A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR SUCCESS OF POST-HURRICANE RECONSTRUCTION OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURES

In the aftermath of hurricanes, when reliable transportation systems are vital, the chaotic and complex environment creates multiple uncertainties and risks in the reconstruction of transportation infrastructures. Damaged transport infrastructures decrease the timeliness of emergency responses and recovery procedures, and make it difficult for authorities, who are under excessive pressure and are struggling to find the financial resources to reconstruct them on time and within budget. The aim of this research was to develop a decision support system that would improve the cost and schedule performance, as well as reduce the number and extent of rework in post-hurricane reconstruction of transportation infrastructures. Significant factors that contribute to cost overruns, schedule delays, and the cost of reworks in post-hurricane reconstruction of transportation infrastructures (PRT) were statistically determined in this research. The results demonstrated that 26, 23, and 25 PRTs were statistically significant for cost overruns, schedule delays, and reworks of the mentioned projects, respectively. Three models were developed to predict the cost performance, schedule performance, and cost of reworks, and a stepwise multiple regression method was adopted. The results revealed that seven, nine, and ten PRTs were significant predictors of cost performance, schedule performance, and cost of reworks, respectively. The results demonstrated that frequency of on-site inspection, information management, and safety/environment issues were recorded as influential predictors in all three developed models to predict cost performance, schedule performance, and reworks in post-hurricane reconstruction of transport infrastructures. The extreme bounds analysis (EBA) method proposed by Leamer and Sala-i-Marin was adopted, and the criteria proposed by Sala-i-Martin was used. It was concluded from the results that four, six, and five significant predictors were robustly connected to cost performance, schedule performance, and the cost of reworks of the regression model, respectively. The results revealed that information management was a robust predictor shared between reconstruction cost performance and rework. Moreover, frequency of on-site inspection was the shared robust predictor between reconstruction cost and schedule performance in post-hurricane reconstruction of transportation infrastructures. It is believed that the findings of this research can provide a decision support system to stakeholders, decision makers, and project managers that will improve the success of post-hurricane reconstruction of transportation infrastructures. Additionally, this research provides accurate knowledge and information that will be helpful in effectively allocating limited resources after hurricanes and mitigating schedule delays, cost overruns, and reworks in reconstruction of transportation infrastructures

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CONSTRUCTION COST AND SCHEDULE OVERRUNS

The construction industry, renowned for its dynamic nature, encountered unprecedented uncertainties throughout its history. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic served as a powerful catalyst, underscoring the urgent need for a deeper comprehension of the challenges it introduced and their potential implications for the industry\u27s future. While numerous studies have explored this topic, a comprehensive understanding of the specific factors that disrupted the construction sector during the pandemic remains elusive. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study identifies, categorizes, and ranks these challenges, while also proposing effective management strategies to mitigate their detrimental impact on construction projects. To lay the groundwork for analysis, a rigorous systematic literature review was conducted, scrutinizing 97 pertinent publications carefully. This comprehensive review revealed 26 distinct challenges that the construction industry grappled with during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, issues such as labor scarcity, project suspensions or slowdowns, force majeure confusion, and workplace safety concerns featured prominently as recurring themes in the reviewed literature. In response to these challenges, a range of carefully curated management strategies is presented, encompassing workforce investment, streamlined supplier management, prudent legal consultation, and transparent communication practices. Moreover, the impact of the pandemic extended beyond immediate challenges, as it also led to a surge in cost overruns and project schedule delays, impacting construction projects across diverse sectors, organizations, and scales. Curiously, existing literature offered limited insights into the interplay of variables such as industry size, project type, and organization category on the extent of these delays. To address this crucial gap in knowledge, a four-step approach was devised, comprising a comprehensive literature search, the development and distribution of an online survey, and a meticulous quantitative analysis of responses. The results of this analysis revealed distinct differences in factors contributing to schedule overruns based on these variables, providing a more nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by different segments of the construction industry during the pandemic. Furthermore, in addition to analyzing challenges and existing factors, this study takes a step further by developing a predictive model using an ordinal logistic regression framework. This pioneering model seeks to assess the level of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction cost overruns and project schedule delays. Leveraging the valuable insights garnered from construction industry professionals via the survey, it was possible to predict that small-scale industries and contractor-type organizations were disproportionately affected compared to medium and larger firms, and consultant and owner-type organizations, respectively. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a profound and far-reaching impact on the construction industry, disrupting supply chains, exacerbating labor shortages, and necessitating the implementation of new safety protocols. This study not only elucidates the challenges faced by the construction sector but also arms stakeholders and project managers with practical strategies to effectively manage the pandemic-induced adversities. By heeding the insights and recommendations provided in this research, the construction industry can fortify its resilience and navigate future crises more adeptly, thus ensuring continued economic growth, employment, and infrastructure development. The development of predictive models further enhances the understanding and preparedness for potential future challenge

Identifying major challenges in managing post-disaster reconstruction projects: A critical analysis

This paper seeks to identify and categorise challenges encountered in managing post-disaster reconstruction projects. Literature relevant to the topic was identified using keywords from two databases—Scopus and Web of Science, and then filtered using title screening and abstract screening. Subsequently, an analysis of 66 relevant papers between 2000 and 2023 revealed a total of 223 challenges relating to post-disaster reconstruction. These were then categorised into nine groups—quality and workmanship; contractual, legislation and policy; management and collaboration; resources; community engagement and culture; financial; physical/territorial; natural causes; and other challenges. Among these nine categories, resource challenges; management and collaboration challenges; and contractual, legislation, and policy challenges emerged as notably prevalent issues. While acknowledging the unique contextual nuances of post-disaster scenarios, it is important to emphasise that the challenges identified here are general in nature, serving as a foundational resource for government and various implementing agencies to devise context-specific mitigation measures. Additionally, the research findings offer insights and directions for future research aimed at enhancing post-disaster reconstruction management, particularly in addressing gaps in reconstruction legislation, policies, and processes, as well as the lesser-explored domain of non-residential reconstruction projects. Given the increasing incidence of post-disaster projects failing to achieve their objectives, understanding and effectively addressing these possible challenges is paramount. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive foundation for developing tailored mitigation strategies and refining management practices in post-disaster reconstruction endeavors.fals

Sustainable Construction Engineering and Management

This Book is a Printed Edition of the Special Issue which covers sustainability as an emerging requirement in the fields of construction management, project management and engineering. We invited authors to submit their theoretical or experimental research articles that address the challenges and opportunities for sustainable construction in all its facets, including technical topics and specific operational or procedural solutions, as well as strategic approaches aimed at the project, company or industry level. Central to developments are smart technologies and sophisticated decision-making mechanisms that augment sustainable outcomes. The Special Issue was received with great interest by the research community and attracted a high number of submissions. The selection process sought to balance the inclusion of a broad representative spread of topics against research quality, with editors and reviewers settling on thirty-three articles for publication. The Editors invite all participating researchers and those interested in sustainable construction engineering and management to read the summary of the Special Issue and of course to access the full-text articles provided in the Book for deeper analyses

CIRA annual report FY 2014/2015

Reporting period July 1, 2014-March 31, 2015