Critical policy drivers for Modular integrated Construction projects in Hong Kong

Author(s):  
Xin Jin ◽  
E.M.A.C. Ekanayake ◽  
Geoffrey Q.P. Shen
Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Ann T. W. Yu ◽  
Irene Wong ◽  
Zezhou Wu ◽  
Chi-Sun Poon

Hong Kong is a densely populated city with high-rise developments, and as in other metropolitan cities, the amount of waste generated from construction projects in the city is increasing annually. The capacity of existing landfills is expected to be saturated by the 2020s. Construction waste management has been implemented for years but the performance is still not satisfactory. The aim of this research paper is to explore and formulate strategies and measures for effective construction waste management and reduction in highly urbanized cities such as Hong Kong. A desktop study on construction waste management practices was carried out for a preliminary understanding of the current situation in Hong Kong. Semistructured interviews and focus group meetings were further conducted to shed light on how to improve construction waste reduction and management in Hong Kong. The main contributions of this research study are the potential short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies, which are related to the design stage, tender stage, construction stage, and government support. The five major strategies recommended are financial benefits to stakeholders, public policies in facilitating waste sorting, government supports for the green building industry, development of a mature recycling market, and education and research in construction waste minimization and management.


2013 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 705-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Y. Yeung ◽  
Albert P. C. Chan ◽  
Daniel W. M. Chan ◽  
Y. H. Chiang ◽  
Huan Yang

Author(s):  
Ekambaram Palaneeswaran ◽  
Muthukaruppan Ramanathan ◽  
Peter E D Love ◽  
Chi-ming Tam

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Zhan ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Le Chen

PurposeWhile the investment in construction projects has increased over the past few decades, low construction project productivity (CPP) appeared to be persistent, thereby reflecting an “investment-in-failure” paradox between the investment and CPP. Hence, this paper aims to develop a systematic and holistic CPP evaluation framework to explain the apparent paradox in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first reviews the literature about the theories of system, production, principal–agent and project success evaluation to re-conceptualise the CPP and proposes a two-stage CPP evaluation framework. The framework is subsequently explored through a sequential qualitative mixed-methods design within the context of the Hong Kong construction industry by combining 32 semi-structured interviews with senior industry experts and exploratory case studies, with three real-life construction projects.FindingsThe paper identifies three system boundaries for CPP evaluation, that is, parameter, timeframe and stakeholder, and develops a two-stage CPP evaluation framework to indicate site efficiency and utilisation effectiveness, thereby accessing the productivity of both the construction and post-construction stages. The “investment-in-failure” paradox associated with current CPP evaluation approaches is primarily attributed to the narrowly defined CPP boundaries.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative exploration of the evaluation framework only focusses on the Hong Kong construction industry. Further case studies within other urban contexts could be used to improve the generalisability of the findings. Quantitative research is also necessary to advance theoretical development of the two-stage CPP evaluation.Practical implicationsThe systemic CPP conceptualisation and the two-stage CPP evaluation framework support the systems thinking of industry stakeholders and enable them to formulate holistic strategies for long-term CPP enhancement.Originality/valueThe research demonstrates the needs to expand the system boundaries of CPP to reflect its systemic value and to shift the paradigm of CPP evaluation from being output-orientated and quantity-focussed to being outcome-orientated and value-focussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1475-1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Arshad Ali Javed ◽  
Tsun Ip Lam ◽  
Geoffrey Qiping Shen ◽  
Ming Sun

Purpose Integrating sustainability into the value management (VM) process can provide a strategic platform for promoting and incorporating sustainable design and development during the lifespans of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for integrating sustainability into the VM process in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach Following an extensive literature review, 45 attributes were identified and grouped into strength, weakness, opportunity and threat elements. A questionnaire survey based on these groupings was supported by semi-structured interviews with public sector clients, value managers and VM facilitators. They shared their experience and views on how to integrate sustainability into the VM exercises. Findings The triangulated results of the survey and interviews are presented in this paper. The ranking of the SWOT analysis results indicate that VM does provide opportunities for multidisciplinary professionals and stakeholders to focus on issues relating to society and the environment, which is considered a main strength. The major weakness of integration is the lack of well-trained staff and low levels of VM participant expertise in relation to the sustainable construction issue. Research limitations/implications Current practices generally neglect integration of sustainability into the VM process due to cost and time constraints. There are ample strengths and opportunities recommended by this study for integrating sustainability into the VM process which are beneficial for the clients and contractors for achieving value for money and meeting sustainability targets. Practical implications There are immense opportunities for integrating sustainability into the VM process, including encouragement of the reduction, reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste. However, threats presented by integration include the additional time and costs required for achieving sustainability targets. Originality/value Findings and recommendations provided in this paper should be helpful to decision makers including clients and VM facilitators for the successful integration of the sustainability concept into the VM process.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 1219-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Y. Yeung ◽  
Albert P. C. Chan ◽  
Daniel W. M. Chan ◽  
Leong Kwan Li

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 894
Author(s):  
Daniel W. M. Chan ◽  
Douglas O. Aghimien

In Hong Kong, the accident statistics of the construction industry is still comparatively higher than other industries. However, accident rates within the industry have significantly decreased, starting from the implementation of diverse safety initiatives, including the Safe Working Cycle (SWC). In this study, a post-positivist philosophical stance was adopted, and a questionnaire survey was launched to gather empirical data on the application of SWC in construction projects, the effectiveness of the safety initiative, and the benefits thereof. The data gathered from 197 construction participants were analysed using descriptive statistics, mean score, Mann–Whitney U-Test, Kendall’s concordance analysis, Chi-square value, Spearman rank-order correlation test and exploratory factor analysis. The findings revealed significant adoption of SWC in the Hong Kong construction industry. Furthermore, daily, weekly, and monthly inspections and supervisions and safety committee meetings are effective items of this safety initiative. The benefits of adopting SWC can be grouped into the safety of frontline workers and increase in the organisation’s safety commitment and reputation. This study has created an excellent theoretical platform for future research work on the usefulness of the SWC in the construction industry at large.


Author(s):  
Enoch H.L. Cheung ◽  
S. Thomas Ng

Modular and offsite construction is becoming increasingly popular around the world. In Hong Kong, a modular integration construction (MiC) method is identified as a pragmatic approach to speed up the housing construction program and to solve the productivity and manpower problems of the industry. Using the MiC, virtually all the construction works including the finishing as well as the mechanical and electrical installation are completed offsite. The MiC units are then delivered to and installed on site. While the MiC can shift the risks of construction projects to the factories, this construction method is not without challenges. This is particularly the case for Hong Kong as most of the construction sites in the city are cramped due to the high-density urban environment. The problem is aggravated when every modular unit is unique and they are time consuming to produce. Any damages to the MiC components during the lifting process could seriously affect the entire construction sequence under a just-in-time management philosophy. Therefore, it is imperative to plan and monitor the logistics carefully when the MiC technique is used. To reduce any human errors and increase the efficiency and accuracy of the lifting process, a virtual reality (VR) approach may be adopted to simulate the construction logistics of MiC construction and train the crane operators. In this paper, a VR model is developed to simulate the construction of a high-rise residential building in a confined site. Various functions are built into the VR model to support the decisions pertinent to lifting logistics planning. In this paper, the design considerations and functions of the VR model are identified through a series of interviews. Moreover, the validation interviews help unveil the potentials and pitfalls of the developed VR model.


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