Integrated framework for quantity surveying practices for conservation projects / Umi Kalsum Zolkafli@Zulkifly

Majority of heritage buildings in Malaysia are deteriorating. Previous researchers observed that the deterioration affecting the structural and fabric of the heritage buildings. Continuous care and protection are needed through conservation to limit the deterioration. Conserving heritage buildings are difficult because conservation projects are ambiguous, unique and cannot be duplicated. The scope of work, specification, duration or cost of conservation works cannot be accurately predetermined at early stage. The tender documents can be complicated and lack of critical information due to failure in exploiting the integrated heritage documents by quantity surveyors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop an integrated documentation framework to overcome ambiguities in improving quantity surveyors’ basic services in building conservation projects. This aim is achieved through the four following objectives; (1) to measure the level of ambiguities of building conservation projects; (2) to measure the level of performance of quantity surveyors’ basic services in building conservation projects; (3) to measure the level of integration of documentation used by quantity surveyors’ in building conservation projects and; (4) to establish relationships between ambiguities in building conservation projects’, integrated documentation and performance of quantity surveyors’ basic services. The study was conducted using mixed-method research design. For qualitative method, eight (8) registered quantity surveyors were interviewed using semi-structured interview and the data were analyzed using content and template analysis. For quantitative method, thirty six (36) questionnaires were analyzed using Software Package for Statistical Analysis and Partial Least Square of Structured Equation Modeling. The findings show that the variables with the highest level of ambiguity in conservation projects are the uniqueness of the building, the building technology and the complexity of the project. The result also revealed that the lowest quantity surveyors performances in basic services are in the ‘preparing bills of quantities and other tender documents’ and the ‘preparation of preliminary estimates and cost plans’. The thesis also found that the documents used by quantity surveyor are moderately integrated. The results also show that there are significant relationships between ambiguities in building conservation projects and quantity surveyors’ basic services. The integrated document is found to be partially mediating the ambiguities in building conservation project to the quantity surveyors basic services

The Adoption of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Concept for Maintenance Procurement of Green Buildings in Malaysia

Green building practices play an important role in achieving sustainability, especially in the construction industry. Green buildings are built to minimise the impact on the environment while reducing the impact of the building on the occupants. Unfortunately, the focus is on building green rather than in its maintenance. Correspondingly, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a tool that has been promoted for its simplicity and the advantages of maintaining a delivery system. It assures the maintenance effectiveness of each industry, such as improving project quality, reducing waste, reducing production costs, increasing hardware accessibility and enhancing organisational support conditions. Meanwhile, procurement is considered to be the key to strengthen the maintenance operation of the construction industry. This study adopts the TPM concept for the maintenance of green buildings in Malaysia and aims to present the TPM concept for the maintenance of green buildings, and to establish the best procurement to adopt TPM for the maintenance of green buildings in Malaysia. This study has employed a qualitative approach where face-to-face and telephone interviews have been adopted. Interviews have been conducted with seven prominent respondents who possess more than 5 years of experience in green building maintenance. Content and thematic analyses have been used to analyse the data that are collected from the interviews; findings show that most of the respondents agreed that TPM could be adopted in the maintenance of green buildings. It has also been identified that for a public project the most appropriate procurement method is the facilities management contract whereas for private project the most popular procurements for green building maintenance are the lump sum contract, out-tasking contract and term contract. The results of this study provide practitioners with a new insight into the impromptu creation of a total productive maintenance concept that could improve the current building maintenance sector

Establishing key factors towards implementing integrated Building Information Modeling (BIM) in AEC industry: Malaysia study

Building information modeling (BIM) is a systemic approach that enhances the effectiveness and overall quality of construction projects. Integrated BIM (iBIM) is an advanced state of BIM that integrates and synchronizes disparate project data in a centralized database of reliable, accessible and real-time project information. The purpose of this paper is to investigate key factors of iBIM implementation by AEC industry players within the Malaysian context. This study adopted a quantitative method. A questionnaire survey is conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to collect data using 5-level Likert scale questions. The study population was AEC industry players working in firms affiliated with professional institutes in Malaysia. The one-sample T-test and Descriptive Statistics are employed to rank the key factors of iBIM implementation in construction projects. The data were analysed by Statistical Package for the Social Science SPSS software version 20 and Microsoft Excel. It is found that policy factors are the statistically significant factors affecting iBIM implementation in Malaysian construction projects followed by interoperability; learning and education; and finally standardization. Key factors are important as a reference or guideline in advance of selecting the most appropriate framework for achieving successful iBIM implementation in AEC industry

Exploring the Legal and Contractual Impediments in BIM-based Application: A Systematic Literature Review

Building information modelling (BIM) has been theoretically proven to enhance the integration of design, construction, and operation processes, hence improving the holistic delivery of a construction project. Despite the many initiatives provided by the government across various countries to increase the uptake of BIM in project implementation, previous studies have discovered the many barriers to successfully applying BIM, among which are legal and contractual issues. Hence, the present study explores and reviews the current legal and contractual impediments that have restricted BIM-based applications in the construction industry. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were employed as a standard protocol for reviewing the current research in the existing literature. The overall search process resulted in a total of 44 articles, which were then thematically analysed to disclose the findings. The review derived eight key aspects, namely procurement method, contract documentation, time and cost, quality, coordination, liability, security and law and regulation and their respective subcomponents as the basis of legal and contractual impediments that could challenge the success of BIM application in construction projects. The study extends the existing knowledge of BIM application and the implications arising from its utilisation and offers some practical insights for design and construction practitioners to improve their roles, obligations, and compliance with BIM contractual requirements. Several recommendations are also made for future research on BIM functionalities for contract administration

Building Operation and Maintenance: A Framework for Simplified Building Information Modeling (BIM) Digital Mobile Application

Managing maintenance cost data is one of the issues due to difficulties in identifying the accurate cost for maintenance and repair of specific components. This is because of the accounting systems used by majority of building managers. The introduction of Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a tool for facilitating information and knowledge sharing through digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility has seen wide application in the construction industry, spanning over the entire life cycle of a facility, i.e., planning, design, pre-construction, construction and post-construction. In post-construction stage, BIM is used for transferring the data of building (spaces, systems and components) into maintenance management operations, keeping track of building assets, and enable scheduled maintenance and provides information of building maintenance history. However, the current BIM rather complex and requires a huge amount of data to develop, which make the system is difficult to adopt for the existing buildings. This study therefore aims to investigate the implementation of BIM for Operation and Maintenance Management (O&M) in Malaysia by identifying the information that should be prioritized to enable BIM mobile application at O&M phase. The study makes used of qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Three (3) rounds of expert discussion using Delphi techniques were carried out with 10 to 15 selected respondents (experts in O&M and BIM). The framework validated by a case study via on-site data collection, which used site measurement, building modelling using appropriate software i.e., Revit and AutoCAD. Most of the experts agreed that technology could improve the efficiency of service delivery and interested in implementing BIM in O&M practices. Simplified BIM for O&M that consists of the critical information includes location, dimension asset information, asset capacity, specification, manufacturer, statutory, condition and cost was developed. For the O&M element and items, information varies and can be modified according to the needs. All this information was systematically organized in a data matrix. A simplified BIM model has been developed to demonstrate how the information is stored, shared, and utilised. Majority of the stakeholders agreed that the Simplified BIM system is useful, flexible, least complex, and effective in managing and monitoring maintenance operations of their building