Effects of emerging technologies in minimising variations in construction projects in the UK

Globally, the construction industry is confronted by many challenges, especially iterative cost and time overrun; exacerbated by variations that occur during construction phases. Variation is one of the most controversial issues in construction contracts. Modernising the industry through emerging technologies will minimise variations, including other benefits. This study aims to examine the effects of emerging technologies in minimising the occurrence of variations in construction projects. The study used mixed methods with participants limited to those that have effectively implemented some emerging technologies in their recent construction projects. Findings reveal how the combinations of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), drones, 3 D Laser Scanning, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and others are proving to be useful tools in preventing the occurrence of variation when implemented correctly. The study findings established some potentials of emerging technologies in the construction industry

Institutional Foundations of Construction ICT: A View from the West Midlands of England

Construction industry is of strategic importance to economic development and growth within any region and nation. However, the industry is confronted by many challenges including poor labour productivity. Part of the explanation frequently provided in literature is that the industry has been slow to adopt and institutionalize useful information and communication technologies (ICT). The research questions asked in this article are: What are the institutional foundations for West-Midlands construction firms to deliver their projects based on ICT and how can these be strengthened? These questions are asked for two reasons. The first is to understand the reasons behind slow ICT adoption and second, to inquire into what can be done about it. The article provides an overview of projects using advanced ICT in the region and presents the results of a focus group discussion undertaken with six industry experts. Scott’s pillars of institutions were used for understanding how the foundations for ICT adaption in the region can be strengthened. Findings are that present regulations, incentives and perceptions of ICT can be further strengthened. While ICT adoption appears to accelerate in large projects, many practitioners remain sceptical as to whether the excessive costs associated with ICT adoptions are justified. The regulative pressures exerted by government in support of ICT adoption do not seem to have fully materialised in industrial practice. However, it is apparent that the normative and cultural cognitive pressures are rendered weak in the region with using advanced ICT being viewed as extraordinary rather than standard industrial practice

Improving Data Quality in Construction Engineering Projects: An Action Design Research Approach

Aurthor's version of an article in the journal: Journal of Management in Engineering. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000202The topic of data and information quality (DQ/IQ) is a longstanding issue of interest in both academia and practice in the construction engineering field. Poor DQ/IQ has led to poor engineering drawings that, in turn, have led to delays and, eventually, cost overruns. In this paper, a study is reported that took an action design research (ADR) approach to develop and evaluate a DQ/IQ assessment tool, which is called the information quality system (IQS), in a large global engineering and construction company. The evaluation was performed by comparing the level of DQ/IQ in a project that used IQS with two projects that did not use the tool. The result is encouraging: The DQ/IQ in the project using IQS was significantly higher overall than in the two other projects. The implication is that a tool based on the design principles on which IQS was built is likely to help improve DQ/IQ in engineering systems and, hence, in engineering drawings. Consequently, it will decrease project delays and cost overruns. More generally, this paper adds to the discourse in the literature on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the construction context. This paper illustrates another successful application of action-oriented research that can solve practical problems while generating academic knowledge. In taking a design approach, the literature on the use of action research in construction engineering and management is augmented

BIM and PLM: Comparing and learning from changes to professional practice across sectors

This paper explores the effects of PLM and BIM on professional practice. It draws on existing literature documenting the experiences of both communities of practice to explain shifts in professional boundaries. A review of case study based literature compares the nature of changes triggered by PLM and BIM relative to the new activities, roles/responsibilities and knowledge competencies, and supply chain relationships. The paper synthesises these changes and reflects PLM and BIM experiences against each other so as to contrast the continuing evolution of professional practice and lessons learned

Blockchain in the Construction Sector: A Socio-technical Systems Framework for the Construction Industry

Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) including blockchain are increasingly being investigated as a potential solution to address many of the challenges hindering the construction industry’s performance such as collaboration, information sharing and intellectual property rights. Existing studies addressing blockchain applications within construction and the built environment have ignored the interrelation of social and technological dimensions. To address this gap, this paper proposes a multi-dimensional emergent framework for DLT adoption within the construction sector. The framework was developed following a focus group discussion and took a socio-technical systems approach that encompasses three dimensions: political, social and technical. The framework was overlaid with an extensive set of construction-related challenges and opportunities and identified a number of associated agents across the dimensions. The structured and inter-connected dimensions provided by the framework can be used by field researchers as a point of departure to investigate a range of research questions from political, social or technical perspectives