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Over the past fifty years, the form and function of space habitat modules have remained largely unchanged. While cylindrical modules are relatively simple to transport and deploy, their limited size poses a challenge to their efficiency and usability. In contrast, large space habitat construction projects are costly and present logistical difficulties. The development of polyhedral modules could bridge the gap between these two approaches, allowing for modular, polyhedral units to be assembled and linked together to create larger habitats more efficiently and with less risk. However, identifying the most suitable polyhedron for use in space remains a critical question. Previous research has explored the construction of polyhedral modules, but little rigor has been applied to identifying the most optimal form. This is a crucial issue because the first module to be used will likely set the standard for subsequent modules and any disadvantages present at that time will be perpetuated. Therefore, it is essential to identify the optimal form prior to constructing prototypes. This research paper employs multi-criteria decision analysis and sensitivity analysis to compare various candidate polyhedra across several evaluation metrics, including number of faces, volume to surface area ratio, and joint stress, among several other quantitative and qualitative metrics. The results demonstrate that the Rhombic Dodecahedron is a particularly suitable candidate compared to other forms analyzed. Thus, the Rhombic Dodecahedron should be considered the standard polyhedral form for future research involving the development of polyhedral modules. • Rhombic Dodecahedron identified as optimal polyhedron for space habitat design. • Polyhedral modules surpass cylindrical counterparts in multiple criteria. • Novel multi-criteria analysis method allows cross-metric comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic literature review aims to thoroughly examine the relationship between Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and project management in construction projects. The construction industry is known for its high accident rates among workers, and it is important to understand the factors that contribute to these accidents to develop effective OHS management practices. The review highlights the significance of legal compliance in OHS management and the challenges and opportunities presented by the integration of OHS laws in construction project management. One of the main factors that contribute to high accident rates among construction workers is inadequate training and a lack of proper safety equipment. The review also identifies common types of accidents and their factors on construction sites, such as falls from heights, electrical hazards, and heavy machinery accidents. Additionally, it suggests measures for improving OHS management practices, such as regular safety inspections and training programs, implementing safety policies and procedures, and providing proper personal protective equipment to workers. Overall, the research indicates that OHS is an essential aspect of construction project management, and effective OHS management can improve project performance by reducing accidents and injuries, improving worker morale and productivity, and enhancing the project's reputation. The review provides insights on how to develop, implement and continuously improve OHS management practices in construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the impact of COVID-19 using a quantitative approach on disbursement of maintenance railway projects. Information was gathered by deploying questionnaire survey to practitioners who involved in railway maintenance projects. Primary factors effected to disbursement procedure were identified from 70 major railway maintenance projects (Civil, Mechanical and Electrical works). Thirty-two (32) factors effected to the disbursement procedure were then distributed in the form of questionnaire. A total 115 respondents were sent back and ranking the severity of effective factors to disbursement procedure. Findings revealed in submission stage that contractor's failure to follow the procedures submitting invoices. contractor submits claims with errors and government prevention policies were mainly factors which effected the performance of submission. While, quarantine period and adverse weather factors were the main factor which effected the performance of inspection stage. Financial crisis and shortage of staff were main factors which effected the payment execution period. All mentioned factors effected to disbursement procedure were caused by contractors and engineers and owner staffs. It appeared factors effected to performance of disbursement procedure that were normally occurred in construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery of concrete is a crucial process in construction projects, and any delay or error can cause significant setbacks and added costs. Thus, effective real-time management of concrete delivery is essential to ensure timely and successful project completion. In this paper, we will discuss a practical and manufacturer-agnostic approach to real-time management of concrete delivery for construction named BET 4.0 that is being conceived with a close partnership with a construction company. This application provides the possibility to optimize the whole concreting process as it establishes the connection between all the relevant components and stakeholders involved in the construction process, namely the concrete plant, the transport, and the construction site, interfacing with all actors involved, and benefiting from real-time data produced by installed sensors in the several components such as machines, plants, or construction elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure construction companies encounter numerous challenges in managing large and dispersed teams, along with fragmented or non-existent operational data. These challenges often result in delays, inefficiencies, and over-budget projects. Road pavement works are an example of this, as they heavily rely on expensive heavy construction equipment that requires detailed planning and real-time adjustments. Also, pavement quality is closely linked to the quality of the asphalt mixture in terms of viscosity and compactability, which is significantly influenced by temperature. This paper describes the features, challenges and results of a road paving real-time management system that was conceived in a co-creation environment with a construction company. Such a partnership has allowed to specify the requirements of such an application aligned with the identified needs of a real-world development. According with the state-of-the-art, this innovative system is unique in the way it is manufacturer-agnostic and designed to be compatible with most situations. It is also data production-oriented to allow future developments that may provide business analytics or scientific research in the road paving area. This work also presents the development of sensors such as a high precision geolocalized infrared matricial temperature sensor for the application of the bituminous mixture, the data and communication structure, and a web-based interface that manages the construction projects for different stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the risks that affect highway construction projects duration are studied by qualitative and quantitative approaches. For the qualitative analysis the consistency of expert opinions was evaluated, and two methods were applied to identify critical risks that affect local projects. The quantitative analysis studied the impact of those risks over the activities of a local project and also the relationship between risks using fuzzy logic and Monte Carlo simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology is recently becoming an increasingly influential factor in the successful completion of construction projects. Providing a wide range of technical enhancements to the design process (for example software for 3D modelling), BIM also offers a wide range of tools for managing construction projects. The goal of Building Information Modelling is to eliminate gaps in data transmission between different stages of the life cycle of a construction project. In this context, BEP, or BIM Execution Plan, is an essential document in the BIM concept. It functions as a tool for managing a project, both from the human resources perspective, such as meeting deadlines, and from the perspective of preserving and transferring graphical and non-graphical data of the project. Furthermore, it provides a detailed plan for building design, construction, and facility management, helping to ensure that all stakeholders are in line with the project's goals. This article examines BEP as it evolves throughout various life cycle stages, from initial design and planning to construction and final delivery, exploring its potential in facility management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employee involvement in the planning and execution of building projects vastly affects both project success and functionality in the operating stage. This study is based on interviews with employees to investigate how they experience involvement in change processes related to a hospital building project in Norway. This answers the call for more qualitative approaches in project management research to unveil what actually goes on in projects. The study uses several theoretical lenses. First, we look at employees' access to different bases of power and empowerment. Second, we analyse how path dependence affects experienced involvement. Third, we analyse the employees' reactions to organizational changes; exit, voice, loyalty and neglect. The findings show the high involvement of appointed employee representatives in project groups, although they sometimes felt powerless and without necessary support. Ordinary employees lacked information and had little experience of empowerment. The project mostly followed a strict process of path dependence, and informants described behaviours of both exit, voice, loyalty and neglect. Lack of employee involvement might have resulted in impractical solutions and undesired employee behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on how data from completed projects can be applied to uncertainty analysis. Cost estimates and risk assessments in public construction projects rely on expert opinions and, by little extent, historical figures. By analysing the relationship between project features and budget deviation through statistical methods, we find that total area and estimated square meter price is significantly negatively correlated to cost overruns. Smaller projects tend to have higher cost overruns than larger ones. We argue that cost risk analyses can be improved by such insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current inflation rates have significantly been increasing construction project costs globally. Thus, it is crucial to consider potential inflationary trends when estimating the cost at completion of prolonged projects. However, the absence of literature providing guidance on analyzing inflation trends and adjusting the ongoing project cost performance factor is a gap that needs filling. This study proposes a framework for estimating ongoing project costs based on trend and seasonality analysis of the project cost performance through the Holt-Winters method. The proposed framework also incorporates the estimation of project completion time and is applied to a real case study to assess its efficacy. The results are compared with the ones obtained through pre-existing index-based methods. This paper seeks to improve the accuracy of project cost estimation and management in challenging and uncertain economic environments by providing an alternative to the traditional cost at completion forecasting approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology has been supporting the construction activity in all sectors involved: multidisciplinary designs development; construction planning and monitoring; building management and maintenance. A BIM environment aggregates several specialties and related professionals and in order to control and improve the quality of a BIM project, a BIM manager is required. The BIM manager has the responsibility to coordinate all tasks involved in a building design and in the associated activities that are usually workout over the project documents. A BIM platform can be considered as a useful resource for multidisciplinary coordination, extending the BIM 3D modelling scope into the construction planning and after, in the operation and maintenance stages. A BIM manager is then required: to incentive the collaboration at work and to control responsibility given to each professional involved; to guaranty the correction of the amount and quality of the information, included in each BIM model step, and transferred between tasks; to coordinate all designs and the distinct mandatory activities (conflict detection, cost estimation or energetic simulation). The topic of the present study is illustrated with three building cases were distinct specific projects, disciplines and tasks were developed: structural analyses and reinforcement details; quantity take-off of materials and cost estimation; construction scheduling and simulation. The study presents the relevance of a correct coordination within the development of building projects. Although there are limitations in the implementation of BIM methodology in all sectors or activities within the construction industry, BIM has been bringing an important improvement in the quality of a building design, reflected in the quality of the final product. BIM methodology is a current demand in the construction industry supported on advanced technology and in an adequate management of projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative tools and software programs that can be utilised at different stages of a construction project, from inception to completion, are collectively called digital technologies (DTs). Drones are invaluable for construction projects since they substantially increase productivity, safety, and data collection. During the construction stage of a project, drones can provide accurate and comprehensive data. The study aims to investigate strategies for enhancing the sustainability of building construction in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana through drones. After a thorough literature analysis, ten key indicators were established to guarantee the sustainability of building construction. The indicators were then confirmed using a questionnaire survey. Professionals in building construction, including architects, quantity surveyors, site engineers, and supervisors, were chosen for the studies using the snowball sampling technique. One-way ANOVA, frequency, percentage, mean value, and other statistical methods were used to analyze the collected data. According to the report, regular maintenance, risk assessment, data security and privacy, training and skill development, and extended battery life are the main building sustainability strategies. Following the supply of standards for drone operation, construction organizations, professional bodies, and the government would benefit from assessing the critical strategies for building construction sustainability. This study adds significantly to the body of knowledge by describing how developing economies like Ghana, where drone use is uncommon, could operationalize drones effectively and efficiently using the outlined strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) technology can organically combine data modeling and virtual reality, and compare them with actual construction objects to realize the smart collaboration of entity and the model in the construction processes, greatly reducing early stage mistakes and improve construction efficiency. This paper proposed an automation system framework of smart construction based on BIM technology and collaboration platform, and discussed the element configuration of smart construction based on BIM technology and collaboration platform, and finally elaborated the working mechanism of automated system based on BIM technology and collaboration platform. The study results show that the automation system based on the BIM technology and collaboration platform supports the rapid construction of large-scale three-dimensional scenes and the precise integration of multi-source data, and can bring together construction information and asset information from different sources to form an open, safe, and accessible digital environment. The application of smart construction technology in construction cost management has brought huge economic benefits, construction efficiency has been increased by 65%, construction period has been shortened by 30%, labor intensity has been reduced by 27%, and labor productivity has been increased by 39%, which has brought considerable indirect benefits to construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and Safety (H&S) should be a significant concern in construction projects. The quantification of the work injury accidents started with work A. W. Heinrich (1931), passing per Frank E. Bird Jr. (1969) to a study by ConocoPhillips Marine (2003). These theories, also known as the Accident triangle, Heinrich's triangle, or Bird's triangle, are a base for industrial accident prevention applied in practice by the Dupont STOPTM methodology. Over this methodology, the number of unhealthy and unsafe behaviours is classified and accounted for to diagnose the potential workers' recordable injuries, lost workdays, and fatalities. The At-risk behaviours and the Near Misses are the most challenging safety measurement approach as they depend on the human-observation notes usually conducted in a safety audit. Electronic Performance Monitoring (EPM) concerns the use of innovative hardware and software to assess on-site safety and productivity. The electronic monitoring of construction workers can contribute to evaluating unsafe behaviours. At-risk behaviours could be measured based on location, trajectory, and motions. Also, with the monitoring of the equipment and vehicles, it is possible to measure Near Misses. The Information Technologies integration allows for collecting information about Recordable Injuries, Lost workdays, and Fatalities. This work discusses and presents a framework connecting EPM deployment to data acquisition of unhealthy and unsafe on-site behaviours. The contributions in the theoretical and practical fields concern the opportunities of using new technological assumptions to increase data acquisition and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of quantitative safety analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural impact of project management has recently attracted a lot of interest from academics, as it has quite a significant impact on project success or failure. In the construction industry, few studies have been conducted on the relationship between project organizational culture and performance from the perspective of work practices at the project level. This study's aim is to identify the cultural factors affecting the performance of UAE construction projects by using a mixed-methods approach. Data collection was based on a detailed analysis of the literature and the experiences of key project participants who were engaged in UAE construction projects. SPSS software was used to look at data from 124 recently completed projects in the UAE construction industry. This study identified eight cultural factors positively affecting the performance of UAE construction projects, which are client commitment, consultant commitment, contractor commitment, goal alignment and reliance, cooperative orientation, empowerment orientation, worker orientation, and authority. The contractor commitment-related factors have the most effect on overall project performance, while the authority-related factors were ranked as having the least effect. The study's findings help professionals in the construction industry implement practices that improve project cultures, which can enhance project performance and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost performance problems and overruns were common and considered the major cause of projects due to not gaining the expected profit margin, With an 86% likelihood of overrun in international buildings projects, and at least 30%- 40% of global projects experiencing subpar cost performance and overruns. The poor performance of project costs was attributed to inadequacies of project control systems, as they were responsible for monitoring project costs. Inadequate controlling systems suggest that established controlling tools fail to execute their function. Therefore, a successful control system was crucial to reducing project failure. Thus, The question that drives this study is 'What were the successful cost practices and techniques commonly utilized in controlling construction expenditures and conserving project anticipated profit?'. Following PRISMA protocol guidelines, the study systematically reviewed the previous literature by searching academic databases for relevant articles. The study aimed to examine successful controlling strategies and tools commonly utilized. Fifteen common techniques were identified and found that budgeting monitoring, resources monitoring, interim valuation, unit costing, and cost variance analysis were successful, provided a comprehensive outline of each method, identified the fundamental ideas underlying technique differentiation, and summarized their benefits and drawbacks. Two controlling system implementation strategies were discussed, they were corrective and proactive approaches. A project development stage-based technique selection guide was proposed. The paper also proposed a control framework that integrated proactive and corrective measures into project control to inhibit overruns. The research also examined project controlling technique selection factors that should be considered when choosing the one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to assess the quality of construction and construction projects in Egypt (Damanhour City) to monitor and follow up on the reality of the implementation of engineering projects and determine their percentage compared to the methods and international standards adopted for that and then identify the reasons and factors affecting the quality of project implementation. To achieve this, we evaluated the quality and identified the problems related to it in a sample of construction projects implemented in the year 2021, and this was done by measuring the percentage of conformity to quality requirements using checklists according to the standards of the quality management program BIM 360 field, and the conformity rate was 88% and indicates the existence of a real problem according to international standards, so problems and deviations related to quality were identified and the reasons leading to the occurrence of these problems were identified, which were classified into three factors, namely laws, regulations and compliance It has technical factors and administrative factors, which constitute the basis that must be based on it and try to improve the quality of projects, and summarized the research to the need to work by the concerned authorities to reformulate laws related to engineering work and develop them with the identification of systems and procedures to improve technical and administrative factors in engineering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction projects are prone to cost overruns and delays that can significantly impact their profitability and quality. Identifying the root causes of these issues is critical to finding practical solutions. This study focuses on the Egyptian construction sector and identifies the top six factors that lead to cost overruns and delays in mega construction projects. These factors are inadequate project planning, poor communication and coordination, changes in project scope, lack of skilled labour, insufficient budget allocation, and payment delays. The study recommends strategies to mitigate these factors, such as involving all stakeholders in the planning process, using project management tools, and setting realistic timelines to improve project planning and scheduling. Regular meetings and clear communication channels can achieve effective communication and coordination. The study also suggests managing changes in project scope through effective change management processes and ensuring sufficient budget allocation by conducting accurate cost estimates and setting aside contingency funds. These recommendations can provide practical insights for practitioners and policymakers in the construction industry to mitigate the impact of cost overruns and delays. Overall, the study emphasises the importance of identifying and addressing the key factors contributing to cost overruns and delays in mega construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the shocks of global crises requires that scientists, policymakers, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities work together to enable communities to withstand and adapt to disturbances. On the basis of our experiences in the Andes, we propose the '10-step cycle of transdisciplinarity' for designing projects to build social-ecological resilience in mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the characteristics of visualization, simulation, information integrity, and flexibility, Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology would be widely applied in every stage of construction projects. The existing building structure inspection methods used in this article included safety inspection of existing buildings, applicability inspection of existing buildings, and durability inspection of existing buildings. In visual collaborative design, a project information data model was established based on BIM, and the real-time information dynamics of the building information model were mastered through the sharing and updating of local files. The "reinforcement family" established in this article was mainly composed of beams, columns, walls, etc. In order to achieve widespread applicability of reinforcement families, it was necessary to select family templates based on lines or faces that were not limited by the host when creating reinforcement families. The implementation plan of the building renovation in this article had an annual power consumption of 1260476.5KW·h. While reducing costs and risks, BIM technology brought higher efficiency, higher quality, and more sustainable development opportunities to the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are different studies has introduced different methods and techniques to improve the performance and to reduce the delays in delivering construction projects. The selection of qualified contractors has a crucial importance which ensures delivering projects within the required time, quality, and cost. There are different national classification systems for contractors which are based on some similar and different criteria. This paper aims to develop a new model that helps in evaluating contractors in pre-tendering stage. The establishment of this model starts by listing 39 different criteria that are extracted from previous related studies. Then, 9 experts conducted a pairwise comparisons of those criteria using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) which resulted in 10 important criteria that should be used in evaluating construction contractors in pre-tendering stage. Those 10 criteria were then evaluated by 21 specialized mangers in different contract departments to get the weight of each criterion using Multi Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) which converts those different criteria that have different attributes dimensions to one unified measurement scale identified as the multi-attribute "utility". At the end, the selection criteria are evaluated using numerical and nominal scale to calculate the final score using the weights of those criteria which will allocate the contractors that can go to the tendering stage. As this model introduces a method for evaluating contractors before tendering stage, it also allows the clients or owners redefine the selection criteria and to decide the minimum result to allow contractors to move to the tendering stage. So, this model will help decision makers to ensure that the contractor's characteristics and capabilities meet the requirements of the allocated project. Effective and objective qualification processes will serve both parties, owners, and contractors, in delivering construction projects. The criteria of this model are established based on the requirements of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction project managers aspire to achieve projects of the highest quality while minimizing time and cost. Presently, most trade-off analysis models focus predominantly on the traditional trifecta of time, cost, and quality, often overlooking other pivotal factors and project traits. This study introduces the Chaotic Adaptive Multi-Objective Sea Horse (CAMOSH), an innovative algorithm crafted to navigate the nuanced tradeoffs among time, cost, quality, risk, and environment (TCQRE) in comprehensive construction projects. CAMOSH leverages chaos sequences for population initialization and integrates an adaptive selection technique to harmonize exploitation and exploration during optimization. To facilitate the early-stage project implementation, the multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method is employed. When benchmarked against six esteemed algorithms across two construction projects, CAMOSH shows its superiority. Statistical evaluation underscores CAMOSH's outstanding performance, evidenced by its top-ranking values in Diversity Measure (DM) and Hyper-Volume (HV) for both case studies. Furthermore, the algorithm consistently yields solutions with the most optimal Spacing Metric (SM) values and operates in the shortest time frames. These results collectively validate CAMOSH as an instrumental resource, equipping project managers to adeptly balance multifaceted construction project objectives and pinpoint the most effective project timeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contingency is a critical component in the cost estimation process for any construction project. The contingency reserve considers potential costs related to risks and uncertainties associated with construction projects. It is usually assumed to damp any resulting uncertain monetary impact and to prevent project cost overrun. Many contingency calculation methods for construction projects proposed in literature ranged from simple percentage to complex mathematical methods. Deciding the optimum contingency method for a given project at a given phase represents the main challenge in cost estimation process. This study presents a comprehensive compilation of all contingency calculation methods and divided them into three main groups: deterministic, probabilistic, and modern mathematical methods which have been discussed in details. Appropriate method for estimating contingency amount depends on many criteria such as project peculiarity, complexity, ease of method used, and the accuracy level of the estimates. This study proposed a practical guidance approach for construction agencies to choose their appropriate cost contingency method. This research is expected to help agencies/owners in the budget development stage to allocate a contingency budget for their construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the main execution activities associated with global roadways construction projects (RCPs) were identified and categorized into five main activities of RCPs as follows: (A) Preliminary Preparations; (B) Earthworks (cut/fill); (C) Implementing of sub-base and base layers; (D) Implementing of bituminous layers and (E) Traffic safety and road furniture. A field survey was conducted, and a comprehensive practical risk checklist consisting of 39 crucial risk factors affecting RCPs activities in Egypt was introduced as a case study. The probability of occurrence and the impacts on RCPs objectives (time, cost, and quality) and the risk severity were determined while the key risk factors were highlighted. The correlations between the risk factors indices were measured, and the strongest relationship was found between time and cost severities. The weights of time and cost percentages of each activity were identified, as well as the expected percentages of time and cost overruns. Activity (B) had the highest percentages of execution time and associated cost among the whole activities, i.e., 31% for time and 29% for cost. While the average overall time and cost overruns were found (at 15–20) % and (10–15) %, respectively. The effect on the quality of each activity and the overall effect on the project's final quality were also evaluated. The results indicated a high effect on the quality of activities (A), (B), and (D) and a moderate effect on activities (C) and (E). Furthermore, the influence on the overall quality of the entire project was found with a high effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to enable members of the construction project team to understand the factors which they must closely monitor to complete the project with the required performance. Therefore, the research aimed to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict construction project performance based on the above factors. A group of (34) factors that affect the performance of the project has been identified based on practitioners' opinions. ANN was designed to predict the project performance model using seven inputs that represent six factors that were prioritized as the most influencing factors. The model showed the factors that affect project performance as follows: Coordination and commitment of project parties (30.9%), Schedule estimate (25.4%), Project team experience and availability (24.5 %), and Support from senior management (14.3%). We concluded to design a model that predicts project performance based on previous influencing factors, as this model has a prediction accuracy of 96.1 % and an error of 3.9 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the initial phase of this study, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to meticulously select noncollinear critical defects associated with construction quality from a comprehensive dataset comprising inspections conducted on 1,015 construction projects. The identified critical components were subsequently categorized into three distinct aspects: Inspection Records and Occupational Safety and Health (Aspect A), Concrete Quality (Aspect B), and Construction Team Quality Management (Aspect C). Subsequently, in the second stage of the study, a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) network was meticulously trained, utilizing the 23 input variables corresponding to critical defects that had been identified through the PCA process. The training regimen persisted until convergence was achieved, resulting in a well-trained model capable of transforming input data into a probability value indicative of a project's quality level. The MLP model exhibited a remarkable performance, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 91.3%. These robust evaluation metrics affirm the model's exceptional proficiency in predicting construction quality. The hybrid machine learning approach proposed in this study has proven to be highly effective in extracting valuable insights from inspection data and identifying defects intricately linked to construction quality. This model, with its capacity to accurately forecast construction quality, holds substantial potential for practical application in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and demolition waste (CDW), produced at various stages of construction projects, is a major problem for the construction industry. This waste has led to an international issue that is widespread and enduring. This research used a quantitative method in two stages to suggest workable options to fix this significant problem. An online survey of Egyptian construction industry professionals was conducted during the first round to gauge how three key factors affected the safe disposal of CDW (SDCDW). Management of route, collection, and transportation (MRCT), determination of illegal waste dumping sites (DIWDS), and construction waste tracking and scheduling (CWTS) are the three main factors. The development of a comprehensive framework for SDCDW, in support of Egypt's vision 2030, involved multivariate statistical analysis using the structural equation modelling (SEM) method in the second stage. The findings showed that these three factors had a favourable impact on SDCDW in Egypt. This was evidenced through mentioning the acceptable effect sizes of these three factors towards SDCDW; where MRCT showed moderate effect towards SDCDW with a value of 0.16, CWTS showed small effect towards SDCDW with a value of 0.137, and DIWDS showed small effect towards SDCDW with a value of 0.052.The study also discovered that MRCT is more effective in treating SDCDW with a model path coefficient of 0.383. However, DIWDS is the least effective when it comes to SDCDW with a model path coefficient of 0.191. In support of Egypt's Vision 2030, this paper makes concrete suggestions for the government and the construction sector regarding the safe disposal of CDW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of cost, time and labor intensity in the construction process is very important, but there is a problem of poor optimization effect. The standard genetic algorithm cannot solve the problem of index optimization in the construction process, and the optimization rationality is low. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved genetic algorithm to study the objectives of construction projects. Firstly, the k-value clustering theory is used to analyze the characteristic values of the index and divide them according to the changing trend to reduce the disturbance factors in optimization. Then, the k-value clustering theory is used to search for the child-parent node of the indicator to form the final optimization result and complete the multi-objective optimization. MATLAB simulation shows that under certain optimization criteria, improving the genetic algorithm can improve the rationality of multi-objective optimization, and the optimization time is shorter than that standard improves genetic algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: With the development of science and technology and the intelligence of the construction industry, the traditional extensive construction method can no longer meet the social demand for safety, which requires the construction enterprises and construction units to constantly change the safety management mode. With the advancement of urbanization, intelligent management and control has become the future development direction of the construction industry, and BIM software has also become an important synchronization platform, which will continuously improve the promotion of the overall project and the management of construction safety. Research methods: This paper mainly uses literature survey, quantitative and qualitative analysis, empirical analysis and other methods, which can study the construction safety management and intelligent management and control as a whole. Through literature survey, this paper has obtained a large amount of literature, which can enrich theoretical analysis and comprehensively understand the current construction safety management mode and intelligent management and control mode. Through relevant theories, this paper can fully demonstrate the follow-up research and empirical analysis. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis method, this paper can use statistical analysis method to analyze construction safety accident data, which will analyze the internal relationship through relevant software. Therefore, the quantitative and qualitative analysis method provides important data support for the subsequent research, which can provide statistical methods for the analysis of building safety hazard sources. Through the empirical simulation method, this paper can analyze specific projects with real cases, which will truly simulate the intelligent monitoring system. Through the empirical simulation method, this paper can verify the scientific nature of the algorithm, and can also demonstrate the management and control mode of the intelligent monitoring system. Research conclusion: Through BIM and RFID, this paper builds an intelligent monitoring system, which also builds the information collection, processing and application stages of the overall framework, and realizes the intelligent management and control of the future construction safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of digitalization in the construction industry, the complexity of construction projects is increasing. In response to the widely valued cost and quality management of construction projects, improved algorithms based on machine vision learning can effectively cope with the increasingly complex cost prediction of construction projects. In the entire model design, how to complete the selection and processing of key indicators for construction projects is currently a key issue that needs to be urgently solved. This article studied the use of TSNE (T-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding) and improved grey correlation algorithm to design a cost prediction model, aiming to improve the prediction accuracy of construction project costs and reduce system prediction time. This article analyzed the cost index system and simulation experiments of construction projects, applied machine learning based TSNE and improved grey correlation algorithm, combined index dimensionality reduction processing and construction project unit test set samples, and discussed the following conclusions based on the data results: In the context of intelligent large-scale infrastructure, the construction project cost prediction model using TSNE and improved grey correlation algorithm had higher prediction accuracy than traditional prediction methods in all construction project samples, with an average improvement of 5.1%. At the same time, in terms of model prediction efficiency, the improved algorithm was better than traditional prediction methods, with an average improvement of 12.75%. This indicated that the construction project cost prediction model based on TSNE and improved grey correlation algorithm has a relatively good prediction effect overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction is an indispensable part of people's life. The development of the construction industry is naturally overwhelming. In addition, the improvement of people's living standards has led to the rapid shortage of building resources and the increasingly serious energy problem. In fact, traditional buildings constructed by traditional building technologies are almost all high energy consumption, which has led to a sharp reduction of non renewable resources. People have also gradually found this important problem. Therefore, the concept of application of ecological energy saving technology in building reconstruction has been proposed. On this basis, this paper analyzes the energy conservation design of the external environment of the building, the energy conservation design of doors and windows, the energy conservation design of the building wall and the energy conservation design of the roof through mathematical analysis. The final results show that the energy-saving architectural design concept can really avoid the waste of non renewable resources and improve people's living experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Empirical and anecdotal evidence show that construction projects are delivered on work sites where unsafe acts and conditions abound. Researchers have investigated the strategies that can be adopted to effectively implement health and safety (H&S) in projects so as to reduce the high rates of accidents, injuries and fatalities. However, the effectiveness of these strategies have not been marginally established. Therefore, this study established the effectiveness of H&S implementation strategies on accidents, injuries, and fatalities reduction in Nigerian construction projects. Method: A mixed-method research design was adopted for data collection in the study. Physical observations, interviews, and a questionnaire were the instruments used for data collection in the mixed-method research design. Results : The resultant data identified six appropriate strategies for enabling the desired levels of H&S program implementation on construction sites. Setting up statutory bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive to promote awareness, good practices, and standardization was adjudged pertinent as one of the effective H&S implementation programs that can be used to reduce accidents, incidents, and fatalities in projects. It is expected that the adoption of these strategies would culminate in effective H&S program implementation and subsequently a reduction in the prevalence of accidents, injuries, and fatalities in projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the release of blockchain technology back in 2008, a huge number of blockchain-based systems have been developed. As of Sep'22, there are at least 1,000 blockchain systems ready to be used, with at least four types of networks: public, private, hybrid, and consortium. With the many options you can choose from, a valid question arises: How can we choose a system that fits best with our needs? The purpose of Blockchain Pedia is to help users make the best decision in choosing the right blockchain system, giving the possibility to see the differences between multiple options. The application is designed for anyone who wants to build a project based on blockchain technology, giving recommendations based on the needs of the developer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is produced in conjunction with construction projects at various phases. In Egypt's situation, the disposal of CDW issue has grown to be a major problem, and there is an urgent need to discover a safe disposal method. Based on the exploration of the literature, three main factors that affect the safe disposal of CDW (SDCDW) were found as follows: (1) management of route, collection and transportation; (2) determination of illegal waste dumping sites; and (3) construction waste tracking and scheduling. In this paper, a wide sample of construction industry academics and practitioners were approached by an online survey questionnaire for (1) investigating the applicability and effectiveness of SDCDW factors in the Egyptian construction industry; and (2) examining the relationship between these factors and SDCDW. Different statistical methods were used such as Relative Importance Index (RII) to rank the framework items. In addition, Bi-variate correlation analysis was conducted to test the effectiveness of automation techniques included in the framework with respect to the level of agreement upon reaching safe disposal of CDW. The findings showed that (1) among the various factors, "selection of the shortest path transport route" has the highest applicability, while "detection of CDW illegal disposal sites" is the most effective factor; and (2) there exist positive statistical relationships between SDCDW and all of the various factors. The findings show that creating a conceptual framework for SDCDW in Egypt, which includes these various elements, is necessary as the next research initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undoubtedly, the cracks in the reinforced concrete (RC) structures represent a great danger to those structures, and it was necessary to monitor these cracks with high accuracy. In this research, an experiment was done to investigate the use of modern surveying technologies (digital close-range photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning) to monitor such deformations. The experiment was done in the field on a real project under construction in a water treatment plant. In this plant, some cracks were found in an existing building and studied using the same proposed modern surveying technologies along with a traditional method (Digital Vernier). The results of the modern surveying methods are compared with those obtained by the traditional methods, proving that the proposed modern methods give accurate and reliable results. One of the most important advantages of these modern methods is that these methods do not require direct contact with the monitored structure. Moreover, these methods provide a three-dimensional model to show the exact details of the reinforced concrete structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing the physical structure of a workplace has long-lasting organizational consequences. When managing building projects of this type, it is crucial to involve stakeholders in a way that ensures project success. This study uses a stakeholder perspective and examines how co-determination and participation among hospital employees was managed in the process of extending a hospital building in Norway. Based on input from stakeholder theory, the analysis focuses on the question of whether the employees and their representatives were subjected to management of stakeholders or management for stakeholders. Project documents have been analyzed in order to detect who was involved in the decision-making process during the planning of the project, and in what way. The findings show that individual employees, union and safety representatives took part in the decision-making process, thus, corresponding well with a management for stakeholders- approach. However, their stakeholder interests were not fully integrated and assessed in all parts of the process, and the project goal of creating a good place to work was only to a limited degree followed up in practice. Hence, it appears that they were mostly subjected to management of stakeholders during the process despite their formal participation and representation in the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology emerges as a concept with potential to reduce the fragmentation of the working mode in the construction industry, bringing a comprehensive integration perspective, reduced risk and making it possible to study the entire life cycle of an enterprise using a virtual and centralized information model. The selected case study considered in the research, supports the demonstration of the main benefits in using the methodology and software associated in the design and construction of a building. In a complete project, various disciplines are normally involved, including architecture, structure, water supply and drainage systems, electrical installation and excavation works. Other related task are also normally elaborated over the project information, namely, formwork of the structural elements, quantity-take-off of materials and planning the construction process. Concerning a study case, all these activities were supported on the virtual model generated with all the required disciplines, and complemented with the additional required actions. The objective of the work is to demonstrate the multivalences of the innovative methodology when applied on the developments and coordination of projects in construction. The present study also promotes the use of BIM-based tools within the integration and collaboration within a project team. The study contributes positively to the dissemination of the innovative methodology in the construction sector namely in manage and coordinate a BIM multi-project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large and complex construction projects have a new, increasing need to engage contractors in the pre-construction phase. New technology, cost- and time saving execution methods along with sustainability goals require solutions that the traditional project delivery models where contractor is involved at a later stage, are insufficient solutions as their ability to influence the outcome decreases. The purpose of this study is to examine the main competencies the client needs from the contractor in the preconstruction phase. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, along with 4 workshops and literature studies. Top ten technical competencies were identified, namely design, cost, planning, risk, regulations, materials, constructability, geotechnical knowledge, site planning & preparation, and HSE. According to the respondents, the ten competencies could be grouped in three categories; innovative approach, previous experience and a neutral group. As these groups are somewhat contradictory, it can indicate the cautious approach to ECI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivery planning is a method that determines which deliveries are expected to be delivered at any given time, and the dependency between different deliveries and stakeholders. This study aims to investigate whether the use of the delivery plan increases control over projects' design costs and how Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are being used to increase the control over the project's design costs. It also identifies the benefits and disadvantages of early involvement of stakeholders in the planning process. The research is a qualitative case study with Livsvitenskapsbygget (LVB) project as the primary case. Supplementary data are collected through interviews from four Norwegian projects and one Dutch project. This study is limited to large construction projects and does not cover other types of projects. The study has documented results that indicate that delivery planning increases control over a project's design costs. The results show that using delivery planning reduces the need for iterations and increases predictability. Similarly, the proactive use of KPIs in delivery planning is found to be beneficial in controlling project design costs. Furthermore, the study identifies the benefits and disadvantages of early-stage broad involvement of stakeholders in the design phase. The researchers underline the need for further research in this area, as it indicates that it will have a positive impact on the productivity of the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decisions regarding contractual arrangements and selecting a procurement method are two major aspects of Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Given project ownership as one of the core elements of contractual arrangements, this study employs Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) method to statistically investigate any potential link between project ownership and project size. BLR is a beneficial approach to examine type and significance of the connection between a dependent variable (project ownership) and a set of independent variables (investment size and contract duration). Utilizing a list of PPP projects in Norway, the results indicate that project ownership bears no connection with contract duration. However, the growth of investment size increases the probability of private ownership, except for road construction projects which are public-owned projects with large capital costs. Further studies regarding the implications of project ownership, e.g., risk, sustainability, are highlighted as the future directions in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delay in payment is considered to be one of the most periodically arisen problems in the construction industry. It harms time, cost, and quality. This paper presented a result of a survey which investigated causes of delay in payment of road and highway construction projects in Thailand. Parties involved in construction-borne failure identified the causes of delay in payment and their severity through a questionnaire survey. The delay in payment causes were categorized into 4 main groups (owner, contractor, consultant and architect) which was based on parties-borne failure. The questionnaire listed of 41 factors and sought to identify the significance of major delay in payment factors and determine their impact on road and highway construction projects. The total of 120 responders was asked to weight the degree on seriousness via a questionnaire survey. The survey concluded that top five severity indexes in causing a delay in payment were delays in progress payment, the financial status of owners, poor qualification of the contractors' technical staff, delays in issue approval documents and failure in applying for claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Things (IoT) represents an important area that is evolving rapidly in the context of digitalization efforts related to the Construction 4.0 era. This paper deals with the Internet of Things applications within the construction industry in selected phases of the facility's life cycle, namely the construction and operational phases. In particular, relevant examples of its use were collected, discussed and supplemented with several review papers on a given topic. Results of the analysis show that the potential of the Internet of Things usage is wide and varied in connection with the complexity of the construction projects and the long-term service life of the facilities. The concepts of the Internet of Things usage in the above-mentioned life cycle phases are mostly different focusing e.g., on quality, health and safety issues within the case of construction phase or smart concepts and energy management during the operational phase. Furthermore, one common theme was identified for both investigated phases of the life cycle, namely the interconnection of Building Information Modelling and the Internet of Things. It can be expected that the importance of such interconnection will continue to rise as construction projects implemented with the support of the Building Information Modelling become more and more common in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project management (PM) competence is a very important ability for construction companies and for the successful realization of their projects. It has always been considered that, since construction is a project-based activity, most of construction companies would be well prepared to adopt and apply PM, mastering it. However, construction projects have many failures causing serious consequences to the organizations and most of these failures are related to project management deficiencies. Then, it is very important to achieve these PM capabilities, which requires a suitable organizational readiness for adopting PM, that is, the necessary cultural, environmental, and organizational conditions. This research addresses the organizational readiness of construction companies by proposing a framework to assess it, which is based on factors that are considered necessary to facilitate and assure the adoption of PM capabilities within an organization. These factors were identified through a literature review and an evaluation model was designed with them. This framework was applied to four domestic construction companies and one mining services company. The main result of the evaluation showed that these companies have a low level of organizational readiness, although they recognize the importance of adopting PM capabilities. In fact, they do not count with the appropriate conditions to promote and demand a formalization and standardization of the PM function at the organization. This condition produces that many project managers of these companies manage their construction projects based on their own knowledge and experience only, without a real PM organizational framework and support. Results obtained in this research allow companies to know how to evaluate their PM organizational readiness including their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improving their current situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings where part or all of the components are prefabricated in a factory, then transported to the construction site and assembled through reliable connections, are called prefabricated buildings (PB). Considering the regional differentiation and asynchronization scheduling characteristics of PB, it is difficult for project managers to schedule and optimize construction resources - including manpower/equipment for parallel assembly projects. The purpose of this paper is to solve the multi-projects resource optimization problem under the condition of prefabricated buildings. Therefore, this paper establishes a bilevel multi-objectives model composed of project layer and work layer, which aims to shorten project duration, reduce cost, and maximize robustness. Based on this, a hybrid niche genetic-raccoon family optimization (NG-RFO) algorithm is proposed, equipped with better population diversification effect of niche genetic (NG) and strong local search ability of raccoon family optimization algorithm (RFOA). Moreover, the performance of the improved hybrid algorithm has been compared with genetic algorithm (GA) and RFOA. The actual data of a prefabricated building project group in Hebei Province has been used. The results show that the algorithm is a feasible and efficient method for obtaining a satisfactory resource scheduling scheme in limited time, which is obviously superior to GA and RFOA. This paper provides a reference for project managers to make reasonable and efficient progress plans in an uncertain environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of prefabricated components are composed of different types of houses. The on-site assembly sequence of components is also the key link of the construction organization of the project. The assembly sequence obtained by manual experience is easy to omit components and interfere with each other. According to the weight and assembly process of construction components, the evaluation index of mechanical assembly process is introduced to clarify the relationship between the number of components and the assembly process. In the aspect of intelligent optimization algorithm, the simulated annealing program module is introduced into the existing genetic algorithm to form a new simulated annealing genetic algorithm. The comparative study of the calculation results shows that the simulated annealing genetic algorithm can search the global optimal assembly sequence scheme more accurately and efficiently, and meet the evaluation indexes at the same time. The mechanical simulation technology is innovatively used to simulate the assembly of building components, and the simulation process is used to guide the on-site construction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The construction field is considered one of the most dangerous industries. Accidents and fatalities take place on a daily basis in construction projects. Globally, different levels of government have implemented strict rules and regulations to protect workers on job sites. However, despite the efforts to implement the rules and regulations, accidents occur frequently. Falling from heights is considered the most common cause of death in construction. This study developed a novel system integrating deep learning and drones to monitor workers in real-time when performing at-height activities. Method: Specifically, a pre-trained deep learning model was used to detect Personal Fall Arrest System components (e.g., safety harness, lifeline, and helmet). The drone was utilized to take images and videos from the construction site, and the data were relayed to the model to detect safety violations. The system was tested and validated in real construction sites and in a controlled lab environment to verify the model's effectiveness under different light and weather conditions. Results: The overall accuracy of the system was 90%. The model's precision and recall were 97.2 % and 90.2%, respectively. The average time taken to detect a violation was around 12 seconds. Conclusions: Moreover, the Area Under Curve - Receiver Operating Characteristics chart showed that the trained model was very good and precise in detecting and differentiating the desired objects. Practical Applications: This fast, reliable, and economical system can aid in saving many lives if implemented and utilized properly in real construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically adjust and coordinate interest conflicts, it is necessary to identify the influencing factors of interest conflicts comprehensively and accurately. Based on theoretical and practical research, this paper initially screened 52 factors affecting the interest conflict in the construction of smart city PPP projects, and then conducted expert interviews and questionnaire analysis to adjust and revise the index system, and finally formed 27 relevant index systems. In order to further identify the key influencing factors and clarify the importance of the factors, the interval gray number-DEMETAL method is used to identify the key factors that induce multiple interest conflicts in the construction of smart city PPP projects to enhance the identification effect. The research shows that: the complexity of the project, the comprehensive quality of project personnel, and the differences in ideological and cultural concepts have become the main factors. Project social benefit, project quality compliance rate, project profit rate or rate of return become the most important result factors. Government behavior is the primary influence and restriction of the interest conflict in the construction of smart city PPP projects. In addition, interest conflicts are closely related to other project stakeholders, especially the private sector, social capital, and public behavior. Therefore, the government's decision-making behavior and incentive and restraint mechanism must first examine the interests of stakeholders and their behavior strategies, especially the behavior evolution trend under the government's incentive and restraint mechanism, which implement a flexible incentive and restraint mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volume of structural health monitoring (SHM) data is rapidly increasing due to the explosive growth of information from constructed infrastructures. However, data storage by different monitoring organizations is often isolated, even when they serve the same construction project, resulting in "data silos". Improving the efficiency of sharing massive monitoring data and developing a reliable, distributed system can significantly enhance data mining efficiency. In this paper, a secure and anti-tampering data bank for sharing tunnel SHM data was innovatively constructed based on blockchain technology, significantly enhancing traceable storage, regulation, and collaboration between different organizations. A smart contract was implemented to manage heterogeneous data storage, monitor incremental calculations, and make alert judgments. A series of tests assessing traceability and applicability were conducted using monitoring data from a tunnel in Hangzhou, collected through Wireless Sensor Networks. The results demonstrate that the constructed data bank effectively facilitates data exchange and sharing among multiple monitoring parties. • Proposed a secure and anti-tampering data sharing framework for tunnel structural health monitoring. • Utilizes consortium blockchain for distributed storage, security, and traceability. • Introduces a smart contract-based data management approach for easy data sharing, maintenance, and early warning. • Implemented the platform using Hyperledger Fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the diving bell of the water spider, this paper designs and fabricates nature-inspired 3D printed strain-hardening cementitious composites (3DP-SHCC) reticulated shell roofs. The compression performance and energy absorption capabilities of 24 specimens with eight different strut angles are evaluated through a combined experimental and simulation approach. The results demonstrate that all specimens exhibit excellent ductility and structural integrity under ultimate load conditions. The 45–45 and 60–60 specimens exhibit the highest energy absorption and efficiency, respectively, while 60–90 specimens exhibit the best ductility. Compared with traditional lightweight concrete structures, reticulated shells have lower average structural density, higher specific energy absorption, and ductility index values. A building with a proposed nature-inspired 3DP-SHCC reticulated shell roof is constructed to verify buildability, demonstrating reduced construction time and enhanced automation. This paper offers valuable insights for highly automated construction projects, especially in extreme environments. [Display omitted] • Designed and fabricated nature-inspired 3DP-SHCC reticulated shell roofs. • Maintained integrity even under limit load. • Achieved lower structural density compared to other concrete structures. • Exhibited superior energy absorption and enhanced ductility. • Printing process designed for construction with minimal manual intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction project schedules deviate due to uncertainty and variability unless timely actions are implemented. While the limitations of traditional management practices help to facilitate such assessments have been widely covered, quantitative LPS research has shown empirical relations between its indicators, performance, and outcome. This paper creates a model to predict the schedule outcome during early execution using the LPS metrics and the Design Science approach. 18 solution artifacts were evaluated to predict three schedule outcome variables using 15 indicators in 1464 sample points collected from nine subsequent execution intervals from 164 projects. The selected artifact predicted the schedule outcome, which is a combination of the schedule performance at planned completion and the actual schedule deviation at completion, with a MAE of 1.24% and R2 = 0.96 averaged across the nine execution intervals, using solely LPS indicators. The model can be applied as an early warning mechanism in LPS IT-Support software. • Last planner system and machine learning facilitate reliable early schedule outcome predictions in construction projects. • The model predicted the project schedule outcome with a mean absolute percent error below 2.3% and a maximum error below 8% • The selected model achieves 0.9 R2 for FSP prediction, signifying confidence in outcomes since early stages of execution. • Integration of LPS metrics with traditional indicators outperforms solely traditional metrics in predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]