Weather Effect on Workflow, and Labor Productivity of Construction Plant

This study discusses a novel study and develop the important climatic data in Iraq and UAE for changes in construction materials plant  design. It is difficult to identified reliable and microclimate data and related information.  There are many types of construction changes and each type can have an effect on labor and machinery productivity. But what is the  effect of extreme heat and dust storm on construction industry can occurs either indoor or outdoor work. Construction materials production data from United Arab Emirates  region over 2100 productive days period were collected. This study found that the adverse sever summer climate of heat and dust storms lead to a significant reduction in production. An average of week with six  days during summers of heat exceeding 46C with high humidity reduces production in the week by 10% on average. A cross the regional companies, severe weather reduce production on average by 7% and delay the deliveries date. While it is possible that companies are able to recover these losses at some later date of summers. Further, even if recovery does occur at some point at very least these shocks are costly as they increase the volatility of production.  Also this study concludes useful results for assessing the potential productivity shock associate with inclement weather as well as guiding managers on where to locate a new production facility.  We recommend developing of empirical model for Heat Prediction in the region to expect to become more relevant as climate severity and frequent of severe weather.The results of our study also suggest raising the temperature to a more uncomfortable thermal zone lose employers about $2 per worker, per hour,” Keywords: Heat, Dust storm, Productivity, Construction material

Improvement estimating of project cost and design for a hospital project by using (3D&5D) simulation

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an approach of managing and generating building data during its life cycle, dimensional (2D) drawings and later developed to (3D). The scope of BIM 3D, 4D, 5D, in this research 3D model to understand the process project special for beginner's engineers and give idea about all steps the project. 5D the cost component helps create estimates. Estimator is consuming 70% of a cost estimator’s time which required to a project. BIM can provide the capability to create takeoffs the materials, measurements and counts immediately from a model. Building Information models are also more and more used by Owners, Designers, Contractors and Engineer during the project lifecycle. Planning and cost estimation used in design phases for huge project to detect errors before start in the work , through account the time required to set up a hospital and reduce the time needed to build the project through overlapping relationships and getting shorter period to build the project utilizing MS Project software and to detect estimated 5D costing of total construction project, BIM can support cost estimating, the period spent by the estimator on quantification differ by project, using BIM for takeoff or cost estimating, the removal of manual takeoffs saves cost ,time and minimize potential for human error.

Empirical Study for Capturing and Allocating Significant Risk Factors in School Construction Projects in Iraq

In Iraq, more than 1031 school projects have been halted due to disputes and claims resulting from financial, contractual, or other issues. This research aims to identify, prioritize, and allocate the most critical risk factors that threaten these projects’ success for the duration (2017-2022). Based on a multi-step methodology developed through systematic literature reviews, realistic case studies, and semi-structured interviews, 47 risk factors were identified. Based on 153 verified responses, the survey reveals that the top-ranked risk factors are corruption and bribery, delaying the payments of the financial dues to the contractors or sub-contractors, absence of risk management strategy, multiple change orders due to changing designs and specifications during construction; inaccuracy in time and budget estimation; construction material price; financial and economic crisis/financial instability; selecting the contractor only based on the lowest bid, regardless of technical competence; instability within the political system of the government/instability of the government as a client; foreign exchange rates fluctuate against the Iraqi dinar. The study also showed that the respondents recommended allocating four risks to the owner, eight risk factors to the contractor, one risk to the consultant, and 32 factors allocated as shared. The study concluded that the results could help identify the most critical risks facing this type of project and the contracting party that can bear the risks and manage them efficiently

Safety management in private construction project in Iraq

The construction industry consider one of the most dynamic industries due to the unique features such as the change in the project site and condition. These features make the application of specifications and codes more difficult. Occupational Safety requirements in project is also difficult to be implemented and monitored due to the unique features of this industry. The aim of the study is to propose a new method that will determine the performance and management of the occupational safety in the construction site, in order to increase the safety at work in the private construction sector in Iraq. Another purpose of this evaluation is to establish a fundamental point that can be graded according to the safety index for the Iraqi construction industry. The information has been collected through a checklist and a questionnaire; the study focused on data collection paradigm and framework based on a fuzzy logic approach, which is especially able to evaluate the efficiency and monitoring of management defects of private contractors in the fields of occupational safety management. The results show a high security management performance in the private construction sector in Iraq, and the survey results show that there is a great deficiency in training on job security, also study found out that the top three elements of occupational safety management in Iraq are: First Aid-medical needs, Safety committees, Hazard prevention and control

Projects evaluation in construction Industry

The economic activity support in the construction industry in numerous developed countries is a percentage of about 5-11 of their GDP consumed yearly on different kinds of construction projects and associated activities. This paper attempts to evaluate the construction project under different circumstances and different periods.This paper was divided into several stages to accomplish its aim, the first stage, the researchers have gathered information about 30 projects in a different period starting from 2001 to 2017. The second stage included a questionnaire survey to get an indication of the importance of these factors. The third stage comprised analyzing the project's evolution using an artificial intelligence technique, which is a K-nearest neighbor classifier. The fourth stage included using the run chart technique to show the change in the evaluation of the project. It can conclude that the project's evaluation is continuously fluctuated in different periods, the risks that occur have a direct relationship with cost and time overruns and indirect connection with project evaluation

New cost control techniques in mega construction projects

The construction industry in the U.K. is a vital sector of the country's economy. However, this industry is faced by various types of uncertainties and risks due to their dynamic environment, particularly for megaprojects. The study aimed to determine the modern and effective cost control techniques that are utilized in for mega construction projects in the U.K. A mixed-method approach that involves both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted in this research for data collection and analysis. Five semi-structured interviews with construction professionals were conducted first to find out modern and effective techniques used for projects cost control. This is followed by carrying out Delphi survey twice with 42 and 39 construction professionals. Results revealed that the top five techniques that can be utilized for controlling megaproject costs were: Activity-based costing method, Contract Variance – Unit Costing, To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI), Cost-Value Reconciliation and BIM

The adoption of green management in Iraqi construction industry: The challenges and benefits

Working locally acting Globally is the essential principle in the modern world, to achieve this principle all the countries should work together to protect the Natural environment and the ecosystem. The protection methods and procedures were developed and adapted to suit all fields of the life specially the industry fields, green management (GM) considered one of the important methods for this purpose because it provides the bases for environmental conservation. Industry of construction shares a high percentage of the world economy as well as adverse influence on the environment as natural. The current work paper tries to set the challenges and benefits of adopting the GM in Iraqi industry of construction throughout exploring the important aspects (main and sub aspects) that affect the applications of the GM as well as the motivation aspects. To achieve this goal a review of literatures was performed to collect the influencing aspects, then these aspects were evaluated by the experts using questionnaire survey and the questionnaire results were analyzed utilizing Process of Analytical Hierarchy (AHP). The results revealed that the main aspects are the financial aspects and the Project-related and technical aspects with 23% and 19% of important respectively. Accordingly, the conclusions were extracted with a set of recommendations which mainly state the important role of the Iraqi government in the application of GM in the industry of construction

NAFLD and nutraceuticals: a review of completed phase III and IV clinical trials

BackgroundNonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has become a significant public health concern, affecting approximately one-fourth of the population. Despite its prevalence, no FDA-approved drug treatments specifically target NAFLD.AimTo provide a review of clinical trials investigating the use of herbal remedies and dietary supplements in NAFLD management, utilizing the ClinicalTrials.gov database.MethodsThis review evaluates the current evidence by examining completed phase III and IV clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. An exhaustive search was performed on April 17, 2023, using the terms “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease” and “NAFLD.” Two independent reviewers appraised eligible trials based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.ResultsAn initial search yielded 1,226 clinical trials, with 12 meeting the inclusion criteria after filtration. The majority of trials focused on Omega-3 fatty acids (20.0%) and vitamin D (26.7%), followed by caffeine, chlorogenic acid, ginger, phosphatidylcholine, Trigonella Foenum-graecum seed extract, vitamin C, and vitamin E (each 6.7%). Most studies were Phase 3 (75.0%) and used a parallel assignment model (91.7%). Quadruple masking was the most prevalent technique (58.3%), and Iran was the leading country in terms of trial locations (25.0%). These interventions constitute two herbal interventions and nine supplement interventions.ConclusionThis reveals a diverse range of nutraceuticals, with Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D being predominant in the management of NAFLD. The global distribution of trials highlights the widespread interest in these therapeutics. However, more rigorous, large-scale trials are needed to establish safety, efficacy, and optimal dosages