Seismic characterization for underground construction projects using microtremor survey method: A case study in Chengdu Line 18

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained their prevalent recognition in construction because of their exceptional advantages. Despite the increasing use of UAVs in the industry and their remarkable benefits, there are serious potential safety risks associated that have been overlooked. Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. In addition to the ordinary hazards normally present in dynamic construction workplaces, UAVs can expose workers to a wider range of never-before-seen safety risks that must be recognized and controlled. The industry is not equipped with safety measures to prevent potential accidents, because of scarce research on drone-associated hazards and risks. The aim of this research was to (1) identify the UAV-associated hazards in construction that may expose personnel and property to potential harms, and (2) study the relative impact of each hazard and the associated safety risks. In Phase I, the researchers conducted an extensive literature review and consulted with a construction UAV expert. In Phase II, the researchers obtained data from 54 construction experts validating and evaluating the identified hazards and risks. The results revealed that adopting UAVs can expose construction projects to a variety of hazards that the industry is not familiar with. “Collision with properties,”“collision with humans,” and “distraction” were identified as the top three safety risks. Moreover, the study introduces effective strategies, such as having qualified crew members, proper drone model selection, and drone maintenance, to mitigate the safety risks. Finally, a post-hoc case study was investigated and presented in this article.

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Building and Rebuilding Buddhist Monasteries in Tang China: The Reconstruction of the Kaiyuan Monastery in Sizhou

Religions ◽

10.3390/rel12040253 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 253

Author(s):

Anna Sokolova

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Tang Dynasty ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Jiangsu Province ◽

Pivotal Role ◽

Bai Juyi ◽

The Social ◽

Social And Economic Development ◽

Its Regions

This article explores regional Buddhist monasteries in Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) China, including their arrangement, functions, and sources for their study. Specifically, as a case study, it considers the reconstruction of the Kaiyuan monastery 開元寺 in Sizhou 泗州 (present-day Jiangsu Province) with reference to the works of three prominent state officials and scholars: Bai Juyi 白居易 (772–846), Li Ao 李翱 (772–841), and Han Yu 韓愈 (768–824). The writings of these literati allow us to trace the various phases of the monastery’s reconstruction, fundraising activities, and the network of individuals who participated in the project. We learn that the rebuilt multi-compound complex not only provided living areas for masses of pilgrims, traders, and workers but also functioned as a barrier that protected the populations of Sizhou and neighboring prefectures from flooding. Moreover, when viewed from a broader perspective, the renovation of the Kaiyuan monastery demonstrates that Buddhist construction projects played a pivotal role in the social and economic development of Tang China’s major metropolises as well as its regions.

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Errors in documenting the subsoil and their impact on the investment implementation: Case study

Open Engineering ◽

10.1515/eng-2021-0074 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 744-754

Author(s):

Marzena Lendo-Siwicka ◽

Grzegorz Wrzesiński ◽

Katarzyna Pawluk

Keyword(s):

Construction Projects ◽

Organic Soils ◽

Cohesive Soils ◽

Engineering Model ◽

Limit States ◽

Uplift Pressure ◽

Geological Engineering ◽

Jet Grouting ◽

Geotechnical Category

Abstract Improper recognition of the subsoil is the most common cause of problems in the implementation of construction projects and construction facilities failures. Most often, their direct cause is the mismatch of the scope of geotechnical diagnosis to the appropriate geotechnical category, or substantive errors, including incomplete or incorrect interpretation in the creation of a geological-engineering model and often overlooked hydrogeological conditions. In many cases, insufficient recognition and documentation of geotechnical and/or geological and engineering conditions leads to damage and construction failures, delays in consider construction, and the increase of the investment budget. That’s why, in order to avoid the above, particular attention should be paid to proper geotechnical and geological-engineering documentation at the design and construction stages. The selected example of the investment analyzed errors in the geological-engineering documentation, which mainly concerned the lack of recognition of locally occurring organic soils, the incorrectly determined location of the groundwater table and the degree of compaction of non-cohesive soils, and numerous errors of calculated values of soil uplift pressure. The detection of the errors presented in the paper made it possible to select the correct technology for the construction of the sanitary sewage system and to increase the thickness of the horizontal shutter made of jet grouting columns in the area of the excavation. In addition, the article discusses the principles of proper calculation of limit states and subsoil testing, which have a significant impact on the implementation of planned investments.

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Aspects of project learning in construction: a socio-technical model

Construction Innovation ◽

10.1108/ci-06-2013-0029 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 229-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ali Mohammed Alashwal ◽

Hamzah Abdul-Rahman

Keyword(s):

Latent Variable ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Team Building ◽

Principal Component ◽

Measurement Model ◽

Survey Method ◽

Path Modeling ◽

Content Type ◽

Measurement Models ◽

Project Learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the measurement constructs of learning within construction projects' milieu. The literature indicated some mechanisms of learning in projects under four aspects, namely knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, team action to learn, and learning support. The empirical study attempts to verify whether intra-project learning can be measured through these aspects. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a survey method to collect the data from 36 mega-sized building projects in Malaysia. In total, 203 questionnaires were collected from professionals working in the sites of these projects. The data were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the constructs of intra-project learning. Partial least squares-path modeling was used then to confirm the results of PCA and determine the contribution of each construct to intra-project learning. Findings – The results affirmed two constructs of intra-project learning, named, social and technical and each consisted of four indicators of learning. Originality/value – The paper emphasized the socio-technical perspective of learning and contributed to developing a hierarchical measurement model of learning in construction project. A project manager can propose new initiatives in response to the new perspective of learning for team building and continuous development. Lastly, the paper provides a comprehensive presentation of how to estimate the hierarchical measurement models of project learning as a latent variable.

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Managing integration in infrastructure alliance projects

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business ◽

10.1108/ijmpb-02-2016-0009 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 5-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Anna-Maija Hietajärvi ◽

Kirsi Aaltonen ◽

Harri Haapasalo

Keyword(s):

Construction Projects ◽

Research Approach ◽

Content Type ◽

Complex Projects ◽

Wide Range ◽

Project Organizations ◽

Integration Mechanisms ◽

Organizational Integration ◽

Time Critical

Purpose The effective management of inter-organizational integration is central to complex projects. Such projects pose significant challenges for integration, as organizations struggle with constantly changing inter-organizational interdependencies and must develop and adapt integration mechanisms to meet new demands. The purpose of this paper is to understand what kinds of integration mechanisms are used and how they are developed and adjusted during the infrastructure alliance projects. Design/methodology/approach This study provides empirical evidence of integration dynamics in project alliancing by analyzing two infrastructure alliance projects – a complex tunnel construction project and a railway renovation project. The research approach is an inductive case study. Findings This paper identifies integration mechanisms adopted in two case projects and three central triggers that led to changes in the integration mechanisms: project lifecycle phase, unexpected events and project team’s learning during the project. Practical implications Integration capability should be a precondition for alliance project organizations and requires the adoption of a wide range of integration mechanisms, as well as an ability to adjust those mechanisms in response to everyday dynamics and emergent situations. Originality/value Although unplanned contingencies and the responses to them represent important influences in organizations, there is limited amount of research on the dynamics of integration. The findings will be of value in supporting the management of inter-organizational integration in complex, uncertain and time-critical construction projects.

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