Theses supervised by İbrahim Yitmen
21 theses · Eastern Mediterranean University
Virtual Reality Application in Construction Jobsite Organization
Virtual reality (VR) can be defined as a combination of headsets, computer generated models, and smartphones/touch tablets and other advance technology join together to provide a user with an experience that feels like close reality, though it is unnatural environment. Various areas of VR technology in construction industries has been identified in this research study. This study focused on the application of VR in construction jobsite organization which includes; site layout planning, collision detection and evaluation of construction site layout scenarios. The main aim of this research study is to explore the benefits, advantages and how this technology can enhance the effectiveness of jobsite layout planning. A comparison was made between the traditional methods i.e. 2D site plan and 3D site plan model used in jobsite organization and 3D VR site model. Two scenarios of construction jobsite 3D model were created during the structural phase of the building using Autodesk Revit software, SketchUp and Lumion. VR box headset was selected for testing the 3D jobsite model. A descriptive case study was represented to describe the organizational plan of the two jobsite scenarios created. Questionnaire survey was adopted for the data collection and feedback from the participants. Presented in this research are the findings and results of this study that helped in exploring this new technology of VR that could aid in construction jobsite organization. The results from this research study helped in determining the application and the benefits of VR in jobsite planning. Lastly, it was found that VR headsets are very beneficial when determining jobsite plan compared to the traditional methods. Keywords: Virtual Reality, Site Layout Plan, Construction, Jobsite Organization, 2D, 3D-CAD model, Jobsite Planning
Conceptual Framework of Performance Management for Northern Iraq Construction Industry
Due to increasing competition between construction companies and changing demands on the type and quality of construction projects in the last two decades, the importance of performance management has been significantly elevated. Therefore, in the recent years a need for a comprehensive system of performance management has been identified for construction organizations. Performance management is a proactive closed loop control system which provides effective strategies for the organizational procedures, tasks, and activities and performs feedback on the whole processes of the system. Since 2003, construction industry in Northern Iraq (NIQ) has been significantly developed and business links of the region with the other countries has been substantially progressed. In addition, due to the stability which exists in the region compared with the other parts of Iraq, the region has been focused by international construction companies. Despite of that, the involvement of foreign companies in the region has been facilitated by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) as a strategy to gain international expertise and foreign technical competency. As a result, a competitive environment for international and local companies has been created in the region that made construction companies make a great effort for improving their performance within the industry. The main objectives of this study are to analyze the existing performance management system (PMS) in NIQ construction industry on the base of recognizing the most appropriate performance measures for construction companies working in the region and proposing a framework by using these measures. For the purpose of forming a suitable framework for NIQ construction industry, two different techniques Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) have been adapted with the addition of a number of perspectives regarding to the business environment of construction industry in NIQ. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey has been performed among the construction organizations working in the region to know the importance level of the framework variables/perspectives. The questionnaire has been sent through e-mail, transmitted in social networks, and filled in face-to-face meetings among NIQ construction companies. As a result, a framework of performance management has been introduced that can be used as a management control system for managing and evaluating performance of NIQ construction organizations. Since in developing the framework two different frameworks have been used and some other perspectives have been added based on experience, the study can be considered as a significant contribution to the field. Furthermore, the framework can be further investigated to be used as a control system in different times and countries. Keywords: Performance management, Performance measurement, Management control system, Strategic management, Northern Iraq Construction industry.
Performance Measurement of Construction Projects in Jordanian Construction Industry
The failure of any project is mainly related to the problems of the measurement of performance at the construction site. According to the Jordanian Association of Engineers in 2014, many construction projects failed due the absence of feasible performance measurement. This is because construction projects are often exposed to challenges like cost, time, quality, human resources (i.e., training, workshops), safety and others. The objective of this study is to analyze the performance measurement of construction projects in Jordan. The factors affecting the performance of construction projects will be identified and strategic plans will be proposed as a recommendation. Owners, consultants and contractors were asked to rate the ten (10) key performance indicators. Data collection was conducted via online questionnaire and eighty one respondents participated in the study (n=81)c. In this study, the Correlation analysis, relative importance index and t-test were used to identify the difference in perception among stakeholders. Also, the major aspects influencing the success of projects in the Jordanian construction industry were identified. The results suggest that, the essential factors agreed by the consultant‟s, contractors and owners were: delivery delays due to shortage and lack of raw material, cash flow, and the duration for site preparation, the activities and behaviors of employees at the site. These stake holders (i.e., owners, consultants, and contractors) differ in terms of perception towards the ten performance factors due to their diverse interests and views. The outcome of this study shows that construction firms must have clear and concise strategic plans, which will enable them generate, apply and assess their performance relative to others or previous projects. This study has contributed to our understanding of the current performance challenges in the Jordanian construction industry. Managers can benefit from this study by taking into consideration the factors affecting construction projects in Jordan. Keywords: Jordan, Construction projects, Construction industry, Performance measurement
Implementing Lean Construction using the Last Planner System in Northern Iraq
With the continuous decline in profit margins and increased competition in construction projects, construction contractors are continuing to search for ways of eliminating waste and increasing profit. One important improvement initiative, with direct practical impacts, has been the adoption of Lean Construction (LC). The best known LC technique is the Last Planner System (LPS), which has been demonstrated as a very useful tool for the management of the construction process and the continuous monitoring of planning efficiency. Nowadays, in Northern Iraq the increased economic growth as well as urbanization in developing cities has led into extensive construction activities that generate large amounts of wastes. Wastes in construction projects resulted into huge financial setbacks to builders and contractors. In addition to this, it may also cause significant effects over aesthetics, health, and the general environment. These wastes needs to be managed as well as their impacts needs to be ascertained to pave way for their proper management, however in many cities of Iraq waste management is still a problem. The main objective of this study is to investigate the causes of waste in construction industry, at which level LC and LPS been implemented, and the effects of implementing LC using LPS in Northern Iraq. The research includes an extensive literature study, interviews with civil engineers, project managers, contractors, and a case study, analysis of this information to develop findings, and extending these to present the key issues that could be targeted for implementing LC using LPS. The study will thus contribute to improving management practice and may aid the establishment of a basis for the development of further research in the area of LC. The research outcomes can inform practitioners of the opportunity to implement alternative management methods in construction, and give a good account of the opportunities and challenges. Beside the direct benefits to managerial practice, the study will also contribute to practice by offering practical recommendation that can assist in the achievement of the full potential of lean and LPS in Northern Iraq. Keywords: Lean Construction, Last Planner System, Waste Management, North Iraq Construction Industry.
Alliancing in Complex Infrastructure Projects
The demands of complex infrastructure project management have shown substantial changes in the transition from the 20th to the 21st century. It is characterized as having many social and technical elements on different levels that are interconnected and independent serving the economy of an area. As projects get more complex and with higher risks, the need for a relational model is required to optimize and manage the risk. The alliance contracting model is a new project delivery method specially for delivering complex infrastructure project. It is the most complete form of relational contracting and has been developed to solve the challenges that complex infrastructure project faces. This thesis explores the concept of alliancing in complex infrastructure project by comparing the results from the literature study with the ones obtained from the real-life case alliance projects. Quantitative analysis method was used for the study. Questionnaires, which were prepared based on the findings from literature, was analyzed using the Microsoft Excel. This research point outs 14 complexities factors in infrastructure projects. Also, the study identifies 14 project qualities that makes a project suitable for alliancing along with 14 hard elements of alliancing. Existing success factors and barriers to alliancing were studied, their relevance was cross-checked with the practical context there by generating new success factors and barriers. The findings obtained will help new practitioners and academics to fully understand what alliancing is, when and how to use alliancing, what to consider and how to make it effective and successful. Keywords: Alliancing, Complexities, Infrastructure, Alliance Element, Success Factors, Barriers, Project Delivery Method.
Factors Affecting the Competitiveness and Innovation in Northern Iraq Construction Industry
Innovation is the process of creating and implementing new ideas for the community, while competitiveness is the ability of a firm to provide the community standard quality services at competitive costs. Creativity and innovation have always been recognized as the foundation of success of any organization, as is the case for the construction industry worldwide. However, without taking the competitiveness in consideration, the prosperity process would be difficult. Over the past decade, the construction industry has been grown dramatically in Iraq, especially in northern region of the country. To keep the industry firms on the success path by way of making them innovative and competitive, examining factors affecting innovation and competitiveness is crucial. With this aim, this research is conducted so as to identify the factors influencing innovation and competitiveness of the firms. Literature review about innovation and competitiveness was reviewed to identify the factors affecting the innovation and competitiveness of construction projects. Pilot study of the questionnaire was achieved by a scouting sample. A questionnaire survey was conducted and 43 factors were identified, categorized into 7 groups of dimensions: 1) input, 2) driver, 3) barriers, 4) enabler, 5) impact, 6) competitiveness, and 7) firm’s need of innovation. 150 questionnaires were distributed to local construction firms. 85 questionnaires were received (57%). iv Four hypotheses addressing the improvements of firm’s project performance and their competitive advantages have been developed, a conceptual framework explaining the developed hypotheses are designed, ended up with recommendations to improve innovation, competitiveness and performance of construction projects in Northern Iraq. Two theories are presented by the study: 1) project performance and competitive advantages of construction firms increase by activating inputs, drivers, enablers and impacts of the innovation; 2) the firms incapable of overcoming barriers, incapable of improving their project performance and competitiveness. It is recommended for construction industry in the region to improve the factors that affect negatively on innovation and competitiveness through identifying a structured methodology and mechanism to: 1) improve Research and Development (R&D) expenditure and R&D projects; 2) consider the short and long term profitability; 3) increase the number of employees devoting innovation. Keywords: Competitiveness, Construction firms, Innovation, Northern Iraq Construction Industry.
A Financial Evaluation through Waste Management of Construction Projects Located in Iran
In recent decades, the generation of construction and demolition (C&D) waste has become one of the global concerns. The act of urbanization increases a lot of C&D activities and as a consequence, generation of C&D waste would grow as well. Not only would this growth cause environmental damages, but it would also consume a huge amount of energy and money. Moreover, the lack of awareness about the quantity of wastes produced in C&D projects, is one of the critical reasons for? taking actions to deal with it properly. This study aims to practice a model of quantification for estimating the generated C&D wastes based on the materials that are used in a construction project. Moreover, since taking action on construction waste management is a phenomenon that needs a governmental support to be applicable, cost analyses have been applied in order to implement a penalty related to the wastes generated in construction sites. Additionally, a questionnaire survey has been prepared to be filled by construction managers in order for comparison with the mentioned model. The questionnaire would investigate how much the construction experts are aware of the amount of wastes which is produced in their projects. The bill of quantity related to 7 concrete and 4 steel skeleton projects has been collected respectively for the purposes of the study. The result of comparison mostly indicates that the professionals of the construction sites estimate the amount of waste generated in their projects lower than the amount which has been estimated by the main model of quantification. Also it has been revealed that the material most used in iv construction projects is concrete and consequently, the most wastes generated in C&D projects are cement, concrete and aggregates. Moreover, the statistical analysis shows a significant difference in usage of concrete in concrete and steel skeleton structures. Since the model of quantification is limited to the concrete skeleton structures, for better estimation of the penalty two different equations have been conducted based on the skeleton of the projects. Finally, investigation related to cost analysis of proper disposal shows that in Iran there is no cost for the action of recycling or proper disposing and the matter of transporting is the only factor which is needed to be estimated for implementation of the penalty. Keywords: Construction and demolition waste, construction waste management, construction project, estimation of waste, Iran
Barriers and Driving Factors for Implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Libya
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an integrated system which includes everything related to a construction project and places it in one template. It’s considered a central database to provide the project documents to all project parties. Moreover, it contains the entire project documents whether they are plans or specifications, bill of quantities or even the project schedule. In this study questionnaire survey technique is used to determine what the actual barriers that hamper its implementation and what are the driving factors that could enhance its pace of implementation in the Libyan construction industry. Additionally, Cronbach Coefficient, Relative Importance Index (RII), Pearson Correlation, and Hypotheses testing were used to analyse the data obtained and to identify the most significant barriers and driving factors. Results of this study showed that the main barriers for implementing BIM are: lack of BIM education, lack of publicity and awareness, and lack of understanding of BIM and its benefits. Moreover, the primarily driving factors are: provide BIM education at university level, top management support and enhancement, and desire for innovation with competitive advantages and differentiation in the market. In order to achieve successful widespread application of BIM in Libya, encourage and support from the government alone is not sufficient. All construction industry players should increase their roles in promoting BIM and use it in their construction projects. Keywords: Building Information Modelling, BIM, BIM Barriers, Libya, Construction Industry, Driving Factors.
Implementation of Supply Chain Management in Iran Construction Industry
In the last few decades construction sector in Iran has been developing rapidly compared with other industries in this country. Economically, Iran government has placed a significant emphasis on this industry as a consequent of the escalating social demand of commercial, industrial and residential constructions especially low-cost housing and affordable accommodation. However, this sector is still suffering from low productivity and it is still running on traditional way of doing business. Therefore, a well-organized transformation in order to reduce cost, time and waste in construction sector to cope with this situation seems to be necessary. It is argued that one of the well-thought techniques that possibly could be the solution to construction industry’s conflicts and time and cost overruns is the Supply Chain Management (SCM), the concept that has emerged and developed in car manufacturing industry and has brought success to that industry as well. It is believed that supply chain management has the potential to enhance the overall productivity of the construction industry in many ways. Yet, this technique has not been practiced efficiently in many countries particularly in Iran. The main purpose of this study is to develop an adequate conceptual framework with the aim of implementing SCM in Iran construction industry on the base of an indepth literature review and analyzing the current performance of the industry throughout a questionnaire survey collected from industries’ experts and stakeholders. The collected responds were statistically analyzed and not surprisingly, project quality improvement, site procurement enhancement, project cost and time reduction are the most significant benefits of the construction supply chain management (CSCM) implementation. Industrialization, BIM (specifically 4D & 5D designs) and advanced technologies (e.g. IT, ERP etc.) are selected as most important variables for implementing CSCM and on the other hand lack of trust, poor subcontractor identification and priced based selection are counted as main barriers in implementing SCM. Subsequently, by implementing this framework it is believed that potential benefits like project cost and time reduction, quality improvement and site procurement management improvement can be achieved. Keywords: Iran construction industry, supply chain implementation, construction supply chain management, SCM framework, construction management
Construction Supply Chain Management Implementation in Libyan Construction Industry
Researchers in construction management field have recently highlighted the importance of adopting the philosophy of supply chain management SCM in construction industry sector. The main driver behind considering this philosophy in construction sector was its remarkable successes within other industry sectors such as manufacture industry sector, wherein it was originally appeared. A construction project supply chain CSCM can be introduced as a systematic network includes material suppliers, manufacturing process, contractors and clients. These parties linking together through a flows of materials, data and cash. Therefore, the quality of communication, collaboration and sharing information between contractor companies, their suppliers and clients, determine the degree of achievement of within supply chain process. This research study presents understanding and analyzing of supply chain management SCM in Libyan construction industry LCI with emphasizing on the importance of relationship among construction supply chain parties including suppliers, contractors and clients along with the effects of SCM implementation on construction performance as well as the significant barriers to CSCM integration in LCI. In this study, the relationship between Libyan construction companies and their supply chain parties (suppliers, contractors and clients) has been investigated by analyzing the importance of the most influential factors affecting the success in supply chain relationship. In addition, Well-known performance indicators were iv examined related to adversarial relationships, adding value and developing reliability and information sharing within construction projects. This study intended to propose a conceptual framework for the implementation of SCM in LCI, for this purpose a questionnaire survey has been designed and distributed among Libyan construction companies randomly selected. A total of 62 responses have been collected for data analysis. Research results reveal that the trust, quality of materials provided and free flow of information among CSCM members impose considerable positive effects on successful relationship between supply chain parties. In addition, the long term and stable relationships are among the most significant factors to improve supply chain process, also inventory and storage considered to be critical functions affecting the efficiency of supply chain organization. Moreover, regarding to adopting SCM in construction performance the results indicates time predictability, effectiveness of communication systems and top management commitment are the most significant factors affecting CSCM performance. However, poor understanding of SCM concept is evaluated among the most significant barriers to integrate SCM conception in LCI. Keywords: Supply chain management, Construction supply chain management, Libya Construction Industry, Framework Model.
Effects of Innovative Procurement Systems on the Performance of Construction Projects
The purpose of this research is to provide information on Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) as a construction procurement and delivery method and identify the factors that are affecting IPD success in design and implementation stage. Construction procurement methods helps the clients to obtain qualified construction services.IPD is the only delivery method that involves all participants in project, it is collaborative delivery method that adapts mutual respect and trust between team members, the main priority is reduce waste to bring superior projects to industry. For this research, the data was collected through questionnaires from selected experts within construction industry. The questionnaire is divided into six major categories; cultural and social, managerial and organizational, financial, technological, legal, implementation. All of these categories are elaborately examined one by one and solutions are evaluated to mitigate affecting factors. Finally, managerial issues are important affecting factors for IPD. Conclusions about the future of IPD are presented along with possible future research suggestions in order to develop further understanding of potential IPD applications. Keywords: Procurement systems, Integrated Project Delivery, Construction Industry
3D/4D BIM-Based Hazard Identification, Safety Regulations and Safety Monitoring of Construction Projects in Pre-construction and Construction Phases
Research studies indicate that construction industry is known as one of the most hazardous working around the world. Fatalities and injuries are the sad reality in construction industry and occur on construction site every day. In comparison with different industries, the risk of fatality or injury at work in construction sector is significantly greater than in others. They happen due to lack of safety planning, traditional methods and failure to follow the construction safety rules and regulations during a construction process. In the recent years variety of approaches like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and innovation technologies such as Sensors, Global Position System (GPS), Ultra-Wide band (UWB), Game Technology, Laser Scan, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS) etc. have been developed to achieve benefits in design-for-safety or safety performance and improve construction safety. A large number of researchers attempt to integrate innovative technologies with safety as an efficient solution to prevent construction fatalities accidents and enhance health and safety in construction industry. The applications of BIM in construction are growing rapidly. The utilization of BIM and visualizations tools can result in promoted safety performance by allowing design team members and managers to visually assess work environment situations and detect hazards situations. By using 3D/4D models, the project team members can communicate more effectively during a safety plan. This study present a framework for Construction Project Progress Safety Monitoring. The framework consists of five stages. During the design stage, this system with the help of 3D software and BIM is capable of identifying potential hazards. In other words, the system make use of the gleaned information to prevent the likely hazards. In control phase, the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) gives possibility of these rule’s monitoring and control. The study indicates that integration of 3D BIM-based models and UAS technology have the potential to improve the identification, implementation and monitoring of field safety and increase the construction projects stakeholders’ safety. In conclusion, this thesis aims to increase health and safety in construction by integrating BIM and innovative technologies from design to implementation. Also this study attempts to prevent accidents before happening to decrease rate of fatalities and injuries in the construction sector. Keywords: Building Information Modeling, Unmanned Aerial System, hazard identification, safety regulation, safety monitoring
BIM/Digital Twin-Based Construction Progress Monitoring through Reality Capture to Extended Reality (DRX)
A generic framework for automated construction progress monitoring via introducing a new integration method incorporating the use of reality capture technologies (Laser Scanner and Wireless Sensors), Building Information Modeling (BIM), Digital Twin (DT), and Extended Reality (XR) has been developed in this study. The proposed framework, BIM/Digital twin-based reality capture to extended reality (DRX), in this research, arrays steps on how these technologies work collaboratively to create, capture, generate, analyze, manage, and visualize construction progress data, information, and reports. Interactions among steps and processes to be followed for implementation purposes are discussed through process modeling and Integrated Function Modeling (IDEF0) language. Finally, the reliability, validity, and contribution of the proposed framework was evaluated to understand the DRX model's effectiveness when implemented in real practice. The empirical data were collected through a computerized self-administered questionnaire (CSAQ) survey conducted on contracting and engineering consulting companies operating in the USA, UAE, Sweden, Denmark, and Canada. The structural equation modeling (SEM) method was used to test the hypotheses and develop the skill model. Then, the strengths and challenges of the DRX model have been described based on three different sources of academic publications, construction professionals’ experiences, and the author's lessons learned. It is concluded how the technologies of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), reality capturing, visualization, and robotics, with construction management principles, can establish a DRX model to enable accurate and real-time progress monitoring of complex projects. DRX facilitates more precise as-planned creation, faster as-built data acquisition, optimizing the whole created and captured data, and presenting them in a real environment. This study provides a roadmap for future efforts involving implementation of the DRX system as a new era of design, construction, and monitoring to empower clients, project managers, designers, and other stockholders with advanced decision-making mechanisms to solve discrepancies in an effective manner. Keywords: Automated Construction Progress Monitoring, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Reality Capture (RC), Digital Twins (DT), Extended Reality (XR).
Project Alliances in Kuwait Construction Industry
As a way to of enhancing construction project delivery and improving their construction supply chains, many countries are encouraging their construction industries to embrace partnering. Construction firms in most developing countries are too small to carry out large construction projects alone. Thus, besides partnering between a client and a contractor, there is an incentive for forming alliances between contractors so that the emerging entities can handle large and sophisticated projects that they cannot do individually. Project Alliance (PA) is an agreement where parties enter into an agreement to work cooperatively and to share risk and reward measured against the performance indicators. The objectives of this study are to provide a review on PA concept, analyze different aspects of PAs, describe the success and failure factors of PAs in general, investigate the application of those factors on PAs and provide a thorough recommendation on how to deal and set up PAs in Kuwait construction industry. This study incorporates the components of construction industry (residential, commercial, industrial, infrastructure) in order to provide information that can help implementing PAs in Kuwait. In this study the data was collected using a questionnaire survey to determine the driving factors and potential barriers of PAs implementation in Kuwait construction industry. Driving factors for PAs were found to be governmental support to help establish project alliances, trust between all parties, commitments between all parties, collaboration between all parties, and careful team selection. Top five barriers for PAs were the lack of trust on other parties, hard formation of a single entity, lack of commitment from other parties, lack of early commercial development, and risk challenges. The research will contribute significantly to the fields of partnering by linking various aspects of drivers and barriers and shed light on future work which will examine a better understanding of PAs for the realization of construction projects. Keywords: Kuwait construction industry, Project Alliances, drivers, barriers.
Implementation of BIM for Off-Site Manufacturing in Construction Industry
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a new developing technology and a modern approach that could achieve a specific position in construction in recent years due to its abilities and capabilities. Since, this technology and new approach is able to create a virtual model of building with details and all components, the authority of stakeholder’s initiative and creativity will incredibly increase and they will be able to predict the most important problems and limitations before implementation. Traditional or conventional construction is proven due to non-flexibility against different types of environment conditions, problems in terms of quality control of materials and consuming more energy will increase risks, time and cost in construction. Prefabrication or off-site construction is an offsite manufacturing process that takes place at a specialized facility in which various materials and building systems are joined to form a component or part of a larger final installation. The most important benefits of off-site construction in comparison with traditional methods is time and cost reduction and its abilities to increased quality. According to the young population of Iran and enormous demand for homeownership, the use of modern technologies in construction section is unavoidable in order to increase productivity and optimal use of resources. Due to the benefits of off-site construction from the sustainable development point of view, this method has high potential to response this demand. But the use of off-site construction could not find its proper position in Iranian construction industry due to some barriers and limitation. Integrating BIM and off-site process due to the capabilities of BIM to share information and increase communication among different parts of project before, in design phase and during construction has a high potential to overcome obstacles and solved them. Moreover, due to abilities of BIM approach to create a virtual model and existing potential of BIM tools to simulate and experiment various component testing in virtual environment, integration of these modern technologies can improve the benefits of construction. In this research in the first step as an initial objective, critical factors of off-sit construction barriers are measured. Then as the main objective by statistical methods, it is investigated at what extend building information modeling (BIM) can overcome on these critical off-site construction limitation in Iran construction industry. The results shows that BIM adoption and operation has high potential to overcome off-site construction limitation. In addition, by integrating BIM and modern construction, duration period of construction, cost and risks will be decreased. Keywords: Building Information Modeling (BIM), Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM), barriers of prefabrication, Iran construction industry
Enhanced Tower Crane Operations in Construction Using Service Request Optimization
Tower cranes are one of the most important equipment in the construction sites, by the time passing the role of the tower cranes will be more significant. Tower cranes are among the most expensive machines. By enhancing the usage of tower cranes time and cost will be reduced, and the quality and safety will be improved. Everyday tower crane’s operator has a list of request from crews, he/she must take materials that they need from specific storage and carry them other location. Usually operator himself/herself decide which crew will get their material first which one is second and so on, and of course it is not the optimum sequence. Since that activity that related to tower crane are mostly on the critical path, if delay happens in these activities it will effect duration of the whole project. So by enhancing the service request sequence both time and cost will be reduced. In this study MATLAB R2013a software is used, and to find the optimum solution a Genetic Algorithm is coded. In this example 9 best solution were find within 50! Different alternative answers, so construction manager according to the situation can decide which service request should be used.
Stakeholder Analysis in Libyan Construction Industry
Scholars in the construction management field have highlighted the importance of analyzing and managing the project stakeholders effectively, since the project success or failure is related to their perceptions of the value created by the project, and the nature of their relationship with the project team. This study intended to facilitate the analysis of the construction industry stakeholders by providing an original framework model. This framework displays a clear process for stakeholders’ identification, prioritization, and classification. And its results provide the basic information needed to engage and manage the stakeholders efficiently in the construction projects. In order to apply this framework in Libyan construction industry (LCI), a questionnaire survey has been conducted by using an internet questionnaire forums and also by distributing printed copies. The survey has targeted the Libyan academic researches and industry professionals for their reviews. The application of the framework in LCI and the analysis of the survey responses have resulted an identification of twenty one stakeholders involved in Libyan construction projects in addition to their roles, objectives and impact in the projects, and a prioritization of these stakeholders based on the salience of their attributes towards the project. Furthermore, based on these results, a classification of the identified parties has made by positioning them in stakeholder assessment matrix. Keywords: Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Identification, Prioritisation, Stakeholder Salience, Salience Assessment Matrix, Libya Construction Industry,Framework Model.
Cost Planning Strategy in Bidding Stage Using 5D BIM
Construction bidding is the process of submitting a tender to undertake, or manage the undertaking of a construction project. Increases in completed project cost compared to bid price is often observed in construction industry. This defect is a result of poor planning for cost, time and scope. These elements are considered as the main three important constraints of bidding phase for every project. A relative new technology that is progressively getting accepted in the construction industry is Building Information Modeling (BIM), which plays a major role on improving construction management background. BIM is based on a 3D model which is complemented by fourth dimension (time) and fifth dimension (cost). The 5D BIM technique can be incorporated into the cost planning process. A 3D model of the construction project is developed and then imported into suitable 5D BIM tool. Thereupon, the project costs are estimated on the basis of generated quantities and unit costs. A case study is presented to illustrate the cost planning and simulation processes in 5D BIM more appropriately during bidding stage, based on a BIM model of a reinforced concrete structure. RIB iTWO is one of the BIM softwares which were used in this study. It provides opportunities to import 3D BIM models, and then carry out cost planning and simulations. Results from the case study suggests that 5D BIM cost planning provides advantages during bidding process by better visualization of the building model, earlier risk identification, producing schedules of quantities for cost planning purposes, more accurate and fast cost estimation, simulated project in the 5D BIM environment and collaborative group working amongst the project team. This study intends to provide novel information process for cost planning experts, as well as it may serve as the basis for further research in the 5D BIM based construction project management field. Furthermore, it contributes to the projects to be completed on time without leading to extra costs. Keywords: Cost Planning, Bidding Process, Building Information Modeling, 5D BIM, RIB iTWO
A Knowledge-based Model for the Stakeholders’ Risk Assessment in Large Scale Transport Infrastructure Projects
The identification of risks in the planning phase of a project and the arrangement of impact values has become a fundamental basis of the successful completion of today’s various construction projects. Despite robust and well-planned projects, unexpected problems will likely emerge in any stage of the project if possible risks are not identified and assessed beforehand. Therefore, this process has become a requisite in increasing the success as well as minimizing the problems of a project. Large-scale transport infrastructure projects (LSTIPs) are developed structures that emerged from the essential necessity of fast-paced and convenient transportation in gradually growing populations. LSTIPs, technologically equipped projects, meet the essential needs of the recent era but also bring about numerous risks such as financial, technical, managerial, political, economical, natural or legal. Hence, being exposed to such risks in the planning and construction stage of LSTIPs, could lead to negative consequences in the fate of the project. Regarding the risks that could be confronted in European and Middle Eastern LSTIPs, this study aims to investigate and determine the possible risks in order of priority for each region by means of an Analytical Network Process (ANP) method. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to determine the risks that were thereafter synthesized in collaboration with pertinent experts. The priority orders were obtained separately for Europe and the Middle East, and comparisons were made between these regions. The results in the study highlight that Europe and the Middle East share both common and distinctive risk factors in the orders of priority. “The financial strength of the client” listed in the financial category for Europe and the Middle East received a priority value of 13.37% and 11.54%, respectively, clearly ranked as the foremost common risk factor for the two regions. However, salient differences were noted in the second leading risk categories for Europe and the Middle East, namely, the findings revealed that the “change in scope of work” risk factor under the construction category has a priority value of 5.48% for Europe and the “water pollution” risk factor under the natural and environmental category has a priority value of 4.55% for the Middle East. To further support the priority orders achieved in this study, two different case studies were conducted. This study also aims to develop a conceptual framework which provides a pathway for the planning phase and to offer risk lists and their priority orders that reinforce the construction phase. This study also incorporates a developed knowledge-based tool that is an aid to rapid and efficient risk identification and decision making in the planning phase of LSTIPs operated by firms in Europe and the Middle East. This knowledge-based tool was created by using the data attained from the firms as well as the risk factors’ priority orders obtained from the ANP model to deploy the logical if-then rules in order to convert them to Exsys corvid shell. In addition to highly contributing to the LSTIPs in Europe and the Middle East, it is believed that the priority orders and the LSTIPs risk identification and decision supporting (RiDECS) tool achieved in this study could be used as a guideline for identifying and sequencing risks in the planning stages of similar projects conducted in various countries. Moreover, future related studies could be juxtaposed with the results of this study to analyze the alterations of priority orders that will have occurred in the course of time. Keywords: large-scale; transport; infrastructure projects; ANP; Europe; Middle East; knowledge-based; RiDECS; Tool
Innovative Performance Measurement Systems in Kazakhstan Construction Industry
Most problems in nowadays of any project is linked with problems in measurement of performance in construction. Many failures in Kazakhstan construction industry occur because of absence of workable performance measurement system. Increasing competition between construction firms and changing demand of the type of the construction projects also need a feasible performance measurement system. Accordingly, nowadays a need for a comprehensive performance measurement system has been identified for construction organizations. The main purpose of this research is to analyze performance measures and propose an appropriate model of framework for the construction industry of Kazakhstan. This research was performed in Atyrau city, Western Kazakhstan. Most of the construction firms contacted were local. All collected data was carried out throughout a questionnaire and seventy three (73) respondents participated in this study. Owners, managers and employees in this research were requested to rate the most significant key performance indicators. According to this study, Relative Importance Index (RII), T-test and the Correlation analysis and Factor Analysis were used to identify the difference in perceptions between respondents. The results of this study show that, the most ten (10) important key performance indicators (KPIs) agreed by the owners, managers and employees were: cash flow, training of staff, profitability, construction cost, productivity, time for construction, quality of service and work, quality of product, business efficiency and finally customer satisfaction – product. iv The outcome of this research displays that construction companies should implement performance measurement systems to assess their existing status. This research facilitated to understand the actual performance challenges in Kazakhstan construction industry. Keywords: Kazakhstan, Construction Industry, Performance measurement systems, Key performance indicators (KPIs)
The Challenges of On-site Waste Management Innovation in Building Construction Projects: Lebanese Construction Industry
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation is considered to be one of the real problems in the construction industry (CI) today. This is because of its direct negative impacts on the efficiency of the CI in addition to the environment. Because the CI is depending on environmental resources, it can’t keep on practicing if these sources are being depleted, therefore the significance of waste management innovation on-site such as separation, processing and re-use of C&D waste is vital to bring forth significant social, economic and environmental benefits over traditional methods. The CI takes an important part in the economy of developing countries, such as Lebanon. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the behavioral determinants effecting on-site C&D waste management innovation (OC&DWMI) decisions. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was distributed between different contractors within the Lebanese CI. A preliminary theoretical model that integrates two key behavioral decision-making theories was developed based on the theory of planned behavior and innovation diffusion theory with additional significant constructs. Structural Equation Modelling was used for data analysis, model modification, and hypothesis testing. A conceptual framework was developed showing the most significant factors. Whereas the results of the final model show that behavioral intention concerning OC&DWMI and governmental supervision are the most significant factors affecting the adoption decisions of OC&DWMI. So governments should impose specific regulations and guidelines regarding OC&DWMI with comprehensive supervision and strict punishment system, in addition to the help of R&D institutions and professional associations in increasing the behavioral intention regarding OC&DWMI to achieve its adoption.