Success evaluation factors in construction project management : some evidence from medium and large portuguese companies

The construction industry plays a very important role in the Portuguese economy. In 2009, it was among the top five economic sectors, representing 13% of total employment. Nevertheless, project failures are still frequent mainly due to inadequate management practices and to the intrinsic characteristics of projects of the construction industry. Even though Portuguese construction has improved in recent years, cost and schedule overruns, low productivity and final product quality problems are still common. In this context, project management is a crucial tool for improving construction operations and for the overall success of projects. The aim of this article is to contribute to the discussion on success evaluation factors in a field where little has been written – the construction industry. Through a survey of 40 medium and large Portuguese companies several factors were identified which are currently considered in the evaluation of project success, as found in the literature review. The results show that the traditional factors, often referred to as the “Atkinson elements triangle” (cost, time and quality), are still the most relevant for evaluating the success of a project, but others, such as customer involvement and acceptance, have gained importance in recent years

Latent provisions for building information modeling (BIM) contracts: a social network analysis approach

The effective adoption and use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) require appropriate contract design to fairly allocate the contracting parties’ rights and responsibilities. Several standards for BIM protocols and contracts have been developed for the industry. However, the awareness and the use of these are rather limited, leading to unclear provisions in BIM contracts. Therefore, the research aims to identify the influential legal aspects that serve as the latent contract provisions in BIM contracts. A questionnaire survey was conducted to survey experts and active BIM users in construction projects. The data were analyzed using social network analysis (SNA) by assuming interdependent relationships among various the legal aspects in BIM contacts. The key legal aspects associated with BIM contracts pertain to the roles and responsibilities of the project participants. The results also reveal that data security is the center of all latent legal aspects in the contracts. The study provides significant new insights into clarifying the required contract provisions in BIM contracts

Causes of delay and cost overrun in Malaysian construction industry

The construction industry in Malaysia drives the economic growth and development of the country. However, the industry is plagued with delays and cost overrun which transforms what should have been successful projects to projects incurring additional costs, disagreements, litigation and in some cases abandonment of projects. This research studied the causes of delays and cost overrun in the industry and ranked them according to their perceived importance to the contractors, with a view to establishing those to be addressed by the contractors. Online questionnaires were used for data collection for this research. A total of 69 responses were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) (factor analysis) to identify the main causes. The result of the analysis showed that delay in preparation of design document, poor schedule and control of time, delay in delivery of material to site, lack of knowledge about the different defined execution methods, shortage of labour and material in market, and changes in scope of work were the main causes of delay and cost overrun. The identified causes if properly addressed would reduce the rate of delays and cost overrun in construction projects, thus enhancing the economic growth and development of the country

A framework for supporting planning and development of infrastructure projects from a societal perspective

Abstract Capital projects are the backbones of our society and they must go through an evolutionary process of repeated planning and analysis cycles. Ensuring a building is structurally sound, or that a tallest building will add a new image to a city is not enough: new infrastructure and urban development must be rationalised in their planning, design and operations ensuring fitness-for-purpose and adequate societal value contributions (e.g. local resource utilisation, community wealth creation etc.) within the community. In order to ensure value creation and complete social acceptance, projects must be planned and developed by aligning the needs and requirements of the wider community proactively. This research develops an experimental framework aiming to facilitate holistic decision making on capital projects. Adopting the Social Network Analysis (SNA) based innovative methodology, a framework for quantifying social value in infrastructure projects has been demonstrated. Based on an Australia case study, the process of integration of representative community views of extended stakeholders over planning, development and operation phases in capital projects has been highlighted. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is considered to be one of the highly appropriate research methods for enquiring the complex patterns of interactions between stakeholders associated with the capital projects. The new framework will potentially assist in replacing the traditional top-down planning processes and promoting sophistication in developing socially responsive infrastructure within built environment

Usefulness of data analytics in Smart Villages development

With over 40% global population still live in rural with many under extreme poor conditions, effective management of resources for supporting the development is crucial. One of the key considerations in effective management is need-based and context specific intervention planning incorporating bottom-up information flow. Traditional top-down approaches in planning and development are considered not only wasteful but also irrelevant for transforming rural communities keeping the value, culture, heritage at the core of the development cycle. In the bottom up planning, empirical data at the grassroots level activities play a pivotal role. In this research, significance of the data-driven planning coupled with the strong data-analytics is demonstrated as one of the most critical elements supporting the planning and development of rural communities under the auspice of Smart Villages. Based on a case study conducted across 37 villages in the river island Majuli in Assam located in the north eastern part of India, the research highlights the functionalities and efficacies of a Smart Data Platform used for evaluating real-time data analytics and supporting context specific planning and development of a large area comprising 2300 plus households. The concept is further highlighted to signify the need for central data-centric Research and Development center for supporting policy making within the public governance

Rural construction management for developing economies: Implications for professional education - the case of Assam

The authors are engaged in a three-year project, funded by the State of Assam, India, to develop new postgraduate qualification in construction management for Assam, and to research housing and infrastructure strategies aimed at improving rural life. This inter-cultural collaboration mirrors a common arrangement in international development assistance in which an institution from the Global North is invited to assist an institution from the Global South. However, the historical relationships between the North and South, and the way in which they play out in such arrangements has been critiqued from multiple perspectives. The North-South divide is rooted in colonial history, is based on a privileging of the North over/against the South, and works to place the South at a perpetual disadvantage. These privileges are often replicated in the historical-given curricula of post-colonial universities. It is important in undertaking this work for Assam that these historical influences be analysed and critiqued, in order to decolonise the curriculum. This paper outlines the process by which the Project seeks to identify Assamese problems and interests, source useful examples globally, and collect and synthesise them to create products that are tailored to Assam. The key findings: standard professional education is Eurocentric and does not relate to the construction needs of Assam's population, helps drive rural-urban and South-North brain drain. Nascent models are available to counter these tendencies, and can be studied to inform Assam-centric construction management education

BOT application in China: Driving and impeding factors

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Prefabrication technique for low cost housing in Assam

he housing Pattern of North Eastern part of India can be categorized in three different types. The old primitive type of housing known as Assam type houses are predominant in the North-eastern region. These are mostly residential houses maximum upto single story. The house is generally made of timber. The vertical Post, roofing are made of wood, bamboo supported biomass wall cladding for wall panels are used. With the passage of time this unique method of construction gained importance and newer technology with the use of brick masonry, R.C coloumn and timber roof are being adopted by the local people. This transfer of technology from generation after generation led to the present housing scenario which can be termed as non engineered houses mainly modular and non modular type of construction and R.C.C structures. These non engineered houses have very low vulnerability and poor comfort. The construction type for these houses are dependent on weathering conditions. Therefore there is an urgent need to provide housing with basic facilities for improving living standards without disturbing the natural resources and creating employment opportunities for the local communities. This research aims to investigate the modernisation of the physical structure, construction processes, use of prefabricated components, composite materials, affordability and sustainability of the housing types in Assam