Adoption of cloud computing tools for sustainable construction: a structural equation modelling approach

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.

Sustainable construction and the versatility of the quantity surveying profession in Singapore

PurposeThe changing role of quantity surveyors in the new paradigm of sustainable construction requires studies into new competencies and skills for the profession. The impact of sustainable construction on quantity surveying services, engagement and how they manage challenges provided an indication of the success indicators of the quantity surveying profession in meeting the sustainable construction needs.Design/methodology/approachA five-point Likert scale was developed from the list of quantity surveying firms in Singapore. An 85% response rate from 60 quantity surveying firms contacted in this study provided 51 responses. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were employed to evaluate the findings.FindingsThe factor analysis categorised the drivers derived from the literature into awareness of sustainable construction, adversarial role on green costing; carbon cost planning; valuing a sustainable property; common knowledge of sustainable construction; and lack of experience in sustainable construction.Social implicationsThe research findings supported the idea of increased sustainable construction skills in quantity surveying education, research and training.Originality/valueThe dearth of quantity surveyors with sustainable construction experience must focus on quantity surveying professional bodies and higher education. The quantity surveying profession needs reskilling in green costing and carbon cost planning to meet the needs of sustainable construction.

Applying Knowledge Graph to Analyze the Historical Landscape Based on CiteSpace

The theory of “urban historical landscape” is gradually emerging in cultural heritage protection and urban planning in recent years. It was first proposed and promoted by UNESCO. In this study, the identification and evaluation are taken as the prerequisite for the protection and management of historical landscape. This paper uses CiteSpace to analyze the map of knowledge data to collect and sort out the global research status of urban historical landscape. In addition, the clustering function of knowledge graph software VOSviewer is used to analyze the knowledge clustering in the research field of urban historical landscape, and the research process and interdisciplinary development of urban historical landscape are obtained, to make some guiding suggestions for the future study of urban historical landscape. The results show that the study of urban historical landscape has experienced three stages. The early stage is the introduction and tracing stage, the middle stage is the diversification and enrichment stage, and the recent stage is the practice and construction stage. At present, it has become a multidisciplinary and multiperspective international research. The in-depth study of urban historical landscape undoubtedly opens a door for the traditional thought of urban heritage protection. At the same time, it gradually turned to more active management of urban historical landscape and also promoted the intersection of city, architecture, landscape architecture, anthropology, sociology, economics, and other disciplines from the side, with far-reaching influence. Reviewing and looking forward to studying urban historical landscape is more conducive to sustainable construction of the future. CiteSpace, as an excellent bibliometrics software, can help researchers sort out and display past research tracks in a novel visual way, to conduct future research better.

The Mediating Role of Policy-Related Factors in the Relationship between Practice of Waste Generation and Sustainable Construction Waste Minimisation: PLS-SEM

As the construction industry grows, it produces large volumes of construction waste, which has a tremendous environmental impact and generates public concern in the neighbouring towns. The construction industry generates a significant volume of waste and faces a challenge with poor construction waste minimisation in order to prevent adverse environmental and dumping impacts worldwide. In developing countries, regional waste management systems have increased problems. Environmental pollution (air, water, and soil) and human health issues are caused by waste produced in a country as a result of different cultural, social, and religious activities. Prior studies were reviewed to choose dimensions and items for the data gathering instrument. A pilot test was conducted to identify potential questionnaire adjustments, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). A total of 220 Malaysian construction professionals answered the survey, which yielded the results. Five hypotheses have direct correlations based on the findings, three of which have a significant effect. Furthermore, the findings reveal that policy-related factors mediate the relationship between improving factors and sustainable construction waste minimisation. In contrast, they did not mediate the relationship between current practices/generation and sustainable construction waste management. The established framework can help improve construction waste management and help achieve global sustainable development goals. The data reveal that adopting preventive plans to reduce construction waste is one of the most important aspects of enhancing profitability. This study could aid construction industry players in evaluating waste management components during the construction and design stages of a building project.

Environmental Performance of Wood Bioconcretes with Different Wood Shavings Treatments

The wood bio-concrete (WBC) production is a solution for the advancement of sustainable construction, since it has the potential to recycle waste in the form of shavings generated in wood processing and stock CO2, contributing for climate change reduction. However, the chemical incompatibility between plant biomass and cementitious matrix leads to the need for previous treatment of wood shavings to application in bio-concretes. In the present study, one heat treatment and two alkaline treatments with immersion in Ca (OH)2 solution were evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The environmental modeling was performed by SimaPro, using the Ecoinvent database, and primary data collected in the laboratory. The potential environmental impacts were related to the compressive strength of produced WBC (in MPa) as an ecoefficiency indicator. Considering the functional unit of mechanical performance, the alkaline treatment with two immersions was the one that generated less environmental impacts.

Overcoming the Perceptual Gap: Worldwide Perceived Comfort Survey of Earthen Building Experts and Homeowners

Earthen building materials are a critical future for sustainable construction because they are locally available, minimally processed, and waste-free. However, despite their advantages, earthen materials still face challenges for comprehensive implementation. First, their technical data vary significantly, making it challenging to quantify their true performance for different climates and environmental contexts. Second, people mistakenly perceive these materials as low-tech and poor in their performance. Lastly, building codes and standards do not comprehensively represent these materials worldwide. This work identifies perceptual barriers that hold back the broader implementation of earthen materials in order to ascertain possible solutions and assess the performance of earthen buildings and perceived comfort among primary resources such as practicing professionals and people who live in earthen houses. The results of an online survey of 126 earthen building experts and homeowners are presented, providing important insights regarding a range of barriers to, and motivating factors for, the implementation of earthen materials, as well as design and thermal performance aspects of existing earthen homes. The results of the surveys show that, of the various earthen building techniques, light straw clay requires the lowest maintenance, and construction of adobe and/or clay plaster encountered the least barriers to implementation. The energy performance of existing earthen homes show that all types of earthen materials reduce the need for cooling, in all climate zones. Insulation over earthen walls was shown to increase occupants’ perceived comfort levels, but only slightly. Additional results provide significant recommendations for future research on thermal performance and comfort guidelines for earthen structures. This study contributes to the development of environmental and policy measures that could be used by policymakers by synthesizing technical and environmental data and by identifying means of improving the perception of natural building.