IT implementation in the construction organization

Organizational issues are inhibiting the implementation and strategic use of information technologies (IT) in the construction sector. This paper focuses on these issues and explores processes by which emerging technologies can be introduced into construction organizations. The paper is based on a case study, conducted in a major house building company that was implementing a virtual reality (VR) system for internal design review in the regional offices. Interviews were conducted with different members of the organization to explore the introduction process and the use of the system. The case study findings provide insight into the process of change, the constraints that inhibit IT implementation and the relationship between new technology and work patterns within construction organizations. They suggest that (1) user-developer communications are critical for the successful implementation of non-diffused innovations in the construction industry; and (2) successful uptake of IT requires both strategic decision-making by top management and decision-making by technical managers.

Construction management strategies : a theory of construction management

The construction industry has become a truly global network of interconnected stakeholders making demands which require the involvement of skilled workforces from all over the world. Construction Management Strategies sets the foundations for understanding and managing construction’s inherent complexity and uniqueness. It establishes clear definitions of commonly accepted terms like built environment, construction, civil engineering, etc. which are often given confusing and conflicting interpretations. It cuts through the plethora of overlapping role titles currently used in the construction sector that make it difficult to establish how projects are actually managed.

Influencing energy efficient occupant behavior through improved building and control design

There is growing pressure on the construction industry to deliver energy efficient, sustainable buildings but there is evidence to suggest that, in practice, designs regularly fail to achieve the anticipated levels of in-use energy consumption. One of the key factors behind this discrepancy is the behavior of the building occupants. This paper explores how insights from experimental psychology could potentially be used to reduce the gap between the predicted and actual energy performance of buildings. It demonstrates why traditional methods to engage with the occupants are not always successful and proposes a model for a more holistic approach to this issue. The paper concludes that achieving energy efficiency in buildings is not solely a technological issue and that the construction industry needs to adopt a more user-centred approach.

Motivational factors impacting the productivity of construction master craftsmen in Kuwait

In today's global economic conditions, improving the productivity of the construction industry is becoming more pressing than ever. Several factors impact the efficiency of construction operatives, but motivation is among the most important. Since low productivity is one of the significant challenges facing the construction industry in the State of Kuwait, the objective of this case study is to identify, explore, and rank the relative importance of the factors perceived to impact the motivational level of master craftsmen involved in primary construction trades. To achieve this objective, a structured questionnaire survey comprising 23 factors, which were shortlisted based on relevant previous research on motivation, the input of local industry experts, and numerous interviews with skilled operatives, was distributed to a large number of master craftsmen. Using the “Relative Importance Index” technique, the following prominent factors are identified: (1) payment delay; (2) rework; (3) lack of a financial incentive scheme; (4) the extent of change orders during execution; (5) incompetent supervisors; (6) delays in responding to Requests For Information (RFI); (7) overcrowding and operatives interface; (8) unrealistic scheduling and performance expectation; (9) shortage of materials on site; and (10) drawings quality level. The findings can be used to provide industry practitioners with guidance for focusing, acting upon, and controlling the critical factors influencing the performance of master craftsmen, hence, assist in achieving an efficient utilization of the workforce, and a reasonable level of competitiveness and cost effective operation.

Understanding absorptive capacity in Malaysian small and medium sized (SME) construction companies

Purpose – The construction industry is a very important part of the Malaysian economy. The government's aim is to make the industry more productive, efficient and safe. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are at the core of the Malaysian construction industry and account for about 90 per cent of companies undertaking construction work. One of the main challenges faced by the Malaysian construction industry is the ability to absorb new knowledge and technology and to implement it in the construction phase. The purpose of this paper is to consider absorptive capacity in Malaysian construction SMEs in rural areas. Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted in three stages: first, understanding the Malaysian construction industry; second, a literature review on the issues related to absorptive capacity and discussions with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB); and third, multiple case studies in five construction SMEs operating in a rural area to validate the factors influencing absorptive capacity. Findings – Nine key factors were identified influencing absorptive capacity in Malaysian construction SMEs operating in rural areas. These factors involved: cost and affordability; availability and supply; demand; infrastructure; policies and regulations; labour readiness; workforce attitude and motivation; communication and sources of new knowledge and; culture. Originality/value – The key factors influencing absorptive capacity presented in this paper are based on validation from the case studies in five construction SMEs in Malaysia. The research focuses on how they operate in rural areas; however, the research results have wider application than just Malaysia. The key factors identified as influencing absorptive capacity can serve as a basis for considering knowledge absorption in the wider context by SMEs in other developing countries.

Construction contracts: law and management. 4th edition

This is a fully revised edition of the UK’s leading textbook on the law governing construction contracts and the management and administration of those contracts. Although the legal principles involved are an aspect of general contract law, the practical and commercial complexities of the construction industry have increasingly made this a specialist area. This new edition has been brought up to date with recent cases and developments in the law as it stands at March 2007. The basic approach of the book has been retained. Rather than provide a commentary on standard-form contracts, our approach is to introduce the general principles that underlie contracts in construction, illustrating them by reference to the most important standard forms currently in use. Some of the common standard-form contracts have been revised since the previous edition, and the text has been revised to take account of these changes. Practitioners (consultants, builders, clients and lawyers) will find this an extremely useful source of reference, providing in-depth explanations for all of the features found in contemporary construction contracts, with reasons. A unique feature of this book is the way that it brings together the relevant principles of law with the practical issues arising in construction cases. It is a key text for construction undergraduates and postgraduates as well as for those taking the RIBA Part III and CIOB Part II examinations.

Auto ID-Bridging the physical and the digital on construction projects

This book looks at how auto-ID has evolved and how it can be used in the construction industry and across projects from the perspective of all the stakeholders, from owners to design consultants, contractors and the supply chain. It could help to improve efficiency, reduce costs, ensure quality, protect the environment, and enhance safety.

The evolution of the Australian life insurance industry

The life insurance industry in Australia has traditionally been an important source of long term finance for both the public and private sector. However, very little historical analysis has been undertaken into an industry that constitutes a fundamental part of the economy's financial sector. The present climate of deregulation has initiated an irrevocable process of change within the industry. To comprehend the full implications of this change it is necessary to have an understanding of how the industry has evolved. This paper seeks to provide a background account of the growth of the life insurance industry in Australia highlighting the influences that have determined the structure of the industry.

Emerging technologies in building envelopes

Advancements in engineering and space technology are increasingly finding application in buildings. Building envelopes are utilising components of high-technological solutions resulting in better visibility, greater light transmission, increased energy generation and storage capacity, improved shading and ventilation and integration with the external environment. This report summarises several technological advancements and suggests forthcoming directions for building envelope design. Many of the technologies presented here have been invented and developed in Australia, yet are not commonly used by the building construction industry.

Bryan the builder-residential work only

The High Court, in the 1995 landmark case of Bryan v Maloney, held a builder of a residential house liable to a subsequent owner for economic loss suffered by way of the reduction in value of the house caused by its defective foundations. Since that decision, several cases in state courts have indicated that any extension of the principle in Bryan to commercial properties is a matter for the High Court. This year, Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd provided the vehicle for the High Court to revisit the Bryan principle in a commercial context. Faced with the question 'can a subsequent owner of a commercial property who discovers faulty foundations sue the builder for the costs of fixing the problem before it causes any physical damage to person or property?', the resounding response from the High Court has been 'no'. Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Hayne and Heydon JJ in a joint judgment and McHugh J and Callinan J in separate judgements rejected any 'extension' of the Bryan principle to commercial premises. Much to the relief of the construction industry, the Court made it clear that it will be difficult for a subsequent owner to make out a case in negligence against the original builder unless it can show special vulnerability to the risk of injury. Kirby J, in a dissenting judgment, suggested that the extension of liability to commercial builders fits quite comfortably with general principles and lamented the 'incremental' approach to liability presently favoured by the Court. Consequent upon the retirement of Gaudron J, Kirby J appears to be a lonely light on the hill, shining a solitary beacon on matters of principle.

The revisitation of Bryan has long been anticipated. However, Woolcock does not provide the solid bricks and mortar craved by the construction industry. Close examination of the reasoning of the Court suggests that it may itself rest on faulty foundations. In his dissenting judgment, Kirby J questions some of the assumptions made by the majority and highlights the deficiencies of the 'stated case' procedure for a re-examination of this particular area of law, thus suggesting that Woolcock may not be completely sound.

Case study of demolition costs of residential buildings

Building demolition is one of the most common activities in the construction industry. Several demolition techniques are commonly used, including mechanical demolition, deconstruction and hybrid demolition. Although deconstruction has been advocated for its environmentally friendly approaches, the cost comparison of a demolition project under different techniques is rarely researched. In this paper, the cost of a demolition project is broken down to input and output costs, which are further broken down to more countable sections. Through an empirical study in Victoria, Australia, project costs of mechanical demolition, hybrid demolition and deconstruction are investigated. It is found that deconstruction has the greatest profitability among the three techniques. Hybrid demolition, which is the actual technique adopted by the contractor, has a slightly lower profit, and mechanical demolition is the most expensive. Although deconstruction has the best overall economical performance, the small extra gain comes with increased complexity and risk that deters demolition contractors from its attempt. It is found in the paper that an optimized demolition project strategy exists between hybrid demolition and deconstruction with the greatest profitability among various building demolition techniques.

Consumer complaint actions: a conceptual model based on complainants about advertising in Australia

This article presents a new conceptual model detailing consumer complaint responses relating to exposure to unacceptable advertising. The model is initiated by consumer perceptions of negative inequity which elicits one of three consumer complaint responses based on the identified triggers that may influence complaining propensity such as demographic, psychographic, cultural, situational and social factors. Complainant perception of the process encountered together with the overall outcome of their experience affect future complaint behaviour as shown by this evolving model as the end reaction flows on to form the consumer’s next response to a similar situation. The advertising industry in Australia is valued annually at over $8 billion and some advertisements have been identified as ‘unacceptable’ by elements in society. Industry and regulatory response to consumer complaints is thus an important area to address and there is no extant literature utilising such an holistic model.

IT based approaches for integrating construction safety regulations with construction planning

The concept of a construction accident is extending from the traditional construction operation accident to contain all non-construction operation accidents in personnel's safety and health, global and local environment, and the insufficient facility planning for security and emergency. Construction accidents may cause human, social and sustainable tragedies directly, and indirectly delay construction progresses and adversely affect the reputation of construction industry. In order to reduce all possible construction accidents, lots of non-construction operation regulations are constituted according to the authoritative regulations and previous construction experiences. However, these non-construction operation regulations are not integrated with the construction production or process planning. This may cause that some of these non-construction operation regulations ,are disregarded in the practical construction progress. The aim of this research is to explore the possibility, methodology and techniques in practice in order to identify and specify the non-construction operation regulations for every individual construction production and process. Therefore, the construction planning does not only represent the time and resources of each construction product or process, but also its non-construction operation regulations. The main outcomes of this research are a systematic identification of non-construction operation regulations, and the potential techniques for integrating them with the construction planning.