Book Review

Book Review: Construction InnovationOrstavik, F., Dainty, A.R.J. and Abbott, C., Eds. (2015). Construction Innovation. West Sussex: WILEY Blackwell. 224 pages. ISBN: 978-1-118-65553-5

The Influence of Trust in Traditional Contracting: Investigating the "Lived Experience" of Stakeholders

The traditional procurement approach is ever-present within the construction industry. With fundamental design principles founded on definitive risk allocation, this transactional based approach fails to acknowledge or foster the cooperative relationships considered to be vital to the success of any project. Contractual design encourages stakeholders to defend their own individual interest to the likely detriment of project objectives. These failings are not disputed, however, given that trust is a fundamental requirement for human interaction the influence of trust is potentially important in terms of stakeholder relationships and ultimate project success. Trust is therefore examined within this context. A conceptual framework of trust is presented and subsequently used to code and analyse detailed, semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders from different projects. Using a phenomenological investigation of trust via the lived experiences of multiple practitioners, issues pertaining to the formation and maintenance of trust within traditionally procured construction projects are examined. Trust was found to be integral to the lived experiences of practitioners, with both good and bad relationships evident within the constructs of traditional procurement mechanisms. In this regard, individual personalities were considered significant, along with appropriate risk identification and management. Communication, particularly of an informal nature, was also highlighted. A greater emphasis on project team selection during the initial stages of a project would therefore be beneficial, as would careful consideration of the allocation of risk. Contract design would also be enhanced through prescriptive protocols for developing and maintaining trust, along with mandated mechanisms for informal communication, particularly when responding to negative events. A greater understanding regarding the consequences of lost trust and the intricacies of trust repair would also be of value. 

Responsible Corporate Strategy in Construction and Engineering. Doing the Right Thing?

by Martin Loosemore and Florence Phua, published by Spon Press: ISBN 978-0-415-45910-5. AUD 69.95.GBP 35.00, 192 pages

Guest Editorial

Innovation and SMEs in the AEC secto

Building Information Modelling and Standardised Construction Contracts: a Content Analysis of the GC21 Contract

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is seen as a panacea to many of the ills confronting the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. In spite of its well documented benefits the widespread integration of BIM into the project lifecycle is yet to occur. One commonly identified barrier to BIM adoption is the perceived legal risks associated with its integration, coupled with the need for implementation in a collaborative environment. Many existing standardised contracts used in the Australian AEC industry were drafted before the emergence of BIM. As BIM continues to become ingrained in the delivery process the shortcomings of these existing contracts have become apparent. This paper reports on a study that reviewed and consolidated the contractual and legal concerns associated with BIM implementation. The findings of the review were used to conduct a qualitative content analysis of the GC21 2nd edition, an Australian standardised construction contract, to identify possible changes to facilitate the implementation of BIM in a collaborative environment. The findings identified a number of changes including the need to adopt a collaborative contract structure with equitable risk and reward mechanisms, recognition of the model as a contract document and the need for standardisation of communication/information exchange.

The Influence of Trust on Project Management Practice within the Construction Industry

Given that any construction project is inherently a human endeavour, it follows that issues of trust are significant in terms of the stakeholder interactions that deliver eventual project outcomes.  Previous research indicates that the relational basis upon which projects are undertaken are intended to influence the likelihood of trusting relationships between stakeholders.  Thus, experiences of trust in a construction project environment are likely to be influenced by the contextual specifics of respective transactional and relational contracting (RC) procurement mechanisms, given the divergent theoretical principles upon which they are founded.  The influence of trust has therefore been examined through the lived experiences of construction practitioners.  A phenomenological interview study consisting of thirty-five (35) participants was conducted with sensitivity to the procurement of experiences being recounted. Issues of trust were shown to be integral to stakeholder experiences in both procurement environments, with the benefits of trust acknowledged in many instances.  However, little understanding was evident regarding methods for building and maintaining trust, nor for repairing trust when problems arose. Importantly, despite the differing principles that underpin transactional and relational procurement, and particularly the contention that relational procurement would increase trust between trading partners, this was not evident; with individual personalities and appropriate risk apportionment shown to be greater influences upon the likelihood of trusting relationships.  It is reasonable to conjecture that relational contracts actually diminish the need for trust, given that the objective is to reduce uncertainty through formulaic approaches to risk distribution and reward; the absence of risk negates the need for trust.  Ultimately, the potential to deliver improved project outcomes as a result of proactive approaches to developing and maintaining trust, as well as repairing trust after difficulties, was shown to apply under all procurement conditions. 

Survey and monitoring of opium poppy and wheat in Afghanistan: 2003-2009

An integrated application of remote-sensing technology was devised and applied in Afghanistan during 2003–2009 providing critical information on cereal and poppy cultivation and poppy eradication. The results influenced UK and international policy and counter-narcotics actions in Afghanistan

Isotopic provenancing of Pb in Mitrovica, northern Kosovo: source identification of chronic Pb enrichment in soils, house dust and scalp hair

Mitrovica, northern Kosovo, is the site of some of the highest Pb concentrations reported in human populations; exemplified by Pb concentrations in scalp hair of up to 130 μg g-1 and widely-publicized of Pb-related ill-health and mortality amongst internally displaced populations. High human Pb burdens are accompanied by elevated concentrations of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in soils and house dust within the city, which has a long history of mining and metallurgy. In this study enrichment-levels for PHEs in soils are quantified and compared to environmental quality guidelines and a statistically-derived estimation of background concentration. In addition, Pb isotopes (207Pb/206Pb, 208Pb/206Pb) are used to characterise the isotopic signatures of potential point sources of Pb and a mixing model employed to quantify the contribution of sources to Pb present in soils, house dust, and the scalp hair of children and young people. Pb isotopic evidence suggests that Pb in surface soils and house-dust is predominantly sourced from historical deposition of Pb-containing aerosols from metal smelting, with lower contributions from wind-blown dispersal of metalliferous waste. Pb present in scalp hair is interpreted as the result of non-occupational exposure and the ingestion and/or inhalation of Pb-enriched surface soil and house dust. This study represents one of the very few instances where this type of geochemical tracing technique has been successfully applied to definitively identify the source of Pb present within biological samples. The results of this study are of particular relevance to environmental management and highlight the human health risk posed by the legacy of now inactive mining and metallurgy in addition to the challenge posed in mitigating the risk posed by diffuse soil pollution. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd