Identification of key competences of design-builders in the construction market of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Design-builders play a vital role in the success of DB projects. In the construction market of the People’s Republic of China, most of the design-builders, however, lack adequate competences to conduct the DB projects successfully. The objective of this study is, therefore, to identify the key competences that design-builders should possess to not only ensure the success of DB projects but also acquire the competitive advantages in the DB market. Five semi-structured face-to-face interviews and two rounds of Delphi questionnaire survey were conducted to identify the key competences of design-builders. Rankings have been assigned to these key competences on the basis of their relative importance. Six ranked key competences of design-builders have been identified, which are, namely, (1) experience with similar DB projects; (2) capability of corporate management; (3) combination of building techniques and design expertise; (4) financial capability for DB projects; (5) enterprise qualification and scale; and (6) credit records and reputation in the industry. The design-builders can make use of the research findings as guidelines to improve their DB competence. These research findings will also be useful to clients during the selection of design-builders.

Review of the design-build market in the People’s Republic of China

Design-build (DB) system has been demonstrated as an effective delivery method and been widely used overseas. However it does not receive the same popularity in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This paper first conducts a literature review on advantages and disadvantages of DB in general; then it gives an overview of the PRC construction industry. There are ample evidences that the DB system will theoretically bring benefits to the PRC construction industry. After a thorough investigation of the current DB market, it can be concluded that the development of the DB system is still at its infancy stage. The barriers to entry have been finally identified, which relate to the legal restraints, negative owner attitude, and high requirement of DB projects. These barriers constitute obstacles to the development of DB system in the PRC. However, with rapid growth of construction industry, new requirements in modern construction projects, and strong promotion from governments, it is believed that the domestic DB market will have great potential in the near future.

The investigation of design-build variants in the construction market of the People’s Republic of China

Design-Build (DB) system has been widely adopted overseas but it has not received the same popularity yet in the People’s Republic of China. The selection of design-build variant is regarded as one of the critical obstacles to the application of this alternative. This paper investigates categories of design-build variants in the construction market of China. The develop-and-construction, enhanced design-build, traditional-design-build and engineering procurement-construction (EPC) are the four current designbuild variants adopted by clients. Each of them is developed to meet a varying set of circumstances and has its own advantages and disadvantages. The develop-and-construction is mostly used in large, complex projects in housing industry and it will guarantee client’s great control over the project while still leave some design room for the contractor. The traditional-design-build and enhanced-design-build systems are mostly applied in projects that are comparatively simple, small-scale, and the DB contractors will have greater control of the projects. The EPC is the extension of pure design-build method and is widely adopted in the petrochemical, metallurgical and electronic fields because of the high-technique requirements and the necessity for one entity to control the design, construction, procurement and commissioning etc. Four corresponding design-build projects are also presented in this paper in order to better illustrate the operational process and provide the insight for understanding the design-build variants in Mainland China.

Identification of key competences of DB clients in the construction market of China

The design-build system has been demonstrated as an effective delivery method and gained popularity worldwide. Although there are an increasing number of clients adopting DB method in China, most of them remain inexperienced with method. The objective of this study is therefore to identify the key competences that a client or its consultant should possess to ensure the success of DB projects. Face-to-face interviews and a two-round Delphi questionnaire survey were conducted to find the following six key competences of clients, which include the (1) ability to clearly articulate project scope and objectives; (2) financial capacity for DB projects; (3) capability in contract management; (4) adequate staff or consulting team; (5) effective coordination with contractors and (6) experience with similar DB projects. This study will hopefully provide clients with measures to evaluate their DB competence and further promote their understanding of DB system in the PRC.

Internet-enabled international entrepreneurship : a conceptual exploration of the link between a firm’s resource base, dynamic capabilities and international market performance

It has been suggested that the accumulation of valuable resources and capabilities, such as Internet application, is not enough to support a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage, especially for high technology-mediated firms; which often operate in fast changing dynamic environments. While the idea of ‘Internet-enabled resources and capabilities’ has been recognised by RBV theorists, the notion has largely been ignored in conceptual and empirical studies. Given this finding, a conceptual framework is constructed and research issues are then developed in order to focus attention on the relationship between, the Internet and a firm’s resource base, dynamic capabilities and international market performance. We postulate that successful Internet-enabled market performance arises from those international entrepreneurial-oriented firms which encompass: international vision, international business experience, Internet-international marketing capabilities and international networking capabilities. Recommendations for future theory development are presented, along with the implications for international entrepreneurial managers in Australian small and medium sized firms

Individuals in a mass market environment: Australian bequest donors seek better communication from charities

Swelling social need and competing calls on government funds have heightened the philanthropic dollar’s value. Yet, Australia is not regarded as having a robust giving culture: while 86% of adults give, a mere 16% plan their giving with those who do donating four times as much as spontaneous givers (Giving Australia, 2005). Traditionally, the prime planned giving example is a charitable bequest, a revenue stream not prevalent here (Baker, 2007). In fact, Baker’s Victorian probate data shows under 5% of estates provide a charitable bequest and just over 1% of estate assets is bequeathed. The UK, in contrast, sources 30% and the US 10% of charitable income through bequests (NCVO, 2004; Sargeant, Wymer and Hilton,2006). Australian charities could boost bequest giving. Understanding the donor market, which has or may remember them in their will is critical. This paper reports donor perceptions of Australian charities’ bequest communication/ marketing. The data forms part of a wider study of Australian donors’ bequest attitudes and behaviour. Charities spend heavily on bequest promotion, from advertising to personal selling to public relations and promotion. Infrastructure funds are scarce so guidance on what works for donors is important. Guy and Patton (1988) made their classic call for a nonprofit marketing perspective and identify the need for charities to better understand the motivations and behaviour of their supporters. In similar vein, this study aims to improve the way nonprofits and givers interact; and ultimately, enhance the giving experience and thus multiply planned giving participation. Academically, it offers insights to Australian bequest motivations and attitudes not studied empirically before.

The role of law in responding to climate change : emerging regulatory, liability and market approaches

Climate change presents as the archetypal environmental problem with short-term economic self-interest operating to the detriment of the long-term sustainability of our society. The scientific reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change strongly assert that the stabilisation of emissions in the atmosphere, to avoid the adverse impacts of climate change, requires significant and rapid reductions in ‘business as usual’ global greenhouse gas emissions. The sheer magnitude of emissions reductions required, within this urgent timeframe, will necessitate an unprecedented level of international, multi-national and intra-national cooperation and will challenge conventional approaches to the creation and implementation of international and domestic legal regimes. To meet this challenge, existing international, national and local legal systems must harmoniously implement a strong international climate change regime through a portfolio of traditional and innovative legal mechanisms that swiftly transform current behavioural practices in emitting greenhouse gases. These include the imposition of strict duties to reduce emissions through the establishment of strong command and control regulation (the regulatory approach); mechanisms for the creation and distribution of liabilities for greenhouse gas emissions and climaterelated harm (the liability approach) and the use of innovative regulatory tools in the form of the carbon trading scheme (the market approach). The legal relations between these various regulatory, liability and market approaches must be managed to achieve a consistent, compatible and optimally effective legal regime to respond to the threat of climate change. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse and evaluate the emerging legal rules and frameworks, both international and Australian, required for the effective regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change in the context of the urgent and deep emissions reductions required to minimise the adverse impacts of climate change. In doing so, this thesis will examine critically the existing and potential role of law in effectively responding to climate change and will provide recommendations on the necessary reforms to achieve a more effective legal response to this global phenomenon in the future.

Investigation of barriers to entry into the design-build market in the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Although the design-build (DB) system has been demonstrated to be an effective delivery method and has gained popularity worldwide, it has not gained the same popularity in the construction market of China. The objective of this study was, theretofore, to investigate the barriers to entry in the DB market. A total of 22 entry barriers were first identified through an open-ended questionnaire survey with 15 top construction professionals in the construction market of China. A broad questionnaire survey was further conducted to prioritize these entry barriers. Statistical analysis of responses shows that the most dominant barriers to entry into the DB market are, namely, lack of design expertise, lack of interest from owners, lack of suitable organization structure, lack of DB specialists, and lack of credit record system. Analysis of variance indicates that there is no difference of opinions among the respondent groups of academia, government departments, state-owned company, and private company, at the 5% significance level, on most of the barriers to entry. Finally, the underlying dimensions of barriers to entry in the DB market were investigated through factor analysis. The results indicate that there are six major underlying dimensions of entry barriers in DB market, which include, namely, the competence of design-builders, difficulty in project procurement, characteristics of DB projects, lack of support from public sectors, the competence of DB owners, and the immaturity of DB market. These findings are useful for both potential and incumbent design-builders to understand and analyze the DB market in China.

Advanced musculoskeletal simulation as an ergonomic design method

In recent years, the advent of new tools for musculoskeletal simulation has increased the potential for significantly improving the ergonomic design process and ergonomic assessment of design. In this paper we investigate the use of one such tool, ‘The AnyBody Modeling System’, applied to solve a one-parameter and yet, complex ergonomic design problem. The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of computer-aided musculoskeletal modelling in the ergonomic design process, in the same way as CAE technology has been applied to engineering design.

Performance evaluation of eight contemporary passive solar homes in subtropical Australia

Subtropical south-east Queensland’s expanding population is expected to lead to a demand for an additional 754,000 dwellings by 2031. A legacy of poor housing design, minimal building regulations, an absence of building performance evaluation and various social and market factors has lead to a high and growing penetration of, and reliance on, air conditioners to provide comfort in this relatively benign climate. This reliance impacts on policy goals to adapt to and mitigate against global warming, electricity infrastructure investment and household resilience. Based on the concept of bioclimatic design, this field study scrutinizes eight non-air conditioned homes to develop a deeper understanding of the role of contemporary passive solar architecture in the delivery of thermally comfortable and resilient homes in the subtropics. These homes were found to provide inhabitants with an acceptable level of thermal comfort (18-28oC) for 77 – 97% of the year. Family expectations and experiences of comfort, and the various design strategies utilized were compared against the measured performance outcomes. This comparison revealed issues that limited quantification and implementation of design intent and highlighted factors that constrained system optimisation.

Simulation of ankle joint forces to optimize total ankle replacement design

When compared with other arthoplasties, Total Ankle Joint Replacement (TAR) is much less successful. Attempts to remedy this situation by modifying the implant design, for example by making its form more akin to the original ankle anatomy, have largely met with failure. One of the major obstacles is a gap in current knowledge relating to ankle joint force. Specifically this is the lack of reliable data quantifying forces and moments acting on the ankle, in both the healthy and diseased joints. The limited data that does exist is thought to be inaccurate [1] and is based upon simplistic two dimensional discrete and outdated techniques.

Simulation of AE wave propagation in thin plate for source identification

In most materials, short stress waves are generated during the process of plastic deformation, phase transformation, crack formation and crack growth. These phenomena are applied in acoustic emission (AE) for the detection of material defects in wide spectrum areas, ranging from non-destructive testing for the detection of materials defects to monitoring of microeismical activity. AE technique is also used for defect source identification and for failure detection. AE waves consist of P waves (primary/longitudinal waves), S waves (shear/transverse waves) and Rayleight (surface) waves as well as reflected and diffracted waves. The propagation of AE waves in various modes has made the determination of source location difficult. In order to use the acoustic emission technique for accurate identification of source location, an understanding of wave propagation of the AE signals at various locations in a plate structure is essential. Furthermore, an understanding of wave propagation can also assist in sensor location for optimum detection of AE signals. In real life, as the AE signals radiate from the source it will result in stress waves. Unless the type of stress wave is known, it is very difficult to locate the source when using the classical propagation velocity equations. This paper describes the simulation of AE waves to identify the source location in steel plate as well as the wave modes. The finite element analysis (FEA) is used for the numerical simulation of wave propagation in thin plate. By knowing the type of wave generated, it is possible to apply the appropriate wave equations to determine the location of the source. For a single plate structure, the results show that the simulation algorithm is effective to simulate different stress waves.

A simulation to describe the effects of in-shoe orthoses

The subtalar joint has been presumed to account for most of the pathologic motion in the foot and ankle, but research has shown that motion at other foot joints is greater than traditionally expected. Although recent research demonstrates the complexity of the kinematic variables in the foot and ankle, it still fails to expand our knowledge of the role of the musculotendinous structures in the biomechanics of the foot and ankle and how this is affected by in-shoe orthoses. The aim of this study was to simulate the effect of in-shoe foot orthoses by manipulation of the ground reaction force (GRF) components and centre of pressure (CoP) to demonstrate the resultant effect on muscle force in selected muscles during both the rearfoot loading response and stance phase of the gait cycle. We found that any medial wedge increases ankle joint load during gait cycle, while a lateral wedge decreases the joint load during the stance phase.

The market structure and characteristics of electronic games

A multi-billion dollar industry, electronic games have been experiencing strong and rapid growth in recent times. The world of games is not only exciting due to the magnificent growth of the industry however, but due to a host of other factors. This chapter explores electronic games, providing an analysis of the industry, key motivators for game play, the game medium and academic research concerning the effects of play. It also reviews the emerging relationship games share with sport, recognizing that they can replicate sports, facilitate sports participation and be played as a sport. These are complex relationships that have not yet been comprehensively studied. The current chapter serves to draw academic attention to the area and presents ideas for future research.

Considering weather in simulation traffic

The impact of weather on traffic and its behavior is not well studied in literature primarily due to lack of integrated traffic and weather data. Weather can significant effect the traffic and traffic management measures developed for fine weather might not be optimal for adverse weather. Simulation is an efficient tool for analyzing traffic management measures even before their actual implementation. Therefore, in order to develop and test traffic management measures for adverse weather condition we need to first analyze the effect of weather on fundamental traffic parameters and thereafter, calibrate the simulation model parameters in order to simulate the traffic under adverse weather conditions. In this paper we first, analyses the impact of weather on motorway traffic flow and drivers’ behaviour with traffic data from Swiss motorways and weather data from MeteoSuisse. Thereafter, we develop methodology to calibrate a microscopic simulation model with the aim to utilize the simulation model for simulating traffic under adverse weather conditions. Here, study is performed using AIMSUN, a microscopic traffic simulator.