Strategies for appropriate technology and competitive performance in infrastructure construction

Earlier research developed theoretically-based aggregate metrics for technology strategy and used them to analyze California bridge construction firms (Hampson, 1993). Determinants of firm performance, including trend in contract awards, market share and contract awards per employee, were used as indicators for competitive performance. The results of this research were a series of refined theoretically-based measures for technology strategy and a demonstrated positive relationship between technology strategy and competitive performance within the bridge construction sector. This research showed that three technology strategy dimensions—competitive positioning, depth of technology strategy, and organizational fit— show very strong correlation with the competitive performance indicators of absolute growth in contract awards, and contract awards per employee. Both researchers and industry professionals need improved understanding of how technology affects results, and how to better target investments to improve competitive performance in particular industry sectors. This paper builds on the previous research findings by evaluating the strategic fit of firms' approach to technology with industry segment characteristics. It begins with a brief overview of the background regarding technology strategy. The major sections of the paper describe niches and firms in an example infrastructure construction market, analyze appropriate technology strategies, and describe managerial actions to implement these strategies and support the business objectives of the firm.

Impacts of foreign direct investment on China’s construction industry

China’s national construction industry is now preparing to face the challenges, and to seize the opportunities, resulting from China’s entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). With the foreign direct investment (FDI) hitting a record high of around US$52.7 billion in 2002, China is believed to have now surpassed the USA as the world’s favorite destination for foreign investment. This fact, coupled with the huge potential for infrastructure development, indicates that the relatively large proportion of FDI flowing into the national construction industry will continue to increase in the foreseeable future. Positive aspects of FDI flowing will definitely help forging new industrial capabilities for China’s construction industry, thus helping it to achieve the ambitious strategic targets set by the Government for exporting construction goods and services. To shed some light on the position of the national industry in the global economy, this paper briefly presents the current international standing of China’s construction industry and qualitatively appraises potential positive influences of, and challenges associated with, FDI on the national industry.

Electronic Building Passport - Final Report: Project 2 National Energy Efficient Building Project Phase 2

The National Energy Efficient Building Project (NEEBP) Phase One report, published in December 2014, investigated “process issues and systemic failures” in the administration of the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code. It found that most stakeholders believed that under-compliance with these requirements is widespread across Australia, with similar issues being reported in all states and territories. The report found that many different factors were contributing to this outcome and, as a result, many recommendations were offered that together would be expected to remedy the systemic issues reported. To follow up on this Phase 1 report, three additional projects were commissioned as part of Phase 2 of the overall NEEBP project. This Report deals with the development and piloting of an Electronic Building Passport (EBP) tool – a project undertaken jointly by pitt&sherry and a team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led by Dr Wendy Miller. The other Phase 2 projects cover audits of Class 1 buildings and issues relating to building alterations and additions. The passport concept aims to provide all stakeholders with (controlled) access to the key documentation and information that they need to verify the energy performance of buildings. This trial project deals with residential buildings but in principle could apply to any building type. Nine councils were recruited to help develop and test a pilot electronic building passport tool. The participation of these councils – across all states – enabled an assessment of the extent to which these councils are currently utilising documentation; to track the compliance of residential buildings with the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC). Overall we found that none of the participating councils are currently compiling all of the energy performance-related documentation that would demonstrate code compliance. The key reasons for this include: a major lack of clarity on precisely what documentation should be collected; cost and budget pressures; low public/stakeholder demand for the documentation; and a pragmatic judgement that non-compliance with any regulated documentation requirements represents a relatively low risk for them. Some councils reported producing documentation, such as certificates of final completion, only on demand, for example. Only three of the nine council participants reported regularly conducting compliance assessments or audits utilising this documentation and/or inspections. Overall we formed the view that documentation and information tracking processes operating within the building standards and compliance system are not working to assure compliance with the Code’s energy performance requirements. In other words the Code, and its implementation under state and territory regulatory processes, is falling short as a ‘quality assurance’ system for consumers. As a result it is likely that the new housing stock is under-performing relative to policy expectations, consuming unnecessary amounts of energy, imposing unnecessarily high energy bills on occupants, and generating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, Councils noted that the demand for documentation relating to building energy performance was low. All the participant councils in the EBP pilot agreed that documentation and information processes need to work more effectively if the potential regulatory and market drivers towards energy efficient homes are to be harnessed. These findings are fully consistent with the Phase 1 NEEBP report. It was also agreed that an EBP system could potentially play an important role in improving documentation and information processes. However, only one of the participant councils indicated that they might adopt such a system on a voluntary basis. The majority felt that such a system would only be taken up if it were: - A nationally agreed system, imposed as a mandatory requirement under state or national regulation; - Capable of being used by multiple parties including councils, private certifiers, building regulators, builders and energy assessors in particular; and - Fully integrated into their existing document management systems, or at least seamlessly compatible rather than a separate, unlinked tool. Further, we note that the value of an EBP in capturing statistical information relating to the energy performance of buildings would be much greater if an EBP were adopted on a nationally consistent basis. Councils were clear that a key impediment to the take up of an EBP system is that they are facing very considerable budget and staffing challenges. They report that they are often unable to meet all community demands from the resources available to them. Therefore they are unlikely to provide resources to support the roll out of an EBP system on a voluntary basis. Overall, we conclude from this pilot that the public good would be well served if the Australian, state and territory governments continued to develop and implement an Electronic Building Passport system in a cost-efficient and effective manner. This development should occur with detailed input from building regulators, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), councils and private certifiers in the first instance. This report provides a suite of recommendations (Section 7.2) designed to advance the development and guide the implementation of a national EBP system.

Nationalisme, construction nationale et «action extérieure» : les entités nationales non souveraines espagnoles et l’Union européenne (1992-2008)

Cette thèse porte sur l’évolution des relations des « nationalités historiques » espagnoles avec l’Union européenne dans les années 1992-2008. L’analyse se concentre sur la genèse d’une paradiplomatie nationaliste européenne dont l’objectif est la reconnaissance de l’identité nationale de ces communautés au sein de l’Union européenne. Après avoir obtenu une certaine reconnaissance nationale et un statut privilégié en Espagne, les élites de ces « nations sans État » ont remarqué que le processus de construction de l’Union européenne a des conséquences négatives sur leur autonomie et, dans ce contexte, ces élites nationalistes sont obligées à concevoir une vraie politique européenne pour protéger leurs intérêts nationaux en Espagne et dans l’Union européenne. À partir de l’étude des rapports établis entre les « nationalités historiques » espagnoles avec l’Union européenne, nous démontrons que l’involution autonomique (en Espagne) et le manque d’empathie de l’Union européenne envers ces communautés nationales sont les principales causes de la genèse de leur politique européenne. Loin d’être simplement associée à une forme de régionalisme ou de néo-régionalisme, cette politique étrangère (« action extérieure ») de ces entités envers l’Union européenne fait partie d’un processus de construction nationale et pourrait être définie comme une paradiplomatie nationaliste. La présente thèse, basée sur une analyse de la politique européenne des « nationalités historiques » entre 1992 et 2008, soutient que les limites du dessein institutionnel de l’Union européenne représentent la principale raison d’être de l’évolution de la paradiplomatie nationaliste vers une protodiplomatie apparemment incohérente. Dans une telle situation, l’inaptitude institutionnelle de l’Union européenne à accommoder les demandes nationalistes serait une cause majeure de l’échec des initiatives nationalistes autonomistes et, en même temps, une cause de l’émergence d’un nouveau courant nationaliste au sein des élites des « nations sans État » occidentales, dont le but est la construction d’un propre État national à l’intérieur de l’Union européenne.

Bushfire responsive design : real life responses to energy ratings, bushfire standards and biodiverse sites.

Many of the more extreme bushfire prone landscapes in Australia are located in colder climate regions. For such sites, the National Construction Code regulates that houses satisfy both the Australian Standard for Bushfire (AS 3959:2009) and achieve a 6 Star energy rating. When combined these requirements present a considerable challenge to the construction of affordable housing - a problem which is often exacerbated by the complex topography of bushifre prone landscapes. Dr Weir presents a series of case studies from his architetcural practice which highlight the need for further design-led research into affordable housing - a ground up holistic approach to design which recolciles energy performance, human behaviourm, bushland conservation and bushfire safety.

The provision of visitable housing in Australia: Down to the detail

In response to the ratification of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), Australian housing industry leaders, supported by the Australian Government, committed to transform their practices voluntarily through the adoption of a national guideline, called Livable Housing Design. They set a target in 2010 that all new housing would be visitable by 2020. Research in this area suggests that the anticipated voluntary transformation is unrealistic and that mandatory regulation will be necessary for any lasting transformation to occur. It also suggests that the assumptions underpinning the Livable Housing Design agreement are unfounded. This paper reports on a study that problematised these assumptions. The study used eleven newly-constructed dwellings in three housing contexts in Brisbane, Australia. It sought to understand the logics-of-practice in providing, and not providing, visitable housing. By examining the specific details that make a dwelling visitable, and interpreting the accounts of builders, designers and developers, the study identified three logics-of-practice which challenged the assumptions underpinning the Livable Housing Design agreement: focus on the point of sale; an aversion to change and deference to external regulators on matters of social inclusion. These were evident in all housing contexts indicating a dominant industry culture regardless of housing context or policy intention. The paper suggests that financial incentives for both the builder and the buyer, demonstration by industry leaders and, ultimately, national regulation is a possible pathway for the Livable Housing Design agreement to reach the 2020 goal. The paper concludes that the Australian Government has three options: to ignore its obligations under the CRPD; to revisit the Livable Housing Design agreement in the hope that it works; or to regulate the housing industry through the National Construction Code to ensure the 2020 target is reached.

What are the costs of procurement and who bears them?

The costs of procurement are transaction costs which are separate from the direct costs of a project. In this paper discussion is concentrated on costs of tendering. Types of cost, including money costs and opportunity costs, short-term and long-term costs, private and social costs are defined and examined in relation to various types of product and methods of procurement. The costs of the contractor and of the client are considered and tentative conclusions drawn as to who bears these costs in the short-run and in the long run. They may fall on the parties to the process for the particular project, on other contractors and clients or on society as a whole.

Towards a BIM-based energy rating system

Governments in Australia are faced with policy implementation that mandates higher energy efficient housing (Foran, Lenzen & Dey 2005). To this effect, the National Construction Code (NCC) 2013 stipulates the minimum energy performance for residential buildings as 114MJ/m2 per annum or 6 stars on an energy rating scale. Compliance with this minimum is mandatory but there are several methods through which residential buildings can be rated to comply with the deemed to satisfy provisions outlined in the NCC. FirstRate5 is by far the most commonly used simulation software used in Victoria, Australia. Meanwhile, Building Information Modelling (BIM), using software such as ArchiCAD has gained a foothold in the industry. The energy simulation software within ArchiCAD, EcoDesigner, enables the reporting on the energy performance based on BIM elements that contain thermal information. This research is founded on a comparative study between FirstRate5 and EcoDesigner. Three building types were analysed and compared. The comparison finds significant differences between simulations, being, measured areas, thermal loads and potentially serious shortcomings within FirstRate5, that are discussed along with the future potential of a fully BIM-integrated model for energy rating certification in Victoria. © 2014, The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA), Hong Kong.

A EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA NA ERA VARGAS: A CONCRETIZAÇÃO DA IDENTIDADE MORAL E CÍVICA BRASILEIRA E A FORMAÇÃO DA MÃO DE OBRA

O presente estudo propõe analisar qual o papel exercido pela Educação Física na Era Vargas. Durante a década de 1930 e o início de 1940 o avanço do capitalismo industrial traduzia-se em formas bastante sutis de dominação, no qual, projetava-se o controle até mesmo da subjetividade, do caráter e da personalidade dos indivíduos. Formulada por intelectuais, militares e estudiosos do assunto e assumida pelo Estado a partir de 1937, a Educação Física assumiu o status de disciplina capaz de tornar o povo brasileiro preparado para acompanhar o desenvolvimento do país. Conferiu-se a essa disciplina o papel de auxiliar na construção de uma nação forte. Isto seria alcançado a partir do investimento sobre o corpo, pela regeneração física e moral do povo brasileiro, tornando-o forte, sadio, eugenizado, útil e produtivo. Ao mesmo tempo, seria possível introjetar nos indivíduos valores como ordem, disciplina, respeito e obediência. O Exército, grande ativador da Educação Física naquele momento, procurava liderar a construção nacional e envolvia essa prática em seus objetivos de militarização da sociedade. Com a consolidação do autoritarismo político a partir de 1937, o Estado integrou a Educação Física e sua ação regeneradora na ideologia de construção nacional então formulada, trazendo um contorno novo, de orientação fascista, ao projeto de construção da nacionalidade a partir dessa prática.(AU)

A EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA NA ERA VARGAS: A CONCRETIZAÇÃO DA IDENTIDADE MORAL E CÍVICA BRASILEIRA E A FORMAÇÃO DA MÃO DE OBRA

O presente estudo propõe analisar qual o papel exercido pela Educação Física na Era Vargas. Durante a década de 1930 e o início de 1940 o avanço do capitalismo industrial traduzia-se em formas bastante sutis de dominação, no qual, projetava-se o controle até mesmo da subjetividade, do caráter e da personalidade dos indivíduos. Formulada por intelectuais, militares e estudiosos do assunto e assumida pelo Estado a partir de 1937, a Educação Física assumiu o status de disciplina capaz de tornar o povo brasileiro preparado para acompanhar o desenvolvimento do país. Conferiu-se a essa disciplina o papel de auxiliar na construção de uma nação forte. Isto seria alcançado a partir do investimento sobre o corpo, pela regeneração física e moral do povo brasileiro, tornando-o forte, sadio, eugenizado, útil e produtivo. Ao mesmo tempo, seria possível introjetar nos indivíduos valores como ordem, disciplina, respeito e obediência. O Exército, grande ativador da Educação Física naquele momento, procurava liderar a construção nacional e envolvia essa prática em seus objetivos de militarização da sociedade. Com a consolidação do autoritarismo político a partir de 1937, o Estado integrou a Educação Física e sua ação regeneradora na ideologia de construção nacional então formulada, trazendo um contorno novo, de orientação fascista, ao projeto de construção da nacionalidade a partir dessa prática.(AU)

Entre la renovación y la reevaluación. Jalones en la historiografía francesa sobre la Restauración

La historiografía francesa sobre la Restauración está marcada por algunos importantes jalones. Poco a poco ha ido escapando de la escritura militante para convertirse en un objeto histórico sometido a una mirada crítica. Aunque durante mucho tiempo fue un período casi abandonado, progresivamente ha ido suscitando mayor interés, algo que puede apreciarse en la ampliación de las temáticas y en el peso creciente de la historia cultural que se infiltra en la historia política, social o religiosa. A pesar de ello, la historia económica o la historia comparada de las Restauraciones en Europa se encuentran todavía en un estado embrionario, a pesar de algunas iniciativas recientemente puestas en marcha.

A EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA NA ERA VARGAS: A CONCRETIZAÇÃO DA IDENTIDADE MORAL E CÍVICA BRASILEIRA E A FORMAÇÃO DA MÃO DE OBRA

O presente estudo propõe analisar qual o papel exercido pela Educação Física na Era Vargas. Durante a década de 1930 e o início de 1940 o avanço do capitalismo industrial traduzia-se em formas bastante sutis de dominação, no qual, projetava-se o controle até mesmo da subjetividade, do caráter e da personalidade dos indivíduos. Formulada por intelectuais, militares e estudiosos do assunto e assumida pelo Estado a partir de 1937, a Educação Física assumiu o status de disciplina capaz de tornar o povo brasileiro preparado para acompanhar o desenvolvimento do país. Conferiu-se a essa disciplina o papel de auxiliar na construção de uma nação forte. Isto seria alcançado a partir do investimento sobre o corpo, pela regeneração física e moral do povo brasileiro, tornando-o forte, sadio, eugenizado, útil e produtivo. Ao mesmo tempo, seria possível introjetar nos indivíduos valores como ordem, disciplina, respeito e obediência. O Exército, grande ativador da Educação Física naquele momento, procurava liderar a construção nacional e envolvia essa prática em seus objetivos de militarização da sociedade. Com a consolidação do autoritarismo político a partir de 1937, o Estado integrou a Educação Física e sua ação regeneradora na ideologia de construção nacional então formulada, trazendo um contorno novo, de orientação fascista, ao projeto de construção da nacionalidade a partir dessa prática.(AU)

A review of Taiwan's technological five-year junior college mechanical engineering curriculum development: 1948 to 1994

Taiwan's technological five-year junior college (TFYJC) was founded in 1948 to train technicians to meet the demand coming from national construction. Site level professionals never were trained in curriculum development as this was under strict national control. The purpose of this study is to present an accurate narrative of Taiwan's TFYJC mechanical engineering curriculum development history in order to display the focus, rationale, and influencing forces of the evolving curriculum. This study employed historical research methodology and used document analysis as the primary approach.^ This analysis revealed that the target FYJC curriculum was manufacturing-oriented. The range of government control shifted from little, to full, then to partial control of the curriculum, from autonomy to uniformity then to partial autonomy. The intention of the target curriculum development was always to advance domestic economic development. Voices from the academia and government also influenced curriculum development decisions. Currently, the government has instituted a shift in focus and content causing individual institutions to develop curriculum responses addressing the challenge of advancing Taiwan's position in a global economy.^ Considering the shift in policy and practice, individual institutions intending to design curriculum are advised to implement empirical needs assessments of students, graduates, and employers and to engage in critical studies of emerging resources in order to provide effective in service training. To accomplish this end, TFYJC faculty and administration need training in curriculum theory and practice and evaluation. ^