Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

Despite being inaccurate, linear models are often used by construction managers to describe production, which limits the development and application of a production theory. The objective of this study is to formulate and test new equations comprehending the non-steady-state conditions of repetitive project-driven processes in construction to calculate cycle time and capacity based on productivity function models. The algebraic calculations were developed from Little’s Law to estimate cycle times and capacity and then tested on productivity function models of 11 construction processes (two cases arranged in a supply chain). It has been reaffirmed that the transient time negatively impacts process productivity. The transient time and theoretical average cycle time showed a proportional relationship to the average cycle times of the samples, resulting in a benchmarking ranking close to the one measured. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by introducing equations for capacity and cycle time based on a process productivity function model that can be used on processes in any state. It can be an alternative to three-point estimation, for instance.

The procedure of falsework inspection has the potential for improvements in accuracy and time efficiency. The current process of inspection is often time-consuming and there is a potential for human error that could lead to undesirable outcomes. This paper presents an innovative smart system with the purpose of achieving an automation in falsework inspection. The system is basically a combination of radio frequency identification (RFID) with a virtual three-dimensional (3D) model that is represented by the AutoCAD 360 drawing viewer on a mobile device. Member identification is to be addressed by the RFID component, while the virtual model is expected to enable more accurate positional identification of members within the entire falsework configuration. A mock-up formwork structure was assembled in order to test this developed system. RFID was found to identify members significantly faster (5.6 s as an average) than by inspecting manually (33.2 s as an average) during 20 demonstrations. Simultaneously, higher inspection accuracy of 96.2% compared to 91.5% was achieved by inspecting manually. However, the smart technology option for component positioning did not have expected results and was less efficient than the currently practiced method. This shows that there is a potential in implementing one of the previous technologies while the other still requires further development before it would be applied to the inspection process. The primary contribution of the research lies in demonstrating the true value of the tangible smart system in an actual situation. In short, it enabled showing its effectiveness during the quantification, but still needs more work in its positioning.

Management practices of lean production within the last planner system (LPS) have enabled significant improvements in project performance worldwide. These improvements are, in part, attributed to practices that strengthen social networks within projects and enhance effective communication. However, the relationships by which LPS management practices and organizational characteristics impact project performance are not well known and require in-depth investigation. To obtain a better understanding of these relationships, analyzed data was collected from nine construction projects from two Chilean construction companies. Correlation analysis was applied to the degree of implementation of LPS practices, social networks metrics, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Significant relationships were found among these three variables. It was also found that a high implementation level of LPS practices is usually related to improved project performance, although it is not always associated with improved network metrics. The results provide insights into project performance relationships with the organization and LPS practices that should lead to improve the managerial decision-making process regarding organizational and management practices for better project performance. The role of social network properties on project performance requires further research because optimal metrics have not been established yet.

The construction industry is infamous for its dismal safety records. In Hong Kong, the ratio of fatal accidents per thousand workers increases with the gross value of work performed per worker for a 21-year period between 1995 and 2015. There were more deaths when workers worked more. There has not been any significant drop in construction fatalities. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the fatal accidents, including when and how they occurred. Contextual data of fatal incidents in the construction industry of Hong Kong from 2006 to 2015 were collected from local news. The majority of victims were workers aged 45 and above, reflecting acute problems of labor aging and skilled labor shortages, which are issues not only in Hong Kong but throughout the world. Not unexpectedly, most workers died in the hot humid days in summer after working for 2 h in the morning or 1 h after a lunch break. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis suggest that more fatal accidents occurred in repair, maintenance, alteration, and addition (RMAA) works from the private sector. Hence, safety governance should be more focused on this particular sector. This is the first study to explore the overall fatalities in Hong Kong construction trades with a focus on the analysis of the relationships between the recorded variables. The findings for Hong Kong provide insight for future research on solutions to reduce accidents in the construction industry around the world.

In construction planning, inherent uncertainties in activity sequences and variations of work packages can often cause deviations from project plans. In order to effectively study and preempt scenarios that may lead to undesired project time and cost overruns, several construction domain-specific simulation platforms have been designed and introduced in the past. Although transitioning to simulation-based decision-making has great potential to streamline project conceptualization and early planning, the inability of simulations to evolve with the real system can significantly limit their applicability and render them unreliable for construction-phase decision-making. This issue has been identified as one of the grand challenges to industry-wide adoption of simulation models throughout the lifecycle of construction and infrastructure projects. A potential solution to this problem is to equip simulations with sensing systems that interact with and collect project data in runtime. This approach, however, requires meticulous effort to procure, set up, operate, synchronize, calibrate, and maintain sensing devices over a large project area. This practical challenge can potentially hinder the ability of simulation systems to adapt and remain relevant for decision-making. Moreover, sensor readings are often noisy and imperfect. If used as inputs to a simulation model, this noise in sensor data can create volatility in simulation outputs. Chaos theory describes how small variations in input can cause high output errors even in simple systems. To this end, this paper presents an evolutionary algorithm to process and significantly reduce noise in imperfect sensor data captured by low-cost consumer-grade sensors. The main contribution of this work to the body of knowledge is a scientific methodology of refining imperfect (noisy) sensor data and producing clean datasets that can be used to generate more stable simulation input models. This methodology was validated in a field experiment in which simulation models were created using noisy (imperfect) as well as refined sensor data. The output of each simulation model was compared with ground truth values. Analysis of results shows that using refined sensor data to generate simulation models significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of the simulation output.

The commercially used systems of formworks and falseworks currently used in construction require high initial cost, take time to be erected, and occupy major space in the construction site. The proposed new system depends on developing a new falsework system depending on the concept of the funicular arch. A parametric study is performed proving that the proposed funicular arched steel truss (FAST) system decreases the own weight of the falsework. FAST was proven to save up to half of the falsework steel in addition to eliminating the need for stringers and therefore decreasing the initial cost compared with commercially used systems. A time study is also performed in order to assess the time efficiency of the construction system, which proved to save two-thirds of the falsework installation time. Further, the new system is proven to be environmentally friendly because it decreases half of the ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ emitted to air due to steel falsework fabrication in addition to saving transportation time and cost and providing more space in the construction site. A case study is also included in which the soundness of the system is proven from different perspectives.

Because human error plays a direct role in accidents, studying the causal relationship between the environment and human error is essential to prevent mishaps. However, these relationships have been explored solely using bivariate statistical analysis and thus require more intermediate factors to emphasize the need for monitoring and controlling human error by improving the workplace environment. Moreover, prevalent studies rely heavily on expert experience, which is subjective and creates potential estimation noise. In this study, the mechanism whereby environmental factors influence behavior and its associate factors is learned with an algorithm using a Bayesian network structure. Rather than being simply data-driven, the algorithm initiates learning from prior knowledge, the theoretical causal chain in the cognitive reliability and error analysis method (CREAM), and revises the learning approach against safety inspection data if necessary. The learned Bayesian network shows that human error and incorrect sequencing result from a combination of limited cognitive functions and improper spatial/workmanship arrangements caused by equipment defects, improper design, and management problems. Bridging the gaps in previous studies, the action interface revealed by this study is useful for on-site quality control.

Recent increases in technical requirements for constructed facilities along with new contractual approaches and technologies used to deliver them provide special opportunities for increased project performance and for the career paths of new engineers. Construction engineers provide resources and complete technical activities to increase performance in meeting all types of project objectives. This paper describes these key activities, the knowledge required to complete them, and options to acquire and maintain that knowledge. It also describes related topics including recent trends in construction engineering education, technical fundamentals related to construction engineering topics and activities, and the results of a practicum course focusing on construction engineering. The concluding sections describe applications in continued self-directed learning throughout careers and conclusions and recommendations for leveraging career success. A second related paper describes the author’s research related to construction engineering. Both are offered to express thanks for receipt of the Peurifoy Construction Research Award and to encourage and assist new faculty and engineers in an industry whose career paths include construction engineering activities.

Construction engineers play a major role in the built environment by designing construction facilities and field operations and supplying materials. This paper summarizes and synthesizes the results of a research program to increase understanding and effectiveness of two key construction engineering focus areas: integration of project activities, and increasing innovation. Key findings related to project integration include planning activities to improve constructability and foster use of major construction methods. The integration research also included identifying constructability knowledge and using project models to increase its availability for designers. The second main theme of the research is process and product innovation. This investigation used case studies of innovative projects to identify major differences. This increased understanding led to overall findings regarding innovative design and construction organizations and projects and to highlight recommendations for practical applications to increase the scope and rate of innovation in practice. Both parts of the paper contribute to the core body of knowledge regarding construction engineering activities and their vital role in improving project performance in meeting cost, schedule, safety, quality, and sustainability objectives.

Many countries use financial aids to expedite public-private partnership (PPP) projects, depending on their financial status and/or demand for additional infrastructure. Minimum revenue guarantees (MRGs) are one financial aid option that costs the Korean government US$2.7 billion in liabilities annually. To reduce these considerable expenditures, this study proposes resolving financial conflicts using a three-phase game framework with a bargaining phase, a ratification phase, and a decision-making phase. The first two phases are adopted from traditional two-level game theory, and the last phase is added to support sequential negotiations and multiple buyers. To confirm the usability of proposed framework, the authors conduct illustrative case applications with two representative real-life PPP cases. Case 1 shows that qualitative bargaining power can be accurately quantified, and Case 2 demonstrates that empirically calculated values can be used in negotiation practice. The framework proposed in this study reduces the range of negotiation, the time required to negotiate, and the damage caused by conflicts. Additionally, the frame is expected to support strategic negotiations and well-structured decisions in financial conflicts between key stakeholders.

This study investigates the characteristics of the cost performance of megatransport infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and performs dependence analysis of cost overruns. It is based on 57 samples of road, rail, bridge, and tunnel projects over the period of 1985–2015 and pursues the following two objectives: (1) it measures the characteristics of cost overruns in Hong Kong megatransport infrastructure projects using case data and statistical analysis method; and (2) it examines three independent explanatory variables (i.e., project type, size of the project, and length of the project implementation period) and their statistical relationship with cost overruns to determine whether there exist differences between Hong Kong infrastructure projects and the worldwide findings. The results indicate that, in Hong Kong, projects on average have a cost escalation of 39.18% and the average cost overrun is 34.83% for rail, 32.52% for road projects, and 37.48% for fixed-link (i.e., bridges and tunnels) projects. The year of the decision to build has no effect on cost escalation. The major findings concerning the dependence of cost escalations are as follows. In terms of project type, rail projects are most prone to cost increase, followed by fixed-links, whereas road projects are the least vulnerable to cost escalations. Cost overruns have no significant relationship with project size, but for road projects, smaller scale projects tend to be more prone to larger cost overruns. The cost overruns strongly depend on the length of the implementation phase; cost escalations increase 1.35% with each additional year of preconstruction period. This indicates that the preconstruction phase length can be viewed as a better indicator of cost escalations compared to the construction length. This can be an essential contribution to the existing literature on cost overruns as the stage in which the infrastructures are most prone to cost escalations is considerably narrowed down. The practical implications of this study are that decision makers should focus on this period and pay more attention to delays and longer preconstruction phases if they want to determine the causes and solutions of cost overruns.