived to be greater than the drivers. The barriers are categorised into five groups: economic, skills and knowledge, industry, legislative and cultural. Mechanisms for policy and industry support for the delivery of zero carbon homes are identified to address these barriers. The research findings highlight the need for a clear and robust policy framework for the forthcoming standard. The Government and industry must prioritise raising public awareness of the need for and benefits of zero carbon homes to help develop market demand. - Highlights: • The strongest drivers were perceived to be in the legislative and economic themes. • More barriers were identified than drivers or potential support mechanisms. • Economic and skills and knowledge barriers were perceived as the most significant. • Uncertainty in zero carbon homes policy is a barrier to zero carbon homebuilding. • Proposed support mechanisms include zero carbon champions and self-build homes

Adoption of innovative production technologies in the road construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Habets, M.J.M.; van der Sijde, Peter; Voordijk, Johannes T.

2007-01-01

New procurement methods encourage the adoption of innovative production technologies. This triggers the need for entrepreneurship in the construction industry. The purpose of this study is to provide insights into the adoption processes of a particular set of new production technologies in the Dutch

Exploring the driving factors of construction industrialization development in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xiahou, Xiaer; Yuan, Jingfeng; Liu, Y.; Tang, Yuchun; Li, Qiming

2018-01-01

Construction industrialization (CI) has been adopted worldwide because of its potential benefits. However, current research shows the incentives for adopting CI may differ in different regions. While the promotion of CI in China is still at the initial stage, a systematical analysis of the

A Distributed Object Model for CSCW in the Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuwen, van J.P.; Zee, van der A.; Maas, G.; Gassel, F.

2003-01-01

Information about products for the construction industry is increasingly often provided to designers in digital ways that enable them to apply the information directly in the design process. Digital product catalogues are provided using various media and formats and several initiatives are taken by

A review on the current issues and barriers of Industrialised Building System (IBS) adoption in Malaysia’s construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, M. A. Mohd; Abas, N. H.; Shahidan, S.; Rahmat, M. H.; Suhaini, N. A.; Nagapan, S.; Rahim, R. Abdul

2017-11-01

Malaysia considers the construction industry as one of the main contributors to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, there are some unresolved issues arising from the ongoing and widespread adoption of the conventional method of construction such as the resultant fragmentation of the industry itself; delays in production and delivery time of unnecessary wastages and lack of sustainability practice. Malaysian Government has been continuously encouraging the industry to use, partly or if not wholly, the Industrialized Building System (IBS), which is considered to be an important part of sustainable construction initiative. IBS was introduced to Malaysia as the solution to issues related to dependencies of foreign workers, raising demand for affordable accommodations and improving image, quality and productivity of construction industry. However, the IBS adoption in Malaysia remains low. This paper presents the review of the current issues and barriers of IBS adoption in Malaysian construction industry.

A pedagogia industrial da FIEMG: um estudo sobre o pensamento empresarial a partir da Revista Vida Industrial (1961-1974

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane Maria dos Santos Reis

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A presente pesquisa resulta dos estudos e debates, inerentes ao processo de doutoramento em Educação pelo Programa de Pós Graduação em Educação da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, pertencente à Linha de Pesquisa “Políticas e Saberes em Educação”. Esta tese objetiva problematizar o sentido contraditório da educação enquanto formação humana histórica, especificamente sob a lógica educacional representativa do empresariado industrial associado à FIEMG (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Minas Gerais no contexto de 1961 a 1974. Esta delimitação histórica se justifica pelo fato de se tratar de um período, marcado pelas crises cíclicas do capital e seus respectivos impactos na fase final do processo de industrialização no Brasil: inicia-se com um dos ápices do crescimento econômico no país, impulsionado pelo nacional desenvolvimentismo, prossegue com uma severa crise política em 1966, impactando também na esfera econômica e por fim, com a constante busca pela estabilidade econômica que mesmo sob altos preços, eclodem os fatores que conduziram a economia brasileira para o contexto do “Milagre Econômico”. Para isso, fez-se necessária a articulação do debate entre educação e trabalho sob a perspectiva do materialismo histórico dialético e seus respectivos subsídios teórico-metodológicos e epistemológicos. No primeiro capítulo, foi elaborado um “estado da arte” da categoria “formação humana”, pensada enquanto processo educacional e histórico, a partir dos pressupostos marxistas, visando a reconstrução de conceitos e significados do que consiste a formação de trabalhadores na lógica contraditória, pelo viés da formação integral e pela perspectiva da acumulação de capital. Em seguida, no segundo capítulo, foi elaborada uma análise acerca da industrialização, do empresariado industrial e sua perspectiva de desenvolvimento de 1961 a 1974. No terceiro capítulo, foi

A retrospective analysis of noise-induced hearing loss in the Dutch construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leensen, M. C. J.; Van Duivenbooden, J. C.; Dreschler, W. A.

2011-01-01

Purpose Noise exposure is an important and highly prevalent occupational hazard in the construction industry. This study examines hearing threshold levels of a large population of Dutch construction workers and compares their hearing thresholds to those predicted by ISO-1999. Methods In this

Applying data mining techniques to explore factors contributing to occupational injuries in Taiwan's construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Ching-Wu; Leu, Sou-Sen; Cheng, Ying-Mei; Wu, Tsung-Chih; Lin, Chen-Chung

2012-09-01

Construction accident research involves the systematic sorting, classification, and encoding of comprehensive databases of injuries and fatalities. The present study explores the causes and distribution of occupational accidents in the Taiwan construction industry by analyzing such a database using the data mining method known as classification and regression tree (CART). Utilizing a database of 1542 accident cases during the period 2000-2009, the study seeks to establish potential cause-and-effect relationships regarding serious occupational accidents in the industry. The results of this study show that the occurrence rules for falls and collapses in both public and private project construction industries serve as key factors to predict the occurrence of occupational injuries. The results of the study provide a framework for improving the safety practices and training programs that are essential to protecting construction workers from occasional or unexpected accidents. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Significance of Coordination for Industrialised Building System (IBS Precast Concrete in Construction Industry

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Fitri Othman Mohd Khairul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available IBS precast concrete is construction system which is meant to improve the conventional construction process. However IBS precast concrete projects are suffering from serious problems such as cost overrun, delays and less quality of the end product. The absence of coordination is perceived as the reason for this issue. The purpose of this paper is to review the significance of coordination for IBS precast concrete in the construction industry. It if found that the fragmentation which occurs in the construction industry requires continuity of coordination due to the construction activities are intertwined in nature. Coordination is designated to assist stakeholders in completing and complementing each other with the paramount focus of achieving the objective. Proper coordination is required in delivering the desired construction product at the ideal time, cost and quality. As for the findings, the significance of coordination for IBS precast concrete can be seen through the precast concrete construction phases which consist of planning; design; manufacturing; transportation and installation/construction. These phases are meant to complement construction process with the purpose to reduce issues of fragmentation and enhance IBS precast concrete project delivery.

Push an pull forces in the building and construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frings-Dresen, M. H. W.; Windhorst, Judith; Hoozemans, M. J M; Van Der Beek, Allard J.; Van der Molen, Henk F.

2000-01-01

Push and pull activities are increasing in the building and construction industry. These activities can be assumed as one of the risk factors for the development of low back and upper extremity complaints. For a risk evaluation, besides the frequency and the duration of the activities, information

[Risk factors associated with work-related accidents in the construction industry in the Valley of Mexico].

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento-Salinas, Rodrigo; López-Rojas, Pablo; Marín-Cotoñieto, Irma Araceli; Godínez-Rocha, Arturo; Haro-García, Luis; Salinas-Tovar, Santiago

2004-01-01

Our aim was to describe construction-industry, work-related accident prevalence in, associated factors in, and potential impact on affiliated workers of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, IMSS) in the Valley of Mexico. Prevalent cases in a retrospective case-control design. These include 385 construction-industry workers who were found to have construction work-related accidents in 2001. Controls comprised 385 active construction-industry workers without work-related accident background paired by gender, workplace, and worksite. Work-related accident prevalence in construction workers was 5.5%; most important risk factors and etiology fraction (Ef) included the following: age 16-20 years odds ratio, OR = 1.58, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.40-10.7, p = 0.001, Ef 0.36; eventual insurance, OR = 3.7, 95% CI, 2.16-26.45, p = 0.001), Ef, 0.72, and no training for job, OR = 5.3, 95% CI, 4.9-69.2, p = 0.01), Ef: 0.81. Variables not showing significance were included salary, work shift, and workday. Work-related accident prevalence maintains its preponderance in the Valley of Mexico construction industry; identified risk factors are potentially modifiable, among which job training acquires unquestionable relevance.

The construction industry has to focus on the Internet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Lars Schiøtt; Balogh, Andre

1997-01-01

The construction industries needs to follow the developments on the computing scene is discussed. A proposal to separate information relevant for the building sector into three areas are described. Further it is described how this information can be accessed during new technology, especially...... the Internet. An "extra-net" on the Internet combined with an user friendly GUI is described as a possibility....

SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF SUBCONTRACTORS IN THE PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Enshassi

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Subcontractors perform most of the construction works and their effect on industry are apparent in different activities of construction. Therefore, subcontractors need more attention from government and contractors union. The aim of this paper is to identify, evaluate, and rank factors that influence safety performance of subcontractors in the Gaza Strip (Palestine according to their relative importance. The study concluded that reported accident rates will decrease among subcontractors and their workers if new workers are trained well in the work site and they are informed about dangerous places, and if a workable safety plan is well preplanned. The results also showed that reported accident rates increased among subcontractors when using old, unsafe equipment and due to the complexity or difficulty in the construction sites features. Owners and general contractors need to stipulate strict clauses for safety in the contract for improving safety record of subcontractors. Construction workers must receive proper job related safety and health training with a safety logbook. It is recommended that the subcontractors and workers should attend continuing safety programs on regular basis as part of their perquisite to work in construction sites.

Lung cancer risk among workers in the construction industry: results from two case–control studies in Montreal

OpenAIRE

Lacourt, Aude; Pintos, Javier; Lavoué, Jérôme; Richardson, Lesley; Siemiatycki, Jack

2015-01-01

Background Given the large number of workers in the construction industry, it is important to derive accurate and valid estimates of cancer risk, and in particular lung cancer risk. In most previous studies, risks among construction workers were compared with general populations including blue and white collar workers. The main objectives of this study were to assess whether construction workers experience excess lung cancer risk, and whether exposure to selected construction industry exposur...

An Approach for Measuring Reductions in Operations, Maintenance, and Energy Costs: Baseline Measures of Construction Industry Practices for the National Construction Goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Robert E.; Rennison, Roderick

The Construction and Building Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has established seven National Construction Goals for the construction industry and is developing baseline measures for current practices and progress with respect to each goal. This document provides a detailed set of baseline measures for the NSTC…

Sustainable Construction Industry in Cambodia: Awareness, Drivers and Barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Durdyev

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Although sustainability is of utmost importance, anecdotal evidence suggests that the concept is not adequately implemented in many developing countries. This paper investigates industry stakeholders’ awareness of the current state of, factors driving, and barriers hindering the adoption of sustainable construction (SC in Cambodia. Using an empirical questionnaire survey targeting local construction professionals, respondents were invited to rate their level of awareness, knowledge and understanding of SC, as well as to rate the level of importance of 31 drivers and 10 barriers identified from the seminal literature. The data set was subjected to the relative importance index method. The results suggest that the industry-wide adoption of SC practices is poor, which is believed to be due to a lack of awareness and knowledge, and reluctance to adopt new sustainable technologies. Furthermore, more efforts must be put into the selection of more durable materials for the extension of buildings’ lives and to minimize material consumption, as well as to develop energy-efficient buildings with minimal environmental impact and a healthy indoor environment, so that the ability of future generations to meet their own needs will not be compromised. The outcomes of this study have enriched knowledge about the current state of, drivers of, and barriers to sustainable construction in a typical developing economy. Although the outcomes of this study were a short scoping exercise, it has formed a significant base for future SC work within Cambodia.

Losses due to weather phenomena in the bituminous concrete construction industry in Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhn, H. A. J.

1973-01-01

The losses (costs) due to weather phenomena as they affect the bituminous concrete industry in Wisconsin were studied. The bituminous concrete industry's response to precipitation, in the form of rain, is identified through the use of a model, albeit crude, which identifies a typical industry decision-response mechanism. Using this mechanism, historical weather data and 1969 construction activity, dollar losses resulting from rain occurrences were developed.

A Review of the Case of a Levy-Grant Scheme (LGS) in the UK Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Wahab, Mohamed; Dainty, Andrew; Ison, Stephen

2010-01-01

A Levy-Grant Scheme (LGS) has existed in the UK construction industry since 1964 to provide financial support for companies undertaking training activities. Despite the support of the LGS for various training activities, notably apprenticeships, the construction industry continues to suffer from both labour shortages and an under-investment in…

Performance measurement in the UK construction industry and its role in supporting the application of lean construction concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saad Sarhan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Performance measurement has received substantial attention from researchers and the construction industry over the past two decades. This study sought to assess UK practitioners’ awareness of the importance of the use of appropriate performance measures and its role in supporting the application of Lean Construction (LC concepts. To enable the study to achieve its objectives, a review of a range of measurements developed to evaluate project performance including those devoted to support LC efforts was conducted. Consequently a questionnaire survey was developed and sent to 198 professionals in the UK construction industry as well as a small sample of academics with an interest in LC. Results indicated that although practitioners recognise the importance of the selection of non-financial performance measures, it has not been properly and widely implemented. The study identified the most common techniques used by UK construction organisations for performance measurement, and ranked a number of non-financial key performance indicators as significant. Some professed to have embraced the Last Planner System methodology as a means for performance measurement and organisational learning, while further questioning suggested otherwise. It was also suggested that substance thinking amongst professionals could be a significant hidden barrier that militates against the successful implementation of LC.

An overview of knowledge management (KM) issues for implementation in consultant firms in Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, Azlan; Ismail, Syuhaida; Yahya, Khairulzan

2017-12-01

In the past few years, there has been a growing interest in treating knowledge as a significant organisational resource. Thus, effective development and implementation of KM requires a foundation in several rich literatures. As a preparation for the competitive industrial nation, KM is an important countenance that should be the point of convergence for the industry players. This paper wishes to draw the attention on the current situation of KM practice, focusing on consultant firms in Malaysian construction industry. Questionnaires were distributed to about 200 respondents working in the industry, with the objective of appraising the KM implementation amongst consultant firms working in construction industry in Malaysia. This paper also gives the overview on KM definition, process, understanding and challenges in construction industry, besides the critical success factor of KM implementation. The literature is restricted on the recent KM study of 17 years research from 2000 to 2017. Finally, this paper proposes the conceptual ideas of relationship between KM process, KM understanding and KM challenges with critical success factor of KM implementation.

Portfolio management for investment projects in the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kozlov Alexander

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Russian business community has realized the need for project/targeted programme management procedures; therefore, the demand for customized project-oriented management methods goes up. In the meantime, this demand is not supplied in full, and the supply is far from being efficient. Project management methodologies need further improvement, including development of portfolio management processes applicable to investment projects developed and implemented in the construction industry. The article considers General approaches to the formalization of the management of portfolios of investment–construction projects. For the main groups of processes portfolio management (“Formation and alignment”, “Monitoring and control” and “Support and development” deals with their constituent sub-processes. The proposed decomposition can be used for both portfolio construction and investment projects and also has an invariant character, which allows extending the proposed approaches to other system target–oriented and project–oriented management.

Fatal injuries in the United States construction industry involving cranes 1984-1994.

Science.gov (United States)

Suruda, A; Liu, D; Egger, M; Lillquist, D

1999-12-01

There is little published information concerning the epidemiology of injuries in the construction industry involving cranes other than for electrical injury from power line contact. For the 11-year period of 1984 through 1994, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 502 deaths in 479 incidents involving cranes in the construction industry. Electrocution was the largest category, with 198 deaths (39%) reported. Other major categories were assembly/dismantling (58 deaths, 12%), boom buckling (41 deaths, 8%), crane upset/overturn (37 deaths, 7%), and rigging failure (36 deaths, 7%). The majority of the deaths during assembly/dismantling involved removal of the boom pins from lattice boom cranes. Only 34% of the construction firms employing the fatally injured workers had ever been inspected by OSHA. OSHA cited the employer for safety violations in 436 deaths (83%). Additional worker training, increased OSHA inspections, and crane inspection programs could prevent many crane-related deaths.

The implementation of clean development mechanism (CDM) in the construction and built environment industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mok, Ken L.; Han, Seung H.; Choi, Seokjin

2014-01-01

Greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities are the main contributors to global climate change, a problem that should not be ignored. Through the clean development mechanism (CDM) introduced under the Kyoto Protocol, developing countries are able to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits through a myriad of emission reduction projects. This study aims to explore the potential of implementing CDM projects in the construction and built environment (C and BE) industry, which has been criticized for not only consuming an enormous amount of resources, but also for contributing to adverse environmental health. In this research, we limit the boundary of the C and BE industry to include the planning, procurement, construction, occupation and refurbishment/demolition phases of a project's life cycle. Surveys and in-depth follow-up interviews with experts have generated useful insights pertaining to CDM potential and its adaptation into the C and BE industry. From this foundation, this paper evaluates the current obstacles to CDM and presents feasible suggestions to increase CDM projects related to the C and BE industry. - Highlights: • We review the development and limitation of CDM relates to the construction and built environment (C and BE) industry. • We obtain experts' opinions on the feasibility of CDM in the C and BE industry. • Validation, monitoring, verification and additionality of CDM projects are crucial. • Experts agreed that most of our suggestions are feasible in principle

A regulatory perspective of the role of construction in revitalizing the United States nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stello, V. Jr.

1983-01-01

Technical and managerial experience in nuclear power plant construction is presented from the perspective of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In the context of actions that would contribute to revitalizing the nuclear industry in the United States of America, greater effectiveness of utility management during construction is proposed. The reasons why management effectiveness is so important are developed beginning with summaries of defects that were built into several US plants under construction. The root causes of these significant defects were management failures. In terms of benefits, effective management is important because of its effects on nuclear safety, project construction costs, and future reliability of the plant after commissioning. Actions that would enhance good management include emphasizing the inseparable nature of production and quality, that quality cannot be inspected into a plant, and that a strong construction management staff and exchanges of experience and information are essential. Techniques that have been used successfully in construction management are discussed. NRC and industry initiatives are in progress to improve management responsibility and learning from experience. Projects include Owner's Certification, assessments of licensee performance, fostering good practices across the industry, and improving the NRC inspection programme. Revitalization will not be easy, but it is achievable. (author)

Feasibility Studies of Palm Oil Mill Waste Aggregates for the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jegathish Kanadasan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The agricultural industry in Malaysia has grown rapidly over the years. Palm oil clinker (POC is a byproduct obtained from the palm oil industry. Its lightweight properties allows for its utilization as an aggregate, while in powder form as a filler material in concrete. POC specimens obtained throughout each state in Malaysia were investigated to evaluate the physical, chemical, and microstructure characteristics. Variations between each state were determined and their possible contributory factors were assessed. POC were incorporated as a replacement material for aggregates and their engineering characteristics were ascertained. Almost 7% of density was reduced with the introduction of POC as aggregates. A sustainability assessment was made through greenhouse gas emission (GHG and cost factor analyses to determine the contribution of the addition of POC to the construction industry. Addition of POC helps to lower the GHG emission by 9.6% compared to control specimens. By channeling this waste into the construction industry, an efficient waste-management system can be promoted; thus, creating a cleaner environment. This study is also expected to offer some guides and directions for upcoming research works on the incorporation of POC.

Feasibility Studies of Palm Oil Mill Waste Aggregates for the Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Kanadasan, Jegathish; Ahmad Fauzi, Auni Filzah; Abdul Razak, Hashim; Selliah, Paramananthan; Subramaniam, Vijaya; Yusoff, Sumiani

2015-01-01

The agricultural industry in Malaysia has grown rapidly over the years. Palm oil clinker (POC) is a byproduct obtained from the palm oil industry. Its lightweight properties allows for its utilization as an aggregate, while in powder form as a filler material in concrete. POC specimens obtained throughout each state in Malaysia were investigated to evaluate the physical, chemical, and microstructure characteristics. Variations between each state were determined and their possible contributory factors were assessed. POC were incorporated as a replacement material for aggregates and their engineering characteristics were ascertained. Almost 7% of density was reduced with the introduction of POC as aggregates. A sustainability assessment was made through greenhouse gas emission (GHG) and cost factor analyses to determine the contribution of the addition of POC to the construction industry. Addition of POC helps to lower the GHG emission by 9.6% compared to control specimens. By channeling this waste into the construction industry, an efficient waste-management system can be promoted; thus, creating a cleaner environment. This study is also expected to offer some guides and directions for upcoming research works on the incorporation of POC. PMID:28793579

Feasibility Studies of Palm Oil Mill Waste Aggregates for the Construction Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanadasan, Jegathish; Fauzi, Auni Filzah Ahmad; Razak, Hashim Abdul; Selliah, Paramananthan; Subramaniam, Vijaya; Yusoff, Sumiani

2015-09-22

The agricultural industry in Malaysia has grown rapidly over the years. Palm oil clinker (POC) is a byproduct obtained from the palm oil industry. Its lightweight properties allows for its utilization as an aggregate, while in powder form as a filler material in concrete. POC specimens obtained throughout each state in Malaysia were investigated to evaluate the physical, chemical, and microstructure characteristics. Variations between each state were determined and their possible contributory factors were assessed. POC were incorporated as a replacement material for aggregates and their engineering characteristics were ascertained. Almost 7% of density was reduced with the introduction of POC as aggregates. A sustainability assessment was made through greenhouse gas emission (GHG) and cost factor analyses to determine the contribution of the addition of POC to the construction industry. Addition of POC helps to lower the GHG emission by 9.6% compared to control specimens. By channeling this waste into the construction industry, an efficient waste-management system can be promoted; thus, creating a cleaner environment. This study is also expected to offer some guides and directions for upcoming research works on the incorporation of POC.

Lung cancer risk among workers in the construction industry: results from two case-control studies in Montreal.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacourt, Aude; Pintos, Javier; Lavoué, Jérôme; Richardson, Lesley; Siemiatycki, Jack

2015-09-22

Given the large number of workers in the construction industry, it is important to derive accurate and valid estimates of cancer risk, and in particular lung cancer risk. In most previous studies, risks among construction workers were compared with general populations including blue and white collar workers. The main objectives of this study were to assess whether construction workers experience excess lung cancer risk, and whether exposure to selected construction industry exposures carries excess risks. We wished to address these objectives within the sub-population of blue collar workers. Two case-control studies were conducted in Montreal. Combined, they included 1593 lung cancer cases and 1427 controls, of whom 1304 cases and 1081 controls had been blue collar workers. Detailed lifetime job histories were obtained and translated by experts into histories of exposure to chemical agents. The two key analyses were to estimate odds ratio (OR) estimates of lung cancer risk: a) for all blue-collar construction workers compared with other blue-collar workers, and b) for construction workers exposed to each of 20 exposure agents found in the construction industry compared with construction workers unexposed to those agents. All analyses were conducted using unconditional logistic regression adjusted for socio-demographic factors and smoking history. The OR for all construction workers combined was 1.11 (95 % CI: 0.90-1.38), based on 381 blue collar construction workers. Analyses of specific exposures were hampered by small numbers and imprecise estimates. While none of 20 occupational agents examined was significantly associated with lung cancer, the following agents manifested non-significantly elevated ORs: asbestos, silica, Portland cement, soil dust, calcium oxide and calcium sulfate. Compared with other blue collar workers, there was only a slight increased risk of lung cancer for subjects who ever held an occupation in the construction industry. The analyses of

Projects Delay Factors of Saudi Arabia Construction Industry Using PLS-SEM Path Modelling Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Rahman Ismail

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development of PLS-SEM Path Model of delay factors of Saudi Arabia construction industry focussing on Mecca City. The model was developed and assessed using SmartPLS v3.0 software and it consists of 37 factors/manifests in 7 groups/independent variables and one dependent variable which is delay of the construction projects. The model was rigorously assessed at measurement and structural components and the outcomes found that the model has achieved the required threshold values. At structural level of the model, among the seven groups, the client and consultant group has the highest impact on construction delay with path coefficient β-value of 0.452 and the project management and contract administration group is having the least impact to the construction delay with β-value of 0.016. The overall model has moderate explaining power ability with R2 value of 0.197 for Saudi Arabia construction industry representation. This model will able to assist practitioners in Mecca city to pay more attention in risk analysis for potential construction delay.

Impact of individual resilience and safety climate on safety performance and psychological stress of construction workers: A case study of the Ontario construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuting; McCabe, Brenda; Hyatt, Douglas

2017-06-01

The construction industry has hit a plateau in terms of safety performance. Safety climate is regarded as a leading indicator of safety performance; however, relatively little safety climate research has been done in the Canadian construction industry. Safety climate may be geographically sensitive, thus it is necessary to examine how the construct of safety climate is defined and used to improve safety performance in different regions. On the other hand, more and more attention has been paid to job related stress in the construction industry. Previous research proposed that individual resilience may be associated with a better safety performance and may help employees manage stress. Unfortunately, few empirical research studies have examined this hypothesis. This paper aims to examine the role of safety climate and individual resilience in safety performance and job stress in the Canadian construction industry. The research was based on 837 surveys collected in Ontario between June 2015 and June 2016. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to explore the impact of individual resilience and safety climate on physical safety outcomes and on psychological stress among construction workers. The results show that safety climate not only affected construction workers' safety performance but also indirectly affected their psychological stress. In addition, it was found that individual resilience had a direct negative impact on psychological stress but had no impact on physical safety outcomes. These findings highlight the roles of both organizational and individual factors in individual safety performance and in psychological well-being. Construction organizations need to not only monitor employees' safety performance, but also to assess their employees' psychological well-being. Promoting a positive safety climate together with developing training programs focusing on improving employees' psychological health - especially post-trauma psychological

Evolutionary, Unconscious Design Support for the Architectural, Engineering and Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Ruitenbeek, H.K.M.

2012-01-01

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is a complex system in which carpenters, structural designers, architects, modellers, cost estimators, planners, politicians and many others act apart together in project-specific virtual enterprises. There is a large amount of actors, an

Modeling injury rates as a function of industrialized versus on-site construction techniques

OpenAIRE

Rubio Romero, Juan Carlos; Suárez Cebador, Manuel; Abad Puente, Jesús

2014-01-01

It is often predicted that the industrialization of building activities will lead to a reduction of accident rates in the construction sector, particularly as a result of switching activities from building sites to factories. However, to date no scientific research has provided objective quantitative results to back up this claim. The aim of this paper is to evaluate how industrialization affects the accident rate in different industrialized building systems in Spain. Our results revealed tha...

Exploring Leadership Capability Team Leaders for Construction Industry in Malaysia: Training and Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Muda, W. H. N. Wan; Halim, F. Ab; Libunao, W. H.

2017-08-01

It has been said that the construction industry must unleash its potential as a source of wealth creation and provide opportunity for the betterment of quality of life. In ensuring the quality of workmanship at construction sites, supervisory skills of site supervisors need to be enhanced. It stressed out that to match business growth and excellence overseas, we must recognize and act on the importance of continuously developing niche expertise and capabilities. Undoubtedly, the role of research in determining the specific leadership skills and the needed core capabilities cannot be over-emphasized. In ensuring the quality of workmanship at construction sites, leadership skills especially supervisory skill for site supervisors need to be enhanced. In this study, quantitative research design with survey questionnaire was used to collect the data and simple random sampling was employed in selecting 248 respondents involving team leaders in construction industry from whole of Malaysia. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; ANOVA in SPSS 21.0. Training and experience in leadership has been found to be significance to leadership capability of team leaders. The opinions from the respondents also indicated that they need the training of leadership and they had to enhance themselves to enable them to become better and more competitive leaders. The results of this assessment can pinpoint the areas needing improvement and therefore can be used as basis in designing and/or deciding development programmes. This study also found that generally the team leaders in construction industry needed more opportunities to expand their leadership capability to become the effective leaders in future.

3D printing cement based ink, and it’s application within the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianchao Zhu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The 3D printing technology is the engine key of the third industrial revolution, after introduction of the automation in the eighteenth century and the concept of mass production in early of twentieth century. 3D printing technology now offers the magic solution to balance both the benefits, and overcome the major associated problem with the previous concept which was the need of repetition. The 3D printing technology has two main critical success factors: the printing machine and the printing material (ink. This paper focusses on cementitious-based materials and the ability to utilize the technology in the construction industry. The research took a qualitative approach based on previous literature reviews as well as in-house research results carried out by the authors’ employer Research and Development Center. The paper summarizes the approach towards to an appropriate mix design which can achieve the requirement of the printing process, and overcome the current constraints which are hindering the wide application of 3D print in construction industry. The authors believe that the research topic and result will have great impact on pushing the construction industry forward towards achieving the UAE Government’s strategy and target to achieve twenty-five percent (25% of the buildings in Dubai by the year of 2030 relying on the 3D printing methodology. The research also concluded that even though the technology is adding a great value to the construction industry, it must be remembered that the technology is still in its infancy, and further research is required to achieve even higher strength printing materials that would be workable in multi-story buildings without the need of additional steel reinforcement.

Revaluering benchmarking - A topical theme for the construction industry

OpenAIRE

Rasmussen, Grane Mikael Gregaard

2011-01-01

Over the past decade, benchmarking has increasingly gained foothold in the construction industry. The predominant research, perceptions and uses of benchmarking are valued so strongly and uniformly, that what may seem valuable, is actually abstaining researchers and practitioners from studying and questioning the concept objectively. This paper addresses the underlying nature of benchmarking, and accounts for the importance of focusing attention on the sociological impacts benchmarking has in...

Modeling the factors affecting unsafe behavior in the construction industry from safety supervisors' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Khosravi, Yahya; Asilian-Mahabadi, Hassan; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim; Hassanzadeh-Rangi, Narmin; Bastani, Hamid; Khavanin, Ali; Mortazavi, Seyed Bagher

2014-01-01

There can be little doubt that the construction is the most hazardous industry in the worldwide. This study was designed to modeling the factors affecting unsafe behavior from the perspective of safety supervisors. The qualitative research was conducted to extract a conceptual model. A structural model was then developed based on a questionnaire survey (n=266) by two stage Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach. An excellent confirmed 12-factors structure explained about 62% of variances unsafe behavior in the construction industry. A good fit structural model indicated that safety climate factors were positively correlated with safety individual factors (Pconstruction workers' engagement in safe or unsafe behavior. In order to improve construction safety performance, more focus on the workplace condition is required.

Employers' Perception of Graduates with Entry-Level Technical Skills from Construction Industry Programs in Ghana and Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Acheampong, Philip

2013-01-01

The purpose of this comparative study was to identify the technical skills and abilities needed by prospective employees of construction industries in Ghana and Nigeria. Potential employees were defined here as recent graduates of construction industry programs with entry-level technical skills. The continuous growth in and expansion of these two…

Fostering of Innovative Talents Based on Disciplinary Construction: HRD Strategy of Chinese Nuclear Power Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Yuanwei

2014-01-01

Workforce challenge to nuclear power industry: • We are facing the aging workforce and talent loss since the tough time of nuclear power industry. • Professional workforce fostering in nuclear power industry always needs a long period of time. • Professional workforce fostering in nuclear power industry is a systematic and interdisciplinary work. Talents fostering in nuclear power industry: Major measures → national overall planning; engineering practice; knowledge management; disciplinary construction; cooperation and communication

Finding the right incentives; circular business models for the construction industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brink, R.; Prins, M.; Straub, A.; Ploeger, H.D.

2017-01-01

After its launch, the circular economy gained popularity all over the world as the new sustainability paradigm. Despite its popularity there is little to no material to be found on the implementation of the circular economy in the construction industry. Through a mixed method methodology using

Studying Disabling Occupational Accidents in the Construction Industry During Two Years

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Ahmad Soltanzadeh

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background & Objectives : Idnetifying causes of occupational accidents is a key issue to prevent these accidents. The present study aimed to identify and analyze debilitating accidents in the construction industry during a two-year period ( 2010 - 2011 years . Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. The study data included information about all debilitating accidents occurred within two years. Data collection was performed according to the accident report forms in construction sites. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 16. The level of significance was considered as P=0.05. Results: The mean age and job experience of injured people were 27.95±6.95 and 2.34±2.00 years, respectively. Most injuries to people were reported in hand (35.4%, legs (28.3% and back (20.4%. Most of accident types were respectively related to slipping and falling (26.1%, throwing objects (21.7%, falls (18.6%, abrasion (16.8% and clash (16.4%. Moreover, the main causes of accidents were related to lack of housekeeping (97.3%, lack of proper training (85.8%, lack of PPE (73.0%, unsafe acts (63.3%, unsafe conditions (32.3% and equipment (22.6%. Conclusion: Analyzing causes of disabling accidents in the construction industry showed that important factors in these accidents included lack of housekeeping, failure to provide proper training, lack of suitable PPE, unsafe acts, unsafe conditions and equipment for the construction jobs

A revisit on the current practice of dispute resolution and ADR in the Malaysian construction industry

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Mohd Suhaimi Mohd Danuri

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The current dispute resolution procedures available in the Malaysian construction industry are mainly litigation and arbitration. In addition, the alternative dispute resolutions (ADR, namely mediation and adjudication, have also been introduced as the other methods for resolving disputes. The objective of this study is to examine the current practice of dispute resolution and ADR available in the Malaysian construction industry. The aim of this paper is two-fold: to report the current practice of dispute resolution and ADR, and identify the attributes of successful implementation of both mechanisms based on the perceptions of the Malaysian construction industry players. From the jurisprudence point of view, this study looks into the law as it is, in relation to the current practice of dispute resolution and ADR, by showing how those findings can be used to explain why improvement is needed to promote a successful and well received dispute resolution and ADR, and what lessons can be learnt, towards the formulation of a more viable methods for the Malaysian construction industry. NVivo software has been used to manage and organise the complete interview transcripts and facilitate the data analysis process for this study. Literature review reveals a continuous development of dispute resolution and ADR in the Malaysian construction industry, while, globally the industry has not only embraced ADR but also spearheaded the development of innovative forms of dispute avoidance mechanism. The findings of interviews show that locally, apart from litigation, the common types of ADR are arbitration, mediation and ad hoc mechanism. The findings also lead to the discovery of the following attributes: faster, less procedural, cost effective and enforceable; regulation and government's support; professionalism and ethic; training; and facility, that may promote a successful implementation of dispute resolution and ADR in Malaysia.

Recruitment criteria and attraction strategies for local trained labour in Malaysia’s construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Manap, N.; Noh, NH Mohd; Syahrom, N.

2017-12-01

Development in Malaysia is booming which can be witnessed by the various construction projects that currently in progress, especially in the state of Johor which has the highest value of construction work completed for the third quarter of 2016. This necessarily requires skilled labours in a high number especially among the locals since it has been reported that Malaysia’s construction industry is having problems related to the shortage of local skilled labour. In addition, the local workers have been reported unable to fulfil the demand of construction market. Hence, it caused the contractor to import foreign workers to meet the needs and requirement of labour market in construction sector. This study aims of two objectives; to determine the criteria set by the construction company in recruiting local skilled labour and to study the strategies that can attract local skilled labour to join construction industry. Questionnaire has been distributed to G7 contractor in the state of Johor in order to achieve the objectives of this study. Collected data was then evaluated and tested for its reliability using the SPSS 20.0 software before it can be analysed in order to obtain the mean value, frequencies and percentage. The outcome of this study indicates that the prospective employer prefers to work with man and they require young, experienced, knowledgeable and skilled workers in doing the job. Most of the strategies that have been selected are mainly related to money namely salary increment, bonus, allowance and overtime payment, apart from upgrading labours welfare and providing a better accommodation. This study can be a guideline to both skills institution and contractor to improve on what they are lacking in order to encourage the local trained skills labour to join the industry.

Causes of Fatal Accidents Involving Cranes in the Australian Construction Industry

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Ehsan Gharaie

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In ten years from 2004 to 2013, 359 workers died in the Australian construction industry because of work related causes. This paper investigates crane-related fatalities in order to find the upstream causation of such accidents. The National Coroners’ Information System (NCIS database was searched to identify fatal accidents in the construction industry involving the use of a crane.  The narrative description of the cases provided in the coroners’ findings and associated documents were content analysed to identify the contributing causal factors within the context of each case. The findings show that the most frequent crane-related accident types were those that were struck by load, and electrocution. The most prevalent immediate circumstance causes were layout of the site and restricted space. The two most commonly identified shaping factors were physical site constraints and design of construction process. Inadequate risk management system was identified as the main originating influence on the accidents. This paper demonstrates that a systemic causation model can provide considerable insight into how originating influences, shaping factors, and immediate circumstances combine to produce accidents. This information is extremely useful in informing the development of prevention strategies, particularly in the case of commonly occurring accident types.

A bilateral and multi-issue negotiation framework to support a supply chain of construction industry

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Fernando Schramm

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Any interaction involving individuals, whose objectives are conflicting with each other, may establish a negotiation process. In a negotiation, each party should develop his/her own strategy and, normally, a win-lose vision is frequently adopted. The main consequence of this behavior is a result, in which both parties lose, especially when the negotiation involves more than one aspect, such as negotiations resulting from purchases of material for construction industry, where aspects like price, quality and lead-time should be considered. Most of the negotiation involving construction industry adopts a win-lose vision; and, commonly, only the issue price is considered. The goal of this paper is to propose a framework to support negotiations between two parties (buyer and seller in the supply chain of construction industry. The combination of a win-win strategy with a multicriteria analysis produces a best compromise solution for both parties. A simulation of negotiation using realistic data is presented.

Market in Germany. Renewable energy and energy conservation in the German construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-02-01

This market survey for Germany is on the subject of renewable energy and energy efficient constructing and housing improvement. In order to meet sectoral or thematic information needs of Dutch exporting industries and investing companies, the EVD facilitates the realisation of up-to-date market surveys on promising markets in selected countries. The requested study is very relevant for the Dutch exporting industry, as the German building and construction market is of increasing importance to the Dutch building, installation and equipment building sector. Moreover the German market is a European innovator on renewable energy (RE) and energy efficient (EE) homes or even so-called 'passive' houses. The developments in the German market can guide the Dutch industry in the development of their export strategies. The main target groups for the market surveys are small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands. Interesting groups among these SMEs are those enterprises that start their business on a foreign market [nl

Construction of overseas nuclear power plants for first time by Japanese industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruyama, Tohru; Naruse, Yoshihiro; Yabuta, Hitoshi

2010-01-01

In response to the worldwide demand for stable energy supplies and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear power plant construction projects have been expanding on a global scale. Even in the United States, where no nuclear power plants have been constructed over the past 30 years, there are plans for the construction of more than 30 plants. Toshiba has been awarded a contract for a nuclear power plant construction project in the U.S., the first case of overseas nuclear power plant construction by Japanese industry. Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation (TANE), the first U.S. subsidiary in our nuclear business, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is engaged in this globally prominent project, applying various technologies and know-how that we have cultivated over many years of experience in developing and constructing nuclear power plants in Japan and adapting them to U.S. business practices, laws, and regulations. (author)

Review of Solid Waste Management Practice, Handling and Planning in the Construction Industry

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Fiza Mohd Noh

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The building and construction industry is a major contributor to the source of national economy. However, inappropriate construction waste management lead to various problems such as illegal dumping along the roadsides, demolition waste and disposal of construction at landfills that Malaysia is facing serious shortage of landfill space and recently the issue has become more serious throughout the country, which these have caused major government sources and environmental issue. Solid waste management is one of the environmental issues which always been a concerned to most governments. In urban areas, 46% of the population in the statistics that shows the world population has reached six billion. In 1997, generation of the municipal solid waste was about 0.49 billion tons around the globe with an estimated annual growth rate of 3.2-4.5% in develop nations and 2-3% in developing countries. The characteristics of solid waste generated were changed due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization.

76 FR 70166 - Electrical Standards for Construction and General Industry; Extension of the Office of Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-10

...] Electrical Standards for Construction and General Industry; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget... contained in the Electrical Standards for Construction (29 CFR part 1926, Subpart K) and for General... maintenance of electric utilization equipment that prevent death and serious injuries among construction and...

Industrial Training of Construction Students: Perceptions of Training Organizations in Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Ayarkwa, Joshua; Adinyira, Emmanuel; Osei-Asibey, Dickson

2012-01-01

Purpose: The industrial training component in a university's curricula adds tremendous value to a degree programme by enhancing the employable skills of graduates. The purpose of this paper is to assess the perception of organisations that have trained construction students from the Department of Building Technology of the Kwame Nkrumah University…

Textual complexity of standard conditions used in the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raufdeen Rameezdeen

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Clearly written communication aids the understanding of construction contracts, resulting in less disputation. Past research, using opinion surveys rather than objective criteria, shows that construction contracts lack clarity and standard forms have become complex over time. The study outlined in this paper uses three objective measures of clarity developed by linguists to establish the readability of construction contracts. In addition, thirty industry professionals participated in a Cloze Test which measured the level of comprehension of clauses concerning disputes. The study verifies that contract conditions are very difficult to read, with college level reading skills needed to comprehend half of the clauses. However, the hypothesis that standard forms have become complex over time was not supported by the study. The study establishes a linear relationship between readability and comprehension, proving the hypothesis that improved readability increases the comprehension of a contract clause. 

Textual complexity of standard conditions used in the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raufdeen Rameezdeen

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Clearly written communication aids the understanding of construction contracts, resulting in less disputation. Past research, using opinion surveys rather than objective criteria, shows that construction contracts lack clarity and standard forms have become complex over time. The study outlined in this paper uses three objective measures of clarity developed by linguists to establish the readability of construction contracts. In addition, thirty industry professionals participated in a Cloze Test which measured the level of comprehension of clauses concerning disputes. The study verifies that contract conditions are very difficult to read, with college level reading skills needed to comprehend half of the clauses. However, the hypothesis that standard forms have become complex over time was not supported by the study. The study establishes a linear relationship between readability and comprehension, proving the hypothesis that improved readability increases the comprehension of a contract clause.

Determinants of epoxy allergy in the construction industry : a case-control study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spee, Ton; Timmerman, Johan G; Rühl, Reinhold; Kersting, Klaus; Heederik, Dick J J; Smit, Lidwien A M

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Workers exposed to epoxy products are at risk of developing allergic contact dermatitis. OBJECTIVES: To compare workers throughout the German construction industry with and without skin allergy to epoxy resins, hardeners, and/or reactive diluents, and to investigate which determinants

А construction of management of enterprises charges is in chemical industry

OpenAIRE

Gura, N.; Radchenko, K.

2010-01-01

In the article the essence and value of conception of "administrative account" are defined, the debatable questions of constructing of administrative account and its structure are considered. The methods of charge accounting are considered at the enterprises of chemical industry. The essence of introduction and usage of modern information technologies are stated.

Construction Management of Electromechanical Engineering Project in Petrochemical Construction

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Xi Tao

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Petrochemical industry as a basic industry, occupies a pivotal position in the national economy, with the continuous development of science and technology, electromechanical automation in the petrochemical industry has been widely used to save a lot of labor but also greatly improve the oil Chemical industry production efficiency. Therefore, in the construction of petrochemical industry, mechanical and electrical engineering as part of it. It plays a vital role. Petrochemical industry with the production of high temperature and high pressure and flammable and explosive gas, can strengthen the construction of mechanical and electrical engineering specialization and construction management of scientific, has become the relationship between the smooth development of mechanical and electrical engineering and engineering quality of the key, A direct impact on the petrochemical construction of the overall construction quality. To this end, it is necessary for the construction of petrochemical construction of electromechanical engineering construction management to promote the construction of mechanical and electrical engineering management level gradually increased. This article on the machine Electric engineering project construction management were discussed with a view to the petrochemical construction in the relevant aspects of the need to provide reference for reference.

Execution of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1994 in the Construction Industry from Contractors’ Point of View

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Awang H.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Construction is one of the highest contributing industries to occupational accidents by sector in Malaysia. Statistics have been drawn from year to year that show an increasing number of cases of accidents by industry sector. While it is impossible to completely eliminate all accidents, with a proper and effective safety and health policy or rules set by top management, especially contractors, the rate of accidents on construction sites can be reduced. The main objective of this study is to analyse the degree of application of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994 in the construction industry and to identify the contributing factors leading to a lack of execution of OSHA 1994 on construction sites with a primary focus on contractors’ point of view. Five on-going construction projects in Perak were selected as case studies and site inspections were conducted. The results showed that none of the contractors have fully implemented the rules and regulations provided by the government. Within this report, some recommendations are made towards enhancing the safety and health issues on construction sites.

The Significance of Coordination for Industrialised Building System (IBS) Precast Concrete in Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Fitri Othman Mohd Khairul; Wan Muhammad Wan Mohd Nurdden; Abd Hadi Nurulhudaya; Azman Mohd Azrai

2017-01-01

IBS precast concrete is construction system which is meant to improve the conventional construction process. However IBS precast concrete projects are suffering from serious problems such as cost overrun, delays and less quality of the end product. The absence of coordination is perceived as the reason for this issue. The purpose of this paper is to review the significance of coordination for IBS precast concrete in the construction industry. It if found that the fragmentation which occurs in...

Drivers for the effective management of HIV and AIDS in the South African construction industry--a Delphi study.

Science.gov (United States)

Harinarain, Nishani; Haupt, Theo Conrad

2014-09-01

Different industries manage the threats presented by HIV and AIDS in different ways. The construction industry is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic because of its large unskilled labour force, high labour turnover and the migratory nature of the workforce. The study reported on in this paper, the first of its kind in the South African construction industry, aimed to identify the important drivers needed for the effective management of HIV and AIDS and to understand their impact on the construction industry. The aim was achieved in two stages. The first stage involved an extensive literature review to determine the factors that drive corporate response in the management of HIV and AIDS in the South African construction sector. Six drivers, namely legal requirements, social pressures, business costs, voluntary regulation, visibility of the disease, and individuals within companies with a total of 87 items were identified. An iterative Delphi technique with a panel of experts was used to validate the factors identified in the literature review and formed the second stage of this research. The Delphi method was used as it provided a systematic approach to achieve consensus on the six drivers for effective management of HIV and AIDS management in the construction industry. An expert panel responded to three iterations of questionnaires to achieve consensus. The experts reached consensus on 56 items categorised under the 6 drivers. This study found that the legal driver was considered most important but only second in terms of impact. The second most important driver was the visibility of the disease and was regarded as the driver with the highest impact. Internal agents ranked third in terms of importance and impact. This study can be used for further research to assist the construction industry in helping fight HIV and AIDS.

Analysis of the causes and consequences of falls from scaffolding using the Polish construction industry as an example

Science.gov (United States)

Hoła, A.; Hoła, B.; Szóstak, M.

2017-10-01

The results of research published in many publications indicate that the scale of the problem of accidents at work in the construction industry is significant. Fatal and serious accidents, which in the construction industry are often a result of a fall from a height and associated with working on scaffolding, have a particularly strong impact on society. Systematic controls carried out on Polish construction sites indicate irregularities in the area of ensuring safety on scaffolding. As a result of conducted own studies, dozens of accidents caused by falls from scaffolding were selected from the total number of accidents at work in the construction industry and then analysed. The aim of the research was to identify the causes of these accidents and their consequences. The results of studies conducted in this area will be the content of the article.

Future of industry. Part 4. Sustainable entrepreneurship in the Dutch construction industry. Institutional context and strategic responses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein Woolthuis, R; De Boer, S.

2009-12-15

TNO developed a methodology to identify sector specific opportunities by examining bottlenecks and drivers for sustainable innovation. Research results are presented in 4 reports: the first report explores the highly innovative chemicals sector and how it deals with opportunities and bottlenecks in sustainable innovation. The second report examines the project driven construction industry and how entrepreneurs and incumbent firms develop strategies to deal with the bottlenecks of sustainable innovation. The third report extends the second report by highlighting the role of the incumbent firms in this process, and this (fourth) report deepens the second report by illuminating the strategies of entrepreneurs in the transition to sustainable construction.

A comparative study of Japan and United States nuclear enterprise: Industry structure and construction experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinman, G.W.; Lowinger, T.C.

1987-01-01

Both Japan and the United States have undertaken major programs to utilize nuclear power for central station electricity generation. Over the past 20 years, the Japanese have developed their own construction and government regulatory institutions and now have an essentially independent domestic nuclear power program. Nuclear construction and government oversight of nuclear power have developed somewhat differently in Japan and the United States, reflecting to some extent the two countries' different business and social cultures. In the United States the vendor and utility industries are much more fragmented than those in Japan, and construction projects are carried out on a more competitive basis. The Japanese industry operates through a few well-established consortia while the U.S. industry does not. Relations among the national government, the vendors, and the electric utilities tend to be cooperative in Japan while they are more adversarial in the Untied States. This paper discusses these topics in a framework of a comparative study of the countries' nuclear industries. Whether because of the factors mentioned above or for other reasons the success of nuclear power in Japan and the United States has differed dramatically in recent years. This paper compares the performance of the nuclear enterprise in these two countries in terms of the physical attributes of the plants themselves, the labor required to build them, and the construction times required. It also discusses the relationship between initial estimates of costs and schedules and actual results achieved. On all counts, recent Japanese performance has been better than in the United States

Strategies for Minimizing Corruption in the Construction Industry in China

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Patrick X.W. Zou

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Corruption is a social phenomenon deep rooted in the history of mankind. It is similar to other kinds of crime which are likely to occur in procurement of works by governments and local authorities, due to the large amount of money involved in a single transaction and the difficulty in monitoring project expenditure. Therefore, it is necessary to develop strategies to minimize any corruption risks and corrupt behaviour in procurement of construction projects. The aim of this paper is to review the current corruption prevention practices in China’s construction industry and suggest ways for improvement. To collect useful and insightful information, desktop studies, focus-group workshops and face-to-face interviews were conducted with supervisory and construction officers at different levels – state, province and municipal in China, who have direct responsibilities and experience in cracking down construction corruption. It was found that corruption happens in different forms during any stage of construction project procurement, and the current anti-corrupt practices are reactive rather than proactive. It was also found that improvements on the legal system, inspection strategies and processes, and promotion of ethical culture are all required. Based on the research findings, corruption prevention strategies were developed. The paper concludes that institution of random and regular checks, severe punishment and prosecution to corrupt personnel, and promotion of a healthy and clean construction culture are all necessary to mitigate the scourge.

MARKETING EXPENDITURES IN THE INDONESIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishna Mochtar

2004-01-01

Full Text Available In the 1960s, a “new” marketing concept known as "four Ps marketing mix" appeared and shifted the focus from the product to the customer. The objective of the new concept was not only profit, and the means of achieving the objective expanded to include the entire “marketing mix”: product, price, promotion, and place (channels and distribution. Expenditures of marketing in a company should be explored from these mixes, because each mix would have an impact on the total marketing expenditures. These four mixes are the main aspects of marketing and thus, should represent almost all expenditures in marketing in a company. From this research it is discovered that the responding contractors have only average efforts to improve or innovate their service, mostly using the latest construction methods and management approach. Correlated to their policy in the fourth mix (Place, they are still national oriented and not international oriented in marketing their services, this may lead to the big question of their survival; their motivation to innovate is only average while their target market is only national market. Their attitude to use more intensive “fees” policy rather than both product innovation and promotion is also interesting. Big percentage of the responding contractors assumes these “fees” are regular marketing practices. This attitude may better be stopped to make the construction industry practices healthier. Attitude to use more product innovation and true promotion approach in marketing in construction must be encouraged systematically in the future, to improve competitiveness in the long term.

[Occupational physician's role in the prevention of the accidents in construction industry].

Science.gov (United States)

Mosconi, G; Riva, M M; Apostoli, P

2008-01-01

The aim of this work is to discuss about the role of the occupational physician in the prevention of the accidents in construction industry. Using the experience of 12 years of surveillance of workers in Bergamo province, the authors analyse the "human factors" which may influence the risk to have an accident, and the role of the physicians not only for the early diagnosis of work-related diseases, but also for the formulation of correct fitness to work, which consider accidents' prevention. Health conditions, psychological elements, fatigue and life style are some of the most important "human factors" which can amplify the accident phenomenon in construction industry. Our experience demonstrates that the occupational physicians can operate in preventive way on these factors, formulating correct fitness to work, giving their collaboration in the risk evaluation and management, suggesting runs of rehabilitation and recovery for the workers who need it, promoting information meetings related to the correct life habits.

Constructing Relationships between Science and Practice in the Written Science Communication of the Washington State Wine Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Szymanski, Erika Amethyst

2016-01-01

Even as deficit model science communication falls out of favor, few studies question how written science communication constructs relationships between science and industry. Here, I investigate how textual microprocesses relate scientific research to industry practice in the Washington State wine industry, helping (or hindering) winemakers and…

Financial Awareness Education with Apprentices in the Australian Construction Industry: Program Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Du Plessis, Karin; Green, Emma

2013-01-01

A financial awareness education program was implemented with construction industry apprentices in Victoria, Australia. The program included face-to-face delivery of education around a range of financial management issues that apprentices face as they begin their apprenticeship. The paper reports on an evaluation of the program, which included…

Overcoming ICT Barriers in IBS Management Process in Malaysia Construction Industry

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Soon Ern Peniel Ang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As the result of government’s initiative and future outlook in uprising the awareness towards the implementation of sustainable elements in construction industries, the Industrialized Building System (IBS is one of the approaches that had been introduced as an alternative to conventional building method and produce the new strategy of reducing the waste of materials in construction. The IBS approach is actively promoted through several strategies and incentives as an alternative to conventional building methods. Extensive uptakes of modern Information Communication Technology (ICT applications are able to support the different IBS processes for effective production. However, it is argued that ICT uptake at the organizational level needs to be regularly improved. Thus, this paper fulfills the need to identify the critical barriers to ICT employment and highlighting the ICT drivers in enhancing the IBS management process. Critical barriers and drivers to ICT uptake were identified through questionnaire survey with industry stakeholders and were analyzed using mean index and critical t-value with the use of SPSS software. The critical drivers are top management support and commitment and improving the availability of the technologies. The critical drivers which were identified are significant in ensuring the enhancement of ICT implementation. Hence, any system in place should avoid the highest ranked barriers or seek to alleviate their impact by focusing on the identified drivers in order to enhance implementation of ICT in IBS process management.

Critical ICT-Inhibiting Factors on IBS Production Management Processes in the Malaysia Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Ern, Peniel Ang Soon; Kasim, Narimah; Hamid, Zuhairi Abd; Chen, Goh Kai

2017-10-01

Industrialized Building System (IBS) is one of the approaches that had been introduced as an alternative to conventional building method where it becomes the new strategy of enhancing the sustainable construction in current industries while spearheading a huge advancement of benefits with green constructions into the existing industries. The IBS approach is actively promoted through several strategies and incentives as an alternative to conventional building methods. Extensive uptakes of modern Information Communication Technology (ICT) applications are able to support the different IBS processes for effective production. However, it is argued that ICT uptake at the organisational level is still in its infancy. This raises the importance to identify critical inhibitors which are inhibing the effective uptake of ICT in the IBS production management process. Critical inhibitors to ICT uptake were identified through questionnaire survey with the IBS industry stakeholders. The mean index and critical t-values are generated with the use of the quantitative tool, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The top ten priority ranked inhibitors reflect the Cost, People and Process elements to ICT uptake. High costs in acquiring the technologies and resistance to change were some main concerns from the findings.

Research study about the establishment of safety culture. Effects of organizational factors in construction industry's safety indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojima, Mitsuhiro; Hirose, Humiko; Takano, Kenichi; Hasegawa, Naoko

1999-01-01

To find the relationships between safety related activities (such as safety patrol' or '4s/5s activities') and accidents rate in the workplace, questionnaires were sent to 965 construction companies and 120 answers were returned. In this questionnaire, safety activities, safety regulations and safety policies of the companies were asked and organizational climates, company policies, philosophies and the number of accidents in workplace were also asked. There seems some relationships between accidents rate and safety activities, safety regulations and safety policies in the companies, but the deviations between estimate values and observed values are so great that it seems impossible to estimate the accidents rate in the working place from the safety activities, safety regulations and safety policies of the companies. On the other hand, some characteristics of safety activities and organizational climates in the construction industry were identified using multi variants analysis. More detailed researches using sophisticated questionnaire will be conducted in the construction industry and petrochemical industry and relationships between the accidents rate and the safety activities will be compared between different industries. (author)

Training Programme for Supervisors. An Element in Quality Assurance of the Construction Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Tommy Y.

1998-01-01

A customized program on concrete technology for the construction industry in Hong Kong is based on the ISO 9000 quality management system. More than 269 students have been trained; 48.7% of enrollment comes from concrete suppliers. (SK)

Construction labor productivity during nuclear power plant construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, W.B.

1980-01-01

There is no single satisfactory way to measure productivity in the construction industry. The industry is too varied, too specialized and too dependent upon vast numbers of interrelations between trades, contractors, designers and owners. Hence, no universally reliable indices for measuring construction productivity has been developed. There are problems that are generic to all large union-built nuclear power plants. The actions of any one owner cannot rectify the shortcomings of the construction industry. The generic problems are being identified, and many national organizations are attempting to make the construction industry more productive by recommending various changes

To the matter of the educated development of the construction industry of recreational territories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ermakov Alexander

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rational creation of the consumer quality of constructions, which is taking into account some cultural, historical and other, accepted for society development paradigms enters to replace mass sustainable development of the industry of a construction in case of development of the recreational territories around megalopolises, using intellectual systems in a construction, ecological, energy-saving technologies in increase in a consumer evaluation of quality. For the residential development of the recreational territories of cities it is important to provide not only complex conditions of their development, to keep their potential for future generations, providing their social-and-economic development, to consider national and climatic features, but also to use their potential opportunities and traditions of the people inhabiting them, rationally and economically. The educated development of the construction industry is the new term entered into the use of constructors, when the consumer quality of building and structures meets national preferences taking into account traditions and advanced achievements in the use of materials, architectural and project decisions, production technologies and climatic opportunities with the minimum damage to the environment. Its accomplishment assumes enhancement and introduction of local-and-standard regulation with implementation of innovative solutions.

EVALUATION OF PRODUCTION IN SEASONALITY PERIODS: ANALYSIS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN BRAZIL

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Marcos William Kaspchak Machado

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The present work has as an objective to evaluate the impacts of production seasonality in seasonality periods in the Brazilian construction industry. The adopted methodology was based on the qualitative and quantitative approaches of the aspects inherent to the seasonality factors in the construction industry and its possible causes. Besides that, literature data were collected in year report books and devices provided by institutions of the sector. The results demonstrated the importance of production management mechanisms to optimize the use of productive factors through cost analysis, which are fundamental to understand the operational flux of resources used in the operational media. Obtaining this information, connected to market indicators helped in the decision making process related to the development of prospective scenarios which will give support to the decision making strategy aiming to stabilize the production levels.

Construction of Industrial Electron Beam Plant for Wastewater Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, B.; Kim, J.; Kim, Y.; Kim, S.; Lee, M.; Choi, J.; Ahn, S.; Makarov, I.E.; Ponomarev, A.V.

2004-01-01

A pilot plant for treating 1,000 m3/day of dyeing wastewater with e-beam has been constructed and operated since 1998 in Daegu, Korea together with the biological treatment facility. The wastewater from various stages of the existing purification process has been treated with electron beam in this plant, and it gave rise to elaborate the optimal technology of the electron beam treatment of wastewater with increased reliability at instant changes in the composition of wastewater. Installation of the e-beam pilot plant resulted in decolorizing and destructive oxidation of organic impurities in wastewater, appreciable to reduction of chemical reagent consumption, in reduction of the treatment time, and in increase in flow rate limit of existing facilities by 30-40%. Industrial plant for treating 10,000 m3/day, based upon the pilot experimental result, is under construction and will be finished by 2005. This project is supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Korean Government

The impact of risk on the financial performance of small medium enterprises in the construction industry in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Chiliya

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Risk management has become the driving force for business success due to the everchanging business environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the level of awareness and use of risk management techniques on the financial performance. The data was collected from 82 of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs owners/managers in the construction industry in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The results show that the level of awareness and use of risk management techniques have a significant impact on the financial performance of SMEs in the construction industry. The study recommends that the government, tertiary institutions, construction industry development board, and SME owners or managers in the construction industry should work together in improving the level of awareness and use of risk management techniques.

Evolutionary, Unconscious Design Support for the Architectural, Engineering and Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Van de Ruitenbeek, H.K.M.

2012-01-01

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is a complex system in which carpenters, structural designers, architects, modellers, cost estimators, planners, politicians and many others act apart together in project-specific virtual enterprises. There is a large amount of actors, an overwhelming number of ongoing processes, distributed, decentralised organisations and a variety of projects. This complicates efficient communication and supply chain integration which, according...

Empresariado industrial e desenvolvimento socioeconômico: estudo do discurso do empresariado calçadista paulista frente ao mundo globalizado (1995-2010)

OpenAIRE

Guaraldo, Paula D'Andrea [UNESP

2014-01-01

A tese teve como objetivo desenvolver um estudo sobre a fração da classe empresarial brasileira composta pelo empresariado industrial calçadista. A proposta foi conhecer o discurso do empresariado calçadista paulista dos polos produtores calçadistas de Franca, Birigui e Jaú, frente às questões ligadas ao desenvolvimento econômico no contexto globalizado em que se encontra, por meio da análise de suas manifestações públicas em veículos de comunicação voltados ao empresariado nacional sobre o p...

Transparency, market operation and trust in the Dutch construction industry: an exploratory study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Graafland, Johan; Nijhof, A.H.J.

2007-01-01

After the discovery of illegal price agreements in the Dutch construction industry, the government and major players in the sector have initiated a transition process towards more professional commercial relations. In the transition process transparency plays an important part, as it is a

Local exhaust ventilation for the control of welding fumes in the construction industry--a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Michael R; Susi, Pam

2012-08-01

Arc welding is a common unit operation in the construction industry, where frequent changes in location and welding position make it more difficult to control fume exposures than in industries where fixed locations are the norm. Welders may be exposed to a variety of toxic airborne contaminants including manganese (Mn) and hexavalent chromium (CrVI). Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is a well-known engineering control for welding fumes but has not been adopted widely in the construction industry. This literature review presents data on the performance of a variety of LEV systems for welding fume control from the construction (five references), shipyard (five references), and other industries. The studies indicate that LEV can reduce fume exposures to total particulate, Mn, and CrVI to levels below currently relevant standards. Field studies suggest that 40-50% or more reduction in exposure is possible with portable or fixed LEV systems relative to natural ventilation but that correct positioning of the hood and adequate exhaust flow rates are essential. Successful implementation of extraction guns for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux core arc welding has been demonstrated, indicating that a successful balance between extraction airflow and shielding gas requirements is possible. Work practices are an important part of achieving successful control of fume exposures; in particular, positioning the hood close to the arc, checking exhaust flow rates, and avoiding the plume. Further research is needed on hood size effects for controlling welding fume with portable LEV systems and identifying and overcoming barriers to LEV use in construction.

LABOUR SUBCONTRACTING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: AN ASSESSMENT FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES

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Jill Wells

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The practice of employing labour through subcontractors (often referred to as the ‘outsourcing’ of labour is both long established and widespread in the construction industries of developing countries. Recent studies show that it is also increasing in both developing and developed countries. An assessment of the advantages of the practice from the viewpoint of the contractors and of the labour force, suggests it is unlikely to disappear. The paper goes on to explore the implications for the development of the construction industry, as well as for the welfare of the workers and the achievement of broader development objectives. It is concluded that interventions may be needed to deal with some of the negative repercussions, but they have to accept and build on current labour practices.

Use of nanomaterials in the European construction industry and some occupational health aspects thereof

Science.gov (United States)

van Broekhuizen, Pieter; van Broekhuizen, Fleur; Cornelissen, Ralf; Reijnders, Lucas

2011-02-01

In the European construction industry in 2009, the use of engineered nanoparticles appears to be confined to a limited number of products, predominantly coatings, cement and concrete. A survey among representatives of workers and employers from 14 EU countries suggests a high level of ignorance about the availability and use of nanomaterials for the construction industry and the safety aspects thereof. Barriers for a large-scale acceptance of products containing engineered nanoparticles (nanoproducts) are high costs, uncertainties about long-term technical material performance, as well as uncertainties about health risks of nanoproducts. Workplace measurements suggest a modest exposure of construction workers to nanoparticles (NPs) associated with the use of nanoproducts. The measured particles were within a size range of 20-300 nm, with the median diameter below 53 nm. Positive assignment of this exposure to the nanoproduct or to additional sources of ultrafine particles, like the electrical equipment used was not possible within the scope of this study and requires further research. Exposures were below the nano reference values proposed on the basis of a precautionary approach.

Young workers in the construction industry and initial OSH-training when entering work life.

Science.gov (United States)

Holte, Kari Anne; Kjestveit, Kari

2012-01-01

Studies have found that young workers are at risk for injuries. The risk for accidents is high within construction, indicating that young workers may be especially vulnerable in this industry. In Norway, it is possible to enter the construction industry as a full time worker at the age of 18. The aim of this paper was to explore how young construction workers are received at their workplace with regards to OHS-training. The study was designed as a qualitative case study. Each case consisted of a young worker or apprentice (< 25 years), a colleague, the immediate superior, the OHS manager, and a safety representative in the company. The interviews were recorded and analyzed through content analysis. The results showed that there were differences between large and small companies, where large companies had more formalized routines and systems for receiving and training young workers. These routines were however more dependent on requirements set by legislators and contractors more than by company size, since the legislation has different requirements with impact on OHS.

Use of nanomaterials in the European construction industry and some occupational health aspects thereof

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broekhuizen, Pieter van; Broekhuizen, Fleur van; Cornelissen, Ralf; Reijnders, Lucas

2011-01-01

In the European construction industry in 2009, the use of engineered nanoparticles appears to be confined to a limited number of products, predominantly coatings, cement and concrete. A survey among representatives of workers and employers from 14 EU countries suggests a high level of ignorance about the availability and use of nanomaterials for the construction industry and the safety aspects thereof. Barriers for a large-scale acceptance of products containing engineered nanoparticles (nanoproducts) are high costs, uncertainties about long-term technical material performance, as well as uncertainties about health risks of nanoproducts. Workplace measurements suggest a modest exposure of construction workers to nanoparticles (NPs) associated with the use of nanoproducts. The measured particles were within a size range of 20–300 nm, with the median diameter below 53 nm. Positive assignment of this exposure to the nanoproduct or to additional sources of ultrafine particles, like the electrical equipment used was not possible within the scope of this study and requires further research. Exposures were below the nano reference values proposed on the basis of a precautionary approach.

Accidents in manual material handling tasks in the construction industry

OpenAIRE

Azevedo, R.

2011-01-01

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Civil A temática dos acidentes de trabalho na Construção tem sido alvo de investigação frequente, através da publicação de diversos estudos centrados nas causas e circunstâncias destes acidentes. Estes estudos são unânimes em considerar este sector como aquele que regista o maior número de acidentes mortais, estando o fenómeno mais comum associado a quedas em altura. Pese embora a importância dos acidentes por quedas em altura, quer pela...

Fatal falls and PFAS use in the construction industry: Findings from the NIOSH FACE reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xiuwen Sue; Largay, Julie A; Choi, Sang D; Wang, Xuanwen; Cain, Chris Trahan; Romano, Nancy

2017-05-01

This study analyzed the Construction FACE Database (CFD), a quantitative database developed from reports of the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The CFD contains detailed data on 768 fatalities in the construction industry reported by NIOSH and individual states from 1982 through June 30, 2015. The results show that falls accounted for 42% (325) of the 768 fatalities included in the CFD. Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) were not available to more than half of the fall decedents (54%); nearly one in four fall decedents (23%) had access to PFAS, but were not using it at the time of the fall. Lack of access to PFAS was particularly high among residential building contractors as well as roofing, siding, and sheet metal industry sectors (∼70%). Although the findings may not represent the entire construction industry today, they do provide strong evidence in favor of fall protection requirements by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition to stronger enforcement, educating employers and workers about the importance and effectiveness of fall protection is crucial for compliance and fall prevention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of virtual team in Nigerian construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Odubiyi Tawakalitu Bisola

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The rationale behind any construction project varies; it might be to achieve value, time, quality, cost or just satisfaction for the client. Irrespective of any or all of these reasons, the team members involved in conception, inception, construction and delivery of a project are aware that a good teamwork is of essence. This is in the context of growing needs of client and the ever-growing improvement in methods of project delivery as influenced by technology. This article looks into the team type in the Nigerian construction industry from the angle of a virtual team (VT using the mixed-method research design. VT is simply a type of team wherein the members operate from different geographical regions and function majorly with the aid of information and communications technology media. Data for the study were collected from relevant literature, interviews were conducted with 20 selected professionals in the construction industry and, thereafter, a questionnaire was drafted from the results of the interviews and administered to selected relevant professionals. The study revealed that communication among team members, flexibility of operation and decision making are usually the most influencing strengths of the VT, while some of its weaknesses are a need for special training, conflict among team members and client’s acceptance of team type. Reduction in time-to-market, collaboration ability of team members and delivery time of project were seen as opportunities, while recognized threats were members’ performance level and complexity of technical application. The study concludes that the success of the VT depends highly on exploiting the opportunities opened to it.

Construct a procedure to verify radiation protection for apparatus of industrial gamma radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nghiem Xuan Long; Trinh Dinh Truong; Dinh Chi Hung; Le Ngoc Hieu

2013-01-01

Apparatus for industrial gamma radiography include an exposure container, source guide tube, remote control hand crank assembly and other attached equipment. It is used a lot in inspection and evaluation of projects. In Vietnam, there are now more than 50 companies in radiography field and more than 100 apparatus are being used on the site. Therefore, the verification and evaluation is very necessary and important. This project constructs a procedure to verify a radiation protection for apparatus in the industrial gamma radiography for its application in Vietnam. (author)

MATES in Construction: Impact of a Multimodal, Community-Based Program for Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

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Graham Martin

2011-11-01

Full Text Available A large-scale workplace-based suicide prevention and early intervention program was delivered to over 9,000 construction workers on building sites across Queensland. Intervention components included universal General Awareness Training (GAT; general mental health with a focus on suicide prevention; gatekeeper training provided to construction worker volunteer ‘Connectors’; Suicide First Aid (ASIST training offered to key workers; outreach support provided by trained and supervised MIC staff; state-wide suicide prevention hotline; case management service; and postvention support provided in the event of a suicide. Findings from over 7,000 workers (April 2008 to November 2010 are reported, indicating strong construction industry support, with 67% building sites and employers approached agreeing to participate in MIC. GAT participants demonstrated significantly increased suicide prevention awareness compared with a comparison group. Connector training participants rated MIC as helpful and effective, felt prepared to intervene with a suicidal person, and knew where to seek help for a suicidal individual following the training. Workers engaged positively with the after-hours crisis support phone line and case management. MIC provided postvention support to 10 non-MIC sites and sites engaged with MIC, but not yet MIC-compliant. Current findings support the potential effectiveness and social validity of MIC for preventing suicide in construction workers.

MATES in Construction: Impact of a Multimodal, Community-Based Program for Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Gullestrup, Jorgen; Lequertier, Belinda; Martin, Graham

2011-01-01

A large-scale workplace-based suicide prevention and early intervention program was delivered to over 9,000 construction workers on building sites across Queensland. Intervention components included universal General Awareness Training (GAT; general mental health with a focus on suicide prevention); gatekeeper training provided to construction worker volunteer ‘Connectors’; Suicide First Aid (ASIST) training offered to key workers; outreach support provided by trained and supervised MIC staff; state-wide suicide prevention hotline; case management service; and postvention support provided in the event of a suicide. Findings from over 7,000 workers (April 2008 to November 2010) are reported, indicating strong construction industry support, with 67% building sites and employers approached agreeing to participate in MIC. GAT participants demonstrated significantly increased suicide prevention awareness compared with a comparison group. Connector training participants rated MIC as helpful and effective, felt prepared to intervene with a suicidal person, and knew where to seek help for a suicidal individual following the training. Workers engaged positively with the after-hours crisis support phone line and case management. MIC provided postvention support to 10 non-MIC sites and sites engaged with MIC, but not yet MIC-compliant. Current findings support the potential effectiveness and social validity of MIC for preventing suicide in construction workers. PMID:22163201

Accidents in the greenhouse-construction industry of SE Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Alonso, José; Carreño-Ortega, Angel; Vázquez-Cabrera, Fernando J; Callejón-Ferre, Angel Jesús

2012-01-01

This work analyses the labour accidents in the greenhouse-construction industry of SE Spain for the period 1999-2007 through a sample of 180 accident reports. The accidents were characterised by studying 5 variables in order to know the day of the week in which the accident occurred, the hour of the day of the accident, type of accident, the region of Spain in which the accident happened, and the resulting injury. The data characterising the accidents were submitted to a descriptive multiple-correspondence analysis. The incidence of accidents in the greenhouse-construction industry presented a high mean value of 15133.7 per 100,000 workers per year. The days with the greatest incidence of accidents were Thursday and Monday, while the period of greatest number of accidents occurred in the first 4h of the workday. No significant correspondence was found between the day of the week, the hour of the day, or any of the other 3 variables studied. The types of accidents with most frequency were: cuts, punctures, contact with hard or rough material, overexertion, and falls from one level to another. The most affected parts of the anatomy were the eyes, thorax, back, sides, lower legs, and feet. The most common types of injury were bone fractures, twists and sprains, distended muscles, contusions, and being crushed. The study calls attention to the high number of accidents at work, which needs to be corrected by fulfilment of safety regulations at work, on the part of the company. Finally, recommendations are made to correct this situation of high number of accidents at work. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Built-Up Land Expansion and Carbon Emissions Caused by the Chinese Construction Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuai, Xiaowei; Huang, Xianjin; Lu, Qinli; Zhang, Mei; Zhao, Rongqin; Lu, Junyu

2015-11-03

China is undergoing rapid urbanization, enlarging the construction industry, greatly expanding built-up land, and generating substantial carbon emissions. We calculated both the direct and indirect carbon emissions from energy consumption (anthropogenic emissions) in the construction sector and analyzed built-up land expansion and carbon storage losses from the terrestrial ecosystem. According to our study, the total anthropogenic carbon emissions from the construction sector increased from 3,905×10(4) to 103,721.17×10(4) t from 1995 to 2010, representing 27.87%-34.31% of the total carbon emissions from energy consumption in China. Indirect carbon emissions from other industrial sectors induced by the construction sector represented approximately 97% of the total anthropogenic carbon emissions of the sector. These emissions were mainly concentrated in seven upstream industry sectors. Based on our assumptions, built-up land expansion caused 3704.84×10(4) t of carbon storage loss from vegetation between 1995 and 2010. Cropland was the main built-up land expansion type across all regions. The study shows great regional differences. Coastal regions showed dramatic built-up land expansion, greater carbon storage losses from vegetation, and greater anthropogenic carbon emissions. These regional differences were the most obvious in East China followed by Midsouth China. These regions are under pressure for strong carbon emissions reduction.

Socio-economic status of workers of building construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwary, Guddi; Gangopadhyay, P K; Biswas, S; Nayak, K; Chatterjee, M K; Chakraborty, D; Mukherjee, S

2012-05-01

Informal/unorganised sector covers 92% of the total work force in India. About 50% of the construction industrial workers belonged to informal/unorganised sector. The present study was undertaken to know the socio-economic status of construction worker and availing of the social security measures by this working group. The study covered 150 subjects with an average age of 32 years and mean duration of work was nine years. They were poorly paid with an average income of Rs. 4956/-per month. Though the literacy rate was high (79%) yet most of them were addicted to different habits like drinking alcohol, smoking bidi, tobacco chewing etc., Abusing the family members were noted in (30%) of the cases. Their regular intake of food, usually inadequate in quantity and was mainly consisted of rice, pulses, vegetables. Though most of the subjects (73%) were living in kacha houses yet the latrine facilities were available to 62% of total covered houses. Majority of them were unaware of the different social security schemes/measures. The details have been discussed here.

Recent advances of pore system construction in zeolite-catalyzed chemical industry processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jing; Wang, Yangdong; Yang, Weimin; Tang, Yi; Xie, Zaiku

2015-12-21

The kaleidoscopic applications of zeolite catalysts (zeo-catalysts) in petrochemical processes has been considered as one of the major accomplishments in recent decades. About twenty types of zeolite have been industrially applied so far, and their versatile porous architectures have contributed their most essential features to affect the catalytic efficiency. This review depicts the evolution of pore models in zeolite catalysts accompanied by the increase in industrial and environmental demands. The indispensable roles of modulating pore models are outlined for zeo-catalysts for the enhancement of their catalytic performances in various industrial processes. The zeolites and related industrial processes discussed range from the uni-modal micropore system of zeolite Y (12-ring micropore, 12-R) in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), zeolite ZSM-5 (10-R) in xylene isomerization and SAPO-34 (8-R) in olefin production to the multi-modal micropore system of MCM-22 (10-R and 12-R pocket) in aromatic alkylation and the hierarchical pores in FCC and catalytic cracking of C4 olefins. The rational construction of pore models, especially hierarchical features, is highlighted with a careful classification from an industrial perspective accompanied by a detailed analysis of the theoretical mechanisms.

Perspective on the personal and professional needs of the project leader in construction industry in Libya: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Hamid kadir Pakir

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The quality of leadership is one of the most important factors in determining the success and survival of groups and organizations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the leadership needs of the project manger in the Libyan construction companies. The objective was identified the most important and crucial personal and professional needs of the project manager. This study attempted to identify the needs of the project managers in the construction industry in Libya. The finding has shown that all managers surveyed basically agreed that adherence to law/legality, specific, concise and rational, followed by intuitive and open minded are ranked as the most crucial personal needs that should be acquired to become an effective project manager in the construction industry. On the other hand, attention to details, project focus, adherence to construction industries/ professional codes, time concious / constraints, problem solving were ranked as the crucial professional needs that required the respondents.

Demographic Variables of Corruption in the Chinese Construction Industry: Association Rule Analysis of Conviction Records.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yao; Martek, Igor; Hosseini, M Reza; Chen, Chuan

2018-05-02

Corruption in the construction industry is a serious problem in China. As such, fighting this corruption has become a priority target of the Chinese government, with the main effort being to discover and prosecute its perpetrators. This study profiles the demographic characteristics of major incidences of corruption in construction. It draws on the database of the 83 complete recorded cases of construction related corruption held by the Chinese National Bureau of Corruption Prevention. Categorical variables were drawn from the database, and 'association rule mining analysis' was used to identify associations between variables as a means of profiling perpetrators. Such profiling may be used as predictors of future incidences of corruption, and consequently to inform policy makers in their fight against corruption. The results signal corruption within the Chinese construction industry to be correlated with age, with incidences rising as managers' approach retirement age. Moreover, a majority of perpetrators operate within government agencies, are department deputies in direct contact with projects, and extort the greatest amounts per case from second tier cities. The relatively lengthy average 6.4-year period before cases come to public attention corroborates the view that current efforts at fighting corruption remain inadequate.

Impacts of construction markets on firm performance and behaviors in the secondary woodworking industry, 2010-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew S. Bumgardner; Urs Buehlmann; Albert T. Schuler; Karen M. Koenig

2014-01-01

Despite the severe downturn in the housing market that began in 2007, construction-related uses collectively remain the largest source of demand for appearance-grade hardwood lumber in the United States. Therefore, industry practitioners and researchers alike maintain an interest in housing and construction trends. This study investigated market conditions from the...

Time for a real shift to relations: appraisal of Social Network Analysis applications in the UK construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ximing Ruan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The Social Network Analysis (SNA has been adopted in the UK construction management research and generated meaningful insights in analysing project management organisations from network perspectives. As an effective tool, social network analysis has been used to analyse information and knowledge flow between construction project teams which is considered as foundation for collaborative working and subsequently improving overall performance. Social network analysis is based on an assumption of the importance of relationships among interacting units. The social network perspective encompasses theories, models and applications that are expressed in terms of relational concepts or processes. Many believe, moreover, that the success or failure of organisations often depends on the patterning of their internal structure. This paper reviewed existing literatures on SNA applications in construction industry from three leading construction management journals.  From the review, the research proposed some advance in the application of SNA in the construction industry.

A multi-regional structural path analysis of the energy supply chain in China's construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Jingke; Shen, Qiping; Xue, Fan

2016-01-01

The construction industry in China exerts significant environmental impacts and uses considerable resources because of rapid urbanization. This study conducted a structural path analysis (SPA) based on the multi-regional input–output table to quantify environmental impact transmission in the entire supply chain. Results indicated that the direct resource input (the first stage) along with on-site construction (the zeroth stage) consumed the highest amount of energy in the supply chain and accounted for approximately 50% of total energy consumption. Regional analysis showed that energy consumption in the construction industry at the provincial level was self-sufficient. Sectoral analysis demonstrated that the direct inputs from the sectors of “manufacture of non-metallic mineral products” and “smelting and pressing of metals” generated the most important energy flows, whereas the sectors of “production and distribution of electric power and heat power” and “extraction of petroleum and natural gas” significantly but indirectly influenced energy use. Sensitivity analysis exhibited that the system boundary of SPA could be narrowed down into the first two upstream stages that contained nearly 50% of energy flow information or expanded toward the first five upstream stages that represented 80% of total energy consumption. - Highlights: •We designed an optimized algorithm for multi-regional SPA. •We extracted energy-intensive paths throughout the upstream supply chain. •We explored self-sufficiency characteristic for provincial construction industries. •We identified energy-intensive sectors hidden in higher-order supply chain. •We developed an effective strategy for narrowing down the system boundary of SPA.

Environmental issues of polythylene bags waste and its reuse in construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, S.A.; Kamal, M.A.

2005-01-01

The main aim of every development and progress is to provide comfort, convenience and prosperity to the mankind. Each development brings a product for the use of public which ends up as a waste after some time. Since the development of plastic in the last century, it has become a popular material used in a wide variety of ways. The problem appears when these items are no longer wanted and how these are disposed, particularly the throwaway plastic material used in wrapping or packaging. Because plastic does not decompose, the amount of plastic waste has increased to the alarming level. The waste problems multifolds, if no reuse option or recycle process has been developed. The plastic shopping bags are one of such products for which no reuse or recycle industry is yet available. Plastic waste problems being multidimensional have attracted world-wide recognition and multiple solutions to tackle the problems are under consideration. There exists a great potential for use of plastic waste in the construction Industry. This study is related to the fabrication of blocks of 'Compressed Plastic Waste (CPW)' and their use in the construction industry, e.g., access ramps for overhead bridges, highway embankments on soft soils, backfill behind retaining walls, foundation support on soft soil and bouancy mats on very soft soils, etc. This paper is dedicated to cost-benefit analysis for the above mentioned uses of the plastic waste blocks. (author)

Estradas de ferro e ensino industrial: um estudo de caso

OpenAIRE

Medeiros, Marluce

1980-01-01

O objeto deste estudo e o Centro Ferroviário de Ensino e Seleção Profissional de são Paulo , criado em 1934 , conjuntamente pelas ferrovias paulistas e o governo estadual. A criação deste centro em S~ o Paulo deveu-se ao desenvolvimento das ferrovias no estado , por força das necessidades de expansão da economia cafeeira, a exigi r transportes rápidos, baratos , a longa distância. Concorreu igualmente para o surgimento desta instituição , a difusão em são Paulo da doutrina d...

Accidents in the construction industry in the Netherlands: An analysis of accident reports using Storybuilder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ale, B.J.M.; Bellamy, L.J.; Baksteen, H.; Damen, M.; Goossens, L.H.J.; Hale, A.R.; Mud, M.; Oh, J.; Papazoglou, I.A.; Whiston, J.Y.

2008-01-01

As part of an ongoing effort by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands, a research project is being undertaken to construct a causal model for occupational risk. This model should provide quantitative insight into the causes and consequences of occupational accidents. One of the components of the model is a tool to systematically classify and analyse reports of past accidents. This tool 'Storybuilder' was described in earlier papers. In this paper, Storybuilder is used to analyse the causes of accidents reported in the database of the Dutch Labour Inspectorate involving people working in the construction industry. Conclusions are drawn on measures to reduce the accident probability. Some of these conclusions are contrary to common beliefs in the industry

Determining the optimal index of heat stress in foundry, die casting and road construction industries using FAHP_Topsis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Dehghanipoor

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Heat stress is one of the harmful risks in casting and die casting industries, which can not only cause work-related diseases but also can impair the performance and safety of workers. Since the indicators that are used to evaluate heat stress are very different, it is very difficult to choose a suitable index. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum heat stress index in foundry, die-cast, and road construction industries using FAHP and Topsis methods. Material and Method: In order to determine optimum heat stress index in foundry, die-cast, and road construction industries, first, the prioritization criteria were defined by experts (including ease of measurement, measurement accuracy, comprehensiveness, time, cost, and correlation. Then, considering these criteria, the best heat stress index was determined based on experts’ opinions and using FAHP and Topsis methods. Result: The results of this study suggest that given the current conditions and criteria, WBGT and P4SR is the best indices for foundry, die casting and construction. Conclusion: The results showed that according to comprehensiveness, accuracy and correlation criteria, the WBGT index is considered as the best indicator of heat stress assessment in foundry, die-cast and road construction industries. Moreover, the HSI ranked in the last place due to the complexity and cost of its calculation.

Structuring Requirements in a Multi-Project Environment in the Construction Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wörösch, Michael

2012-01-01

Being in control of requirements in building projects is vital, since it helps securing the often small profit margins and the reputation of the responsible company. Hence this research aims to introduce requirements management to the construction industry. By means of case study and action...... in this industry, yet, success is here defined as an accomplished and accepted implementation of requirements management processes that are used by the relevant project members in their daily work and where the benefits of implementing requirements management outweighs the cost of invested resources. Furthermore...... it is argued that when running technology development, product development, product platform development, and a portfolio of building projects at the same time the use of requirements management is advantageous and an intelligent way of structuring requirements is needed. This article also demonstrates...

EXPLORATORY STUDY OF OBSTACLES IN SAFETY CULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonaventure H.W. Hadikusumo

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyse the obstacles that prevent the development of a safety culture in Thailand’s large construction industry from various managerial points of view. Qualitative research methods were used by performing a series of semi-structured interviews of eight case studies selected from six prominent construction firms to investigate the obstacles they face. Glaser’s keyword coding from Grounded Theory was used to reduce the information load after the interviews. Our findings revealed that the factors influencing the successful development of a safety culture in the construction industry are the workers, the characteristics of construction, the subcontractors, the supervisors, and external factors. Based on the frequency analysis, the main obstacles in developing a safety culture result from problems related to the workers themselves. The three most frequently discussed problems are unskilled workers, unsafe worker habits, and high worker turnover. Our results also suggest that managers should encourage engagement from their workers to optimise the successful implementation of safety programs and their long-term improvement.

An Investigation of Women Engineers in Non-Traditional Occupations in the Thai Construction Industry

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Nuanthip Kaewsri

2011-06-01

Full Text Available For over a decade, the public and the private sectors have carried out research aimed at attracting women engineers to the construction industry and retaining them. However, studies on women engineers working in other types of construction-related businesses apart from contractor companies such as consultancies, developers, etc., have not been many. This paper aims to examine the experiences of women engineers in non-traditional careers and the implications for their turnover. A literature search on women’s careers in construction was performed in conjunction with semi-structured interviews with a sampling of 141 individuals. Results from three viewpoints, viz those of professional men and women engineers in contractor companies, and women engineers in non-contractor companies, were found to differ in many respects, including their opinions about career advancement, career path and the difficulties involved. It was also found that women engineers in contractor companies were much more affected by problems such as sexual harassment, work-life conflicts and equal opportunity than women engineers in non-contractor companies. Turnover rates of women engineers and their reasons for leaving were examined. Women engineers, particularly those in contractor companies, had to confront more barriers in non-traditional careers than their male counterparts.  Nonetheless, working in non-contractor companies provides a viable alternative for women engineers who want to have successful careers in the Thai construction industry.

End-to-end requirements management for multiprojects in the construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wörösch, Michael

Performance Concrete and insulation materials – is used. By means of action research and interviews of case project staff it has become evident that many elements of formalized requirements management are missing in the case project. To fill those gaps and be able to manage requirements end...... with regards to requirements management. As the literature study gives little new information, a series of interviews are initiated with experts from industry and universities. Those interviews reveal major shortcomings in the way requirements are handled in Danish construction companies today. In order...... to give managers of construction projects a useful and guiding tool for formally managing requirements that is rooted in practice, the “Conceptual requirements management framework”, is created. The framework builds upon the gathered empirical data, obtained by action research, interviews, and available...

Execution of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1994) in the Construction Industry from Contractors’ Point of View

OpenAIRE

Awang H.; Kamil I.M.

2014-01-01

Construction is one of the highest contributing industries to occupational accidents by sector in Malaysia. Statistics have been drawn from year to year that show an increasing number of cases of accidents by industry sector. While it is impossible to completely eliminate all accidents, with a proper and effective safety and health policy or rules set by top management, especially contractors, the rate of accidents on construction sites can be reduced. The main objective of this study is to a...

Aprendizagem Tecnológica e Inovação Industrial em Economias Emergentes: uma Breve Contribuição para o Desenho e Implementação de Estudos Empíricos e Estratégias no Brasil

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Paulo N. Figueiredo

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The theme of industrial innovation strategies was formally brought into the government agenda in Brazil during the late-1960s. Since then, there has been a profusion of studies based on descriptions and analysis relative to the design and implementation of industrial innovation strategies. Despite the merit of the existing works in this field in Brazil, there still is a scarcity of both conceptual and, in particular, management approaches to contribute to improving innovation strategies in Brazil. Thus, the focus of this article is centred on two tasks. The first is to clarify some definitions underlying the design and implementation of empirical studies and industrial innovation strategies from the perspective on technological learning in emerging economies. The second is to present some metrics associated with the design and implementation of such strategies and empirical studies, particularly in Brazil. The article seeks to clarify and enlarge the understanding of the intricate process of technological development in the context of emerging economies and, thus, assist researchers and managers involved with industrial innovation management in Brazil.O tema estratégia de inovação industrial entrou formalmente na agenda de discussão e ação governamental no Brasil no final dos anos 1960. Desde então, tem havido uma profusão de estudos baseados em descrições, análises e propostas relativas a estratégias de inovação industrial no País. A despeito do grande mérito dos vários trabalhos neste campo no Brasil, ainda há uma escassez de contribuições conceituais e, principalmente, gerenciais voltadas para o aprimoramento do desenho e da implementação de estudos empíricos e de tais estratégias. Por isso, este artigo tem seu foco em duas tarefas: a primeira é clarificar certas definições relativas ao desenho e implementação de estudos empíricos e de estratégias de inovação industrial a partir da perspectiva de aprendizagem

Systematic impact of institutional pressures on safety climate in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qinghua; Dong, Shuang; Rose, Timothy; Li, Heng; Yin, Qin; Cao, Dongping

2016-08-01

This paper explores how three types of institutional pressure (i.e., coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) systematically impact on the safety climate of construction projects. These impacts are empirically tested by survey data collected from 186 questionnaires of construction companies operating in Shanghai, China. The results, obtained by partial least squares analysis, show that organizational management commitment to safety and employee involvement is positively related to all three institutional pressures, while the perception of responsibility for safety and health is significantly influenced by coercive and mimetic pressure. However, coercive and normative pressures have no significant effect on the applicability of safety rules and work practices, revealing the importance of external organizational pressures in improving project safety climate from a systematic view. The findings also provide insights into the use of institutional forces to facilitate the improvement of safety climate in the construction industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategy of Construction and Demolition Waste Management after Chemical Industry Facilities Removal

Science.gov (United States)

Tashkinova, I. N.; Batrakova, G. M.; Vaisman, Ya I.

2017-06-01

Mixed waste products are generated in the process of irrelevant industrial projects’ removal if conventional techniques of their demolition and dismantling are applied. In Russia the number of unused chemical industry facilities including structures with high rate of wear is growing. In removing industrial buildings and production shops it is used conventional techniques of demolition and dismantling in the process of which mixed waste products are generated. The presence of hazardous chemicals in these wastes makes difficulties for their use and leads to the increasing volume of unutilized residues. In the process of chemical industry facilities’ removal this fact takes on special significance as a high level of hazardous chemicals in the waste composition demands for the realization of unprofitable measures aimed at ensuring environmental and industrial safety. The proposed strategy of managing waste originated from the demolition and dismantling of chemical industry facilities is based on the methodology of industrial metabolism which allows identifying separate material flows of recycled, harmful and ballast components, performing separate collection of components during removal and taking necessary preventive measures. This strategy has been tested on the aniline synthesis plant being in the process of removal. As a result, a flow of 10 wt. %, subjected to decontamination, was isolated from the total volume of construction and demolition waste (C&D waste). The considered approach allowed using the resource potential of more than 80wt. % of waste and minimizing the disposed waste volume.

Time for a real shift to relations: appraisal of Social Network Analysis applications in the UK construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ximing Ruan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The Social Network Analysis (SNA has been adopted in the UK construction management research and generated meaningful insights in analysing project management organisations from network perspectives. As an effective tool, social network analysis has been used to analyse information and knowledge flow between construction project teams which is considered as foundation for collaborative working and subsequently improving overall performance. Social network analysis is based on an assumption of the importance of relationships among interacting units. The social network perspective encompasses theories, models and applications that are expressed in terms of relational concepts or processes. Many believe, moreover, that the success or failure of organisations often depends on the patterning of their internal structure. This paper reviewed existing literatures on SNA applications in construction industry from three leading construction management journals.  From the review, the research proposed some advance in the application of SNA in the construction industry. 

Stimulating the use of secondary materials in the construction industry: The role of certification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eijk, R.J.; Brouwers, Jos

2002-01-01

Introduction of secondary materials in the construction industry is quite difficult and has not always been successful, even when they satisfy all necessary product demands and environmental (leaching) conditions. Besides the financial and commercial aspects the main problem is convincing the user

Stimulating The Use Of Secondary Materials In The Construction Industry: The Role Of Certification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eijk, R.J.; Brouwers, Jos

2002-01-01

Introduction of secondary materials in the construction industry is quite difficult and has not always been successful, even when they satisfy all necessary product demands and environmental (leaching) conditions. Besides the financial and commercial aspects the main problem is convincing the user

An Ethical (Descriptive) Framework for Judgment of Actions and Decisions in the Construction Industry and Engineering-Part I.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkhatib, Omar J; Abdou, Alaa

2018-04-01

The construction industry is usually characterized as a fragmented system of multiple-organizational entities in which members from different technical backgrounds and moral values join together to develop a particular business or project. The greatest challenge in the construction process for the achievement of a successful practice is the development of an outstanding reputation, which is built on identifying and applying an ethical framework. This framework should reflect a common ethical ground for myriad people involved in this process to survive and compete ethically in today's turbulent construction market. This study establishes a framework for ethical judgment of behavior and actions conducted in the construction process. The framework was primarily developed based on the essential attributes of business management identified in the literature review and subsequently incorporates additional attributes identified to prevent breaches in the construction industry and common ethical values related to professional engineering. The proposed judgment framework is based primarily on the ethical dimension of professional responsibility. The Ethical Judgment Framework consists of descriptive approaches involving technical, professional, administrative, and miscellaneous terms. The framework provides the basis for judging actions as either ethical or unethical. Furthermore, the framework can be implemented as a form of preventive ethics, which would help avoid ethical dilemmas and moral allegations. The framework can be considered a decision-making model to guide actions and improve the ethical reasoning process that would help individuals think through possible implications and consequences of ethical dilemmas in the construction industry.

Stakeholders Assessment of Constraints to Project Delivery in the Nigerian Construction Industry

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Bruno L. Tanko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The central goal of construction stakeholders is to successfully deliver projects to stated objective (s. However, for decades, construction projects have been plagued by perennial constraints of cost and time overruns, poor quality, and lack of sustainability. The objective of this paper is to identify and assess the constraints to construction project delivery, and to recommend solutions to enhance project performance. This paper adopted both quantitative and qualitative methods to establish the constraints in the Nigerian construction industry. A pilot survey and literature reviewed revealed a total of fifty (50 construction constraints, which were further classified into eight (8 major groups. Well-structured questionnaires were administered to construction stakeholders (client, consultant and contractor in Abuja, the federal capital city of Nigeria. Relative Importance Index (RII was used to analyze the data using Likert scale.  The results suggest that cost/time overrun related factors (inability to reduce project cost, Stakeholders interactive-related factors (inability to establish client value system, Client-related factors (Delay in interim payment and finance problem, and Labor/material-related factors (escalation of material prices and materials quality variability are the most prevalent constraints in the Nigerian construction environment.  To mitigate the effects of these challenges, it is suggested that a formal innovative approach should be used by stakeholders to address the problems of poor communication, high project cost, and delay. Clients should also take measures to provide adequate funding and should promptly honor interim certificates.

Leadership Quality for Malaysia Construction Leader to Steer a Success Construction Project

OpenAIRE

Ngah Nasaruddin Nur Ain; Abdul Rahman Ismail

2016-01-01

Issues that dominate the construction industry for the long time such as time overrun, cost overrun, quality of construction and also safety during the construction process are difficult to resolve because of several factors involved which amongst them are leadership quality in the industry. Solving these issues can make the industry more sustainable in nature. This paper presents the need of leadership quality among construction parties involved to steer a construction project successfully. ...

Investigation on factors that contribute to the abandonment of building in construction industry in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Farhayu Ariffin, Nur; Jaafar, Mohd Faizal Md; Idris Ali, Mohamad; Irwan Ramli, Noram; Muthusamy, Khairunisa; Shukor Lim, Nor Hasanah Abdul

2018-03-01

In Malaysia, the construction sector is one of the important sectors that contribute to economic growth and employments. However, a major concern facing the construction industry is the growing rate of delays in project delivery. In the worse cases, the projects were abandoned due to some reasons when the contract period ended. Abandoned building defines as construction work that has been continuously stalled for 6 months or more, during the project completion period or beyond the scheduled date of completion. When the projects become abandoned, it gives an adverse effect on many parties such as the developer, contractor, consultant and also client. According to previous researchers, the abandonment of building causes a serious problem and need some mitigation plan to avoid this problem from occurring. This study will investigate the fundamental factors that contribute to the abandonment of building and projects in Malaysia based on the current data of the abandoned building in most states in Malaysia. The data was collected from the respondents who is in the construction industry and had experience working with abandoned housing project. Form the respondents perspective, it shows that the main factor contribute to the building abandonment is due to the financial problem facing by the developer company.

Construction and Development of CRM Technology and Industry Chain in China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chunnian; Wang, Yonglong; Pan, Qin

CRM is any application or initiative designed to help an organization optimize interactions with customers, suppliers, or prospects via one or more touch points. CRM has been interpreted and used in different ways by researchers in the various disciplines and researchers have identified a variety of technologies related to CRM. This paper highlights the implementation from the technology level and contributes to some successful factors in CRM application. The development of CRM is not fully developed in China. There are many critical factors that determine the CRM market development. Construction and development of CRM industry chain in China is a valuable research field and the paper provided some suggestions and analyses on it. In future, it requires our joint efforts of many aspects from every walk of life to make sure that CRM industry chain can improve and maturate gradually.

Political Ideology and the Discursive Construction of the Multinational Hotel Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maclean, Mairi; Harvey, Charles; Suddaby, Roy

2018-01-01

How might political ideology help to shape an organizational field? We explore the discursive construction of the multinational hotel industry through analysis of one of its leading actors, Hilton International (HI), conceived by Conrad Hilton as a means of combatting communism by facilitating...... world peace through international trade and travel. While the politicized rhetoric employed at hotel openings reflected institutional diversity, it resonated in parallel with a strong anti-communist discourse. We show that through astute political sensemaking and sensegiving, macro-political discourse...

Investigating ethnic minorities' perceptions of safety climate in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Albert P C; Wong, Francis K W; Hon, Carol K H; Lyu, Sainan; Javed, Arshad Ali

2017-12-01

An increasing number of ethnic minorities (EMs) have been employed in the construction industry to alleviate severe labor shortages in many countries. Unfortunately, statistics show that EMs have higher fatal and non-fatal occupational injury rates than their local counterparts. However, EMs are often underrepresented in safety climate (SC) research as they are difficult to reach and gauge their perception. A positive relationship has been widely found between SC and safety performance. Understanding the safety perceptions of EMs helps to reduce injuries and improve their safety performance. Based on a sample of 320 EMs from 20 companies in the construction industry, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to identify the SC factors of EMs, and validate the extracted factors, respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance was undertaken to examine mean differences in perceptions of SC by personal characteristics. Three SC factors for EMs encapsulating 16 variables were identified through EFA. The hypothesized CFA model for a three-factor structure derived from EFA showed a satisfactory goodness-of-fit, composite reliability, and construct validity. Three SC factors were identified, namely: (a) safety management commitment, safety resources, and safety communication; (b) employee's involvement and workmate's influence; and (c) perception of safety rules, procedures and risks. The perceptions of SC differed significantly by nationality, marital status, the number of family members supported, and drinking habit. This study reveals the perception of EMs toward SC. The findings highlight the areas for safety improvement and provide leading indicators for safety performance of EMs. The findings are also enlightening for countries with a number of EMs, such as the United Sates, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and the Middle East. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Leadership Quality for Malaysia Construction Leader to Steer a Success Construction Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ngah Nasaruddin Nur Ain

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Issues that dominate the construction industry for the long time such as time overrun, cost overrun, quality of construction and also safety during the construction process are difficult to resolve because of several factors involved which amongst them are leadership quality in the industry. Solving these issues can make the industry more sustainable in nature. This paper presents the need of leadership quality among construction parties involved to steer a construction project successfully. Literature work found that 11 leadership qualities to ensure construction project success. From the frequency analysis, five most dominant leadership qualities are team building, communication skill, visioning, planning & strategy skill, and decision making. Beside the literature, this study also seeks an opinion from a senior leader of a successful construction company regarding the need of these qualities amongst parties to resolve the construction issues. The results from an interview session indicate that he fully agreed with the need of all the qualities in the construction industry. This shows that there is a strong relationship between solving the issues with the leadership quality in ensuring construction project success. These qualities should be further investigated to acquire a better representation of leadership quality in resolving construction issues for Malaysia construction industry.

The Adoption of Ergonomic Innovations for Injury Prevention : Examples from the building construction and health care industries

OpenAIRE

Glimskär, Bo

2014-01-01

A good work environment is important for the individual, for industry and for society. The work environment research has, predominantly, targeted identification of problems and the measurement of the size of these problems. Innovations to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorder, MSD, have been introduced in different branches of industry, but with limited success. Few of the ergonomic innovations developed for the building and construction industry have reached a sufficient level of ...

GBI assessment checklist: Level of awareness of the contractors in the Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Marhani, M. A.; Muksain, M. A. S.

2018-02-01

Malaysia has developed Green Building Index (GBI) as the green rating tool for buildings and townships to encourage sustainability in the construction industry. Understanding the roles and tasks of a contractor is essential in accomplishing the GBI assessment on a green building project. However, there are challenges in adapting the GBI. The objective of this paper is to identify the knowledge of contractor for each area of assessments in GBI’s checklist. Data were collected through the questionnaire surveys to the selected contractors, which were involved in GBI projects. The findings revealed that most of the respondents agreed and acknowledged the impact of each criterion in the assessment. Thus, it is highly recommended to educate and change the public perception on the awareness of the green building. Aside, more research and development (R&D) process should be encouraged to accelerate the GBI certificate implementation in the construction industry. In conclusion, proper education training, more legislative and financial framework are essential for the future of green building projects.

Causes of Construction Delays in Qatar Construction Projects

OpenAIRE

Murat Gunduz; Mohanad H. A. AbuHassan

2016-01-01

Construction industry mainly focuses on the superstructure, infrastructure, and oil and gas industry. The development of infrastructure projects in developing countries attracted a lot of foreign construction contractors, consultants, suppliers and diversified workforce to interfere and to be evolved in such huge investment. Reducing worksite delays in such projects require knowledge and attention. Therefore, it is important to identify the influencing delay attributes affecting construction ...

An Index to Measure Sustainability of a Business Project in the Construction Industry: Lithuanian Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nomeda Dobrovolskienė

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The continuous growth of the world population, resource scarcity and the threat of climate change pose numerous environmental and social problems to the world. Therefore, much hope is put in the concept of sustainability. Companies are increasingly coming under strong global pressure to incorporate sustainability considerations into their project decision-making process. Business projects in the construction industry are among the most important, as this sector is one of the largest sectors and of major importance for the national economy and therefore has a huge impact on the environment and society. Thus, we have to explore ways to integrate sustainability into the management of those projects. This paper presents a composite sustainability index of a project (CSIP which has been created following a review of existing literature and a pilot research study. A pilot research study was conducted in the Lithuanian construction industry between January 2015 and June 2015. Sustainability criteria were chosen and grouped on the basis of the analysis of the literature and different standards relating to sustainability applicable in the construction industry. A survey was used to select and rank the most important sustainability criteria. The index was constructed using multi-criteria decision-making methods. The results of the pilot study revealed that practitioners in the Lithuanian construction sector attach most importance to 15 sustainability criteria. A composite sustainability index of a project combining all these criteria may be useful in assessing the sustainability of a business project and making decisions regarding project portfolio selection and financial resource allocation. When addressing the issue of financial resource allocation in a project portfolio, the decision-maker could take into account not only the project’s return and risk, but also its sustainability. The understanding of this study should enable companies to execute

The Case for Family-Friendly Work Practices in the Australian Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valerie Francis

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Although significant changes at the social, demographic, technological and workforce levelshave transformed the relationship between family and work, these changes have notbeen reflected in the employment practices of many construction companies. Many of thejob and organisational factors found to be negatively associated with family functioning arepertinent to construction professionals. Staff are expected to work long hours in demandingroles and this, combined with job insecurity and frequent relocation, means that familylife and individual well-being can be compromised. A growing body of research has foundthat the implementation of family-friendly work policies and practices can lead to greaterproductivity, lower attrition rates and higher morale in the workplace. In addition providinga work environment that is supportive of workers' family roles can help to alleviate workrelatedmental health problems.This paper outlines the changing demographic trends and societal attitudes that are makingindividuals and organisations question current work cultures and structures. Optionsfor making the construction industry a more family-friendly work environment are considered.All professionals, regardless of their age, gender and family responsibilities, canbenefit from these initiatives. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of theseissues for construction companies and future research work.

THE CONCEPT OF ENTERPRISE COMPETITIVENESS AND THE MAIN FACTORS FOR ITS PROVISION IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Potapova Irina Ivanovna

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Competitiveness of construction enterprises is the most important characteristic of the enterprise activity, which every business entity must constantly evaluate and undertake various kinds of measures to increase it. The development and implementation of these activities should be carried out with a clear understanding of the content of the enterprise competitiveness, and also by forming and analyzing the list of factors that affect the competitiveness. Subject: competitiveness of construction industry enterprises. Research objectives: reflecting the content of the notion of enterprise competitiveness and the main factors of its provision in the construction industry. Materials and methods: in the process of research, we applied the principles of ascent from abstract to specific, the unity of logical analysis, systematization, structuring and generalization. In the process of writing the paper, we used research and educational literature, articles in periodicals, Internet sources. Results: it is proposed to adhere to an integrated approach, according to which the competitiveness of an enterprise should be understood as the ability of an enterprise to conduct activities in the market, outrunning competitors, effectively using its own internal capabilities and taking into account environmental factors, paying attention to market conditions, features of regional development, characteristics of the industry, and at the same time, making sufficient profit that allows the enterprise to increase its potential. It is important to note that the factors of ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise are mostly divided into external and internal ones, which, of course, is suitable for construction companies because they are open systems influenced by factors of the external and internal environment. The conducted analysis of the external factors allowed us to divide them into four groups: world-class factors, macro-level factors, meso-level factors and

Workplace Communication in a Time of Transition: The Case of Hong Kong's Construction Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Stephen

1999-01-01

Examines language in the workplace, specifically the construction industry in Hong Kong. Provides detailed information on language use in a professional context at the time of Hong Kong's return to China and shows that written communication is mainly in English, while spoken language is predominately Cantonese. (Author/VWL)

The role of effective communication in the construction Industry: a guide for education and health clients

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Terry Aulich

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The construction industry operates primarily as a system of sub-contracting and purpose built alliances. There is a wide spread of stakeholders involved in conceiving a building project through typical stages such as design, finance, build,  manage, upgrade and, ultimately, replacement and a corresponding need for communication and cooperation. Specialists who can prevent bridges falling down or who build 20 storey buildings are seen as the hard-nosed, action people who have helped bring us into the modern era. However, there are intuitive activities and disciplines which help us to achieve the type of construction achievements that have been the hallmarks of the 19th, 20th and now the 21st centuries. Most of these so called soft disciplines are about how one helps people, often highly skilled, achieve those construction and engineering goals. The key components are consultation and communication. Communication strategies should be based on a thorough understanding of the ways that humans co-operate in joint undertakings, the key principles of social dynamics and learning theory plus the ways in which people deliver, accept and understand words and pictures. The disciplines of organisational and environmental psychology have become a basic fundamental of modern business activities from management and organisational strategy to marketing and customer relations and to the improvement of working, recreational and living environments. However it is rare for a mature industry such as construction to adopt or examine those disciplines for guidance about either strategies or operations. This is despite the fact that the construction industry is almost entirely based on the principle of sub-contracting, business and professional alliances, all of which require understanding of environmental psychology and social dynamics in order to build trust, reputation, teamwork and client satisfaction. There is therefore a major need for communications to be

Barriers to the Uptake of Concurrent Engineering in the Nigerian Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathaniel Anny Aniekwu

2012-12-01

engineering and also to compute the Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, which assess the levels of agreement among the judges on the consistency of the rankings. A Kendall’s coefficient of concordance of W=0.57365 was recorded. A lack of awareness emerged as the most important barrier against the integration of this concept into the Nigerian construction industry. The top five variables are all human factors that can be ameliorated by proper education.

Security of payment regime in construction industry: are Malaysian sub-contractors ready?

OpenAIRE

Supardi, Azizan; Adnan, Hamimah; Mohammad, Mohammad Fadhil

2011-01-01

In Malaysia, the particularly small sized sub-contractors are definitely benefited from payment provisions in the proposed Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act (CIPA Act), but need to enhance their knowledge in order to improve their awareness of the benefits of the Act. Accordingly, this on-going research attempts to introduce proper guidelines to the sub-contractors, in giving the knowledge, to claim for payment. Firstly, the research explored the problems and legal issues rel...

Selection of procurement systems in the South African construction industry: An exploratory study

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W. D. Thwala

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose of this paper: Procurement systems are vital in ensuring the successful implementation of construction projects precisely in all the phases of any particular project. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate in a systematic manner the factors that influence the selection of a procurement system in the South African construction industry. Research methodology: An extensive theory and literature review of procurement systems was conducted. The literature reviewed included a sample of case studies of procurement systems successfully implemented in completed building and civil engineering projects in South Africa. A questionnaire using a four-round Delphi survey method was used to conduct the empirical study in order to obtain participants' opinions about factors influencing the selection of procurement systems as well as the utility value of various procurement systems on each factor as identified. Finally, data analysis of both qualitative and quantitative techniques was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS. Findings: After qualitative analysis, findings of the literature reviewed suggest that factors that influence the selection of procurement systems cut across all the phases of the project as identified in this paper. Therefore, these factors are categorically classified into internal and external factors. Factors from the internal environment were further classified into client characteristics and project characteristics, with client characteristics comprising of variables such as clients' level of knowledge and control, political and social consideration, familiarity of procurement systems, competition, funding arrangement, government public/private sector projects and risk allocation whereas project characteristics comprise of factors (variables such as size and technical complexity of the project, influence of the project life cycle, expedited project delivery, time, quality and price certainty. Factors

Use of constructed wetland for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sardar; Ahmad, Irshad; Shah, M Tahir; Rehman, Shafiqur; Khaliq, Abdul

2009-08-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a continuous free surface flow wetland for removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater, in Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate (GAIE), Swabi, Pakistan. Industrial wastewater samples were collected from the in-let, out-let and all cells of the constructed wetland (CW) and analyzed for heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) using standard methods. Similarly, samples of aquatic macrophytes and sediments were also analyzed for selected heavy metals. Results indicate that the removal efficiencies of the CW for Pb, Cd, Fe, Ni, Cr, and Cu were 50%, 91.9%, 74.1%, 40.9%, 89%, and 48.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the performance of the CW was efficient enough to remove the heavy metals, particularly Cd, Fe, and Cu, from the industrial wastewater fed to it. However, it is suggested that the metal removal efficiency of the CW can be further enhanced by using proper management of vegetation and area expansion of the present CW.

Proposing a model for safety risk assessment in the construction industry using gray multi-criterion decision-making

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S. M. Abootorabi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Statistical Report of the Social Security Organization indicate that among the various industries, the construction industry has the highest number of work-related accidents so that in addition to frequency, it has high intensity, as well. On the other hand, a large number of human resources are working in this whish shows they necessity for paying special attention to these workers. Therefore, risk assessment of the safety in the construction industry is an effective step in this regard. In this study, a method for ranking safety risks in conditions of low number of samples and uncertainty is presented, using gray multi-criterion decision-making. .Material and Method: In this study, we first identified the factors affecting the occurrence of hazards in the construction industry. Then, appropriate for ranking the risks were determined and the problem was defined as a multi-criterion decision-making. In order to weight the criteria and to evaluate alternatives based on each criterion, gray numbers were used. In the last stage, the problem was solved using the gray possibility degree. .Results: The results show that the method of gray multi-criterion decision-making is an effective method for ranking risks in situations of low samples compared with other methods of MCDM. .Conclusion: The proposed method is preferred to fuzzy methods and statistics in uncertain and low sample size, due to simple calculations and no need to define the membership function.

Barriers to the Development of SME's in the Australian Construction Industry

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Anthony Mills

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Small and medium sized companies (SMEs operating in the construction industry in regionalareas of Australia often struggle to compete against city-based companies for constructionwork. This paper identifies the barriers that confront SMEs in areas outsidemajor cities, specifically in regional areas of Victoria (Australia where local firms oftencompete unsuccessfully against large Melbourne-based organisations. The authors alsolook at the possibility of using e-commerce solutions to give regional SMEs greater competitivenessas well as considering possible policy initiatives that may assist these companiesto be more successful in tendering against city-based competition.

Literature review of levels and determinants of exposure to potential carcinogens and other agents in the road construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Burstyn, I; Kromhout, H; Boffetta, P

2000-01-01

Workers in the road construction industry include asphalt plant, ground construction, and road paving workers. These individuals can be exposed to a wide range of potentially hazardous substances. A summary of levels of exposure to different substances measured during road construction is presented. In modern road paving, workers typically are exposed to 0.1 to 2 mg/m3 of bitumen fume, which includes 10 to 200 ng/m3 of benzo(a)pyrene. Sampling strategies and analytical methods employed in each reviewed survey are described briefly. The published reports provide some insight into the identity of factors that influence exposure to bitumen among road construction workers: type of work performed, meteorological conditions, temperature of paved asphalt. However, there is a lack of (a) comprehensive and well-designed studies that evaluate determinants of exposure to bitumen in road construction, and (b) standard methods for bitumen sampling and analysis. Information on determinants of other exposures in road construction is either absent or limited. It is concluded that data available through published reports have limited value in assessing historical exposure levels in the road construction industry.

Discussion on construction of scientific and technological digital library in nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Huilan

2010-01-01

With the rapid development of digital and network technology, traditional libraries have been unable to meet the needs of the times. Digital libraries will gradually take the place of traditional libraries. Under the circumstances, how will the libraries of the enterprises in nuclear industry face this transformation? This paper gives the brief descriptions and comparative analyses in the four aspects: the definition of the digital library, the meaning of nuclear scientific and technological digital library, the characteristics of the digital library, and major problems in the construction of nuclear scientific and technological digital library that should be solved. Therefore, setting up the digital library is very important. At the same time, it's very necessary and urgent for the libraries of the enterprises in nuclear industry to establish nuclear scientific and technological digital library. (author)

A User-Centered Mobile Cloud Computing Platform for Improving Knowledge Management in Small-to-Medium Enterprises in the Chilean Construction Industry

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Daniela Núñez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Knowledge management (KM is a key element for the development of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs in the construction industry. This is particularly relevant in Chile, where this industry is composed almost entirely of SMEs. Although various KM system proposals can be found in the literature, they are not suitable for SMEs, due to usability problems, budget constraints, and time and connectivity issues. Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC systems offer several advantages to construction SMEs, but they have not yet been exploited to address KM needs. Therefore, this research is aimed at the development of a MCC-based KM platform to manage lessons learned in different construction projects of SMEs, through an iterative and user-centered methodology. Usability and quality evaluations of the proposed platform show that MCC is a feasible and attractive option to address the KM issues in SMEs of the Chilean construction industry, since it is possible to consider both technical and usability requirements.

Survey dataset on work-life conflict of women in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunji-Olayeni, Patience F; Afolabi, Adedeji O; Adewale, Bukola A; Fagbenle, Ayoola O

2018-08-01

Work-life conflict can have a detrimental effect on family life, particularly for women who have to work in order to support their families financially. The data set presents the views of 50 female construction professionals in Lagos, Nigeria through a purposive sampling technique with the aid of questionnaire. Categorical Regression was used to assess the effect of work pressure on family expectations. The features of the respondents in terms of profession, years of experience, office location and household characteristics were presented in bar chart. Analysis of the data can provide information on the work experiences of women in the construction industry particularly work load, hours worked per day, work on weekends and work on holidays. The data can also provide insights on the family expectations that are significantly affected by work pressure.

Assessing the sustainable construction of large construction companies in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Adewale, Bamgbade Jibril; Mohammed, Kamaruddeen Ahmed; Nasrun, Mohd Nawi Mohd

2016-08-01

Considering the increasing concerns for the consideration of sustainability issues in construction project delivery within the construction industry, this paper assesses the extent of sustainable construction among Malaysian large contractors, in order to ascertain the level of the industry's impacts on both the environment and the society. Sustainable construction explains the construction industry's responsibility to efficiently utilise the finite resources while also reducing construction impacts on both humans and the environment throughout the phases of construction. This study used proportionate stratified random sampling to conduct a field study with a sample of 172 contractors out of the 708 administered questionnaires. Data were collected from large contractors in the eleven states of peninsular Malaysia. Using the five-level rating scale (which include: 1= Very Low; 2= Low; 3= Moderate; 4= High; 5= Very High) to describe the level of sustainable construction of Malaysian contractors based on previous studies, statistical analysis reveals that environmental, social and economic sustainability of Malaysian large contractors are high.

PRIORITISING LEAN CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS IN UGANDA'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Engaging in lean construction efforts could prove to be highly rewarding for building firms in Uganda. However, lean construction is risky and can be disastrous if not properly managed. Lean production efforts in some other countries have not been successful due to the many barriers to its successful implementation. To enable sound lean construction efforts and to increase the chances of success in eliminating waste, a thorough investigation of the barriers is essential. This study presents 31 barriers and investigates their influence (strength on the success of lean construction initiatives. Structured interviews were carried out with technical managers of building firms to assess their perception of the barriers to lean production based on their experience at their firms. The strongest barrier is the provision of inputs exactly when required. Additionally, the barriers were ranked according to the ease of overcoming each. The easiest barrier to overcome is keeping the required items in the right place. Finally, a graphical aid is provided to enable decision makers to concentrate their efforts on the influential (strong, yet easy to overcome barriers. A lack of buildable designs and a participative management style for the workforce are the most important barriers to successful waste reduction in terms of strength and ease of overcoming. On the other hand, a lack of an organisational culture that supports teamwork, a lack of prefabrication and a lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers are regarded as low in strength, and at the same time difficult to overcome.

Occupational risk assessment in the construction industry in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Seifi Azad Mard, Hamid Reza; Estiri, Ali; Hadadi, Parinaz; Seifi Azad Mard, Mahshid

2017-12-01

Occupational accidents in the construction industry are more common compared with other fields and these accidents are more severe compared with the global average in developing countries, especially in Iran. Studies which lead to the source of these accidents and suggest solutions for them are therefore valuable. In this study a combination of the failure mode and effects analysis method and fuzzy theory is used as a semi-qualitative-quantitative method for analyzing risks and failure modes. The main causes of occupational accidents in this field were identified and analyzed based on three factors; severity, detection and occurrence. Based on whether the risks are high or low priority, modifying actions were suggested to reduce the occupational risks. Finally, the results showed that high priority risks had a 40% decrease due to these actions.

HiLumi prepares its construction phase with industry

CERN Multimedia

Agnes Szeberenyi

2015-01-01

The High-Luminosity LHC project is now seeking industrial suppliers and collaborations to start the construction phase and make the high-luminosity upgrade happen. The “HiLumi LHC goes to Industry” event held on 26 June aimed to foster R&D collaborations and knowledge exchange between CERN and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - the perfect opportunity for them to match their capacity with the requirements of HiLumi.   Isabel Bejar-Alonso (High-Luminosity LHC Technical Coordinator) addresses the participants of the “HiLumi LHC goes to Industry” event held at IdeaSquare on 26 June. To reach the 14 TeV and 3000 fb-1 goal of the High-Luminosity LHC, more than 1.2 km of the current LHC machine will need to be replaced with high-technology components that require cutting-edge technologies. HiLumi experts have already identified more than 65 technology areas and even more challenging components that need to be manufactured, assembled and tested bef...

Impact of construction and remodeling markets on the U.S. secondary hardwood products industry

Science.gov (United States)

Matt Bumgardner; Urs Buehlmann; Al Schuler; Karen. Koenig

2011-01-01

The housing correction that started in 2007 continues to run its course. Excessive inventory levels, limited credit availability, and record foreclosure rates continue to have an impact on U.S. housing markets. With inventories high and demand for new construction low, the U.S. hardwood industry's largest markets for appearance-grade products remain under pressure...

Red mud application in construction industry: review of benefits and possibilities

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, M. S. S.; Thives, L. P.; Haritonovs, V.; Bajars, K.

2017-10-01

Red mud is a waste originated in the processing of bauxite into aluminium, which properties of high alkalinity make it cumulatively stored, occupying increasing deforested areas. Annually, it is estimated that approximately 117 million tons of red mud are generated in the world, with no prospect of use, what represents an imminent risk of pollution prone to contamination. Nevertheless, environmental liabilities caused by red mud affect not only the environment, but also the companies responsible for the waste, which will be subject to highest fee payments. Although there are studies that prove the feasibility of using this solid waste in the constitution of ceramic materials, there are no large-scale applications. This study seeks to evaluate the possibilities of red mud application in construction industry, focusing into two main areas: cement production/ceramic material and road construction. Backgrounds from other researchers were taken into consideration and analysed according environmental, economic and technical feasibilities.

A proposal for improving sustainability practice through the implementations of reuse and recycle technique in Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, Wan Nadzri; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd; Saad, Rohaizah; Anuar, Herman Shah; Ibrahim, Siti Halipah

2016-08-01

Construction and demolition waste is often seen as the major contributor to the solid waste stream that is going to landfill, hence, making it the area of focus for improvement. In the construction industry, reuse and recycle principles have been promoted in order to reduce waste and protect the environment. Construction and demolition waste including demolished concrete, bricks and masonry, wood and other materials such as dry wall, glass, insulation, roofing, wire, pipe, rock and soil constitute a significant component of the total waste. Without proper reuse and recycle policies, these construction and demolition wastes would quickly fill all the remaining landfill space, which has already been growing in scarce around this region. Based on the feedback received, on average, a third of respondents said they currently have a lotto benefit from the use of reduce and reuse. In addition, they also agreed that the existing policies help and support the min carrying out the reduce and reuse practices. Respondents also agreed that other stakeholders in the construction industry currently have an excellent awareness in term of implementation of the reduce and reuse in their practices.

Identification of patent in incentivizing innovation for sustainability in the construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Zakaria, Sharifah Akmam Syed; Sadullah, Ahmad Farhan Mohd; Majid, Taksiah A.; Ghazali, Farid Ezanee Mohamed

2017-07-01

The increasing trend of research and innovation developments in the field of construction industry and their impacts on the national economy have raised much attention in the recent years. In this respect, through the relationship that exists between innovation and patent protection means that the education system of civil engineering has to gear itself to provide a sense of direction to facilitate future civil engineers to meet the challenges through innovation. The aim of this paper is to examine the educational experience and inclination of civil engineering students at Universiti Sains Malaysia in terms of their educational readiness to invent and innovate based on patents' exploration. Specifically, this paper presents research evidence using a quantitative method through questionnaire surveys in determining the dimension of patent information usage for innovation purposes, with attention to the hierarchy of each usage aspect and outcome measures reported. Results of this study revealed that majority of the participants have a "simplistic and superficial" ideas of patents identification as a source of innovation. Although a fair number of participants have relatively good knowledge of patents and innovation, lack of practical exposure and experience in construction industry are still a problem frequently encountered in the preparation to invent and innovate based on patents' exploration. It is recommended that the research model is tested using a greater number of research participants.

Procurement of non-incremental sustainable technology innovations : the case of small entrepreneurial firms supplying New Zealand construction & building industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dr. Mark P. Mobach; Jeff Seadon; Anne Staal; John Tookey; Gert Walhof

2014-01-01

Abstract.Traditionally, the construction industry in New Zealand and in other countries has seen a low productivity and a low track record for successful innovations (Fairweather, 2010). The industry also lags in sustainability (e.g. Nemry, 2008) when seen from a broader or lifecycle perspective.

Treatment of industrial effluents in constructed wetlands: challenges, operational strategies and overall performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shubiao; Wallace, Scott; Brix, Hans; Kuschk, Peter; Kirui, Wesley Kipkemoi; Masi, Fabio; Dong, Renjie

2015-06-01

The application of constructed wetlands (CWs) has significantly expanded to treatment of various industrial effluents, but knowledge in this field is still insufficiently summarized. This review is accordingly necessary to better understand this state-of-the-art technology for further design development and new ideas. Full-scale cases of CWs for treating various industrial effluents are summarized, and challenges including high organic loading, salinity, extreme pH, and low biodegradability and color are evaluated. Even horizontal flow CWs are widely used because of their passive operation, tolerance to high organic loading, and decolorization capacity, free water surface flow CWs are effective for treating oil field/refinery and milking parlor/cheese making wastewater for settlement of total suspended solids, oil, and grease. Proper pretreatment, inflow dilutions through re-circulated effluent, pH adjustment, plant selection and intensifications in the wetland bed, such as aeration and bioaugmentation, are recommended according to the specific characteristics of industrial effluents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review on the occupational health and social security of unorganized workers in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwary, Guddi; Gangopadhyay, P K

2011-01-01

Construction is one of the important industries employing a large number of people on its workforce. A wide range of activities are involved in it. Due to the advent of industrialization and recent developments, this industry is taking a pivotal role for construction of buildings, roads, bridges, and so forth. The workers engaged in this industry are victims of different occupational disorders and psychosocial stresses. In India, they belong to the organized and unorganized sectors. However, data in respect to occupational health and psychosocial stress are scanty in our country. It is true that a sizable number of the workforce is from the unorganized sectors - the working hours are more than the stipulated hours of work - the work place is not proper - the working conditions are non-congenial in most of the cases and involve risk factors. Their wages are also not adequate, making it difficult for them to run their families. The hazards include handling of different materials required for construction, and exposure to harsh environmental conditions like sun, rain, and so on. On account of this, in adverse conditions, it results in accidents and adverse health conditions cause psychosocial strain and the like. They are victims of headache, backache, joint pains, skin diseases, lung disorders like silicosis, other muscular skeletal disorders, and so on. The repetitive nature of the work causes boredom and the disproportionate earning compared to the requirements puts them under psychological stress and strain and other abnormal behavioral disorders. The Government of India has realized the importance of this industry and has promulgated an Act in 1996. The state government are being asked to adhere to this, although only a few states have partially enforced it. In this article, attempts have been made to review some of the important available articles for giving a broad idea of the problem and for furtherance of research in this field.

Giat Industries selected for construction of the "Very Large Telescope"

Science.gov (United States)

1995-06-01

Versailles-Satory (France) May 31, 1995 - Giat Industries has just obtained a contract from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) for the construction of the primary and tertiary mirror supports and the positioning apparatus of the world's largest optical telescope. This contract, worth almost 140 million francs, represents over 100,000 hours of work. It was won by Gitech, a division of Giat Industries, in collaboration with the Sfim group, following an international competition between the largest European groups in the space field. Gitech is charged with the development of civil and military industrial equipment for the Giat Industries group, in particular in high technology fields. The VLT (Very Large Telescope) will be installed in Chile before the year 2000; the delivery schedule provides for reception of the first assembly in May 1997. It will consist of four telescopes of 8.2m diameter, providing, in its most powerful configuration, a close-up view of an object measuring one meter on the surface of the moon. The cell, built by Gitech, is one of the key parts of the telescope. It mainly consists of a very rigid metal structure and an electro-hydraulic system of more that 200 hydraulic jacks and 150 electrically-controlled jacks linking the metallic structure to the mirror. This structure, produced to an original design of laser-welded steel chambers, weighs less than 10 tonnes and will support over 37 tonnes of mirror and equipment, while guaranteeing precise positioning to within a micron. The electro-hydraulic jack system, manufactured in collaboration with the Sfim group, will support and position the mirror, and correct its geometry by applying a precise distribution of forces to its rear. The assembly is designed to meet the requirements of para-seismic safety. Gitech is also producing the computerised control system to ensure the operation and the reliability of the assembly.

Procurement of non-incremental sustainable technology innovations : the case of small entrepreneurial firms supplying New Zealand construction & building industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staal, Anne; Tookey, John; Seadon, Jeff; Walhof, Gert; Mobach, Mark; Mbachu, Jasper

2014-01-01

Traditionally, the construction industry in New Zealand and in other countries has seen a low productivity and a low track record for successful innovations (Fairweather, 2010). The industry also lags in sustainability (e.g. Nemry, 2008) when seen from a broader or lifecycle perspective. This has a

Survey datasets on women participation in green jobs in the construction industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adedeji O. Afolabi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The unique qualities of women can make them bearers of solutions towards achieving sustainability and dealing with the dangers attributed to climate change. The attitudinal study utilized a questionnaire instrument to obtain perception of female construction professionals. By using a well-structured questionnaire, data was obtained on women participating in green jobs in the construction Industry. Descriptive statistics is performed on the collected data and presented in tables and mean scores (MS. In addition, inferential statistics of categorical regression was performed on the data to determine the level of influence (beta factor the identified barriers had on the level of participation in green jobs. Barriers and the socio-economic benefits which can guide policies and actions on attracting, retaining and exploring the capabilities of women in green jobs can be obtained from the survey data when analyzed.

B2B collaboration method through trust values for e-supply chain integrator: a case study of Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Ab. Aziz, Norshakirah; Ahmad, Rohiza; Dhanapal Durai, Dominic

2011-12-01

Limited trust, cooperation and communication have been identified as some of the issues that hinder collaboration among business partners. These one also true in the acceptance of e-supply chain integrator among organizations that involve in the same industry. On top of that, the huge number of components in supply chain industry also makes it impossible to include entire supply chain components in the integrator. Hence, this study intends to propose a method for identifying "trusted" collaborators for inclusion into an e-supply chain integrator. For the purpose of constructing and validating the method, the Malaysian construction industry is chosen as the case study due to its size and importance to the economy. This paper puts forward the background of the research, some relevant literatures which lead to trust values elements formulation, data collection from Malaysian Construction Supply Chain and a glimpse of the proposed method for trusted partner selection. Future work is also presented to highlight the next step of this research.

Use of engineered nanomaterials in the construction industry with specific emphasis on paints and their flows in construction and demolition waste in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hincapié, Ingrid; Caballero-Guzman, Alejandro; Hiltbrunner, David; Nowack, Bernd

2015-09-01

One sector where the use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is supposed to offer novel or improved functionalities is the construction industry. During the renovation or demolition of buildings, ENMs contained in former construction materials will enter recycling systems or become construction waste. Currently, information about ENM flows in these processes is insufficient. The potential for the release of ENMs from this waste into the environment is unknown, as are the environmental impacts. To evaluate whether there is currently any nano-relevant construction and demolition waste (C&DW) originating from buildings, we evaluated the sources and flows of ENMs in C&DW and identified their potential exposure pathways. A survey of business representatives of Swiss companies in this sector found that ENMs are mainly used in paints and cement. The most frequently used ENMs in the Swiss housing construction industry are nano-TiO2, nano-SiO2, nano-ZnO, and nano-Ag. Using a bottom-up, semi-quantitative approach, we estimated the flows of ENMs contained in paints along the product's life cycle from buildings to recycling and landfill. The flows of ENMs are determined by their associated flows of building materials. We estimated an annual amount of ENMs used in paints of 14t of TiO2, 12t of SiO2, 5t of ZnO, and 0.2t of Ag. The majority of ENMs contained in paints in Switzerland enter recycling systems (23t/y), a smaller amount is disposed directly in landfills (7t/y), and a tiny fraction of ENM waste is incinerated (0.01t/y). Our results allow a qualitative determination of the potential release of ENMs into technical or environmental compartments, with the highest potential release expected during recycling. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction management

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Pellicer, Eugenio; Teixeira, José C; Moura, Helder P; Catalá, Joaquín

2014-01-01

The management of construction projects is a wide ranging and challenging discipline in an increasingly international industry, facing continual challenges and demands for improvements in safety, in quality and cost control, and in the avoidance of contractual disputes. Construction Management grew out of a Leonardo da Vinci project to develop a series of Common Learning Outcomes for European Managers in Construction. Financed by the European Union, the project aimed to develop a library of basic materials for developing construction management skills for use in a pan-European context. Focused exclusively on the management of the construction phase of a building project from the contractor's point of view, Construction Management covers the complete range of topics of which mastery is required by the construction management professional for the effective delivery of new construction projects. With the continued internationalisation of the construction industry, Construction Management will be required rea...

Skilled labour supply in the South African construction industry: The nexus between certification, quality of work output and shortages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abimbola O. Windapo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Construction human resource management. Research purpose: The study examines the skilled labour supply in the South African construction industry and determines whether there is a relationship between trade certification, quality of work output and scarce labour skills. Motivation for the study: The rationale for the investigation is based on the view of scholars that a skilled labour shortage is preponderant in the South African construction industry even though there is a high level of youth unemployment in South Africa and that the perceived skills shortage contributes to a decrease in productivity and product quality. Research design, approach and method: The paper reviews relevant literature and employs a mixed method research approach in collecting empirical data from contracting companies within the Western Cape Province of South Africa that are listed on the Construction Industry Development Board contractor register. Main findings: The study demonstrated that there is no shortage of manpower, but there is a shortage of qualified or skilled tradesmen, such as electricians, plumbers, welders, fitters and carpenters, whose professions are more technical and require formal training and certification. The level of supply of skilled tradesmen is attributed to the lack of high-quality basic education, the state of the economy, compulsory certification of tradesmen and an ageing workforce. It was also found that there is a significant relationship between skilled labour shortages and the requirement that labour be certified and that work output is unsatisfactory when there is no certification requirement. Practical/managerial implications: Based on these findings, the study concludes that skilled labour shortages and poor work output quality continue to be experienced in the South African construction industry when workers are unable to obtain formal certification for informal work experience acquired through years of practice on

Migration and Health in the Construction Industry: Culturally Centering Voices of Bangladeshi Workers in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Mohan J

2017-01-29

Construction workers globally face disproportionate threats to health and wellbeing, constituted by the nature of the work they perform. The workplace fatalities and lost-time injuries experienced by construction workers are significantly greater than in other forms of work. This paper draws on the culture-centered approach (CCA) to dialogically articulate meanings of workplace risks and injuries, voiced by Bangladeshi migrant construction workers in Singapore. The narratives voiced by the participants suggest an ecological approach to workplace injuries in the construction industries, attending to food insecurity, lack of sleep, transportation, etc. as contextual features of work that shape the risks experienced at work. Moreover, participant voices point to the barriers in communication, lack of understanding, and experiences of incivility as features of work that constitute the ways in which they experience injury risks. The overarching discourses of productivity and efficiency constitute a broader climate of threats to worker safety and health.

Use of industrial isotopes in the construction of an integrated steel plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimha Rao, Y.V.; Prasad, G.C.

1977-01-01

The applications of radioisotopes by industrial radiography methods in the control of quality of welding of steel structures and equipment during the construction of a steel plant are highlighted. Some of the main units that are controlled in a steel plant by the radiography methods are boilers, pressure vessels, blast furnace shells and stoves, L.D. convertors, technological pipelines etc. After briefly describing the different radioisotopes (sources) and the accessories required for radiography work, the different techniques adopted for determining the defects in the welded joints are mentioned. A mention is also made of the different types of image quality indicators (penetrameters) and their relative advantages. The norms for control and acceptance of the defects for different structures are also covered. Finally, the safety requirements that are to be followed during radiography work at the site of erection, where different agencies of construction work simultaneously are dealt with. (author)

A Moral (Normative) Framework for the Judgment of Actions and Decisions in the Construction Industry and Engineering: Part II.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkhatib, Omar J

2017-12-01

The construction industry is typically characterized as a fragmented, multi-organizational setting in which members from different technical backgrounds and moral values join together to develop a particular business or project. The most challenging obstacle in the construction process is to achieve a successful practice and to identify and apply an ethical framework to manage the behavior of involved specialists and contractors and to ensure the quality of all completed construction activities. The framework should reflect a common moral ground for myriad people involved in this process to survive and compete ethically in today's turbulent construction market. This study establishes a framework for moral judgment of behavior and actions conducted in the construction process. The moral framework provides the basis of judging actions as "moral" or "immoral" based on three levels of moral accountability: personal, professional, and social. The social aspect of the proposed framework is developed primarily from the essential attributes of normative business decision-making models identified in the literature review and subsequently incorporates additional attributes related to professional and personal moral values. The normative decision-making models reviewed are based primarily on social attributes as related to moral theories (e.g., utilitarianism, duty, rights, virtue, etc.). The professional and moral attributes are established by identifying a set of common moral values recognized by professionals in the construction industry and required to prevent common construction breaches. The moral framework presented here is the complementary part of the ethical framework developed in Part I of this article and is based primarily on the personal behavior or the moral aspect of professional responsibility. The framework can be implemented as a form of preventive personal ethics, which would help avoid ethical dilemmas and moral implications in the first place

Recent trends of the emission characteristics from the road construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauhan, Sippy K; Sharma, Sangita; Shukla, Anuradha; Gangopadhyay, S

2010-11-01

Bitumen is a black, thermoplastic, hydrocarbon material derived from the processing of crude oil. At ambient temperature, bitumen is solid and does not present any health/environmental risks. This is one of the main reasons that bitumen is widely used for road construction all over the world. But during manufacturing/modification according to its application, storage, transportation, and use of bitumen is heated giving off various hydrocarbons emissions. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in investigating the potential of bitumen emissions to cause health effects. This is mainly because of the reason that bitumen has small amount of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, along with some other volatiles like benzene, toluene, etc., which are known to be carcinogenic in nature. Thus, assessment of the emission characteristics and health hazards of bitumen fumes may have far reaching industrial economic and public health implications. In this review, we will discuss about the emission characteristics from bitumen, asphalts, or road construction, which is mainly contributed by bitumen fumes. Sampling strategies and analytical methods employed are also described briefly.

CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCES BETWEEN SMEs IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND TOURISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LUDMILA PĂUNESCU (RAILEAN

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The SMEs who are looking the way to success and sustainable development are beginning to seek strategic alliances with one or more players on the market, just to gain fast and inexpensive acces to: technology, expertise, marketing, production, distribution and other benefits.Tourism development both as a way to spend a pleasant and instructive leisure, even as a service activity required at various stages of a tourist trip, is a necessity of today civilization, with broad prospects for development, is at once a consequence and cause of mutations economic, social, cultural and environmental. Thus, this paper approaches the advantages and disadvantages of strategic alliance between SMEs in the construction industry and tourism, and the elements necessary to achieve its objectives, in view to stimulate touristic activities and development of constructions sector.

Construction in Occupied Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ward Andrew E.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Conducting construction activities in occupied environments presents a great challenge due to the additional logistical requirements and the presence of the building occupants. The aim of this research is to gather and evaluate the means and methods to successfully plan, manage, and execute construction activities in occupied spaces in an effort to provide consolidated industry tools and strategies for maintaining a schedule and minimizing the impact on the occupants. The methodology of the research utilizes an exploratory approach to gather qualitative data. The data was collected through interviews with industry professionals to identify industry best practices. The semi-structured interviews provided a platform for the documents, lessons learned, and the techniques and strategies used for occupied construction by the construction industry. The information obtained in the interview process identified six themes that are critical to achieving and maintaining quality in occupied construction. These themes of the schedule, cost, customer satisfaction, planning, fire/life safety and utilities, and contractor management are reviewed in detail, and the paper discusses how to manage each element. The analysis and extracted management techniques, procedures and strategies can be used by the construction industry for future projects by focusing on the critical aspects of occupied construction and the manner in which to succeed with it.

Construction in Occupied Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Andrew E.; Azhar, Salman; Khalfan, Malik

2017-06-01

Conducting construction activities in occupied environments presents a great challenge due to the additional logistical requirements and the presence of the building occupants. The aim of this research is to gather and evaluate the means and methods to successfully plan, manage, and execute construction activities in occupied spaces in an effort to provide consolidated industry tools and strategies for maintaining a schedule and minimizing the impact on the occupants. The methodology of the research utilizes an exploratory approach to gather qualitative data. The data was collected through interviews with industry professionals to identify industry best practices. The semi-structured interviews provided a platform for the documents, lessons learned, and the techniques and strategies used for occupied construction by the construction industry. The information obtained in the interview process identified six themes that are critical to achieving and maintaining quality in occupied construction. These themes of the schedule, cost, customer satisfaction, planning, fire/life safety and utilities, and contractor management are reviewed in detail, and the paper discusses how to manage each element. The analysis and extracted management techniques, procedures and strategies can be used by the construction industry for future projects by focusing on the critical aspects of occupied construction and the manner in which to succeed with it.

Security of payment in Malaysian construction industry: issues on sub-contract's direct payment

OpenAIRE

Supardi, Azizan; Adnan, Hamimah

2011-01-01

In Malaysia, sub-contractors have to bear with the current structure of payment mechanisms in the standard forms of contract, which are payment upon certification, direct payment from the employer, and contingent or conditional payment. However, „direct payment‟ provision is applied for in most of the nominated sub-contracts and not to the domestic sub-contractors; thus the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication (CIPA) Act is proposed. This paper, though, is to disclose the findings o...

Sustainable material selection for construction industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Govindan, Kannan; Shankar, Madan; Kannan, Devika

2016-01-01

a hybrid multi criteria decision making (MCDM) methodology with a specific examination of the UAE. The indicators collected from existing literatures were used in evaluation of sustainable construction materials with the assistance of construction sector-based respondents. The proposed framework...

Safety in construction?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swuste, P.H.J.J.

2013-01-01

The available literature on Construction Safety is not very optimistic about the chances of evidence-based safety in the construction industry exerting a positive influence. Many articles indicate that the structures and processes that are designed to ensure safety in the industry are poor. Safety

Migration and Health in the Construction Industry: Culturally Centering Voices of Bangladeshi Workers in Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Mohan J.

2017-01-01

Construction workers globally face disproportionate threats to health and wellbeing, constituted by the nature of the work they perform. The workplace fatalities and lost-time injuries experienced by construction workers are significantly greater than in other forms of work. This paper draws on the culture-centered approach (CCA) to dialogically articulate meanings of workplace risks and injuries, voiced by Bangladeshi migrant construction workers in Singapore. The narratives voiced by the participants suggest an ecological approach to workplace injuries in the construction industries, attending to food insecurity, lack of sleep, transportation, etc. as contextual features of work that shape the risks experienced at work. Moreover, participant voices point to the barriers in communication, lack of understanding, and experiences of incivility as features of work that constitute the ways in which they experience injury risks. The overarching discourses of productivity and efficiency constitute a broader climate of threats to worker safety and health. PMID:28146056

Beyond knowledge transfer: The social construction of autonomous academic science in university-industry agricultural biotechnology research collaborations

Science.gov (United States)

Biscotti, Dina Louise

Autonomy is a social product. Although some might view autonomy as the absence of social interference in individual action, it is in fact produced through social institutions. It enables social actors to act; it is the justification for the allocation of enormous public resources into institutions classified as "public" or "nonprofit;" it can lead to innovation; and, significantly, it is key to the public acceptance of new technologies. In this dissertation, I analyze the social construction of autonomy for academic science in U.S. university-industry agricultural biotechnology research collaborations. University-industry relationships (UIRs) are a site of concern about the influence of commercial interests on academic science. Agricultural biotechnology is a contentious technology that has prompted questions about the ecological and public health implications of genetically-modified plants and animals. It has also spurred awareness of the industrialization of agriculture and accelerating corporate control of the global food system. Through analysis of in-depth interviews with over 200 scientists and administrators from nine U.S. research universities and thirty agricultural biotechnology companies, I find that both the academy and industry have a vested interest in the social construction of the academy as an autonomous space from which claims to objective, disinterested scientific knowledge can be made. These claims influence government regulation, as well as grower and public acceptance of agricultural biotechnology products. I argue that the social production of autonomy for academic science can be observed in narratives and practices related to: (1) the framing of when, how and why academic scientists collaborate with industry, (2) the meanings ascribed to and the uses deemed appropriate for industry monies in academic research, and (3) the dissemination of research results into the public domain through publications and patents. These narratives and practices

Impact of climate and weather on the activities of the building and construction industry in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Villiers, GDT

1986-01-01

Full Text Available This study represents a quantitative survey of the impact of the climate and weather on the activities of the building and construction industry in South Africa. Seasonal productivity problems, the seasonal provision of special facilities...

Factors Promoting Innovation and Efficiency in the Construction Industry: A Comparative Study of New Zealand and Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Will Chancellor

2015-05-01

Full Text Available There have been numerous concerns about the lack of productivity improvement in the New Zealand construction industry.  The aim of this paper, therefore, is to determine the main drivers of productivity in the industry. The research used is a two-staged data envelopment analysis approach to achieve the aim. In terms of improvements to the productivity of construction in New Zealand, the study found that although there is a potential for gains through the greater use of research and development, apprentice training and degree education, as well as the consolidation of some building companies, there will be some limits to the gains that might be made. One main implication of the findings of the study, therefore, is that a renewed focus on education and skills training should be a priority of companies and policy makers in New Zealand.

Impact of Contractors’ Bidding Strategies on Bid Success in the Nigeria Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tolulope Samuel Fawale

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Several types of researches have been carried out prior to the new millennium on the subject of bidding strategies in the construction industry. Today, organizations are faced with a very complex decision of bid/no-bid because it requires the assessment of large number of highly inter-related variables. The study aims at examining different types of Contractors’ Bidding Strategies (CBS with a view to determining their impact on bid success. In line with the aim, the study objectives include; evaluation of different types of CBS and; assessment of the success rate of contractors’ bid. The method of approach elicits information on the number of projects bided and successes recorded over a period of time. A total of one hundred and seventy-one useable responses were retrieved from questionnaire administration. Descriptive statistics, tables and percentages as well as mean item score (MIS were used for data analysis. The study showed that lowest bid, public relations and joint venture bidding strategies have great impact on contractors’ bid success especially on residential, educational and administrative projects in the Nigeria Construction Industry (NCI. Therefore, the study concluded that relationship exists between contractors’ bidding strategies and equivalent successes recorded over a period of time. It is important to also know that lowest bid strategy still remains the most effective bidding strategy for public works contracting in the NCI.

Energy conservation and recycling of wall and concrete may give large environmental profits in the construction industry. Environment taken seriously

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nestvold, Veslemoey

2000-01-01

The article reviews some results from the 5 year project ''Oekobygg'', started in 1998, which studies energy conservation and recycling of wall and concrete in the construction industry. Reduction of the waste amounts, industrial recycling and ''smart housing'' are discussed. Recycling will result in the largest environmental benefits

Asbestosis is prevalent in a variety of construction industry trades.

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, G I; Robertson, A S; Bhomra, P S; Burge, P S

2018-04-03

A diagnosis of asbestosis, which is a long-latency, fibrotic lung disease, has implications for the patient in terms of prognosis, treatment and compensation. Identifying and quantifying asbestos exposure is difficult without a detailed occupational history, and the threshold dose of asbestos required to cause asbestosis is not well understood. We reviewed all cases of asbestosis diagnosed between 2001 and 2016 at the Birmingham Regional NHS Occupational Lung Disease Service to determine the industries and occupations most frequently implicated in causation, in order to help clinicians identify where asbestosis might enter the differential diagnosis for a patient with chronic respiratory symptoms. A variety of construction trades were frequently reported including carpenters and joiners, pipe fitters, laggers, labourers, painters and shop fitters. Traditionally heavily exposed occupations such as shipbuilding were not commonly seen.

IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DO PLANEJAMENTO ESTRÁTEGICO FUNCIONAL: ESTUDO DE CASO EM UMA INDÚSTRIA DE BEBIDAS

OpenAIRE

Breno Antonio Jacobi

2006-01-01

Este trabalho visa, através de um estudo de caso, em uma indústria de bebidas de Santa Maria-RS, analisar e integrar o Planejamento Estratégico Corporativo ao nível tático e operacional. A empresa, objeto deste estudo, CVI Refrigerantes Ltda, fabricante do sistema Coca-Cola Brasil, fabrica bebidas carbonatadas e revende bebidas não carbonatadas e alcoólicas. Apresenta, em seu organograma, seis departamentos distintos: Sistemas, Marketing, Administrativo-Financeiro, Comercial, Industrial...

Potential and Benefits of Building Information Modeling (BIM During Pre-Construction, Construction and Post Construction Stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aw Nien Wei

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The construction industry is the main economic support for all countries around the world in which continually adapting to meet competitive challenges around the global market. Nevertheless, the construction project is becoming much more complex and difficult to manage. This is because the construction project involves a large number of stakeholder, for example, the consultant companies, architects, engineers, building surveyors and quantity surveyors. The technology currently used in the construction industry is the AutoCAD (Automatic computeraided design. AutoCAD is a commercial software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD and drafting develop by Autodesk. Generally, all the drawing design from Autocad will be exchanged among the stakeholder in the form of paper. Information exchanged among them mostly involves a lot of documents and drawings. This practice creates errors because of documents and drawings are mostly in a paper-based format that is not properly managed which results in miscommunication among them. Having wrong information in the construction process could hinder the productivity of projects because in a construction project information is one of the important construction materials. Building Information Modeling (BIM is one of the newly software in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC industries to ensure all parties receive the right information. BIM technology is also an intelligent model of a building constructed digitally in the way of 3D. The software will generate model containing the information needed to support the construction, fabrication, and procurement activities that needed to realize the building. This paper will discuss on potential and benefits of BIM during pre-construction stage, construction stage and during post construction stage

Green public procurement – legal base and instruments supporting sustainable development in the construction industry in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kozik Renata

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the respect of value, public procurement in the construction industry belongs to one of the largest ones in the domestic market. Therefore, green procurement for construction works should become the center of attention of public authorities in a broad sense, due to its scale and importance for the sustainable development. The authorities and contracting entities who spend public money should have the opportunity to apply such legal articles and instruments that allow them to both optimize public expenditures and consider the environmental factor, such as decreasing carbon emission. To make the idea of sustainable development a reality as European Union’s the most vital aim, EU law is implemented in Poland. Local authorities’ duty is to appropriately shape their policies and use the vital instrument of sustainable development, namely green public procurement. This paper presents a comparative analysis of legal regulations to illustrate the actual Polish and EU laws concerning the construction industry. Even though the generally applicable law allows to implement the idea of sustainable development efficiently, local self-government units in their regional policies do not report any need for specific solutions, or they do so only occasionally.

On-site Labour Productivity of New Zealand Construction Industry: Key Constraints and Improvement Measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Durdyev

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Productivity is key to the survival and growth of any organisation, industry or nation. Some factors constrain the achievement of the set project objectives in the New Zealand building and construction industry and are responsible for the reported steady decline of productivity and performance. This study aims to identify the key constraints to on-site labour productivity and improvement measures. Using the descriptive survey method, views of some project managers, contractors and subcontractors in New Zealand were canvassed via pilot interviews and questionnaire surveys at the qualitative and quantity data gathering stages, respectively. Multi-attribute technique was used to analyse the quantitative data. Results showed that the key external constraints to on-site labour productivity comprise, in order of decreasing impact, statutory compliance, unforeseen events and wider external dynamics. The internal constraints, which contribute 67 percent of the onsite productivity issues, comprise reworks, level of skill and experience of the workforce, adequacy of method of construction, buildability issues, and inadequate supervision and coordination. . The factors underlying each broad category of external and internal constraints are reported. The relative levels of impact of the identified constraints are expected to guide the project team in addressing the constraints in a cost-effective manner.

Positioning technology development in the South African construction industry: a technology foresight study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Rust, FC

2011-04-01

Full Text Available % of the adult population of South Africa live with HIV/AIDS (320 000 deaths in 2005 in SA); rate of HIV/AIDS infections has flattened off Environment and energy impact The availability and sustainability of ecosystem services that provide food, water... of engineers compared with other countries; 95% of the construction industry experiences a critical shortage of skills (SAFCEC 2008); between 1996 and 2006 number of adults with no schooling halved to 6%; number of matriculants increased from 25% to 35% Job...

Development of a mobile solution for delivering price quotes in the construction industry

OpenAIRE

Andersson, Filip; Pantzar, Anders

2013-01-01

The rapid growth of the mobile consumer market has influenced companies to make their workplace digital and mobile, with the goal to remove ties to a physical workplace, increase productivity, and trivialize tedious tasks. The construction industry is in need of modernization; it is a competitive market and to get a contract it is vital to provide a reasonable price quote fast.This bachelor thesis was performed together with Byggwalle AB in Västerås with the objective to create a mobile solut...

Effective Safety Management in Construction Project

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, I.; Shafiq, Nasir; Nuruddin, M. F.

2017-12-01

Effective safety management is one of the serious problems in the construction industry worldwide, especially in large-scale construction projects. There have been significant reductions in the number and the rate of injury over the last 20 years. Nevertheless, construction remains as one of the high risk industry. The purpose of this study is to examine safety management in the Malaysian construction industry, as well as to highlight the importance of construction safety management. The industry has contributed significantly to the economic growth of the country. However, when construction safety management is not implemented systematically, accidents will happen and this can affect the economic growth of the country. This study put the safety management in construction project as one of the important elements to project performance and success. The study emphasize on awareness and the factors that lead to the safety cases in construction project.

Perceptions of small business executives on determinants of performance in the construction industry in Gauteng, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Hove

2018-05-01

Contribution and value add: Based on perceptual analysis of the ECs and multivariate results, a performance prediction model was developed. Furthermore, a new set of significant determinants of performance as perceived by SBEs in South Africa’s (Gauteng Province construction industry was established.

Careers in Construction: Construction Industry Series: Student Manual and Instructor's Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Texas Education Agency, Austin. Dept. of Occupational Education and Technology.

The guide for instructors of construction occupations provides instructional suggestions and informational sources for structuring an exploratory program. The program is divided into the following blocks, representing different experiences in construction: (1) wood; (2) finishing; (3) engineering, support, and management services; (4) metal; (5)…

Evolution of the constructive adobe system in the Porcelain Industrial Unit of Vista Alegre (1937-1945

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice Ruano

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The urban nucleus of the Porcelain Factory of Vista Alegre reveals a special interest in terms of the evolution of the traditional adobe construction in the town of Ílhavo, located in the district of Aveiro. Presenting a structured philosophy of intervention in the territory since its very beginning, it possesses a rich heritage in the field of construction and architecture. The measures planned and implemented in the second phase of Vista Alegre growth reporting its beginning to the ends of the 30's, and along the 40's, confirm it both in the rehabilitation, extension and new constructions in adobe masonry. Those measures were implemented during the structural changes of the Industrial Unit administration that only until this period belonged to the family of its founder. These changes creates one of the focus of innovation in the region, with new construction strategies and solutions in adobe buildings, which will prolonged the period of use of this construction system, noticeable in buildings dated of 1958 in the Vista Alegre and at least in 1970 in the town.

Fire protection requirements of the insurance industry and their impact on nuclear power plant design and construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deitchman, J.V.; King, W.T. Jr.; Nashman, T.A.

1976-01-01

The insurance industry, with its wealth of knowledge and experience in the fire protection area and with preservation of its funds at stake, has always been heavily involved in the fire protection programs of nuclear power plants. Since it was concerned with property preservation in addition to nuclear safety, the insurance industry placed more detailed emphasis on fire protection requirements than did the nuclear regulatory bodies. Since the Browns Ferry fire, however, the insurance industry, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and the utilities themselves have re-examined their approaches to fire protection. A more coordinated approach seems to have emerged, which is based largely upon insurance industry specifications and guidelines. The paper briefly summarizes the fire protection requirements of the insurance industry as they apply to nuclear power plants. Some of the ways these requirements affect project planning, plant design, and construction timing are reviewed, as well as some of the more controversial fire protection areas

Industry Studies 2002: Construction

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Jacksonville, FL Rotary Club of San Juan, San Juan, PR Tren Urbano Subway Project, San Juan, PR U.S. Army South, San Juan, PR U.S. Coast Guard Housing Project...Bechtel Corporation (IBM Plant Construction Site), Shanghai American Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibit, Shanghai 3 INTRODUCTION The...of states have or are working on a statewide or agency-wide privatization plan , including California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and

Cross-cultural comparison of concrete recycling decision-making and implementation in construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Vivian W Y; Tam, Leona; Le, Khoa N

2010-02-01

Waste management is pressing very hard with alarming signals in construction industry. Concrete waste constituents major proportions of construction and demolition waste of 81% in Australia. To minimize concrete waste generated from construction activities, recycling concrete waste is one of the best methods to conserve the environment. This paper investigates concrete recycling implementation in construction. Japan is a leading country in recycling concrete waste, which has been implementing 98% recycling and using it for structural concrete applications. Hong Kong is developing concrete recycling programs for high-grade applications. Australia is making relatively slow progress in implementing concrete recycling in construction. Therefore, empirical studies in Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan were selected in this paper. A questionnaire survey and structured interviews were conducted. Power spectrum was used for analysis. It was found that "increasing overall business competitiveness and strategic business opportunities" was considered as the major benefit for concrete recycling from Hong Kong and Japanese respondents, while "rising concrete recycling awareness such as selecting suitable resources, techniques and training and compliance with regulations" was considered as the major benefit from Australian respondents. However, "lack of clients' support", "increase in management cost" and "increase in documentation workload, such as working documents, procedures and tools" were the major difficulties encountered from Australian, Hong Kong, and Japanese respondents, respectively. To improve the existing implementation, "inclusion of concrete recycling evaluation in tender appraisal" and "defining clear legal evaluation of concrete recycling" were major recommendations for Australian and Hong Kong, and Japanese respondents, respectively.

Cross-cultural comparison of concrete recycling decision-making and implementation in construction industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tam, Vivian W.Y.; Tam, Leona; Le, Khoa N.

2010-01-01

Waste management is pressing very hard with alarming signals in construction industry. Concrete waste constituents major proportions of construction and demolition waste of 81% in Australia. To minimize concrete waste generated from construction activities, recycling concrete waste is one of the best methods to conserve the environment. This paper investigates concrete recycling implementation in construction. Japan is a leading country in recycling concrete waste, which has been implementing 98% recycling and using it for structural concrete applications. Hong Kong is developing concrete recycling programs for high-grade applications. Australia is making relatively slow progress in implementing concrete recycling in construction. Therefore, empirical studies in Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan were selected in this paper. A questionnaire survey and structured interviews were conducted. Power spectrum was used for analysis. It was found that 'increasing overall business competitiveness and strategic business opportunities' was considered as the major benefit for concrete recycling from Hong Kong and Japanese respondents, while 'rising concrete recycling awareness such as selecting suitable resources, techniques and training and compliance with regulations' was considered as the major benefit from Australian respondents. However, 'lack of clients' support', 'increase in management cost' and 'increase in documentation workload, such as working documents, procedures and tools' were the major difficulties encountered from Australian, Hong Kong, and Japanese respondents, respectively. To improve the existing implementation, 'inclusion of concrete recycling evaluation in tender appraisal' and 'defining clear legal evaluation of concrete recycling' were major recommendations for Australian and Hong Kong, and Japanese respondents, respectively.

Key factors contributing to accident severity rate in construction industry in Iran: a regression modelling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Soltanzadeh, Ahmad; Mohammadfam, Iraj; Moghimbeigi, Abbas; Ghiasvand, Reza

2016-03-01

Construction industry involves the highest risk of occupational accidents and bodily injuries, which range from mild to very severe. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the factors associated with accident severity rate (ASR) in the largest Iranian construction companies based on data about 500 occupational accidents recorded from 2009 to 2013. We also gathered data on safety and health risk management and training systems. Data were analysed using Pearson's chi-squared coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Median ASR (and the interquartile range) was 107.50 (57.24- 381.25). Fourteen of the 24 studied factors stood out as most affecting construction accident severity (p<0.05). These findings can be applied in the design and implementation of a comprehensive safety and health risk management system to reduce ASR.

Construction of efficient xylose utilizing Pichia pastoris for industrial enzyme production.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pengfei; Sun, Hongbing; Chen, Zao; Li, Yin; Zhu, Taicheng

2015-02-21

Cellulosic biomass especially agricultural/wood residues can be utilized as feedstock to cost-effectively produce fuels, chemicals and bulk industrial enzymes, which demands xylose utilization from microbial cell factories. While previous works have made significant progress in improving microbial conversion of xylose into fuels and chemicals, no study has reported the engineering of efficient xylose utilizing protein expression systems for the purpose of producing industrial enzymes. In this work, using Pichia pastoris as an example, we demonstrated the successful engineering of xylose metabolizing ability into of protein expression systems. A heterologous XI (xylose isomerase) pathway was introduced into P. pastoris GS115 by overexpressing the Orpinomyces spp. XI or/and the endogenous XK (xylulokinase) gene, and evolutionary engineering strategies were also applied. Results showed that the XI pathway could be functionally expressed in P. pastoris. After 50 generation of sequential batch cultivation, a set of domesticated recombinant P. pastoris strains with different performance metrics on xylose were obtained. One evolved strain showed the highest xylose assimilation ability, whose cell yield on xylose can even be comparable to that on glucose or glycerol. This strain also showed significantly increased β-mannanase production when cultured on xylose medium. Furthermore, transcription analysis of xylose pathway genes suggested that overexpression of XI and XK might be the key factors affecting effective xylose assimilation. To our best knowledge, this study is the first work demonstrating the construction of efficient xylose utilizing P. pastoris strains, thus providing a basis for using cellulosic biomass for bulk industrial enzyme production.

Cost Management Practices and Strategic Perspectives: a study in the construction industry of the State of Paraná

OpenAIRE

Almeida, Lauro Brito de; Machado, Esmael Almeida; Panhoca, Luiz

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost management practices of building industry companies of Paraná that follow the typology of Porter´s strategies. The sample comprises member companies of the Association of Construction Industries of the State of Paraná (PR-SINDUSCON) operating in the segment of residential buildings. The data were collected by means of questionnaires sent to 317 SINDUSCON members. 69 were returned and 54 used for our research. Exploratory Factorial Analysis ...

Laboratory studies of dune sand for the use of construction industry in Sri Lanka

Science.gov (United States)

de Silva Jayawardena, Upali; Wijesuriya, Roshan; Abayaweera, Gayan; Viduranga, Tharaka

2015-04-01

With the increase of the annual sand demand for the construction industry the excessive excavation of river sand is becoming a serious environmental problem in Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the possibility for an alternative to stop or at least to minimize river sand mining activities. Dune sand is one of the available alternative materials to be considered instead of river sand in the country. Large quantities of sand dunes occur mainly along the NW and SE coastal belt which belong to very low rainfall Dry Zone coasts. The height of dune deposits, vary from 1m to about 30 meters above sea level. The objective of this paper is to indicate some studies and facts on the dune sand deposits of Sri Lanka. Laboratory studies were carried out for visual observations and physical properties at the initial stage and then a number of tests were carried out according to ASTM standards to obtain the compressive strength of concrete cylinders and mortar cubes mixing dune sand and river sand in different percentages keeping a constant water cement ratio. Next the water cement ratio was changed for constant dune sand and river sand proportion. Microscopic analysis shows that the dune sand consist of 95 % of quartz and 5 % of garnet, feldspar, illmenite and other heavy minerals with clay, fine dust, fine shell fragments and organic matters. Grains are sub-rounded to angular and tabular shapes. The grain sizes vary from fine to medium size of sand with silt. The degree of sorting and particle size observed with dune sands are more suited with the requirement of fine aggregates in the construction industry. The test result indicates that dune sand could be effectively used in construction work without sieving and it is ideal for wall plastering due to its'-uniformity. It could also be effectively used in concrete and in mortars mixing with river sand. The best mixing ratio is 75% dune sand and 25% river sand as the fine aggregate of concrete. For mortar the mixing

Comparison of Safety Perception between Foreign and Local Workers in the Construction Industry in Republic of Korea

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Serdar Korkmaz

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Since the Republic of Korea became a labor-force-importing country, the number of foreign workers has increased gradually, especially in the construction industry. The main objective of this study was to examine the differences in safety perception between domestic and foreign workers at Korean construction sites. Methods: A total of 891 Korean and foreign workers were surveyed: 140 foreign and 751 Korean workers. The general characteristics and 25 factors influencing safety perception were considered in the questionnaire. Regression and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the variables of workers' safety perception. Results: Differences of nationality (F = 7.379, p < 0.001 and workplace accidents were statistically significant for both domestic (F = 1.503, p < 0.05 and foreign workers (F = 7.868, p < 0.05. In contrast, age, education, and Korean language level were significant variables only for foreign workers. Correlation coefficients of 0.428** for Korean and 0.148 for foreign workers between two items – namely, “management's commitment to safety” and “blaming staff when they make mistakes” – support the conclusion that foreign workers do not trust management's commitment to safety, while Korean workers have confidence in these commitments. Conclusion: Foreign workers' level of safety perception should rise to the same level as Korean workers, especially in terms of obeying safety rules, safety education performance, and safety beliefs. Therefore, an improvement plan for the Korean construction industry is suggested in order to have a better safety level at construction sites with foreign workers. Keywords: construction, foreign workers, Korean workers, safety perception

Effective information campaign for management of exposure to hand-arm vibration in the metal and construction industries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauni, Riitta; Toivio, Pauliina; Esko, Toppila; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Uitti, Jukka

2015-01-01

European Directive 2002/44/EC defines employers' responsibilities in the risk management of hand-arm vibration (HAV). However, the directive is still not completely implemented in all risk industries. The aim of our study was to determine whether it is possible to improve the recognition and management of the risks of HAV at workplaces with a one-year information campaign. A questionnaire on opinions and measures for controlling HAV exposure at workplaces was sent to all occupational safety representatives and occupational safety managers in the construction and metal industry in Finland (n=1887) and once again to those who responded to the first questionnaire (n=961) one year after the campaign. The campaign increased recognition of HAV in risk assessment from 57.0% to 68.3% (p=.001), increased measures to decrease exposure to HAV from 54.6% to 64.2% (p=.006) and increased the number of programmes to control the risks due to HAV (p<.001). The information campaign, which focuses on the construction and metal industries, proved to be effective in increasing the awareness of the risks of HAV and the measures needed to control exposure to HAV. A similar campaign can be recommended in the case of risks specific to certain occupations.

Using Ecotech Architecture as an Effective Tool for Sustainability in Construction Industry

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A. S. Mozhdegani

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Ecotech architecture can be used as an effective strategy to minimize energy consumption and enhance the satisfaction of construction industry beneficiaries in the Middle East. The use of ecotech principles has been employed in different parts of the world. However, following a universal approach is not possible as local conditions are always to be considered Applications and examples of ecotech architecture are investigated in this paper. A proposed building design for the Cheetgar region in Tehran is also briefly demonstrated. A further insight on Masdar city in Abhu Dabi is provided. An overall discussion is made and key conclusions are drawn.

Resource management for sustainable development : The application of a methodology to support resource management for the adequate application of Construction Systems to enhance sustainability in the lower income dwelling construction industry in Costa Rica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Egmond - de Wilde De Ligny, van E.L.C.; Erkelens, P.A.; Jonge, de S.; Vliet, van A.A.M.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the results of the application of a methodology to support resource management for the enhancement of sustainability in the construction industry. Particular emphasis is given to the sustainability of manufacturing and application of construction systems for low income housing

Structural health monitoring and lifecycle-management for civil engineering constructions in power plants and industrial facilities; Zustandsueberwachung und Lebensdauermanagement von baulichen Einrichtungen in Kraftwerken und Industrieanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehnen, Dieter; Demmer, Martin; Pfister, Tobias [ZERNA Planen und Pruefen GmbH, Bochum (Germany)

2013-09-01

In contrast to other fields of engineering, structural health monitoring and lifecycle management for civil engineering constructions in power plants and industrial facilities have to be developed yet. The necessity of this development immediately arises from the building regulations law with its extensive set of regulations as well as from economic constraints. Approaches and methods of structural health monitoring and lifecycle management for civil engineering constructions in power plants and industrial facilities could be improved intensively during recent years. The paper focuses on practical examples that show the necessity of comprehensive and strategic structural health monitoring in conjunction with lifecycle management for civil engineering constructions in power plants and industrial facilities unambiguously und clear. (orig.)

Optimal Contractor Selection in Construction Industry: The Fuzzy Way

Science.gov (United States)

Krishna Rao, M. V.; Kumar, V. S. S.; Rathish Kumar, P.

2018-02-01

A purely price-based approach to contractor selection has been identified as the root cause for many serious project delivery problems. Therefore, the capability of the contractor to execute the project should be evaluated using a multiple set of selection criteria including reputation, past performance, performance potential, financial soundness and other project specific criteria. An industry-wide questionnaire survey was conducted with the objective of identifying the important criteria for adoption in the selection process. In this work, a fuzzy set based model was developed for contractor prequalification/evaluation, by using effective criteria obtained from the percept of construction professionals, taking subjective judgments of decision makers also into consideration. A case study consisting of four alternatives (contractors in the present case) solicited from a public works department of Pondicherry in India, is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The final selection of contractor is made based on the integrated score or Overall Evaluation Score of the decision alternative in prequalification as well as bid evaluation stages.

Construction and operation of an industrial solid waste landfill at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, Ohio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-10-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Waste Management, proposes to construct and operate a solid waste landfill within the boundary of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), Piketon, Ohio. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide PORTS with additional landfill capacity for non-hazardous and asbestos wastes. The proposed action is needed to support continued operation of PORTS, which generates non-hazardous wastes on a daily basis and asbestos wastes intermittently. Three alternatives are evaluated in this environmental assessment (EA): the proposed action (construction and operation of the X-737 landfill), no-action, and offsite shipment of industrial solid wastes for disposal.

Construction and operation of an industrial solid waste landfill at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-10-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Waste Management, proposes to construct and operate a solid waste landfill within the boundary of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), Piketon, Ohio. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide PORTS with additional landfill capacity for non-hazardous and asbestos wastes. The proposed action is needed to support continued operation of PORTS, which generates non-hazardous wastes on a daily basis and asbestos wastes intermittently. Three alternatives are evaluated in this environmental assessment (EA): the proposed action (construction and operation of the X-737 landfill), no-action, and offsite shipment of industrial solid wastes for disposal

Estudo das relações dos atores sociais no complexo industrial florestal de Minas Gerais Study of the relationships of social actors in the forest industrial complex of Minas Gerais

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Rosa Maria Miranda Armond Carvalho

2009-04-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi conhecer as interações entre os diferentes atores sociais relacionados às empresas do complexo industrial florestal de Minas Gerais. Tendo em vista tratar os dados obtidos, utilizou-se a adaptação da escala Likert como mecanismo de medida, tornando possível aferir o grau de concordância e importância atribuídas pelos entrevistados diante das afirmativas descritas no questionário aplicado. A relação com o governo, sociedade, clientes, fornecedores e concorrentes é considerada importante, sendo a busca por informações prática generalizada. A carga tributária, a má qualidade da rede viária e o apoio insuficiente destacaram-se como obstáculos ao desenvolvimento da atividade produtiva.The objective of this study was to understand the interactions among the different social actors involved in the forest industrial complex companies. To work with the data obtained, an adaptation of the Likert scale as a measurement mechanism was used, allowing checking the degree of agreement and the importance attributed by the interviewees in relation to the statements described in the questionnaire. The relation with the government, society, customers, suppliers and competitors is considered important, with the search for information being a widespread practice. Government taxes, the bad quality of the road system and insufficient support were the major obstacles to the development of the productive activity.

Shortening of construction period of nuclear power plant. Activities of construction industry on construction period shortening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamata, Hirofumi

2011-01-01

Total construction period could be shorten by prefabricating structures efficiently in another yard and reducing working hours on site, which would reduce work at height or congestion work and also upgrade safety at work. Construction period shortening would surely reduce expenses during work and advance operation start of electric utilities. Construction of reactor building, turbine building, water intake and drainage canal was performed on a relatively large scale and a big share of whole schedule. This article summarized basic technologies to shorten construction period for reactor building/turbine building and water intake and drainage canal. Advanced methods of reactor building/turbine building; (1) modularization of equipment and skeleton, (2) utilization of concrete mold, reinforcing bar and steel frame, (3) precedent steel frame method and (4) steel plate reinforced concrete (SC) method, were outlined and their application examples were shown to reduce work on site and improve work efficiency. As for water intake and drainage canal construction, (1) precast concrete method, (2) SC method and (3) steel plate shell method were described with application examples. Construction procedures and problems using mega block method for water intake and drainage canal were also introduced. (T. Tanaka)

Construction program management

CERN Document Server

Delaney, Joseph

2013-01-01

Although construction is one of the largest industries in the United States, it lags behind other industries in its implementation of modern management techniques such as those contained in the Standard for Program Management (the Standard) by the Project Management Institute (PMI(R)). Construction Program Management details the successful use of the PMI(R) approach for the construction of capital programs. It demonstrates, through case studies, how implementation of PMI's set of tools and techniques can improve the chances of program success. Exploring tactical and strategic management method

Utilizing platforms in industrialized construction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonev, Martin; Wörösch, Michael; Hvam, Lars

2015-01-01

platform strategies, this researchhighlights key aspects of adapting platform-based developed theory to industrialised construction.Building projects use different layers of product, process and logistics platforms to form the right cost– value ratio for the target market application, while modelling...

The Application of RFID Technologies in Construction

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIAN Meng

2009-01-01

RFID technologies have advanced greatly and deployed successfully in many industry sectors in recent years. Construction industry could benefit from the applications of RFID technologies but as yet has not found sufficient application areas. This project gives a comprehensive awareness of the RFID technologies, which focus on the investigation on the UK construction industry. The current status of RFID in construction and its potentials are specified in the analysis of questionnaires and case studies. Finally, basing on the investigations, some further tasks in developing RFID technologies are carried, including some recommendations, for the construction industry.

Automatic Construction by Contour Crafting Technology

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Mohammad Reza Khorramshahi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Contour Crafting is a novel technology in construction industry based on 3D printing that uses robotics to construct free form building structures by repeatedly laying down layers of material such as concrete. It is actually an approach to scale up automatic fabrication from building small industrial parts to constructing buildings. However, there are little information about contour crafting (CC in current use; present paper aims to describe the operational steps of creating a whole building by the machine reviewing relevant literature. Furthermore, it will represent the advantages of CC usage compared to traditional construction methods, as well as its applicability in construction industry.

Testing in power plant construction as well as in the petrochemical and chemical industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riess, N.; Schittko, H.

1978-01-01

In general, the upgrading of requirements for the most different fields of engineering is also characterized by a corresponding effort in testing. In this context especially nondestructive tests of materials are of outstanding importance. In the fields of power plant construction (among others, components for nuclear power plants) as well as petrochemical and chemical industry considered here, almost all nondestructive test methods are applied. This paper discusses not so much theoretical testing problems, but rather test objects as well as specifications and testing equipment. (orig./HP) [de

Construção e estudos psicométricos de uma Escala de Avaliação da Impulsividade Construction and psychometric studies of a Impulsivity Assessment Scale

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Ana Cristina Ávila-Batista

2011-12-01

Full Text Available O trabalho teve como objetivo descrever a construção e os estudos psicométricos iniciais de uma escala para avaliação da impulsividade. Para isso foram realizados três estudos com três amostras diferentes de alunos de um curso técnico em segurança pública do estado de Minas Gerais. Em todos os casos, a análise da estrutura interna evidenciou a existência de quatro fatores. A denominação dos fatores foi "Falta de concentração e de persistência", "Controle cognitivo", "Planejamento futuro" e "Audácia e temeridade". A análise de precisão por meio do alfa de Cronbach apresentou coeficientes considerados adequados. Os resultados da pesquisa permitiram concluir que os objetivos iniciais do estudo foram alcançados, construindo a Escala de Avaliação da Impulsividade (EsAvI, que pode ser aplicada tanto em sua forma A quanto em sua forma B (EsAvI-A e EsAvI-B, respectivamente.This study aimed to describe the construction and initial psychometric studies of a Impulsivity Assessment Scale. For that three studies were performed with three different samples of students from a public safety technical course at Minas Gerais State. In all cases, the internal structure analysis revealed the existence of four factors. The names for the factors given were "Lack of concentration and persistence", "Cognitive control", "Planning ahead" and "Recklessness and audacity". The analysis of accuracy by Cronbach's alpha coefficients showed satisfactory performance. The survey results concluded that the initial objectives of the study were achieved by building the Impulsivity Assessment Scale (EsAvI which can be applied both in form A and in the form B (EsAvI-A and EsAvI-B respectively.