Motivators of Construction Workers in the South African Construction Sites: A Case Study

Construction industry involves laborious and hazard work because of its demands it requires energetic and enthusiastic people and this are the attributes that in most cases young people poses. Construction industry stakeholder should shift their attention and prioritize the motivation of its workers since the industry has a way of cubing poverty and uplifting the county’s economy. This study used data from both primary and secondary sources a special focus on leadership and human resource management context. A survey was conducted with managers and employees regarding motivation on construction site were conducted at different parts of Gauteng. Furthermore, employees work because they obtain something that they need from work and that something obtained from work impacts morale, employee motivation, and the quality of life. Workforce motivation affects productivity. Because most of the activities are done under difficult conditions including harsh weather conditions, to make it attractive employees should be motivated to carry out different activities. Motivators should be in place to improve the chances of the industry’s competitiveness both locally and internationally

A Framework for Smart Building Technologies Implementation in the Ghanaian Construction Industry: A PLS-SEM Approach

This study sought to identify the dimensions and the significant critical factors capable of enhancing Smart Building Technologies' (SBTs') implementation for smart building projects in developing countries. A desk literature review is first conducted to identify and categorize the potential factors. It is further analyzed using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) based on 227 valid data from experts in Ghana. The study revealed four underlying dimensions (i.e., ‘processes and control'[PC], ‘people and skills'[PS], ‘methods and techniques'[MT], and ‘knowledge sharing'[KS]) consisting 14 significant critical factors capable of enhancing SBTs implementation for smart building projects, with the top three comprising ‘appropriate procedures/practices for managing smart building projects (MT3)', ‘appropriate tools/techniques to guide smart building projects to their delivery (MT2)', and ‘skills and experience required to pick project team members for smart building projects (PS1)’. Further analysis with PLS-SEM revealed a significant positive effect of the four underlying dimensions and their positive interrelationships toward framework development. Besides the unique contribution of this study to the knowledge body, it also provides project managers and a construction design team with a structured knowledge of the skills, expertise, attitudes, decision-making, processes, control mechanisms, and effective delivery of smart building projects in developing countries

Risk of excavators overturning: determining horizontal centrifugal force when slewing freely suspended loads

Purpose: Tracked hydraulic excavators are versatile and ubiquitous items of off-highway plant and machinery that are utilised throughout the construction industry. Each year a significant number of excavators overturn whilst conducting a lifting operation, causing damage to property, personnel injury or even fatality. The reasons for the overturn are myriad, including: operational or environmental conditions; machine operator acts or omissions; and/ or inadequate site supervision. Furthermore, the safe working load (SWL) figure obtained from manufacturer guidance and utilised in lift plans is based upon undertaking a static load only. This research seeks to determine whether the SWL is still safe to be used in a lift plan when slewing a freely suspended (dynamic) load, and if not, whether this may be a further contributory factor to overturn incidents. Approach: Previous research has developed a number of machine stability test regimes but these were largely subjective, impractical to replicate and failed to accurately measure the ‘dynamic’ horizontal centrifugal force resulting from slewing the load. This research contributes towards resolving the stability problem by critically evaluating existing governing standards and legislation, investigating case studies of excavator overturn and simulating the dynamic effects of an excavator when slewing a freely suspended load at high rotations per minute (rpm). To achieve this, both the static load and horizontal centrifugal force from slewing this load were calculated for six randomly selected cases of an excavator, with different arm geometry configurations. Findings: The results from the six cases are presented and a worked example of one is detailed to demonstrate how the results were derived. The findings reveal that the SWL quoted on an excavator’s lift rating chart considerably underestimates the extra forces experienced by the machine when an additional dynamic load is added to the static load whilst lifting and slewing a freely suspended load. Originality: This work presents the first attempt to accurately model excavator stability by taking consideration of the dynamic forces caused by slewing a freely suspended load and will lead to changes in the way that industry develops and manages lift plans. Future research proposes to: vary the weight of load, arm geometry and rpm to predict machine stability characteristics under various operational conditions; and exploit this modelling data to populate pre-programmed sensor based technology to monitor stability in real time and automatically restrict lift mode operations

Sudanese Small and Medium Sized Construction Firms: An Empirical Survey of Job Turnover

In construction industry, job satisfaction and job performance are important issues when studying the human behaviours and attitudes of personnel. This research is very important so as to understand what management needs to do in order to avoid personnel job turnover in the organization. The construction industry in Sudan faces a variety of problems relating to human resource efficiency which in turn affect the entire productivity in the industry. The objectives of this study are to view the job analysis of personnel in the Sudanese construction firms, identify the level of job satisfaction of personnel, and identify the level of job performance of personnel and to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance of personnel. Data was collected from personnel in six Sudanese construction firms through survey packets including a data form and modified version of the Job Satisfaction Index questionnaire (JSI) and Performance Rating Index questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and also Average Index. The study shows that there exist weaknesses in the job analysis of personnel. The level of job satisfaction and performance of personnel in Sudan was found to be on the ‘average’. The study also shows a positive relationship between personnel job performance and job satisfaction

Short run causal relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and infrastructure development

Purpose – Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows for infrastructure development have grown in volume to become more widely dispersed among home (outward investor) and host (recipient) countries. This paper aims to explore the short-run causal relationship between FDI and infrastructure development in the developing country of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – A two-stage least squares estimation method was adopted where FDI was endogenized, and all variables were in constant prices. Stationarity tests were performed on the annualized log difference of variables using augmented Dickey–Fuller test(ADF). Findings – Results reveal a positive and significant relationship between FDI and infrastructure but a negative and significant relationship between FDI and GDP and FDI and openness. GDP growth also has a long-run negative relationship with FDI inflows. Originality/value – The paper’s contribution to knowledge is two-fold. First, it examines the short run effect of FDI upon the Ghanaian economy and how market shocks to FDI and infrastructure development can be ameliorated. Second, it illustrates that government policymakers should prioritize development that requires FDI and ensure that the local market is not excessively open to foreign exploitation. Future work is required to further investigate international capital flow and its impact upon other developing nations

Real-Time structural health monitoring for concrete beams: a cost-effective 'Industry 4.0' Solution using Piezo Sensors

Purpose: This research paper adopts the fundamental tenets of advanced technologies in industry 4.0 to monitor the structural health of concrete beam members using cost effective non-destructive technologies. In so doing, the work illustrates how a coalescence of low-cost digital technologies can seamlessly integrate to solve practical construction problems. Methodology: A mixed philosophies epistemological design is adopted to implement the empirical quantitative analysis of ‘real-time’ data collected via sensor-based technologies streamed through a Raspberry Pi and uploaded onto a cloud-based system. Data was analysed using a hybrid approach that combined both vibration characteristic based method and linear variable differential transducers (LVDT). Findings: The research utilises a novel digital research approach for accurately detecting and recording the localisation of structural cracks in concrete beams. This nondestructive low-cost approach was shown to perform with a high degree of accuracy and precision, as verified by the LVDT measurements. This research is testament to the fact that as technological advancements progress at an exponential rate, the cost of implementation continues to reduce to produce higher accuracy ‘mass-market’ solutions for industry practitioners. Originality: Accurate structural health monitoring of concrete structures necessitates expensive equipment, complex signal processing and skilled operator. The concrete industry is in dire need of a simple but reliable technique that can reduce the testing time, cost and complexity of maintenance of structures. This was the first experiment of its kind that seeks to develop an unconventional approach to solve the maintenance problem associated with concrete structures. This study merges industry 4.0 digital technologies with a novel low-cost and automated hybrid analysis for real-time structural health monitoring of concrete beams by fusing several multidisciplinary approaches in one integral technological configuration

An investigation into the construction industry’s view on fire prevention in high-rise buildings post Grenfell

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore contemporary attitudes amongst UK construction professionals regards fire safety post the Grenfell Tower disaster. Specifically, the research examines practitioner’s perceptions of fire safety design, material specification, construction and maintenance of high-rise blocks throughout a building’s whole life cycle. Design/methodology/approach A multi-methodology approach was adopted that utilises a mix of research methods. Extant literature and media content is used as a secondary data source, providing a more insightful interpretivist analysis – the results of which guided the development of the survey’s main question set. Primary survey data are sourced from structured interviews and questionnaires completed by participating industry professionals and built environment undergraduate students using non-representative sampling methods. In addition, a Grenfell Tower special advisory panel member was interviewed to add further validity to the overall findings. Findings The quantitative findings present evidence to suggest that the Grenfell disaster (and media storm that has surrounded this event) has raised the general level of fire safety knowledge and competency amongst construction professionals. However, qualitative feedback from the special advisory panel member suggests specific fire prevention knowledge remains elusive within both industry and taught programmes at Higher Education Institutes. As a consequence, changes in the taught curriculum are proposed together with an extension of the role of facilities managers in practice to cover fire safety in greater depth. Originality/value This paper provides thoughtful insights into the contemporary discourse on fire safety within the UK construction industry. The research also provides critical suggestions to both industry and policy makers which seek to prevent a repeat tragedy occurring again

Employment creation through the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure in South Africa through the use of labour-intensive methods: experiences and problems

Paper presented at the 24th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 11 - 13 July 2005 "Transport challenges for 2010", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.This paper was transferred from the original CD ROM created for this conference. The material on the CD ROM was published using Adobe Acrobat technology. The original CD ROM was produced by Document Transformation Technologies Postal Address: PO Box 560 Irene 0062 South Africa. Tel.: +27 12 667 2074 Fax: +27 12 667 2766 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.doctech.co.z

Employment creation through the provision of low cost housing in South Africa

Paper presented at the XXXIII IAHS World Congress on Housing, 27-30 September 2005,"Transforming Housing Environments through Design", University of Pretoria.Poverty and unemployment are problems that South Africa has not been able to overcome successfully. In the urban areas, poverty has led to the growth of Informal Settlements which are basically, but not necessarily so, residential areas for the low-income groups. The most noted cause of Informal Settlements is high migration from rural areas by people who are in search of job opportunities and better living conditions than what is available in the rural areas. This has led to more demand for low cost housing in most urban areas in South Africa. History has shown that labour-based methods of work have long been used in creating remarkable infrastructure works. Labour-intensive programmes generate more direct and indirect local employment opportunities and income by using locally available inputs (materials, simple tools and local labour) and thus creating a greater demand for local products and services than do high-technology programmes reliant on imported technology and equipment. Investment in low cost housing has a huge potential to redress the high unemployment and poverty levels in South Africa and also to correct the skill deficits in disadvantaged communities. From a theoretical perspective supported by experience elsewhere in Africa, there are reasons for considering that properly formulated labour-intensive programmes could be established to construct and maintain the required physical infrastructure, thus creating employment, skills and institutional capacities. The paper looks at the experiences, problems and outlines the potential contribution of employment creation programmes in alleviating the unemployment problem in other African countries through the construction of low cost housing through the use of labour-intensive methods. The paper then describes the potential and problems that have been encountered in South Africa in relation to employment creation through the construction of low cost housing. The paper closes with some recommendations for the future.Authors of papers in the proceedings and CD-ROM ceded copyright to the IAHS and UP. Authors furthermore declare that papers are their original work, not previously published and take responsibility for copyrighted excerpts from other works, included in their papers with due acknowledgment in the written manuscript. Furthermore, that papers describe genuine research or review work, contain no defamatory or unlawful statements and do not infringe the rights of others. The IAHS and UP may assign any or all of its rights and obligations under this agreement

Industry 4.0 Deployment in the Construction Industry: A Bibliometric Literature Review and UK-based Case Study

Purpose: Industry 4.0 is predicted to be a game-changer, revolutionizing commercial and manufacturing practices through improved knowledge utilization and efficiencies. The barriers however, are significant, and the construction industry remains notoriously slow to take up innovations. This study reviews the research work in Industry 4.0 as it relates to construction, and examines a leading UK-based construction firm to ascertain the prognosis for Industry 4.0 roll-out in terms of the impediments and opportunities. Methodology: A multistage mixed philosophies and methods approach was adopted for this study. First, an interpretivist epistemological lens was used to synthesise extant literature as a means of contextualising the present study. Second, an empirical case study using a post-positivist stance and inductive reasoning was conducted to explore practitioner acceptance of Industry 4.0 in the UK construction context. Findings: Findings from the literature review indicate studies in Industry 4.0 to be a relatively new phenomenon, with developed countries and Germany in particular leading in the field. The range of opportunities are many, but so too are the barriers to enablement. Findings from the case study provide real-world corroboration of the review; practitioners are sanguine about Industry 4.0’s potential to reinvigorate the construction industry, but also note that implementation remains curtailed by residual managerial practices dependent on ‘human interaction.’ At present, much of the focus of industry practitioners is on the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM), often at the expense of other more advanced technologies within Industry 4.0. Originality: Research in Industry 4.0 is limited, with the emphasis being on technology application. This paper, by contrast, maps the totality of work carried out so far and presents an assessment of Industry 4.0’s progression, potential and degree of uptake within the UK construction industry