Relationships between Young Adults’ Housing Tenure, Elements of Perceived Job Security and Social Capital in Britain

Against the backdrop of the changing trends in tenure in the UK housing system, young adults are faced with different situations that continue to shape their housing consumption and decisions. This paper investigates the relationships between young adults’ housing tenure, social capital, and elements of perceived job security in Britain. Socio-psychological dimension of housing tenure decisions has been receiving attention by housing market analysts and practitioners seeking deeper understandings of UK housing market dynamics, particularly in the wake of changing tastes and preferences of young people concerning housing decisions across major cities of the world. More specifically, very little research has been done to investigate the contributions of social capital formation, for example, neighbourhood or social integration and social relations, and elements of perceived job security, on housing tenure transitions among British young adults. A quantitative approach has been applied to the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) from 2001-2015. We discover that British young adults’ homeownership decisions are increasingly influenced by social capital and elements of perceived job insecurity, depending on their tenure of origin. Although we find minimal evidence of a combination effect from our variables of interest. Nevertheless, it is our view that findings from this study will significantly enhance our understanding of tenure shifts amongst young adults in the UK and provide property developers, local authorities, and central governments the knowledge and information to guide economic policies, urban renewal towards achieving better social cohesion and sustainable communities

Exploiting automated technologies for reduction of rework in construction housing supply chain

Housing has been experiencing significant rework within the supply chain. Rework has afflicted both cost and schedule of projects due to the complex environment, intricate activities and highly fragmented nature of housing supply chain. Housing supply chain generate immense data and share information with different parties, which contribute to multitude of countless challenges. As a result of rework, productivity and workflow of information in construction supply chain has been affected with a catalogue of problems for the past few decades. Automation in construction supply chain with novel technological and analytical strategies has aspired industry to improve the productivity and change the trajectory of traditional, manual and analogue way of processing. The aim of this study is to explore possible opportunities of employing new technologies and challenges involved in utilising automated technologies for minimising rework in housing supply chain. The research methodology is based on a review of literature to investigate automated technologies to eliminate rework in housing supply chain. A conceptual framework is proposed to determine the suitability of various technologies to fully automate housing supply chain and facilitate the reduction of rework in construction housing supply chain. All rights are reserved for Diamond Congress Ltd., Budapest, Hungary, except the right of the authors to (re)publish their materials wherever they decide. This book is a working material for the Creative Construction Conference 201

Quantifying materials waste in the Egyptian construction industry: a critical analysis of rates and factors

Abstract: Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a critical challenge facing the construction industry. It leads to deterioration of the triple bottom line of sustainability. Unfortunately, the CDW management research in Egypt lacks studies investigating (1) the variations in CDW generation (CDWG) among different types of construction projects, and (2) the factors affecting CDW reduction (CDWR). Based on a benchmarking approach, this research (1) quantifies CDW in terms of generation rates and costs among different construction project types in Egypt, and (2) investigates the relationship between CDWG and different adopted CDWR factors. Using structured interviews, a comparative case study was conducted to investigate industrial, residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. Analysis of results demonstrated that CDWG rates and costs differ from one project type to another due to the project's nature, size, and complexity on the one hand, and the applied CDWR factors such as waste-efficient practices, awareness, culture & behaviour, and legislation on the other hand. On average among the four project types, it was found that "timber", "sand", and "bricks/blocks" are the most wasteful materials. It was also found that "practices" and "legislation" are the least applied CDWR factors on average among the four project types, which need to be better applied for better CDWR results

Improving affordable housing delivery through the reduction of rework in the supply chain

Housing has been experiencing inadequate of supply which exacerbated by strong growth in demand. Several factors have contributed to the shortage of affordable housing including lack of investment from public and private sectors, land and regulatory regime and economic fluctuations. As a result of rework, the cost of production also dented the supply of affordable housing. The aim of this study is to explore the causes of rework as an alternative approach to reduce the cost of production in affordable housing. A qualitative research approach based on semi-structured interviews with experts in housing construction industry is adopted to investigate the root causes and barriers to eliminating rework within the entire housing supply chain. Preliminary findings suggest that reduction of rework through improved managerial practices, effective communication and collaboration among contributors in housing supply chain with a support of automation can significantly reduce the cost of housing production

Factors affecting intention to adopt Green Building Practices: A Journey towards meeting Sustainable Goals

Abstract Purpose The construction industry and its activities harmfully affect the environment. Hence, adopting green building (GRB) practices can be helpful in achieving sustainable development goals. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors affecting the intention to adopt GRB practices by extending theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach Using non-probability purposive sampling technique, data was gathered from consultant and contractor engineers in the construction industry through a questionnaire. The analysis was done using partial least square-structural equation modeling technique on a useful sample of 290. Findings Findings revealed that the core constructs of TPB [i.e. attitude (AT), subjective norms (SUBN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC)] significantly affect the intention to adopt GRB practices. Moreover, government support and knowledge of green practices (KNGP) were found to be critical influencing factors on AT, SUBNs and PBC. Lastly, the findings confirmed that environmental concerns (ENC) play as a moderating between SUBN and intention to adopt GRB practices, as well as AT and intention to adopt GRB practices. Practical implications This study contributes to existing knowledge on GRB, offering evidence base for policy choices regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation in the construction industry. Originality/value This study provides insights from the perspective of a developing economy and confirms the applicability of TPB in the adoption of GRB practices. Moreover, this study confirms the moderation role of ENC in between TPB constructs and intention to GRB that is not tested earlier in the context of GRB. This study also confirms that government sustainable support positively affects PBC, and KNGP significantly affects SUBNs

Development of Conceptual Motivational Framework to Improve Construction Labour Productivity in the U.K.

The theoretical study presents vital motivational factors influencing labour productivity and understanding the relationship between motivation, social compliance, and labour productivity for decision-making. Labour motivation is essential because the quality of labour performance depends upon motivation. Labour who put forth more effort makes a big difference in company productivity. The construction industry in the U.K. is to become Europe’s largest construction market by 2030. However, the trend of construction industry productivity in the U.K. has been low relative to other industries resulting in a skilled labour shortage, project delays, high construction costs, and low productivity growth as foreign migrants execute most projects. The U.K. serves as a security for the concerns of Middle Eastern and other war-torn countries, including the effects of the Ukraine war. It is the largest market for U.S.A. service exports, thus accepting more migrants. Therefore, demands for housing projects are ever-increasing, leading to a rise in construction projects that present opportunities for research to improve productivity through motivation by enhancing social compliance. The findings indicate that motivation mediates social compliance and labour productivity and that the essential way to motivate labour is by upholding social compliance. The present study conducts a comprehensive literature review to identify motivational factors influencing labour productivity. The findings developed a conceptual motivational framework that indicates a positive relationship between motivation, social compliance, and labour productivity. The next level is to test the framework on construction sites empirically through pragmatism philosophy with quantitative and qualitative approaches

Developing a methodological framework for adopting digitalization for deconstruction planning

Wastes generated from construction and demolition (C&D) activities account for a major proportion of urban solid wastes. The large amount of C&D waste generated are still being largely landfilled or downcycled worldwide. Aging built assets without proper C&D planning is a major cause of wastes not being efficiently diverted for circular use. How waste sorting could be properly planned in the early stages, not only for new construction, but also deconstruction projects is critical to minimizing C&D wastes. As there is a large amount of aging assets without digital files or even no drawings, developing a digital-driven approach to effectively estimate and categorize C&D wastes would be essential for, not just early-stage deconstruction planning, but also the development of a circular economy on C&D wastes. This study is first based on a thorough literature review of existing studies of applications of digital technologies to C&D waste diversion (WD). Limitations of existing studies are evaluated, such as the lack of digital twin approach for deconstruction. Then a methodological framework is established aiming to adopt digitalization for C&D WD, specifically for existing facilities under deconstruction planning. Based on the current work, future study would apply the methodological framework with real-world case studies to validate and test its effectiveness with initiated prototypes. Longer-term work can extend from the current framework to Internet-of-Things and Artificial Intelligence. REFERENCE

An Investigation into the Critical Factors of on-site Waste Segregation in the UK Construction and Demolition Sector.

This paper provides an in-depth exploration into critical factors affecting the use of on-site waste segregation strategies in the UK C&D market. Utilising data from two separate survey questionnaires; this study confirms usage of on-site segregation strategies by many UK contractors where physical site space and project budgets allow. However, through assessment of stakeholder perceptions, this paper also identifies several key barriers that are impeding overall effectiveness. Amongst many factors, this study indicates how issues such as poor attitude and a lack of knowledge of the benefits amongst workers, could be having a profound effect on successful adaptation of ground level recycling initiatives. This research project then finishes by ranking existent barriers by importance, with the goal of suggesting proposals for overcoming these challenges. Ultimately, weighing the critical factors and prospective barriers to on-site segregation in the UK C&D sector, this study makes recommendation of multiple incentives, but suggests that enhanced training initiatives could be a crucial element for instigating long-term industry improvement in respect of recycling and on-site waste segregation strategies

To be or not to be: why do transaction partners in construction industry avoid formulating agreements into contract documents?

Designing the construction contracts efficiently and effectively is vital for project success since contracts can not only motivate and regulate behaviours in projects, but also plays a crucial part in managing interfirm relationship. In practice, however, transaction partners in construction industry sometimes avoid formulating all the agreements into contract documents, which is contradictory to common logic. The aim of this research is to prove the existence of such phenomenon and to investigate the reasons for why it happens. Both questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were conducted in construction industry in China for data collection since China provides fertile context to explore the research questions. The questionnaire was used to prove the existence of such phenomenon and the interviews were used to explore the logic behind. The results show that in nearly 50% of the construction projects in China, the phenomenon of the transaction partners deliberately avoid formulating some agreements into contract documents exist. Given explanations as for why this happens include: 1) showing trust towards the other partner, 2) reducing risks in transaction, 3) increasing the possibility of further collaboration in the future, 4) bypassing the contract check in their own legal departments, and 5) preventing other competitor companies in the market from stealing technology through the contract documents. A comprehensive understanding for designing contract documents is generated in this research, which will not only help project managers for project success but also provides insights into drafting contract terms

Developing a methodological framework of adopting digital twin for deconstruction planning

Wastes generated from construction and demolition (C&D) activities account for a major proportion of urban solid wastes. The large amount of C&D waste gen-erated are still being largely landfilled or downcycled worldwide. Aging built as-sets without proper C&D planning is a major cause of wastes not being efficient-ly diverted for circular use. How waste sorting could be properly planned in the early stages, not only for new construction, but also deconstruction projects is critical to minimizing C&D wastes. As there is a large amount of aging assets without digital files or even no drawings, developing a digital-driven approach to effectively estimate and categorize C&D wastes would be essential for, not just early-stage deconstruction planning, but also the development of a circular econ-omy on C&D wastes. This study is first based on a thorough literature review of existing studies of applications of digital technologies to C&D waste diversion (WD). Limitations of existing studies are evaluated, such as the lack of digital twin approach for deconstruction. Then a methodological framework is estab-lished aiming to adopt digitalization for C&D WD, specifically for existing facili-ties under deconstruction planning. Based on the current work, future study would ap-ply the methodological framework with real-world case studies to vali-date and test its effectiveness with initiated prototypes. Longer-term work can ex-tend from the current framework to Internet-of-Things and Artificial Intelligence