Using relative importance index method for developing risk map in oil and gas construction projects

The objective of this research is to classify risk factors and their ranking in terms of their probability and impact on construction projects in the oil and gas sector, to test the relationship between the causes and effects of risk factors and then develop the risk map to facilitate the planning of risk response strategies. To achieve this objective, researchers invited practitioners and engineers who are comprising a statistically representative sample of oil and gas sector population to joining a structured questionnaire survey. A total of fifty-one (51) factors were short-listed to be made part of the questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted with 357 participants of construction project teams as a sampling of populations from all oil and gas sectors in Yemen. The relative importance index (RII) method was applied to prioritize the project risk factors. RII data were used to develop a risk map for oil and gas construction projects. Correlation coefficient and reliability tests also carried out to know the relationship between risk factors and check the validity of the research. The reliability test of the questionnaire was 0.974 for the cause of risks and 0.81 for the effects, which considered very high value. RII analysis and risk map shown the most critical risk factors effected on project success. There is a significant contribution expected from this research, especially for companies operating in the oil and gas and other organizations that plan to invest in this field, in addition to expected benefits for the governments and researchers in this field due to lack of research in this field

The Effects of Delays in Road Construction Projects in Tripoli, Libya

Construction delays have become endemic in Libya. It is imperative to create awareness of the extent to which such delays can adversely affect project delivery, especially with regard to road construction projects. It is clear that the Libyan road construction industry also faces the issue of not being able to complete projects within the allocated time. This paper identifies the effects of road construction delays, evaluates these through a questionnaire, and assesses them using an empirical method. A detailed review of related literature produced the secondary data, while the primary data was obtained via a structured questionnaire which targeted the road construction projects owners, consultants and contractors. A 71% response rate was achieved; 256 out of the 360 questionnaires sent out were returned. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data received from the questionnaires. The findings of the study reveal that the major outcomes of road construction project schedule overruns in Tripoli, Libya include cost overruns, time extensions, disputes, loss of profit, breaches of contract, poor quality of work and company’s bad reputation. The study makes a contribution to the knowledge of the subject of the outcomes of road construction project schedule overruns in Tripoli. Computation of the means and standard deviations, together with a structural equation model, have been used for the data analysis and inference. It is found that delays in road construction projects widely lead to cost overrun, time overrun, litigation and disputes. The findings of the study also provide significant insights into the construction industry, which will help it formulate strategies in order to avoid delays and their consequences. The most important effects identified were time overrun, cost overrun and obstruction of economic and country development. The recommendations and limitations are discussed in the concluding part of the study

Kebolehpercayaan & kesahan soal selidik kelewatan dalam projek pembinaan menggunakan model pengukuran Rasch

Industri pembinaan ialah salah satu industri yang berperanan dalam memacu ekonomi serta menjana pekerjaan dan kekayaan negara. Walau bagaimanapun, kelewatan dalam projek pembinaan merupakan satu fenomena global yang berlaku hampir di setiap negara sekaligus membantut kelangsungan pembangunan sesebuah negara. Terdapat pelbagai kajian kelewatan dalam projek pembinaan yang melibatkan pembinaan soal selidik telah dijalankan oleh penyelidik di seluruh dunia. Kebolehpercayaan dan kesahan sesebuah dapatan soal selidik perlu disemak terlebih dahulu bagi memastikan keberkesanan soal selidik yang dijalankan. Ia adalah bagi mendapatkan analisis tepat dan data yang diperoleh dapat digunakan. Matlamat penyelidikan ini ialah untuk mendapatkan kebolehpercayaan dan kesahan soal selidik kelewatan dalam projek pembinaan menggunakan model pengukuran Rasch. Bagi tujuan penganalisisan data, penyelidikan ini menggunakan perisian Winstep yang berasaskan pengukuran Rasch. Selain kebolehpercayaan berdasarkan Cronbach alpha Model Pengukuran Rasch dapat memberi nilai kebolehpercayaan responden dan item soal selidik. Kesahan data dinilai dari pelbagai aspek kesesuaian item dan responden, prinsipal komponen analisis dan skala rating. Sebanyak 54 daripada 64 item kelewatan telah dikenal pasti menyumbang kepada kelewatan dalam projek pembinaan di Malaysia

A review of seating arrangements towards the 21st century classroom approach in schools / Norsafiah Norazman ... [et al.]

This article articulates a framework suitable to use when making a decision about student seating arrangement in the classroom at school level as a research aim. The decision makers should establish what are the potential types of seating arrangement? Then evaluate them in terms of its contribution, significance, and impact to the student learning development. The problem of a seating arrangement is usually related to the seating student position selection that is usually decided by teachers or students that can freely choose their own seating. There are three (3) objectives covered in this article; objective 1: to justify the main factors influencing classroom seating arrangement at school building, objective 2: to identify the common patterns of seating arrangement applied for school level and objective 3; to determine the best practice of seating arrangement for 21st century classroom approach at school building. The article articulates a theory of seating arrangement in reference to five (5) common forms of seat arrangement, namely Traditional (columns and rows), Cluster, U-shaped, Stadium, and Runaway. The performance of students might drop especially weak students who are sitting at the back of the classroom if the students are not judiciously arranged. Thus, seating arrangements should be set properly to ensure optimal quality of learning in a classroom. The technique of comparative analysis was used in this study. The findings had shown that cluster seating arrangement is relevant with the 21st century learning approach, which provides more availability of collaborative learning, where it contributes to student-centred learning in a classroom

A new perspective on the relationship between the construction industry performance and the economy outcome- a literature review

The attempts to analyze the relationship between the construction industry and economic growth have integrated many different methods. The process has become to be perceived as “construction economics” analysis. It is conceptualized as a procedure where construction industries outcomes implement increasingly more relevant for nation’s development benefits throughout mostly economic interdependencies that are emphasized as financial sources. Concurring with the present-day standards for affirming an industry, in considerably most facets of analysis result interpreted on a solely economic aspect which is not a conspicuous and significant indicator for construction industry initiates through its resolution outcome. Whereas proceed competently and developed directions from scholars or experts are the determinants of success that emerge due to reviews of relevant practical and research inferences. Literature for analysis on output in the construction industry within the economics aspect is further inscribed in detail. Consequently, relocating the ideology used to examine construction activates implications on development augmentation and shifts the schemes for classifying construction output in the numerous conservative analytic techniques towards more functional delineation. Considering and optimize more relevant details in the systematic process of quantifying the construction value analysis will implicate a reflected actual and detailed results of industrial or enterprise entities on both theoretical and empirical perception for construction economics

The Current Risk Management Practices and Knowledge in the Construction Industry

Construction is a critical sector of any economy in terms of value production, labor, and contributing to the gross national product. Managing risk is a relatively young area in Yemen’s construction sector, but it is gaining traction as building activity and competition rise. Construction firms mitigate risk by using a variety of risk management methods. Therefore, there is a need to assess these procedures in order to detect shortcomings. This research aims to establish the existing risk management strategies used in Yemeni building projects. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data. Respondents were drawn from Yemeni construction businesses. Risk management is not executed systematically, intentionally, or continuously, and most firms’ risk management procedures are reactive, semipermanent, informal, and unstructured, with no or few dedicated resources to address risks. This strategy is inconsistent with generally accepted risk management principles. Nonetheless, the findings suggest a general understanding of risk management and a willingness to learn from previous errors. The study of the findings suggests that risk identification approaches such as judgment and historical data are employed for risk analysis, and that the industry typically attempts to avoid or transfer risks in Yemeni building projects. The results shed light on the shortcomings of Yemen’s project management practices. To guarantee that construction projects obtain maximum value for money, project managers of big construction businesses in Yemen need a strong understanding of and training in globally accepted systematic risk management procedures. Finally, this study can help future stakeholders determine how to work together to manage risk

An Environmental Study on Development of Refurbishment Assessment Themes for Heritage Non-domestic Buildings in Malaysia

In this study a conceptual framework will allow design teams to have an appropriate balance between economic, social and environmental issues, changing the way construction practitioners think about the information they use when assessing building projects, thereby facilitating the sustainability of building industry. In view of the increasing significance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction required by various countries, heritage buildings serve an important target in mitigating energy consumption through refurbishment. Information on the performance assessment of heritage buildings during refurbishment is rare in current literature. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore possible applicable assessment themes for heritage building refurbishment. A literature review was conducted from various assessment tools to develop a generic assessment framework. Four focus group discussions with 32 research and industry experts were carried out, and the applicable assessment themes and sub-themes were determined. Five main assessment dimensions relevant to heritage buildings refurbishment was identified - heritage, environmental, economic, social, and process. However, the process dimension was found to be unaddressed by currently assessment tools. This research can facilitate the identification of appropriate assessment themes and sub-themes for the refurbishment and improvement of heritage buildings. The findings can also be used by policy makers, conservators, designers, and building owners when refurbishing heritage buildings

Effected factors on standard measurement method adoption in construction projects using SEM approach

Various factors affect the standard method of measurement adoption in civil construction projects, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia. Hence, this study investigates the relationship between affected factors towards standard adoption using the SEM approach. As a case study, this study focused on quantity surveyors working at a consulting firm in Selangor, Malaysia. This study identifies the effect of standard measuring technique adoption in Malaysian building projects that have a beneficial impact. The factors research model is the first stage in determining the reasons for using the most recent standard measuring technique in civil engineering construction projects and explaining the link between the barrier factors and standard adoption. The information was gathered using a questionnaire survey sent to participants at construction firms that used the standard measurement method. The PLS-SEM approach was used by SmartPLS 3 software to construct and assess a hierarchical model to assess variables and their effects on measuring method adoption. The findings revealed that 17 barrier factor indicators had a significant impact on adopting the standard assessment technique. The coefficient of determination (R2 value) of 0.307 represents the proportion of variance in the dependent variable that one or more predictor variables can explain. Furthermore, the conceptual model’s predictive significance value Q2 is 0.156 greater than zero, indicating that it can predict endogenous latent components. The measured effect size (f2) between the barrier factors (exogenous latent) and the adoption of the model’s standard (endogenous latent) was 0.443, indicating that the developed model had significant explanatory power to represent the relationship among the variables of the factors and the effect on measurement method adoption. There is a need to improve the methods and increase the driver elements described in this study to promote the adoption of standard measurement in construction projects, which impacts the adoption of the standard method of measuring. In the future, researchers can start from this study to compare the situation in Malaysia with developed countries to discover shortcomings and develop a framework for measurement factors that can be applied

Efficacy study of Quantity Surveying Smart Learning Kit (QS2LK)

The utilization of the Quantity Surveying Smart Learning Kit (QS2LK) was developed to make it easier for students to gain knowledge through the use of three-dimensional (3D) drawings. The introduction to this development is focused on the problems faced by some Diploma of Quantity Surveying in Polytechnic students who find the design of building elements taught in the classroom difficult to understand. A product of creativity will address the problem of students who are less familiar with building structures to make quantity measurements in order to get a better understanding of the layout and design of building elements. The aim of the project is to assist the process of teaching and learning in the measurement of the quantities of building works and to define the usefulness of using the QS2LK. This kit examines the use of technology as compared to conventional approaches of teaching and learning processes. The kit requires a study of teaching and learning technology in general and questionnaire outcomes. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference before and after using the kit. Furthermore, the measurement subject’s achievement was higher before using it. While using QS2LK, this method of learning for all students taking Building Works Measurement subject will be more structured and easier to understand. In conclusion, the utilization of the developed smart learning kit enhanced students’ measurement skills and improved the measurement achievement

A Review of Minimizing Delay in Construction Industries

Construction is an important industry to determine the development of a country. However, this industry faced delay issues caused by various factors that affect proper construction project. Hence, minimizing delay in construction should be focused on overcoming the delay issue. Thus, the objective of this study is to critically review the main criteria of minimizing delay based on the most significant items that suggested in the previous journals. This paper reviewed 47 journals that studied the issues of delays in construction projects. Through this study, the authors have classified four main criteria for minimizing delays, which are; management, interpersonal, technical and technology. Management ensures the proper manage of time, financial and control system in construction to minimize delay. While, interpersonal promote a good relationship between construction parties, hire of competent and skilled labour and responsibility of the owner to avoiding delay. Besides, technical ensure the quality of project and technology could improve the productivity of construction based on fourth industrial revolution development in the construction field. Thus, this study contributes to construction parties able to focus on elements to overcome the delay issue in they faced and applied the ideas based on the element to minimize delay in the construction project