Contractors are facing an increasing degree of complexity in their construction projects. Due to inadequately prepared project plans, they have been suffering significant losses during the execution ...of construction projects. One of the key disadvantages of such plans is that during the planning process, a construction project is mostly defined as a linear rather than a dynamic and complex process with a high degree of uncertainty. Therefore, a contractor who is in the planning phase of a construction project should consider the impact of the project characteristics on its implementation according to the elements of project complexity. In this research, we therefore first made an overview of the existing research related to the elements of project complexity. Based on the frequency of their occurrence in existing surveys, this paper singled out eight groups of complexity characteristics that contractors should be aware of during construction projects. After that, based on the frequency of occurrence in the existing surveys, fifteen elements of complexity were classified for each project complexity group. The research conducted among construction project managers identified key complexity elements of the construction project from the contractor’s perspective. Thereby, the classification of groups with the associated key elements determining the complexity of a construction project from the perspective of the contractor was performed. By properly analyzing the impact of key elements of complexity on project flow during the planning phase, contractors can be more successful when planning the project objectives to be performed.
Construction industry is extremely hazardous with construction workers almost three times more likely than average to suffer a fatal accident in the workplace. Although great improvement in safety ...performance has been noted, in recent years the improvement started stagnating. To tackle this issue and to improve safety on the construction sites, numerous Health and Safety (H&S) research is carried out. This research aims to contribute in reducing the number of accidents and consequently injuries by enabling automated hazard identification through the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and a specially developed construction hazards database. Goal of this paper is to present the structure and purpose of the database and how construction hazard and activity data was gathered and entered into the database. Sources for the construction hazard and activity identification process included scientific and professional construction H&S literature as well as specialised construction H&S documentation. Results presented in this paper are the first step of a research effort to enable automated identification of construction hazards through the use of BIM.
•The role of trust in megaproject success is the most explored topic in literature.•The topic of trust in megaprojects has gained prominence since 2008.•Most studies investigate trust in megaprojects ...involving construction.•Mixed methods approach is prevalent in the research of trust in megaprojects.
Megaprojects are large and complex projects involving substantial investment, social importance, and long time span. Owing to the multitude of actors involved in such projects, trust plays a critical role in their delivery. This study presents a comprehensive literature review to gather a wealth of information on a variety of research topics on trust in megaprojects. Related publications were analyzed, and 52 relevant papers were selected for content analysis. The final results show that research on trust in megaprojects is still relatively new, thematically diffused, and generally lacking strong theoretical foundations. A further analysis revealed six main research topics involving trust in megaprojects: (i) trust and the success of megaprojects; (ii) institutional/public trust; (iii) trust and megaproject delivery methods; (iv) trust and contracting; (v) trust as a governance mechanism; and (vi) trust as a competence of project managers. The outcomes of this study contribute to the body of knowledge on trust through a comprehensive investigation of the literature in project management and provide guidelines for further research on the phenomenon of trust in megaprojects, as well as project management delivery process in general.
The construction industry has a great impact on the environment and, more than ever, bears responsibility for achieving global sustainability goals. Despite the increasing technological development ...in the industry, information asymmetry between construction project participants affects communication and causes risks that have the potential to seriously harm project goals. The main objective of this systematic review is to collect and analyze existing scientific papers to summarize knowledge on the risks influenced by information asymmetry in construction projects. The established PRISMA 2020 methodology was used to collect and analyze papers from the two largest databases of scientific literature, Web of Science and Scopus. The coding rules were set up to evaluate the 94 articles that were assessed as eligible. Furthermore, the content analysis was applied with a set of coding rules and with the help of the software Mendeley. This study finds that research on risks caused by information asymmetry is still new, limited and not well connected with theoretical concepts. The most common methods used by researchers are simulation and case study. With a thematic analysis of current knowledge, this study provides a synthesis of identified risks, consequences and mitigation measures, as well as directions for future research.
The success of every construction project is highly dependent on effective communication and trust between key project participants. It is assumed that all participants in the project will work ...smoothly together to complete the project. Nevertheless, according to the principal-agent theory, there is information asymmetry between project participants because they also have their own self-interests. Information asymmetry is the situation in which one of the two parties is better informed than the other. Due to complexity of construction projects and the number of participants involved, implementation of blockchain technology would reduce information asymmetry. This paper provides a framework for implementation of blockchain technology in construction projects so as to reduce information asymmetry and enhance trust between project participants. Blockchain technology ensures that all project participants have access to all the information exchanged between them over the duration of the project, and thus helps in developing a more trustful relationship between them.
Purpose
As climate change has become a growing concern, sustainable development has become increasingly important. Emissions reduction is a key step for more efficient energy use. In the last few ...years, the residential building sector in Croatia has received financial support for multi-dwelling building energy efficiency retrofits (EERs). However, some of these projects encountered difficulties due to information asymmetry between the key participants. This study aims to address the problem from the perspective of the principal-agent theory, which is concerned with information asymmetry and the asymmetry's repercussions.
Design/methodology/approach
A social network analysis is conducted to reflect the operation and management (OM) details of Croatian multi-dwelling buildings. The key stakeholders of EER are mapped, along with the contractual and communication ties between them. Using the Gephi software, relationship data are visually represented and statistically evaluated.
Findings
The analysis indicated two different clusters or groups of stakeholders in EERs in Croatia and enabled the mapping of key relationships between stakeholders. The findings stress the importance of the key relationship between owner representatives (ORs) and property managers (PMs).
Originality/value
The contribution of this study is the development of framework for blockchain implementation in EERs, which can be adapted for use in different markets and/or projects. Blockchain is proposed for minimization of information asymmetry between different stakeholders. Blockchain enables communication and cooperation during project development and enhances trust among stakeholders.
All significant construction projects involve the project owner and the contractor, as well as their project managers. Following upon recent research into the multiple principal-agent problem, which ...was applied to the minimization of communication risk in construction projects, the focus here is on communication issues between the four project parties. Recent research has shown that the relationship between the project owner and the contractor is paramount for risk minimization before the contract between them is signed. However, the relationship between project managers is dominant for risk minimization after the contract is signed. To further explore risk minimization at this stage of the project, the Delphi method was employed. A panel of highly-experienced project managers working for both project owners and contractors was asked several rounds of questions in an attempt to arrive to a consensus concerning the most important relationships between project parties in terms of risk minimization after the contract is signed. The relationship between the two project managers tops the ranking, thus focusing further research. As they are both agents, and as there is no contract between them, this offers a fresh challenge for the principal-agent theory.
The rock mass deformation modulus is an essential parameter for any numerical analysis and prediction of deformation in geotechnical engineering. Experience acquired using a large number of ...geotechnical projects in Croatia and the world indicates a somewhat unreliable determination of rock mass deformability based on correlation of classification results. The method of field testing for deformability can provide a more reliable insight into rock mass behaviour under loading conditions. The paper presents the most frequently used methods for field testing rock deformability. The benefits and disadvantages are shown of each particular method used in determining criteria and forming a ranking list of test methods using the multi criteria decision analysis. This ranking list of terrain testing for the rock mass stiffness is acquired on the basis of set criteria, assumes guidelines for compiling an exploratory works plan necessary for designing complex geotechnical structures in karst. Appropriate analyses of the sensitivity to changes in the significance of particular criteria was carried out including its effect on selecting the field method for testing karst rock mass deformability.
This paper proposes the framework for automatic calculation of secondary lining cracks remediation costs. A study focuses on the structural cracks resulting from the tunnel secondary lining ...overloading due to rock mass creep. It is based on the multi-phase workflow combining the on-site measurements of behavior of the rock mass surrounding the tunnel and advanced numerical modelling tools assisted by the custom custom-made neural network, as well as the cost calculations. The workflow is established through the developed TunnCrack LCC platform where the data communication protocols between phases provided the straightforward and automatic data flow. Based on the evaluated long-term behavior of a tunnel, the secondary lining crack repair cost could be calculated for the different crack widths. The established platform presents a step forward in proactive estimation of the secondary lining remediation costs, where the monitoring data is continuously used to enhance the estimates of the crack repair costs, providing the tunnel managers with information on lining remediation life cycle costs, thus easing the overall decision-making process.
•A framework for automatic calculation of secondary lining cracks remediation costs is presented•TunnCrack LCC platform backbone is in on-site monitoring data which feeds into advanced numerical models•Neural network is used to estimate the most probable rheological set so that long-term behavior of rock mass is identified•Long-term rock mass behavior is utilized to calculate the long-term costs of secondary lining remediation•Proactive assessment of lining cracking assists in maintenance of a secondary lining throughout the tunnel's service life
PDF
