scholarly journals Safe Working Cycle: Is It a Panacea to Combat Construction Site Safety Accidents in Hong Kong?

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 894
Author(s):  
Daniel W. M. Chan ◽  
Douglas O. Aghimien
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Working Cycle ◽  
Safety Initiative ◽  
Safe Working

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.

Critical analysis of the application of the Safe Working Cycle (SWC)

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W.M. Chan ◽  
Tracy N.Y. Choi
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Project Schedule ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Working Cycle ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Safe Working

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of the safe working cycle (SWC) in improving existing site safety performance of construction projects in Hong Kong and to identify the perceived benefits, potential difficulties and insightful recommendations of implementing the SWC in the future. Design/methodology/approach – The professional views on the effectiveness of implementing the SWC, the benefits and difficulties of the SWC, together with the effective recommendations for future execution of the SWC, were gleaned by ten in-depth interviews involving the representatives of senior professional staff members from major construction companies and related government works departments. Findings – Responses from in-depth interviews indicated that the SWC is generally effective in improving site safety performance and preventing the occurrence of construction accidents. The implementation of the SWC is also found useful in facilitating safety-related communications, enhancing safety awareness of frontline workers and identifying potential hazards. However, the industrial practitioners encountered some difficulties associated with the SWC, including limited space on worksites, irregular working schedules for the different trades working on-site, a lack of motivation for participation by workers and an over-tight project schedule that causes time pressure to complete work resulting in a lack of priority. Practical implications – The recommended measures include the establishment of a reward scheme, engagement of professional aerobic trainers, design of site-specific SWC, mandatory enforcement of the SWC through legislation, regular review of the SWC effectiveness, increased financial support from client organisations and creation of a more realistic project schedule. Originality/value – This study has instigated a wider debate on the underlying benefits and potential difficulties of the SWC for reference by the construction industry at large. Although the SWC is being currently executed in those new-build construction projects only, it may likewise be applied to other projects within the wide spectrum of facilities management sector and large-scale building repair/maintenance services in both Hong Kong and overseas. Therefore, the contribution from this paper could be extended to the discipline of facilities management as well.

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 Investigating Variation Orders Causes in Iraqi Building Construction Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 318 ◽  
pp. 02003
Author(s):  
Hassan Kamal Alhilli ◽  
Sedki I. Rezoqi
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Fuzzy Cognitive Map ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Change Orders ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Comprehensive Reference

Changes are a common phenomenon in the construction industry, impacting the project's cost, time, and performance. The purpose of this work is to a comprehensive review relating to variation order causes. Also, the aim here is to determine variation order causes in the building’s construction. More importantly, explore the relationship between these causes. However, the importance of specifying the causes for change orders is the first step in managing variation orders to reduce the harmful effect on a project. The field survey was conducted for several institutions such as health (Karkh’s health), higher education (University of Baghdad and University of Kufa). As a result, a field visit was made to the project sites. They were then, Conducting interviews with the resident engineer, the consultant, and the contractor. A developer tool called cause (variation orders) breakdown structure (CBS) included 12 causes at the first level, including 103 sub-causes. There is a relationship between the variation orders causes, which is evident in the third level. The study recommends adopting (CBS) a comprehensive reference for variation order causes in projects due to facilitating their management processes. Future research could examine the relative importance of variation order causes, in addition to using a fuzzy cognitive map to find the extent of each cause’s influence on the other.

scholarly journals Interpreting Traditional Cost Contingency Methods in the Construction Industry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Donn ◽  
Alexis Dykman ◽  
Nilesh Bakshi
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Reliable Method ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Simulation Methods ◽  
Journal Paper

This research investigates how contingency is currently calculated in project budgets within the building industry. This is an important aspect to consider as a large proportion of construction projects are significantly over-budget. The study presents three non-simulation methods and one simulation method for calculating cost contingency following the results of a forthcoming journal paper. These methods are applied against a case study project in attempt to highlight the most reliable method, and to create a methodology that will be useful to the industry. This paper identifies that the traditional fixed percentage approach is not sufficient and suggests that this could be one of the main reasons why construction projects are over budget. While it is unclear which method is the most reliable, this study provides a focus for future research into reliability and utilisation of contingency methods in the building industry. The research demonstrates that current practice needs to change to reduce the large number of construction projects that run over budget.

scholarly journals Assessment of Procurement Plan in the Nigeria Construction Industry: A Case of Selected Firms in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
C. C. Emekoma
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Summary Table ◽  
Professional Body ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Level Of Significance ◽  
Procurement System

The Procurement plan and procedure in Nigeria have gone through a number of changes, with main objective of reducing or at best eliminating corruption in public procurement, realizing values for money, efficiency in procurement process among others. The data of assessment of procurement plan in the Nigerian construction industry was collected through administrating questionnaire to selected members of the companies and was analyzed using three statistical tools, namely; percentage analysis, chi-square and measures of dispersion. The table from which was  drawn the  analysis of  assessment of procurement  plan in the Nigeria construction industry reveal that  among the professionals who responded to the questionnaire 27.6% are members of the Nigeria Institute of Quality Surveyors (NIQS) , 13.2% belong to the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), and 22.4% belong to the Nigeria institute of Builders (NIOB), while 3.9% are members of Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), those who belong to other professional body other  than the those above are 9.2% and 23.7% are not registered with any professional body. From the chi-square test of independence, it was found that at 5% level of significance opinion of respondents is not independent of their professional background. The Likert summary table also show reveal the following (i) procurement system affect project cost (ii) procurement system affect quality of work (iii) procurement plans affect design team performance. Also, the statements with low variance and standard deviation are more reliable than those with high variance and standard deviation. Therefore, on commencement of construction projects consultant must advise their clients on the building procurement system available.

Construction project productivity evaluation framework with expanded system boundaries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Zhan ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Le Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
System Boundaries ◽  
Content Type

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.

scholarly journals Mechanisms for implementing Lean - technologies as an innovative approach in modeling the structure of the standard time determining for construction processes implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (47) ◽  
pp. 26-36
Author(s):  
I. Rudnieva
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Standard Time

Recently, a significant number of scientists' works have been devoted to the application of the lean-production principles, in particular, the introduction of lean construction. Objective construction cost estimation is a key factor in construction projects. The article discusses the problems, significant losses, low productivity in construction companies and the possibilities of their elimination due to the use of the lean-construction management concept as an innovative approach in modeling the structure of the standard time determining for construction processes implementation in order to increase the company's competitiveness. The productivity of the construction industry worldwide has been falling for the past 40 years. Companies must use appropriate methods to reduce their losses and increase productivity levels so that they can stand in the rapidly changing competitive environment of the current business environment. One of the approaches to improving the situation is the use of "lean management" in the construction industry is the result of the desire of construction business owners to optimize costs and increase labor productivity, the efficiency of organizational and technological processes, and introduce lean- production in the construction industry. A huge number of scientists and construction professionals are trying to change the traditional organizational and technological form of construction production and add value to owners, while making real profits. As a result, lean manufacturing tools have emerged that have been successfully applied to simple and complex construction projects. Ukraine is very far behind in terms of the development level of innovative processes from many countries of the world. Outdated ENiR norms, which were developed without taking into account the Lean strategy, need to be finalized. Of course, the introduction of a lean manufacturing system is a topic for the near future. Thanks to this, it is possible to significantly reduce the cost overruns on projects, as well as the time of their implementation up to 30%, or even more. Therefore, future research objective should be the development of a new modern methodology for determining the standard time, which will take into account the criteria of lean technologies, as an innovative approach in modeling the structure and sequence of all operations of construction processes.

scholarly journals International Real Estate Review

2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-172
Author(s):  
Charles K. Leung ◽  
◽  
Kelvin S. Wong ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Housing Market ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Public Expenditure ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Preliminary Step ◽  
International Standard

Hong Kong is well known for its “housing market bubble”. Both theoretical and empirical studies point to the supply side being the “root of all evil”. This paper takes a preliminary step in understanding the supply side of the Hong Kong market by investigating the construction and related industries. After taking into consideration of the unusual public expenditure, the construction industry seems to be “normal” in international standard. Its relationship with the aggregate economy is also examined. Directions for future research are also suggested.

scholarly journals Interpreting Traditional Cost Contingency Methods in the Construction Industry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Donn ◽  
Alexis Dykman ◽  
Nilesh Bakshi
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Reliable Method ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Simulation Methods ◽  
Journal Paper

This research investigates how contingency is currently calculated in project budgets within the building industry. This is an important aspect to consider as a large proportion of construction projects are significantly over-budget. The study presents three non-simulation methods and one simulation method for calculating cost contingency following the results of a forthcoming journal paper. These methods are applied against a case study project in attempt to highlight the most reliable method, and to create a methodology that will be useful to the industry. This paper identifies that the traditional fixed percentage approach is not sufficient and suggests that this could be one of the main reasons why construction projects are over budget. While it is unclear which method is the most reliable, this study provides a focus for future research into reliability and utilisation of contingency methods in the building industry. The research demonstrates that current practice needs to change to reduce the large number of construction projects that run over budget.

scholarly journals Rank-Order Analysis of Factors Causing Claims on Road Construction Projects in Botswana

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Aderemi Adeyemi ◽  
Olefile Segwabe
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Cost Overrun ◽  
Planning And Scheduling ◽  
Frequent Type ◽  
Poor Site ◽  
Delay Claims

Claims are considered to be one of the most serious disruptive forces to successful project delivery in the construction industry. In a small developing economy like Botswana, it is germane to identify the sources and the frequency of occurrence of claims so that the burden of project cost overrun, a hallmark of the country’s construction industry is substantially reduced. Detailed literature review and preliminary field investigations were used to identify causes of claims related to road construction projects. The study identified six major types of claim and twenty seven causes of claims. Using questionnaire as research instrument, respondents (construction industry major stakeholders i.e. clients, consultants and contractors) were asked to rank the frequency of occurrence of the types and causes of claims in road construction projects on a Likert-type scale. Relative importance index (RII) method was used to analyze the data collected from the questionnaire survey. The analysis was carried out for each group of respondents and on the overall results (all the parties combined). A total of 27 useful responses made up of nine clients, ten consultants and eight contractors) were analyzed. Findings indicated that the clients and consultants specified delay claims followed by extra work claims were the most frequent type of claims in the construction of roads in Botswana. Contractors perceived differing site conditions followed by delay claims as the most frequent type of claims. From the overall response, delay claims were ranked first followed by extra work claims. Acceleration claims were ranked least. The top five most frequent causes of claims based on overall ranking were: variation in quantities, design errors, poor site management and supervision by contractor, ineffective planning and scheduling of project by contractor, and low price of contract due to high competition. Construction industry research in Botswana has never looked into the issue of claims and yet it is one of the hidden sources of construction project failure in the country. It is perceived that hedging against the most adverse causes of claims will stem the tide of incessant cost overrun, litigation and project abandonment on road projects in Botswana.

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