The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on the 11th of March 2020, but the world is still reeling from its aftermath. Originating from China, cases quickly spread across the globe, prompting the implementation of stringent measures by world governments in efforts to isolate cases and limit the transmission rate of the virus. These measures have however shattered the core sustaining pillars of the modern world economies as global trade and cooperation succumbed to nationalist focus and competition for scarce supplies. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a critical review of the catalogue of negative and positive impacts of the pandemic and proffers perspectives on how it can be leveraged to steer towards a better, more resilient low-carbon economy. The paper diagnosed the danger of relying on pandemic-driven benefits to achieving sustainable development goals and emphasizes a need for a decisive, fundamental structural change to the dynamics of how we live. It argues for a rethink of the present global economic growth model, shaped by a linear economy system and sustained by profiteering and energy-gulping manufacturing processes, in favour of a more sustainable model recalibrated on circular economy (CE) framework. Building on evidence in support of CE as a vehicle for balancing the complex equation of accomplishing profit with minimal environmental harms, the paper outlines concrete sector-specific recommendations on CE-related solutions as a catalyst for the global economic growth and development in a resilient post-COVID-19 world.

A critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and ecosystems and opportunities for circular economy strategies

https://pure.hw.ac.uk/ws/files/6700255/Tracking_MEP_Works_v2.pdf

The value of integrating Scan-to-BIM and Scan-vs-BIM techniques for construction monitoring using laser scanning and BIM: The case of cylindrical MEP components

Exploring environmental and economic costs and benefits of a circular economy approach to the construction and demolition sector. A literature review

Performance evaluation of ultra wideband technology for construction resource location tracking in harsh environments

Vision-based action recognition of earthmoving equipment using spatio-temporal features and support vector machine classifiers

The study presented in this article investigates the practice of validation, which is not supported by the current literature. In this study, data was collected from subject matter experts through phone interviews. A multiple case study method was leveraged to characterize validation through the analysis of empirical data from remarkable project validation efforts. Project validation aims at proving or disproving with limited or no design whether the team can deliver a project that satisfies the owner’s business case and scope within the owner’s allowable constraints of cost and schedule and with an acceptable level of risk. During validation, multidisciplinary innovation clusters within the team investigate, compare, and propose distinct options for major project components, and enable the team to collaboratively select an option for the conceptual estimate without committing to the design of such option. Exploring solutions with a multidisciplinary lens without committing to their design enables the team, later on during design, to make decisions on solutions that ensure the cumulative impact of such solutions and further increase value to the owner. Validation culminates in a go/no-go decision, is undertaken following the business case and precedes the contractual agreement, and must have a dedicated budget, schedule, and project team. This article characterizes what validation is, when it is performed, how it should be implemented, and its benefits. Lessons learned are also discussed. When properly implemented, subject matter experts express that validation virtually eliminates cost and schedule deviations.

/pdf/project-validation-a-novel-practice-to-improve-value-and-3bc4qrv420.pdf

Project validation - A novel practice to improve value and project performance

As a result of the ongoing globalization, international student experiences are becoming fundamental to advance students’ development and knowledge. Even though such growing importance, the body of knowledge regarding international interventions is dominated by subjective accounts and lacks contrasted results. In order to design an international research experience for graduate students, recommendations on the design and content of such experiences based on the review of literature were explored. A qualitative and bibliographical analysis of 40 studies evaluating the influence of international student interventions informed about the variables that such interventions should measure and the impact of such experiences on student development. Researchers especially measured the competencies intercultural development (83%), intellectual growth (58%), personal development (58%), professional development (50%), and academic development (15%). However, most of the studies failed to develop an appropriate research design that enables researchers to capture the breadth and depth of an international intervention. Results include addressing various competencies that students can gain during their experience abroad, using mixed methods to collect the data, whereby data should be collected at different time points including before, and multiple times after the international experience by different means.

/pdf/designing-an-international-research-experience-for-graduate-v2cn5ugy.pdf

Designing an international research experience for graduate students

Globalization has led to increased demand for international education and education experiences by domestic students. However, the current body of knowledge regarding these experiences is scarce and mostly dominated by subjective accounts. This paper explores the research content and methods necessary to capture the impact of an abroad education and research experience. This ongoing study combines bibliometric analysis, literature review, and qualitative analysis of selected articles. Based on the body of knowledge in social sciences, student competencies impacted by an international academic intervention incorporate the following knowledge domains: (1) intercultural competence; (2) professional development; (3) intellectual growth; (4) academic development; and (5) personal development. A comprehensive review of existing approaches for assessing international student experiences was also contrasted against accepted research procedures. While a mixed-methods approach to collect data via survey instruments and face-to-face interviews can enhance the depth and breadth of the observations, collecting data at different points in time enables the capture of both immediate and sustained impacts on the student. Besides self-reported data, the evaluation of the students’ research advisors and peers should also be conducted. 

International Construction Education Experiences: Designing a Comprehensive Research Approach

Materials tracking by means of auto-identification technologies has been limited to the semi-automation of onsite materials management. Thus, an opportunity to leverage the use of identification and information technologies by materials vendors and suppliers, i.e., upstream materials tracking, is yet to be explored. In response, this study aims at characterizing the unexplored facet of upstream tracking by vendors and suppliers and explaining its barriers and drivers. A survey instrument was designed to determine the current state of materials tracking readiness, digitization barriers, and opportunities. In total, 50 survey responses were obtained. In addition, remarkable case studies on upstream tracking were characterized through the qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with a pre-qualified sample of 13 subject matter experts. Drivers, benefits, and barriers associated with upstream tracking were identified and characterized. For example, a lack of clear return on investment stands a prevailing barrier against the adoption of upstream tracking at every key stakeholder organization, i.e., owners, contractors, and vendors/suppliers. In addition, a disassociation between the fabrication or manufacturing information status of a material component and the physical tracking of such component was characterized as a fundamental difference from onsite tracking practices. 

Upstream Digitized Materials Tracking by Vendors and Suppliers—Barriers, Drivers, and Benefits

The perception that the intertwinement between field materials management and advanced sensing technologies can highly benefit field operations has gained widespread acceptance among industry representatives. Indeed, past research efforts have demonstrated the feasibility of technology-based and automated approaches to handle materials. In spite of their success, material components are still manually handled. This lack of innovation is mostly a consequence of the undemonstrated cost effectiveness of these technology-enabled approaches. This study evaluates the impact of an automated tracking approach on project performance. For this purpose, a massive experiment was designed. In this experiment, the site tracking approach was taken as the baseline for comparison with an automated tracking approach, which was supported by localization and identification sensors. For each tracking method, field records associated with four hundred steel components were collected. The experimental results demonstrate that sensing technologies have a clear and positive impact on craft labor and installation processes.

David Grau

Papers

Project validation - A novel practice to improve value and project performance

Designing an international research experience for graduate students

International Construction Education Experiences: Designing a Comprehensive Research Approach

Upstream Digitized Materials Tracking by Vendors and Suppliers—Barriers, Drivers, and Benefits

Leveraging Materials Tracking Technologies to Improve Industrial Project Performance