A Case-Study-Based Investigation on the Planning and Development of Tiny Home Communities in North Carolina

Tiny homes have gained popularity over the past two decades. However, tiny homes have encountered obstacles to being considered as primary dwellings because most local zoning ordinances do not fully adopt them as a permanent dwelling type. Only a few counties (5%) and municipalities (6%) in North Carolina adopted tiny homes in their ordinance. A multiple-case study is employed to investigate eight communities in North Carolina. The developers, property owners, municipality officials, and county planners are interviewed. Other methods include studying the communities\u27 general layout and amenities and reviewing zoning ordinances, property records, and site plans. The data are analyzed using thematic analysis. Three tiny home development models are recommended: Cluster Development, Pocket Neighbourhood, and Tiny Home Park. The development guidelines of the three models are recommended

Building a Better Future: The Australian Journey Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Through Social Procurement Policies

Social procurement is a recent policy development in public administration that has blurred the traditional boundaries of governance by collaborating with the private sector for societal transformation and wicked issues resolution. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasise the significance of inclusive growth and development, prompting governments worldwide to employ social procurement policy initiatives within the infrastructure sector as a practical vehicle for achieving the transformative vision. This has given rise to a vast array of social procurement policies within Australian governments. However, the creation of these policies has also generated significant confusion, especially regarding the effective implementation and evaluation of these policies. Thus, the current study aims to assess the social procurement policy landscape affecting the Australian infrastructure sector in achieving the SDGs. By employing a qualitative research approach and a jurisdictional scan, the study identified 73 policies through the analysis of 71 documents, with Victoria and New South Wales emerging as the most proactive Australian states in social procurement policy formulation. The study has observed that state governments generally have a more comprehensive scope in their social procurement policies than territorial governments in achieving the SDGs

Critical Review of Multidimensional Organizational Performance Measurement Models in Construction

Organizational performance is a critical metric for evaluating business success, yet measuring it in construction organizations poses significant challenges due to the industry\u27s inherent complexities, such as its fragmented, project-based structure. Researchers have developed various performance measurement models to address these challenges, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) framework. Despite the widespread use of these models, their application (in what contexts) and integrative use (how they are used together) remain underexplored in construction studies. This study addresses this gap by examining how KPIs, BSC, and EFQM have been applied in construction research and proposing better ways to utilize them. To achieve this, this study critically reviews the literature on the empirical studies on KPIs, BSC, and EFQM within the construction context, focusing on each model’s characteristics, their practical applications, and opportunities for integrated use. The findings indicate that KPIs, being flexible and quantifiable, are well-suited for targeting specific organizational traits, while the EFQM model, with its formalized structure, is more appropriate for benchmarking across companies. Positioned between these two, the BSC offers a balance of flexibility and structure, contributing to its broader adoption compared to EFQM. KPIs, explicitly or implicitly used in all reviewed studies, are often tailored to firms’ unique needs, ensuring relevance. Previous studies lack strategic management insights and actionable improvement criteria, highlighting the need for future research to provide concrete strategies aligned with performance goals to offer practical guidance for improving performance in construction

The ENVISAGE methodology applied to building renovation: its adoption from a Facility Management perspective

In construction sector there is a growing interest in using Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate both embodied and operational carbon emissions during retrofitting interventions. Opting for durable interventions, even in restoration projects, with extended lifespans can result in reduced embodied carbon emissions throughout the building\u27s lifecycle in the near and mid-term future. Preserving historic buildings during restoration poses a significant challenge, necessitating a meticulous selection of materials used for renovation. To this purpose, this paper introduces a novel methodology, named ENVISAGE, that combines Life Cycle Assessment with the concept of nearly Zero Emission Refurbishment. This dual approach aims to align sustainability and preservation goals when selecting materials for retrofitting historic buildings. Furthermore, it seeks to assess the environmental impacts of the entire retrofitting process from the implementation of the intervention to its future maintenance, taking into account the expected 100-year lifespan of a valuable building. By adopting this approach, it is feasible to determine whether this aligns with the principles of the Facility Management in the construction sector. This is one of the main objectives of the paper, namely to find a continuity between Life Cycle Assessment, Sustainability, and Conservation, deciphered in the Facility Management framework. In this perspective, the ENVISAGE method is presented at the light of the Facility Management principles, especially focusing on the principles of operation and Maintenance and Repair and Renovation . Finally, ENVISAGE alignes with Sustainable Development Goals 7, 11, 12, and 13, as it prioritizes reducing water usage, waste generation, and greenhouses emission by promoting renewable energy sources implementation. Emphasizing awareness practices since the stage of the restoration planning, ENVISAGE aims to contirbute to greener and sustainable interventions for existing and historic buildings

Collaborative design technologies and methods for sustainable built environment

In the present design process, designers still operate relatively alone, each in their own swimming lane . Coordination between different design trades typically takes place in BIM coordination meetings organized by consultants. The process is reactive, and the feedback loops are long and error prone. Reaching successfully multi-criteria design solutions can be very difficult. This is eminently a burning issue with sustainability which is imposing new criteria and requirements for design solutions. Collaboration is widely understood as a necessity to successfully manage the ever-increasing complexity and demands of construction. Advanced collaboration consists of frequent reliable information sharing and constant working together. Naturally this requires specific technologies, and when these technologies are implemented, fundamental changes are likely to happen concerning design processes and roles of key professionals. This paper shall first open the BIM based collaborative solutions and practices as a possibility for reaching design solutions for sustainable built environment. Second, certain technologies for collaboration are presented for explain the possibilities further. Third, workshops-based research data and relating analyses are introduces for explaining the dimensions of targeted design collaboration. The obtained results are pointing out the need for more dynamic design processes and solutions supporting this movement. The current design business conventions and mindsets of designers are seen as challenges for changes towards dynamic collaboration practices

Framework for Assessing the Sustainability of Innovative Building Technology

The construction industry faces the dual challenge of providing affordable housing while addressing the pressing issue of climate change. In South Africa, many residents are forced to live in informal settlements due to a lack of affordable housing. This study aims to develop a sustainability assessment framework that evaluates the interconnectedness of affordability, social sustainability and environmental impact. The framework emphasizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It incorporates energy consumption and socio-economic impact criteria aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings suggest that while sustainable building practices may incur higher initial costs, they offer long-term benefits, including reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions. The proposed framework will serve as a tool for evaluating the sustainability of innovative building technologies, contributing to the discourse on sustainable construction practices. The study recommends an enhanced stakeholder engagement and a regulatory landscape conducive to adopting IBTs. Further empirical research is recommended to refine the framework and broaden its applicability across different contexts

BIM and Safety Integration for Steel Erection using Intermeshed Steel Connections

The construction industry faces persistent challenges in the aspect of worker safety and health, particularly with the frequently occurring injuries, illnesses, and fatalities caused by falls, struck-by, and ergonomic hazards, among others. The use of steel as a construction material has increased the scale and complexity of projects by introducing more intricate design, production, fabrication, and especially the erection processes which impact the safety and health performance of steelworkers. Studies have shown that steel connection systems, specifically innovative systems such as the intermeshed steel connection (ISC) can play critical roles in moderating the types of hazards steelworkers are exposed to. Using a 2-storey steel frame structure, the study assessed the integration of a safety checklist into Building Information Modeling (BIM) for improved safety planning for an innovative intermeshed steel connection system. The study developed a robust safety library compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation incorporated into the BIM environment. The case study research developed a four-step framework which includes BIM model creation, safety checklist development, checklist integration in the BIM model, as well as safety simulation and analysis. The study also adopted a methodology that utilized the BIM virtual environment to classify and simulate hazard scenarios linking specific corrective actions with OSHA references to prevent accidents and injuries in steel erection works. The findings of the study indicated that the BIM-enabled checklist could provide workers, safety managers, and other stakeholders with information on effective safety measures to be taken in steel erection operations with intermeshed steel connections prior to construction to avoid injuries, illnesses, or fatalities

Strategies that Enhance the Retention of Women in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) workforce: An Integrative Review

The AEC workforce has serious professional skills deficiencies that affect the planning, delivery and maintenance of infrastructure. These skills disparities can be bridged by attracting and retaining women in the industry. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain the strategies that enhance the retention of women in the AEC workforce. Despite the growing body of scholarship on employee retention, there is a lack of comprehensive review on this topic in the AEC literature. This study adopts an integrative review approach to synthesise knowledge on strategies that enhance the retention of women in the AEC workforce. In total thirty-three papers were extracted. This study identified twelve strategies, however only five retention strategies are discussed in this paper. The retention strategies are classified into organisational and societal (external). These include career development and career progression, family friendly workplace practices, supervisory support, social support from family and friends and support programs from professional networks. This review contributes to the understanding of the retention of women in the AEC industry scholarship. The study also highlights potential areas for future empirical studies to move forward. By understanding the effective retention strategies for women, organisations can design and implement strategies that create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for women in the AEC workforce

KISS: Keep it Simple for Safety

There are high-tech tools for measuring speed, traffic volume, and other items needed in a safety study. There are also very simple methods that can be used by anyone to get an initial estimate, check the fancy tools, or determining if it is worth spending time and money on a more complicated review. This session will review some of these simple methods to determine traffic volumes, speeds, sight distance, passing zones, clear zones, and where to place road signs

Development of Commercial EV Truck Depots With Real-World Experience

Every 2 years, NACFE demonstrates state-of-the-art truck fleet operations. In 2021, it was focused on electric vehicle (EV) truck pilots with 13 different OEMs, and in late 2023, the focus was on EV truck depots that had a minimum of 15 EV trucks on one depot charging system. We welcome audience questions as we share NACFE’s truck charging data, operational data, fleet feedback and truck driver inputs