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From the mid‐1950s to the early 1980s the Treasury and the Bank of England successfully advocated a policy of restricting both private and public sector house‐building, as a key but covert instrument of their wider 'stop‐go' macroeconomic policy framework. While the intensity of restrictions varied over the economic cycle, private house‐building was restricted (through limiting mortgage availability) for almost all this period. This was achieved by keeping building society interest rates low relative to other interest rates and thus starving the building society movement of mortgage funds. Mortgage restriction was never publicly discussed and sometimes operated alongside ambitious housing targets and well‐publicized policy initiatives to boost housing demand. This article outlines the evolution of house‐building restriction, together with its impacts on the housing sector and the wider economy. We review the evolution of the policy framework and its consequences, compare the level and stability of British house‐building during this period—historically and relative to other countries—and undertake time‐series econometric analysis of its impacts on both house‐building and house prices. Finally, implications for debates regarding stop‐go policy, Britain's housing problem, and the distributional consequences of government macroeconomic policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of environmental aspects in construction is growing during the time. The aim of the research is to analyze environmental aspects of construction industry development and related regulations in Latvia, including the last green building certification development tendencies. The analysis, historical, document review and logical access methods have been used in the research. The article also includes overview of the international experience. The results of research show growing importance of environmental aspects in construction process and the necessity for market participants and industry development to consider them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2010 Heaney case left developers uncertain as to how future claims for interference with light would be dealt with -- but what has happened since then? The fallout over Heaney led to the Law Commission's draft bill outlining a number of recommendations that would increase certainty, but this is yet to reach the statute books. Since 2010 there have been a number of cases which give an indication of the direction of travel regarding remedies for rights to light infringements, including Coventry v. Lawrence [2015], Scott v. Aimiuwu [2015] and Ottercroft Ltd v. Scandia Care Ltd [2016]. Today, there is still a large measure of uncertainty, but the rapid development in rights to light insurance products at least ensures that this uncertainty can be covered by an insurance policy in virtually all cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about construction projects in Asia and why is it considered a fertile ground for urbanization. It mentions that across Asian cities, provincial towns, and peri-urban spaces, construction sites have become markers of the region's rapid transformation. The article adds how intense flows of material, capital, labor, and politics associated with the construction of Asian cities offers rich empirical and deep theoretical possibilities for understanding this region in transition.

Studies show that many organisations face a deficient capability of information analysis to make decisions effectively, due to a lack of statistical evidence and the poor quality of data, among other factors. This has become an increasing problem in some public organisations of developing countries. This study proposes a methodical approach for the policy formulation improvement, based on statistical evidence. Conducted as a case study in the city of Barrancabermeja in Colombia, this work identified relevant factors that influence the approval procedure, tested as statistical evidence at a confidence level a = .05. The sample consisted of 55 civil engineering projects completed during 2008-2013. The statistical evidence found in this study suggest a benchmark of 15 days as the expected duration for the registration and approval processes of projects, which may be adopted as an assessment policy for public project management in Colombia. Additionally, the study provided statistical evidence to formulate policy related with: the memorandum of commitment to the community benefited by the project, the methodology for the registration of public projects, and the project budget estimation. Thus, this study advocates the use of statistical evidence as an appropriate strategy for the improvement policy formulation of project management processes and decision making in public organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the laws of construction warranties in Tennessee. Topics discussed include most common construction warranties, those flowing from the contractor to the owner; construction warranties as in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) General Conditions of the Contract for Construction; and the Court of Appeals "Hankins v. Johnson."

Taking Ningde City as an example, this paper analyzed current situations of construction and comprehensive reform of small towns. It further discussed existing problems and causes in the construction and comprehensive reform of small towns. Finally, it came up with pertinent recommendations, in the hope of providing some valuable references for construction and comprehensive reform of small towns in Ningde City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutional and social practice of archaeology in Mexico focuses on research and the safeguarding of archeological remains, which are understood as a national resource; this, because the discipline maintains a deep sense of the nation’s heritage. But archaeological labors involving the country’s historical and archeological patrimony are profoundly affected by agents both natural and social. The latter category emerges primarily in the context of large-scale infrastructure projects that are promoted on the basis of political decisions and judgments that reflect the priorities of Mexico’s six-year presidencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem, research strategy, and findings:Increased demand for urban living, financial incentives for redevelopment, and conducive planning regulations are leading to significant commercial building reuse. This trend represents an opportunity to upgrade the energy performance of the existing building stock in older, more walkable downtowns and to achieve preservation goals. Some advocates of building reuse resist imposing the cost of energy improvements on associated projects, while many energy efficiency advocates do not distinguish how the opportunities and constraints differ between new and existing buildings. Building code officials experience this tension when reviewing improvements to existing buildings, and many find that sections of the widely adopted International Energy Conservation Code are pragmatically unenforceable. In this study we examine the existing-building energy challenge using a mixed-methods approach within one region as well as a national-level analysis of governmental data. We characterize promising regulatory strategies including exempting historic buildings (which is the status quo), exempting smaller buildings and less energy-intensive occupancies and systems, and creating simple lookup tables that provide succinct guidance to redevelopers and code officials. Takeaway for practice:Code officials enforce longstanding life-safety codes more assiduously than they do the newer energy codes, and these codes need revisions to make them more cost effective and enforceable. A better understanding and implementation of building energy codes can have positive implications for both energy performance and downtown revitalization. Success depends on better managing interdependencies among the national policy objective of energy efficiency, the ubiquitous local planning objective of downtown revitalization, and the bureaucratic challenges of regulating construction in existing buildings. Planners should bring code officials into adaptive reuse projects early. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the counterintuitive emergence of self-regulation in the Russian construction sector. Despite its proclivity for centralizing political authority, the government acted as the catalyst for the delegation of regulatory powers to private industry groups. The article argues that a factor little considered in extant literature-namely, a weak and corrupt bureaucracy-is key to explaining why the normally control-oriented executive branch began to promote private governance despite industry's preference for continued state regulation. The article's signal contribution is to theoretically explain and empirically demonstrate how a government's prior inability to establish intrastate control over an ineffective and bribable public bureaucracy creates incentives for political authorities to search for alternative means for policy implementation outside of existing state agencies. These findings are important for understanding the impetus and logic behind particular regulatory shifts in countries where the state apparatus is both deficient and corrupt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the measured mile method to estimate loss caused by disruption to the progress of a construction project by providing an overview of the operation of the methodology, a literature and case law review, and provides guidance on how a measured mile analysis should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expert determination is considered to be an evidence agreement under Turkish law. When the expert determination agreement is drafted as exclusive evidence agreement, no other evidence shall be submitted on the subject. The economic growth in Turkey has paved the way for the realization of many infrastructure and energy projects as well as for many deals including mergers and acquisition transactions, construction agreements, intellectual property agreements. For dispute resolution in these projects and transactions, arbitration is generally preferred. This article suggests that along with arbitration expert determination should be used for effective dispute resolution in respect of technical matters. Expert determination is flexible, less expensive, faster, and responds to the needs of the parties to the projects and/or transactions. This article examines the legal structure, case law and scholarly opinions in respect of expert determination in Turkey with a comparative perspective and makes recommendations for drafting and use of such mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the affirmative action programs developed by the government to provide opportunities to minority and women owned businesses in competing for government contracts, in the public construction works industry. Details include the mandate that prime contractors need to use a certain number of minority or women owned businesses as sub contractors or suppliers and state and local governments abandoning minority and women owned business enterprise (M.W.B.E.) programs.

The current article questions how experimentation in policy design plays out in practice. In particular, it is interested in understanding how the content and process of policy-design experiments affect their outcomes. The article does so by building on an original study into 31 real-world examples of experimentation in policy design in the building sector in Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. All examples aim to improve the environmental sustainability of the building sector. The article finds that these 31 examples have attracted moderate to substantial numbers of participants (policy outcome HO.i), but have not achieved substantial numbers of buildings built or retrofitted with high levels of sustainability (policy outcome HO.ii). By carefully unpacking these policy designs into a number of key characteristics, it finds that this mismatch between the two outcomes may partly be explained by flawed policy-design processes. The article concludes with the main lessons learnt and provides some suggestions on how to improve experimentation in policy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Call for entries: 2014 fib Awards for Outstanding Concrete Structures fib 2013 Symposium, Tel Aviv Commission 9 update 70th birthday symposium for Rolf Eligehausen BEFIB2012 - An overview Symposium for Joost Walraven fib bulletins Walter Thorpe † 1928-2012 Congresses and symposia Acknowledgement 2012 reviewers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Building information modelling (BIM) is a paradigm shift in the architectural, engineering and construction industries which transforms processes to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the implementation of BIM in Hong Kong and the USA and recommend strategies for BIM implementation in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach - A literature review of BIM initiatives taken in Hong Kong and the USA was conducted including the government policy, guidelines, standards and implementation status. Findings from the literature review were complemented with insights obtained through focused interviews of experts in the field for arriving at recommendations based on the research. The principal investigator of this research also participated in the establishment of a BIM professional institute as one of the founding board members. Findings - As a result of studies performed for this paper, guidelines are proposed for BIM implementation in Hong Kong. The role of government in implementing BIM in different phases of a project lifecycle is also highlighted. Research limitations/implications - The research is limited mainly to the initiatives of BIM taken by the public sector (government). The roles of other stakeholders are not specifically studied. Results from this study should be considered in the context of a qualitative research methodology adopted and the limited number of responses obtained for arriving at the findings of this paper. Practical implications - Results from this study can be used as guidelines for the implementation of BIM elsewhere and this implementation can be compared with other countries. Originality/value - This paper highlights the best practices of BIM implementation, which is useful for the effective and efficient implementation of BIM in Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the development of a construction project aimed at building an airport in Mexico City, Mexico in the early 2000s. It examines the political decisions related to the project as well as an analysis of political scientist John Kingdon's multiple flows model and the political coalitions model of political scientists Paul A. Sabatier and Hank C. Jenkins-Smith. The author also studies the application of these models to infrastructure projects in Latin America, including the Mexican airport. Public policy, historical records, and documents regarding the evaluation process for these infrastructure projects are also explored.

One expression of the spread of auditing and bureaucratic accountability in global society is the emergence of certifications of virtue, typically after completion of a review process designed to ensure objectivity. In this article, I analyze regulatory interactions in a U.S. construction project, including the procedure for formally certifying buildings as energy efficient and 'sustainable,' to bring into focus the sometimes-paradoxical effects that highly rationalized regulations have on those obliged to comply with them. The case illustrates how virtue is reduced to a checklist of measurable properties whose integrity is maintained through rituals of verification and rigorous risk management. The issues involved lead me to reflect on anthropologists' inclination to demonize bureaucratic regulation in their ethnographic accounts even as they insist on formal accountability in their own communities and professional networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnographic methodologies developed in social anthropology and sociology hold considerable promise for addressing practical, problem-based research concerned with the construction site. The extended researcher-engagement characteristic of ethnography reveals rich insights, yet is infrequently used to understand how workplace realities are lived out on construction sites. Moreover, studies that do employ these methods are rarely reported within construction research journals. This paper argues that recent innovations in ethnographic methodologies offer new routes to: posing questions; understanding workplace socialities (i.e. the qualities of the social relationships that develop on construction sites); learning about forms, uses and communication of knowledge on construction sites; and turning these into meaningful recommendations. This argument is supported by examples from an interdisciplinary ethnography concerning migrant workers and communications on UK construction sites. The presented research seeks to understand how construction workers communicate with managers and each other and how they stay safe on site, with the objective of informing site health-and-safety strategies and the production and evaluation of training and other materials. Les methodologies ethnographiques developpees en anthropologie sociale et en sociologie sont extremement prometteuses pour aborder des recherches pratiques, basees sur la resolution de problemes et portant sur le chantier de construction. La caracteristique etendue chercheur-engagement de l'ethnographie est revelatrice de riches enseignements, mais est neanmoins peu souvent utilisee pour comprendre comment les realites du lieu de travail sont vecues sur les chantiers de construction. De plus, les etudes faisant effectivement appel a ces methodes sont rarement presentees dans les revues consacrees a la recherche dans le batiment. Cet article defend l'idee selon laquelle les innovations recentes dans les methodologies ethnographiques offrent de nouvelles voies, qu'il s'agisse de poser des questions; de comprendre les socialites sur le lieu de travail (c'est-a-dire les qualites des relations sociales qui se developpent sur les chantiers de construction); d'en apprendre plus sur les formes, les usages et la communication des savoirs sur les chantiers de construction; et de transformer cela en des recommandations utiles. Cette argumentation est appuyee par des exemples issus d'une ethnographie interdisciplinaire qui concerne les travailleurs migrants et la communication sur les chantiers de construction britanniques. Le travail de recherche presente vise a comprendre comment les ouvriers du batiment communiquent avec leur encadrement et entre eux et comment ils maintiennent leur securite sur les chantiers, l'objectif etant d'influer sur les strategies relatives a la securite et a la protection de la sante sur les chantiers, ainsi que sur la production et l'evaluation des materiels de formation et autres. Mots cles: chantier de construction, ouvriers du batiment, recherches ethnographiques, connaissances indigenes, pratiques informelles, connaissances pratiques, savoir local [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the review pertaining to the insurance policy provisions on the building code upgrade in the U.S. An overview is provided on several cases about the insurance coverage for building code upgrades. It explores an analysis on the major issues on the upgrade which affects the insured, insurers and courts. It explores the government policies pertaining to the changes made in building size and the costs attached to the building changes. Moreover, it provides information on the scope and limitation of building upgrades based on the code.

The Washington State Department of Revenue conducted a behavioral field experiment to increase use tax compliance within the construction industry. The study examined the effects of accountability and heightened sanction awareness on tax compliance. The results indicate that mandating firms to file an affidavit signed by the party responsible for reviewing use tax obligations increases compliance. Providing information regarding the penalty structure for noncompliance through an educational letter also increases use tax compliance, especially for firms with declining revenues. This latter finding is consistent with the findings of Jackson and Hatfield (2005). These results add to taxation literature by finding that inexpensive affidavits and mail-based education regarding tax sanctions can be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - UK government policy has emphasised the role of skills development and training as a means of improving productivity performance across all sectors of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to assess the appropriateness of this policy within the context of the construction industry, in light of the recently published statistics. Design/methodology/approach - A trend analysis of construction productivity (measured by Gross Value Added/worker) and skills indicators (qualification attainment and training) was conducted over the period 1995-2006. Findings - There is inconsistency in the industry's productivity performance, despite the overall increase in qualification attainment levels and participation rates in training over the same period. However, the year-on-year change in the participation rate of training was not consistently associated with an improvement in productivity performance. Originality/value - It is argued that the effective utilisation of skills rather than mere increase in the supply of skills is a key to bringing about productivity improvements. Indeed future policy makers decisions should focus on addressing other influences on productivity performance such as work organization and management practice to support further development and progression of the UK construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing skills crisis in the UK construction industry has constrained the productive capacity of the industry. Past research and skills policies have largely failed to develop an understanding of the realities of the skills crisis at the grassroots level. Solutions offered by researchers and policy makers have previously had little demonstrable impact in addressing skills concerns. Much of these policies seems disconnected from the realities experienced by employers and by those working in the industry. A critical perspective on resolving the skills crisis is offered. A set of mutually reinforcing research and policy initiatives are proposed, including the need for researchers and policy makers to move away from the conventionally national approach in addressing the skills problem and to engage in genuine, joined-up thinking that meets the needs of local regions. Furthermore, employers and employees are called to be reflective practitioners in their participation of the skills development agenda. Adopting these recommendations could overcome many shortcomings in research and policy that have hitherto done little to combat the construction skills crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Building Research & Information is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The particular roles played by governments through their policies and programmes are considered within a comparative context in order to gain an understanding of construction innovation systems and processes. The analysis of this question is grounded in a framework which develops: a typology of construction related activities, a precise definition of innovation, the measurement of innovation, and models linking R&D and innovation. Comparative findings suggest that the political and social structures of individual countries do not create radical differences in their national approaches to innovation. However, government structure, the type of national innovation system and the nature of construction institutions influence the choice of specific policy instruments. A summary of findings from a task group is presented which reviews various national policies towards innovation in construction. Country specific observations are drawn from case studies of 15 countries in Europe, North and South America, South Africa and Japan. Often public policy instruments in support of innovation have not been of real benefit to the construction industry. Recommendations are made to improve the focus and utility of future policy initiatives for innovation, including: the creation of collaborative arrangements with industry initiated research and emphasis on performance and sustainability. Dans cet article, les auteurs comparent les rôles particuliers joués par les gouvernements au travers leurs politiques et leurs programmes afin de mieux faire connaître les nouveaux systèmes et procédés de construction. L'analyse de cette question se fait dans un cadre qui propose une typologie des activités liées à la construction, une définition précise de l'innovation, la mesure de l'innovation et des modèles qui lient la R&D et innovation. Des résultats comparatifs laissent à penser que les structures politiques et sociales de chaque pays ne créent pas de différences radicales entre les approches nationales en matière d'innovation. En revanche, les structures gouvernementales, le type de système national propre à l'innovation et la nature des institutions du domaine de la construction ont une influence sur le choix d'instruments d'intervention spécifiques. On trouvera la synthèse des résultats des travaux d'un groupe d'étude accompagnée d'une présentation de diverses politiques nationales en matière d'innovation dans le secteur de la construction. Des observations spécifiques par pays sont extraites d'études de cas provenant de 15 pays d'Europe, d'Amérique du nord et du sud, l'Afrique du sud et le Japon. On constate que les moyens publics d'intervention en faveur de l'innovation n'apportent pas toujours de réels avantages à l'industrie de la construction. Des recommandations sont faites pour améliorer la portée et l'utilité des futures initiatives politiques en faveur de l'innovation; il faudrait notamment élaborer des formules de coopération dans le cadre d'actions de recherche engagées par l'industrie et faire en sorte qu'une plus grande importance soit accordée aux performances et on développement durable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the links between skill formation processes and productivity improvement in the construction industry in Singapore. It critically examines the essential features of Ashton and Sung's New East Asian Skill Formation Model. This model, which is derived from the theory of the developmental State, points to the dominant role of the State and, for that matter the political élites, in the skills-formation process. It asserts that the State determines the skill needs at the national level and takes steps to ensure that those skills will be available in the economy when they are needed. Using Singapore as an example, Ashton and Sung show how an East Asian government has made effective use of skills training to achieve competitiveness. In spite of the significant strengths of this model, we argue that it does not tell the whole story. Consequently, this paper focuses on some neglected aspects of the skills-formation process in Singapore and argues that the Singapore government's skills-formation approach is not monolithic and that different approaches have been developed for different industries. The approach adopted for a particular industry depends on the characteristics of the industry and the government's priorities. Evidence is drawn from the construction industry to support this argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study to evaluate the effects of the enforcement of building codes and the decline of inner cities in the United States. Criticism of building code requirements and strict enforcement practices for increasing the costs on new construction and rehabilitation in urban areas; View that these regulations have reduced the ability of central cities to compete with suburban areas for population and economic development.

The UK's NJCC Code of Procedure for Single Stage Selective Tendering (now withdrawn) and its successor, the CIB's Code of Practice for the Selection of Main Contractors are criticized in the light of decisions of the common law courts with regard to regulation of the tendering process. It is argued that a new 'Tendering Code' should be produced in the style and format of a contract document which reflects not only the statutory regulation imposed on public bodies, but common law decisions of the courts. The nature of this tendering contract is explained as a means of regulating the tendering process. Issues discussed are: dealing with errors and irregularities found in tenders; dealing with non-compliant tenders; dealing with tender withdrawal prior to its acceptance or rejection; making provisions as to time for submission of tenders and dealing with late tenders; making provision for submission of tender by fax or other electronic means; making provision for evaluation of tenders received; and imposing or negotiating reductions in price with tenderers prior to acceptance. The paper concludes that the common law obligations placed on the owner to treat all tenderers equally and fairly arid to apply the tender conditions when evaluating tenders and awarding contracts seems to be good common sense and of commercial advantage, not only to the immediate parties concerned but also to the wider community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design organizations play a major role in the construction industry: they are the media that transfer the requirements of the client to the contractor and ensure that they are met. Thus they need to provide a high quality of service to ensure that their client's project achieves the best possible standards of cost, time and quality. Seventy quality practices (QP) were identified as having a bearing on the quality of service provided by the local design organizations. These quality practices were grouped into fifteen sections termed quality sections (QS). The prevalence of these practices among the local design organizations was surveyed and determined. The results indicate a significant need for improvement in the quality sections 'working relationship', 'employee training and education', and 'performance quality audit'. The study reveals the need for the establishment of a design code, and evaluation standards for local design organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the method of blacklisting corrupt public contractors as a means of reforming the New York City construction industry. Issues of governmental ethics, fairness and efficiency; New York City School Construction Authority (SCA); SCA prequalification procedure for contractors; Contract procurement rules; Stringent integrity tests for government contractors; More.

Presents information on a study which focused on a Massachusetts project that was financed and built through a complex series of noncompetitive contracting arrangements. Information on the special legislation that authorized the project; Elaboration on the project's use of lease-purchase financing and task, design/build construction; Discussion on the project's risk as well as the public policy implications.

Copyright of Building Research & Information is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents legal developments in marketing relating to the regulation of product characteristics. Regarding product quality and safety standards, a case involving Ward Corp. is discussed, in which the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) examined the warranty performance of corporations in the home building industry. Regarding packaging and labeling, a case involving Paccar Inc. is discussed, involving questions of labeling and correct product designation addressed by the FTC. Regarding credit terms and conditions of sale, a case involving StarCrest Products is discussed, involving alleged violations of the FTC Mail Order Rule.