A hybrid model for assessing the quality performance of demolition contractors

The demolition project is reasonably labour-intensive and the shortage of qualified demolition contractors resulted in poor workmanship in many demolition projects. The current performance assessment of demolition contractors in Malaysia is highly based on subjective evaluation while a few of authorities and clients incorporated contractor past performance within the quality assessment process. This is due to the lack of an assessment framework that can supports the evaluation process of demolition contractors. However, different contractor’s quality assessment methods have been successfully developed, but, there has been limited effort to view complexity parameters in the process of evaluation. Hence, it made it necessary to identify an appropriate assessment criteria in order to evaluate the quality of demolition contractor’s performance in a structured way along with considering the complexity of demolition project. This research first applied the Delphi method as a scientific means to collect the required information for developing of the assessment framework, which constitutes thirty performance indicators for demolition contractors. Then, an assessment method has been developed in the form of a hybrid Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Cybernetic Analytic Network Process (CANP) model for demolition contractors. This involves the use of QFD to translate the customer’s expectations into assessment indicators and the CANP to weight the expectations and assessment criteria. Three different case studies were used to demonstrate the implementation of the model and the results indicated that despite the extensive consideration on cost and time in the assessment of demolition contractors, the safety indicators were rated as the most significant Malaysian clients’ expectations for quality assessment of demolition contractor. The results also show that, the project complexity indicators, comparatively received high priority in the quality assessment of demolition contractors among all other indicators. In conclusion, this research has demonstrated that the developed hybrid model is an effective tool for assessing the quality of demolition contractor’s performance and it is hoped that the research work may provide a first step into a better customer-driven demolition project, and eventually increase the quality of demolition projects over time

A hybrid quality function deployment and cybernetic analytic network process model for project manager selection

Identifying appropriate decision criteria and making optimal decisions in a structured way is a complex process. This paper presents an approach for doing this in the form of a hybrid Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Cybernetic Analytic Network Process (CANP) model for project manager selection. This involves the use of QFD to translate the owner's project management expectations into selection criteria and the CANP to weight the expectations and selection criteria. The supermatrix approach then prioritises the candidates with respect to the overall decision-making goal. A case study is used to demonstrate the use of the model in selecting a renovation project manager. This involves the development of 18 selection criteria in response to the owner's three main expectations of time, cost and quality

Effective training factors for competency of demolition operatives in Malaysia

Recently, technology advancement influenced almost every field of life, brings new tools and techniques to reduce human effort and risk involved. Similar in the case of demolition industry, technology changed the demolition procedures significantly. Most of the countries are opting new techniques for demolition operatives, which ultimately reduce the risk involved the demolishing process. Effective competency based training modules has been adopted by the many countries to develop the demolition operatives skills, so the health and safety measure could be increased and also reduce the environmental impacts of the process. Malaysia has demolition procedure but unfortunately, the standards are not updated as compare to the other countries like UK, Australia etc., this enhances the element of the risk in demolition procedures. Current study has examined the factors that influence the demolition operative competency in Malaysian demolition industry. Results indicated that technical competency, risk management, health and safety and the environmental protection practices are the basic practices need for the demolition operatives

Conjunctive management of groundwater and surface water resources using a hybrid simulation–optimization method

This study aimed to determine the optimal conjunctive utilization of groundwater and surface water resources in the Halil River basin, one of the most significant study regions in Kerman Province (Iran). Multi-verse optimizer (MVO) and the ANFIS (adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems) simulation model, known as the MVO–ANFIS simulation–optimization model, were used for this purpose. Moreover, the optimal exploitation policy for the studied basin was presented. The ANFIS model yielded a coefficient of determination greater than 0.99 in Baft, Rabor, and Jiroft. This model had a high capability to simulate groundwater levels in these three regions. Therefore, the ANFIS model was adopted as the simulation model to predict the aquifer water table in these regions. Regarding the conjunctive utilization of groundwater and surface water resources, the exploitation policy resulting from the MVO–ANFIS simulation–optimization model had a desirable performance by supplying 91.70, 87.75, and 97.58% of the total demands of Baft, Rabor, and Jiroft, respectively. Moreover, results of water system performance indicators, including reliability (82.96, 72.65, 95.07), resiliency (70, 53.47, 80), vulnerability (29.54, 25.64, 17.02), and sustainability (74.24%, 66.10%, 85.78%) in the mentioned regions, respectively, showed the appropriate performance of the proposed model for the simulation–optimization problem. HIGHLIGHTS An ANFIS model was used to simulate the underground water level.; The MVO–ANFIS model was developed for the purpose of conjunctive exploitation of surface and underground water resources.; The developed model had favorable results.