Carbon emissions management in construction operations: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verona Ramas Joseph ◽  
Nur Kamaliah Mustaffa
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Social Factor ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Construction Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
The Usa

PurposeThe demand to reduce carbon emissions has become an increasingly important social factor due to the unprecedented impacts of climate change. However, most existing publications have focused on minimizing emissions during the operational phase of buildings. At the same time, there is a lack of comprehensive research conducted on carbon emissions, specifically during the construction phase. The purpose of this paper is to identify, review and classify current practices related to carbon emissions management in construction operations to gain greater insight into how to reduce and mitigate emissions and achieve more sustainable solutions.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviewed the published literature on carbon emissions from construction. A total of 198 bibliographic records were extracted from the Scopus collection database and analyzed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). PRISMA is used as a basis for reporting possible trends, research methods and strategies used in published literatures. A total of 99 papers related to carbon emissions in the construction operations were further reviewed and analyzed. This review paper draws on existing research and identifies current carbon management patterns in construction projects.FindingsData indicated an upward trend in the number of publications in carbon emissions research during the last few years, particularly in 2015, 2017 and 2019. The most significant contributions to the domain were reported from China, Europe and the USA. This paper found that most studies conduct the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to estimate carbon emissions. This paper found that the primary studies have focused on construction machinery and equipment emissions. The strategies such as establishing uniform standards for carbon emissions policies and regulations, equipment and logistic planning and low carbon design material will potentially impact carbon emissions reductions.Practical implicationsThis paper provides information that will be beneficial for the construction industry to design and manage construction operations. It will also be of interest to those looking to reduce or manage construction emissions.Originality/valueAlthough there is a diversity of current thinking related to the practical estimation and management of carbon emissions in construction projects, there is no consolidated set of keys of standardized carbon emissions management in practice. By assessing the existing paradigms of carbon assessment methods and tactics in the construction industry, this study contributed to the existing knowledge base by providing insights into current techniques in the construction sector for monitoring and mitigating emissions.

Implementation of technologies in the construction industry: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xichen Chen ◽  
Alice Yan Chang-Richards ◽  
Antony Pelosi ◽  
Yaodong Jia ◽  
Xuesong Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Holistic Understanding

PurposeWith interest in modern construction methods and new technologies on the rise, construction companies globally are increasingly looking at how to embrace new ideas and engage with new approaches to do things better. A significant amount of work has been carried out investigating the use of individual technologies in the construction sector. However, there is no holistic understanding of the new and emerging technologies that have had proven benefits for construction projects. To fill this gap, this paper aims to provide a landscape of technologies that have been implemented in the construction industry and the benefits associated with their implementation.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review approach and PRISMA guidelines were used. A total of 175 articles published between 2001 and 2020 were identified and thoroughly reviewed.FindingsThe results show that a total of 26 technologies were identified from the literature, and these can be categorised into five groups in terms of their functionality in construction process, namely: (1) data acquisition, (2) analytics, (3) visualisation, (4) communication and (5) design and construction automation. Digital technologies, especially for data acquisition and visualisation, generally appear to underpin and enable innovation in many aspects of construction. Improvements in work efficiency, health and safety, productivity, quality and sustainability have been cited as being the primary benefits of using these technologies. Of these, building information modelling (BIM) appears to be the single most commonly used technology thus far. With the development of computer technology, BIM has constantly been used in combination with other technologies/tools such as unmanned aerial vehicles/systems (unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/UAS), geographic information systems (GIS), light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and multidimensional modelling to realise a specifically defined benefit.Practical implicationsThe findings from this review would help construction practitioners identify the types of technologies that can be implemented in different stages of construction projects to achieve desired outcomes, and thus, make appropriate decisions on technology investment and adoption. This review also suggests that to reap the full potential that these technologies offer, aside from construction companies changing their culture and business models, corresponding changes in the construction sector’s operating systems related to building regulation, education and training, as well as contracting and procurement are required.Originality/valueThis paper undertakes a comprehensive systematic review of studies on technology implementation in the construction sector published between 2001 and 2020. It is the first attempt internationally to provide a holistic picture of technologies that have been studied and implemented in construction projects.

Production pressures in the building sector of the construction industry: a systematic review of literature

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Neale ◽  
Argaw Gurmu
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The building sector of the construction industry incorporates a precipitous and volatile nature with poor safety conditions being prevalent, owing to its inability to determine an appropriate trade-off between productivity and safety. This disproportionate trade-off produces production pressures, which contribute poorly to construction performance, by encouraging workers to prioritise their working productivity ahead of safety. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of production pressures in the building sector and propose mitigation strategies accordingly. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of literature was conducted, and secondary data were extracted from peer-reviewed journal papers. The data was then analysed to achieve the objectives of this study. Findings The main causes of production pressures are tight construction schedules, ineffective management and construction rework. Furthermore, the negative effects of production pressures are increased levels of stress in employees, reduced craftsmanship, encouraging accident-prone environments and decreasing employee’s safety behaviour. Effective mitigation strategies in relation to scheduling, leadership, communication and motivation were proposed. Finally, a causal loop diagram of production pressures in the building sector was developed. Originality/value This research will assist in creating a safer working environment within the building sector, by providing useful information regarding the severity of production pressures and suggesting mitigation strategies that can be implemented in the construction projects.

A systematic review of mental stressors in the construction industry

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bashir Tijani ◽  
Xiaohua Jin ◽  
Robert Osei-kyei
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Stressors ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Mental Stressors

PurposeStressors emanated from construction projects are causative factors for occupational stress inherent in the construction industry. Concomitant implications of stressors ignite a burst of empirical evidence, which necessitates a systematic review to capture the state of art of the extant literature. Therefore, this paper addresses this significant gap by conducting a systematic review of mental stressors.Design/methodology/approachA three-stage screening and data extraction method were employed to retrieve 38 papers that met the inclusion criteria for the study.FindingsThe annual publication trends and contributions of selected journals were elucidated. Moreover, this review identified 49 stressors from 38 selected peer-reviewed journals between 1997 and 2020. The most frequently reported mental stressors include work overload, home-work conflict, poor working environment, role ambiguity and poor working relationships. The 49 stressors could be classified into five main categories, namely; organizational stressors, task stressors, personal stressors, physical stressors and gender-related stressors.Originality/valueThe findings of the study broaden the understanding of the practitioners and policymakers on the dynamics of stressors for the development of stress interventions. Future research should focus on exploration of mental stressors specific to construction projects and different occupational trades.

Productivity monitoring in building construction projects: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesam Salah Alaloul ◽  
Khalid M. Alzubi ◽  
Ahmad B. Malkawi ◽  
Marsail Al Salaheen ◽  
Muhammad Ali Musarat
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Productivity ◽  
Automated Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Meta Analyses

PurposeThe unique nature of the construction sector makes it fall behind other sectors in terms of productivity. Monitoring construction productivity is crucial for the construction project's success. Current practices for construction productivity monitoring are time-consuming, manned and error prone. Although previous studies have been implemented toward reducing these limitations, a gap still exists in the automated monitoring of construction productivity.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to investigate and assess the different techniques used for monitoring productivity in building construction projects. Therefore, a mixed review methodology (bibliometric analysis and systematic review) was adopted. All the related publications were collected from different databases, which were further screened to get the most relevant based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.FindingsA detailed review was performed, and it was found that traditional methods, computer vision-based and photogrammetry are the most adopted data acquisition for productivity monitoring of building projects, respectively. Machine learning algorithms (ANN, SVM) and BIM were integrated with monitoring tools and technologies to enhance the automated monitoring performance in construction productivity. Also, it was observed that current studies did not cover all the complex construction job sites and they were applied based on a small sample of construction workers and machines separately.Originality/valueThis review paper contributes to the literature on construction management by providing insight into different productivity monitoring techniques.

Conceptual framework of value management adoption in the Nigerian construction industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lekan Damilola Ojo ◽  
Deji Rufus Ogunsemi ◽  
Olusola Ogunsina
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Market ◽  
Innovative Management ◽  
Coefficient Of Concordance ◽  
Global Construction

Purpose The Nigerian construction industry is bedeviled with poor project performance and outcomes which value management (VM) could address if applied. The application of VM on Nigerian construction projects is very minimal due to certain obstacles, namely, lack of VM experts, paucity of knowledge on the techniques, etc., which inhibits the adoption into the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework of the adoption of VM on construction projects in a typical developing economy. Design/methodology/approach This study engaged 15 selected VM experts in two rounds of Delphi survey to develop a conceptual framework of VM adoption. The method of data analysis includes mean score, standard deviation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, chi-square (χ2) test, interrater agreement analysis and significant level analysis. The developed conceptual framework was sent to a team of local and international VM experts for validation. Findings This study reveals that the adoption of VM requires the collective effort of relevant stakeholders in the construction industry. The framework developed presents individual and collective activities to be undertaken by the stakeholders. The activities include training, legislation, government-funded research, etc. Thus, the adoption of innovative management methodology like VM requires the collaboration of academics, construction professional bodies and government parastatals. This will assist in the judicious use of limited construction resources and boost the relevance of the Nigerian construction industry among developing nations and in the global construction market. Originality/value This study used the opinions of few construction professionals that can be regarded as VM experts in Nigeria, as against engaging a pool of construction professionals who may not be knowledgeable in VM process. Engaging the few VM experts in the Nigerian construction industry is important to have a valid basis for drawing conclusion, as large questionnaire survey could be possibly filled by inexperienced or unqualified respondents if stringent criteria are not considered at the outset of this study.

scholarly journals Achieve a low carbon supply chain through product mix

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (10) ◽  
pp. 2468-2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Chen ◽  
Xiaojun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Trade Policy ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Channel Structure ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Cap And Trade ◽  
Product Mix ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Supply ◽  
Trade Offs

Purpose In the era of climate change, industrial organizations are under increasing pressure from consumers and regulators to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of product mix as a strategy to deliver the low carbon supply chain under the cap-and-trade policy. Design/methodology/approach The authors incorporate the cap-and-trade policy into the green product mix decision models by using game-theoretic approach and compare these decisions in a decentralized model and a centralized model, respectively. The research explores potential behavioral changes under the cap-and-trade in the context of a two-echelon supply chain. Findings The analysis results show that the channel structure has significant impact on both economic and environmental performances. An integrated supply chain generates more profits. In contrast, a decentralized supply chain has lower carbon emissions. The cap-and-trade policy makes a different impact on the economic and environmental performances of the supply chain. Balancing the trade-offs is critical to ensure the long-term sustainability. Originality/value The research offers many interesting observations with respect to the effect of product mix strategy on operational decisions and the trade-offs between costs and carbon emissions under the cap-and-trade policy. The insights derived from the analysis not only help firms to make important operational and strategic decisions to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining their economic competitiveness, but also make meaningful contribution to governments’ policy making for carbon emissions control.

Analysing the benefits, techniques, tools and challenges of knowledge management practices in the Malaysian construction SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 803-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Boon Hui Yap ◽  
Anna Lock
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Cultural Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Klang Valley ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
Company Identification

Purpose Knowledge management (KM) is the central know how for the construction industry. However, the delivery of construction projects is often plagued by schedule delays and cost overruns due to lack of working knowledge of project personnel. Hence, the need to appraise the practices of knowledge management in the construction industry has become all the more germane. This paper aims to determine the awareness of KM practices in Malaysia-based construction small and medium enterprises, and to investigate the benefits, tools and techniques, and challenges associated with knowledge management implementation so that effective measures can be devised to address them. Design/methodology/approach The research data were gathered using a structured questionnaire survey disseminated in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia. Responses were collected from 107 industry practitioners. The quantitative data are subjected to descriptive statistics, and the ranking with category of significance of the hypothesised variables is determined using the relative importance index (RII) technique. Findings The key benefits of KM practices are predominantly raising efficiency, quality, productivity and decision-making. The most preferred KM techniques are “face-to-face interaction”, “mentoring” and “documents and reports”. The highly significant tools are “groupware” and “telephone”. The major organisational issue hampering the implementation of knowledge management practices is “lack of motivation” while the critical cultural issue is relating to “bureaucracy and hierarchical”, and the vital people issue concerns “lack of trust”. Research limitations/implications The respondents were limited to only small and medium construction enterprises located in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia, which makes generalisation challenging. Practical implications KM provides not only a pragmatic but also a proactive approach to raising the competitive edge and capabilities of a construction company. Identification of the critical attributes of KM provides the basis for project managers in formulating KM strategies to enhance the chances of successful delivery of future projects. Originality/value The study contributes to the debate on the knowledge agenda in the construction industry, particularly from a fast developing economy’s perspective, where an effective KM can further contribute to realising a reasonable level of competitiveness operation.

Risk analysis of construction of administration projects using Bayesian networks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Osama ◽  
Aly Sherif ◽  
Mohamed Badawy
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Life Cycle ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Project Life

Purpose This paper aims to enlighten the importance of the risk management process which is considered as a major procedure to effectively handle the potential inherent risks in the construction industry. However, most traditional risk analysis techniques are based on theories that deal with each risk factor as an independent, which does not take into consideration the causal relationships between risk factors. Design/methodology/approach This study aspires to identify the overall risk of the administrative construction projects in Egypt and to recognize the most influencing risk factors through the project life cycle by using Bayesian belief networks (BBN). Through a review of the literature, 27 risk factors were identified and categorized as the most common risk factors in the construction industry. A structured questionnaire was performed to estimate the probability and severity of these risks. Through site visits and interviews with experts in the construction field, 200 valid questionnaires were collected. A risk analysis model was developed using BBNs, then the applicability of this model was verified using a case study in Egypt. Findings However, the outcome showed that critical risks that manipulate administrative construction projects in Egypt were corruption and bribery, contractor financial difficulties, force majeure, damage to the structure and defective material installation. Practical implications The proposed study presents the possibilities available to the project parties to obtain a better forecast of the project objectives, including the project duration, total project cost and the target quality by examining the causal relationships between project risks and project objectives. Originality/value This study aspires to identify the overall risk of the administrative construction projects in Egypt and to recognize the most influencing risk factors through the project life cycle by using BBNs.

From nowhere to nowhere. Homelessness and incarceration: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Y. Bashir ◽  
Noreen Moloney ◽  
Musaab E. Elzain ◽  
Isabelle Delaunois ◽  
Ali Sheikhi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Systematic Review Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This study aims to review international literature systematically to estimate the prevalence of homelessness among incarcerated persons at the time of imprisonment and the time of discharge. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review methodology was used to identify quantitative observational studies that looked at the prevalence of homelessness at the time of imprisonment, or up to 30 days prior to that point (initial homelessness), and at the time of discharge from prisons. Studies reported in English from inception to 11 September 2019 were searched for using eight databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycArticles, Scopus, Web of Science and the Campbell Collaboration), in addition to grey literature. Studies were screened independently by three researchers. Results of studies meeting inclusion criteria were meta-analysed using a random effects model to generate pooled prevalence data. Findings A total of 18 out of 2,131 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies originated from the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland or Australia. The estimated prevalence of initial homelessness was 23.41% and at time of discharge was 29.94%. Substantial heterogeneity was observed among studies. Originality/value People in prisons are over twenty times more likely to be homeless than those in the general population. This is likely attributable to a range of health and social factors. Studies in this analysis suggest higher rates of homelessness in minority populations and among those with mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental disorders. While there was significant heterogeneity among studies, the results highlight the global burden of this issue and a clear necessity for targeted interventions to address homelessness in this population.

Demystifying performance difference between local and foreign contractors through organisational culture

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chipozya Kosta Tembo ◽  
Franco Muleya ◽  
Emmanuellie Phiri
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Overall Response Rate ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Projects ◽  
Grade One

PurposeThis research aimed to investigate the extent to which organisational culture is practised in local and foreign contractors in grade one and two categories and how it affects their performance.Design/methodology/approachThe approach for this research was positivist in nature adopting a mono-method of data collection through a survey using self-administered questionnaires. A total of 138 questionnaires were distributed among public clients and large-scale contractors registered in the stated grades, and 112 questionnaires were returned for analysis representing an overall response rate of 81% for contractors and clients.FindingsFindings revealed that in organisational culture, significant differences were found for management style and dominant characteristics of the organisation between local and foreign contractors. Differences were not found for leadership styles, measures of success and organisational glue. Results suggest that for local contractors to perform better, significant changes are needed to their management style and dominant characteristics of their organisations.Originality/valueForeign contractors in the Zambian construction industry are reportedly outperforming local contractors making them preferred contractors on larger public projects accounting for 85% of construction projects by value of works. This study presents the differences in organisational culture between foreign and local firms. It further demonstrates that organisational culture plays a key role in determining performance of a contracting firm. The study presents areas that local contractors can improve in organisational culture in order to remain competitive.

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