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PurposeUncertainty management (UM) in projects has been a point of attention for researchers for many years. Research on UM has mainly been aimed at uncertainty analyses in the front-end and managing uncertainty in the construction phase. In contrast, UM components in the design phase have received less attention. This research aims to improve knowledge about the key components of UM in the design phase of large road projects.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a literature review and case study. The literature review was used to identify relevant criteria for UM. These criteria helped to design the interview guide. Multiple case study research was conducted, and data were collected through document study and interviews with project stakeholders in two road projects. Each case's owners, contractors and consultants were interviewed individually.FindingsThe data analysis obtained helpful information on the involved parties, process and exploit tools and techniques during the design phase. Johansen's (2015) framework [(a) human and organisation, (b) process and (c) tools and techniques)] was completed and developed by identifying relevant criteria (such as risk averse or risk-taker, culture and documentation level) for each component. These criteria help to measure UM performance. The authors found that owners and contractors are major formal UM actors, not consultants. Empirical data showed the effectiveness of Web-based tools in UM.Research limitations/implicationsThe studied cases were Norwegian, and this study focussed on uncertainties in the project's design phase. Relevant criteria did not cover all the criteria for evaluating the performance of UM. Qualitative evaluation of criteria allows further quantitative analysis in the future.Practical implicationsThis paper gave project owners and managers a better understanding of relevant criteria for measuring UM in the owners and managers' projects. The paper provides policy-makers with a deeper understanding of creating rigorous project criteria for UM during the design phase. This paper also provides a guideline for UM in road projects.Originality/valueThis research gives a holistic evaluation of UM by noticing relevant criteria and criteria's interconnection in the design phase.

The aim of this study was to examine how conflicts influence the construction industry in Norway and create an unhealthy environment that minimizes contractor engagement in future projects. To achieve this, for the first time, we performed a reversed Ishikawa cause and effect analysis using data obtained from interviews conducted with key personnel in the construction industry in Norway. Data gathered from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the Norwegian Association of Heavy Equipment Contractors, and court proceedings were included in the analysis. Most interviewees responded that productivity was negatively affected, which had a significant impact on infrastructure construction projects. However, none of the factors that result in conflicts in the construction industry showed statistically significant within- or between- group differences. Significant costs associated with conflicts affected all stakeholders in the construction industry resulting in untoward effects on entrepreneurial operations.

As a result of globalization, high investment volume in infrastructure projects, and more use of standardization, foreign construction companies are establishing in Norway. The purpose of this paper is to explore the risks of involving foreign contractors and developing suggestions for future projects. In addition to a literature review, two Norwegian bridge projects built by Chines International Contractors studied through a document study and semi-structured interviews with key personnel. The key personnel is from a public project owner, two Chinese construction companies, and subcontractors involved in the two case projects. Some of the risks identified are language barriers, weather conditions, difficulty in managing subcontractors, and different perceptions of safety levels. In the future, project owners should consider preparing the contract documents, handbooks, and standards in both Norwegian and English. If the language risk is managed properly, it influences the other risks as well. Cross projects experience sharing will also help in identifying risks early and taking mitigation measures.

The consensus in the Norwegian construction industry is that the projects are characterized by conflicts. Because unresolved disputes that reach courts take time and resources to be solved, this leads to lost productivity and high costs for all stakeholders. Of the root causes of conflicts identified previously, tender specification and contract understanding were the most significant issues. To expand on previous findings, a qualitative analysis of 58 formal, semi-structured interviews was conducted to determine whether personal characteristics and types of contracts presented conflicts. Interviews were conducted with contractors, public clients, consultants, academics, and lawyers. Data were analyzed using NVIVO 12.0 following specific relevant themes and thematic maps. Corrective and preventive actions included the development of a new method to produce better-prepared tender documents, knowledge building in contract management, training to ensure better communication and dialogue between client and contractor, trust-building, dispute resolution along the way, and avoid awarding contracts at the lowest price or the use of a hybrid model. Improved routines may drive costs down, and cooperation and new forms of tendering and contracting could be the key to prevent and minimize disputes in Norway.

Lean and collaborative project delivery aim to increase productivity and create value in construction projects. Early contractor involvement and target costing are key elements in collaborative delivery. This study explores how early contractor involvement and target cost has been implemented, and the effects of these elements, in the collaborative delivery of a building in Norway. After two months of daily observations and a literature study, further data was collected from the main stakeholders through a document study and sixteen semi-structured interviews. Establishing a reasonable scope, allowable cost and procurement strategy in the front-end was identified as important. Early contractor involvement was determined to have improved constructability, commitment, cost estimation, and team building during the design phase. A balanced, equitable and clear risk distribution in the target cost, and continuous involvement of the client and senior management, was identified as important for collaboration in the execution phase. External factors beyond the control of the project group were found to have been impactful throughout the project. The study calls for more research on the impact of external factors, and the involvement of architects, consultants and subcontractors, in Lean and collaborative project delivery.

To succeed with projects, we need to understand and manage uncertainty. Uncertainties impact a project’s cost, time, and quality performance. The project’s front end is challenging for decision makers due to the high level of uncertainty. This paper identifies the most common uncertainties and their origin in the pre-project phase of large road projects. It also analyses the changes in these factors over 20 years. Document studies collected information about uncertainty factors identified in the early phase of 90 large road projects. The research strategy was explanatory, and data were collected from quality assurance reports from a population of large Norwegian road projects. The project cost varies between USD 30 million and over USD 2 billion. Then, 15-factor groups were established for categorising uncertainties. This study shows a rise in uncertainty factors with operational origins and a decrease in uncertainty factors with strategic and contextual origins over the last 20 years. Identifying and understanding common uncertainties and their origins provides policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with useful insights for policy revision and investment decision making and facilitates a proper focus regarding uncertainty analyses in the front end of road projects.

Cost growth and cost overrun of projects is a well-researched topic, but still a recurring problem. Some of the problems may be attributed to the difficulties of setting a realistic cost estimate in the early phase of the project. This paper aims to give insight o the challenge of setting realistic cost targets. We particularly focus on large and complex infrastructure projects in the context on the Norwegian construction industry. Four large infrastructure projects have been examined, all used a variation of target cost and was more or less successful in their implementation of this approach. Through interviews and document study we identified that when setting cost targets for projects, both allowable cost and target cost should be considered. Allowable cost should be defined by the project owner, implying that the allowable cost should be set before the start of design. Furthermore, the target cost should either be set by the project owner or in dialogue with the design and contractor team. The study concludes that it is important that the target cost is set 12 – 20 % below allowable cost so that it is possible both to drive innovations through the design process and to be able to handle risks during construction.

Cost increase during the planning phase of major infrastructure projects is a crucial challenge which is typical in construction management. This research aims to provide a better understanding of the cost development of road-construction projects and enhance the knowledge on various project attributes that affect cost development. A detailed cost development study (quantitatively chart the cost- trends) and analysis on cost departures at each key-milestone starting from the initial to the final cost is conducted. The impact of different project attributes/settings (size, location, and quality assurance) on cost development are investigated. The research used a dataset of 110 projects from the last two-decades and analyzed using various statistical tests such as trend-analysis, probability-plots, and cost development over-time at the different project milestones. The results showed a decrease in cost-deviation after quality assurance scheme implemented (except few projects). The overall cost development showed an average increase of 5%. The research found different project-setting affect cost development at different magnitude. It provides new insight for construction managers, quality assurers, and cost-estimators to consider different project settings at the early-phases of the project. It helps to understand the individual and combined effects of project-settings and enable decision-makers to act proactively in cost decisions.

Lean construction has inspired the AEC industry globally over the last decades, and this manifests within a wide array of contexts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a narrative-based qualitative analysis of the emergence and impact of Lean construction on a national level, notably in the Norwegian AEC industry. The analysis is based on the concept of paradigm shift and on empirical knowledge in the form of narratives. The narratives of practitioners and researchers provide deep insights into how Lean Construction has inspired the Norwegian AEC industry and academia, respectively. The reflections indicate that the introduction of the Lean construction principles and tools in the Norwegian AEC industry has depended on promoters who have been convinced about its advantages. The role of active promoters – in particular Dr. Glenn Ballard – is underlined as key to successful introduction of Lean Construction. Key cultural features of the Norwegian AEC industry are emphasized as important success factors. Lean Construction in Norway needs to be understood as a phenomenon occurring within a setting that is generally advantageous but also following an effort carried out on several levels. Key elements that can be used within other contexts are (1) the existence of promoters, (2) cooperation between industry and academic circles, (3) a high degree of trust and (4) a predominance of bottom-up organizations within the industry with few levels of hierarchy.

Blue-green roofs are increasingly adopted as a measure to reduce risk related to stormwater events. However, as a novel building element, they present elements of uncertainty in themselves. The integrity of the roof is vitally important to long-term building operation, it is therefore important to understand the extent and impacts of this uncertainty. Documents from building product suppliers are investigated to chart how technical uncertainty and quality risk is managed regarding blue-green roofs. The main form of uncertainty management comes in the form of performance declarations, specifying the operating limits of the products. If a failure occurs, the supplier seeks to be able to document that the quality of the product was not at fault. The processes by which product performance is documented may be very challenging for anybody but the suppliers themselves to gain insight into.

Construction is one of the largest sectors that drive the global economy, yet it has failed to receive the necessary attention from the policymakers and investors. The existing construction statistics report the declining state of labour productivity. However, existing statistics often fail to reflect the true scope and economic impact of construction. They mainly account for on-site construction activities, but overlook the manufacturing of construction products and services in construction labour productivity statistics. The aim of this research is to investigate macro-economic labour productivity and identify the methodological problems inhibiting the effective measurement of construction labour productivity. The paper opted for academic literature review and a case study strategy for data collection. The findings reveal that many productive construction activities related to construction products and services are excluded from the construction labour productivity statistics. The results suggest that Norwegian construction labour productivity is not declining and is actually a productive industry in terms of value added per working hour. Although special reference has been made to the Norwegian construction industry, the same approach holds validity at the international arena of construction statistics. The study offers insights and lessons to construction industries of other countries facing similar productivity related issues. This is an [Accepted Manuscript] of an article published by Taylor & Francis in [International Journal of Construction Management] on [30 Apr 2018], available at https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2018.1462443

Approaches like Target Value Design (TVD) has gained more and more attention in the Construction Industry. Critical issues with these principles are how the cost targets are set, how shared profit is agreed upon and made transparent, and how production costs are steered towards the target costs and tracked. Research has shown positive applications of TVD, but also remaining challenges with the approach. This paper will focus on the process of setting the cost targets in TVD. In traditional design processes, the costs are estimated based on the finalized design. In TVD, design and construction is steered towards the constraints, while maximizing the value for the costumer. Based on the client value, Allowable Cost are set. In Scandinavian countries, stochastic cost estimation methods have been applied to estimate project costs and to set cost targets for projects over many years. The cost targets are set prior to detail design. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how stochastic estimates could be applied in TVD. The method used is a literature review, in combination with a case study of cost estimation principles in two Norwegian public agencies. Findings show that stochastic cost estimates could be used both as input to set Allowable Cost and to estimate the Market Cost. © Editors of the 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) 2019

Construction industry is the largest industrial employer of the world. However, construction labor suffers from declining productivity, job satisfaction and wellbeing. Given its volume and labor extensiveness, measures undertaken to improve labor sustainability of the construction industry would have high impact for the future. To improve the sustainability of labor performance, this paper suggests decision-making measures at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Data is generated through targeted interviews of the top management of the five biggest Norwegian construction contractors. The measures suggested by the interviewees are analyzed and complemented with theory through a systematic literature review, resulting in the development of 45 measures to achieve sustainable labor performance at strategic, tactical, and operational decision-making levels. Due to strict labor laws and regulations, some frequently reported measures in literature do not hold relevance to the Norwegian construction industry. However, the quality of data and unique position of the Norwegian construction industry magnifies its relevance to the global construction industry.

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is 1) to address the importance of contingency at the right level when defining project control baseline, including cost reserves / “room to manoeuvre” and 2) present proactive uncertainty management as a regime to ensure cost effective management of project reserves and contribute to project success. Design/Methodology/Approach – The paper is a combination of literature study and quantitative research on how contingency develops during the lifetime of a case project. The investigation into the case project includes document study into quantitative material from the case project. The combination of empirical material and theory makes the discussion robust. Findings – Unrealistic low cost uncertainty will lead to unrealistic low contingency. The case study from a Norwegian mega project shows a contingency of 15 per cent in addition to expected costs. The case study shows that by continuous opportunity management and risk reduction, the needs for management reserves are systematically reduced and the contingency is controlled. Research Limitations/Implications – This research is limited to one case study. A higher number of cases are necessary to generalise the findings. However, the authors would claim that the systematic mapping of need for management reserve towards the project contingency, and a continuous uncertainty management system will help to obtain cost effective management. The findings from the case study could be applied on similar cases. Practical Implications – The case study shows a way of setting contingencies and managing contingencies through systematic uncertainty management. Originality/Value – Improved management of project provisions will increase the value of future projects. Copyright © 2019, Olav Torp, Ingemund Jordanger, Ole Jonny Klakegg, Yvonne C.B. Bjerke. License Published in the Emerald Reach Proceedings Series. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Opportunity management and Target Value Delivery (TVD) have both been studied extensively but separately. The two approaches have been presented as solutions for increasing value in a project for the owner and users. However, it seems there has not been much research that addresses the link between the two approaches. The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge of how TVD can facilitate opportunity management. The results from a literature review are compared with the practice in two cases: TVD in a large infrastructure project and opportunity management in a large building project. The results from the building project showed a lack of inherent motivation for change and innovation in the project organization. The identified opportunities were aimed mainly at maximizing the project’s operational value and keeping costs within the approved budget. TVD seems to handle this with extensive attention to maintain value for the end-users. Besides, the target cost element of TVD seems to complement opportunity management by creating incentives to be flexible about change and innovation. This paper’s originality is to combine two well-established approaches that have many similarities but have yet to be explored in relation to each other.

Nowadays, large amount of money is invested on infrastructure projects within transport section. This attracts policy and decision makers a lot. Especially, project cost is one of the most discussed factors. This paper aims to investigate different types of cost estimation methods used in transport projects, identify their attributes that make them unique to specific infrastructure, and finally study their applications on transport infrastructure. In addition, the research looked to see if there is trend change on using cost estimation methods over time and checked the applications of methods in each transport infrastructure. The study used a systematic literature review (date cube creation, data filtering using primary and secondary search clusters, content analysis, etc.) to include as many estimation methods as possible. To find the trend, the study carried out a quantitative data analysis to investigate the frequency of each method over time in different modes of transport infrastructure. As a result, the research identified about 12 cost estimation methods and discusses them with three major cost estimation attributes i.e. accuracy, usability/application and easiness to understand. The quantitative analysis showed that parametric, Artificial Neural Networks and unit cost methods are the most used methods across the transport infrastructure. In addition, road infrastructure projects received the highest diversity and frequency of the cost estimation methods.

This paper evaluates the expected knowledge, skills and general competence for graduated civil engineers regarding health, safety and environmental (hereafter HSE) in Norway. The research aims at uncovering whether it is a gap between the expectations from the industry and the learning outcomes for the civil engineering program at the university. The research questions are; 1. What level of knowledge, skill and competence do the industry expect from graduated civil engineers regarding HSE? 2. What level of knowledge, skill and competence do the civil engineers actually possess after graduating? To get an overview of the field of research, the research was initiated by a thorough literature review. The first question is addressed with a survey and analysis of documents related to the contractors own HSE training programs. There were eight respondents to the survey and the documents are gathered from three of the largest contractors in the Norwegian construction industry. The second research question is addressed through an analysis of university study plans and other documents describing learning outcome from the civil engineering program. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (hereafter NTNU) which is responsible for over 80% of all civil engineers at masters level graduated in Norway was chosen as study object. The findings show that there is a gap between industry expectations regarding HSE knowledge, skill and general competence and the learning outcomes for the civil engineering program at the university. Still, this do not necessarily mean that the graduated civil engineers are not knowledgeable regarding HSE. This paper addresses a topic with little previous research and this study will therefore be a valuable contribution within the field of safety research.

Construction cost and delivery time have been used as mutually inclusive measurement for project success in construction industry. In relation to this, several researchers showed a correlation between cost deviation and deviation on delivery time. However, very limited research discussed about the relationship between total construction time and cost deviation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze two specific types of construction projects (roads and buildings) and test if there is a correlation between cost performance and the length of construction time. In other words, respond to the proposition that longer projects have large cost deviation. Further, the research discusses managerial implications by referring what it really matters in cost performance in either of longer or shorter projects. To do this, the research considers various size public road construction projects and building constructions with different project completion time. It uses quantitative research method. The result showed that longer project do not necessarily have higher cost deviation. Unlike the building construction, road construction showed negative correlation between cost and construction time. However, few longer projects showed relatively large cost deviation as compared to smaller projects. This paper also wants to do practical discussions by comparing the attributes of shorter versus the longer projects.

Concurrent engineering and performance measurement are both manufacturing industry concepts that have coexisted and complemented each other for the manufacturing industry success. Construction industry has integrated manufacturing philosophies but still waits for the success manufacturing industry enjoyed. With the help from the literature, the paper looks into the status of performance measurements in construction. The literature review generated more questions than answers. It reflected that the existing construction industry structure needs overhauling. Finally, the paper presents six questions with the help of literature evaluation for future research to start a focused debate on measuring the success of concurrent construction.

Passenger evacuation on elevated railway lines has always been an important issue for elevated rail transit safety management, because it is challenging to evacuate passengers efficiently in the event of man-made calamities and natural disasters. Therefore, an evacuation walkway has been designed as a primary solution to assist passenger evacuation during an emergency on elevated rail transit lines. However, investigations on how evacuation walkway designs influence passenger evacuation time are still limited. This study established two evacuation scenarios of interval evacuation on elevated rail transit lines and put forward a new evacuation time measurement method, based on the concept of &lsquo, evacuation time for passengers leaving the evacuation walkway risk zone&rsquo, Then, the evacuation time for 90 combinations of entrance widths and walkway widths was simulated by a multi-agent evacuation simulator, Pathfinder, considering 1032 passengers being evacuated both unidirectionally and bidirectionally. The results show that the entrance width and walkway width have a combined effect on passenger evacuation time. An increase in the walkway width from 0.7 m to 1.5 m may potentially reduce the evacuation time by 54.5% in unidirectional evacuation, and 35.2% in bidirectional evacuation. An increase in the entrance width results in a noticeable evacuation time fluctuation when the walkway width is 0.7 and 0.8 m for both evacuation scenarios, while in a bidirectional evacuation, a noticeable fluctuation also can be observed when the walkway width is within the range of 1.4&ndash, 1.5 m. According to the study, a potentially good design parameter combination for a newly built evacuation walkway is 1.3 m and 1.4 m for the walkway width and entrance width, respectively. The findings from this study may provide a useful reference in the optimization of the design of evacuation facilities and improvement of passenger evacuation safety in rail transit systems.

Lean construction seeks to improve project performance through maximizing value and reducing waste. As a way of improving project performance, collaborative project delivery methods have been presented as a potential solution. The foundation of collaborative PDM is that they seek to align all participants to well understood and agreed on project goals. However, collaborative PDM is more person-dependent than traditional delivery methods. Hence, this paper aims to increase this understanding of soft elements in collaborative PDMs. A qualitative case study was chosen for exploring the phenomena of soft elements in collaborative PDMs. The combination of literature, documents, and interviews was selected as the basis for data collection. The study has identified that collaborative PDM imposes specific demands upon project managers and owner’s representatives and that formal elements have a significant impact on the soft elements in the project. Soft elements need to be viewed in light of the delivery method, and as indicators of the continuous relationship between members of the project organisation. Therefore, soft elements such as Top management support, Trust, Shared goals and motivation, Attaining the right people, Openness/transparency were all identified as necessary for such an approach to be successful. A critical success factor for soft elements lies in whether the management has enough resources to continuously follow-up. Especially in regards to which elements being implemented and nourished. © Editors of the 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) 2019

Blue-green roofs are vegetated roofs used for stormwater management purposes. With the roof serving several different purposes at the same time, the risk that any of its functions could be compromised needs to be addressed. Risks related to roof defects may present a threat to the long-term operation of a building, and could lead to waste by making defective products. This article presents an investigation to explore how the Norwegian building sector handles and manages this risk. Tender documents for green roof construction projects in the Norway are examined. Technical documents are studied to chart how the projects manage risks related to the integrity of the roofs in the tender phase. Findings suggest that risk in relation to building physics is not systematically analysed and managed in design and procurement phase of the project. Contractors are given significant control of design elements in certain common contract strategies. Risk is effectively not being managed in the early phase, with much of the risk management given to the contractors. The project owner will yield little control over decisions whose outcomes will only manifest long after the warranty period expires. © Editors of the 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) 2019

One key issue in construction industry is how well firms manage concurrent projects effectively and obtain required construction benefits. However, achieving this is not easy and challenging because several activities need tacit and explicit knowledge involved. The purpose of this research is to develop a generic knowledge management (KM) algorithm using ‘learning from’ and ‘sharing to’ (LXS) matrix. We discussed the main concepts and strategies for rapid learning through KM in construction projects. Some of the concepts discussed include set-based thinking, agile project management and planning, iteration management. Moreover, the research discussed these concepts in light of one of Norwegian construction project program. The research first looked at key literature in the field, identify the crucial issues in organizing KM in construction projects, and finally elaborate the case of E39 ferry-free highway construction proposed by Norwegian public road authority (NPRA). The result from the KM matrix showed smaller projects are better to learn from all of the project phases than the large projects. The vice versa is true from sharing perspective. The results instigate the roles of learning and sharing and urge to intervene systemic KM in concurrent construction projects management.

Every capital-intensive constructions project goes through various challenges throughout their project life cycle. However, one crucial challenge is to understand and trace cost development over-time at planning phase. The research aim is threefold: firstly, to identify the critical factors of cost development in the planning phase. Secondly, to investigate empirically a dyadic relationship of cost deviation over time and quantitatively chart their developments. Thirdly, to analyze the construction cost data, discuss their cost developments and identify critical projects based on their actual financial impacts. The research considers 110 projects and analyze them using qualitative and quantitative research methods. The results showed higher cost escalation in the planning phase. The research identified critical factors for cost escalations at the planning phase. The average cost escalation of 110 projects (

Large public-investment construction projects require advanced decision support systems. The traditional (static) cost benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the early-phase decision support system in construction business. The purpose of this paper is to develop a resilient and dynamic CBA framework for road construction projects. The research systematically reviewed academic quality ensured and rigorous peer-reviewed articles (from web of science and publish or perish databases) and discuss selected Norwegian construction projects. The research identified some key attributes (e.g. resiliency, dynamics, system thinking) that the traditional CBA lacks and the framework developed integrates these attributes to fill the gap. The research has theoretical implication from the methodological improvement perspective (e.g. attempting to integrate complex attributes). The practical implication is to avoid inefficiencies and obtain better regulation in government policies. The results could be used on go/no go decision for the Norwegian Megaproject (E39 ferry-free coastal highway construction).

The Last Planner System (LPS) is a tool for project planning and control, and is an important contribution from Lean Construction. LPS focuses on scheduling, task coordination and time management. Uncertainty Management (UM) is a key element in Project Management, where uncertainty is the totality of opportunities (potential upsides) and risks (potential downsides). UM addresses all types of uncertainty (related to cost, time, quality, scope, safety, customer satisfaction, company reputation, etc.). The aim of UM is to exploit the opportunities and reduce the risks. Two construction companies involved in this research are working with both LPS and UM. One has extensive experience with LPS, but less experience with UM. The other has extensive experience with UM, but less experience with LPS. Two questions are raised and discussed in the paper: 1. Could project planning and control be improved by an integration of LPS and UM? 2. If yes, how could LPS and UM be integrated to improve project planning and control? The paper proposes a conceptual model where UM tools are integrated in the plan and meeting structure of LPS. The model is to be tested in forthcoming case studies.

Construction is a project based industry which continues to be a labor intensive, construction labor productivity is of great interest to practitioner and researchers because it is the foremost determinant of profitability and performance of most construction contractors. This paper systematically reviews the literature with the purpose to develop a framework and suggests the measures for evaluating the sustainable labor performance of construction contractors. The paper measures sustainable labor performance as a function of labor economic, social and environmental growth. A total of 55 relevant academic publications were reviewed to short list the measures that influence the sustainable construction labor performance growth. The purpose of the framework is to improve the sustainable labor performance with outcome oriented measures, rather than input measures, which provides the greater liberty for the construction contractors to apply subjective management strategies for construction processes. This research will help the construction contractors and research community to better understand and measure the factors affecting sustainable labor performance of contractors both from the perspective of labor and the contractor. The labor performance measures are aligned with the national socio-economic progress measures which will more effectively direct the future efforts to improve sustainable construction labor performance and national growth.

As pointed out by Venkataraman and Pinto (2010), the importance of estimating project costs arises as the estimates become the benchmarks of which future costs are compared and evaluated. Although estimates become more accurate as decisions are made and uncertainties resolved, they are also chief means for assessing project feasibility, as a comparison of cost estimates with estimates of revenues and other benefits that are crucial in determining whether the project is worthwhile to carry out or not. In this paper we will discuss whether or not the uncertainty analysis is a reliable tool for supporting the cost estimation process. We present 5 challenges in connection with the way uncertainty analyses of cost estimates are done today and present findings that indicate a need to rethink the uncertainty analyses of the projects that have a high degree of uncertainty. This paper is a product of collective reflection, experience and the knowledge of the authors. It is of a qualitative nature as we do not present any quantitative or statistical evidence or methods in our approach. It is understood, due to the diverse contextual backgrounds of the projects involved, that the explanations for differences may be equally diverse. The paper is divided into five parts; The introduction – explaining the importance of the topic; part two provides a short introduction to the applied research methods; part three explain what we mean by cost estimation under uncertainty; part four presents the five identified challenges in cost estimat*ion under uncertainty; part five presents a conclusion and proposes potential areas of further research.

Cost estimation is an important part of project planning. Over the years different approaches have developed, taking uncertainty into account in the cost estimation processes in order to tackle the dynamic nature of projects. However, when implementing these approaches, some challenges have been revealed. The aim in a cost estimation process is to establish a realistic overview of the total project costs and its uncertainties. Even though tools and methods for taking uncertainty into account are implemented, projects with cost overruns are often seen. In this paper we look into some challenges with the practice in cost estimation processes and identify possible improvements to overcome them. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate better solutions to some of the major weaknesses identified in current cost estimation practice. We use a case study of decommissioning of Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant to illustrate how to overcome these challenges. First of all, this is an interesting case with challenges related to the project and the cost estimation process, given the complexity in the situation and that very few have experiences related to decommission of nuclear power plants. Second, we applied an approach that is not yet commonly used to develop cost estimates for this kind of projects. The paper concludes that it is possible to improve the results of uncertainty analysis of cost estimates. A well prepared process, with a suitable group of experts that go through a well-structured process, focusing both on risks and opportunities and using a top-down approach can compensate for some of the challenges related to cost estimation under uncertainty. ©2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open accessarticle distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution(CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the transfer of experiences to improve the basis for overcoming the dilemma of trying to achieve analyses and systems that are both good and simple. The quality of decisions relating to projects depends on how well the assumed basis for the project actually fit the reality of the situation in which the consequences occur. Good value and cost estimations support good decisions about projects insofar as the assumptions on which they are based mirror the reality, and the decision makers can understand the analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a longitudinal case study and qualitative analysis. Data relating to a large number of cases have become available to the authors through many years of research and consulting activities. Through joint experience and discussion the patterns are analysed. This paper is descriptive with respect to the challenges and empirical examples. The analysis itself ends with a rather normative conclusion.FindingsThere is a dilemma embedded in the processes used to analyse uncertainty and risks associated with projects. On the one hand, an important task is to reduce the complexity of a given situation to render the issues sufficiently simple for them to be understood and assessed. On the other hand, the models and assumptions upon which an analysis is based have to be sufficiently precise and detailed in order to make sense. The same dilemma is found when considering actions to address risks and uncertainties, as well as in designing management systems. It is concluded that the dilemma is real. Solutions have to be found among both good and simple options.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper does not answer questions on “how to” and does not dig deep into theoretical perspectives on the current dilemma. More research to understand all aspects of the issue is needed.Practical implicationsUncertainty analysis and management systems have to be good (precise enough) and at the same time simple (practical). There is no value unless it is used. Practical examples in the paper are intended to help practitioners identify alternative options.Originality/valueThe dilemma of good and simple has not been explicitly addressed before in light of practical experience and theory. The value added is increased awareness of an important problem in analytical processes.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss measurement of project success in an ownership perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a case study of owner structures in 11 projects. For each case, an analysis was made of which stakeholder that held six different roles related to project ownership. Multiple sources of information are used, including archives, interviews and observations.FindingsResults from the study indicate that owner responsibilities are not always concentrated to one individual stakeholder in a project. While a traditional owner can be identified for some projects, it is a more complex picture for many other projects.Research implications/limitationsThis paper has primarily analysed project ownership on a macro level, between organisations. Challenges related to identifying owners can to a certain extent also be found on a micro level, within the most involved organisations, but this has not been the aim of the research.Practical implicationsMeasurement of project success in a project owner perspective needs to be adjusted to fit the projects in question. While the question “Who owns a project” is easy to answer in some cases, it requires a more differentiated answer in other cases.Originality/valueMost literature on project ownership focuses on one owner who has all the characteristics of the owner. It is based on one stakeholder who takes the risk related to the cost and future value of the project. The study shows that owner responsibilities are not necessarily concentrated to one individual stakeholder in a project.

This paper presents a framework and a tool for performance measurement of the building design process, to allow better control of the process and the quality of design deliveries. Developing a consistent measurement system supporting the building design management requires a well-defined and thorough process. Although we have commenced real-life testing of parts of the framework, the purpose of this paper is to publish this framework in the academic community, to allow commenting prior to more extensive empirical validation. The rationale for our research is a general lack of comparable measures to control the design process and the quality of the output. The research is based on a general mapping of relevant literature, stakeholder interviews, workshops with experts, and initial testing in a pilot study. The resulting product is a tool for the design manager to efficiently employ to monitor, analyse, and manage the design process in a constructive way.

It is widely accepted that contractor involvement in the front end can influence the outcome of the project in a positive way. However, in the traditional project delivery method of construction projects, the design and construction process are separated and sequentially. As a consequence of this, it is difficult to integrate construction knowledge in the front-end of projects. The evolving project methods are designed to remove such typical challenges by involving contractors early in the process. The purpose of this paper is to explore the success factors for early contractor involvement (ECI) in public infrastructure projects. In addition, the paper aims to propose suitable approaches to implement ECI for public owners in future projects without violating the EU public procurement directives. In addition to a literature study, multiple case studies on eleven projects selected from the Norwegian public bridge projects were carried out. The majorly identified ECI success factors are timing of ECI application, proper compensation, trust, contractors' qualification, owners' competence, and risk distribution. The paper concludes that public owners can implement ECI by using various approaches without violating the EU public procurement directive. Furthermore, based on the identified success factors, effective practical strategies for the successful implementation of ECI may be generated. (C) 2016 The Authors.

The project delivery method (PDM) greatly influences the project outcome. Design-Build, Construction Management and Design-Bid-Build represent the three main methods. Each PDM comes up with its own advantages and disadvantages which suit different projects in different circumstances. A general literature review and a case specific document study were carried out. Firstly, this paper identifies general criteria for selecting PDM. Secondly, it comes up with specific criteria for selecting the PDM for a large infrastructure project. Due to the project characteristics, the identified specific selection criteria differ from the general selection criteria. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) plans a coastal highway route (E39) along the western coast of Norway covering a total of 1100 km, substituting seven ferry connections, with an estimated cost of 268 billion Norwegian kroner. This project is used as an exemplary case of a large infrastructure project. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge with a list of selection criteria for PDMs aggregated from literature, and points out that this list should be adapted to case specific characteristics before being used to select a PDM

Samtiden preges av raske endringer, og dagens løsninger utfordres. Behov for omstilling, fleksibilitet og innovasjon i offentlig sektor krever at Statsbygg leverer effektive lokaler som støtter statlige virksomheters formål og er tilpasset behov i endring. Staten må få mer ut av ressursene som brukes i offentlig sektor, og for Statsbygg betyr dette blant annet høyere krav til kostnadseffektiv prosjektgjennomføring. Statsbygg har derfor startet utviklingsprosjektet Cost Down? Step Up!, hvor målet er å redusere kostnader i byggeprosjekt med 20 prosent innen 2025. Formålet med denne oppgaven er å hjelpe Statsbygg med å finne kostnadseffektiviserende måter å gjennomføre prosjekter på ved å se på prosjekteringsgruppen og dens muligheter til å effektiviseres. Dette skal gjøres ved å se på følgende forskningsspørsmål: 1. Hvilke utfordringer er det ved å estimere kostnader for prosjekteringsgruppen i tidlig fase av prosjektene? 2. Hvordan påvirker utforming av kontrakten kostnadene for prosjekteringsgruppen? 3. Hvordan kan man gjøre kostnadene i prosjekteringsgruppen mer forutsigbare for fremtidige prosjekter? For å undersøke teori som handlet om kostnader i prosjekteringsgruppen og for å skape et grunnlag for studien, ble det gjennomført en litteraturstudie. Videre ble det uført tre casestudier med tilhørende tre intervjuer av nøkkelpersoner fra Statsbygg sine prosjekter. Resultatene av intervju og dokumentstudiet på de tre casene som ble undersøkt er at samarbeid mellom partene hadde stor innvirkning på effektiviteten og kostnaden for prosjektet. En stor faktor for dette var å lage store prosjektgrupper bestående av alle involverte, som kom tidlig inn i prosjektet og var med på å behandle mennesker og skape gode prosesser hvor prosjekterende skulle føle et ansvar for det de prosjekterer. Som nevnt tidligere har entreprisemodellen mye å si for hvordan organisasjonen jobber og samarbeider. I case 1 og 3 var det fokus på akkurat dette. De bruke ikke samme entreprisemodell eller metoder, men de går ut på mye det samme; samarbeid i grupper i tidlig fase med alle interessenter involvert og bruk av flytende prosesser i mindre pakker. Selv om prosjektene gjorde et slags «nybrottsarbeid» så så man allerede effektene av det gode samarbeidet og de gode prosessene med bakoverplanlegging. Resultatene viser også at BIM ble brukt i alle prosjektene og prosjektlederne mente at det er et positiv hjelpemiddel for å gjøre prosjekteringen mer organisert og enklere å styre. Siden BIM har kommet ganske langt i utviklingen og Statsbygg har brukt det en stund, går det nå forholdsvis kort tid for nye entreprenører og andre å lære seg systemene. BIM og Lean har vist seg å være en god kombinasjon som gjør informasjonsflyten enda lettere. I en oppgave av Tauriainen m.fl. (2016), hvor det var en analyse av BIM og Lean i kombinasjon i ulike prosjekteringer, fant de at en fraværelse av en god BIM koordinator skapte store problemer ved at det ikke ble gitt nok instruksjoner. Selv om de andre prosjekterende var vant med BIM kunne ikke det fulle potensialet komme ut. Lean så ut til å potensielt kunne løse disse problemene, men det ville kreve at en Lean kultur er i organisasjonen som var tilfelle i Case 1. Prosjektet hvor «nybrottsarbeidet» blir utført vil ikke være stedet hvor man høster gevinsten, men man vil høste gevinsten av det etter hvert når kompetansen har utviklet seg. Dette stemmer bra med hva Tauriainen m.fl. (2016) formilder. I den forbindelse vil en nasjonal standard for BIM også gjøre bruken av ressurser enda mer effektiv.

Denne avhandlingen tar for seg svakheter og forbedringspotensialer i dagens rekrutteringsprosess av nyutdannede bygg- og anleggsingeniørstudenter til fast stilling etter endt utdannelse. Bakgrunnen for valg av tema er flere egenerfarte eksponeringer til tilsynelatende ufullstendige og lite treffsikre rekrutteringsprosesser. Hensikten med avhandlingen er å gjøre bedrifter mer konkurransedyktige gjennom å benytte alternative seleksjonsmetoder som i større grad kartlegger de mest kvalifiserte og kompetente kandidatene for en stilling. Målet for oppgaven er derfor å kartlegge hvilke egenskaper som predikerer arbeidsprestasjon hos kandidatene i tillegg til hvilke metoder som kan benyttes for å i størst grad kartlegge disse egenskapene ut fra en stor søknadsbunke. For å besvare spørsmålene har det blitt benyttet et kvantitativt litteratursøk for å skape en grunnmur av vitenskapelig data og kartlegge emnet, kvalitative intervjuer med flere rekrutteringsansvarlige og spesialister innenfor organisasjonspsykologi og rekruttering. Til sist er det utført tester/forsøk, basert på teorier som har fremkommet fra de to førstnevnte metodene, på medstudenter. Litteratursøket og intervjuene med psykologene viser at bedrifter som benytter seg kun av intervju som rekrutteringsmetode har dårligere treffsikkerhet når det kommer til å finne de mest kompetente individene. Litteraturen, psykologene som er intervjuet og testresultatene peker alle på at det er IQ- og personlighetstesting som i best grad predikerer arbeidsprestasjon når de benyttes for å redusere antallet kandidater i større søknadsbunker. Pre-seleksjon gjennom IQ- og personlighetstester frigjør timer for personellet som rekrutterer, er kostnadsbesparende for bedriftene og gir en større sannsynlighet for å finne den mest egnede kandidaten for stillingen. Intervjuet bør derimot ikke fjernes fra prosessen men benyttes i etterkant av testene på de resterende kandidatene for å kartlegge personkjemi, diskutere testresultatene og vurdere karakterer og tidligere erfaring som kan gi indikasjoner på kandidatens arbeidsevne og aspirasjon. Resultatet vil være en bedrift med mer kompetente ansatte og høyere konkurranseevne ovenfor konkurrenter. This thesis addresses weaknesses and improvement potentials in today's recruitment process of newly graduated construction and civil engineering students for permanent post-graduate jobs, based on several self-inflated exposures to seemingly incomplete and low-precision recruitment processes. The purpose of the thesis is to make companies more competitive by using alternative selection methods that to a larger extent map the most qualified and competent candidate for a position. The aim of the task is therefore to map which properties predict the work performance of the candidates in addition to which methods can be used to map out these properties to the greatest extent from a large application stack. To answer the questions, a quantitative literature search has been used to create a foundation of scientific data and survey the topic, qualitative interviews with several recruitment managers and specialists in organizational psychology and recruitment, and finally tests / trials have been carried out, based on theories that have emerged from the two former methods, on fellow students. The literature search and the interviews with the psychologists show that companies that only use interviews as a recruitment method have poorer accuracy in finding the most competent individuals. The literature, the psychologists who are interviewed and the test results all point to the fact that it is IQ and personality testing that best predicts work performance when they are used to reduce the number of candidates in larger application bunks. Pre-selection through IQ and personality tests frees up hours for recruiting personnel, cost-saving for businesses, and more likely to find the most suitable candidate for the job. The interview should, however, not be removed from the process but be used after the tests on the remaining candidates to map out the personal chemistry, discuss the test results and evaluate grades and past experience that can give indications of the candidate's work ability and aspiration. The result of this will be a company with more competent employees and higher competitiveness towards other companies.