Tools for Risk Analysis: Updating the 2006 WHO guidelines

This chapter reviews developments since the WHO Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater in agriculture were published in 2006. The six main developments are: the recognition that the tolerable additional disease burden may be too stringent for many developing countries; the benefits of focusing on single-event infection risks as a measure of outbreak potential when evaluating risk acceptability; a more rigorous method for estimating annual risks; the availability of dose-response data for norovirus; the use of QMRA to estimate Ascaris infection risks; and a detailed evaluation of pathogen reductions achieved by produce-washing and disinfection. Application of the developments results in more realistic estimates of the pathogen reductions required for the safe use of wastewater in agriculture and consequently permits the use of simpler wastewater treatment processes

Infrastructure Model Development to Enhance Resilience against future changes using InfraWorks & GIS

The Smart City idea is becoming more popular because cities are getting too crowded. This study looks at how BIM and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) work together. The study focused on infrastructure and figuring out how long a building would last, as early stages of infrastructure development would help the public organization to better plan and design. The GIS mapping shows which areas are more likely to become cities or towns. The AEC industry stakeholders can benefit from mapping to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). The AEC industry has also been constantly moving towards Building Information Modelling (BIM). In this study, the city of London was considered, and Land Cover predictions from 2000 to 2025 were made. The predicted Map of 2025 would help developers and planning authorities on decision making on housing development. Based on the current study, more research could be extended on how BIM and GIS could work together for urban development

Investigating the Skills and Knowledge Requirements for IOT implementation in Construction

In line with the exponential rate of advancement in information technologies within industries globally, the construction industry has stepped out of the conventional technologies to embrace smart technologies. Internet of Things (IoT) is one such technological advancement in construction although the improvement is taking place at a glacial pace. Internet of Things (IoT) allows stakeholders in construction to collect real-time data from a construction site and transform them into useful information for better insights. It enables construction industry to become smarter, safer and more efficient. Moreover, for a construction industry increasingly looking at boosting productivity, maximizing efficiencies and making the most whole-life value through added intelligence, it's not too difficult to see the demanding potential of IoT technologies to offer the latter expectations. However, lack of skills and knowledge to match this digital demand has been a prominent issue in construction. Although this skill gap is often dominated by the diminishing supply of manual labour, the lack of digital and non-digital skills is an equally pressing concern. Upskilling existing workforce is a simple yet effective way to combat this skills gap. This paper therefore investigates the Skills and Knowledge Requirements to implement IOT in Construction. An empirical investigation conducted in construction industry, United Kingdom enabled the envisaging of the skill-knowledge requirement not only present but also for future

The impact of infrastructure investment on economic growth in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT Infrastructure investment has long been held as an accelerator or a driver of the economy. Internationally, the UK ranks poorly with the performance of infrastructure and ranks in the lower percentile for both infrastructure investment and GDP growth rate amongst comparative nations. Faced with the uncertainty of Brexit and the likely negative economic impact this will bring, infrastructure investment may be used to strengthen the UK economy. This study aims to examine how infrastructure funding impacts economic growth and how best the UK can maximize this potential by building on existing work. The research method is based on interviews carried out with respondents involved in infrastructure operating across various sectors. The findings show that investment in infrastructure is vital in the UK as it stimulates economic growth through employment creation due to factor productivity. However, it is critical for investment to be directed to regional opportunity areas with the potential to unlock economic growth and maximize returns whilst stimulating further growth to benefit other regions. There is also a need for policy consistency and to review UK infrastructure policy to streamline the process and to reduce cost and time overrun, with Brexit likely to impact negatively on infrastructure investment. Keywords: infrastructure; economic growth; investment; constructio

The UK Retail Industry and its Effect on Construction Sectors

The retail industry originated from the local high street to expanding shopping centres and out of town shopping centres. However, in the past 15 - 20 years the industry has taken multiple hits and is now currently at its lowest point ever. There is now a growing amount of shop closing, leaving multiple empty units due to previous recession and increase in online shopping. Ever since the recession, many businesses struggled to survive and had reported losses during this period due to lack of business, lack of investment in retail outlet, and shoppers having less disposable income for shopping. Online shopping iscontinuouslygrowing, increasing from 5% in 2008 to 18% in 2019 as shoppers’ habits change in terms of where and how they shop[1].However, how frequent they shop will play major roles on future procurement opportunities for the retail construction industry. The recent pandemic (covid-19) with lockdown around the world, will change the way we shop though theeffects are not yet fully established. Procurement for constructing retail units are not as low as earlier anticipated in comparison to the struggling market.Hence, this research aims to analyse the changes in the retail industry, its effect on procurement of retail outlets and longevity of the construction industry, with the objectives of creating an awareness within the industry and government policy maker so that the resulting effect can be address to prevent unemployment this might generate or loosing our high street retail outlet completely. The research uses secondary data and tender information from Building Cost Information Services (BCIS), and identifies the following changes in Retail Industry: increase online shopping, changes in consumer buying habits and changes to the customer shopping experience

Infrastructure Model Development to Enhance Resilience against future changes using InfraWorks & GIS

The Smart City idea is becoming more popular because cities are getting too crowded. This study looks at how BIM and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) work together. The study focused on infrastructure and figuring out how long a building would last, as early stages of infrastructure development would help the public organization to better plan and design. The GIS mapping shows which areas are more likely to become cities or towns. The AEC industry stakeholders can benefit from mapping to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). The AEC industry has also been constantly moving towards Building Information Modelling (BIM). In this study, the city of London was considered, and Land Cover predictions from 2000 to 2025 were made. The predicted Map of 2025 would help developers and planning authorities on decision making on housing development. Based on the current study, more research could be extended on how BIM and GIS could work together for urban development

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

Cost Changes in UK Design and Build Projects

The UK construction industry has seen many improvements over recent years, however one of the main ongoing issues is cost. Many projects face the problem of exceeding their initial budget resulting in unanticipated additional costs. It is important to avoid the client going over budget as this can ultimately affect the feasibility of a project. This research aim to investigate the factors driving cost changes in design and build projects within the residential sector in the UK construction industry. The gap in knowledge this study intends to contribute, is to investigate and proffer solutions to the causes of variance between contract sum and final account in design and build procurement option in the UK residential building projects. The research began with a brief literature review on different procurement routes and the factors which drive cost changes in construction projects. The findings of the literature review were used as the basis of the positivist research approach. The research used a mixed methodological approach, consisting of a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews to investigate the research problem. This research identified the design and build procurement route has succeeded in improving overall cost performance of construction projects by allocating the responsibilities of certain additional costs to contractors. However, despite these improvements, cost overruns are still problematic. Regardless of the chosen procurement route, complete design information at tender stage is essential to reducing cost overruns. This research established that subcontractors‟ performance ultimately depends upon the quality of site management. It is recommended to minimise any additional costs to a project, firstly design information should be complete at the time of tender and secondly the construction phase of the project should be managed by suitably qualified and experienced site management team. However, this study was limited to the residential building industry in the UK, hence further studies is highly recommended in developing countries as factors that causes this differences in contract sum and final account may be prioritised differently from the analysis within this study

Modern Methods Of Construction A Technique In Achieving Affordable Housing In Nigeria

The urban environment in Nigeria accounts for over 51.16% of the population and is the main source of economic development within the country. With the increase in population as a result of rural-urban migration, population growth, urban development, decrease in mortality rate amongst others, there is a need for affordable housing provision. It is has been argued based on extensive research, that the development of good housing and infrastructure, can increase the average life expectancy of people, quality of life, increase the health standard and also attract investment and thus, further develop the economy. Unfortunately, the discourse on affordable housing has not developed a model that meets the Nigerian urban populace that is in desperate need of housing. With a larger percentage of Nigerians living in these areas, coupled with the continual rise in rural-urban migration, it is imperative to ensure that focus should be placed on the developing modern methods of construction (MMC) that can meet housing needs. Modern methods of construction is a broad terminology that embraces a variety of offsite manufacturing and onsite practices that provides a range of options to traditional house buildings. It is in light of these facts, this paper analyses the effects of affordable housing in the urban environment and the role MMC plays in its development. This qualitative study is based on current knowledge from preliminary research, analysing how affordable housing can be achieved with MMC. The conclusion of this research will suggest the benefits of MMC practices and create an avenue for further research on affordable housing

Off-Site Technologies: Can Panelised Off-Site Construction Be The Solution To London's Housing Crisis?

House prices in the UK have risen in the last ten years, yet house construction is at its lowest level since 1924. According to estimates, Britain will face a housing shortage of roughly a million homes by 2025 in a nation where up to 70% of adults are accustomed to owning their own home. The UK is known to have the highest rates of homeownership in Europe, but it is getting more difficult due to lack of affordable housing due to low wages and high standard of living increases. LSBU's Centre for the Integrated Delivery of the Built Environment (IDoBE) is at the forefront of this research looking at developing solutions for sustainable living. The aim of this study is to investigate how the use of Panelised systems and materials can increase the current housing shortage. The housing industry is generally dominated by traditional method of construction which has a limited range of products to resolve this housing crisis. The methodology adopted will be the use of both qualitative and quantitative data which includes carrying out extensive literature review and case study analysis. The findings suggest that the housing shortage in London is a crisis that stems from affordability/availability and subsequently suggests the adoption of Panelised Offsite Construction as a smart and affordable solution to the problem. However, it is necessary to implement new policies that would effectively support, stimulate, and maintain housing growth. This outcome will be used to understand how best to implement modern methods of construction