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Despite the advancement of technologies and tools used to design and display building elements in construction, design communication on construction sites still heavily relies on 2-dimensional drawings. Paper-based floor plans often reference other paper drawings to deliver design intent to construction site crews. This complicated process sometimes results in the poor transfer of design intent between the designers and construction crews, which can cause quality, safety, and productivity issues in construction sites. How can the process of access to information in 2D drawings be improved to reduce the need to reference different sheets? This study responds to this question by implementing an AR workflow that provides more straightforward access from paper-based floor plans to digital design information without the need to refer to other sheets. In this paper, the current process of viewing and accessing information using 2D drawings was investigated. Then an AR workflow was created to facilitate access to the design information. Finally a case study was used to test the AR workflow against the conventional method of using 2D drawings, considering variables such as time, error, and user preference. The results showed that the AR workflow is more favorable and could improve time and reduce errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is often a difference between the architectural understanding of forms and their social and value-related perception (Malhis, 2008), elements of architectural value are often divided into economic or cultural concerns. Architecture's true value, however, may be found at the resolution of this dichotomy although it can be argued it is not straightforward to isolate and measure the true value of architecture. This discussion paper suggests that whilst many of the concerns highlighted appear in conflict, they are in fact reciprocal in nature with both causes being advanced through the efficiencies of architectural design. One viewpoint is that economic value perhaps should not be a topic of infrequent discussion, but rather it should be raised from time to time within the context of the broader market within which architecture is positioned. Even this viewpoint is subject to conjecture for some. This discussion paper places the focus on the importance and relevance of value from an architectural perspective, which often is a concept rarely discussed in design circles. It is meant to encourage discourse and discussion about the different forms of value and how it is perceived in an architectural sense. As there are numerous classifications and perceptions of value in our society which are in a constant state of change, it is imperative that we regularly re-evaluate the relevance of these ever-changing values to design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In France the activities and knowledge concerning the hemp economic sector are historically regulated by an organization dedicated to the paper industry. However, the current context (saturation of the principal outlet and uncertainty regarding the maintenance of the European Union subsidies), makes it necessary to enhance the added value of the hemp crop by diversifying its outlets and by using the whole plant. Also, since the middle of the 1990's the stakeholders of the hemp milieu have important and varied expectations regarding possible new hemp markets, particularly in the fields of plastics processing and the building construction industry. On the basis of data collected during talks with the main stakeholders of the French hemp system, and based on various articles, publications, books, and the Internet, we will describe the organized French hemp system starting from the representation that the stakeholders of the hemp milieu themselves have given. We will begin our analysis with the organized character of this system. Then we will present the data which give information about its dynamics: first the surfaces used for the production and the levels of production, then the forms of organization of the transformation industry, and finally the structuring of research through the publications of patents and the commitment of research groups. doi:10.1300/J237v12n02_05 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Building performance is a widely held goal in the architecture, engineering and construction industries, driven by a shared pursuit of the triple bottom line. This research paper re-examined the term 'performance' and its characterization in post-occupancy evaluation (POE) literature using a semi-systematic review of 160 articles published since 2008. The review identified how performance parameters have been defined, what the dominant attributes of studies are and what metrics have been used to measure them. A thematic content analysis found that many new priorities had emerged in recent years, problematizing Preiser et al.'s 1988 construct of the concept. The main contribution of this paper is a new expanded definition of 'performance' in terms of three interrelated domains: building, people and organization, and the development of subcategories for more nuanced analysis. This definition builds on the building performance-people performance paradigm first established by the UK's PROBE initiative and responds to several shifts in thinking the review results revealed, including a shift from deterministic thinking towards a more bidirectional understanding of the person-environment relationship. Results were further distilled into recommendations to be used by researchers, practitioners and policymakers to identify performance areas of interest and develop more adaptive, integrated approaches to POE work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel lean tool called Project Time Deployment (PTD) whose objectives are to classify, analyse, and eliminate losses in order to reduce production lead time in Engineer-to-Order (ETO) environments. By combining two already known approaches, i.e. the Manufacturing Critical-path Time and the Manufacturing Cost Deployment, PTD identifies the critical losses affecting the project, focusing on the business processes where causal losses occur, and providing opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness by reducing or even eliminating them. In ETO projects, the lead time and respecting deadlines are of paramount importance and they are often threatened by several different losses that are difficult to compare. Companies thus need a tool to identify the losses and the tasks where they occur, quantifying them in terms of a single dimension: the time. PTD was designed using a methodology based on four steps: analysis of current solutions, concept design and prototype, proof of concept and validation, and definition of future researches. It was also validated in an industrial implementation concerning an Engineering, Procurement & Construction company operating in the steel industry, and led to an approximate 24% reduction in lead time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the processes behind legitimacy building and its role in new path creation and the path transformation or the 'de-locking' of an established industry. We use a mixed-methods approach and focus on the emergence of 'New Space' or Space 2.0 in the UK, a new-to-the-world industry, with radically different products and/or conventions. Legitimation of new product categories is essential to enable future adoption by regulators and consumers. Our findings suggest that this is not a linear process but involves interlayering, or complex feedback loops, between three distinct types of legitimacy building: regulatory, normative, and cognitive. Failure in some of these feedback loops, for example, problems with altering regulatory legitimacy, would prevent the formation of new industrial pathways with significant implications for the development of new-to-the-world and new-to-region industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain represents an evolving technology for distributed and secure recording and sharing of information. Meanwhile, blockchain has thrived in banking, finance, and supply chain; its usage within the construction industry is still in its infancy. To this end, the existing literature falls short in providing comprehensive quantitative understanding, within a systems-based analytic context, of the factors affecting blockchain utilization in construction applications. This paper fills this knowledge gap. The authors: (1) conducted an extensive literature review on blockchain implementation in the construction domain; (2) identified a list of 41 factors affecting blockchain implementation in construction projects categorized in four categories: challenges, needs, requirements, and capabilities; (3) utilized a social network analysis (SNA) approach on a database of 111 publications to quantitatively analyze the literature as related to the aforementioned factors; and (4) performed clustering analysis on the SNA graphs to determine the combinations of factors that are most likely co-occurring in research publications. SNA results indicate that while the most investigated factor was "increased trust and transparency between project parties", the least studied factors included: "cash upfront funding system", "change payment processes and procedures", "smart contracts design errors", "cryptocurrency fluctuations", "lack of sufficiently skilled personnel", and "increased awareness and capabilities of personnel". Also, clustering outcomes highlight that some combinations of factors are not well-represented in current scholarly efforts. Such imbalance and consequent knowledge gaps may contribute to the actual implementation rate of blockchain in construction applications. Ultimately, this paper provides a roadmap for potential future directions of blockchain construction-related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies the risks entailed in a service-oriented supply chain. By employing supply chain mapping, contingency, and Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) theories to elaborate a picture of the current knowledge, we were able to summarise and categorise the various risks into three main levels of cause. Next, these literature-based risks were narrowed down into a specific industry context and were then tested and confirmed using exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses to form an industry-oriented RBS for the construction business. The data were collected from 195 firms who participated in a large-scale survey sponsored by the Japanese Government to promote sustainable socio-economic development for the ASEAN region. As a result, seven risk categories related to demand, supply, operations, information, finance, time (delays) and external sources (human-made or natural-related) were identified and will be a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners. Furthermore, the relationship between identified risk and supply chain performance was explored. This paper is the first to introduce the concept and characteristics of a service-oriented supply chain by using a systematic review combined with a bibliometric mapping of the literature and an empirical study to generate both generic and industry-oriented RBSs in a single study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivalry competitiveness, significant capital investments, and cultural diversity are defining the construction industry's evolving nature. Therefore, construction organizations have to manage their construction projects' relationships carefully. Construction management researchers have progressively recognized the intelligible link between Relationship Management and construction project performance. However, few studies structurally reviewed the precipitated progression in this topic. This paper follows a systematic approach to review the literature from reliable databases and prominent journals between 2000–2020 in topics associated with Relationship Management in construction projects. This investigation sets to identify the key characteristics, categorial dimensions, attributes, or enablers of relationship management in construction. More than 500 articles were explored in this systematic review by thorough keyword research, out of which 73 articles were found relevant to this topic where an explicit content analysis was carried out. The findings identified 18 key Relationship Management characteristics classified into four categories: Contract-related, Management-related, Team-related, and General characteristics. Project Managers are recommended to pay specific attention on investigated characteristics to strengthen relationships, promote collaboration, and thereby foster project performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of research on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the construction sector in the UK. Therefore, this research seeks to explore AI uses and its benefits on the UK construction industry. Given the new and unexplored nature of the research problem, a qualitative case study research methodology was adopted. Construction projects, which have adopted some of the AI forms all around the UK, are investigated extracting the use of the technology and how processes within the construction industry can benefit from the adoption of AI. Developing an AI system can benefit the construction industry in terms of the planning process, organizations have implemented AI systems to accomplish tasks such as tunnel inspections, safety hazard identifying, and risk management. These implementations have proved to be successful and efficient in improving production within the organizations. This paper highlights the key uses and benefits of AI-based systems within the construction industry. The business model was developed based on current work practices with AI and without AI. It is concluded that the industry as a whole should enhance coordination and cooperation across the value chain and agree on common goals and standards for the adoption of AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction supervision system plays an essential role in promoting the development of Chinese construction industry. However, as the core of the supervision system, the supervisor may deviate from duty and collude with the contractor to seek more profits. This paper investigates optimal collusion governance strategies under the prevailing supervision system. This paper develops a game-theoretic framework including an owner, a supervisor and a contractor, wherein all players interact and pursue to maximize their self-profits. The collusion equilibrium and the collusion-proof equilibrium are explored. Since the game contains multiple rounds of strategic interactions, backward induction is applied to ensure subgame perfection. The results show that collusion makes the supervision system not always in the owner's interests. For projects recommended to implement the supervision system, the boundary condition for the owner applying the supervision system is derived. For projects required mandatory supervision, the owner prefers to let the contractor and supervisor collude under certain conditions and guard against collusive behaviours otherwise. This study contributes to the theory by exploring the effects of covert collusion and optimal governance strategies. In addition, this study can assist the owner in better understanding and managing agent collusion to safeguard the project quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is a key sector of every country and the application of supply chain-related techniques holds much promise to improve performance of construction firms in many ways. According to an extended view, which encompasses the construction of industrial and residential buildings, of civil engineering and infrastructure projects, there is a number of major actors that must be coordinated in some way to reach ETO decisions, leading to performance outcomes and metrics. The need to co-ordinate information across the supply chain is a persistent and pressing challenge for ETO companies. Procurement helps to establish the conditions for the supply chain to function effectively. New technologies such as product configurators or cloud manufacturing are being applied. Planning and decision making is a critical driver. In the future, the challenges of applying supply chain management techniques to a construction environment, will require more quantitative studies, to cast light on some potential gains from better information management and use of digital technologies. Then there is also an opportunity to integrate clear upfront planning and procurement with the project delivery processes, and choose the right configurations, focus and relational types. Finally, there is much potential to harness the innovation potential of SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe lean experiments from a period that lasted over a decade. The aim is to provide insights for both industry practitioners and academics concerning what worked and what did not work and to discuss barriers to avoid when taking academic concepts to industry. What makes this paper unique is that we are following the developments inside one company, Skanska Finland, uninterrupted for over a decade. Dr Glenn Ballard was closely involved in the developments and deployments throughout the journey. The paper confirms earlier findings of managing variability prior to other process improvements. At the same time, it is important to understand the minimum organisational level needed when developing and deploying lean methods. During our journey, the most successful deployment was the Last Planner System®; it has been both robust against market turns but also it has been possible to deploy it project-by-project. Thus, there is no need to wait until the whole company or a large part of it has understood the concept before deployment can start. Supplier development requires a wider scope than just a single project or the duration of a project for successful deployment. The weak or less sustainable deployment of logistics solutions in the construction industry may be because it requires industry-level technology standardisation and data platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activists and writers on injustice have highlighted as a structural problem that injustice is experienced differentially. What injustices of privilege lie hidden in my daily academic life? Three deeply discomforting moments relating to Class, climate, and Whiteness privilege, form the core of an account of gradually admitting to my passive acceptance of injustice in the form of privileges from which I benefit. My ignorance has perpetuated privilege despite this not being my conscious will. From this crisis, the paper explores the inner work for healing injustice individually, and the outer work of changing collective habits of dominance within the Academy. A starting point is befriending my will to injustice and facing up to my privileges. Effort needed from White, Middle Class academics 'like me' includes uncovering ways in which we benefit from privilege whether or not we want to. Proposals are made for inner growth through building community among academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dolia were the largest type of pottery in the ancient world, capable of holding hundreds to as much as three thousand liters. Their shape and size facilitated wine fermentation, and also made them the most expensive and difficult type of pottery to produce. This paper discusses the production of dolia to explore the specialized skills, which consisted of both free and enslaved labor, necessary for the craft. Dolia were also produced alongside brick and tile products in workshops that supplied the building industry of Rome. Craftsmen trained to make dolia acquired considerable skills and usually advanced in the workshop. As a result, a type of professional identity developed, one that both reified and defied conventions since some workers were enslaved and/or manumitted. Finally, this paper briefly discusses the enslaved potter David Drake from nineteenth-century South Carolina to consider the limits of our knowledge about skilled and enslaved craftsmen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, research has largely focused on the processes and practices that act against women in male-dominated industries and the effect this has on their career progression. However, men's careers are under analysed. This paper flips the gaze, applying a feminist institutionalist lens to examine the practices and rules that shape and enable men's career progression. This is critical if we are to understand how men's power in organizations is maintained and perpetuated, arguably at the expense of women's careers. It draws on data from a rapid ethnographic study of the Australian construction industry, specifically of construction professionals working in two multinational Australian construction companies. The paper finds that men's career progression routinely operates through homosociality, instrumentally and expressively, via a "sponsor-mobility" principle whereby selected individuals receive higher levels of guidance, access to opportunities and advocacy from their managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrupt acts are possibly on the increase and have hindered infrastructural development across Nigeria. This paper attempts to investigate the impact of the All Progressive Congress (ruling party) led government in the fight against corruption with emphasis on the construction sector and proffer possible policy to mitigate via unexplored dimension. Hence, phenomenology type of qualitative research was adopted to address the issues from the underlying. A connecting framework was developed from the identified root causes of the forms of corrupt acts, for better understanding as it relates to mitigating corruption in the Nigerian construction sector. From the findings, there is a need to develop a control system to evaluate corruption performance of public construction project and publish the report annually or quarterly among others is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides information on the performance of the journal 'Construction Management and Economics.' The publication has witnessed a growth in the number of papers received from 2002-2004. The average time for refereeing is around 13 weeks. There is an increase in the average time elapsed between the date of submission and the date the modified paper is accepted. Factors, such as geographical and topical variety, as well as hitting the target number of pages per issue, affect the schedule of final publication. In the March 2004 issue of the journal, Wang Dulaimi and Aguria have identified risks associated with international construction projects in developing countries. The differences in leadership behavior of managers in construction settings were explored by Giritli and Oraz. In the same issue, three authors proposed the use of traditional quality cost models based on prevention, appraisal and failure to construction projects. Issues related to U.S. construction industry such as the production arrangements of U.S. contractors and the impact of wage decline on the ability to attract and retain qualified workers were examined. Topics for the forthcoming issues of the journal will include the study on the development of the construction legal system in China and logistic regression approach to modelling the contractors' decision bid.

International staffing policies and practices of Chinese enterprises in Africa have given rise to a number of observations, critical comments, empirical support and rebuttals. One of the areas of research and critique has been the implications of the staffing policies and practices for knowledge and skills transfer to their African hosts. The availability of local skills and talent as constraints to change employment practices by Chinese enterprises has also received attention of researchers. We argue that the dominant international staffing models and theories are inadequate for a comprehensive understanding and critiquing of staffing practices of Chinese MNEs in Africa. Therefore, this paper adopted Zoogah, D. B., Peng, M. W., and Woldu, H. (2015a. Institutions, Resources, and Organizational Effectiveness in Africa. Academy of Management Perspectives, 29(1), 7–31) dynamic African business environment context to interrogate the utility of the dominant international staffing models and theories in order to understand and explain Chinese staffing policies and practices in Africa. The paper also used Chinese Multinational Construction Enterprises (CCMNEs) as a lens through which to examine the relevance of the African context. The paper advances a series of questions to guide future research. We argue that if pursued, the questions can help further our understanding of why the staffing policies and practices of multinational companies from emerging economies in Africa might focus on recruiting PCNs and the casualization of African workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has been carried out in the field of business management to understand why some organizations perform better than others, while others fail. Strategic management field has a strong focus on exploring how firms operate and the performance differentials among them. In strategic management, predominantly, three theories are applied to assess firm performance. These theories are Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities theory (DC), and Contingency Theory (CT). Through a systematic literature review, this paper explores how these three theories have been applied to construction management literature to review and examine the performance of the construction firms. Review of 46 articles was carried out to identify the factors that affect the performance of the construction firms in line with the frameworks presented by the aforementioned theories. The findings of the study hold significance for future researches on performance determinants of construction firms by evidencing the application of RBV, DC, and CT in construction management literature, which paves the way to future research aiming at combining the underlying principles of these theories to explore construction firm's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lean philosophy has garnered attention in the construction industry world-wide and lean simulation games have arguably played a vital role in lean's uptake by the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Although numerous lean simulation games are already being used extensively both in industry and academia, there has been, as yet, no systematic investigation in this area. In this context, this paper reports a systematic literature review to analyse existing lean simulations and games. Relevant databases were identified, and a search strategy was devised to uncover relevant literature. Peer-reviewed papers were vetted according to a set of pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following the screening process, 52 documents were identified from the databases. From the final set of papers, 96 games in total were identified. The papers were analysed for a variety of factors including distribution along a timeline, database homes, authorship and countries of origin using social network analysis, and depth of discussion of particular simulations. Findings showed that the popularity of lean simulation games in the construction sector has grown in recent decades. According to our systematic review of the literature, the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) serves as a significant contributor to the emergence and dissemination of new and existing lean games and simulations. The analysis also indicated that most contributions have originated in the United States. Our social network analysis also indicated that a few key authors collaborate extensively, while others in the periphery are beginning to publish and collaborate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of maturity models offered in Building Information Modelling (BIM). However, several problems exist, such as no proper criteria for model choice for organisations and no adequate understanding of BIM maturity model (BIMMM) application areas. Thus, a systematic literature review (SLR) was undertaken using 32 papers published between 2010 and 2021, directed with a descriptive and content analysis, following the PRISMA standards. The results of this paper extend the knowledge on BIMMM development, application and validation. BIMMM development has always been initiated with a literature review on existing maturity models. National BIM Standard's Interactive Capability Maturity Model is the most dominant base for developing and applying BIMMMs. However, the literature lacks applications and validation of mainstream models. The application of BIMMMs is mainly focused on assessing BIM performance, while a few studies tried to explore new avenues such as applying BIMMMs to other contexts, finding the relationship between maturity level and other factors, and understanding the impact of BIM maturity level on factors like project performance. Despite interviews and case studies being popular methods of model validation, doubts on the validity of the models have been raised due to the dearth of information on how most of the models were validated. The results of the study lead future research in the BIMMMs and inform the development and application of valid BIMMMs in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employee turnover is a critical factor affecting organizational effectiveness. It is particularly important in the construction sector due to its knowledge and labor-intensive characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to understand why qualified employees would leave their employers so that effective measures can be taken to retain them. Despite the growing body of knowledge on employee turnover, there is a lack of comprehensive review of this topic in the construction literature. This study adopts a systematic literature review approach to synthesize domain knowledge on employee turnover from two perspectives: its investigated causes, and consequences. In total, 77 relevant papers are extracted. A total of 51 drivers of construction employee turnover are identified and categorized into personal, job-related, organizational, and external influencers. Findings also suggest three major outcomes caused by employee turnover, including individual, project, and organization-related consequences. This review contributes to understanding the turnover phenomenon in construction literature and highlights potential areas for future empirical studies to move forward. By understanding the main factors influencing turnover decisions, construction organizations can develop and implement effective means for managing employee turnover. This study further contributes to construction employee turnover research by emphasizing the importance of studying the consequences of the turnover phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the problem of coordinating supplier selection and project scheduling, motivated by a real-life operational challenge encountered in the construction industry. In particular, we consider a project network consisting of multiple concurrent projects, with the objective of minimising the total tardiness of all projects. These projects are independent in operation but are subject to shared suppliers and the final quality inspection by the same committee, which then leads to the need for project review sequencing. The earliest starting time of each activity in a project depends on the availability of required resources (both renewable and non-renewable), as well as the activity precedence constraints. We formulate this problem as a mixed integer linear programming model, and propose a mathematical programming-based heuristic to solve the model. The heuristic decomposes the model into subproblems, and solves the subproblems through an iterative process. Each subproblem has a much smaller size and can be solved quickly and independently. The information obtained in solving subproblems is used to guide the search process. Numerical examples show the computational effectiveness of the proposed heuristic, and the benefits of coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing complexity of construction industry problems, researchers are experimenting with computationally rigorous techniques with the aim of seeking innovative solutions. In order to trace the applications of quantitative analysis techniques to research in the two fields of construction economics and construction management for both conventional and AI techniques, the methodology involves compiling all the relevant papers from the top two ranking construction management journals, namely, Construction Management and Economics and ASCE's Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. The period is from 1983 to 2006. The compiled papers are classified by field, area (or topic), technique applied and year of publication to enable time series and cross-sectional analyses of the data. Mainly, the results are depicted as trends when the patterns of distribution of the papers are plotted over time. The three findings are: (1) for construction economics, the overall increasing trend is higher for papers that have applied conventional techniques; (2) for construction management, there is a clear positive trend for papers that have applied AI techniques which starts from 1995; and (3) the areas (or topics) of construction management that have increasingly higher growth in the application of AI techniques are optimization of site operations and optimization of project time, cost and resources allocation. Two broad recommendations are made that relate to advancing the fields of construction economics and construction management with the view that researchers must better enable themselves to build tools that incorporate intelligence as innovative solutions for increasingly complex problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With research suggesting an increased risk of suicide for those employed in the construction industry the present review aimed to provide an updated, targeted, and rigorous estimate of the relative risk of suicide for this population. Comprehensive searches of Medline, Psycinfo, Embase, Emcare, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, as well as grey literature and reference lists, were undertaken to identify studies which reported the rate or risk of construction industry workers' suicide. Only samples that did not incorporate other industries and utilized reference groups deemed representative of the general or employed populations, were included. Eleven studies were included in the review. Primary analysis was undertaken on seven studies deemed to have wholly samples wholly representative of the construction industry. Despite a high level of heterogeneity (I2 = 98%), results suggest increased risk of construction worker suicide compared to the wider population. Random effect meta-analysis indicated a pooled relative suicide risk = 1.25 (95% CI 1.03–1.52), reported. A sensitivity analysis using less stringent inclusion criteria, demonstrated the robustness of these findings. Despite limitations, this paper suggests that construction industry employees may have an elevated risk of suicide. Additionally, this review highlights the need for further research, using standardized methodologies, to generate more robust understandings. Future research will benefit by accounting for locale-specific cultural and socio-political factors and attempting to quantify more specific drivers of suicide risk for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is firmly on policy agenda in several countries. Despite emphasis on governments' ambitions for industry-wide BIM adoption, there is scant understanding about what construction firms need to do regarding training provision and how to do that to meet policy goals. There is, therefore, little evidence of how construction companies have tackled this challenge internally and on projects in existing studies. Through a qualitative research approach and case studies of two leading UK construction companies, this paper describes the different strategies that construction companies adopt to provide the requisite skills and training for their workforce and their project supplier network partners to successfully support and sustain the implementation of BIM. The findings show that successful main contractors employed an "in-house" training strategy at intra-organizational level and a "growing together" approach for their project supplier network partners. In providing BIM training, these firms tackled problems of heterogeneity in workforce digital literacy and competencies, a lack of attention to soft skills, and a lack of understanding of BIM benefits using tailored and role-specific training. These insights contribute to the growing literature on BIM training, complementing the existing literature that focuses mainly on BIM training through education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour exploitation has long been considered from two opposing perspectives, either as an omnipresent feature in the employment market or as an extreme occurrence in labour relationships. Recent studies, however, claim that exploitation can be better understood as a continuum of heterogeneous practices. Our paper contributes to this debate by focusing on the case of migrant workers in Spain. The main objective is to access and bring to the surface the 'hidden voices' of migrant workers employed in four sectors: agriculture, construction, domestic service and hospitality. Using in-depth interviews and focus groups has allowed us to go beyond the dominant narratives on the phenomenon by embracing the privileged perspective of migrant workers on labour exploitation. This paper shows that labour exploitation cannot be fully understood without considering the relation that exists between two factors: the first operates at the structural level and relates to the extent to which discrimination, harm and exploitation of specific groups are intrinsic in the legitimate legal-economic system; whilst, the second factor revolves around migrant workers' wilful agentive capacity for being recruited into exploitative situations and simultaneously their capacity for coping with exploitative practices and for working towards solutions aimed at improving their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the production theory of the competitive firm under price uncertainty by adopting four of the most well-established models of disappointment aversion. Our results show that a disappointment-averse firm will generally produce less than a risk-averse firm. Further, the disappointment-averse firm's optimal output level will surely decrease with an increase in the disappointment coefficients. Moreover, the optimal outputs among the four disappointment-averse models are not the same. As a real case example, we apply our models to determine the optimal building heights for new buildings in Punta del Este, Uruguay. In this example, our disappointment averse models' predictions are very close to the observed heights of these new projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of multiple manufacturing modes integrated into the cutting stock problem, based on a real-life application of the concrete pole manufacturing. The main aim is to propose, formulate and test this integrated problem, which can be applied to the construction industry and other contexts of multiple manufacturing modes with cutting processes. The motivation for this proposal is the construction industry, in which reinforced concrete structures can be reinforced by various combinations of one-dimensional steel bars of varying thicknesses and lengths. An integer programming mathematical formulation is proposed aiming to minimise the total cost and to meet a demand of final products with different possible configurations. A column generation procedure is used as the solution method together with a heuristic procedure to find an integer solution. Computational results were performed with practical instances in order to assess the value of the approach and with a set of random generated instances in order to explore the influence of parameters on the results. Some managerial insights are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various articles published in this issue including one by Mike Bresnan on the application of business research to construction management, one by Lauri Kostela on problem-based research, and one by Sacks et al. on production.

This paper introduces a new framework for understanding, modelling and software engineering in construction information activities. The current framework is based on understanding that products are the results of processes, which are performed by actors. Such frameworks are influenced by the available technology. The Internet of today is supporting also other kinds of human activities: communication and social interactions among humans. The construction industry uses them as well but without having a proper understanding of their role. There is a gap in the current framework. In this paper, the relevant theories to specify this gap in terms of what could exist in theory and what is offered by technology are analysed. As a result, a new framework of construction information activities that fills the gap is proposed. The key concepts and relations among them are identified and elaborated within the existing framework. The framework introduces the third major integrative element of the otherwise fragmented construction information activities – the social network – the existing two being the physical building and its digital twin. The framework provides a theoretical and conceptual basis for designing, planning, creating, monitoring and evaluating construction-related online services that include a strong social component and use social media services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the mediation of Bangladeshi construction worker migration to the Gulf and how multiple and unpredictable risks and opportunities are co-created by brokers, employers and the state. It examines how migrants navigate these to achieve imagined futures and their own role in co-creating precarity. The authors employ a relational lens to examine why aspiring migrants choose informal brokers over formal migration managers. The everyday practices of brokers in producing ideal Bangladeshi workers for the Qatari labour market and how this precarises migrant labour are unpacked. Migrant and broker interviews provide insights into the degrees of precarity experienced at different stages of the migration process. Entangled with these processes of precarisation are the strategies employed by migrant workers to resist precarity and transform their social and economic positions in the long term. The rich accounts presented in the paper provide evidence on the dialectical relationship between migrants and migration intermediaries which contrasts with popular discourses about brokers as exploiters and migrants as victims without agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) is a disruptive information technology tool in the construction sector. Although this technology had a significant impact on the manufacturing industries, it, like any other technology, encountered several challenges when applied to the construction sector. Conversely, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies often face significant impediments when using innovative technologies. Thus, this paper seeks to determine and investigate the perceived barriers to applying BIM in construction SMEs based in Iran. Three rounds of Delphi surveys were carried out with 15 BIM experts engaged in construction SMEs to identify the key barriers to BIM implementation in SMEs. An empirical survey questionnaire comprising these identified barriers was subsequently designed and disseminated to the invited experts. Altogether, 56 valid survey responses were received and analyzed. The study's findings revealed SMEs management's hesitancy to adopt BIM, stakeholders' reluctance to change their established methods, and a lack of technical understanding as the critical impediments to BIM adoption in construction SMEs. Also, the study identified four barrier dimensions – technology, legal, management, and financial. These BIM implementation barrier dimensions can be employed to better allocate resources and financing for BIM deployment and construction innovation in SMEs. The study will assist major project stakeholders and SMEs make better-informed BIM adoption decisions, particularly in developing nations like Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to provide insight into the trend of AI-BIM integration, which has been studied by scholars around the world. To begin, a systematic review and bibliometric analysis was conducted to investigate English articles published between 2015 and 2022. This paper presents a systematic, scientometric, science mapping analysis through qualitative and quantitative evaluation and co-occurrence methods using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Gephi software. Conclusions indicate future research should concentrate on integrating AI and other smart systems with BIM to enhance digitalization and improve outcomes throughout the construction project life cycle. Based on the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of each scope (BIM and AI) and their status quo, this study suggests integrating the following domains with BIM to reduce complexity in the construction industry in the future: robotics, cloud systems, AIOT, digital twins, 4D printing, and block chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both bamboo scrimber and section steel are extensively employed in the construction industry however bamboo scrimber as a large composite member, easily experiences buckling and splitting under compression. To solve the problem of insufficient bearing capacity, a partially encased bamboo scrimber (PEBS) column was developed in this paper, and the PEBS column consisted of an H-shaped steel member with two rectangular bamboo scrimber members placed inside the web and flanges, forming a partial buckling restraint configuration. The aim of this arrangement was to enhance the axial compressive performance of the bamboo scrimber members through partial lateral confinement. To investigate the influences of the composite effect and specimen size, a total of 45 specimens were tested under axial compression to analyse the failure modes, load–displacement relationships, and mechanical properties. The results revealed that the composite specimens ultimately failed owing to buckling and wedged splitting in the bamboo scrimber members. The partial buckling restraint exhibited a substantial improvement in axial bearing capacity through delaying the buckling of the H-shaped steel and failure of the inner bamboo scrimber, leading to a further enhancement in the safety stock. Finally, a calculation method was proposed to predict the ultimate bearing capacity of the PEBS column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debt-migration is endemic in construction work in India, where exploitative social relations are an integral part of businesses' capital accumulation model that can entrap migrants in forced labour and perpetual indebtedness. Drawing on concepts of cultural capital, 'constrained agency', and qualitative interviews with migrants and their wives, this study examines the embodied and material practices that migrants in Telangana use to challenge power hierarchies and embark on different life trajectories. The paper draws out the gendered differences in cultural capital and agential strategies that migrants use to place themselves and their families on an upwardly mobile path. Although still in debt, many migrants had succeeded in buying land, investing in farming, marrying their daughters, releasing themselves from moneylenders, and educating their children privately. A few had transitioned to working and living more permanently in the city of Hyderabad. This research sheds new light on how constrained agency and the use of cultural capital intersects with gender, ethnicity, and caste. It also shows that while the situations of both those who continue to circulate and those who settle in the city remain precarious, small incremental changes can add up to a significant shift in social and economic circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is the primary focus for social procurement policies in many countries. However, there has been little research into the drivers of social procurement policy adoption in this industry. To help address this gap in research, this paper reports the results of semi-structured interviews with fifteen social procurement professionals who are implementing social procurement into the Australian construction industry. Results reveal interesting historical parallels with the implementation of environmental sustainability initiatives. However, social procurement has yet to become normalized. There appears to be a high level of homogeneity in industry practice and while there is considerable scope for innovation, this is constrained by the prescriptive and 'top-down' nature of social procurement policies in Australia which make it difficult for organizations to respond 'bottom-up' to actual community needs. It is concluded that the considerable untapped potential of social procurement policies to create social value currently depends on the intrapreneurial efforts of a small number of emerging social procurement professionals who are individually challenging the many institutional norms and practices which undermine the implementation of these policies into the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current societal challenges demand enduring engagement and the implementation of innovations. Unfortunately, the project-based nature of the construction industry fails to offer suitable conditions for innovation and change in terms of building long-term relationships and aligning incentives beyond the project scope. In this paper, we explore the potential of an innovation ecosystem perspective to reach sector-wide goals related to societal challenges in the infrastructure sector. Accordingly, five Dutch infrastructure cases were studied in terms of four characteristics: (1) actor heterogeneity; (2) strategic alignment of actors; (3) alignment with respect to a value proposition; and (4) governance structure. We found that the innovation ecosystem perspective has the potential to contribute to innovation in the sector, especially when specific innovations or knowledge building are pursued. In particular, the long-term perspective to collaboration in relation to addressing societal challenges and the shift to more relational ways of governance were found promising avenues for incorporation in the industry. The innovation ecosystem perspective in infrastructure, however, also poses substantial organizational, cultural, and processual challenges, such as adopting novel practices with respect to collaboration and establishing continuing informal relationships beyond the public procurement context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has disrupted the normal course of production and livelihood activities across the world. This paper examines the short-term impact of this pandemic on one such strategically important sector, the construction industry of India. This study employs an event study approach to empirically study the market performance and response trends of the construction industry of India to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study finds that COVID-19 has negatively impacted the sector as reflected in the investors' response during the pandemic window. Through further empirical analysis, we also find that this sector has been affected more vis-à-vis other similar industries. In addition, the study also highlights some broad recommendations and proposes a process framework with prescriptive strategies for relevant stakeholders to smoothen the post-COVID recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is responsible for 36% of the European Union's greenhouse gas emissions. The main goal of the EU in the last decade has been to boost energy efficiency and expand the use of renewable energy in buildings. Ground-to-air heat exchangers may be a solution to reduce the use of primary energy in buildings from nonrenewable sources. The study in this paper deals with an evaluation of the heating and cooling energy potential of a ground-to-air heat exchanger (GAHE), serving a pilot energy-efficient building in Romania. The research follows a comparison between the experimental behavior of GAHE, evaluated based on measured outlet temperatures for two full years, and theoretical behavior, assessed using two computational models following EN 15241:2007 (Model 1) and EN 16798-5-1:2016 (Model 2). A comparison is made between the energy potential calculated using temperature measurements and the energy potential determined based on calculated outlet temperatures using the two models. The assessment is performed as well for conventional climate corresponding to the building location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal fly ash (CFA) is a coal ignition buildup at thermal power plants, which has been viewed as a hazardous waste globally. The major problems with CFA are the large volume of land needed for its disposal and poisonous weighty metal sifted to groundwater. CFA has been considered a waste and water pollutant until recently; however, CFA is a helpful material and has shown its useful value, espe- cially in the construction industry. This review paper aims to evaluate CFA properties and validate its utilization in the construction industry to save the planet from damages associated with its disposal. The current paper surveys the potential uses of CFA as a crude material in the construction industry in catalysis, soil stabilization and replacement, brick production, cement replacement highway embankment, bricks construction, material for soil replacement and stabilization, and dams, asphalt pavement, and road construction. This review was conducted through systematic consultation of mostly recent relevant literature with a few old pub- lications to evaluate the efficiency of CFA utilization in the construction industry. Moreover, all the literature rated CFA as a suitable material for use in the con- struction industry. A major drawback of CFA usage in concrete is the slow early strength development. However, this can be taken care of by accelerating the admixtures in the concrete mix. Future research tends towards production of CFA with more improved features suitable for advanced construction technology as in 3D printing construction. Conclusively, CFA is recommended for use in the con- struction industry based on its performance success recorded from the research findings reviewed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intent of this research is to propose and analyse a set of policies in the construction industry to enhance social development. First, the paper shows the connections between the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and social entrepreneurship (SE), the reduction of the leakage, and then the generation of social value (SV) for sustainable regional development. For that, the article analyses briefly the literatures on SE and leakage, and focuses on the relevance of SME and social entrepreneurs as promoters of SV creation and development. Second, the paper proposes a framework and proposes a set of 20 policies aimed to reduce leakage, reinforce SMEs and entrepreneurship and also to promote SE behaviour by the diverse economic agents in the construction industry, in order to increase the generation of SV and sustainable development. Then, the paper analyses the acceptability, feasibility and viability of these proposed polices, which can be useful for academics and practitioners. For that, the study uses the Delphi methodology, applied to an expert-group of 23 professionals (representatives of the private and public sector) belonging to the Colombian construction industry. The results emphasize the relevance of the development of local incumbents and the social focus of firms to increase the generation of SV. Oppositely, policies interfering economic freedom and free trade receive the lowest rates in the three criteria considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

High-growth firms – also called gazelles – have the potential to create jobs and to drive regional development. Yet, there remains a lack of understanding about how to best support these companies in their growth process. Hence, the types of support offered to these firms are often misdirected and fail to provide relevant support to appropriate types of businesses. This paper focuses on one support policy aimed at support gazelles to cope with their growth challenges, namely intermediary actors, who provide matchmaking, advise and networking activities directed to gazelles. More specifically, this paper aims at identifying what challenges are encountered by gazelles and whether the support provided by intermediary actors is matching the need of support. The empirical focus of the paper is on gazelles within the construction industry and situated in the Swedish municipality Norrköping. Findings indicate that challenges relate to recruitment, interactions with the public sector, lack of support and entrepreneurial personalities/skills. These challenges overwhelm the everyday work of entrepreneurs, who struggle to find solutions, despite the support of intermediaries. Implications for high-growth companies, intermediary actors and policymakers are discussed with the aim of finding a better match between high-growth challenges and intermediary support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sitework is an essential scope of many building construction projects. The level of cognition related to sitework that a construction management undergraduate should achieve prior to entering the construction industry has not been researched. This paper describes a study analyzing both academics' and industry practitioners' perceptions of what construction management students should know about sitework by the time they graduate, both in terms of the topics explored and the level of knowledge they have attained. Surveys measured the level at which specific sitework topics should be incorporated into construction management programs. Responses collected from 60 industry practitioners and 35 faculty from construction management programs were analyzed. Results show that practitioner respondents generally expect graduates to exit their programs at lower levels of cognition, while academics expect graduates should achieve higher levels of cognition. A statistically significant difference exists between academics and practitioners regarding several estimating topics, as well as safety, site logistics, existing technologies, and unforeseen site conditions. Recommendations from the study regarding the level of cognition for each topic area are provided to offer the opportunity for programs to evaluate and adjust their content coverage and to suggest that further studies may be warranted based on industry perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector is one of the most significant contributors to the carbon footprint. Buildings are primarily responsible for emitting high levels of carbon throughout their entire life cycle, from construction to operation and disposal. Researchers have discussed carbon dioxide emissions from different references and ways of reduction and mitigation techniques to cease rising temperatures and global warming. The various sources of greenhouse emissions in the construction industry are discussed in this paper to understand their negative impact better. A framework is developed for the buildings' operational phase. It is used to quantify that effect and physical properties to measurables to assist policymakers, stakeholders, and decision-makers in making better decisions and choices to reduce carbon emissions during the operation process. This framework aims to make it more flexible, easy to use for stakeholders, involves their feedback from the beginning of the process, and applies to the ground. Furthermore, a case study was applied to the Nile University operational phase to test the eligibility of the proposed framework in calculating the carbon emissions of a medium-scale building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A list of papers to be published in forthcoming issues of "Construction Management and Economics" is presented, including "The Coase Theorem and a Coasian Construction Economics and Management Research Agenda," by Lawrence Wai Chung Lai et al, "An Analysis of Infrastructure Development Based on National Competitiveness Perspectives," Ren-Jye Dzeng and Shyh-Shiuh Wang, and "Coordination and Control in Emerging International Construction Firms," by Joao C. Neves and Aatonio Bugalho.

The concept of lean management has been of interest to researchers and practitioners in the construction industry and is implemented in most countries. While achieving waste mitigation in developed countries, lean is still in its elementary stages in the Middle East. Moreover, the implementation in the Middle East poses more challenges than benefit when choosing the right lean tools and techniques for projects. This study will critically investigate the factors affecting the process of adopting lean tools and techniques, which are directed towards technology, artificial intelligence and IoT in the construction industry in the public sector in the four governates of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Thereafter, the investigation will determine the level of lean construction management implementation and consequently its effect on sustainability using a quantitative method. The result from the questionnaire is hoped to shed a light on the poorly researched topic in Bahrain and benefit academics and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]