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Pulp and paper mill biomass boilers generate large quantities of ash in Canada with British Columbia (BC) being the highest ash generating province followed closely by Quebec. Generally, the generated ash is landfilled, particularly in BC, with only a small amount being used beneficially. It is anticipated that the difficulty associated with the management of ash will worsen over time as the industry increases its reliance on green fuel. Thus, there is a strong need to identify beneficial uses of pulp and paper boiler ash for the sake of environmental and economic sustainability. The purpose of this report is to provide the first step in this direction, a review of proposed or implemented uses for coal and hog (or wood) ash around the world. Considering both the properties of the ash and local opportunities, this could be the first step toward screening the applications that may apply to individual mills. Several large-scale practices use ash, such as land application (as a nutrient source or as a liming agent), use in the construction industry (as a replacement for cement or as a fill material), and reclamation of mine sites and stabilization of unpaved forest roads. In some cases, relatively small-scale applications have been used which included uses such as a compost component, agent for pH adjustment of liquid streams and slurries, blasting abrasive, and source of quartz for glass manufacturing to name a few. It is important to note that the chemical nature of both fly and bottom ashes can be quite variable due to the type of wood residues combusted as well as combustion equipment used and must be considered in identifying beneficial applications., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Many researchers in the construction field have explored the utilization of augmented reality (AR) and its impact on the industry. Previous studies have shown potential uses for AR in the construction industry. However, a comprehensive critical review exploring the ways in which AR supports synchronized communication is still missing. This paper aims to fill this gap by examining trends identified in the literature and by analyzing both beneficial and challenging attributes. This work was performed by collecting numerous journal and conference papers, using keywords including "augmented reality", "construction", and "synchronous communication". The papers were then categorized based on the reported attributes that were indicated to be challenges or benefits. Throughout the analysis, several benefits were consistently reported, including training, visualization, instantly sharing information, decision making, and intuitive interaction. Similarly, several challenges were consistently reported, such as difficulty in manipulation, unfriendly interface, device discomfort, and sun brightness. Regarding other attributes, such as field of view, cost, safety hazards, and hands-free mode, researchers provided divergent reports regarding whether they were beneficial or detrimental to AR communication. These findings provide valuable guidance for future researchers and practitioners, enabling them to leverage AR for synchronized communication in ways that consistently offer value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) printing with earth-based mortar is still under development and faces challenges. Optimising the mortar mixture, improving structural strength, determining the relationship between the printing speed and the amount of extruded material, and ensuring long-term durability are areas that are being refined. Additionally, regulatory and certification issues must also be considered to ensure the safety and compliance of 3D printed structures. This paper presents for discussion the records, analyses, studies, and considerations regarding initial initiatives involving 3D printing with the extrusion of earth-based mortar developed at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP). Through this work, it was possible to strengthen and reaffirm that 3D printing with earth-based mortar has significant potential in the construction industry and that the incorporation of dispersed kraft paper fibres from the recycling of cement bags is an excellent resource to achieve good constructability in 3D printing with earth-based mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thailand has an increasing demand for housing and infrastructure. This leads to increased amounts of construction and demolition (C&D) wastes. Most of the C&D wastes are reusable and recyclable. However, without proper waste management these wastes are mostly dumped into landfills without being sorted. This study utilizes a system dynamics (SD) approach to examine the feasibility of the reverse logistics implementation in C&D waste management in the long term. The focus material is paper waste, as it is one of the major wastes that can be recycled and remanufactured. The dynamic model consists of three reverse logistics options, including landfill, recycled, and remanufactured options. Costs involved in the implementation are labor, transportation, landfilling, recycling, and remanufacturing costs. Benefits, on the other hand, include sales of recycled and remanufactured products, energy savings, and green image savings. The simulation results reveal that the reverse logistics program should be implemented for at least three years to achieve positive net profit. The implementation should also be continued until the end of year 9 to be worth the investment, with the internal rate of return exceeding 12%.It is also suggested that the recycling and remanufacturing options should be promoted in long term in order to save landfill space and promote green image of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The topic of this paper is how mass emigration of skilled workers affects national policies, and employers' willingness to invest in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Poland. In the wake of EU enlargement in 2004, Poland became one of the biggest sending countries for skilled labour to Western European countries. These massive outflows of skilled labour, not compensated by adequate inflows of equally skilled workers, have led to serious skills shortages, especially in the construction sector. The paper investigates whether emigration and immigration constitute a driving force for institutional change of the Polish VET system, by analysing policy development and the attitudes of VET stakeholders towards contributing to VET. Approach: The paper focuses on the emigration of skilled construction workers in Poland. Drawing on Hirschman's (1970) framework, when faced with massive skills deficits construction companies are confronted with different options: i) withdraw from the VET system and find other training and recruitment options (exit), ii) attempt to improve conditions by turning to policy makers (voice), and/or iii) remain loyal to the VET system. The analysis is based on an interview study of decision makers responsible for VET policies, employers, chamber of Craft and trade unions, principals of vocational schools, teachers and representatives of regional examination boards. Findings: After years of inattention, VET has been regaining a strong position in national policies. We find that construction companies are mostly more willing now, compared to 5 years ago, to take on learners for practical training and to contribute to improving school equipment. The study showed that one of the most significant obstacles to employers investing in the training of VET learners is the fear of losing a young skilled employee through emigration. Yet, dependent on skilled labour, employers of big construction companies saw no other option than to continue investing in training young learners. However, smaller companies seeking the short-term benefits of employing low-cost labour are less interested in investing in VET. Conclusion: Despite a range of recent policy actions and legislative efforts, several major challenges in the Polish VET system remain unresolved. Continued effort to institutionalise and enhance dialogue between the education system and the labour market appears as the most pressing need. It is currently too early to determine the degree of "institutional stickiness" of the activities observed on the policy level and among employers regarding their increased interest in VET as a response to mass skilled emigration.

Research shows that there is a significant resources waste in construction, and accordingly lagging in productivity behind the productivity of the global economy and industry in particular. There is also a small number of papers and studies on this waste. On the other hand, a higher productivity level requires small waste of material, energy and other inputs. Therefore, construction companies are deciding to introduce lean as one of the leading methods of waste reduction. This paper deals with the introduction of lean in construction companies in BiH, currently at very low level. Bearing in mind that most construction companies in BiH are small, it concludes that introducing lean and thus reducing the resources waste and increasing productivity and competitiveness requires more information and particularly skills improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry makes a significant contribution to global CO2 emissions. Material extraction, processing, and demolition account for most of its environmental impact. As a response, there is an increasing interest in developing and implementing innovative biomaterials that support a circular economy, such as mycelium-based composites. The mycelium is the network of hyphae of fungi. Mycelium-based composites are renewable and biodegradable biomaterials obtained by ceasing mycelial growth on organic substrates, including agricultural waste. Cultivating mycelium-based composites within molds, however, is often wasteful, especially if molds are not reusable or recyclable. Shaping mycelium-based composites using 3D printing can minimize mold waste while allowing intricate forms to be fabricated. In this research, we explore the use of waste cardboard as a substrate for cultivating mycelium-based composites and the development of extrudable mixtures and workflows for 3D-printing mycelium-based components. In this paper, existing research on the use of mycelium-based material in recent 3D printing efforts was reviewed. This review is followed by the MycoPrint experiments that we conducted, and we focus on the main challenges that we faced (i.e., contamination) and the ways in which we addressed them. The results of this research demonstrate the feasibility of using waste cardboard as a substrate for cultivating mycelia and the potential for developing extrudable mixtures and workflows for 3D-printing mycelium-based components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional information software systems used by most construction companies are specifically designed to support one functional department such as scheduling or procurement. This causes communication barriers because cross-functional users do not have direct access to the functional department's software, are not literate regarding the subject software, and must depend on personal contact to provide current or updated information. Results of this research indicate the use of a graphic user interface, with equipment location drawings as the paradigm for obtaining information, can improve cross-functional information accessibility of scheduling information and reduce time necessary for schedulers to interface with foremen for nonroutine updates. The system was tested as a case study on a shutdown project with the assistance of the project's senior scheduler. It is concluded that the resulting increase in information accessibility will save time for both maintenance foremen and schedulers that will lead to an increase in productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the work-integrated learning (WIL) program in an undergraduate Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) department in Indonesia. Given the industrial revolution that has transformed the construction industry into Construction 4.0, concrete steps are needed to bridge the needs of industry for professional workers who are aware of Construction 4.0 concepts. This study aims to develop a WIL model adjusting to Construction 4.0 concepts. A case study of the internship experience that has been conducted for four consecutive years was used to develop the model. This observation was reinforced by a questionnaire survey aimed at students, workplace supervisors and lecturers to evaluate the effectiveness of the internship program in achieving the learning outcomes. The results of this analysis coupled with the findings from the integrative literature review were used to develop a Construction 4.0 WIL model.

Social interaction between students is a crucial but under-researched part of the education realm. Understanding how connections form in university classes and their effects on learning outcomes may provide extraordinary knowledge for researchers, educators, and policy-makers. This paper collected data from the questionnaire survey and then processed them with Gephi software to produce visualization and measurement. Initial results seem to indicate a significant correlation between students' connectedness and academic performance in one class. However, in another class, the results show a contrasting situation as there is no evidence that social network attributes impact learning performance. Taken together, these results would seem to suggest that the characteristics of the network should be judged on a case-by-case basis, and large-scale SNA analyses have been rarely reported. This present study provides a springboard for a new way to shed some light on classmates' interconnection. Using a similar approach to this article, it is believed that there is ample opportunity to study the association between classmate connectedness and career success. Research techniques and approaches around Social Network Analysis are expected to evolve further in the foreseeable future.

The construction industry is characterized by its complex and dynamic nature, requiring efficient resource management practices for successful project execution. This systematic literature review aims to comprehensively analyze and synthesize existing research on resource management practices within the construction sector. By examining a wide array of scholarly articles, conference papers, and industry reports, this review identifies and evaluates the various methodologies, strategies, and tools employed for effective resource management in construction projects. The review encompasses an extensive analysis of key themes, including but not limited to labor management, equipment utilization, material procurement, and technological advancements in resource optimization. It delves into the challenges faced by the construction industry concerning resource allocation, skill shortages, cost control, sustainability concerns, and the impact of unforeseen disruptions. Furthermore, this review critically assesses the implications of resource management practices on project performance, encompassing aspects such as project timelines, budget adherence, quality control, and stakeholder satisfaction. The findings from this systematic review provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of resource management practices in the construction industry. Additionally, it identifies gaps in the literature and suggests areas for future research, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches and adaptive strategies to address the evolving demands and complexities within construction project management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understandably, clients in both the public and the private sectors in Ghanaian construction industry have become increasingly dissatisfied. What they see is unpredictability and under-performance. What they receive is too often of poor quality, late and over-priced. More often contractors enter the construction project focusing on achieving their objectives and maximising their profit margins, with no regard for the impacts on others. This mind set leads to conflict, litigation and often a disastrous project. In the pursuit of performance excellence, there is a need for partnering. This paper therefore, attempts to explain the need for partnering as an alternative approach to construction project delivery. The paper presents a review of partnering projects in general. Through a postal and e-mailed questionnaire survey, opinions of various parties in Ghanaian construction industry--clients, sub-contractors and contractors were sought regarding construction project delivery and the level of use of partnering. This paper also explains the importance and benefits arising from partnering implementation as reviewed by the other researchers and concluded that, partnering is one of the most innovative developments in delivering a project efficiently and reducing disputes. It provides a sound basis for a '"win-win" climate and synergistic teamwork. By changing to a "win-win" style the parties can reap benefits of cost saving, profit sharing, quality enhancement and time management.