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To enable off-site construction (OSC), architects must finalize construction details in their design deliverables as early as possible, particularly in a building information modeling (BIM) environment, to enhance design constructability and project efficiency. However, most architects lack construction knowledge and practical experience, which impedes their ability to incorporate design-specific construction input (i.e., manufacturing, logistics, assembly, and installation demands) into BIM processes at the early stages. This deficiency can lead to errors, rework, and ultimately increased construction costs. To address this challenge, this study introduces an innovative approach to incorporate constructability knowledge into architectural design processes for BIM-enabled OSC projects. The methodology involved retrospective case studies of two completed OSC projects utilizing a component-centric analysis framework. This analysis resulted in an ontology of construction-specific design features that identified 11 types of constructability issues and the characterization of nine design feature classes that were categorized into three groups: substance; intersection; and composition. These feature classes and their 29 attributes were rigorously characterized from the perspective of BIM-enabled architectural design. This feature-based approach not only extends the BIM vocabulary and semantics from an architectural standpoint but also encapsulates construction knowledge as an integral input to architectural design. Additionally, three strategies were identified, analyzed, and summarized to inform these design features and attributes and to evaluate their effectiveness of addressing constructability issues. The study's ontological approach assists architects in acquiring a comprehensive understanding of design-specific construction knowledge, enabling them to differentiate, locate, and integrate critical types of constructability information into BIM-enabled architectural design deliverables early in the project delivery process. This paper is a foundational step in the development of automated modeling, algorithms, and constructability assessment for BIM-enabled architectural design deliverables, aimed at achieving a more streamlined construction process. Practical Applications: The study presents several practical implications for the OSC industry, aimed at bridging the gap between architectural design and actual construction through BIM-enabled architectural design. First, the proposed construction-specific ontology of design features can assist architects in identifying and incorporating essential constructability information into BIM. Second, these design features and their attributes cover a broad spectrum of construction-specific design information, going beyond geometric details to include the semantics associated with constructability constraints and design considerations while exploring alternative design strategies and tools. Third, these design features and attributes act as a structured "construction information checklist," which systematically guides architects in the early design stages to ensure comprehensive inclusion of all necessary construction-specific design information. Essentially, this checklist offers architects a preliminary method for incorporating constructability knowledge within a BIM environment at the initial phases of the architectural design process for OSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to study the trajectory of the architect Frei Otto (FO) using an exploratory analysis of his projects, which pays special attention to the conceptual and chronological temporal evolution, the type of structures designed, and the relationship with his partners for his built and unbuilt projects. In the latter case, the projects developed, not requested, that are not part of his built works have been approached (i.e., not considered under competition). The main results indicate that FO's architectural trajectory, from a chronological point of view, was intense, which is generally reflected throughout the years. The 1950s–1970s were very productive. In addition to the large number of projects, there were innovative designs for quantity and structural innovation in Germany and other countries (e.g., France and Saudi Arabia). The analyses that were carried out made it possible to ascertain FO's professional and academic influence, which has been reflected in his projects. Likewise, his relationships with his collaborators have been long-lasting in some cases. Practical Applications: This work aimed to study the work of the architect and engineer Frei Otto (FO), of recognized prestige by the awards received and his colleagues. Some mention the scarce diffusion of his work. The interest of this work lies mainly in making known to professionals, academics, and the general public, in a short format, such as that used in scientific papers, the design of his structures, built and unbuilt. As Félix Candela mentions about FO's career, he is a typical and outstanding example of architectural innovation who concentrated his vocation and efforts on the study and research of tensile structures. His international projection and toward the citizen, give Frei Otto academic interest. This work is developed from different perspectives, which include chronological, type of structure, the location and function of the project, and the collaborators he worked with, with whom he shared his innovation and construction activities. Attention has been paid to a collection of unpublished or little-known projects by FO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the architect's role in construction contracts is vital for improving the contractual relationship and preventing disputes. Standard contracts define the architect as an owner's agent and/or a contract administrator. Studies often use qualitative and subjective evaluations to analyze the architect's role. However, there is a lack of quantitative measures that objectively evaluate the architect's capacities in construction contracts. This paper fills this knowledge gap. This study proposes a quantitative graph theory-based approach to analyze the architect's roles under three standard forms of construction contracts in the US: (1) extracting and classifying party interactions; (2) modeling the interactions using network analysis; (3) conducting an expert-based survey to determine the importance of the interactions; and (4) developing the architect's-capacity score (ACS) as an index that depicts the architect's roles into one interpretable measure. The calculated ACS established the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at the upper end of the spectrum followed by the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee contract and then finally the ConsensusDocs with the lowest score. Such delineates the architect's presence under the AIA contract as both an owner's agent as well as a contract's administrator. The EJCDC contract processes reflected the architect's role to be more of an owner's agent. Finally, the ConsensusDocs represented the lowest score due to the lack of the architect's presence in most contract processes. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a methodological approach that mediates the subjectivity entailed in the evaluation of the architect's role: one quantifiable measure. Similarly, Utilizing ACS enables project parties to customize the architect's involvement in the construction phase through tailored contractual arrangements. This quantification of the architect's role promotes a clearer understanding of the architect's expectations, fostering enhanced communication and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to establish clients' perception of the performance of architects on building projects in Ghana. It reports on a survey of both public and private clients of recently completed building projects in two major metropolitan areas of the country. Data from the survey were analyzed by first computing performance indexes and subsequently comparing similarities and differences between results obtained for the two sector clients. The results showed that private sector clients are likely to be more concerned with cost, while public sector clients are more concerned with buildability of design. A total of 71% of the 28 architect performance assessment criteria identified from literature were similarly selected by both sectors with respect to importance of the criteria. Using these, both public and private sector clients were asked to assess the performance of their architects. The results showed that architects were perceived to perform better on public sector building projects than on private sector ones. Their performance on 25% of the performance assessment criteria employed was indicated as being statistically different. The study also revealed that clients expected their architects to improve their performance significantly in approximately 82% of the 28 performance assessment criteria used in the study. The results from this study provide vital feedback to architects on their perceived performance on building projects in Ghana. On a broader level, the paper offers practicing architects some useful feedback that will allow for correction of misconceptions about their true role so as to improve on their relationship with project clients for improved project delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fostering the development of the next generation of construction engineers requires broad input from both industry and academia. The 2014 Construction Engineering Conference (CEC) aimed to bring industry and academic leaders together to recognize emerging challenges in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and present ideas for a path forward. The conference papers showed the following three emerging themes: (1) the need for industry-academia integration in the delivery of case-based learning; (2) the role of building information modeling (BIM) in project coordination and construction engineering education; and (3) the increasing need for integrated project teams. This paper summarizes the current state of the AEC industry, trajectory, educational opportunities, and future directions of each theme drawing upon the papers submitted to the 2014 CEC. This aggregation yielded compelling conclusions that the industry is facing an exciting but challenging path forward. Potential methods for achieving success include enhanced collaboration between industry and academia focused on skills needed to adapt to change and increasing project complexity; using BIM and other technologies to support project team integration; and the involvement of multiple disciplines early in project development and in educational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up until the Renaissance, architects had been considered master-builders. However, the complexity of modern construction required more specialization in trades and caused fragmentation of the responsibilities of individuals involved in design and construction. Nowadays, architects are mainly responsible for the issues related to aesthetics, form, and functionality. In addition, they act as integrators and collaborate with a number of professionals involved in the construction process. One important aspect of building design is its structure, which can have significant impacts on the form and functionality of the final design outcome. Therefore, architects must be aware of structural concepts, and particularly, how form and structural behavior are related to each other. This paper presents a collaborative effort by a team of engineers, computer scientists, architects, and educational experts to develop a web-based system called Structure and Form Analysis System (SAFAS) for use by undergraduate architecture students to learn about various structural issues and the interrelationship between form and structure using double-layer grid spatial structures. This paper also introduces a modified slab analogy approach to estimate the member forces in spatial structures. In addition, it discusses the results of the evaluation of SAFAS using assignments, questionnaires, and tests completed by university architecture students. On the basis of these results, it has been concluded that SAFAS is an effective tool for learning about structure and form by architecture students with limited knowledge of structural engineering and computer science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The typical structure of a construction project contemplates a tripartite system of an architect, general contractor, and subcontractor. Recent changes in the tripartite system utilized in the construction industry through the addition of construction managers have significantly impacted the allocation of risk assumed by the parties involved in a construction project. Additionally, litigation arising from conflicts and questions relating to the parties’ respective duties and responsibilities is on the rise. Not surprisingly, the scope of the construction manager’s legal responsibilities has expanded as architects and engineers attempt to avoid liability by deleting inspection and supervision responsibilities from their contracts. Unfortunately, the courts have not kept up to date with the addition of construction managers and very few decisions actually address legal issues raised by their involvement. This paper will analyze interview responses from construction management firms to identify what they perceive to be the risks and liabilities associated with construction management. Then, specifically, it will look at the increase and decrease of these identified risks for the construction manager. Through a review of relevant case law, this paper will focus on emerging legal issues regarding construction management in an effort to assist construction managers and those providing them with legal counsel to navigate this emerging area of construction law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend of twisted-form buildings, driven by advancements in analysis and drawing methods, material technology, and construction techniques, keeps growing. As buildings reach greater heights, the rotation of floor slabs relative to the previous slab creates diverse and intricate twisted forms. While twisted buildings offer novel design possibilities, they also pose significant challenges. In this study, an overview of the geometrical features and parameters that define twisted buildings are introduced, and their architectural advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The impacts of twisted forms on the structural system, considering both the positive and negative effects, are analyzed and several types of structural systems are presented as examples of buildings with twisted forms. Through case studies of twisted buildings, the problems encountered during their design and construction, and the solutions devised and applied by designers to address these challenges, are investigated. Consideration is given to the applicability and sustainability of twisted-form buildings while adhering to the rules and guidelines of today's regulations. Ultimately, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation related to twisted-form buildings and aims to offer valuable insights for architects, engineers, and contractors engaged in the design and execution of twisted buildings by examining various aspects of their structural behavior and construction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated buildings are one goal of the architectural/engineering/construction (A/E/C) community. Integration implies quality work and it is perceived to add value to a project; but, how is integration defined and how is it applied? This paper reflects on the current status of integration and assesses where the industry stands. To do this, integration was evaluated through publicly available documents of the major professional organizations that represent the field. The American Institute of Architects; ASCE; two ASCE institutes (Structural Engineering Institute and Architectural Engineering Institute); the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; and the Associated General Contractors of America were examined for their commitment to and implementation of integration and integrated design. This survey of the resources has found that integration is important to the industry on the whole, but that the effort to include integration into the A/E/C industry varies in commitment by discipline. However, while there is unevenness in the industry toward integration, there is movement to address the complex idea of integration and changes are ongoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural aspects of masonry facade repairs are not always obvious at the project's outset. Stone removal or in situ repairs may cause unintended overstress or instability. Through case studies, this technical note describes our work alongside preservationists, architects, and contractors to provide masonry repairs that address the hidden challenges of structural stability in both permanent and temporary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last century, a modern seismic design concept has emerged, which is based on different mechanisms, such as reducing and dispersing the seismic input concerning the building or active interaction with the movement of the building. From the past to the present, a wide variety of seismic control methods have been found and applied, together with the modern understanding of seismic design. Using seismic control in buildings increases the functionality of the building and prevents extra structural requirements. This philosophy constitutes an alternative to the conventional seismic design approach, which relies on consuming earthquake energy on its own. With the changing approach, the concepts of seismic design philosophy have changed, and architectural design has been affected from many points by these concepts. Therefore, architects/designers should examine how the decision to use seismic control methods that concern building design decisions from the preliminary design phase will affect the architecture. This study, starting from the historical development of base isolation and energy damping systems, which are widely used among seismic control methods, focuses on new buildings, and new concepts emerging with the modern seismic design approach and their effects on architectural design are discussed in detail. The study's methodology involves evaluating data from existing literature works, building codes, professionals, and practices. As a result, the architectural design of new buildings in the context of base isolation and energy-damping systems is evaluated in terms of the seismic device–building form relationship, planning and location, architectural details, aesthetics, and user comfort, and knowledge and recommendations are presented to architects/professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private sector involvement in road concessions has been one of the main options for governments to engage in large-scale road development plans. Political interference, optimism bias in demand forecasts and the absence of active regulators lead to frequent renegotiations of road contracts and large public remunerations to concessionaires. Because they are unable to deal with the increasing uncertainty in forecasts, governments are using availability payment schemes, which appear to be robust solutions that limit public losses. This paper evaluates the allocations of risk in four Portuguese road concessions under a contractual regulatory regime, discusses the types of incentive mechanisms used in each instance, and draws lessons from these case studies. This investigation reveals evidence indicating that although contracts are becoming increasingly complex over time, the public sector is assuming more production and commercial risks in the highway development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appropriate selection of construction methods is a critical factor in the successful completion of any construction project. Artificial intelligence techniques are widely used to assist in the selection of a construction method. This paper proposes the use of the adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) model to select an appropriate retaining wall method suitable for particular construction site conditions, in order to examine the applicability of AdaBoost in construction method selection. To verify its applicability, the proposed model was compared with a support vector machine (SVM) model, which have been attracting attention for their high performance in various classification problems. The AdaBoost model showed a slightly more accurate result than the SVM model in the selection of retaining wall methods, demonstrating that AdaBoost has advantages (e.g., robustness against defective data with missing values) in application to decision support systems. Moreover, the AdaBoost model can be used in future projects to assist engineers in determining the appropriate construction method, such as a retaining wall method, at an early stage of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicoidal staircases are quite popular among architects for aesthetic reasons. While design charts for simple helicoidal stair slabs are available in design handbooks, no such aid is available for fixed ended helicoidal slabs with landings at midspan. This paper attempts to propose such a design tool for the practicing engineer. Because of the symmetric nature of the slab, four of the six stress resultants at midspan become zero. Thus if the two redundants at midspan can be determined, the rest of the analysis becomes a statically determinate problem. Strain energy method has been used to analyze the structure and determine these two redundants at midspan. Based on this analytical framework, charts have been proposed to quickly determine these midspan redundants. Different geometric parameters have been considered and nondimensional parameters have been used to derive the charts. Finally, the effect of a landing on the stress resultants has been investigated through a limited parametric study. It has been found that the presence of landing significantly affects the maximum vertical moment and torsion. Landing span also considerably influences the distribution of vertical moment, torsion, and vertical shear along the span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of research that was conducted by interviewing architects and structural engineering practitioners to find more specificity on the topic of integration among the two fields. The responses analyzed here are those that portray the undesirable integration missteps. The results yield a framing of integration that is narrower than one might expect. Two areas of poor integration identified by architects give particular insight into the structural engineering and architecture relationship: the improper intellectual framing of the project and the perceived conservatismof the engineer. For engineers, the responses centered on the failure of the regular interactions of the professionals and the lack of architectural leadership. Beyond the profession-specific themes, a comparison of the responses from all practitioners shows that integration lapses happen when the structure itself is too large or a lack of foresight causes errors to arise during construction. The opportunity to review and criticize examples of bad integration, especially when contrasted with positive definitions, demonstrates that integration is multifaceted. Small process-based missteps can color the way a practitioner views the success of integration in a project or work methodology. In comparison to positive examples of integration, which include hope, aspiration, and aims, negative factors show that, along with the ideals, the daily working relationship between the architect and engineer is equally important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership may be defined as the ability to collect a group of people around definite objectives and the achievement of said objectives. An architectural design team needs a leader, and in this paper, the owner of the office is the formal leader. Leadership behaviors of employer architects are directly related to the performance of the design team; therefore, effective leadership is key to a successful design process. Data were collected through a questionnaire on leadership behaviors that was distributed to 40 architects from different design offices in Turkey. Leadership behaviors were gathered into two main groups-delegation of authority and managerial orientation. The significant positive correlations are between authoritarian and task-oriented leadership, and between participative, achievement-oriented and employee-oriented leadership. The position of leader-architects and the age and size of offices are directly related to leadership behaviors. The results show that although leaders of project design teams indicated that participation was important, they actually preferred task-oriented leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequently during the progression of a construction project, the design professional is forced into the role of a judge of project disputes between the owner and contractor. These disputes generally involve substantial claims for extra compensation or extra time and have significant impact on the owner and contractor’s financial position on the project. The architect or engineer will be pressured by the owner, who controls whether the design professional gets paid. The contractor, however, may threaten to pursue legal claims against design professionals if they make the contractor’s job more expensive or fail to give it the appropriate time extension. In many cases, design professionals must admit or deny whether their services were defective in some nature. In addition to these pressures, the design professional is not necessarily trained or comfortable with acting as a judge and interpreting the meaning of contract terms. Generally, when an architect or engineer performs this judicial function, they are immune from any liability for the results of decisions. However, the design professional must make the decision in good faith and with impartiality. In addition, design professionals must only decide those matters that their contract obligates design professionals to decide. This paper will address the nature of the designer’s role as judge and the limits of the designer’s immunity with respect to the designer’s contract obligations and good faith and impartiality requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents updates on topics of interest to civil engineers and architects as of August 1999.

The timely execution of a construction project is very important to the owner, who makes commitments and plans based on the project's anticipated completion data. Failure of a design professional to consider how the design will be implemented by a builder can result in scheduling problems and delays during the construction process. The purpose of this paper is to increase the awareness of architects and engineers as to the impact that a design's constructability has on a project's construction schedule and cost as well as to other possible consequences for the owner. This paper also discusses strategies that architects and engineers can use to improve constructability and minimize design-related problems during the construction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This articles focuses on a comprehensive manual of many of the issues that are now in a state of flux regarding the method best suited for design and construction in the employment of the skills defined as "master builder." There is a bit of confusion lent to the term "master builder" by the authors of the paper because they seem to feel that the usage of "master builder" should be employed by design firms with highly trained and educated architects or engineers who have extensive knowledge of both "design and construction and construction services." Further study and research is indicated in this complex field of construction design and delivery systems and in the preferred recognition and usage of the nomenclature "master builder."

Introduces a series of articles on project management principles and techniques for architects and engineers.

The quality of a project depends on the performance of the design team; design faults can be prevented by effective team management. In this context, effective leadership is needed to enable effective team management. The preference for more than one style of leadership is inevitable in complex business life because different styles are contingent on different situated contexts. This paper focuses on determining which of the two leadership styles architects predominantly prefer in Turkey, and whether there are any differences in the preferences of leadership styles between the design and production phases in a construction context. Data were collected through a questionnaire on leadership styles, which was distributed to 40 architects from different design offices in Turkey. The leadership styles are gathered into two primary groups: transactional and transformational leadership styles. Two styles fall under transactional leadership-coercive and authoritative-and four styles fall under transformational leadership-affiliative, democratic, coaching, and pacesetting. The results show that Turkish architects prefer affiliative, authoritative, and pacesetting leadership styles, but when two styles need to be combined, their choices are the affiliative-democratic and affiliative-coaching leadership styles. Within the frame of this research, the leadership preferences of leading Turkish architects are discussed in light of Hofstede's parameters on Turkish national culture. Within this context, compatibility with the national culture of the leaders' preferences for these behaviors may affect the overall performance of architectural design teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the relationship between personality characteristics and job performance has aroused significant research interest, there is limited research in the construction context. Thus, the primary focus of this study is to determine whether personality differences exist among the construction professionals. The Turkish version of Gough’s Adjective Check List is employed to assess the personality characteristics of construction professionals. Following are only some of the findings derived from the one way ANOVA and independent sample T-test used for the analysis: Architects tend to score higher on the scales of aggression, change, and creative personality than do civil engineers; whereas civil engineers have higher scores on the scales of order, endurance, interception, nurturable, affiliation, personal adjustment, military leadership, and feminine attributes than architects. When it comes to gender, counseling readiness, along with autonomy, become two of the most differentiating factors between males and females. The findings of this study reveal that similarities and differences do exist among architects and civil engineers, males and females, and various age groups and should be managed accordingly for the ultimate success in the construction profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain attributes of an architect or engineer (AE) may be used to predict his performance. These attributes may be categorized as "hard" or "soft" attributes. Hard attributes include an AE's cognitive ability, job knowledge, task proficiency, and job experience. Soft attributes include an AE's conscientiousness, initiative, social skills, controllability, and commitment. The purpose of this study is to identify those attributes that affect an AE's performance, and to construct a model to predict his performance in design build (DB) projects. Twenty five attributes were generated using the hierarchy tree. The importance of these attributes was tested with designer/ builders who select and hire AEs, using a standard questionnaire. A statistical test showed that 24 of these attributes are significantly important. Thirty AEs were evaluated by experienced designer/builders (experts) who have worked with them in completed DB projects. Besides giving a global performance score of the AE (dependent variable), each expert also evaluated the AE on the degree to which they exhibited the important attributes (independent variables). Based on these ratings, an optimum multiple regression performance prediction model was obtained. To validate the model, another group of experts used the optimum model to evaluate 18 other AEs. The resulting performance score as calculated by the model was compared to the global performance scores awarded by the designer/builders. This validation process showed the model to be robust. The results of the study reveal that an AE's performance can be predicted by using just three attributes: AE's problem solving ability and project approach, AE's speed in producing design drawings, and the AE's level of enthusiasm in tackling a difficult assignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the integrated design environments of architecture-led projects, structural engineers need to be collaborative team members, and the team needs to be inclusive to structural engineers. However, structural engineers' participation in integration design has not been fully studied or understood. To add to this knowledge, the experience of 46 practicing engineers was collected and analyzed to conclude that an integrated design environment allows for better engagement by the structural engineer, is more rewarding to the individual, leads to better structural design, and benefits the profession of structural engineering. There are challenges for structural engineers in the relationship with their architectural client, which include architects' lack of respect for their structural engineering colleagues as well as negative connotations of the field. Positive design environments are described as open with mutual trust so that ideas can be exchanged freely at all points in a project. Although further research is necessary, structural engineers can benefit personally and professionally by participating in the larger discussions of integrated design within the architectural, engineering, and construction communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional management-led risk-mitigation and performance-improvement procedures tend to ignore the relationship dynamics of Architect-Engineer design teams, and instead focus on the credentials of the designers and the process for inspecting and controlling the quality of the team's output. Management may acknowledge the complex nature of the design process, but the notion of design teams as complex systems, or more precisely, complex adaptive systems (CAS), with their inherently unpredictable behaviors, is not typically considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on architects, engineers and construction professionals. Lessons learned by construction professionals on the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Contributions that architects can make to complement those suggested by structural engineers concerning building safety.

Sustainability and buildability in building envelope design have gained more importance in recent years, yet there is a lack of an appropriate set of criteria for applicability assessment of building envelope materials and designs for high-rise residential buildings in Singapore. The main objectives of this study are to identify the criteria for achieving sustainability and buildability and to investigate perspectives of architects and engineers on these criteria on the basis of the institutional theory framework. Questionnaire survey of architects, civil and structural (C&S) engineers, and mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineers in Singapore were conducted to examine their perspectives on importance weights of the criteria. Severity index (SI) analysis was applied to determine SI values of the criteria for ranking purposes. The results from Spearmen rank correlation show that the rankings of the criteria by the architects, C&S engineers, and M&E engineers were statistically correlated. The findings would help the building professionals understand the rationale behind the assessment of the building envelope materials and designs and remind them of the importance of each criterion from the actual perspectives of different parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the twentieth century featured construction projects in the built environment developed through significant specialization within design and construction sectors. Several different project delivery schemes have evolved in the last quarter century that focused on a collaborative approach. In academia, this parallel shift toward collaboration has been slower, but students (and faculty) are beginning to learn to value their counterparts' perspective. This case study explores a new way that collaborative academic efforts can be expanded beyond the constructor-architect paradigm. Focused on the improvement of productivity and safety in construction, an ongoing 5-year effort between programs in construction management and industrial design at a major U.S. university produces new construction products and tools. The study explores the iterative development of the program, investigates the process employed, and details how collaboration in academia can play a role in the improvement of tactile construction processes, and in doing so, create intellectual property (IP) and the potential for licensure. In addition to IP, the program has produced extensive research opportunities for faculty, expanded relationships with industry partners, and provided validation of the research through the patenting of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on internationalization of the services sector are lacking. This is true for construction-related consultants (CRC). Studies on the impact of firm age and firm size on internationalization are even more lacking. A study on the internationalization of Malaysian CRCs (covering the civil engineering, cost engineering, and architecture disciplines) was conducted, with specific focus on five dimensions: motives for internationalization, modes of securing overseas projects, firm-specific competitive advantages, home country competitive advantages, and locational factors. Data were collected using the mixed methods of a postal questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. Data between firms of different ages and sizes were compared. Firms of dissimilar sizes were in disagreement over a few firm-specific competitive advantages, whereas firms of dissimilar ages did not concur over several home country competitive advantages and locational factors. Small firms should form partnerships to overcome their size limitations. The Malaysian government should include young CRCs in its export promotion programs. Old firms that have yet to internationalize must overcome their inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial building systems (IBS) are considered a modern method of construction (MMC). Although numerous studies have explored the implications of IBS implementation, they have focused primarily on the hardware elements. This study investigated the adaptability of IBS components and suggested improvements for the construction industry. The main objective was to capture the Malaysian construction industry's perception of IBS by using a quantitative approach. A survey was conducted to collect the viewpoints of professional architects, civil engineers, and quantity surveyors who worked as IBS consultants, contractors, manufacturers, and expert academics. The results of the survey indicate that the respondents agreed that the most critical issues in IBS construction were design conflicts and skill shortages. These responses were consistent across the professions. Furthermore, the respondents believed in the importance of preparing detailed information about the components and connections, applying standard connections, and encouraging innovative designs to resolve the existing issues. The results of this study have implications for designers, engineers, and consultants because they lay the groundwork for a theoretical framework for producing and using adaptable IBS components in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many U.S. federal, state, and local governments have been authorized to use the design–build method of project delivery instead of the traditional design–bid–build method. Recent studies have not been definitive on the cost advantage of design–build for governmental owners. There are fewer change orders in design–build due to design errors because the designer (architect/engineer) and contractor are one entity, but there are other causes of change orders. Some literature suggests that changes requested by the owner of the facility are greater with the design–build method. This research examines the causes for construction-phase changes in 14 design–build and 20 design–bid–build projects. Total changes, expressed as number per contract, cost per contract, or percentage of original contract, were significantly lower in design–build. Fewer design errors in design–build accounted for this advantage. The number of owner-requested changes was significantly greater in design–build. The cost of owner-requested changes, averaged over all the projects, was significantly less for design–bid–build. The differences in changes due to differing site conditions were not significant. The concept that there are more owner-requested changes in design–build projects is supported by this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various drivers of construction innovation are distinguished and classified in four distinctive categories: environmental pressure, technological capability, knowledge exchange, and boundary spanning. Innovation drivers in these categories are active at the transfirm, intrafirm, and interfirm level in the network of organizations in the construction industry. Empirical research in the Dutch construction industry illustrates that the innovation drivers are used by managers of the authorities, clients, architects, consultants, and contractors to stimulate and facilitate innovation processes. It also exemplifies that driving innovation on the transfirm, intrafirm, and interfirm level in the network of organizations is an opportunity for managers of both public and private organizations to develop, improve, and renew their organizations’ positions in the market, the quality of their organizations’ projects, and the cooperative structure of the industry as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This technical note investigates the importance of fees to architects and engineers (A/Es) with respect to the need of clients to minimize production costs. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 12 subject-matter experts from the construction industry. The main finding is that, when it comes to the selection and engagement of consultant A/Es, the Economic Theory of the Firm regarding the need to minimize production cost and maximize profit is applicable to design-builders and A/Es, respectively. Design/builders do regard low fees as important, because their overall competitiveness is also dependent on how much fees their design consultants are charging them. Client organizations pointed out that it is not very important to select low-fee A/Es. Their reasons are the need to employ quality consultants, the fact that fee is not a cost significant item as compared with the overall development cost, and the need to motivate consultants by paying them adequate fees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the prominent trends in business organizations today is the attention placed on individual personality traits as a means of predicting job performance. As such, the current study investigates the relationship of personality traits with critical success behaviors in the engineering and architectural professions’ project design services. The four project service categories measured are: conceptual design, contract documents, construction administration, and firm management duties. The measuremnt of the individual personalities is accomplished through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This research found that those possessing a preference for Intuitive data collection (MBTI, N) and Perceiving structure (MBTI, P) outperformed individuals with preferences for Sensing and Judging, in both planning and construction. However, professionals with a personality favoring Judging (MBTI, J) outperformed in the duties associated with the design phase. Contrary to predictions, the decision processes captured in the Thinking/Feeling dimension (MBTI, T/F) did not influence the performance in any of the four service categories. The implications of the results of this research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a project undertaken at the University of Nottingham aimed to develop an undergraduate course that addresses the need for increased knowledge of fire safety engineering among civil engineers and architects. Differences in education and thinking between architecture and engineering that have a major effect on the way the course was structured; Methods used in order to come up with a unified course that would be useful to engineers and to architects; Information on the structure of the course.