Exploring the benefits of cloud computing for sustainable construction in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Ahmed Farouk Kineber ◽  
Ibraheem Al-Bukhari ◽  
Ibukun Famakin ◽  
Chukwuma Kingsley

Purpose Cloud computing is one of the digitalization principles used in some sectors like banking, health and construction industry. This paper aims to examine the benefits of applying cloud computing for construction sustainability in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The cloud computing benefits-related data were retrieved from previous studies and complemented with a questionnaire survey to obtain data from stakeholders involved in the execution of construction projects in Lagos State, Nigeria, through a convenient sampling technique. In addition, the relative importance index (RII) technique was used to investigate the acquired data. At the same time, analysis was accomplished using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Findings indicated that numerous benefits could be derived by adopting cloud computing in the Nigerian construction industry. Findings The findings from RII analysis showed the significant benefits of data storage ubiquity (i.e. location independence), high situational awareness, team collaboration, compatibility with advanced production facilities and improved project planning. Furthermore, the analysis of these benefits was conducted using EFA for the four construction maxims: construction productivity, back-office activities, design management and billing. Originality/value This research illustrated the benefits of cloud computing in achieving a successful construction project. Besides, these findings are not only useful for achieving sustainable construction in Nigeria but also applicable to many developing countries.

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Ahmed Farouk Kineber ◽  
Ibraheem Albukhari ◽  
Idris Othman ◽  
Chukwuma Kingsley

Cloud Computing has become a valuable platform for sustainability in many countries. This study evaluates the cloud computing implementation and its Critical Success Factors (CSFs) towards ensuring sustainable construction projects in Nigeria. Data were collected from previous literature, supplemented by a quantitative approach via a questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 104 construction professionals while cloud computing CSFs were examined using Relative Importance Ranking (RII) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The results show that cloud computing’s awareness level is 96.2%, which means that the respondents are aware of cloud computing concept. Furthermore, the result shows that most of the respondents are adopting the concept. The analysis of the CSFs indicated that reliable data storage, performance as well as cost of accessibility and availability were the four most significant CSFs to cloud computing applications. Analysis of the CSFs through EFA generated four main components which include human satisfaction, organization, client’s acceptance, and industry-based. Consequently, this study contributed to existing body of knowledge by highlighting the cloud computing CSFs for achieving sustainable construction project. As such, the results could be a game-changer in the construction industry—not only in Nigeria but also in developing nations where construction projects are implemented through similar style and procedure. This study would be a benchmark for supporting decision-makers to improve data fragmentation, in which the use of data is paramount to the execution of construction works. Finally, the results of this study would be useful for enhancing sustainability and general management of construction projects through cloud computing implementation.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Ahmed Farouk Kineber ◽  
Badr Alsolami ◽  
Chukwuma Kingsley

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the cloud computing (CC) methods and tools towards the achievement of construction project sustainability in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from the literature, complemented by a quantitative method using a questionnaire distributed among 104 respondents comprising mainly construction professionals in Nigeria. Subsequently, data were analysed using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) method. In addition, the partial least square structural modelling was used to generate a model for the adoption of CC tools for sustainable construction. Findings EFA results indicated that the CC implementation tools could be categorised into four significant constructs: platform, communication, software and data storage. Results obtained from the model showed that platform tools were the most crucial tools for implementing CC in the construction industry. Practical implications The findings from this study are essential to the pursuit of perception of methods and tools connected to the vagueness of CC for future employees. In addition, the identified CC tools are expected to enhance the success of construction projects. Originality/value The novelty of this research work will be a benchmark or board for decision-makers to quality by adopting CC methods and tools in Nigeria’s construction projects to achieve their sustainable projects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temidayo Oluwasola Osunsanmi ◽  
Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa ◽  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Muredini Liphadzi

PurposeConstruction 4.0 technology has the capabilities for improving the design, management, operations and decision making of construction projects. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the willingness of construction professionals towards adopting construction 4.0 technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a survey design, and construction professionals in South Africa are assessed using a convenience sampling technique through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was analysed with SPSS while statistical test like; mean score, t-test and principal component analysis was used to present the data.FindingsThe findings, from the analysis, revealed that the construction professionals are willing to adopt construction 4.0 technologies for construction project. However, the possibility of fully integrating the technologies into the construction industry is low. This is because the major technologies such as; Internet of things, robotics, human-computer interaction and cyber-physical systems that encourage smart construction site are rated as not important by the construction professionals.Practical implicationsIt is believed that the findings emanating from this study will serve as an indicator for investors that are interested in procuring construction 4.0 technologies for the construction industry.Originality/valueThis paper presents a framework for the application of construction 4.0 technologies for the construction industry. It also contributes to the development of digitalising construction industry in South Africa.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Opoku ◽  
Vian Ahmed

Purpose – Adopting sustainable construction practices minimizes the overall environmental impact of the built asset throughout its whole life. Currently, there is demand from key stakeholders in the construction industry for organization to deliver sustainable built environment, however, leaders/champions within construction organizations charged with the adoption of sustainable construction practices face many challenges. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an investigation into the challenges facing intra-organizational leaders charged with the promotion of sustainable construction practices. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview with 15 leaders, followed by an industry-wide survey of 200 intra-organizational leaders in contractor and consultant organizations in the UK construction industry. Findings – The results revealed that increased capital cost is the most significant challenge facing construction organizations in attempt to adopt sustainability practices in the delivery of construction projects. Originality/value – This study provides the empirical evidence linking leadership within construction organizations and sustainability; filling the gap in literature and serving as a source of reference material for higher education programmes in the built environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Ahmed Farouk Kineber ◽  
Maged Abdel-Tawab ◽  
Abdurrahman Salihu Abubakar ◽  
Ibraheem Albukhari ◽  
...  

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of cloud computing (CC) and the challenges that contribute to more successful projects with a major sustainable construction development.Design/methodology/approachThe previous studies provided information on CC implementation barriers, which were then evaluated by 104 construction stakeholders through a questionnaire survey. As a result, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) approach was used to investigate these barriers. Furthermore, a partial least square structural equation model was used to build a model of these barriers (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe EFA results revealed that the above-noted factors are in a close relation with three key components, i.e. social, economic and communication. In addition, the proposed model results found the social barrier a key challenge to the implementation of CC.Research limitations/implicationsThe results from this study can help decision-makers to improve the approaches regarding data fragmentation that has great effects on the execution of all construction projects. The focus of the paper is to enhance the data fragmentation processes. In addition, the results would be useful to strengthen the sustainability of existing construction projects by enhancing the implementation of CC.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research work will provide a solid foundation for critically assessing and appreciating the different barriers affecting the adoption of CC.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke ◽  
Victor Adetunji Arowoiya

PurposeThe paper aims to analyze the application areas of augmented reality (AR) in the construction industry to enhance its usage level. The objectives are to assess the level of awareness of hardware and software devices of AR, examine the application areas of AR and reveal lagging areas in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA survey of construction professionals engaged in the built environment was sent a well-structured questionnaire in the study area. The professionals involved are project managers, architects, engineers, builders and quantity surveyors. The sampling technique used in selecting those professionals was convenience sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the retrieved data.FindingsThe five most applied areas of Augmented Realities are Visualization and simulation of construction works; Project documentation; Project planning, monitoring and modification. The other two areas include on-site real-time information retrieval and health and safety measures. The findings also revealed the difference in the opinions of professionals among the variables. The results showed that there is significant difference in the opinions of the professionals regarding the application areas except one, that is automated measurement. Automated measurement has the same converging opinions of all professionals engaged in the study.Originality/valueThe study gives deep insight into possible areas where AR can be used in construction. The awareness level of hardware and software devices of AR was revealed by showing that those devices are upcoming in their usage. The areas of application of AR in construction are in their nascent stage. When there is proper implementation of this technology it will improve management in construction, minimize health and safety issues, and enhance the efficiency of workers through visualization and simulation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
AbdulRahman Asaad ◽  
Sameh Monir El-Sayegh

Purpose This paper aims to identify and assess the key criteria for selecting green suppliers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A total of 20 criteria were identified and shortlisted through an extensive literature review. These criteria were grouped into four categories: technical and commercial bid, company characteristics, environmental and socioeconomic. A questionnaire was then developed and distributed to construction professionals in the UAE. A total of 39 professionals responded to the survey including contractors, consultants, owners and suppliers. The respondents performed pairwise comparisons among the selection criteria. Data was then analyzed using the Expert Choice Software. Findings The research findings highlighted that the technical and commercial bid category was ranked as the most important with a weight of 0.338, followed by socioeconomic, company characteristics and environmental categories weighing 0.239, 0.225 and 0.199, respectively. The UAE construction professionals also ranked health and safety, material’s quality and tender price as the top three most important criteria when selecting a sustainable supplier. Practical implications This research addresses the lack of literature toward green supplier selection in the UAE. In addition, it assists contractors in selecting the appropriate supplier and promotes sustainable practices in the construction industry. Originality/value Material suppliers play an important role in the successful delivery of construction projects. Selecting the appropriate supplier is of paramount importance to project success. Several methods can be used to evaluate and select the best-fit suppliers. However, the selection criteria in such methods are primarily based on traditional construction projects rather than sustainable construction projects. Recently, there is an increase in the number of sustainable construction projects in the UAE. Therefore, identifying and assessing the key criteria for selecting green suppliers is needed. This paper fills the gap in literature as to selecting green suppliers in construction projects.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tan Phat Nguyen ◽  
Nicholas Chileshe

Purpose – The Vietnam construction industry has considerably developed since 1986 as a result of “Doi Moi” or all-round renovation process. However, despite the pace of economic reforms, a number of challenges continue to plague the construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to revisit the factors causing construction project failure in Vietnam. Some of the selected best practices from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa (CIVETS) are discussed. Design/methodology/approach – Using a mixed method approach, data were collected from construction stakeholders in Vietnam using a postal survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics using ranking and frequencies analysis, and qualitative data employed content analysis. Findings – Despite the lack of systematic approach to managing projects risks, there is a high level of acknowledgement regarding the importance of risk management practices. The highly ranked critical factors still causing construction project failure in Vietnam are: disregard of the significance of project planning process and project planning; lack of experience in executing complicated project; poor design capacity and frequent design changes; lack of knowledge and ability in managing construction projects; lack of financial capacity of owner; poor performance of contractors; lack of a systematic approach to managing the project and entire organisation; corruption and bribery in construction projects; the delays in payment; and economic volatility and high inflation. Practical implications – The identified and revisited project failure factors could be used as a “road map” for the revaluation, and development of appropriate project management practices. Originality/value – The construction sector has undergone through significant structural changes following “Doi Moi”. This study provides the opportunity to realign the strategies for addressing project failure factors and learning from comparative studies in BRICS and CIVETS countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1091-1102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaser Gamil ◽  
Majid A. Abdullah ◽  
Ismail Abd Rahman ◽  
Muhammad Mujtaba Asad

Purpose In this advanced era of Industrial Revolution 4.0, as an element of cyber physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been applied in many different industries; however, its adoption in the construction industry is still limited to a few applications. This study uncovers, identifies and assesses the challenges of adopting IOT in construction projects. The challenges have been identified through the briefed literature review and a survey instrument from construction industries in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the quantitative research approach has been used and data have been collected through a questionnaire survey for construction practitioners. Whereas, respondents to the questionnaire are practitioners from the Malaysian construction industry. The method of sampling implied is random sampling technique whereby the final sample size is 132 participants. Moreover, the gathered data has been analysed using univariate approach via standard deviation and average index in SPSS Software 22.0. Findings The results of this study indicated the most dominant challenges are lack of safety and security, lack of documented standards, lack of benefit awareness, improper introduction of IOT and lack of robustness in connectivity. This study also examined that the awareness of construction practitioners toward the understanding of IOT and its possibility to be applied and extended in construction projects and determined that construction practitioners are aware of IOT benefits to improve the efficiency of construction projects. Practical implications The study presents a better understanding of IOT in the construction industry and their potential challenges, which helps the construction policymakers to avoid encounters related to challenges and provide education-based campaigns to educate construction practitioners on the concept and importance of using IOT in the construction sector. Originality/value This is a unique study because of its nature in this advance era of industry 4.0. Furthermore, it is specifying the latest trend associated with IOT in the construction industry and addressing the challenges of implementation, which is crucial to exploit and take advantage of the full potential of IoT benefits.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuka Christian Ohueri ◽  
Wallace Imoudu Enegbuma ◽  
Ngie Hing Wong ◽  
Kuok King Kuok ◽  
Russell Kenley

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a motivation framework that will enhance labour productivity for Iskandar Malaysia (IM) construction projects. The vision of IM development corridor is to become Southern Peninsular Malaysia’s most developed region by the year 2025. IM cannot realise this foresight without effective labour productivity. Previous studies have reported that the labour productivity of IM construction projects was six times lower than the labour productivity of Singapore construction projects, due to lack of motivation among IM labourers, and a shortage of local skilled labour. Therefore, there is a need to study how to motivate IM construction labourers, so as to increase their productivity. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research method was used to collect data from IM construction skilled labourers and construction professionals, using two sets of questionnaire. The respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. In total, 40 skilled labourers and 50 construction professionals responded to the questionnaire survey, and the data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science software (version 22). Findings The analysis revealed the major factors that motivate labourers participating in IM construction projects. The factors were ranked hierarchically using Relative Importance Index (RII) and the outcome of the ranking indicated that effective management, viable construction practices, financial incentives, continuous training and development, and safe working environment were the most significant motivation strategies that positively influence IM construction labourers. Originality/value The study developed and validated a framework that can be used to boost the morale of IM construction labourers, so that their productivity can be increased. Implementation of the established motivation framework will also lead to career progression of IM construction labourers, based on the training elements in the framework. This career prospect will attract local skilled labourers to participate in IM construction projects.


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