A staged approach for energy retrofitting an old service building: a cost-optimal assessment

Office buildings built before the pre-1960 age constitute a relevant group for analyzing the energy performance of the Portuguese building sector. A dynamic energy simulation was used to assess the energy performance of an existing office building located in the town of Bragança, Portugal. By using a staged renovation approach, two passive technologies applied to the building envelope and an efficient domestic hot water system were selected and a financial evaluation through the net saving (NS) method was undertaken to choose the best efficiency measures/packages for improving the building’s energy performance. Real discount rates of 3% and 1% were used in the financial evaluation. Considering the real discount rate of 3%, the results showed that only two out seven retrofit options had a positive financial return. By using the real discount rate of 1%, all retrofit options were found to be financially efficient. The results of the study corroborated those of earlier works that found that the financial profitability of energy renovation investments is very sensitive to the discount rate used in the analysis. The results of the study also suggested that the staged renovation approach used in the analysis is economically feasible, and that this approach is an alternative to one-step renovation approach to help to achieve the country´s energy and climate targets by 2030. Suggestions for future research conducted for office buildings in the different climate zones and other age groups in Portugal are proposed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A novel sorting method topsis-sort: an applicaiton for tehran environmental quality evaluation

Many real-life problems are multi-objective by nature that requires evaluation of more than one criterion, therefore MCDM has become an important issue. In recent years, many MCDM methods have been developed; the existing approaches have been improved and extended. Multi criteria decision analysis has been regarded as a suitable set of methods to perform sustainability evaluations. Among numerous MCDM methods developed to solve real-life decision problems, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) continues to work satisfactorily in diverse application areas. In this paper, a novel sorting method (TOPSIS-Sort) based on the classic TOPSIS method is presented. In the TOPSIS-Sort approach an outranking relation is used for sorting purposes. The proposed approach uses characteristic profiles for defining the classes and outranking relation as the preference model. Application of the proposed approach is demonstrated by classifying 22 districts of Tehran into five classes (but none of the districts fits into Classes 4 and 5), representing areas with different levels of environmental quality. An analysis and assessment of the environmental conditions in Tehran helps to identify the districts with the poor environmental quality. Priority should be given to these areas to maintain and improve the quality of environment. The results obtained by the TOPSIS-Sort give credence to its success, because the results of sorting con firm our and specialists’ evaluation of the districts. This research provides appropriate results with respect to the development of sorting models in the form of outranking relations. The model, proposed by this study, is applicable to the other outranking methods such as ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, etc

Approaches to Risk Identification in Public–Private Partnership Projects : Malaysian Private Partners’ Overview

The complexity of public–private partnership (PPP) projects ensures that risks could emerge and spread in unpredictable ways if they are not well identified and managed. The emergence of PPP projects has brought major changes in the construction industry, the most notable being in procurement methods influencing risk allocation to private parties. Thus, it is crucial to have an effective risk management for public and private partners to eliminate or minimise risks. Formulating an effective risk management system is a crucial challenge faced by both of parties in order to minimise or optimise risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the process of risk identification of private partners in Malaysian PPP projects. Data were collected throughout a 2-month period using a survey with a sample of nine Malaysian companies engaged in PPP projects, and the survey results were analysed using mean scores. The findings indicate that due to a lack of knowledge and experience of Malaysian private partners in the risk identification process, a comprehensive database for risk identification is highly necessary for the private sector. Another issue emerging from the findings is that it may be reasonable to use a combination of risk identification tools for PPP projects with a high level of complexity. The findings of the present study can greatly assist public and private partners to select the most appropriate tools for risk identification at the early stages of PPP projects

Barriers to development of private sector investment in water and sewage industry

PurposePrivatization is a complex issue in many developing countries; therefore, it is vital to examine the obstacles that prevent its proper implementation. The goal of this study is to identify and analyze the barriers to private sector investment in the Water and Sewage Industry (WSI) and to suggest effective ways to attract the private investors to this sector.Design/methodology/approachThe obstacles to private sector investment in the WSI were identified by conducting a desktop literature review and interviewing an expert panel, using the fuzzy Delphi technique. The most important barriers were identified and categorized. A structured survey was then developed and distributed to private sector investment experts. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was applied to further examine the responses and to rank the identified barriers.FindingsThe results showed that the greatest barrier to privatization is the weakness of insurance companies in controlling investment risks, and the second greatest barrier is the weakness of the country's capitalist culture. A review of recent success stories revealed that these barriers can be overcome with transparent price policies and increased interaction between the public and private sectors, which motivate private investors to invest in the WSI.Originality/valueThe elicitation of this study can be useful to both private and public sectors for the development of infrastructure projects, particularly for the WSI.</jats:sec

Prioritization of Contracting Methods for Water and Wastewater Projects Using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Method

This study uses the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) method to prioritize contracting methods to determine the most suitable contract option for water and wastewater projects (WWP). Content analysis, a two-round Delphi survey technique, and a series of validation and reliability tests helped establish the 18 key criteria for FAHP analysis. Consequently, data collected from experts through a pairwise comparison questionnaire form the basis for the inputs for the FAHP analysis. Consequently, the final weightings were derived for each of the key criteria and available contracting methods. The results indicate that the bilateral, cooperative, and trilateral contracting methods are the most suitable for WWP in Iran, with the highest weighting. The study provides useful guidance for the top management of project firms in selecting the optimal contracting method for their projects and offers significant contributions from theoretical and practical perspectives

Decision support for the evaluation of building life cycle effectiveness

This paper presents a multiple criteria decision model for the life cycle of single family houses analysis based on a decision support system. Methods of multiple criteria analysis are applied for a complex analysis of the singleâ€family houses life cycle as well as for the evaluation of decisions. The method of multivariant design is applied for making variants of the life cycle of singleâ€family houses. The multivariant design and multiple criteria evaluation of a building life cycle allow the interested parties (client, contractor, user, etc.) to make efficient decisions on the ground of a quantitative and qualitative variants analysis. The decision maker's attitude can be reflected in the analysis process by the weighting of criteria. The proposed methodology provides a useful tool for building life cycle evaluation. Having applied the information gathered in the database, using the models of a model base, various interested parties of a building life cycle are able to make effective decisions. The system provides a user with all the necessary support required for decision making: in information terms the receipt of quantitative and conceptual information describing a building life cycle, gathering and use thereof, in terms of evaluation the analysis of such information applying the methods of a multiple criteria analysis. First Published Online: 21 Oct 201

Research into advertising in construction: Analysis of Lithuanian and Swedish experience

Construction, as an object of marketing, has special features: the construction environment is complex and changing, clients’ requirements and expectations are increasing. Construction companies must realize that good marketing, as well as advertising activities have a great impact on sales of construction products and services in today's competitive market. This paper reports on a qualitative study of the Lithuanian and Swedish construction companies about advertising campaign, budget and means of advertising. The effectiveness of advertising means is also analyzed. The first problem identified in the study is that most Lithuanian construction companies provide self‐advertising policy. The lack of experience and knowledge of advertising leads organizations to inadequate decisions. The observations also detected that advertising campaign in the Lithuanian construction companies is underfinanced and the advertising budget is closely linked with used means. The paper concludes with the assessment of the study results and directions for further research. Reklamos statyboje tyrimas: Lietuvos ir Švedijos įmonių patirties analizė Santrauka Statyba, kaip marketingo objektas, turi tam tikrų ypatybių: statybos aplinka yra kompleksinė ir kintama, klientų reikalavimai ir lūkesčiai nuolat auga. Statybos įmonės turi suprasti, kad geras marketingas ir ypač reklama turi didelę įtaką statybos produktų ir paslaugu pardavimams, o tai ypač svarbu šiandienines rinkos sąlygomis. Straipsnyje pateikiamas Lietuvos ir Švedijos statybos įmonių kokybinis tyrimas, kuriame nagrinėjami reklamos kampanijos, biudžeto ir nešiklių klausimai. Nagrinėjami ir reklamos efektyvumo įvertinimo klausimai. Tyrimas parodė, kad daugelis Lietuvos statybos įmonių reklamuojasi savo jėgomis. Kadangi įmonių darbuotojai neturi reklamos organizavimo patirties ir žinių, jie dažnai priima netinkamus sprendimus. Lietuvos statybos įmonių tyrimas parodė, kad įmonės neskiria pakankamai lėšų įmonės produktų ar paslaugų reklamai, ir reklamos biudžetas yra glaudžiai susijęs su pasirinktais reklamos nešikliais. Straipsnio pabaigoje aptariami tyrimo rezultatai ir pateikiami siūlymai statybos įmonių reklamai organizuoti. Reikšminiai žodžiai: reklama,&nbsp;statybos įmonė,&nbsp;reklamos nešikliai,&nbsp;reklamos kampanija,&nbsp;tyrimas. First Published Online: 21 Oct 201

Evaluating the life cycle of a building: A multivariant and multiple criteria approach

This paper considers the application of methodology for the multivariant design and multiple criteria analysis of the life cycle of a building. The theoretical basis of the methodology is developed. A proposed methodology allows everyone (i.e. client, investor, contractor, etc.), who has to make the decisions, to design alternatives of the building life cycle and to evaluate its qualitative and quantitative aspects. This approach, in which various criteria can be employed, is intended to support the decision making on a building's life cycle selection and increase the efficiency of the resolution process. The procedure of the evaluating of a building's life cycle is discussed using an example.Multiple criteria analysis Decision making Project management Building life cycle

Factors affecting suppliers capacity in outsourcing: a study of the Water and Wastewater Company of Iran

What are the major factors able to increase the capacity of suppliers in outsourcing processes? To answer this research question, a three-round Delphi survey was administered to an expert panel composed of 50 industrial experts of the Water and Wastewater Company (WWC) in Iran. The administered questionnaire – based on 50 items categorized into 4 groups: judicial-legal, contract, management, and financial – was developed based on prior literature and experts’ answers. Respondents have been asked to evaluate each item with regard to the capacity of suppliers in outsourcing processes on a 5-point Likert scale. Factor analysis, one-sample t-test and the Friedman test were used for data analysis. Results show that the factor categories able to increase the capacity of suppliers in outsourcing processes at WWC are the following, in order of importance: financial, judicial-legal, contracts, and management. The findings help to focus on the shortcomings and deficiencies of current outsourcing processes