Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

A survey of technical and administrative research and development (R&D) performed by Swedish contractors indicates that total R&D in 1989 reached 1.6% of total value added. Large firms in the industry show higher R&D intensities. Reasons for undertaking development work and preferred patterns of collaboration are ranked by eleven contractors in the survey. Increasing competitive power is the main reason given, regardless of firm size. Contractors also agree on the importance of owners as partners in development projects. Given this background, experiences from the first seven years of the joint employer and union Development Fund of the Swedish Construction Industry (SBUF) are reported. Data on all 264 finished projects, their applicants, participants, and themes are analyzed. Rising educational levels, structural change in the industry, and applications of advanced technology, including information technology, appear as long‐term trends that affect the future of contractor R&D in Sweden.

The participative‐creative approach of quality circles, for simultaneous enhancement of productivity and quality of work life, has been introduced in many leading manufacturing and service corporations in the West within the general trend of adopting so‐called Japanese managerial approaches. The construction industry, however, by and large has failed to use the potential of this powerful approach, apparently due to the mismatch commonly seen between the participative, long‐term, people‐building process of quality circles and the “hostile” environment of the construction industry, which features instability, temporary employment, and an ever‐changing work setting. This paper presents a counterintuitive hypothesis arguing that construction also features several unique conditions that impart special merit to the quality‐circle approach: The combination of low initial efficiency and dynamic, multiphase projects guarantees a continuous flow of significant and challenging problems for treatment by the circles, while the authority of site managers to implement significant modifications without further approval can save the frustration observed in many quality‐circle programs. The main part of the paper deals with actual field treatments. Findings are presented in statistical terms as well as in case studies and benefit/cost analyses.

Quality deviation data are collected from nine fast‐track industrial construction projects. The data are collected after the construction phase of the projects and identify the direct costs associated with rework (including redesign), repair, and replacement. Analyses of the data indicate that deviations on the projects accounted for an average of 12.4% of the total project costs. Furthermore, design deviations average 78% of the total number of deviations, 79% of the total deviation costs, and 9.5% of the total project cost. Construction deviations average 16% of the total number of deviations, 17% of the total deviation costs, and 2.5% of the total project cost. These values are conservative because they consider only direct costs, but they are indications of the areas that cause the greatest impact on total project costs. By applying the procedures presented in this paper to its historical records, a company can identify not only its deviation costs, but also the most likely areas on which to focus to reduce these costs on future projects.

The integrated database system (IDS) concept is being adopted by major industrial engineering contractors for the purpose of providing data‐processing links between facility design, construction, operations, and maintenance. An IDS typically combines computer‐aided‐design (CAD) and relational data‐base management software in a single multiuser system. Descriptions of two recently developed systems are presented as case studies. These case studies illustrate the diverse approaches that can be taken to develop and implement truly effective systems that provide tangible cost‐savings benefits. Major technological barriers to IDS development no longer exist. However, the extent to which integrated systems will become commonplace in the future depends in part on how rapidly the data‐processing and construction industries remove other minor barriers that include a lack of graphical data exchange standards and a lack of comon commodity codes for bulk construction materials.

This paper reviews the construction literature on the effects on labor productivity of scheduled overtime. The literature is organized into three groups: studies based on data from project records, studies in which the sources of data are unknown, and studies done in the manufacturing sector. Analyses are also performed on the influence of the number of days per week and the number of hours per day. The literature on scheduled overtime was found to be very sparse; dated to the late 1960s and earlier; based on small sample sizes; and largely developed from questionable or unknown sources. The analysis reveals very few original data. Many studies reference other studies, giving the false appearance of originality. The analysis of data shows general consistency with respect to overall losses of efficiency. However, with respect to the loss of efficiency as a function of the number of hours per day and the number of days per week, many studies show that the effect of these two variables is negligible. The paper concludes that these studies provide strange and largely unbelievable results.

Principles of constructability are applied to the planning, design, and construction of drilled‐shaft foundations. It is shown that the keys to drilled‐shaft constructability are an appropriate site investigation, the knowledge and experience of civil engineers with drilled‐foundation construction procedures, and a quality‐control program. Methods of drilled‐shaft construction are reviewed and specific procedures for implementing constructability during site investigations are presented. The input of engineers experienced in drilled‐shaft construction is shown to be necessary for successful cost estimates, accounting for effects of construction on design assumptions, and in developing rational construction specifications, all of which are critical for applying constructability to drilled shafts. Quality control, through inspection and nondestructive testing, can increase the reliability of drilled shafts by verifying subsurface conditions and by providing evaluation of postconstruction integrity. Two case histories are used to demonstrate that constructability provides a useful management and engineering tool to reduce foundation costs and increase reliability.

A building project is completed as a result of a combination of many events and interactions, planned or unplanned, over the life of a facility, with changing participants and processes in a constantly changing environment. This paper defines a set of conditions or factors that, when thoroughly and completely satisfied on a project, ensures the successful completion of the facility. Success on a project means that certain expectations for a given participant were met, whether owner, planner, engineer, contractor, or operator. These expectations may be different for each participant. The factors that predicate success were initially derived from the Integrated Building Process Model developed at Penn State by Sanvido in 1990. These factors were then tested on sixteen projects and the results showed excellent correlation between project success and achievement of the factors. Finally, the four factors most critical to success are presented.

To address quality problems and associated costs, the construction industry must pursue and implement innovative quality management organization and techniques. The need for quality management in the construction industry is discussed in the initial sections. Customer satisfaction and continuous improvement, which are the fundamental goals of total quality management (TQM) and thereby the principles on which it is based, are then discussed. Customers can be either external or internal. Internal customers must be satisfied if the final external customer is to be satisfied. Seven fundamental elements that form the framework that support TQM principles are presented. They include: management commitment and leadership, training, teamwork, statistical methods, cost of quality, supplier involvement, and customer service. Commitment and leadership from top management is essential to TQM implementation. The process for implementing TQM in an organization is discussed. Finally, some of the problems related to implementing TQM in the construction industry, such as the transient work force and the competitive bidding environment, are discussed, along with possible solutions.

Many construction innovations incorporate technologies that have been transferred from one geographical area or discipline to another and subsequently modified for the new conditions. This paper analyzes an example of this technology transfer on a sample project: chevron bracing was first used in the structural system of a tall building located in a high seismic zone. This paper describes current technologies for structural systems and the evolution of the unique structural design used for this project. This paper discusses three types of barriers to technology transfer in the U.S. construction industry: building codes, conservatism, and organizational barriers. The focus of this paper is on examining how the project team overcame those barriers. This paper concludes that the teamwork should be based on a reciprocal relationship. Each team member must possess technical competency. It is also vital for each team member to expend efforts to understand not only the technical aspects of the project but the needs and concerns expressed by the other team members. This paper provides insights about the reciprocal relationship and the qualifications of the participants required to surmount barriers to technology transfer in the U.S. construction industry.

The vast majority of construction contracts are procured using the low‐bid system. In the low bid system price is the sole basis for determining the successful bidder. This traditional approach has certain drawbacks. In recent years, several innovative modifications to the low bid system have been tried. This paper presents the results of these trials and proposes a more comprehensive approach to bid award criteria. A presentation of a multiparameter bidding system is made. The multiparameter bid award system would include various owner‐selected parameters, such as cost, time, and quality. Quantification of these parameters and bidder evaluation methodology are included. Finally, a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of a multiparameter bid award criteria system is also presented.

This paper presents a method by which the probability of winning in the competitive bidding problem can be improved by obtaining additional information concerning a key competitor. The competitive bidding problem as suggested by Friedman consists of describing the bidding behavior of each competitor by developing a probability density function representing the distribution of the ratio of a competitor's bid to “our” cost estimate. This static distribution for a key competitor is improved by maintaining a volume‐time function on competitor k. A function relating the markup of competitor k's static distribution function, thereby improving the calculation for the probability of winning over (defeating) competitor k. Equations for combining the probability of winning over competitor k with the probability of winning over other competitors is also presented.

The Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) Railroad's Exchange Place Station has undergone major renovation and improvement as part of a Port Authority passenger safety program. The station was constructed in the early 20th century, in poor ground conditions at the edge of the Hudson River. As a result of recent increases in passenger volume and a concern for passenger safety, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey planned and constructed major improvements to the station. Existing train rooms were refurbished and a new at‐grade station was constructed at water edge with new escalators and stairways descending to the deep station platforms. This paper describes the conditions encountered at the facility and the engineering decisions that were made in order to accommodate existing structures and the difficult ground conditions. Various construction techniques were necessary for the successful completion of the new construction without endangering the operating railroad or the public. The project was completed without incident and without disruption to the operating facility.

The selection/design of a formwork system for a project is influenced by the building design, site constraints, available resources, the contractor's experience with different systems, and their availability. Typically, the selection of a formwork system is made by a senior member of the contractor's organization. The decision is heavily based on that individual's experience. This experience may limit the selection of a system to one that is not the optimum. This paper describes the development and knowledge acquisition of an expert system developed to assist the formwork selector/designer in making that decision. This tool was developed by systematically capturing the expertise of people involved in all phases of the life of the formwork, from design through erection and concrete placement to its removal. The three stages of the knowledge acquisition, familiarization, elicitation, and organization, are described. The iterative process of building a microcomputer‐based expert system is presented.