The repair of flood-damaged property: a critical review of the needs of homeowners

One of the primary reasons why firms fail to meet their customers' needs and expectations is due to their lack of awareness of exactly what those needs and expectations are, i.e. there is a gap between company perceptions of customer expectations and what customers actually expect. With five million people, in two million properties estimated to be living in flood risk areas in England and Wales, flooding and flood damage to property are somewhat inevitable. In fact, the increased frequency of flooding and the growing number of properties being constructed on floodplains suggest that these statistics are set to worsen in future. However, there is inadequate understanding of domestic property occupiers’ needs regarding flood damage reinstatement. Therefore, as part of a wider investigation, a review of those needs and concomitant issues is presented. The severity of the impact of a particular flood event on a household is influenced, in part, by factors that can be classified into two main categories: flood characteristics and the individual household characteristics. An initial assessment classifies homeowners’ needs as: time, utilitarian needs, relations and communication, health and safety, commitment and flexibility, economy and aesthetics. In order for insurers and repairers to offer services that will satisfy their clients, sound knowledge and consideration of the needs and expectations of homeowners is vital

Satisfaction issues in the reinstatement of flood damaged domestic property

The frequency of flooding is forecast to increase in the UK, as is the number of properties at risk of flooding. Following major floods in England and Wales in recent years, questions have been raised concerning the quality of service received by insured homeowners during the repair of their properties. At present there is little existing research that evaluates homeowners' perceptions and their levels of satisfaction with respect to the performance of their insurers, repair and restoration companies and loss adjusters during flood damage reinstatement claims. As part of a wider investigation, a review is presented of issues relating to satisfaction and service quality. A proposed approach is put forward for measuring satisfaction of insured homeowners in flood claims. Knowledge of the determinants of insured homeowners' satisfaction in flood damage repair works would be beneficial to all stakeholders involved in the claim chain and should lead to an improved service for homeowners

A knowledge based system for valuing variations in civil engineering works: a user centred approach

There has been much evidence that valuing variations in construction projects can lead to conflicts and disputes leading to loss of time, efficiency, and productivity. One of the reasons for these conflicts and disputes concerns the subjectivity of the project stakeholders involved in the process. One way to minimise this is to capture and collate the knowledge and perceptions of the different parties involved in order to develop a robust mechanism for valuing variations. Focusing on the development of such a mechanism, the development of a Knowledge Based System (KBS) for valuing variations in civil engineering work is described. Evaluation of the KBS involved demonstration to practitioners in the construction industry to support the contents of the knowledge base and perceived usability and acceptance of the system. Results support the novelty, contents, usability, and acceptance of the system, and also identify further potential developments of the KBS

Exploring the experience of insured UK homeowners in flood disasters

The frequency of flooding and the number of properties at risk of flooding in the UK are forecast to increase. Costs associated with flooding are usually significant and include for the provision of adequate flood defences, emergency services as well as for the repair of flood-damaged property. Although floods are known for their devastating effects often manifested in visible physical damage to property, the ‘human side’ of the impact of floods is often overlooked. At present there is a dearth of research with regards to the experience of homeowners following flood damage to their property. Findings of exploratory in-depth interviews with homeowners who have recently experienced a flood event to their insured property are presented and classified into five dimensions, namely: economic aspects, emotional aspects, service-related aspects, social aspects and physical characteristics. It is argued that a greater understanding of the ‘human side’ of flood disasters would be beneficial to all stakeholders involved in the damage management supply chain and should lead to improved services for insured flood victims thereby minimising the impact of flooding events on households

An Investigation into Factors Influencing Construction Costs Based on Japanese, UK and US Contractor Practice

Construction cost is a major concern to both clients and contractors. Based on a hypotheticalconstruction project (a six-storey concrete framed office building), cost and otherrelated information was collected through a survey of contractors in Japan, the UK and theUS. Using multiple regression analysis it was found that lower overheads, less prefabricatedcomponents, and fewer design variations could reduce construction cost. Overheadslargely represent indirect costs to contractors and if reduced can lead to increased profitlevels and improved competitiveness. The use of prefabricated components may be problematicwhere there are delays in production, insufficient coordination between design andconstruction, and congested transportation on site. Design variations during constructionbring about uncertainties and are disruptive to the construction process. These factorshave paramount impact on construction cost and demand close attention and consideration.Contractors are advised to reduce the costs of their overheads and utilise prefabricationappropriately, while clients and designers should minimise the number of designvariations during construction if better cost performance is desired

Modelling Client Satisfaction Levels: The Impact of Contractor Performance

The performance of contractors is known to be a key determinant of client satisfaction.Here, using factor analysis, clients’ satisfaction is defined in several dimensions. Based onclients’ assessment of contractor performance, a number of satisfaction models developedusing the multiple regression (MR) technique are presented. The models identify arange of variables encompassing contractor performance, project performance and respondent(i.e. client) attributes as useful predictors of satisfaction levels. Contractor performanceattributes were found to be of utmost importance indicating that clientsatisfaction levels are mainly dependent on the performance of the contractor. Furthermore,findings suggest that subjectivity is to some extent prevalent in clients’ performanceassessment. The models demonstrate accurate and reliable predictive power as confirmedby validation tests. Contractors could use the models to help improve their performanceleading to more satisfied clients. This would also promote the development ofharmonious working relationships within the construction project coalition

Control influence on trust and relational governance in the client-contractor dyad

The construction industry has in recent years witnessed a paradigm shift towards the use of more collaborative contracting relationships and integrated processes in an attempt to improve construction project delivery. Trust is central to the success of these contracting approaches and although efforts are usually aimed at improving trust relations in client-contractor relationships, there has so far been mixed findings on how trust is influenced by formal control mechanisms discharged via formal contracts. In construction contracting, there is therefore the need to investigate how different governance modes and control mechanisms deployed on construction projects are perceived by those being controlled and how this in turn influences trust. Through a critique of the extant literature on trust and control in construction, this study reveals that the trust-control relationship which can be both complimentary and supplementary has far reaching implications on the measurement/assessment of trust in the construction project context. The orientation of governance and control mechanisms selected by clients and the behavioural consequences of these from contractors can thus be used as a measure of the degree of trust that exists in the dyad

Investigating SME resilience and the adaptive capacity to extreme weather events: literature review and synthesis

In the UK, extreme weather events (EWEs) such as floods, heat waves and storms are increasing in frequency and severity. The ability of local communities to cope with the immediate impact and recover from the aftermath is critical to the continued well-being of the community that is affected. As part of Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded projects we investigate how Small and medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), prepare themselves for the effects of EWEs. SMEs constitute a substantial proportion of the community that is affected as a result of these events. They need to prepare themselves for the effects of EWEs in a way that minimises disruption to them and allows them to return to near normal working conditions as soon as possible after an event. Very few studies have examined how SMEs respond to EWEs. Policy makers and theorists in this field have proposed various models and frameworks to improve the adaptive capacities of SMEs by concentrating on identification of risks and opportunities coupled with strategy development and implementation. Their individual and collective attitudes influence the activities that SMEs perform towards preparation of disaster preparedness plans and post disaster recovery measures. The paper argues that this continuous process of engaging SMEs will develop their adaptive capacities and enhance their coping measures in facing up to the risk of extreme weather events. The paper provides a literature review and a synthesis and a methodological vehicle to guide this research