Construction project monitoring

U hrvatskoj graditeljskoj praksi monitoring nije ni prepoznat niti uveden i korišten kao temeljna komponenta uspješnog upravljanja graditeljskim i građevinskim projektom. Zatečeno stanje posljedica je prisutnog pristupa u izučavanju i znanstvenom istraživanju fenomena upravljanja graditeljskim projektom kao sustava upravljanja uzročno i posljedično povezanim projektnim aktivnostima planiranja, projektiranja, nabave, izvođenja, opremanja, nadzora, izvještavanja, projektnog odlučivanja i na kraju preuzimanja rezultata projekta. U radu se obrazlaže potreba uvođenja neovisne projektne funkcije monitoringa i pokazuje utjecaj kvalitetnog monitoringa na uspješnost rezultata graditeljskog projekta.Monitoring has not so far been recognised in Croatian construction practice and, hence, it has neither been introduced nor used as a basic component of construction project management. This situation is the consequence of the approach currently adopted in the study and scientific research of the construction project management phenomenon, which is viewed as a system of management of the cause and effect related activities of planning, design, procurement, realisation, equipment, supervision, reporting, project decision-making and, finally, handover of project outcomes. The need to introduce independent project monitoring functions is exposed in the paper, and the influence of high-quality monitoring on successful achievement of construction project results is explained

Construction Project Implementation Study

Opisuje se istraživanje, koncipiranje i provedba graditeljskih projekata. Prikazani su osnovni pristupi istraživanja koje je potaknuto općim stanjem provedbe graditeljskih projekata koje nije zadovoljavajuće. Istaknuto je razvijanje modela eksplicitnog projektnog sustava u kojem će se jasno razlikovati podsustavi kontrole i monitoringa projekta, pri čemu su važan element i razne vrste rizika koje su također opisane. U radu su naznačeni i neki rezultati provedenog istraživanja.The paper focuses on initial research, concept forming activities and realization of construction projects. Principal approaches are presented and it is stressed that the study is a response to general situation in the sphere of implementation of construction projects - which can hardly be considered satisfactory. The emphasis is placed on the development of the model involving an explicit project system, in which project inspection and monitoring subsystems would clearly be differentiated. A proper attention must also be paid to various risks which are also described in the paper. Some results obtained during this study are equally presented

Management of Hrvatske vode construction projects

Uspostavljanje jasne i jednoznačne matrične organizacije, kako kod vlasnika projekta tako i kod Hrvatskih voda, jest preduvjet efikasnog i poticajnog odnosa funkcijskih organizacija sudionika javnog graditeljskog projekta i partikularne projektne organizacije. Ovaj rad nastao je na osnovi istraživanja tijekom 2016. godine, te ne odražava učinak podataka iz 2017. i 2018. godine.Establishment of a clear and unambiguous matrix organisation, both at the level of project owners and Hrvatske vode, is a prerequisite for an efficient and stimulating relationship between functional organisations participating in a public construction project and a particular project organisation. This paper was prepared based on research conducted in 2016 and does not reflect the effects of data from 2017 and 2018

Estimating progress on a construction project

Opisuje se sustav mjera na osnovi kojih se mogu donijeti zaključci o uspješnosti upravljanja graditeljskim projektima. Definira se pojam mjere uspješnosti upravljanja rizikom, njezini indikatori i prikazuje način utvrđivanja relativne mjere te uspješnosti. Prikazuje se postupak utvrđivanja stanja projekta i donošenja odluka o tome. Opisuje se i procedura ocjene napretka projekta, što je potkrijepljeno i primjerom. Posebno je obrazložen način donošenja odluke o razvoju projekta.The estimating system that enables us to make conclusions about success obtained in construction project management is described. The notion of estimating success in risk management is defined, including indicators for such estimation, and methods for determining relative parameters for success estimation. The procedure for defining the current state of the project is presented, including the decision making involved in such procedure. The procedure for estimating progress on a project is described and illusrated with a concrete example. The way of making project progress decisions is explained separately

Management and strategic efficiency of construction companies

Management and strategic efficiency of construction companies Over the past two decades, Croatian construction companies have been undergoing intensive dynamic changes caused by political and economic influences on the construction market: privatisation of state-owned companies, opening of Croatian market, vigorous post-war reconstruction activities, intensive construction of motorways, etc. Such turbulent changes have influenced construction companies in a variety of ways. A number of Croatian companies that used to be dominant have disappeared from the market. Some companies have transformed their management and construction processes. The Balanced Scorecard model for shaping and implementing business strategies of construction companies is presented in the paper. Menadžment i učinkovitost strategije graditeljske tvrtke Hrvatske graditeljske tvrtke zadnjih 20-ak godina prolaze kroz intenzivne dinamične promjene uvjetovane političkim i ekonomskim utjecajima na graditeljskome tržištu kao što su proces privatizacije državnih tvrtki, otvaranje hrvatskog tržišta, intenzivna obnova u ratu porušenih objekata ili intenzivna izgradnja autocesta. Takve turbulentne promjene utjecale su na graditeljske tvrtke na različite načine. Neke, prije Domovinskog velike hrvatske tvrtke nestale su s tržišta, a neke su transformirale menadžment i provedbu procesa građenja. U radu je prikazan Balanced Scorecard, model pristupa oblikovanju i provedbi poslovne strategije graditeljske tvrtke

Application and development of information technology in the civil engineering sector in Croatia

Prikazuju se rezultati rada na dva znanstvena projekta o primjeni i razvoju informatičke tehnologije u hrvatskom graditeljstvu. Opisuju se istraživanja koja se nastavljaju na ona opisana u prethodno objavljenim radovima. Ovdje su prikazani rezultati ankete provedene u 2002., na koju se od 105 pozvanih tvrtki odazvalo 58. Istaknuto je da se u odnosu na prethodno razdoblje primjećuje napredak, ali da još nije stanje zadovoljavajuće te se daju prijedlozi za poboljšanje stanja.Results obtained on two research projects focusing on the use and development of information technology in construction industry in Croatia are presented. The research following that presented in previous papers is described. Results obtained during survey conducted in 2002, when 58 out of 105 companies responded to the survey, are presented. It is emphasized that, compared to the previous period, the situation has improved although it can still not be considered satisfactory. Proposals are given for making improvements in this field

Konformalna (3-D) radioterapija raka dojke – prikaz prve pacijentice u Klinici za tumore, Zagreb

This report describes 3-D conformal radiotherapy in a female breast cancer patient. A postmenopausal patient was admitted to the Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital for Tumors, Zagreb, Croatia for adjuvant radiotherapy treatment after right breast segmentectomy. Patohistology was ductal carcinoma in situ grade II (TisN0M0). With standard 2-D simulation, a relatively large lung volume in the irradiation field was defined (central lung distance - CLD > 2.5 cm). We decided to apply conformal radiotherapy, for its ability of homogeneous dose application and minimum radiation exposure of the surrounding normal tissues. A dose of 50 Gy was delivered to the whole breast in 2 Gy fractions, followed by a «boost» dose to the tumor bed of 12.5 Gy in 2.5 Gy fractions using electron beams (12 MeV). The patient tolerated treatment without any significant sequelae. At control examinations after 3 and 6 moths, the patient was well, with no signs of the disease, with normal clinical inspection results and without any skin changes.U radu je prikazano provođenje 3-D konformalne radioterapije u bolesnice s karcinomom dojke. Bolesnica je primljena u Službu radioterapijske onkologije Klinike za tumore radi provođenja adjuvantne radioterapije nakon segmentektomije desne dojke. Postavljena patohistološka dijagnoza je duktalni karcinom in situ gr. II (TisN0M0). Klasičnom 2-D simulacijom utvrđeno je da u polje zračenja ulazi relativno veliki volumen pluća (centralna plućna distanca, CLD > 2.5 cm). Odlučeno je provesti konformalnu radioterapiju, koja omogućuje apliciranje homogenije doze zračenja i bolju zaštitu okolnog zdravog tkiva. Aplicirana je tumorska doza 50 Gy na cijelu dojku u 25 frakcija po 2 Gy, nakon koje je slijedila „boost“ doza na ležište tumora od 12.5 Gy u 5 frakcija po 2,5 Gy korištenjem elektronskog snopa e12 MeV-a linearnog akceleratora. Pacijentica je dobro i bez prekidanja podnijela radioterapiju. Na kontrolnom pregledu nakon 3 i 6 mjeseci, pacijentica je dobro, bez znakova bolesti, uredan je klinički nalaz, bez vidljivih promjena na koži dojke

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY

Background: Patients with epilepsy commonly report sexual dysfunction (SD) and reproductive difficulties. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and SD, and its association with the quality of life and depressive symptoms. Subjects and methods: This was a prospective study carried out in a tertiary healthcare centre. SD was evaluated using the internationally acclaimed questionnaire Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) that was successfully translated into Croatian and validated for this purpose. Depressive symptoms and quality of life were evaluated using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17) and Quality of life in epilepsy-31 inventory (QOLIE-31). Results: Of 108 patients (68 (63 %) women, 40 (37 %) men, mean age 39.54±15.91 (range18-80) years) with epilepsy, 16 (14.8%) had focal, 38 (35.2%) generalized and 44 (40.7%) both types of epilepsy. Mean overall total score on the ASEX questionnaire was 11.94±5.61 (mean total score women 12.85±6.00, mean total score men 10.4±4.55), with 48 reporting that they had sexual activity in the past week. Nine (8.33%) patients (7 (6.48%) women, 2 (1.85%) men, mean age 47.66±19.33 (range 25-80) years) had a score 19 and above, 38 (35.18%) patients (27 (25%) women, 9 (8.33%) men, mean age 46.82±17.78 (range 19-80) years) individual score 5 and above on any one item, and 33 (30.55%) patients (26 (24.07%) women, 7 (6.48%) men, mean age 48.87±17.8 (range 19-80) years) had an individual score 4 and above on any three items. Significant correlations were found between SD and older age (p=0.001) and between more pronounced symptoms regarding SD on ASEX and female gender (p=0.000). There were no significant correlations between the type of epilepsy and SD, nor between the AEDs (old generation vs. modern) and SD. Significant correlations were found between the SD and more pronounced depressive symptoms (p=0.003) and between the SD and a lower quality of life (p=0.001). Conclusions: Results of our study suggest SD is experienced by around one-third of patients in our group, which is similar to the previous percentage of SD reported in the community sample. Women were found to experience more pronounced symptoms of SD on ASEX. Symptoms of SD were found to be significantly correlated with older age, female gender, lower quality of life and depressive symptoms, while no significant correlations were found with the type of epilepsy and the AEDs