Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Exploration planning is a process of decision making under uncertainty. This paper, Part I of two dealing with the exploration problem, briefly reviews the decision analytical procedure for tunnel exploration, and provides practical techniques to do so. Specifically, this paper presents an approach by which the effect of additional exploration can be assessed before actually committing to exploration, through a process of so-called virtual exploration. This is practically done with an easy-to-use software package developed in Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel, called the Decision Aids for Tunnel Exploration. Part II will describe the uncertainties that enter into the tunnel exploration decision procedure, and will provide practical techniques to asses the effects of these uncertainties on the exploration decision making.

Tunnel exploration is a classic problem of decision making under uncertainty. This paper, Part II, dealing with the exploration problem, discusses the sources of uncertainty in tunnel exploration, and provides techniques to formally incorporate uncertainties into the exploration planning. Part I described the state of uncertainty in geology and exploration reliability using assigned probabilities. These probabilities are, however, uncertain. Construction costs are also uncertain. This paper presents tools with which the decision maker is able to assess the effects of these uncertainties on exploration decisions. Decisions are therefore made based on the value of collecting new, uncertain information through “virtual” exploration prior to actually exploring.

In response to the growing demands for innovation, networked arrangements that draw together and synthesize the knowledge resources of multiple organizations and sectors have come to the fore-front within the construction arena. Because they are based on a relational governance principal, these new arrangements require management strategies and techniques that may not be synonymous with conventional approaches. Drawing on the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation as an example of an interorganizational innovation network, this case study examines its formation and operation to determine the role that relational governance plays in these new arrangements and to provide insights into the relationship-based management strategies employed. The case study indicates that although a mix of governance modes supplements the relational approach, network management remains a critical, if often overlooked, function. Based on the findings, a preliminary relationship management framework is presented as well as some key lessons for those responsible for the architecture, operation, and administration of these innovation networks.

Execution of the finishing works in high-rise apartment buildings is made complex by the need to customize apartments to the varying requirements and designs of individual clients. The conventional construction planning practice of progressing upward from floor to floor breaks down in the face of the arbitrary sequence in which clients finalize their decisions. The results are long cycle times for delivery of completed apartments and corollary high levels of work in progress, budget and schedule overruns, and general dissatisfaction with the process on the part of the developer, contractor, subcontractors, and the clients. Application of lean construction principles to this problem has led to development of a management model that adopts pull scheduling, reduced batch sizes, and a degree of multiskilling. The main benefits expected are an enhanced ability to provide customized apartments, improved cash flow, and reduced apartment delivery cycle times. The model was first formulated in theory, then tested using a management simulation game and computer simulation, and subsequently, developed for practical application. This paper presents an analysis of conventional practice, the theoretical background to the lean approach, and the specific management changes proposed.

This paper extends the build-operate-transfer (BOT) concession model (BOTCcM) to a new method for identifying a concession period by using bargaining-game theory. Concession period is one of the most important decision variables in arranging a BOT-type contract, and there are few methodologies available for helping to determine the value of this variable. The BOTCcM presents an alternative method by which a group of concession period solutions are produced. Nevertheless, a typical weakness in using BOTCcM is that the model cannot recommend a specific time span for concessionary. This paper introduces a new method called BOT bargaining concession model (BOTBaC) to enable the identification of a specific concession period, which takes into account the bargaining behavior of the two parties concerned in engaging a BOT contract, namely, the investor and the government concerned. The application of BOTBaC is demonstrated through using an example case.

Proponents of advanced technologies for the delivery of constructed facilities assert that information and automation technologies can significantly reduce construction costs. However, technology transfer has been greatly limited as practitioners are reluctant to adopt new technologies for myriad reasons including concerns over expertise requirements, value versus traditional approaches, implementation practicality, and risk. All of these concerns ultimately relate to cost versus benefit. While considerable automation research has been documented, thorough economic justifications in the literature have been rare in comparison. In this paper, the writers present and illustrate a model to assess the economics of construction equipment automation using a case illustration focused on the allowable cost of sensor technologies for real-time, in-field rolling resistance monitoring. Rolling resistance is vital in determining power train requirements, fuel consumption, and travel time associated with hauling operations. The absence of a true understanding of field changes in rolling resistance may result in a lack of insight regarding the interaction of jobsite characteristics and the performance potential of hauling operations.