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

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

Perceptibility of barriers and threats to successful and sustainable restoration of Heritage Buildings. A perspective of UK’s heritage practitioners

Purpose of this paper The research set out to examine whether, among heritage practitioners, there is unanimity as well as notable discrepancies in what they perceive as the barriers and threats to the successful and sustainable restoration of heritage buildings. Design/methodology/approach The study collected data from 87 practitioners. These included professional building surveyors, conservation officers, designers, main heritage as well as specialist heritage subcontractors. This heterogeneous sample was subject to the same research instrument. The data generated was chiefly non-parametric. Findings Principally, the notable barriers explored are ‘Prognosis–intervention barriers’. These are represented by a lack of knowledge about the principles of conservation and repair; followed by inconsistent repair standards. Even among the most dexterous heritage practitioners, the study noted a marked variation in the prognosis of structural failure as well as routine inconsistencies in the defects diagnosis methods. These challenges are contemporaneous within the sector as the likes of Historical England, (as custodians of Ancient Monuments) are continually seeking long term, and in some cases imminent interventional solutions. It is worrisome, however, to note that the custodians themselves are trapped in paralysis as the cycle between episodes of intervention become longer. The corollary is that, throughout the UK, most grade 1, grade II* and Ancient Monument structures are making the ‘risk register’: too many buildings, face the threat of being lost foreover. Research limitations The study concludes that a wider UK sample will be needed. This is because some of the applied technologies, preferred by practictioners, are not widely practised, especially in a sector where planning consent and wholesome depature from established principles, the local siginifcance attached to buildings are not only inimitable but demand solutions which are intagible and incomparable. Practical implications Within the heritage sector, the ongoing concerns about the slow rate of sustainable restoration merits considerable attention. Likewise, the challenges intrisic in the technical heritage doctrines such as ‘reversibility’ should in turn, be embraced as offering sustainable low carbon retrofit solutions. Indeed, by putting emphasis on the ‘reversibility’ ethos, a multi-perspective analysis unveils the fact that among practitioners, a sense of optimism is generally lacking. The study concludes that the sector lacks ‘can-do’ attitudes. As a result, it is diffuclt to innovate and to find solutions to the inexorable cycle of disrepair and the enormous restoration bill, currently estimated to run into several billions of Pound sterling. Sadly, locked-in with this, is the enormous high carbon foot print due to the ensuing restoration and repair activity

Existing sustainability rating systems in adopting waste reuse

Multi-functional Concrete with Recycled Aggregates consists of chapters covering multiple aspects of sustainable concrete materials, inclusive of engineering, environmental, policy, and management factors. With contributing authors worldwide from a variety of disciplines bridged by the theme of sustainability of concrete, this book aims to provide an overview of existing research and practices of traditional recycled aggregate concrete; introduce the latest studies of high-performance concrete adopting recycled aggregates from C&D wastes; disseminate the latest findings of multifunctional recycled aggregate concrete by achieving the waste reuse while realizing other environmental sustainability goals; and link the multipurpose sustainable concrete technical development into the C&D waste management

Exploring the perceptions of construction SMEs on appropriate supporting policies for growth and development by the Qatari government for effective participation in infrastructure procurement and delivery for the 2022 World Cup

The purpose of this paper is to gauge the perceptions of SMEs of the measures they believe would enhance their development and growth by the Qatari government to ensure full and effective participation in the procurement of infrastructure and services for 2022 World Cup, which also serves the strategy of capacity building in the construction sector and diversification of the Qatari economy. A quantitative research methodology was applied to allow a cross-sectional data to be collected using a questionnaire survey. The literature on SMEs in Qatar indicates heterogeneity and this resulted in the categorisation of SMEs into three types. These include micro construction SMEs, small construction SMEs, and medium Construction SMEs. A total of 146 fully completed on-line questionnaire were obtained and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSSx). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to rank the factors believed by SMEs to hindering their effective participation in construction activities in Qatar. The results from SPSS results clearly showed that there is a huge variance in the perception of factors believed by SMEs to be hindering their effective participation in construction activities in the country. SMEs are particular about their underdeveloped entrepreneurial skills, lack of access to both financial and human capital, the distance between SMEs and construction educational institutions, unfair market competition for labour, materials, and equipment. From these findings, the study concluded that it is important that intended beneficiaries of government policies are consulted for inputs into policy formulation for effective outcomes. The study only focused on Small Medium Enterprises in Qatar, however, given similar socio-economic and political characteristics, the findings have wider applicability across the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman The study calls for an interface or platform where construction SMEs can interact with the Qatari government on how SMEs can be better supported for enhanced capacity building and development. The paper acknowledges the global pattern of the predominance of construction SMEs and their roles in construction industry development. This explains the various initiatives advanced by governments for SMEs development, and by critically appraising the effectiveness of such initiatives by the Qatari government, this study advances previous knowledge with its findings and recommendations

Newly Functional Concrete Materials adopting Recycled Aggregates

Multi-functional Concrete with Recycled Aggregates consists of chapters covering multiple aspects of sustainable concrete materials, inclusive of engineering, environmental, policy, and management factors. With contributing authors worldwide from a variety of disciplines bridged by the theme of sustainability of concrete, this book aims to provide an overview of existing research and practices of traditional recycled aggregate concrete; introduce the latest studies of high-performance concrete adopting recycled aggregates from C&D wastes; disseminate the latest findings of multifunctional recycled aggregate concrete by achieving the waste reuse while realizing other environmental sustainability goals; and link the multipurpose sustainable concrete technical development into the C&D waste management

Innovative environmentally sustainable concrete: Explaining the low uptake in UK construction activities

Purpose of this paper This study explores the reasons for the low uptake of innovated environmentally sustainable concrete by the UK construction industry. Despite the significant impact the manufacturing and use of concrete has on the natural environment on the one hand, and on the other, the commitment of the UK construction industry to the UK Government’s carbon emissions target, it is of great concerns that innovated environmentally concrete is disregarded by the industry. Concrete is the second most used building material in the world; it is comprised of cement, sand, aggregates and water; all of which are critical to the ecosystem and the environmental media. The cement within concrete accounts for 8% of total global CO2 emissions whose atmospheric concentration induces unpredictable changes in global weather patterns euphemistically referred to as climate change, and with devastating consequences. Against this background, governments around the world have voluntarily established carbon reduction targets, and in the case of the United Kingdom, this target has been set at 80% to be achieved by 2050. To this end, various policy instruments have been introduced by the UK government to encourage households and businesses, which are deemed as critical partners in the delivery of set reduction target. This is why it is important to ascertain why innovated sustainable concrete is not widely used in UK construction despites the efforts of the government and the commitment of the construction industry to sustainable operations. Design/methodology/approach Apart from the critical literature review undertaken to appreciate and understand previous research efforts relating to product innovation generally, and in particular, innovation within the construction industry, a qualitative research methodology was adopted, given the desire for greater understanding of product innovation trends and challenges in the construction sector, albeit with particular focus on the low uptake of sustainable concrete. A semi-structured interview was conducted on construction professionals who have particular interests and expertise working in the UK concrete industry supply chain. The results were thematically coded using open-coding and analysed into factors that influence the uptake of new sustainable concrete. Findings The main factors established that explain the low uptake of innovated environmentally sustainable concrete in the UK construction industry include; cost, quality, practicality, testing and durability issues, risk avoidance, poor marketing and promotion, government policy, construction culture as well as lack of cohesion and collaboration in the concrete supply chain. Conclusions and recommendations were established based on these findings to encourage the uptake of innovated sustainable concrete in UK construction activities, and enable the UK government fulfill its reduction target for carbon emissions. Research limitations/implications (if applicable) The study is limited to concrete and the United Kingdom. The implication being other innovative environmentally sustainable building materials may also be encountering similar market penetration challenges as sustainable concretes. Similarly, this situation may not be unique to the United Kingdom in which case, meeting carbon emissions reduction targets set by many countries may prove more difficult than would have been previously envisaged without critical attention being paid to the sustainability attributes to construction input supply chains. Practical implications This study provides insights to acute challenges facing environmentally sustainable construction materials in the market place and allows targeted interventions that will ensure innovations in construction materials are not stifled in the UK. What is original/value of paper. Findings and conclusions drawn from this study will not concentrate minds on how to better support construction product innovations, a necessary move that will assist global efforts in meeting carbon emissions targets

Combined effect of fibre geometry and aggregate size on the workability and mechanical properties of steel fibre reinforced concrete

Reinforcing concrete with thin short discrete steel fibres is an efficient process in obtaining a multi-directional reinforcement to modify and improve the properties of concrete, especially its ductility. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the preference and selection of materials to make appropriate mixes for an efficient result of steel fibre reinforced concrete. This study investigates the effects of length and aspect ratio of steel fibres when mixed with different sizes of coarse aggregate on the workability and subsequently, on the mechanical properties of the material. Variables selected for the study were fibre lengths of 50 mm and 60 mm, aspect ratios of 45, 50 and 60, fibre dosages of 25 kg/m³, 40 kg/m³, 50 kg/m³ and 60 kg/m³ and maximum aggregate sizes of 10 mm and 20 mm. Mix proportions for the investigation were kept constant throughout the study. A slump test was performed on fresh concrete while the compressive strength was measured using 100 mm cubes and flexural performance was assessed through a 150 mm x 150 mm x 600 mm prism. The experimental results confirm that the combination of geometry and maximum aggregate size in the mix has an important influence on the workability of fresh steel fibre reinforced concrete. Consequently, the obtained results confirm that there is a relationship between the mechanical properties of hardened concrete and the workability of fresh concrete. The concrete with poor workability reveals inadequate orientation and distribution of fibres, leading to poor actions of fibres within the mix and hence, affecting the mechanical properties of tested concrete materials

The implications of adopting sustainable urbanism in developing resilient places in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract Purpose – Sustainable urbanism is the study of both cities and the practices to build them, which focusses on promoting their long-term viability by reducing consumption, waste and harmful impacts on people and place while enhancing the overall well-being of both people and place. This paper analyses the implications of adopting sustainable urbanism principles and developing resilient places with Abuja as the area of focus to tackle the highlighted issues. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on qualitative research which is centred on an extensive literature review and archival retrieval of historical documents. This includes the emergence of urbanism, sustainable urbanism definition and current issues surrounding its adaptation. The paper also focusses on a case study area in the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria which is currently undergoing massive urban development. Interviews are conducted with academics (13), practitioners (12) and government officials (10) making a total of 35 participants. Findings – The main findings will create an understanding of the definition of sustainability and sustainable urbanism with a special focus on Abuja city. It was realised from the interviews that sustainable urbanism in broad terms encompasses economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and that these dimensions vary across different contexts even in the developing world. Also, sustainability can be achieved through deploying the right combination of measures, policies, assessment tools, sustainability assessment, good governance, and training/education and incentives. Originality/value – By reviewing the selected studies which explore a wide range of disciplines and research areas, and conducting this qualitative research, this paper shares insights into how sustainability and sustainability urbanism can be achieved in the development of urban spaces in Abuja environs. Keywords - Developing countries, Sustainability, Sustainable urbanism, Urbanisation, Urban regeneration Paper type Research pape