Sustainable Project Management: Reducing the Risk of Cost Inaccuracy Using a PLS-SEM Approach

Determining the factors leading to cost inaccuracy in infrastructure projects relates to sustainability by improving the cost performance of the projects (economic sustainability) and reducing the waste of available resources (environmental sustainability). This study investigates the effects of various factors affecting the cost performance of large-scale road projects in Norway in both the planning and construction phases. To this aim, a quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey was employed to understand the attitude of practitioners towards various factors causing cost increases. An advanced multivariate statistical approach of Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Relative Importance Index (RII) was utilized to analyze the questionnaire responses. The results of the RII analysis show that local wishes, defective estimations, and long processing times had the most impact on the cost increase during the planning phase. At the same time, scope changes, market conditions, and unforeseen ground conditions were the most influential parameters in the construction phase. Moreover, the results obtained from PLS-SEM reveal that external related factors had the most influence among the other grouped factors (i.e., pre-construction, project management and contractual relationship, contractor’s site management, and external) on cost overrun during the construction phase. Increasing the knowledge of these factors will allow for developing relevant project management approaches targeted at improving economic and environmental sustainability within both the planning and construction phases.

Kohti uutta käsityön oppimis- ja työympäristöä

Perusopetuksen käsityön oppiaine on uudistunut opetussuunnitelmallisesti ja käsityön oppimis- ja työympäristöjen tilaratkaisut vaativat uudenlaista pohdintaa. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan käsityötä opettavien opettajien (N = 11) näkemyksiä heidän omiin kokemuksiinsa perustuen. Näkemyksiä taustoitetaan käsityön suunnittelu- ja valmistusprosessin luonteeseen, fyysisen oppimis- ja työympäristön erityispiirteisiin ja tilasuunnittelun periaatteisiin liittyen. Tilasuunnittelussa suunnitellaan ja toteutetaan fyysistä oppimis- ja työympäristöä lähtökohtaisesti pedagogisen suunnitelman pohjalta. Aineistolähtöiseen sisällönanalyysiin perustuen opettajat tarkastelivat käsityön fyysisen oppimis- ja työympäristön kehittämistä tilasuunnittelun osalta kolmen pääluokan avulla: käsityötilojen rakenne ja sijoittuminen, kalusteet ja välineet sekä opettajien osallisuus ja resurssit tilasuunnittelussa. Tutkimuksen tulokset korostavat opettajien osallistumisen tärkeyttä tilasuunnittelussa sen alkuvaiheista lähtien. Opetussuunnitelma vaihtuu kymmenen vuoden välein, mutta käsityön tilasuunnittelun ratkaisut tehdään vuosikymmeniksi. Towards new learning and working environments in Craft, Design and Technology education – Teachers' views on planning and construction Abstract In Finland the curriculum of subject Craft, Design and Technology (CDT) education is renewed and there is a need to reconsider how to plan and construct learning and working environments in the future. This study bases on the CDT education teachers' views (N = 11) on workspace and workshop planning and construction. The content analysis based on interview data revealed that teachers consider space planning construction as a combination of structure and placement in schools, as a combination of equipment, tools and furniture and their own possibilities to participate in the planning process. It would be very important to invite teachers to be part of a space planning and construction process as early as possible to avoid pedagogically fatal mistakes and problems in construction of physical spaces. Keywords: learning and working environment, space planning and contruction, craft design and technology education, basic education

Morphometric analysis for flood flow formation feature identification (on example of Ulaanbaatar agglomeration)

Water flows with significant flow rate feature a high destructive force and can lead to catastrophic consequences. Fluvial processes caused by uneven distribution of rain precipitation over the area pose risks to the developed inland foothill territories. The purpose of this study is to carry out a quantitative morphometric analysis of the territory in order to identify the formation features of flood flows. The analysis and ranking of catchment basins are performed using a basin approach. On the basis of SRTM images and the use of stock cartographic material in the GIS program the authors have built specialized electronic maps that allow to obtain quantitative parameters reflecting the morphometry of the basins under analysis including basin geometry, drainage network and terrain relief. On example of the Ulaanbaatar agglomeration territory it is shown how initial morphometric parameters of basins and watercourses (length, width, area, perimeter, erosion dissection, drainage network density, terrain relief coefficient, Melton coefficient, etc.) form the features of flood flow. For developed territories, the initial data on the catchment basin morphometry constitute the basis for compilation of specialized maps to be used in planning and construction. The combination of morphometric indicators on the territory of the Ulaanbaatar agglomeration indicates that there is possibility of large flood formation and development of dangerous mudstone flows in some catchment basins.

The Modernization of a Historic City as the Construction of a Soviet Utopia: Case of Vilnius

The article looks at urban planning and construction processes in Vilnius during the Soviet era from a point of view that has not been widely explored in the existing historiography. The approach is based on analysing relations between the existing city and the city-in-construction within the context of Soviet urban modernisation. Interpreting the communist city as a utopia, the analysis looks at its role in shaping negative attitudes towards the historic city as well as what tangible forms this utopia assumes in the process of being realised. The article argues that this process, purportedly a rational way towards the utopia and characterised by a fragmentary implementation of development projects, is one of the main factors behind the disintegration of the urban space in the Soviet era.

Risk Identification in Cogeneration (Combined Heat and Power) Projects: A Polish Case Study

The purpose of the article is to define the risk factors in cogeneration projects and to demonstrate that a lack of sufficient identification of risks in different phases affects project implementation. A theoretical study is conducted, which aims to identify risk factors in cogeneration projects, based on case studies of such projects in Poland. The study offers a view at CHP (combined heat and power) projects as extremely dependent on the external environment of the organisation. These projects are subject to many external regulations due to their environmental impact and dynamically changing technical aspects. The biggest technical errors occur at the planning and construction stages. The biggest economic and financial risks occur at the execution stage after 2% and 3% of additional design costs occur, respectively. The authors estimated the risks at different stages of the project and concluded that the total cost of failure in correct identification of the risks at the planning stage exceeded PLN 1.5 billion, which amounted to almost 60% of the total additional costs of materialised project risk. Consequently, the biggest challenges in the area of CHP project management at the planning stage are a thorough identification of risks, and the pricing and planning reactions to risk.

The spectre of the thing: The construction of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust memorial

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial is situated on the western side of Green Park in Darlinghurst, in Sydney, Australia. Darlinghurst is considered the heart of Sydney's gay and lesbian population, having been the site of demonstrations, public meetings, Gay Fair Days, and the starting point for the AIDS Memorial Candlelight Rally. It is also very close to both the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Jewish War Memorial. The planning and construction of the Memorial between 1991 and 2001 was a process framed by two competing imperatives. Balancing the commemoration of a subset of victims of the Holocaust with a positioning of the event as a universal symbol of the continuing persecution of gays and lesbians was a challenge that came to define the ten year struggle to have the memorial built.

MLCOR Model for Suppressing the Cascade of Edge Failures in Complex Network

As a decisive parameter of network robustness and network economy, the capacity of network edges can directly affect the operation stability and the construction cost of the network. This paper proposes a multilevel load–capacity optimal relationship (MLCOR) model that can substantially improve the network economy on the premise of network safety. The model is verified in artificially created networks including free-scale networks, small-world networks, and in the real network structure of the Shanghai Metro network as well. By numerical simulation, it is revealed that under the premise of ensuring the stability of the network from the destruction caused by initial internal or external damage on edge, the MLCOR model can effectively reduce the cost of the entire network compared to the other two linear load–capacity models regardless of what extent of the destruction that the network edges suffer initially. It is also proved that there exists an optimal tunable parameter and the corresponding optimal network cost for any BA and NW network topology, which can provide the reference for setting reasonable capacities for network edges in a real network at the stage of network planning and construction, promoting security and stability of network operation.

Analyzing the Influence of Metro Stations on Commercial Property Values in Delhi: A Hedonic Approach

The effect of proximity to a transit system on property values has become a key issue of debate regarding public infrastructure and economic development. This article aims to examine the impact of selected stations along the Blue line of Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) on commercial property prices. The research analyzed 1,413 commercial property parcels sold before and after the commissioning of Blue line in 2005. Hedonic Price Analysis (HPA) was used to estimate the effects of proximity to the metro rail on commercial property values. The method was applied to two time periods, i.e., from 2000-2004 and 2005-2008, coinciding with planning and construction (pre-commissioning phase and the operation phase (post-commissioning phase) of metro rail using actual sale prices of commercial units. The results indicate that a station node shows a negative trend during the planning and construction period. However, the operation period has produced a significant price premium associated with commercial properties, connected with improved accessibility. The coefficients indicate that MRTS has induced an increase in prices from INR 732.80 to INR 246.19, and its radius of impact covers an area of approximately 1/2 km from the stations. The methodology and results provide insight with a specific focus on commercial real estate values in other metropolitan cities developing and expanding MRTSs.