Integrated project delivery (IPD) in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry relies on risk/reward sharing and deferral of parties' profit payments until all project activities ...are completed. A decentralised, automated and secured financial platform is needed to enable all parties to control and track financial transactions, with no unauthorised changes allowed. The new technology, blockchain, enables data to be recorded, has no network participant with dominant power and manages data using specific functions, in line with smart contracts. The present study is the first to develop a framework proposing blockchain technology utilisation in IPD projects. The framework would enable core project team members to automatically execute all financial transactions, through coding the three main transactions of IPD projects: reimbursed costs, profit and cost saving, as functions of the IPD smart contract. To demonstrate the proposed framework's applicability, a “proof of concept” is developed and validated through an IPD case project. The practicality of the built-up hyperledger network (IBM® Blockchain Cloud Beta 2) and the advantages of the proposed smart contract functions are examined. The user-friendliness of the proposed financial system and its efficiency in automating all transactions are demonstrated. No deficiency is found in the blockchain network components. The study's findings, applied in a favourable external context, would facilitate IPD adoption and use across the AEC industry by providing a workable solution to existing financial barriers. The findings extend the horizon for further research on exploring blockchain's capabilities to solve comparable deficiencies to those affecting the AEC industry.
•Developing logical operators to estimate key IPD financial transactions (reimbursed cost, profit and cost saving), applicable to typical scenarios.•Proposing a methodology to enhance financial transaction management and risk/reward sharing practices in IPD.•Creating a toolset through BIM/blockchain integration, to provide an automated financial platform for IPD.•Creating blueprints for blockchain-enabled smart contracts for construction projects•Introducing a use case for hyperledger fabric application in IPD financial management.
The construction industry is under pressure as to reduce the sizable quantities of construction waste generated during construction operations. Modular coordination (MC) and parametric design both ...have great potentials in reducing waste at the design stage. And anecdotal evidence suggests that great volumes of waste can be reduced through integration of parametric design into MC. The issue of proposing workflows in this context, however, is under-researched, and practical applications, if any, are at the rhetorical stage. To accomplish this, an integration attempt is made in this study to provide the details of a developed-and-experimented workflow for this purpose; a generative algorithm is developed through the Rhinoceros 3D–Grasshopper platform, subject to MC rules. Two sets of horizontal and vertical modules are obtained from a prototype model, while an evolutionary solver function is applied in reducing the generated construction waste volume. According to a pre-defined standard specification, different modular design variants that fully conform to the design constraints in modules array are developed, providing an operational workflow in construction waste reduction at the design stage. Introducing this workflow, and how the proposed workflow reduces the volume of post-optimization paneling waste by 2% at its minimum are the major findings here. The insights derived from this study, would promote the interest of both the construction practitioners and researchers; the practicality of integrating parametric design into MC is proven.
•Providing a developed workflow that integrates the parametric design into modular coordination•Developing the algorithms and procedures necessary to implement the workflow•Demonstrating workflow practicality in reducing the amount of post-optimization paneling waste by 2%•Accelerating the rate by which waste reduction moves into the design stage•Justifying the resources needed to enhance the proposed algorithms and workflow
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of studies on CPD published between 1985 and 2018.
Design/methodology/approach
Before identifying common CPD, research trends were ...examined in terms of the number of publications in selected journals, as well as the contributions made by countries, institutions and researchers.
Findings
The findings reveal that researchers from developing countries have contributed the most to identifying the causes of CPD. A total of 149 causes of CPD were identified in a thorough review of 97 selected studies. Weather/climate conditions, poor communication, lack of coordination and conflicts between stakeholders, ineffective or improper planning, material shortages, financial problems, payment delays, equipment/plant shortage, lack of experience/qualification/competence among project stakeholders, labour shortages and poor site management were identified as the ten most common CPDs.
Originality/value
Being the first study of its type, this study provides insight into the research output related to this area and identifies a common set of CPDs, which may provide a better understanding of the key areas requiring attention where steps should be taken to minimise or control factors causing delays in construction projects.
PurposeThe Internet of Things (IoT) provides exciting opportunities for the construction industry to solve its time and resource constraints and frequent defaults. This study seeks to identify and ...rank the perceived importance level of principal research areas associated with the IoT and the construction industry by utilising a scientific mapping tool (i.e. VOSviewer). Such knowledge would enable key drivers for successful adoption of the IoT and digitisation technologies to be outlined. An analysis of key drivers and research trends that facilitates the development of a roadmap for applying the IoT and digital technologies in the construction sector is therefore much needed.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretivist philosophical lens was adopted to analyse published work as secondary data, where each publication represented a unit of analysis. A total of 417 peer-reviewed journal review articles covering the IoT within the construction domain were systematically reviewed using a mixed-methods approach, utilising qualitative-scientometric analyses techniques.FindingsThe results revealed a field of study in a fledgling stage, with a limited number of experts operating somewhat in isolation and offering single-point solutions instead of taking an integrated “holistic” approach. Key publication outlets were identified and the main focus of research undertaken being in the technical areas of smart buildings, smart construction objects and environmental sustainability. The major effects of adopting the IoT within the construction industry were identified as high-speed reporting, complete process control, data explosion leading to deep data analytics, strict ethical and legal expectations. Key drivers of the IoT adoption were outlined: interoperability; data privacy and security; flexible governance structures; proper business planning and models.Practical implicationsThe study benefits researchers and industry practitioners alike. For researchers, the identified gaps reveal areas of high priority in future research. For construction companies, particularly small to medium-sized businesses, the study raises awareness of the latest developments and potential applicability of the IoT in the industry. For government agencies and policymakers, this study offers a point of reference in directing the adoption of the IoT smoothly in the construction sector and provides guidelines and standards for maximising the potential benefits.Originality/valueThe study is the first scientometric review of the existing body of knowledge in the context of application of the IoT in the construction industry. Findings expose knowledge gaps in contemporary research, specifically, a broader consideration of organisational adjustments needed to accommodate the IoT usage, economic analyses and impediments to wider acceptance.
Various applications integrating Blockchain with the Internet of Things (IoT) have emerged in recent years. While industries such as automotive have embraced this integration, application in other ...areas such as construction remains limited. The scientometric analysis is applied to 648 papers, identifying the use of IoT and Blockchain in engineering, as well as evaluating the progress of research in the construction industry. The qualitative critical review is applied to 88 papers and analyses successful IoT and Blockchain application cases in construction while also highlighting challenges and limitations. Blockchain of Things (BCoT) as a new concept is introduced to exploit the advantages of IoT and Blockchain, and this paper presents potential uses of BCoT in the construction industry. This paper provides researchers with a comprehensive view of related literature and research gaps that offer opportunities for future research.
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•648 articles from top-ranked engineering journals on Blockchain and IoT are analyzed deploying scientometric techniques.•The application of Blockchain of Things (BCoT) in the construction industry is critically discussed.•This paper provides a research map for researchers to foster the implementation of BCoT in the construction industry.•Research gaps in blockchain and IoT in construction are identified from an objective viewpoint, as well as a meta-perspective.
Practical interest in ‘off-site construction’ has risen remarkably over the last decade, and with it there has been a burgeoning of academic research in the field. Complementing this research, a ...number of literature reviews have been conducted. None, however, are systematic. This study addresses this lack, offering the first bibliometric study to explore the state of off-site construction research (OCR). A quantitative approach using ‘science mapping’ techniques is employed to examine 501 top-ranked construction journal articles. Longitudinal trends in publishing are identified, as are dominant research sub-fields, their connectedness with other areas of study, as well as citation patterns, publication journal areas of focus, key research institutions, key research persons, along with the extent to which these interact with each other in research networks. The findings are instructive in identifying the deficiencies in current research. Among these is a bias towards product research over operations and management, and a sharp compartmentalization of sub-fields, with little or no cross-fertilization between researcher areas, the researchers themselves, nor the research institutions. Clearly, this awareness will inform industry, journal editors and researchers of the need for a deeper exchange of ideas in any future research efforts.
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•501 articles from top-ranked construction journals on off-site construction are analyzed deploying scientometric techniques.•Core research areas and themes within off-site construction research are identified, visualized, and discussed.•Major scientific collaboration networks in off-site construction research are analyzed, and visualized.•Gaps in off-site construction research are identified from a quantitative, objective viewpoint, as well as from a meta-perspective.
•A meticulous investigation into the casual factors contributing to construction accidents in a developing country is investigated.•A novel fuzzy Delphi method for identifying and prioritizing the ...critical causes is proposed.•The cause-and-effect relationships among the critical casual factors are unraveled using the FDEMATEL technique.•Twenty-three sub-causes are seen to be the major culprits for the occurrence of related accidents.•Organizational and workplace and environmental causes turn out to be the most influential causes.
Though some studies have explored the causes of accidents on construction sites, the interdependency among the underlying causes remains elusive. This undermines the efficacy of any decision made by safety experts in reducing accidents’ impact. To fill this gap, a hybrid fuzzy-based framework is developed in this study to comprehensively identify and prioritize critical causes, as well as map interrelationships among these causes. The proposed framework is based on the infusion of the Pentagonal Fuzzy Delphi Method (PFDM) and Fuzzy DEMATEL techniques. Findings show that six main causes and twenty-three corresponding sub-causes (out of forty-seven identified ones) are the major culprits for the occurrence of related accidents. Furthermore, it was revealed that “organizational” and “workplace and environmental” causes turn out to be the most influential causes, while inappropriate safety guidelines and policies, poor safety management system, poor safety culture, poor safety knowledge of management team, the financial instability of firms, and corruption were the predominant sub-causes affecting the related accidents’ impact. To validate findings, several interviews with senior experts are undertaken. The outcomes of this study are vital for the concerned safety decision-makers by highlighting the influential causes debilitating the safety and health of involved workers.
Critical issues surrounding the promotion and adoption of building information modeling (BIM) for construction projects are largely country-specific due to contextual socio-cultural, economic, and ...regulatory environments impacting construction operations and outcomes. There is little information on BIM adoption issues specific to the Cambodian construction industry (‘the industry’). This paper aims to narrow existing knowledge by investigating key drivers for, and barriers to the adoption of BIM in the industry. Using descriptive survey method, feedback was received from contractors and architects that were registered with their respective trade and professional associations in the industry. The multi-attribute method and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-based Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) test were used to analyze the empirical datasets. Results showed that out of the 13 significant drivers identified in the study, the most influential comprised the technology’s ability to remarkably enhance project visualization and schedule performance; this is followed by awareness that the technology is redefining how project information is created and shared among stakeholders and therefore the future of the industry that cannot be ignored. On the other hand, the most constraining barrier to the adoption of the technology, out of 19 significant barriers, related to strong industry resistance to change, especially reluctance to change from 2D drafting to 3D modeling; other highly rated barriers included the high initial cost of the software and the shortage of professionals with BIM skills. Implementation of the study findings could support greater uptake of the technology and the leveraging of its key benefits to improving project success and the growth of the Cambodian construction industry, as well as those of other developing economies that share similar socio-cultural, economic, and regulatory environments.
The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is fraught with complex and difficult problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a powerful tool to assist in addressing these ...problems. Therefore, over the years, researchers have been conducting research on AI in the AEC industry (AI-in-the-AECI). In this paper, the first comprehensive scientometric study appraising the state-of-the-art of research on AI-in-the-AECI is presented. The science mapping method was used to systematically and quantitatively analyze 41,827 related bibliographic records retrieved from Scopus. The results indicated that genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logic, fuzzy sets, and machine learning have been the most widely used AI methods in AEC. Optimization, simulation, uncertainty, project management, and bridges have been the most commonly addressed topics/issues using AI methods/concepts. The primary value and uniqueness of this study lies in it being the first in providing an up-to-date inclusive, big picture of the literature on AI-in-the-AECI. This study adds value to the AEC literature through visualizing and understanding trends and patterns, identifying main research interests, journals, institutions, and countries, and how these are linked within now-available studies on AI-in-the-AECI. The findings bring to light the deficiencies in the current research and provide paths for future research, where they indicated that future research opportunities lie in applying robotic automation and convolutional neural networks to AEC problems. For the world of practice, the study offers a readily-available point of reference for practitioners, policy makers, and research and development (R&D) bodies. This study therefore raises the level of awareness of AI and facilitates building the intellectual wealth of the AI area in the AEC industry.
•Genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logic, fuzzy sets, and machine learning are the most widely used AI methods in AEC.•Optimization, simulation, uncertainty, project management, and bridges are the most commonly addressed topics/issues using AI methods/concepts.•Future research opportunities lie in applying robotic automation to AEC problems.•There are future research opportunities also in using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for solving AEC problems.
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