Evaluating the Existing Barriers in Implementing Constructability
23 Dec 2018-Civil Engineering Journal (Italian Journal of Science and Engineering)-Vol. 4, Iss: 12, pp 2864-2875
TL;DR: Comparing the existing barriers to implementing constructability in Iran with those of the wider world, presents some effective solutions to facilitate the presence of the construction contractors in the early stages of projects.
Abstract: In fact, constructability is facilitating the construction of a project through integrating knowledge and experience to achieve the overall and common objectives of the project in all stages of it, but practically there is still a significant gap between design, construction, and achieving the desired project objectives. Studies show that separating the design and construction processes and lack of presence of the contractor in the design stage, prevent the effective use of experiences and specialty of the contractor to improve and develop design processes. This issue results in increasing project time and cost, poor relationships, and also increasing project waste and duplication. The barriers to implementing this concept can have major differences with each other in different locations all over the world, due to the unity of the executive conditions in various countries. This paper evaluates the existing practical barriers to implementation of constructability in the construction industry. A comprehensive literature review has been performed by the authors through using the Meta-Synthesis method and findings were used to form research assumptions. Three case studies of Mass Housing project (MHP) in Tehran were instigated. Outputs taken from nine interviews with different experts in this industry working in diverse areas, including owners, consultants and contractors are then ranked after theoretical saturation compared using the NVIVO Software and through pattern and descriptive analyses. The concept of constructability is focused on the early presence of contractors in the initial stages of the project. So that, through integrating knowledge and experience, problems due to lack of their presence in the early stages of the project can be reduced. Comparing the existing barriers to implementing constructability in Iran with those of the wider world, presents some effective solutions to facilitate the presence of the construction contractors in the early stages of projects.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the prerequisites of constructability to resolve the current problems of projects, including inappropriate plans without implementability, poor decision making in design, and lack of sufficient implementation experience in the design engineering team.
Abstract: Success in infrastructure projects requires success in all phases of the project, including design, construction, and operation. One of the necessary actions for developing countries to construct their economic infrastructures, is implementing infrastructure plans. This industry should focus more on the construction process and utilizing creative tools and new concepts for construction development. The reason of it is because of delivering the project with certain quality, in time and with the given budget. Contractors should have new strategies for construction to optimize project completion, and constructability. Accordingly, constructability improvements have become the concern of construction industry practitioners. Considering constructability issues in the early stages of the project enhances identifying design limitations that prevent capabilities of contractors to take part in planning and improving project performance. The purpose of this study is identifying the prerequisites of constructability to resolve the current problems of projects, including inappropriate plans without implementability, poor decision making in design, and lack of sufficient implementation experience in the design engineering team. This study provides a list of prerequisites for constructability implementation in infrastructure projects. Accordingly, it identifies the prerequisites, using Systematic Literature Review (SLR) technique. The NVivo software is used to facilitate the qualitative analyses.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identified the critical design stage constructability principles for girder type river bridge construction in Malaysia based on extensive literature review and unstructured interviews with the experts in bridge construction.
Abstract: It is important that the constructability concepts are adopted to improve projects’ performances. Some of the benefits of “constructability” identified by previous researchers include reduced project duration & cost (Jadidoleslami, Saghatforoush, Heravi, & Preece, 2018), reduced changes (Saghatforoush, Hassim, Jaafar, & Trigunarsyah, 2010), better design (Khan, 2018), and improved construction efficiency (Sanjaya, Joni, & Frederika, 2019). Although there were numerous research on the constructability concept since its introduction in late 1970, there are limited contemporary literature to study the critical constructability principles for infrastructure projects. In the Malaysian context, a few researchers (Hassan, 2005; Jelodar, 2009; Nawi et al., 2009; Mydin, Zin, Majid, Zahidi, & Memon, 2011) had pointed out that the research on constructability are limited. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the most critical constructability principles for girder type river bridge projects in Malaysia. The research process to identify the most critical constructability principles is explained in this paper. Abstract: Implementing constructability concepts in a project can bring many benefits such as reduced project cost & duration, enhanced project quality, and improved site management. There were numerous research on the constructability concept since its introduction in late 1970. However, there are limited studies that identified the critical constructability principles for infrastructure projects. This study identified the critical design stage constructability principles for girder type river bridge construction in Malaysia. Based on extensive literature review and unstructured interviews with the experts in bridge construction, 54 constructability principles were identified. Questionnaires were distributed to professional engineers and G6 & G7 contractors in Malaysia to rate the 54 constructability principles in term of their importance or impact in enhancing the constructability of bridge construction based on 5-point Likert scale. The received 143 responses were analysed using factor analysis which is a data reduction tool of SPSS. Varimax method of orthogonal approach was adopted for factor rotation. Factor analysis had helped to generate 11 principal components or critical constructability principles. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test also indicated good reliability of the questionnaire scale. The identified critical constructability principles can provide guidelines to the construction practitioners at the design stage to enhance the performance of bridge construction.
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors explored challenges that are hindering contractors' participation in the tendering phase of public construction projects in light of new legislations and authorities, and identified twelve challenging factors from a structured literature review of previous relevant empirical studies available in online search engines.
Abstract: Public construction projects in Saudi Arabia are fraught with several challenges threatening open and fair competition, which consequently negatively influence the decision of contractors to participate in bidding. Nevertheless, the construction sector has witnessed rapid reforms since 2016, which have resulted in the issuing of new legislation and regulations as well as the creation of governing bodies. Hence, the concept of open and fair competition plays a significant role in the governance of these challenges in the upstream process of construction tendering. Therefore, this paper explores challenges that are hindering contractors’ participation in the tendering phase of public construction projects in light of these new legislations and authorities. Twelve challenging factors were identified from a structured literature review of previous relevant empirical studies available in online search engines since the 1980s. Those factors were measured through Delphi survey questionnaires, which provided respondents with the option of adding new challenging factors. Thus, twenty factors were identified. A descriptive method was used to determine and prioritize these challenging factors. The survey findings indicate that the most influential hindering factors are (1) awarding contracts based on the lowest bidder, (2) inadequate or incomplete specifications, (3) poor contract documents, and (4) poor cost-estimating practices. These findings are vital in exposing the lack of relationships between the construction industry, regulators, and stakeholders for robust partnerships, thereby helping to ensure the fair participation of contractors, which boosts open and fair competition concepts for public construction projects.
References
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TL;DR: In this article, a discussion about generally accepted quality concepts in research, criticising them from the qualitative perspective, is presented, concluding by suggesting alternative concepts to be used for securing quality when pursuing qualitative research.
Abstract: This article consists of two parts, starting with a discussion about generally accepted quality concepts in research, criticising them from the qualitative perspective. The article concludes by suggesting alternative concepts to be used for securing quality when pursuing qualitative research.
961 citations
"Evaluating the Existing Barriers in..." refers background in this paper
...Several respondents cause creating a reliable basis for generalizing the theory [29]....
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TL;DR: A number of procedural, conceptual and theoretical issues need to be addressed in moving forward with this area, and the need for existing techniques to be evaluated and modified, rather than inventing new approaches are emphasised.
Abstract: BACKGROUND
The limitations of traditional forms of systematic review in making optimal use of all forms of evidence are increasingly evident, especially for policy-makers and practitioners. There is an urgent need for robust ways of incorporating qualitative evidence into systematic reviews.
OBJECTIVES
In this paper we provide a brief overview and critique of a selection of strategies for synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence, ranging from techniques that are largely qualitative and interpretive through to techniques that are largely quantitative and integrative.
RESULTS
A range of methods is available for synthesising diverse forms of evidence. These include narrative summary, thematic analysis, grounded theory, meta-ethnography, meta-study, realist synthesis, Miles and Huberman's data analysis techniques, content analysis, case survey, qualitative comparative analysis and Bayesian meta-analysis. Methods vary in their strengths and weaknesses, ability to deal with qualitative and quantitative forms of evidence, and type of question for which they are most suitable.
CONCLUSIONS
We identify a number of procedural, conceptual and theoretical issues that need to be addressed in moving forward with this area, and emphasise the need for existing techniques to be evaluated and modified, rather than inventing new approaches.
843 citations
"Evaluating the Existing Barriers in..." refers background in this paper
...Therefore, it should be noted that the aim of Meta Synthesis is increased confidence of its cause and effect on description and understanding of a phenomenon [26]....
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TL;DR: An argument for the case study method in marketing research is presented, examining various criteria for judging the quality of the method and highlighting various techniques, which can be addressed to achieve objectivity, and rigorous and relevant information for planning to marketing actions.
Abstract: Despite the advantages of the case study method, its reliability and validity remain in doubt. Tests to establish the validity and reliability of qualitative data are important to determine the stability and quality of the data obtained. However, there is no single, coherent set of validity and reliability tests for each research phase in case study research available in the literature. This article presents an argument for the case study method in marketing research, examining various criteria for judging the quality of the method and highlighting various techniques, which can be addressed to achieve objectivity, and rigorous and relevant information for planning to marketing actions. The purpose of this article is to invite further research by discussing the use of various scientific techniques for establishing the validity and reliability in case study research. The article provides guidelines for achieving high validity and reliability for each phase in case study research.
794 citations
"Evaluating the Existing Barriers in..." refers methods in this paper
...In order to increase generalizability of case study method, using several cases for study is highly recommended [28]....
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TL;DR: It is important for researchers to bring hermeneutic skill to the process of meta-synthesis in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the various philosophical assumptions in which qualitative approaches are based.
Abstract: Aims. This paper discusses whether useful synthesis of research reports across different qualitative methodologies is possible, and whether qualitative meta-synthesis violates the tenets of the interpretive paradigm.
Background. Qualitative meta-synthesis is a recent development in qualitative inquiry that offers a means of enhancing the contribution of qualitative findings to the development of more formalized knowledge. However, there are a number of unanswered questions and areas that require debate.
Discussion. A brief overview of qualitative meta-synthesis as a method of inquiry is presented. The assumptions of phenomenology, ethnography and grounded theory are explored for their amenability to meta-synthesis and the possibility of coherent synthesis of findings across these methodologies. In addition, a summary of major philosophical commitments common to the interpretive paradigm is presented. Qualitative meta-synthesis as a methodology is then explored for its fit within this paradigm. An argument is made, with some caveats, for synthesis across qualitative methodologies. Gadamer's concepts of the hermeneutic circle, the fusion of horizons, and dialogue with the text are explored for the insight they provide into the place of qualitative meta-synthesis in inquiry.
Conclusion. It is important for researchers to bring hermeneutic skill to the process of meta-synthesis in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the various philosophical assumptions in which qualitative approaches are based. The particular challenge of combining analysis and interpretation from studies with markedly different approaches and intentions may prompt synthesists to create new and innovative approaches to the presentation of meta-synthesis.
449 citations
"Evaluating the Existing Barriers in..." refers methods in this paper
...The Meta Synthesis is not an integrated review of qualitative literature of the subject and an analysis of secondary and basic data of the selected studies; it is the analysis of findings of available studies [25]....
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13 Oct 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the benefits of using BIM at each construction project phase and the role of design professionals in construction safety, as well as the potential for Productivity Improvement Factors Affecting Construction Productivity.
Abstract: Overview of the Construction Industry Background on Industry Performance Reasons for Low Productivity The Need for New Approaches to Construction Causes of Poor Construction Industry Performance Categories of Construction Who are the Parties Involved in Construction? Project Delivery Methods Forms of Contract Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Forms of Contract Strategies for Improving Construction Performance Questions for Discussion References Productivity and Performance Measurement in Construction Definition of Productivity The Importance of Productivity Productivity Trends in the United States Lean Construction: Impact on Productivity The Potential for Productivity Improvement Factors Affecting Construction Productivity Productivity Ratios Construction Progress Measurement Labor Productivity Productivity Estimation Based on Worth Transitioning from Productivity Measurement to Performance Improvement and Lean Construction Guidance from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Questions for Discussion References Web Sites Foundations of Lean Construction Defining Lean Construction Lean Theory The Toyota Experience: Building on Ford's Principles Accomplishing a Lean State Origins of Lean Construction Lean Design and Construction Deficiencies in Traditional Construction Methods Philosophical Differences Between Lean Construction and Traditional Construction Barriers to Applying Manufacturing Methods to Construction Characteristics of Lean Construction A Systems Perspective of Lean Lean Construction Fundamentals Questions for Discussion References Appendix: ConsensusDocs ConsensusDocs Endorsing Organizations Lean Process Management Operation of the Lean Project Delivery System Structure of the Lean Project Delivery System Project Definition Lean Design Management Designing for Lean Operations The Last Planner System Creating a Support System for Managing the Lean Process The Master Schedule The Activity Definition Model Visual Management Questions for Discussion References Lean Process Measurement and Lean Tools/Techniques Measuring Lean Construction Performance Observations on Commitment Reliability Learning: Reasons Analysis and Action Comments on the RNC Lean Performance Measures Lean Tools and Techniques Value Stream Mapping at Tweet-Garot Inc The Future State Map Kaizen Methodology The Five-Step Plan (5S) The A3 Report Kanban and Lean Construction Supply Chain Management and Lean Construction Questions for Discussion References Lean Construction Applications Prerequisites for Lean Design and Construction Organizing Lean Construction Training the Work Force Lean Coaching The Case of Ready Mechanical Debrief of Ready Mechanical Case National Builder Examples of Lean Project Delivery Application Case 1: A Specialty Contractor's Lean Journey and Successes: Tweet/Garot's Lean Journey Case 2: Belair's Lean Experience and Lean Construction Successes Case 3: The Grunau Company Inc.'s Lean Journey Case 4: YAJ Window Corporation Questions for Discussion References Lean-Based Project Delivery Methods Disadvantages of Traditional Contracting Contracts Overview of Relational Contracting Characteristics of Relational Contracting Relationship Building Among Team Members The Integrated Project Delivery Method Highlights of the Contractual Agreements: Case A Lean Project Delivery (LPD) with an Integrated Agreement Application to the Sutter Project Lean Production Management Roles and Responsibilities Brief Overview of the Whiting Project Experiences and Lessons Learned Summary of LPM Requirements Questions for Discussion References Information and Communication Technology/Building Information Modeling Introduction What is Ict? Impact of Ict on the Construction Industry ICT Tools For Design Processes Building Information Modeling The Benefits of BIM at Each Construction Project Phase BIM Benefits in the Design Phase Case 1: Using BIM with Hilton Aquarium Case Study 2: Savannah State Academic Building BIM and Energy/Exergy Analysis in Design BIM and Lean Construction Summary Questions for Discussion References Quality Management in Construction: A Complement to Lean Construction Part A: Total Quality Management Part B: Six Sigma in Construction Sustainable Construction: Sustainability and Commissioning Part A: Sustainability Part B: Commissioning Questions for Discussion References Appendix: Certification (Certifying Organizations, Designations, and Web Sites) Web Sites for Locating Commissioning Information Commissioning: Related Organizations with Web References Selected Performance Improvement Tools and Techniques Performance Improvement in Construction The Learning Curve Cycle Time Analysis Simulation Quality Function Deployment Comments on the Output Target Value Summary Questions for Discussion References Safety Management Introduction How Safe Is Construction? Safety and Lean Construction The Role of Design Professionals in Construction Safety Summary Questions for Discussion References Appendix: OSHA Checklists (Selected Items) Management: Worker Factors Management-Related Issues Changing Management Attitudes Moving Beyond Traditional Thinking to Lean Thinking Diversity and Construction Quality Ergonomics Voluntary Ergonomics Guidelines Developed by OSHA The Effects of Vibration and Noise Temperature Effects on Personnel References Systems Integration Approaches Industrial Engineering Solutions for the Construction Industry Professional Overview of Industrial Engineering Case 1: Seattle Area Coffee Company Systematic Layout Planning Learning from Projects and Enhancing Integrated Project Delivery Introduction Overview of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) for Continuous Improvement in Construction Categories of POE: Historical, Comparative, Longitudinal, Quasi-Experimental The Role of Programming in POE Planning for the POE POE Procedures Client Satisfaction with Design and Construction Services Best Practices to Derive the Best Results from POE Contractor Post-Mortems An Overview of Lessons Learned from Lean Construction Projects Enhancing the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Process Observations Sustaining Lean Construction The Way Forward Questions for Discussion References Appendix: Examples of the "Lessons Learned" Recommendations from the Post-Occupancy Evaluation of a New Educational Facility Glossary of Lean Terms Index
273 citations
"Evaluating the Existing Barriers in..." refers background in this paper
...In practice, always a far distance is observed between the design and construction stages in order to achieve the desired project objectives [2]....
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